Briefly, Back to Backbends.

Yesterday, VERY short on time, I did 4 Venki hangbacks (long story how I know about those) for 15 breaths each, and then JUST the backbends of Intermediate–Shalabhasana to Kapotasana. Directly after that, I taught a class (which I’m going to believe evened me out; I made sure to join them for a long forward bend).

The backbends were bigger than in recent memory: Bhekasana actually had an arch, Dhanurasana was practically to pubic bone and I got toes in Kapo one and past the toes in Kapo two (I do two if I can).

Today I did the “classical,” Primary and up to Kapo. Good heat in the house (79 with midwestern humidity), no misses in Primary, 8-finger binds in both sides of Pasasana (and I haven’t really done Pasasana in about two weeks, so that was cool), but less backbends than yesterday.

Now, usually, when Kapo-ing at the Y, I have the Jade Harmony with me, no rug. I get good sticky and great pressups there; I even got arms straight regularly before I busted up my right rotator cuff.

In the house, I have the Manduka with the cotton rug over. Cotton rug is slippery when trying to press up hard. Manduka is too sticky for walking in, or, if covered with sweat, too freakin’ slippery for walking in. So I took SIX, count them SIX, Kapotasanas to learn how much press-friction to apply and to what surface.

ONLY on the sixth, did I get toes. So that’s a big freakin’ difference from yesterday’s backbend exploration. I was bummed about it, but if I’m doing sweaty practice, it MUST be rug season. So I must learn to pull up with the hips, rather than pressing the arms straight with the hands. Summer Kapo is different.

I followed that with three wheels and five dropbacks (not my usual three). Psoas, we make peace this summer. Length or bust!! I popped the heels and came up standing every time. In the final backbend, I dropped, walked in twice, and rocked forward onto knees; couldn’t pull the super tight stand up. That’s ok.

Tomorrow, if not deadly sore, I go for it again (yeah yeah, Primary day, I know, but my timescale is all “what can I learn about my so-called ‘current practice’ before I’m Mysore-ing it up in Seattle on July 8″), so I’m cutting myself a break on the classical time format.