Day 5: Banana Back

Saturday 7th January, 10am class taught by Paul


So, the Christmas decorations came down yesterday, and I have had to finally admit that Christmas is over.  I hate good things coming to an end.  And this morning was the first class of this challenge where my decision to absent myself from my family affected them, because it meant that everyone else had to go and stand in the cold to watch my middle child's football match.  I did feel slightly guilty, because what I'm doing is selfish, of course, but maybe sometimes you have to be, and I'll make it up to them.  It's only a month!


Paul.  I love his classes.  His amazingly rich voice is lovely to listen to, his explanations are so clear and he often makes you think about postures in a different way, and hear something new in the dialogue that makes the difference.  I remember last time I was in one of his classes he was emphasising the need to pull up from the waist in spinal twist, and I was definitely able to move further by trying to do that more.  Also, his pace and energy are great.  I love all of the teachers at BYL, but it's interesting how your practice can feel so different because of who is teaching, even though it's always the same dialogue.  I like the imagery he uses too - telling us to move left and right 'like windscreen wipers' before half moon pose - that's exactly what we looked like, had never noticed before.

The last few classes (until today) my position has been downstage right, meaning I've been able to see myself from the side in Head to Knee and Stretching Pose (Janushirasana and Paschimotthanasana).  It's the last stretching part where you grab your big toes and pull forward that looks the most horrible, because my back looks all banana-like and disgustingly curved.  When I have been in phases of practising more regularly this improved massively and started to look much more flat and stretched out, so I'm feeling hopeful that in a couple of weeks it might again.


The room felt much warmer to me today, not sure if it had something to do with standing in a different place, or because Paul pushes you really hard, or because it was actually warmer.  I felt terrible most of the time, anyway - and I loved it!