If an ashtangi falls over in her living room and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

So Lee and Michael went to NC today for Lee's Uncle Jack's 90th birthday party and Will and I stayed here. Will is complaining of a sore throat, but even if he wasn't, five hours in a car is definitely not a good thing for him.

I put "Hoodwinked" on for him upstairs, got my David Swenson book, put on some yoga music, and started primary. My neck, lower back and upper back are very whacked out...I am definitely going to the chiropractor tomorrow...and I was determined to go as slow as I wanted. 5 A's, 3 B's, then through to Utkatasana, where I felt like I lost the flow I had going. I am never sure about the transition right there. In fact, I am probably not doing any of the transitions right, which makes me worry a little bit about having to practice at home so much - I am worried about getting into bad habits. I should probably practice with my DVD a few times. Anyhow...I managed to get back into more of a flow with the seated postures. And I also, for the first time, managed to jump my legs back from a crossed position in the vinyasas. Woot! I also bound my index fingers on both sides in Mari D, though I felt pretty hunched over.

After navasana, I had to refer more to my book because those are the trickier, more unfamiliar postures. I crossed my ankles for the first time in bhujapidasana! Last week in class I managed to touch my toes together off the ground briefly before it was time to move on, but today I just stayed in the posture and scooched my toes toward each other on the floor until I could cross my feet, then I just crossed them more tightly together, then balanced for a few breaths until I fell over on my butt.

I kept going, though I had to refer to my book between postures, to setu bandasana, where I blanked and couldn't remember the modification John showed us last week. Then I did a modified backbend, a full backbend, then all the way through to sirsasana, where I attempted headstand twice before moving on to baddha padmasana, where I bound briefly (though I can't fold forward while bound), then I did the last two postures, then savasana, by which time my yoga mix cd had finished and my new Snatam Kaur cd had started, which made for a nice relaxing end.

My chatarangas have come a long, long way. When I first started, by the time I got to vinyasas, I would jump (or more likely step) back, then just lower all the way to the floor. Today I got through the whole practice (though I skipped vinyasas between sides) and was able to jump back, lower and hover just above the floor, then move myself forward toward updog slightly before having to lower my belly all the way to the floor.

The rain has stopped, and it's beautiful, sunny and warm outside. I'm going feed Will lunch, then we are putting on our mud shoes and go outside for a while.