I guess I've been on a bit of a hiatus from blogging. Lots of factors. Late summer and I've been spending more time in the garden and out with the dog. Also, a herniated (or compressed) disc and then a dash of carpal tunnel symptoms have kept me away from anything resembling a desk or a computer.

Yoga practice has changed with all this recent injury, but I'm still practicing every day. It's hard to do an Ashtanga practice. I went to a class and my back felt a bit tender the next day. Too many forward bends. So, I'm doing shorter, gentler sessions at home, with a little more pranayama and meditation. Most days, I do a 20-minute asana session in the morning, following by sitting and then another session in the afternoon. I've also started walking more, since I'm not able to do a full, vigorous practice. (My body noticed the slow-down and promptly demanded more movement.)

Each time I have some sort of injury, my experience with yoga becomes much deeper. I am naturally quite flexible and most poses are more or less available to me. But with an injury, my movement becomes limited and I must be hyper-aware of what I'm asking my body to do in each pose. It requires me to slow down, back off, and truly practice with a beginner's mind. The poses become a little more subtle. It's frustrating to shake up my routine of daily practice, but I'm also grateful. Injury is a great teacher. It also helps me understand how to teach students of different abilities.

I'll close with a few pictures of Saro. John bought him a pool, which we naturally thought he would enjoy. Not so. Note the look of desperation on his face as he searches for an escape.



And here he is, much happier, hanging out in the garden.





More posts coming soon.