Press into your feet and unclench your butt. Then hang freely back and catch your heels. Yeah.

Things seem to be easing up a little. Only one lecture left, plus a final exam and a seminar with graduate students. I can feel it on my tongue - the taste of freedom. At work - finishing a couple of experiments and then the lab will move to a new place. Lots of paperwork, physical exam, visa issues, but who cares. Can't possible be more time-consuming than my current state.

In spite of a constant lack of time, I managed to do two fun things lately. First, I went to a shooting range and learned to shoot guns. All kinds of different guns, including an automatic machine gun. Second, I signed up for a self-defence class, which also proved to be fun and kind of useful. No, I am not joining a gang or uncovering my inner warrior princess. It is just one of my dear friends is going to one of the world's "hot" spots to work for a year. I guess her anxiety is manifesting in signing up for these weird activities. I had my reservations, especially regarding shooting. But for a rabid pro-gun-control person, I had a lot of fun shooting cardboard targets. Go figure.

Took a jivamukti workshop at Flow Yoga. I liked David Life a lot, but still have very conflicted feelings about Sharon. I mean I like her, too, but her "artistic" nature just rubs me the wrong way. I will never be a great yoga teacher, because never in my life I will be able to say with a straight face something like "Feel the dead spirits emanating from your hip joints". She seemed to be really obsessed with death, too, having recently lost her brother and a cat. I do not know, just can't take it seriously.

Then there was a very excellent Inversions workshop with David Kyle. Loved it! Learned so much! I still can't hold a handstand in the middle of the room, but for the first time in my life I see a glimmer of hope. Can be done!

My yoga last week was practically non-existent. I did do a daily yin practice keeping my NY resolutions, but not a single Mysore class. Ugh! But this week David Keil is in town, which means daily Mysore no matter what. So far so good, I managed not to make too big of a fool of myself.

Learned a new bit - separating feet from buttocks in Kapotasana. Not a physical separation, but a mental one. As in pressing into the feet while keeping the buttocks relaxed. Not easy for me, let me tell you. My whole being screams for clenching the butt, trying not to snap in the middle and die. But as always, my whole being is wrong. Un-clenching the behind softened something in the back as well, and kapotasana felt better. David also strongly objects to my way of dropping down on the head, then lifting up by straightening the arms and crawling to the feet. Time to overcome the fear of kapotasana hangings and try to catch the feet without the safety of the floor. Life is hard.

Anyway, the crunch is not completely over yet, so I better get my unclenched ass moving. I hope everyone is enjoying the Spring. Mwah!