Up and down the wall again

Eddie came to help me in the drop-back this morning and I noticed that there was something in my mind, I wanted to ask him something, I had made a mental note, but what was it?

It took me all the way from when he asked me how many U.D. had I done, to when I came to standing to remember. Of course! I want to ask if I can go up and down the wall, you know? as in trying harder for those drop backs, (although recently I read it might not even help in a great post from Life in Mysore).

So there I go again, just like two years ago when I started doing it with Greg, this time in the new shala, with the new teacher.  I am happy.  (drawing)

I have also noticed the change in the practice when the practice of pranayama happens daily, there is a different quality of attention, I am more aware of the movement of the breath, of how long the inhalation is in relation to the exhalation, I feel the movements of the skin (all that Iyengar reading maybe), and I let go of how the pose looks to go deeper into what the breath tells me.

I really like this new letting go concept in which the breath rules, nothing is forced, or, as Paul put it, "never ever compromise the breath".  I love it when teachers' instructions suddenly sink.

There seems to be a surge of intro ashtanga workshops by local teachers in NY these days.  Eddie will start teaching every Wednesday at Donna Karan's studio (and as part of the Urban Zen project).  Amy Santos of yogasutra is offering Fundamentals of Ashtanga, and Zoe's studio has an Intro to Mysore class with Lorrie Dirkse.