I practised at the local shala/studio on Friday, I actually shouldn’t have done after later reading the advice on the blood donation leaflet they gave me Thursday afternoon after I donated my nice O+ blood, no exercise for 24 hours it said. Does Ashtanga count as “exercise”?
I was actually a bit tired and at various points thought about bailing out, but having made the effort to go and paid my money, I like to get full value and do my full practice. Somehow I got to the end, got tortured in Bhekasana and Kapotasana, stood up from 3 dropbacks, then promptly fell asleep in Savasana. I mean properly nodded off, when I pulled the blanket over me there were 10 people still going, 20+ minutes later when J gave me a nudge there were 3 of us and the other two were getting ready to leave!
I have a quite long practice these days and during the morning I’d had 3 mat neighbours, the last being Jo who starts her practice with the beginners. I was aware of her, but when I’m in my practice and without my glasses on I don’t take in much what others are doing, apart from Michelle who always practises opposite me and who sometimes has a laugh as we plod through.
Friday was a plod, more like a slog after about Navasana, but in the cafe as we had tea after Jo said she enjoyed having such elegant inspirational practitioners either side of her! I was a bit flabbergasted by this, Kylie on her other side has a nice practice, but I certainly wouldn’t say there’s anything elegant about my practice. I guess it’s a bit like the Duck analogy of the graceful way a duck crosses the pond, but you don’t see all that work going on below the surface.
The Journey of my practice 
