Sunday, 16 August 2026

Practicing when sick and Handstand progress

So I caught a Virus and reluctantly took a couple of days off work. Couldn't practice Friday or Saturday but was determined to at least try to practice this morning. Wanted to try and detox myself with some intense Ujjayi breath and sweat it out.

After two days sitting up in bed reading the Catechism (am a sucker for Theologians, think it's the only Uni department Philosophers are in awe of) and living on Banana custard I was looking forward to a few Surys to realign my back.

Always stiff through the first couple of Sury A's but this morning I was still stiff after 5 A's and 5 B's was thinking perhaps I should come up with something to take on Dragons Den, something to improve posture when sitting up in bed.
Still not over the Virus and could feel it indignant at the lack of respect I was showing. Really dizzy through Standing and especially each time I came up in Prasarita series. Quite cool actually watching your vision blur more and more until it seems like your looking through a keyhole.
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana was risible, waving about and stumbling all over the place, hasn't been this bad since the morning after I discovered margaritas at Christmas.
By my third Jump back I was beginning to feel like throwing up and cut back to jumping back after each Asana rather than each side.
Something about the Marchi's though, you get so wrapped up in the binding that you forget about everything else. it's where my mind usually begins to quiet and this morning where I forgot I was sick and just got on with the practice.
Managed to get through to finishing , ended up sweating 2 kilos but feel much better for having forced myself through it.

Sitting up in bed I was looking back at some old videos. If you don't go to a shala and just practice at home then taking videos is such a good idea. You get to look at yourself objectively. I remember being convince a short while ago that I'd pressed to handstand only to see the trace of a hop on the video. Plus it's encouraging , sometimes you feel like you're in a rut and not progressing, I mean I've been doing handstands for a year but still can't press to handstand. So it was good to look at these videos together, the first from March 08 the second from last week.

................................................................March 08 / Feb 09.................................................................
The difference I think has come from the work I've been doing lately on back bends which has made my stomach muscles stronger and the press to handstand work I did a couple of months back where I focused on the awareness of my pelvis in space. Still haven't got it the way I'd like it but it's coming.

PS. Can anyone recommend anywhere to practice Ashtanga in Manchester UK. Led or Mysore?

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