"Bruises" by Chairlift

I tried to do handstands for you

Everytime I fell yeah everytime I fell

I tried to do handstands for you

But everytime I fell for you

I'm permanently black and blue, permanently blue for you

I tried to do handstands for you

Everytime I fell on you yeah everytime I fell

I tried to do handstands but everytime I fell for you

I'm permanently black and blue, permanently blue for You-ooo For you-ooo

I grabbed some frozen strawberries so I could ice your bruisy knees

But frozen things they all unfreeze and now I taste like

All those frozen strawberries I used to chill your bruisy knees,

Hot July ain't good to me

I'm pink and black and blue

I got bruises on my knees for you

And grass stains on my knees for you

Got holes in my new jeans for you

Got pink and black and blue

Was listening to this catchy Chairlift song, "Bruises", while driving and remorsefully remembered the handstand I keep omitting from the Primary Series. Actually, it's half a handstand which comes after the chair pose, Utkatasana, and before Warriors I-II which cap the standing poses. My teachers introduced it to me months ago, including preparatory drills for it, but somehow I'm not taking to it. Can't get the right lift, feel like I'm not hovering long enough before dropping to Chaturanga, and basically feel awkward and clumsy doing it. And instead of feeling dejected by it, I've opted NOT to do it at all which shouldn't be the case I know. Will come back to it soon. Right now, I'm just content listening to this silly pop song. Om.

Energy Vampire

That’s what I’ve been "reduced" to. After having paid for the tuition fees of my two pre-schoolers I made a majorly unplanned investment which left me no choice but to economise on some expenses including yoga classes.

It has turned out to be a very wise decision though since I have been doing yoga with practitioners who live close by, thus cutting back on attendant costs like petrol, parking and the end of season sales (I am also a sucker for those) beckoning at the mall adjacent to the shala where I used to practise.

So here I am, practising here and there, with friends whose yoga skills are way ahead of my time, and I am LOVING it. A little guilt-stricken, feeding off their energies, getting that Ashtanga high back from practising with them which seems to be working alright for me as the pain on my right knee is completely gone. Don’t know if this can be attributed to practice with them but it sure coincided.

Sometimes I have no wall to practise my backbends, other times I have to make my own adjustments for problem poses. But again it has been good over all because practice has become more, shall I say, introspective (for lack of a better word).

Certainly it has been interesting, to say the least. I have shared space with people of all ages—from college students to college professors. I’ve practised with New Age and Christian music playing in the background, and the scent of patchouli or the smell of cat poop wafting through the air. I have stared at the portrait of an Aikido master to find my center (it helps!) and watched felines graze on a fellow yogin's mat towel during savasana. I've had to wipe clean the floor I practiced on, which I am not complaining about mind you. Made me realise that it's the least that I should do for the people who would use the space next. I've said it before and I'll say it again--I would mop the floor if they asked me to.

I'm utterly grateful to the yogis/yogins for sharing their energies and sending all those good vibrations. Om.