In the few days before the cast, I amended it simply by practicing on my knees. The cast has made that harder in some instances, since my foot is frozen in a flexed position. I've decided to begin exploring a lot of asanas that I usually think of as restive or starting points - like this, for instance. For me, this has been the kickoff to a seated forward fold, or someplace I will sit to pretend I am doing something when I would really rather not be doing something, ahem, hard. ("I'll just sit here and stretch my calves while I drink some water.") By raising my arms (or not) and working all of my muscles, it's a whole different ball game. It's no longer preparation or escape. It is its own thing, and it left me sore yesterday afternoon. Where I will escape for a nice calf-stretching water break now is beyond me - this exploration blew that meaning out the door and down the street. It ain't comin' back.
Another big part of this learning process has been not to expect immense amounts of energy to play with on the mat. I'm tired. I'm *damned* tired. Everything beyond sitting with my foot elevated is more work, plus my body's healing a broken bone - - so fatigue is normal. However, nothing could have prepared me for the shock I received in a practice teaching session a couple of nights ago when I broke a sweat under a ceiling fan and wound up shaking. My muscles are learning to work in new ways, I don't have the same leverage in certain instances that I've grown accustomed to having, and I swear I'm working my core and arms harder by default. So I probably shouldn't have been as shocked as I was, but DAMN! (I guess that answered my question of how I can still get my practice -- just do the practice I can, right?) So, rather than being able to cruise right on through a ninety minute modified practice as I thought I would, I'm finding it better to do a few short practices over the course of a day. It's simply how my energy is working right now. While I will be in sixty and ninety minute practices this weekend in teacher training, I'll be using them to keep exploring how to modify while putting forth how much I honestly can - which will be a great exercise in learning to manage my energy. (I am very much the person who is prone to shorting herself out in Sun Salutations.)
And now, I'm off to have my pre-dinner mini practice, which is turning into one of the things I most look forward to. It's absolute bliss after a day of engaging my abs and legs while rolling around on my Roll-A-Bout and somewhat mimicking Tolasana while I'm going up the stairs. Have a fantabulous evening!
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