It has been three weeks since my last class (whoa, that's starting to sound like a Catholic confession - "forgive me Bikram for I have sinned...."). Three. Weeks. ! Don't ask me what happened. There are excuses, but then again there are no excuses, nothing real hardcore at any rate - no exciting photojournalistic assignments in the mid East, no sweeping national book tour across the continent, no broken bones or infectious diseases, no mournful passing of love ones. Nope, I was perfectly capable, physically and, er, locally, to take my Class 10 at any time these past three week. I just... did not. So don't be like me, and skip three weeks. But then again, be like me, and if you skip three weeks, just go back.
But if you go back after three weeks, you will pay for it. Painfully. Achingly. Mournfully. Not just during the truant three weeks, getting fatter and blobbier, moodier, stiff muscles returning, that incessant need to stretch this leg or that shoulder, feeling internally like a stuffed bloated suckling waiting to be cooked.
This post-Class 10 has been painful, in the past few hours since the final "namaste." I cannot recall ever feeling so crappy after class. Everything is tight. Yes, in that just-worked-out way, but somehow worse, with an added queasiness to it. The class was particularly humid, and I did sit out during the peak of the standing series, the Triangle. I drank the usual amount of water, sweating the usual amount of sweat. So I am not sure what to attribute this worse-ness to, other than... just don't skip three weeks of Bikram.
Anyway, so the Set Up. Class Ten (yay double digits! Anyone remember turning ten years old, what a big deal it was, finally a double digits set of candles? Was it as big a deal with you as it was for me?), noon on a Thursday, because I just could not get myself together in time for the 10am class. Teacher was cheerleader-energetic K. Yay K. I stood in my usual spot, middle row, left of podium, just left of the Horribly Unflattering Light. Class was lightly attended, could have been a 10am class. Where are all the people? Skipping their three weeks as well?
MY PRACTICE
I expected a certain amount of set back from the last practice, less strength, less flexibility, certainly in my shoulders. And that was accurate, in some ways. But apparently I did not entirely lose the gains I made in those previous nine classes. Some milestones, like being able to lock out my knee and kick out in Standing Head to Knee - I actually did it! Both times! Or all four times, even! And again, being so excited that I could kick out my leg into that L-shape like Linda, I did not bother to try to keep it up! Yay, I'm kicking out! Wooo hoo!
My Locust poses, both right and left legs plus both legs together, were right back where I left them last, in that I'm-just-starting-to-get-this phase where I discovered what muscles to lock and use to get those legs up.
And Toe Stand! I'm still doing Toe Stand, like I've been doing it all my life! Couldn't even begin to tell you why! As another Bikram blogger suggested, I don't bother with the steadying of my fingertips on both sides, then bringing one hand up at a time, for that makes me unbalanced. I just get set, then bring both hands up together, and voila - I'm up. Enough that the teacher tries to correct me - no way. Sorry, I'm balancing on Toe Stand, lady, like I've never done in the past ten (twelve?) years doing Bikram, just leave me to my tiny victory.
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