Fifteen Years Later....

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After 15 years of five-to-six days-a-week practice, the ashtanga system continues to yield great awards - and to amaze.
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NYC-based teacher Greg Tebb was in town last week assisting Manju Jois at his workshop and teacher training. Greg also did the morning Mysores this week.
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I did not get to practice with Manju due to time conflicts and an elbow flareup.
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But I did get to do two asthanga self-practices with Greg. He has compassionate, nurturing-but-not-weak teaching style that is grounded in steady practice, teaching and study over a long period of time.
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He kindly pointed out some bad habits that have evolved over many months of self-practice, and I immediately began to work on them. He also had some helpful suggestions regarding the tennis elbow and neck issue.
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It was fun (if that is the correct word) to have the help to drop into Karandavasana (above) and do dropbacks for the first time in...in... who knows how long it's been.
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During Prasarita Padottanasana C (photo at top) he had me tuck my head in (as Lino does) and it seemed to take very little for him to get my fingers to the floor. (I'd been under the impression that the hands were a foot from the floor due to tight shoulders / thoracic spine, and that the pose would never happen without help).
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So I tried it today on my own; it is, after all 90 degrees and humid.
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So I went into Prasarita C. and put the arms forward as far as they would go. Then I tucked in the head and extended the little fingers downward.
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Voila! Fingers touched something hard: the floor.
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Without help.
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For the first. time. ever.
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In fifteen years.
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The seemingly impossible, suddenly within reach.*
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Who knew?
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It's just like the Yoga Sutras say:
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1.14. sah tu dirgha kala nairantaira satkara asevitah dridha bhumih
This practice becomes well-grounded when continued with reverent devotion and without interruption over a long period of time.
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The good news is that the sutras are actually referring to control of the mind.
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The postures are just a tool....
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And a good one at that, to show us what is possible.
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But the mind control is where it's really at - where the real challenge lies.
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*My experience with ashtanga vinyasa yoga is that a breakthrough is usually followed by a backslide. The breakthrough eventually comes back - just not on our timetable. This helps destroy the ego - for a little while anyway.