like e.e.cummings

i am writing without capital letters because the shift key on this computer sticks and so i cannot punctuate appropriately. many apologies.

last night we had class with prashant which was a back bending class like no other i have ever been in. i am not really even sure of what to say about other than it was pretty brutal. i think there is pretty much an unspoken rule here at the institute that you are supposed to say that every class was great and brilliant and so forth. anyway, i broke the rule when dean lerner came up to me after class and said, "that was so fun, wasn't it?"
i said, "not for me."
he said, "didn't you think those were fun poses?"
"he poses were fine but i really didn't feel prepared or open at all and so it was just excruciating."
dean asked me, "in what ways did you feel unprepared or not open?"
"my legs, my inner body was tight, my back was tight, my shoulders were not open, i couldn't get any freedom in my chest- just in general the whole preparation was so different from how i normally prepare for those bends that perhaps it was psychological but really, it was not fun at all for me."

anyway, it went on in a reasonably friendly manner but let me give you an idea of the sequence and so those of you who know the Sanskrit names can imagine whether or not you would have felt prepared for the practice.
10 minute of setu bandhasana with the hips elevated on a block.
10-15 minutes of dwi pada viparita dandasana over a chair with some variations.
5 minutes of work on the ropes
5 minutes of standing back arches in the middle of the room
8 minutes of drop backs to urdhva danurasana
kapotasana- holding for like 3 minutes
urdhva mukha svanasana- about 6 times
urdhva danurasana, 2 times, 2 minutes at least each time
more drop backs and standing back arches
eka pada raja kapotasana, 2 times each side, long holds
halasana

actually it does not sound as bad in witting as it did in the experience of it. i was very happy this morning when i could walk and my back didn't hurt. not being crippled was really fortunate because this morning we walked into class with geeta this morning for more back bends! these went much better for me today and i actually did have some fun in the midst of some very hard work. but the sequence she gave opened me a bit better. but the weird thing is that it is technically, a forward bending week here at the institute. they teach standing poses the first week of the month, forward bends the second week-theoretically-,back bends the third week and pranayama the fourth week. i think some of my block last night was mental as i was not in a back bending frame of mind. so i do think some of it was a lesson in expectation and how i was not joined in "body, mind and breath" as prashant would say! (not by a long shot, in fact.)

anyway there were some good jewels of wisdom in both classes and some excellent points to incorporate and things to ponder. i will try to do that tomorrow. now it is time to practice.