Comments for Another Perfect Wonder

Comment on New Year’s Resolutions by anotherperfectwonder

anotherperfectwonder — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:46:06 +0000

=D Thanks guys. I will keep everyone updated as we see how it goes.

Comment on New Year’s Resolutions by Kim

Kim — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:41:52 +0000

soulmate. i’ve been contemplating a post called nourish, not all centered on food but with a similar concept. love you and know you will do well with your crazy <3

Comment on New Year’s Resolutions by Maxwell Spector

Maxwell Spector — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:21:30 +0000

Loved the impact web. I’m behind you!

Comment on Seen & Heard in Connecticut by Wayne

Wayne — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 02:22:43 +0000

Yes, nurses arrrrre awesome!! Get you oil changed?

Comment on First Snow by anotherperfectwonder

anotherperfectwonder — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 21:43:01 +0000

Thanks! Your photos are gorgeous as well! I’ve yet to drive in the snow – I imagine that once I have to, the novelty will wear off for me =P

Comment on First Snow by jw135

jw135 — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 21:28:21 +0000

Wow those are beautiful photos! The snow is bittersweet for me; it’s so beautiful but it’s a nightmare to drive in!

Also, you might enjoy this article: http://jwelshnews.wordpress.com/

Thanks for the lovely post.

Comment on Primary Series by Ellie

Ellie — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 01:30:37 +0000

Yay for the jumpbacks! And glad you’re well. I’m doing fine in Minnesota, pretty frickin’ happy with my move.

To answer your questions…
1. Never is a long time. This is where having a teacher really comes in handy, because a good teacher will know whether to hold you at Janu C for a year (though I haven’t seen people be stuck there for too long, the getting stuck is more likely to happen around mari b or d) or move you on. Every student is different, and from what I’ve observed and experienced, the decision to move someone on or not is not SOLELY based on their physical ability to do the pose. If you’re self-practicing, my advice is to try stopping at the pose that’s giving you grief, for long enough that you get past the “ugh, i’ll NEVER be able to do this” phase. Maybe into the “ugh, I still can’t do it yet, but it might be possible someday” phase, that might be enough. There’s no concrete right or wrong answer.

2. Look at the ashtanga sequence like an oreo cookie. The first wafer part is the surya namaskara and standing poses. The creme filling is the primary series, or whatever series the practitioner is doing. The last wafer part is backbends and closing. Everyone does the two wafers, and the creme filling changes over time. So if you’re doing a full primary, then setu bandhasana is the last bit of creme filling, and then you go into urdhva dhanurasana, which starts the wafer part. But if you’re stopping at Janu C, for instance, then Janu C would be the end of your creme filling, and you’d go right into the wafer (urdhva d.) from there.

The last wafer, then, specifically, is several rounds of urdhva dhanurasana, followed by paschimattanasana, vinyasa, sarvangasana, halasana, karna pidasana, urdhva padmasana, pindasana, matsyasana, uttana padasana, vinyasa, sirsasana, vinyasa, and the final three seated postures — baddha padmasana, padmasana, utplutihih.

3. Aside from allowing a bit of extra time to get into some of the wackier poses, sometimes the series will take longer if you do a lot of futzing about in between the poses. Finish the pose, inhale lift up, exhale jump back, inhale, exhale, and inhale through. there’s not a lot of time to move around and find juicy areas. Focus more on the steady breath than finding the deepest expression of the pose, and the depth will eventually come in a way that is efficient, quick, but not rushed.

And keep writing about your ashtanga adventures! (along with your other adventures.)

Comment on Primary Series by anotherperfectwonder

anotherperfectwonder — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 01:22:00 +0000

Ellie! I was hoping you would weigh in on the subject. So first of all, THANK YOU for all the tips and pointers. I feel like everything you said makes the sequence a little less intimidating. Also – exciting update: I managed three jump throughs in my last practice. I hit the floor pretty hard on all them, but I got my legs all the way through without getting caught up anywhere! Crumble backs, not as successful. And now, a couple of questions:

1. What if you can never do a pose (e.g. what if I can never make my ankle unhinge itself in order to do janu c?)? Do you just stay there in the series, or do you just get it as best you can and move on?

2. What are these backbends and closing?

3. How the hell do you get through a whole primary series in 1.5h? It takes me almost an hour just to get to kurmasana and I’m not doing vinyasas between each side.

I’m well! How are you?

Comment on Primary Series by Ellie

Ellie — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 20:35:30 +0000

Haaa I love this post. I’m a little late to the game, but as one of those crazy purist Ashtangis, I thought I’d offer my two cents.
3. Don’t cheat! Not gonna lie, part of the point of all of this is to put ourselves into uncomfortable positions. Let it be unpretty. Stay there five breaths, then it’s over! Also, getting your heel down is not going to get you to enlightenment, but it will help ground the leg, which will secure your balance, and help you on the road to mula bandha.
4. Yep, there are a bunch of poses it’d just be easier to skip. And if you’re just taking a fun trip through the Ashtanga sequence, certainly don’t worry about it. However. If you were to embark on a regular Ashtanga practice, you could go ONLY up to Janu C, for instance, try as best you can, and then do backbends and closing. And when Janu C gets a little easier, then you’d go a little farther, try your damndest at Mari B, stop there and go to backbending. And so on. So you’re not killing yourself for five, six, seven poses at the end of the series, just one at a time until it comes a little easier.
5. I love the terms “ass-plant” and “crumble-back.” And I must say, Laurie is right, and juicyness-schmuiciness. The rhythm is the juicy part. You’ll get stronger and they won’t feel so crumbly. Also, just a wee correction: people who do fourth series, for instance, do not do (in one practice) first, then second, then third, then fourth. Dear God that would take four hours. One at a time. (or maybe one and a half, like if you’ve learned some of the poses of third you’d do all of second, then a few of third and that’s it.)

Also, um, hi! I hope you’re doing well!

Comment on A Strange Kind of Birth by Maxwell Spector

Maxwell Spector — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 21:35:40 +0000

Dude…so jealous you got to see a Da Vinci surgery…sweet, sweet human machine hybrids.