Mood Swings

Emotions can be altered so quickly at times. Two days ago I was feeling hopeless about a number of things including my yoga practice. But last night when my teacher called me to the wall to work on my most dreaded inversion—the backbend—what I expected would be yet another inferior attempt on my part turned out to be quite the opposite, and actually an exhilarating experience, at least in my view.

Here’s the story. Some weeks ago my other teacher expressed that she wanted me to progress to the 2nd series but I needed to stand up from the backbend first. That very condition already presented an obstacle in my mind and by my calculations, set back advancing to the intermediate series by months! (Not to mention my struggles with Sirsasana lately.)

What did I have to lose, I thought, as I approached the wall last night. I felt like I had bottomed out already and what little optimism I had left was urging me to bounce back. After staying for almost 10 breaths in 3 Urdhva Dhanurasanas, Jon instructed me to walk up the wall from the backbend. It was difficult but the fighter in me enjoyed the challenge I guess and magically my breathing synchronized with my movement, each inhale helping me crawl up. Next, he wanted me to step further from the wall, push my hips forward and lengthen at the lower back. Then slowly, I extended my arms overhead and back to reach the wall and lean against it after which I pushed against the wall and actually stood up! I can’t describe how much I loved doing this last bit because it is here I realised where control is so crucial as well as strength and power in the legs. Knowing what is necessary to drop back and stand up I suppose was enough to snap me out of the doldrums. For this I am grateful again to the teaching duo of Jon and Connie. Connie for sparking my curiosity in the 2nd series (even if I’m not quite ready for it yet) and Jon, simply for your teacher’s instinct and sensitivity.

So now I’m happy again. Hopping and skipping happy. Smiling from ear to ear happy.

Here’s a sampler of dropping back and standing up from Urdhva Dhanurasana:

Mr. Miyagi and Marichy D

"Wax in, wax out."
These words were immortalized in the teen pic Karate Kid which I caught on betamax back in the ‘80s. For many, the movie brought stardom for lead actor Ralph Macchio. But for me, Karate Kid was more memorable for making the late Pat Morita a household name.

Anyway, this movie came to mind recently during Mysore class. I had finished Marichy C and was preparing for the disappointment of not being able to bind by myself yet again in Marichy D.

Marichyasana D

I had been seriously working on this pose since January and was beginning to lose confidence in my abilities and began to find fault in my anatomy. Marichyasana D has been my waterloo in the Primary Series along with Urdhva Dhanurasana--the backbend--which I can’t sustain for more than 5 breaths at a time and Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana simply because I’d like to bring my face closer to my shins.

I also began to worry about whether or not my teachers had grown impatient over my lack of improvement. At the same time I began to question the hands-on mode of instruction: is it really necessary to physically touch and adjust students or is it more effective to verbally coach them step-by-step?

The answer came just before my teacher was to bind me in Marichy D. His attention shifted momentarily to another student and as he stood up to assist her, I decided to work on my own and—surprise! surprise!—one arm wrapped around my bent knee and both my hands met at the base of my twisted back. I didn’t get the pose perfectly—I still need to close the gap between my knee and arm, relax my shoulders after binding, and breeeaaathe—but I realized that I was able to bind on my own because my body had gotten used to being compressed in Marichy D. The best part is, nothing hurt: not my knee, my back, nor my injured ankle tucked in half-lotus.

The scene from Karate Kid then flashed before me. Mr. Miyagi teaching Daniel-San how to properly polish a car following “wax in-wax out” strokes, which teacher and student did ad nauseum and which was beginning to bore the young apprentice who was only eager to learn high-flying karate chops. Fast forward to a defining moment in the film where the bully was about to descend on Daniel, who surprised himself by instinctively deflecting blows in wax in-wax out fashion. Then and only then did student appreciate the wisdom and teachings of his mentor.

As for me, I have renewed respect and deep gratitude for my Yoga Manila teachers—Jon Cagas and Connie Ponce (a.k.a. “Mother Superior” for deftly combining no mercy with compassion during LED class) who both patiently bind me in Marichy D every single time. In case you're interested in trying yoga in YM Ortigas, Jon and Connie's teaching styles are very complementary. Both were certified by Paul Dallaghan and share a passion for teaching yoga and its philosophy both on and off the mat.

So bless you Pat Morita, you are not only a shining example of Asian-American actors making it big in Hollywood but also now a symbol for my triumph over Marichyasana D. And if you aspire to be like the “Karate Kid”, then welcome your teacher’s adjustments, resist your body’s urge to stiffen, and allow your teachers to mould your body into the pose. Success will come sooner or later.

New shala, new teacher, new lessons learned

It was somewhat heartbreaking to be moving my practice to Yoga Manila’s newest shala at the Edsa Shangrila Hotel. I had grown attached to my teachers in Makati and the people that I practise with.

But realising that I would cut my travel time by half an hour made the decision easier. I was also eager to see the Chi Spa after having viewed some images of the international spa chain online.

First impressions? It was too luxurious. Fully-carpeted floors, a strong scent of aromatherapy and essential oils, a choice of not just one but two changing rooms, centralised air conditioning, comfy lounge chairs to sink into, spectacular view of the Ortigas CBD and the hotel pool below. The plush environment was initially distracting and seemed to negatively impact my practice.

Add to that, classes at Ortigas were mostly Mysore classes thanks to Jon Cagas who is now teaching at both Yoga Manila Ortigas and Makati. My first Mysore experience of the year was full of senior moments: memory loss, achy joints and short endurance. I became frustrated by my practice still both Allen (Enrique) and I were glad to see Jon back from India. I was also happy to have finally met Connie Ponce and my fellow yoga blogger Avril who blogs at: http://www.tryingtowake.blogspot.com/.

I have learned Ashtanga Yoga mostly through the Led classes that I had been attending on the weekends. I’ve tried going to some Mysore classes during the week but always found myself running out of steam midway after driving through an hour's traffic. So I stopped doing Mysore classes in Makati altogether.

One thing became apparent. For practitioners like me who haven’t mastered the primary series, a Led class can be a place where one can make many, many mistakes. Usually a teacher would call out the postures for the practitioners to do so there is very little time for the teacher to approach every student for adjustments during the 90-minute class.

Although Peachie Kilayco and Maritoni Tordesillas have never failed to adjust and bind me every time we reach Marichy D, Supta Kurmasana and Urdhva Dhanurasana I have discovered how horrible I was at Bhujapidasana, Gharbapindasana and many more at Jon’s Mysore class! That’s why Yoga Manila has been adamant about having only experienced Ashtangis do Led classes and encourages beginners to learn Ashtanga Yoga through Mysore classes instead. I have been stubborn before and totally get it now.

On the upside: Jon Cagas has just returned from Pranayama training in India and has practised intensively in Mysore for two months. So if you're based in the north of Manila, you can come to YM Ortigas and learn traditional Mysore-style Ashtanga Yoga from him. As a teacher he very patiently sets up the pose and adjusts and binds in coordination with the breath and painlessly. Soon, I stopped complaining about the 5-star facilities, began to appreciate the effort Yoga Manila has made to make yoga more accessible to others, and finally found myself shifting my focus to the asanas. While I wasn’t as satisfied by my practice that day, I am looking forward to improving and refining it through Mysore classes.