30 Day Challenge, Day 12: Our First Time

After a day off yesterday, I was certainly expecting tonight's Primary Series practice to kick my ass. Normally I attend primary series alone (my mother and friends won't touch that class), but I arrived in class tonight with my friend and housemate Kirah. Kirah has done flow yoga before, but this was her first experience with primary.


As class began, I could feel her gaze on me and could sense imminent giggling as we begun the invocation chant. While chanting, I realized I probably should have warned her about this surprise.  


Moving through our sun salutations and into our first standing poses, my first experience with primary series began appearing in my thoughts. Perhaps I was feeling nostalgic at seeing Kirah try out primary for the first time, but I recalled one morning at the old studio when I impulsively decided to try a Mysore class, perhaps two and a half years ago. I walked in having no idea what to expect. Natalie, I'm so glad you decided to try Mysore, Katie said as she handed me a primary cheat-sheet. 


I stepped on to my mat, sharing the room with many of the same students with whom I practiced tonight, and started trying to replicate with my body what was going on with that sheet of paper. I was wrong far more than I was right, and Katie spent more time with me, adjusting and correcting, than she did with the rest of the students combined. I remember walking out of that class thinking, What the hell was I just doing in there?


Clearly, I continued practicing. When my thoughts returned to the present, I could not help but note the contrast between that first practice and tonight. I know that I really should not be comparing my practice to anything, but thinking of the development of my practice was a very inspiring consideration.


This was especially true because tonight, I was able to get into Marichyasana D without assistance from my teacher, and the full expression of supta kurmasana (with assistance) for the first time. It is the coolest feeling when you have been practicing something for a very long time, and then one day, you just go further into it then you ever have. 


Yeah, yeah- I know I should be avoiding judging myself. But you know what? This is kind of a big deal for me, so I'm going to revel in it!...even if I can never do those things again...


When class was over, Kirah said she really enjoyed it, but found it a little bit crazy. She was light-years ahead of where I was when I did that first Mysore class, and my practice has certainly come a long way since then, too. It was a night of firsts, which I celebrated by making a big, delicious greens smoothie when I got home.