of ankle injury and perserverance

[Guest guest]

I began my Ashtanga practice a year ago and with

a 4-6 day/week schedule i was able to complete the

first series in 7 months. Whether or not that's a good

"timetable" is anyone's guess. It was mine. Not two weeks

after feeling strong and balanced and loving working on

each asana, I sprained my right ankle very badly

playing racquetball. (Clearly an ego move on my part--I

didn't want to loose another game so badly--I dove for

the ball...my right ankle folded right, the rest of

my body crashed down on top of it.)<br><br>So my

ability to perform full or even half lotus was ended and

I started the asanas which call for them all over

from scratch.<br><br>I was plucky and perserverant and

stood at the top of my mat daily. Every day I thought,

"oh this is humiliating. Oh it's going to hurt. Oh

why was I stupid?" But by the 3rd or 4th Sun

Salutation A, my negative thoughts were quickly purged.<br>I

finally regained the ability to perform full lotus 4

months after my injury. I was elated and once again

reveled in performing a complete first series and began

to set my sights on adding 2nd series

postures.<br><br>Not two weeks after that, I was in a bike accident--a

car decided that I wasn't worth stopping for and

wouldn't yield the right-of-way--I was left sprawling in

the middle of a two lane highway with a chipped

tooth, massive road rash on my hiney and a sprained LEFT

ankle!<br><br>So the process of healing has begun again, on the

left side. My once weaker right ankle now has the

dubious distinction of being my "strong" ankle. I have

started Physical Therapy on both ankles. The major

obstacle with PT has been convincing the therapist that

even though both ankles display extreme flexibility

compared to "normal" guidelines, that I, personally, have

lost a great deal in my range of motion. They aren't

used to people coming in with yoga as their primary

sport. But she proved extremely opened minded and told

me to set a goal and she'd help me get there. I

thought of being silly and saying, "I wanna do third

series!! By 2000!!" But instead I realisticly said, "I

want to do full lotus again...and maybe stick my hands

through to my elbows."<br><br>Thinking small and working

daily...Namaste