Up at 5 AM

In order to get in a fuller yoga practice before work, I've been getting up at 5 AM. A firm believer in the past that nothing that requires mental alertness can happen for me before 6 AM and that my body wasn't capable of doing asanas that early, I said screw it and set the alarm anyway. On the first day, and every day since, I feel every movement in surya A as my blood begins to flow and my tight muscles release. Now I understand why this portion of led classes is traditionally guided more slowly.

We all need to warm up, but at 5 AM, this is especially true. Surya B is a little better but even though my body is stiff, my breathing is strong and my mind unbelievably clear. In just another hour and a half, it will be racing in anticipation of the day ahead, but not at 5 AM! Oh how wonderful. Mona Lisa, my watchful teacher and steady partner is up as well, testing my resolve by slinking across my mat and softly mewing. The only other sound is Sharath Jois's voice on my computer.

As practice progresses, I notice a new lightness in being. Thinking it was a fluke that first day, it continues to be my observation. My barometer is navasana, a point of contention in my evening practice, especially if I do more than 3 of them. I'm starting to understand the role of having fully digested and evacuated my bowels - two conditions usually easily met by me by 5 AM. Holding bhandas is easier and my legs haven't been shaking in navasana - not even a little - even after doing 5.

Now the tough part for me is twisting. I wasn't sure why initially, but have since figured out that much like the front and back body, and the number of muscles involved in making these movements possible, the intercostals need a fair amount of warmth and conditioning in order to find extension. This surprises me because I thought they would have been prepped by folding forward. Not true. By evening, these areas have been in movement all day and twisting (as long as my stomach is empty) is effortless. I also find that in morning practice the circulation in my arms at the tail end of standing series in warrior 2 is very noticeable and also in my legs in closing during shoulder stand. It's a tingling trickle, like a waterfall in my legs and a radiating sensation in my arms. I am fascinated by the feeling of it.

5 AM practice is liberating also. There is no need to primp and prep, so I usually just roll out of bed and onto the mat in my sleep shirt and boy shorts. Throughout the day, my hips feel fluid and relaxed, and so do my shoulders. It's as though I've broken up a little gunk and kick started my body. Coffee never gave me that kind of feeling. On the flip side this first week, around 2 PM in the afternoon at work I hit a wall of tiredness and turn primal in my pursuit of coffee. I'm hoping that as I adjust to my new waking hours that this will change with time.

Bedtime ranges now between 9:30 and 10 PM and skipping dinner is a no-no. On the day I learned this I had to end my practice early because of the nausea that welled up suddenly - I'm certain from lack of nourishment. A bummer big time but a lesson learned. My hip flexers and quads bothered me into the night because I had to stop at the beginning of my floor sequence. It's true what I've read in other blogs about ashtanga being a sure fire way to help you kick bad habits and regulate nutrition and rest. If you didn't know what your body needed in order to properly function before, you will quickly learn your healthy balance.

Each night I look forward to getting in gear for the next morning. Thursday nights will now be reliant upon my DVR because watching Scandal in it's entirety will have to wait until Friday.

Full Vinyasa in Led Primary

In led full primary class, Keith took us through full vinyasa. What this means is that instead of jumping through to seated after each asana, you jump feet between hands and come to standing. In this class, we jumped through to seated between sides within the interest of time. It took about 3 asanas for my head to disengage from the habit of doing jumpbacks every time, and it was about that many times for everyone else too. After that, my body registered a new understanding of resting while in samasthiti.

In the 75 minutes, we made it up to navasana and proceeded to urdhva dhanurasana. Wheel was like a long, tall drink of cool water after all those forward folds. Full vinyasa is not part of a daily practice because of the time it adds, however partially incorporated can increase heat and strength. I noticed that it brought additional awareness to my breath and to the moment of rest, which samasthiti offers.

I teach a Saturday morning class to a group of yogis who enjoy the ashtanga tradition and I feel an opportunity for all of us coming...smile.