Coping with a lousy practice.... plus press to handstand

Lousy practice this morning ( late morning), real stinker. Started later than I intended and being my day off I went for the David Williams when all I really wanted to do was Primary with a long long stay in Baddha Konasana. So my heart wasn't in it plus the bath I took before hand was probably too hot so I was feeling weak, not what you want for 3rd Arm balances.

Managed all of 3rd and a little of the extras in Advanced A but it was all a bit scrappy. Then the day went from bad to worse, Internet connection went down, irritating as I had online stuff to organise and when it did come back I got stuck and couldn't get away to my Heidegger ( new book arrived yesterday) which was the main plan for the day.

The day was saved by coming across some old harmonica hero's of mine on Youtube. Sonny boy Williams, Sonny Terry, Howlin woolf.... sitting there with a big grin on my face. Went off hunting for an old Harp that surely I'd have lying around somewhere but couldn't find one for the life of me, where do they go, they're like pencils.

As an afterthought I thought I'd fish out a sax ( my old beloved, neglected King Super 20 that sounds like it needs stripping down), hardly blown one since I started Ashtanga (except for testing them at work, but that's different). A lot of fun actually, though I hardly remember how to play the thing. Even made a clip to see how it sounded and thought, what the heck, it's nothing just some doodlin' but why not...

Press to handstand

Light bulb switched on during the press/pike to handstand this morning. In the post from a couple of days ago I was managing to lift from the ground without hopping but my legs we're still bending a little coming up. This morning I realized it was because I was taking my shoulders forward but forgetting about my hips/pelvis which was getting left behind somewhat.

This morning I made a point of bringing it forward (in my head at least), such that as my feet left the ground my pelvis was the point of focus and quickly caught up with my shoulders allowing the legs to float up just as in a headstand.

Looking at the video I think I take my hands a little further forward than I need to and there's still a slight bend at the knee, a tremor even, but it's coming.

The bit at the end, the float back up is improving as well, my arms were much straighter virtually locked, almost lifting my shoulders off my arms, gave me more control.

Oh and the lowering down from handstand is something I'm working on in preparation for some of those fancy advanced series poses where you lower down into something like ardhomukkha padmasana.

Party tricks, perhaps but it makes those ten Sury's in the morning a little more fun.