It occurred to me yesterday that because I have been taking classes and reading books for a long time, I know a lot of yoga poses and ways to sequence them. As a result, I sometimes feel I have done nothing at all in a given practice, because there’s always so much more I could do. It’s helpful to realize that. Now maybe I can forgive myself for not doing everything.
Also, in a home practice, you can doodle around with a pose, trying different things, propping in different ways, etc. In class, if I fall over in Ardha Chandrasana, I don’t get a do-over. At home, I can do it again, maybe working against the wall or leaning on the banister, until I’ve gotten some benefit from it.
In class last fall, my teacher had us do Parvritta Trikonasana (revolved triangle) lying down, with our feet against the wall. I have enough trouble with the twist and the bending over. and this let me work on those without also falling over. In the New Year’s Day class, my foot was still not good enough to do the standing version, so I tried the lying down one. But I didn’t get anywhere, because it’s a little confusing, and I didn’t have time before the next asana came along. At home, I can work out how to do it without the pressure of whatever the rest of the class is doing next.
Practice Notes 