Day 10 - From Spring to Winter, what a difference a day makes...

Poor Mother Nature. She's been so abused and we've driven her mad. Yesterday, I was rejoicing the coming of spring and today, we, Montrealers woke up to a full on snow storm that lasted all day. It's now about 6:30 pm and the ground is covered with wet, slushy snow. I guess this means all those beautiful flowers I photographed yesterday will die. What a shame.

In concert with the weather, I'm feeling cold, tired and a little all over the place. I had an exam this morning in my Ayurveda course, which I could have been better prepared for, and my guts have been feeling uneasy since last night. But, much to my lethargy, I invented a new tummy taming smoothie this morning (I'll post the recipe next) and managed to do 96 sun salutations upon returning home from school.

I find on days like today, the hardest part is starting the practice and figuring out what to do, but once I find my flow, everything is good. After dragging myself through the first 36, I decided to do the whole Ashtanga standing series within the surya namaskar sequence, which allowed me to ground myself and focus. I finished with headstand, shoulderstand and backbends, and a much needed savasana relaxation, which I felt I could have enjoyed for 108 days, maybe years. In fact, perhaps after 108 days of sun salutations, I will need 108 days of savasana... I digress. I have 12 left and I'm saving them for after dinner, not because I'm lazy, but because I find they help me digest.

Despite my current state of fatigue, I am pleased that this 108 project is gathering momentum and I feel happy. Tonight, for the first time in a while, I'm staying home to relax and enjoy some one on one time with Craig. We're going to have vegetable soup and authentic perogies from the Polish bakery on St Viateur. We may even watch a movie and be in bed before midnight. This may not seem too exciting, but believe me, right now, I couldn't have better plans.

Today's Surya Namaskar Recipe is generally practiced after the sivananda salutation as a pre-cursor to the Ashtanga Sun Salutation A.

The Lunge Salute
1- Start in Tadasana, the mountain pose.
2- Press down through your legs, INHALE, raise your arms overhead and look up at thumbs. Shoulders down, long neck.
3- Pause. Feel a dynamic pull between the earth and the sky.
4- Then, without locking the knees, EXHALE, fold up, over your stable legs into Uttanasana, standing forward bend.
5- INHALE, come up halfway and lengthen the spine.
6- EXHALE, bend the knees and step the LEFT leg back into a straight leg lunge.
7- Hold the pose for three breaths
8- Details of the pose: Finger tips can rest on the floor or onto blocks, or hands can rest on the front thigh. Centre the LEFT knee directly over the ankle. Extend from the heel to the crown of the head.
9- After three to five breaths, EXHALE, hands to the ground.
10- Step the LEFT leg back into plank pose for a couple of breaths. Support your lower back, by lifting the lower belly in and up toward the kidneys, located in your mid-back.
11- EXHALE, bring the knees to the floor and slowly, pulling the elbows into the ribs, lower the torso to the floor. This movement is called Chatarunga Dandasana or four limbed staff pose.
12- INHALE, sphinx, cobra pose or upward dog. Legs reach back, open the heart and gaze forwards with a long neck.
13- After one or two breaths, EXHALE, slowly tuck the toes under and transition back into downdog.
14- INHALE lengthen your spine from the crown of the head to your tailbone.
15- EXHALE, lower your knees to the floor.
16- INHALE, step your LEFT foot forward between the hands.
17- EXHALE, tuck the RIGHT toes under and straighten the back leg.
18- INHALE come up onto the fingertips and evenly extend the neck.
19- Hold the lunge for a couple of breaths, then EXHALE, hands to the floor.
20- INHALE, take a giant step forward and lengthen the spine.
21- EXHALE, fold over stable legs.
22- Keeping a small bend in the knees, INHALE rise up to standing and stretch the arms overhead.
23- EXHALE, lower hands down the centre of your body.

*NOTE: When I do this sequence in the 108 practice, I break it in two separate sun salutations: Right foot forward first, then step forward from downward dog to the top of the mat, and the second time with left foot forward.