Susan put it perfectly this morning when she said, 'your torn between two lovers'. I looked up ye olde cheesy love song on Youtube.... and then ye olde cheesy lyrics too....
Torn between two lovers
There are times when a woman has to say what's on her mind
Even though she knows how much it's gonna hurt
Before I say another word let me tell you, I love you
Let me hold you close and say these words as gently as I can
There's been another man that I've needed and I've loved
But that doesn't mean I love you less
And he knows he can't possess me and he knows he never will
There's just this empty place inside of me that only he can fill
Torn between two lovers, feelin' like a fool
Lovin' both of you is breakin' all the rules
Torn between two lovers, feelin' like a fool
Lovin' you both is breakin' all the rules
You mustn't think you've failed me
Just because there's someone else
You were the first real love I ever had
And all the things I ever said
I swear they still are true
For no one else can have the part of me I gave to you
I couldn't really blame you if you turned and walked away
But with everything I feel inside, I'm asking you to stay
Torn between two lovers
Feelin' like a fool
Lovin' both of you is breakin' all the rules
So there was talk yesterday of perhaps going along with a friend to a mysore practice in London at the Weekend. It was a bit it out of the blue but I thought why not. Then I thought, bloody hell, haven't practiced primary for a month, need to brush up. So I shifted Kino's Primary back on to my Itouch, chucked it in the speaker and laid out my mat and towel. This was at about quarter to seven last night. The only two thoughts I remember going through my head between then and eight pm were, 'WOW' and 'fast' and perhaps 'oh WOW' and 'Bloody FAST'. And this was Kino, I used practice at Sharath's pace which is a little faster, both primary and intermediate used to take me an dead on an hour each, including Standing, Finishing and my two minute Savasana.
I sweat a kilo and a half. my map was dripping, I was dripping, but I absolutely loved it. There might be some things I question about the practice, but it is marvelous and great great fun. And of course now I'm conflicted.
Originally I'd figured that while shifting the main focus of my practice to vinyasa Krama I would still do Primary and Intermediate one day a week. Then it went down to Primary once a week and then I just seemed to forget about practicing Ashtanga altogether and seemed comfortable with that. But now.....?
Primary is just too great, as Susan said, Torn between two lovers'
And one of them is demanding, very demanding. Primary once a week just isn't going to do it, yesterday half killed me.
So I've been scribbling away, making lists and figure I need to practice Ashtanga at least three times a week, a Primary on Friday, a Primary and half intermediate up to and including Karandavasana on Sunday and a straight Intermediate mid week. The other days can be my Vinyasa Krama routine as usual.
I figure I can slow the Ashtanga down quite a bit, VK breathing and bandha work, include the tadasana sub routine at the beginning in place of two Sury's and finish with the VK winding down beginning with Mahamudra on through Pranayama and meditation in place of the traditional long Savasana. I'll spend an extended period in Shoulder and head stands. I've been practicing Ashtanga too fast anyway, it is a Vinyasa Krama practice, I just need to tweak that aspect out more. I think it's pretty much how many practice their Ashtanga anyway.
Oh and here's Mary MacGregor singing Torn Between Two Lovers ony Youtube, with some really awful lip sync.
10 comments:
I'm too methodical to withstand the fluctuations of the mind that occur when I start messing with another lover. My asana practice quickly devolves into rationalization practice. ;-)
All I can say is thank God there are no tempting, prop-filled Iyengar studios around here. That'd have to be the Brad Pitt of yoga temptation.
Hahaha... I might download that song! I remember listening to it when I was about five on my transistor radio, sitting on the tire swing...
You hit the nail on the head when you said 'ashtanga is a vinyasa krama practice'. It's beautiful how we can learn something in one practice and bring it back to rediscover another. I've criss-crossed styles so much over the years and loved it. I'm not the fanatic some would make me out to be :)
I was brought up on something very like your VK and needed to explore a lot. Now I'm very happy with my ashtanga practice, but nothing is certain and what with ageing and all, I'm sure my practice has a few more incarnations to go. It doesn't surprise me at all you want to 'play away!' Haha... or perhaps grow out of your first love. Who knows?
For the record, primary and intermediate both take me dead on 90 minutes... though I can go faster, I like to breeeaaathe :)
Strangely the practice has been fine and withstood all these fluctuations well. Much better than when I move my mat, then I'm really edgy. You've said it now Karen, you'll dream of that prop filled Iyengar studio tonight : )
Quite interested in the idea of Ashtanga as early Krishnamacharya, as it was taught at the Mysore palace. Jois said he only taught what K taught him, though I'm sure he was being a little modest too. Maybe I'm seeking balance and flexibility. Slow it down a little to focus on VK breath yet still keep a degree dynamism. Slowing it down by an extra half an hour should make quite a difference and yet I can keep the heat turned up with VK's approach to bandhas and ujaii. Flexibility is the next thing, practice it pure two or three times a week to keep that fixed in the head but gain more familiarity with the other sub-routines from VK so I can add or subtract sub-routines when I feel the need. Quite a balancing act but interesting.
now throw in some yin yoga and you'll be set....;)
Funny you should say that Linda, bought Yinsights and the Grilley dvd a few weeks ago, quite interested in the idea. Haven't gotten around to it yet but I was thinking of an extra Yin practice in the evening after work, two or three times a week.
Yoga smorgasbord!
I love yin yoga. Hardly ever do it nowadays, but used to get kind of power surges through my hips afterwards. It's mostly about dealing with mental and physical restlessness though, for me. But sounds like you're doing some pretty long holds already.
Sweet dreams, Karen ; )
well, just go to my blog and search for yin yoga and I've written about my training with him....
and you can experience my morphed yoga style if you go to Africa next February....http://lindasyoga.blogspot.com/2009/09/selling-myself.html
but no astanga!
Grim---I've been meaning to write and ask how you've been doing without the primary or secondary in your life, but your post beat me to the punch. I had wondered about how you would do with just one series a week without losing "form". I've tried a some of the Vinyasa Krama and really like it but.....it is not that same physical rigor nor feeling after. There are few feelings as good as ones body after the primary series. I feel for you caught between your 2 loves.
hey Craig, no it's not the same, different mental place. Tuesday was my first Ashtanga in over a month. It went OK, sweated buckets and was exhausted afterwards but kept pace with Kino, nailed all the jump backs. So, was still fit enough but only just. Flexibility was excellent though and my bandhas are pretty strong from all the VK bandha work, made quite a difference on all the lifts.
I rested yesterday as I'd done three and a half hours on Tuesday. Just finished Primary, trying to practice it with VK in mind. Managed to slow it down from my usual hour to 90 minutes. Slower breath, some breath retention and bandha work, long stays in paschi, shoulder and head stands. heard to keep the breath steady, could be because I woke up with a cold, am out of practice or because my jump through isn't best suited. might try to shift to the straight leg jump through, much less effort. interesting experiment though. Oh and I just realized sweated only half as much as tuesday.
Hi Grimmly,
Really interesting post, I was wondering about the effects of your new practice on your Ashtanga practice. I do Iyengar yoga once a week, ashtanga all the other days. I need to start holding headstand and shoulderstand for 5 minutes in my ashtanga practice more often as this is what I do in my Iyengar class. Today I will do it!
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