Daily Practice

Technically, I have a daily yoga practice. That is, at least, how everyone describes Mysore style ashtanga. Even before we get to 5:30 am and lazy Sundays, however, you need to take into account that Saturdays are yoga-free, and Mysorers don't practice on moon days, so that's 1 free day for the full moon, and 1 for the new moon. So an ideal daily practice is more like 22 to 24 days out of 28.

But then, of course, the early mornings and lazy Sundays. Between the arguments the bed wins many mornings, and the arguments my lover's warm body wins on Sundays, my "daily" practice is more like 12 days out of 28.

Late last week, I decided to do an experiment: all 6 classes this week, Sunday to Friday.

HYPOTHESES:

1. I will be tired from waking up early;
2. I will be able to put my face on my shins again in Paschimottanasana;
3. I will feel stronger;
4. I will be tired from waking up early.

FINDINGS:
1) Most mornings, my alarm goes of at 5:20 am. I spend the next 10 to 20 minutes alternately dozing and arguing with myself about should I stay or should I go now.

But I'm so tiiiiiiiired, I say. But you won't get better unless you go, I respond. But my shoulder huuuuuuurts, I say. Remember how you almost grabbed your wrist in marichi C yesterday?

They win about 50/50.

Thing is, if you know you're going, it's still really fucking early, but at least you're not also starting your day with a stressful 10-minute argument. This doesn't make it feel later or like you've gotten more sleep, but does make it feel less miserable.

2) Just past the mid-point, my body is not very pleased. Rather than getting deeper into forward folds, my body is rebelling and tightening up even sooner as I'm bending forward. It's like doing it every day doesn't give my body the chance to forget it hates folding in half, whereas if I take a couple of days off, I can be most of the way into my version of Prasarita Padottanasana before my hamstrings cotton on and stop the show.

I suspect that if I can keep this pace up, though, that would give way. Haruki Murakami wrote a book about marathon running in which he says something along the lines of "When my body hurts, I tell it that this is what we do now." Given the way that so much of that book rang true for me and yoga, I think my body would eventually just give up the fight.

Notwithstanding: with two more days to go, I'm fairly certain my face will not be on my shins. My nose on my knee, perhaps.

3) As for feeling stronger, I do, and I feel like I look stronger. Let's hear it for the placebo effect.

4) Oh fuck yeah.