go your own way

[Guest guest]

Today is exactly one year since I've been

practicing alone and if there's anything that ive learned

during my exodus into self practice, its that yoga is a

personal journey- my practice might look the same as your

practice but what we get out of it and what we do with it

might be completely different things. <br><br>I think

that the most surprising thing ive learned, is how

damn difficult it is to practice ahimsa in the most

basic form. To just plain be kind, to be compassionate,

to do what you can to not hurt someones feelings

even when you are so certain you are right and that

its for the general good. I feel like ive been tested

on this board and in life a lot and im failing

miserably.<br><br>But i guess one of the beautiful parts of the

practice is that i even think about this now and the hope

is that i'll do my practice and something's gonna

come from it. That line and the Tim Miller quote of

the practice itself being the real teacher is what

keeps me coming back day after day- sure its about

hopefully chipping away tight body parts, but its about

renewing my spirit, accepting weakness and strength and

getting another chance at trying to be a better

person.<br><br>Bayfyre-in my book you're doing all the right things - keep

doing what your instinct says to do- i think the manual

is terrific, was a huge help this year, and ive

mentioned before i had a nice class at its yoga when i was

a yoga tourist a couple years back.Learn as much as

you can, meet as many teachers as you can, make your

own decisions about who you can look up to.<br><br>I

also say why not to working on other postures - I miss

classes where we would work on other poses- i think there

are other hip openers that i respond to better than

the primary series and i miss other balance postures.

That said though, Im really grateful that there is a

specific sequence of postures to do in primary, i wouldve

given up if it was about improv. Primary has been a

lifesaver for practicing alone and i am assuming that these

postures are doing what needs to be done.<br><br>I thought

last year that living in a place without ashtanga

classes would be awful.There've been times throughout the

year when ive gotten really pissed off and "whyme'd".

'Why me? I'm so ripe to learn, I deserve a teacher!'.

Periods where I question everything- what the hell am I

doing?, is this just some hippified workout? Maybe only

in the last couple months have I started to feel

comfortable with the prospect of self practice and resigned

to the fact that there is a reason yoga practice

looks this way for me. That said, if any of you great

teachers out there want to open the only ashtanga studio

on the beautiful Gold Coast of Oz (heck, the first

Versace hotel is going to open here- where will

Christy,Gwynnie, Sting and Madonna practice???) I will be first in

line. <br><br>thanks to all of you who've taught me so

much throughout the year<br><br>best<br><br>sue