Goddess Padmavati, contemporary Kalamkari painting on cotton, 52" x42" (from Exotic India web site)

The Goddess Padmavati has a complex history. She is also an incarnations of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm.  The image was so interesting - had to add it - yoga related or not.

A few days ago I spent hours working on this post, which to my shock disappeared into the either with not a trace of the various "saves" I had performed. Wasted thoughts? A lesson in appreciating a moment and its unique expression - that can never be captured in the same way again? Words not meant to be shared? Don't know.

So here again is my take on Tim Feldman workshop (unique to today.) He is - in my opinion - one of the very best teachers. He pushes hard and relentlessly to get one to new or more perfect places. He's clear. He's honest. He expects and gets the best. One always feels his underlying compassion. This time he helped me with laghu vajrasana and backbend. Again, I felt guided by his compassionately demanding energy and went farther than ever before.

Then there was Charlottesville and classes with John and Naomi, now both authorized(!) These two are teachers with whom I have worked most consistently. They know this Sixtyni's moves (and self) inside and out. They demand a lot, and don't give a damn about how old I am. (They are both fabulous.) John told me to put my energy into standing up from backbend rather than on 2nd Series poses. And that is mostly what I've been doing....though honestly, I can't help working on intermediate or primary poses that are challenging and thus, fun....

This weekend it's Atlanta and David Garrigues workshop.

The back is mostly better. Feldman talked about an injury* of his that was spinal, and the journey he went through to heal, finally ending up with a regular MD and MRI's. My own has been muscular and so far - I've never seen an MD about it. Attribute healing to patience, the new bed, and continuing to practice over the  months. Am almost back to the yogini I was a year ago..... No, we can never go back, even if it's just to recapture what one wrote and vaporized a few days ago. Never the same. Makes me expand with joy.....

*Tim's wife Kino MacGregor on injury: Kino on long term injury