The beginning

OK, I think I do need this blog after all, just to keep track of my Ashtanga practice. I do not expect it to be in any way entertaining for anybody, myself included. In addition, English is not my first language, so my writing might be irritating to some English-language purists. My apologies. I have another blog that I keep in Russain to track my weight-loss efforts. It is in a great coomunity of very nice, intelligent and supportive people. I realised, however, that my ashtanga posts are not well understood there, and are, in most likelyhood very boring for the forum regulars. Hence - new blog.
I am a middle age, overweight woman, who enjoys yoga immensely. I started my yoga practice seven years ago, at my peak weight of 203 pounds, and very poor health, both physical and emotional. I tried desperately to loose weight, but could do little since physical efforts induced asthma attacks, and the challenges and stresses of graduate school I was attending were not conducive to my efforts of loosing weight.
I remember very vividly my first yoga class. I was the oldest and the fattest person there. I could not do either a table pose or downdog, because both of my wrists were agonizingly sore. I have come a long way from that summer. I finished a yoga teacher certification program, lost 30 lbs and regained my health. Though there is still a need to loose another 20 lbs (or decrease my body fat by 8%), I seem to be in the best physical shape of my life. Six months ago I started Ashtaga practice (morning Mysore, 5 times a week). Now I am doing the complete Primary(well, not completely complete...).
I still struggle in many poses of the 1s. Janu C is completely impossible for me now. I could do it in the beginning, but then I blew both of my knees, so I am not even attempting it now. Can't jump back or jump through with straingt legs. Can't fold myself into supta kurmasana. Can't do chakrasana or stand up from a wheel pose. But I think it all will come eventually...