During this morning's practice, I decided, on the spur of the moment, to see if I could get into padmasana without using my hands in headstand (well, can you get into padmasana using your hands in headstand? :-)). What happened was, my body was itching to try Karandavasana again after laying off that infamous pose for more than a year. But I told myself to take it slow, and first see if I can get into padmasana in headstand first.
So I tried doing that, and it worked quite fabulously! My balance wobbled a bit in the first stage, which involves bringing the left extended leg way back to open the hips to accommodate the right foot into the left hip crease. But everything else went quite well after that, and I stayed in headstand padmasana for ten breaths. I think my hips have become more open over the last few months, because it didn't feel so easy the last time I tried padmasana in headstand, which was, I think, more than a year ago. So yeah, this is quite exciting. Maybe this means that Karandavasana is coming. Or not. We'll see.
Speaking of padmasana in headstand, Kino recently made a video about this. It's very helpful. Check it out:
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And of course, today's Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy, be merry and be grateful! Whether you are eating Turkey, Tofurky (or some non-meat version of the bird), or not eating any Turkey variation or all, may your Thanksgiving feast be tasty and joyful. If you are eating Turkey (like, the bird), you might want to give thanks to the bird for providing you with food. Perhaps say a little prayer for it to be reborn in more favorable circumstances.
I won't be eating any Turkey today or any non-meat version of it; never really been into Turkey. We might go to the local Indian restaurant for a late lunch, as they are having an all-day buffet today. I hear that they have Tandoori Turkey or something along these lines at the buffet. But I won't be partaking of it.
Later in the day, I'll try to see if I can persuade/convince my fiancee to go with me to see Skyfall, the latest James Bond movie. I'm a big fan of Daniel Craig. I think he's the best James Bond ever. I mean, Sean Connery and Roger Moore and all those guys are great, but all they do in their movies is jump off a couple of moving vehicles and throw a couple of punches, and then the rest of the time is spent drinking martinis, saying semi-smart things to hot women, and looking sharp while driving around in fast cars. But Daniel Craig... boy, can the guy move. I think he probably did more running and jumping in the first five minutes of Casino Royale than Roger Moore did in his entire acting career. The guy really brings a realistic, gritty action-packed feel to the franchise. To get a sense of what I am saying, check out the following parkour chase scene from the beginning of Casino Royale. Be warned: You might want to skip this video if you are allergic to guns, hand-to-hand combat, and other Ahimsa violations.
Gosh, I don't think I'll be able to move like Sebastian Foucan (the African guy Bond is running after in the video) even if I practice Ashtanga for another twenty years... but then again, that's not what the practice is for, right? :-)
Okay, I realize I'm rambling about something you're probably not all that interested in. I'll stop. But let me see if I can shift the conversation towards something more yoga-related. Well, here's a question to think about: Does watching James Bond movies constitute a vicarious violation of the yamas? I mean, one is not actually violating ahimsa or brahmacharya, but in watching the movie, one empathizes with and puts oneself in the place of the main character (Bond) and, I'll be honest, takes a vicarious delight in the pleasures he experiences and suffers vicarious pain in the suffering he goes through in the course of the movie. So is one then vicariously violating Ahimsa and Brahmachraya by watching Bond beat bad guys up and cavort with hot chicks? I'm assuming, of course, that it is possible to vicariously violate Ahimsa and Brahmacharya.
Just a thought. I don't know the answer to this question, one way or the other. But if you are not too stuffed with Turkey (or Tofurky), and wouldn't mind exercising your brains a little by pondering this question, I'll love to hear what you have to say.
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