This little studio I've been going to while away has really become a nice little home away from home. The first day I felt "off". Flooring is different, temp is different, I don't know these teachers, I don't have a "spot" in the room, etc etc. Now I roll in, plop my mat down and practice with just as much ease and comfort as if I'm back home. The teachers have been absolutely wonderful. These am classes during the week are so sparse that we all get encouraging and correcting by name. As I sign in, the teacher puts my face to my name, and I get called out during class, unable to remain anonymous. I have been getting the same darn correction here in my standing bow that I get back home. That darn hip on the kicking leg. "Hip down Michelle!" I'm totally aware of it as I go in the posture, and try to self correct but obviously am not "getting it". I've been practicing almost two years. Did it just start? Or is it more obvious because I am now kicking up higher? I want to scream with frustration and impatience, but I won't. I will just keep working at it, keep trying the right way and ask some teachers back home to work with me a bit after class, perhaps talk me through it until I feel that correction. Sometimes when I correct it, my calf muscle immediately gets tight and crampy and I really feel the kick in my behind. Hmmm. There is always somewhere to go with this yoga, that's why I love it!
I'm quite sure doing yoga everyday helped me to survive "Hanging death on a stick" yesterday. That is my nickname for a very evil roller coaster (if you can call it that, roller coaster sounds too tame for this thing) at Magic Mountain. First of all, Magic Mountain has a ton of roller coasters now, more than I ever imagined. I grew up near that park back in the day where it was basically Revolution, Colossus and Free Fall. There are a TON now. And they are scary. The one that put me over the edge, the "Hanging death on a stick" or "Torture" or "Orange Devil" (I could go on and on, this thing had me in a full fledged panic attack) is called Tatsu. Click on the link for a YouTube video of it. I swear, it's the scariest thing I've ever been on in my life. I honestly could not breathe on that thing, the terror was absolute. My daughter and friend loved it. They went on it four times. I sat on a bench, really glad I've been doing yoga all week. Now hopefully off to the beach. Please come out Mr. Sun!
OK, Tatsu looks pretty scary, but it's nothing compared to a ride on the Cups and Saucers with me and my friends in high school Cups and Saucers is the little ride, usually in the kiddy park with about 6 "teacups" that slowly go around in a circle. Each cup can hold about 5-6 people and theres a little wheel in the middle that you can spin to make the cup spin around its center axis. We used to play chicken on that ride, everyone spinning the middle wheel as fast as we possible could until someone either begged to stop, or vomited into his own face. And if you were sitting on the wrong side of the loser, you could get plastered as well. THAT was terrifying.
ReplyDeleteDuffy~ yup. puke wins out for worst everytime. ugh!
ReplyDeleteMy advice from personal experience? Knees together to start, then kick back more, kick harder. When you kick straight back, truly back, I think the alignment works out. The more I think about my KICK, the better my hip alignment ends up.
ReplyDeleteAnother tip from Emmy is to point your belly button towards your big toe.
And YES, you are supposed to feel it in your butt. Cramp in your butt on the kicking side = good posture. :)