We took a long time in standing series, and then went through floor series with almost no time in savasanas. It was very taxing, but also felt good in an odd way. For me the amazing thing was that I could do it at all, much less that I could do it without becoming resentful. It helped, I think, that the teacher made sort of a joke about it.
It was also my 20th day in a row, and I'm starting to feel some minor body problems. For quite a while, my right knee (inside front) has been slightly bothering me. It was an issue for three poses: tree, toe stand, and the left side of the final stretch. Basically, I could feel a slight stretch/pain just from bending my leg to the outside like a chicken wing. Well, in this class, it was acting up much more. I could feel it in Half Moon and Awkward, and it limited my ability to come into a squat in the third part of awkward (at least for the first set). I'm hoping that this may be a step backward that preceeds a bigger step forward, and back to good health. But its definitely something to keep an eye out.
Another thing I've noticed recently is that my right forearm and hand tend to go to sleep when its reaching up in Triangle. I asked Rohit about this, and he says that he gets it too, on the left hand side, and he does't know what it is, but assumes its good for you. At least it hasn't done him any harm that he's noticed in the several years he has been noticing it.
The day 188 has a great testimonial from a student who got rid of fibrosycstic breast disease through yoga. I just love reading stories like this. I've cured several of my own little ailments already, and am completely off medication (which is basically paying for the yoga). I also talk again and again to people in class who have experienced things that I would have said were miraculous just a year and a half ago.
I've also tried to talk several people into trying yoga for at least a few months, to see if it will help with their problems. One friend has a degenerative disc problem. The doctors have told him there's basically nothing to be done about it. Believing them in some ways makes things easy for him. And going to a hot, sweaty, 90 minute class five days a week is not appealing. If it works, it will easily save him more than that amount of time in the time that he spends laid up, or half crippled. But the time and effort just seems like too much. And I don't know what to do to convince him.
Meanwhile, theres a guy in our studio who has arthritis in his back. The doctors look at his x-rays and insist that he should be in incredible pain, and probably shouldn't be able to walk. But he's there all the time, making progress, and says he feels great. The healing power of the asana continually amaze me. The proof of it comes simply by putting in the effort.
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