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March 18, 2005

Chiang Mai-2 weeks ago

I had planned to start this blog in Chiang Mai but it didnt get typed.
Stephen is the yoga teacher at Yogasala in Chiang Mai. The first time I met him I wasnt quite sure what to make of him: he has one of those eye problems where he often looks in a side direction instead of looking forward at you. Some large front teeth that protrude stlightly, a quite large chest in proportion to his body. He speaks with a posh English accent, slowly, choosing words, in a spacey way that many long-time yoga pratitioners speak. In fact he is very funny with a dead-pan delivery and many jokes, quite often when you are all twisted up and straining muscles. He has a kind of community of people organized around his yogasala. There is a social tea after the asana classes, and they also go out for evening. His classes are serious without being too serious. There are plenty of small tricks with blocks and straps to help you attempt difficult asanas or work the problems out of your own bending.
Because I tore an oblique muscle I didnt attend the Ashtanga class, just the Vinyasa. Then I managed to injure myself further so I had to stop yoga classes altogther. I had planned to stay in Chiang Mai 2 weeks doing 4 hours of asanas per day. It was a perfect plan, with a good teacher (and English speaking, a rarity for me) I had to leave. Not the first time I have been thwarted by my own body and overzealousness. I think this is where many people temporarily give up, then slowly lose their good habits. Then after one year these people muse about how they once were making good progress in their practice, and talk to their friends saying that they have been learning yoga (or whatever) for over a year.
I have torn 5 muscles this year. The strategy to beat this is to give up this excercise but devote the same amount of time to another exercise. If you cant jog, then cycle, if you cant cycle, do weights, if you injure your arms, do abs, and so on. It is now 2 weeks later, my obliques still hurt to do side bending or jolting excercises, but everything else I can do!

Posted by Garry on March 18, 2005 12:31 AM
Category: Yoga
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