What a blessing that we have such lovely teachers come to Manila. Remiss in writing here in my blog, I checked my handy Notes app for memory cues from Tim Feldmann's visit at Yoga Manila last April 17 to 21, 2013. Here's what I found -
I had the blessing of spending some moments with Tim Feldmann over lunch. The past days of practice have been intense and truly heart opening for me. Over our meal on the shala floor, we spoke of Yoga bringing the Sacred into our own experience, limited as we are to contain its full understanding. One of Yoga's gifts is humility. How we get a drop of wisdom and how we must continue to practice until the wisdom forms trickles, nothing owned, nor permanent, just practiced. It was a beautiful conversation.
Having him as a teacher brought on many firsts in my asana practice. Following that, there must be those unseen changes within too. Today, he brought my hands beyond my heels and on to my ankles in Kapotasana and I felt no trepidation. He has been bringing them there for Urdvha Dhanurasana too. He taught me, as in the past days, to hold with strong fingers, to strengthen my legs. Since he arrived, I was able to keep my fingers on to my toes in Supta Vajrasana. (By the fifth day, I had no such luck in all. :))
My eka pada has been showing signs of recovery and I am amazed at the generosity of openness during these days.
In the afternoon, we had a workshop on jumping back and through.
He saw my pattern of falling back on my behind before my legs touch down. He was compassionate as he spoke about replacing our samskaras (such persistent pesky habits those are). He spoke about how we must do the right (but uncomfortable) thing - like Arjuna in the battlefield. Oh the right but uncomfortable thing has brought me a mat burn and a wound on my thumb.
Of course, we went through the techniques and I loved how he talked about Guruji and his teacher Lino Miele in their "You do" teaching style and cautioned us against his more easily digestible piece by piece teaching style. It is our practice and we must also find our own way, to not be so dependent on a teacher and to take responsibility for our practice.
He also talked about having healthy apanic patterns (we all know prana gets the more positive publicity) especially helpful for jumping through and back. And of course, we cannot do without our bandhas because "It's not about your arms. It's about your anus."
By the time we had our back bending workshop (his last for this round), I was all backbent out but it was pleasure ("pain", pleasure, "pain") as it is with Life and Yoga and Love and all these things we want to wrap our heads and joints and limbs around.
How do I end this rather disorganized chain of words? I think I will just cap it off by saying:
What a kind compassionate soul, this ashtangi teacher Tim Feldmann is.
My Yoga Family
Photo opp with Tim
Stole a shot
and another.
