practice in the rain

Practice has been quite delicious lately. Not in the awesome-strength-and-flexibility way, actually I've been feeling quite the opposite. I was hit with the cold/flu (whatever it was: cold symptoms plus fever and muscle tightness) a couple of weeks ago, followed by continuing tightness and a pulled something in my shoulder last week. I took great care to monitor energy levels and adjust practice accordingly, even taking 3 days off to rest. It felt good to do so, and I was able to bounce back quickly. 


The shoulder thing, who knows. Asana progress was happening in those deeper practices around the time of the Confluence, but tempered with a bit of pessimism. Of course something was going to happen. But you know what? It's okay. We've been gentle with it, I've been leaving out Chakrasana, and I'm getting supported in Urdhva Dhanurasana. I've still had some deep practices this week, just not in the physical sense.


Last night I unrolled my mat on the front porch as a thunderstorm rolled in. Sweat streamed down my arms, legs, and down the bridge of my nose with the high humidity. Deep breathing and rumbling thunder.


Primary series is yoga therapy, yoga chikitsa. It is doing what it is meant to do- slowly healing me from the outside in. 


After practice, I was greeted with this: