Split from Primary

Well, it is a whole new territory now! Last Sunday's led intermediate was okay despite me being really nervous about it. The first Surya Namaskar and Sharath tells Nick to move his mat to the front and makes us all wait in Chaturanga and begins counting 1,2,3.... and laughs... We were about 40 people and there were as many on the doorway watching us. I found rescue by placing myself next to Jeff. We were at the back, very close to the "office" ( not the new one). I was afraid of the Bakasanas, Bakasana A was alright, with B, I hopped, top of my feet touched the ground, pulled them up and survived 5 breaths on my sweaty arms and jumping back was a bit of a disaster :). Then, as advised by Peter, I stopped and looked at Sharath since this was my last pose he gave me; when he saw me, he moved his hand indicating to continue, so I did. Bharadvajasana and Ardha Matsyendrasana easy as usual, so I continued and Eka Pada Shirshasana was okey and then sweet Dvi Pada Shirsana which was pitiful... of course this time there were not all that primary series to open up the body before these LB postures and then the time pressure to get into them in a led class... Therefore, I heard Sharath yell "you, stop!" and of course it was me. So, we stopped, went back to the finishing postures... My first intermediate led was intense but I did it without any major embarrassment. Of course I tortured Peter about whether I would be split or not after this led and he said "I am not sure about many things but if I am sure about one thing, you get to Eka Pada and he splits you, this is how he has been doing for many years..." I still had to ask Sharath. Luckily, on Monday he was in a good mood and when I looked at him he smiled and I asked "now I do only second?" and he said "yes only second now on..." So, just like this what I have been wishing for became reality before I even expected. And now I have super short practice; it is a bit longer than one hour but it is not easy as much as it is shorter. I guess doing all that primary before the second series postures was really opening the body. After the led class I was sore on my thighs and my shoulders and in front of my ribs... On top of this, Monday I began sweating tones with Surya Namaskars and the sweat never stopped pouring and my power was very low, maybe due to the heat and maybe my body is confused to go onto second right away... But then I was tired the whole Monday and Tuesday as if I was not doing a much shorter practice... Today, I feel more in tune, getting back to normal. In the mean time, my mind was not short of producing all these questions and comments "practice is so short and not much vinyasas, what if get weaker, already I am not strong enough? Rolf does not split before Karandavasana and he still wants me to get stronger... ohh this Japanese girl was in intermediate led class, why is she doing primary series now, is she going to go onto second series after primary, ohh stop watching her concentrate!" Yes, yoga suppose to quiet the mind; I guess this is the quieter version of mine... Still I had to run to the shala on Tuesday morning and wait at the door until Sharath, who was still teaching, looked at me in a "what do you want?" way and I said I have a question, he came and I said "now I only do second but so short practice, I am afraid I will get weaker" and his response was "weaker? no, you won't get weaker, more postures are coming..." He probably thinks that I am a super Vata strange one... Well, I have to add that doing only second has a different effect emotionally and I guess this is expected since it is Nadi Shodhana which works on the nerves system while the primary series, "Yoga Chikitsa", work on the body and very much grounding... So, with only second I have been a bit more anxious but I expect that will also settle....

What else other than all this asana practice notes... Himm , on Monday I began harmonium classes with this lady who is up the street. It was utterly confusing because I know how to play the piano. I think if I did not know anything, it would be much easier but since I knew the notes and scales, what she was telling me did not make any sense. I thought of dropping this desire to learn music here... At night, I searched at the internet to get more clear about what she showed me and I read that the notes in a scale were not fixed in Indian classical music as it is in Western music. The teacher, instead of telling me this, just told me to forget what I know and later on to compare the two systems. I guess she could tell me that the notes in a scale is not fixed, so I would stop trying to make sense, because when she said Sa is Do and Ma is Re but then she hit Sol for Sa I was totally bewildered... oohh well I will try one more time tomorrow this time with my friend who knows nothing about music, lucky her...

Himmm my time moved down to 5:15 AM, I think soon enough it will be 4:30AM! it is really, but really hot here now. When we have power cuts in the evening it is so intense, sweating all over and my bed is so warm as if I have put a electric blanket.

By the way I might do Sanskrit Level I again since I don't remember anything from the last time... It begins this afternoon... still undecided... have to stop the sweet stuff, then confusion might be less as Kuckoo suggested. uhh as for sweets, I am only eating fruits and dried fruits, even that has negative effect I guess...