A Clear Midnight

This is thy hour O Soul, thy free flight into the wordless,

Away from books, away from art, the day erased, the lesson done,

Thee fully forth emerging, silent, gazing, pondering the themes thou lovest best,

Night, sleep, death and the stars.

Walt Whitman

from Leaves of Grass (1881)

What a magical poem. It casts an unexpected spell, releasing the soul into the night and the mysteries...

Night, sleep, death and the stars...




Practice:

Yesterday's early morning practice was Ashtanga - moving in quick time with Sharath, just to the end of the standing poses. A quick trip through the poses, barely skimming the surface, not touching anything deeply, 2 breaths in most of them while Sharath counted up to 5.

Tonight I got home late from work and needed backbends.

I made up my own sequence as I went along:

Dog Pose

Uttanasana

Lunges

Lunges with a twist

Prasaritta Padottanasa with a twist

Handstands to the wall (kicking up and coming down with alternate legs a few times)

Pincha Mayurasana

Salabhasana (Locust)

Dhanurasana (Bow)

Bhujangasana (Cobra)

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Dog)

Ustrasana (Camel) Ustrasana - arms overhead reaching back to the wall

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge)

Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow), three times

Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana - hand holding strap around the foot

Uttanasana

Malasana

Headstand - 20 breaths

Padmasana with a twist

I'm loving my yoga practice

I'm loving this raw food body

I'm loving poetry late at night

I'm loving mountain climbing and looking out over the city

I'm loving the sadness and joy that has come from Mark's death

I'm loving the quiet streets just before dawn breaks

I'm loving my faithful funny dog

I'm loving my solitude

I'm loving every thing in my life

I'm loving every moment of my life

I'm in awe at the beauty and the suffering and the mystery of it all