Think your Kapotasana is rough?
Tim Miller has checked in from Copenhagen, with a whirlwind tale of his whirlwind trip, first in Paris and now in Denmark.
Check it out right here.
Via bigfoto.com
But something in particular caught my eye. This:
Henrik, one of the students in the workshop, joined us for lunch and expressed some concern over tomorrow’s scheduled second series practice. He explained that due to a previous “very dangerous job” his body was now held together in places by titanium rods. I asked what the nature of this job was and he explained that he had worked for a time as a bodyguard in Los Angeles, and in the line of duty had to sacrifice his body at times to protect his clients. Before that he had been a power lifter. After all the abuse his body has suffered he started doing pilates and eventually found his way to ashtanga yoga. He is still a big guy, but a very committed and enthusiastic practitioner. I’m looking forward to helping him in kapotasana tomorrow.
And I thought I was having trouble with my teeny-tiny wall-walkers!
If Henrik has never managed Kapo before, he’s in good hands. We’ve talked about Tim’s “fierce love” before — way back, actually, almost a year ago in one of our first posts — and part of what defines that love is that Tim has such strength, both physical and otherworldly. He’s able to push you past what you think your limits to be. (Bobbie and I both can attest to this!)
I think Henrik is in for a pleasant surprise.
Posted by Steve
I was very lucky when it comes to kapotasana. I had only tried the pose a few times before I tried it in a workshop with Tim, and he did one of his magic adjustments — in this case, deepening my backbend with his physical and, as you aptly put it, his otherwordly strength as well. What could have easily become a claustrophobic pose instead became one that I early on associated with a sense of liberation (albeit, the kind of liberation that so far only comes when I’m in an outstanding teacher’s room). Basically, I think Tim did something subtle yet tremendous to unlock some deep-seated aspect of that back-of-the-heart space.
Good for Henrik! I hope he discovers some unexpected feeling of of liberation tomorrow.
Indeed! This really puts some persepctive on the whole Kapotasana adventure.