The ashtanga disability crisis is averted, for now. Practice today was better. It was the Saturday improv class, so I still don't have a feel for how I'll do with the regular first series. At least whatever I was doing wrong didn't become so persistent that it became ingrained. Little mercies.

I got off work a little later than I wanted, due to sleeping in longer than I had planned, so my stretch out time was a bit shorter than I would have liked. It all worked out okay though. Once we got going, I was able to stretch the stiff areas acceptably. We did a lot of the same things today that we did in the Thursday class that I felt lost in. This time, I was able to hold the Pincha Mayurasanas without too much problem, so I was able to let go of that worry and just deal with the postures.

When the teacher asked the group what they would like to work on today, we got the usual requests: hips, quad stretches, shoulders, etc. I wonder what the most unusual request they have ever gotten is? In one of these classes, I once asked for some focus on vinyasa, since I suxxor at it, but I got kind of a less than enthusiastic glance from the teacher and we didn't really address it. It's probably something that doesn't really translate to a fluid led class type of setting.

The teacher did do most of what was requested today. One person asked for abs, but we didn't really do much for that area specifically. We did do the anjaneyasana series to open the hips (just once repetition for each variation per side this time). Then we did some work to address backbending. First was a bridge pose, setu bandha sarvangasana, to get those muscles working. Then we did some viparita dandasana stuff. We started off in a back bend base. After lifting the hips, we moved the hands and arms into the position they would be in for head stand and then moved the feet farther away to straighten the legs and enter viparita dandasana. Then we worked on lowering down into viparita dandasana from headstand. We also did a similar dropping of the feet backwards to the mat from pincha mayurasana. Next, we did a bunch of postures to begin opening the hips and the thigh adductors, eventually leading up to kashyapasana and eka pada sirsasana. Then a few back bends, a hand stand and we closed. All in all, the class flowed pretty well. I kept up the heat the entire class, sweating the whole time. And now, my mood is waaay better post practice.

Don't know how the rest of the holiday weekend will turn out. We're not doing anything special that I know of. We might try the trapeze thing again if it's not booked up. Kind of expensive though.