So yesterday was inversion day. 5 hours of handstands, headstands, forearm stands, and shoulderstands. Let me test my Sanskrit here: adho mukha vrksasana, sirsasana, pinca mayurasana, and salamba sarvangasana. Cool.
This center has the warped idea that handstands are easier than headstands, so we started out with these. I can do an L-shaped handstand (feet against the wall, hands on floor, one leg raised, then the other). Regular handstand: I need to be flipped up, then I hold the position. My partner, N, was like 5'2". I looked at her skeptically. I'm a lot taller than you, I said; are you sure you're strong enough? (to spot me.) She was like, yeah, I'm a massage therapist, I'm really strong even though I look like a wuss. After the exercises, she said, I'm not as strong as I thought. This made me feel a bit like a whale (though logically I know I'm not) and vindicated at the same time. I can usually tell how strong someone is by looking (women more so than men, I just assume (correctly) that almost all men are strong enough to spot me). Both my yoga buddy (T) and D are strong. I looked wistfully across the room as this one girl, who was short but stocky and sturdy, manhandled people in and out of handstands with ease.
Anyway, when we did headstands it was sigh-of-relief time, 'cause I can actually do those without outside assistance. Forearm stands aren't happening for me unless someone lifts my legs. Shoulderstands...easy, thank God.
The director was very encouraging to those of us who hated inversions. It was funny, I was telling T during break, "I hate inversions," and this other girl walked by and held up her hand for a high five. So I'm not alone. It's the only part of yoga I can't stand...and it's the only thing in yoga I have trouble with. You know how you avoid things you hate? E.g., most people study more for the SAT section they're already good at, and ignore the other.
Anyway, today is the second day of the inversion/arm balances weekend, but since we did every inversion known to man yesterday, I'm hoping it's all arm balances today.
This center has the warped idea that handstands are easier than headstands, so we started out with these. I can do an L-shaped handstand (feet against the wall, hands on floor, one leg raised, then the other). Regular handstand: I need to be flipped up, then I hold the position. My partner, N, was like 5'2". I looked at her skeptically. I'm a lot taller than you, I said; are you sure you're strong enough? (to spot me.) She was like, yeah, I'm a massage therapist, I'm really strong even though I look like a wuss. After the exercises, she said, I'm not as strong as I thought. This made me feel a bit like a whale (though logically I know I'm not) and vindicated at the same time. I can usually tell how strong someone is by looking (women more so than men, I just assume (correctly) that almost all men are strong enough to spot me). Both my yoga buddy (T) and D are strong. I looked wistfully across the room as this one girl, who was short but stocky and sturdy, manhandled people in and out of handstands with ease.
Anyway, when we did headstands it was sigh-of-relief time, 'cause I can actually do those without outside assistance. Forearm stands aren't happening for me unless someone lifts my legs. Shoulderstands...easy, thank God.
The director was very encouraging to those of us who hated inversions. It was funny, I was telling T during break, "I hate inversions," and this other girl walked by and held up her hand for a high five. So I'm not alone. It's the only part of yoga I can't stand...and it's the only thing in yoga I have trouble with. You know how you avoid things you hate? E.g., most people study more for the SAT section they're already good at, and ignore the other.
Anyway, today is the second day of the inversion/arm balances weekend, but since we did every inversion known to man yesterday, I'm hoping it's all arm balances today.
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