I went to a class at Dena's shala yesterday for the first time ( except for one time I dropped in on one of her intensive years ago). She isn't teaching there at the moment, and even when she does, it's month-long intensives that I probably wouldn't be doing. But she told me I should go to the 9.30 class, sometimes run by Jack, and that she practices in sometimes. And that she would 'oversee' my practice.
Neither of them were there, which was probably a good thing as it might have distracted me!! And - this is the first time I've started as a student at a new shala. And my mind was full of worries about 'exposing' my pathetic practice! I was wondering if I should be listing all the poses I used to do until I got a meniscus injury 3 years ago, a lot of which have still not been given back to me ... On and on and on ... my mind is what's pathetic!! Of course I know that's not what's important, but it's hard to just accept and not listen! Christian, the teacher there told me to just do my practice as I'd been doing it at the old shala and we'd take it from there. I did put a couple of poses back in but mostly it's as it has been.
And it just felt so good to have got over that mental hurdle! Now he knows my balance is crap, and my strength is lacking, etc and I don't have to feel embarrassed any more ... I know, I know, I never did have to, but these are the mental burdens that some of us are burdened with!
So, all in all it was a lovely day! Plus I had my first visitor in the afternoon ... :)
