Just based on the last few yoga classes that I went to during the last few days, I am happy to say I have made some improvements.
Crow Pushups
My crow is more stable now. I think my arm and shoulders have probably been strengthened by the tons of chaturangas and handstands. In one of the classes, we had to go into crow and then “pushups” as in lower arms and the push up again. Tiring! But if you can engage your core more, this will be a piece of cake ( as the teacher showed us… )
The Longest Handstand
For the record, I could only hold 1.5 minutes and my wrists are “gone”. But this is great training for building arm and shoulder strength. As you train, you probably will feel lighter and lighter. Bo recommends us to do this the moment we get up every morning to build the strength and balance in handstand. If you have read my earlier posts, I had BIG problem back then in kicking up into handstand against the wall. I had a fear and I just could not kick up to handstand. But now I am happy to say that I love doing handstand. It’s fun and I love the fact that I can kick up lightly against the wall ( without the thumps… ) I work hard to get to where I am now and I am proud of it 
. So start slowly, start small, keep practicing, improve little by little and then ONE DAY you can do it! ( as in life too! yey, me going to overcome my headstand barrier…! )
Again Headstand…
Especially in the headstand area (see pose here). Not quite there yet but at least now I have moved from the 2 seconds to a few breaths with the knees tucked in at the half way mark.
The feeling is a bit different now in the headstand. I am finding the “feeling” to balance, or at least I thinking getting the “feeling” of what it means to balance upside down. It’s like I am more in control now as I “felt” my way to control the balance. Plus I know that by extending the head and elbows down to the floor, the balance seems to be more steady.
Am I getting to enjoy it more? Hmm…
But I am moving and gaining a little confidence at a time. 
Another first!!! Coming up from Kapotasana
Kapotasana ( see this article by yoga journal on how to practice to go into it ) is a pose I finally can do due to Bo’s Anusara teaching. The day I managed to touch my toes with my fingers, I was so happy! But then I had always have to go out of the pose by going back down to lying and then slowly coming out of it. For the first time, I banished the fear and just did it by coming up from the pose straight up, lifting from the chest up.
Taking that big step confidently and just do it. From then onwards, the fear is gone as you know you can do it. It just happened. I listened and my body says “yeah, let’s do it”.
OM~
Technorati Tags: yoga classes, Crow, chaturanga, headstand, Kapotasana
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