Back Into Advanced A

"To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget."     - Arundhati Roy

I still haven't been able to hit my stride. Meaning, with all the schedule changes, and such. Adding on Swedish studies, with work, and practice, doesn't leave much time for other things I'd like to fit in. Such as blogging, and or doing my own personal writing. Damn! I can't believe September is here! I guess you can say I haven't felt this busy in a long while. It's only a matter of time - I'll be back in the groove. 

I've upped the ante. I've incorporated more Advanced A into my weekly practice. It's time. Especially when Kino was like, ummm you need to be doing Advanced A, now. I knew this was coming. I have felt it. It's time to pick when the fruit is ripe, so to speak. I'm a bit overdone, haha. Some of you may know my story. I used to do Advanced A, however I decided after several trips to Mysore to deepen my Intermediate Series. A conscious decision that felt good. More nerve cleansing, you know. Well, it proved invaluable. Taking the time. Entering back into 3rd Series, or Advanced A, has flowed seamlessly. Really. Internally, I feel even more aligned, clear, even stronger without practicing the series to now return it. It's fascinating. I've even been adding on a bit of Advanced B, as well. There is really something to focusing on the quality, not the quantity, of practice. The body then pours open without much effort. It's magical. There are days I feel as if I'm riding on cosmic wind. All focus leading toward connecting movement and breath. So simple, yet profound. 

It's funny how I start to hear funky things about practicing Advanced series. Like you should never do it two days in a row, and that it makes one aggressive and/or it's not good for women. Blah. I really haven't felt this. Not at all. If anything I have felt the opposite. It's been revitalizing, and energizing. And, has integrated many of the basics brought forth from my Primary and Intermediate practices. With the first two series there is much purification happening, also tapping into the discovery and application of the bandhas. Once in the Advanced series there isn't much choice, you have to be connected to the core, the bandhas, or everything falls a part. It's a superb litmus test. For someone as mentally active as myself, the arm balancing postures bring me to center, a practice that goes beyond the external view of the posture or the physicality of it. It's just what I need in this moment in time. Again, it goes back to moving forward when the body is ready. Sometimes we don't know it yet. Sometimes we need a push. Sometimes we go ahead anyway, and learn maybe we were too ambitious. There is always learning and discovery at hold. My problem has been maybe getting too comfortable with holding back. Another story all together.

Moving slowly, slowly or even better, consciously, with sincere attention and quality is what gets us into the heart of the matter. Into the heart of the practice. It goes hand in hand. If we do this at the very beginning we gain awareness that in turn is priceless, beyond asana, beyond where we are in the system.

I guess you can say I've already practiced long enough to know there will be highs, and there will definitely be lows. The practice continues to evolve. Sometimes it is worth taking a step back. Sometimes moving steadily ahead. More and more, I'm learning it is in the sustained continuous practice in itself where we reach the essence of yoga. Not necessarily where we are in a series. I love this. There is so much to work with on a daily basis, I have yet to be bored.

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