Engineering

• 2 extra large belts
• 6 regular sized belts
• 4 small belts
• 4 small steel rods
• 4 slightly longer wooden rods
• 3 foam bricks 
• 1 thick mat
• 1 blanket

It took all this skilfully rigged up by a kind teacher to allow me a sense of stability in my leg for a while. It’s been very long since I felt the energy course through my legs the way it did in remedial class last evening. Not to mention, the relief in my back too. The class ended and I could walk without the usual unstable feeling in the knee. It got shot again, a long drive back undid all the good but at least there is a course correction roadmap becoming clear. 

Ironically, I started this class wanting to dissolve into hopelessness and despairing of any real change happening. But, that cautious optimism I felt last week may be justified. There is a lot of hitherto unknown directions of explorations opening up and perhaps there is cure possible. I don’t need to be stoic and resigned. 

The teacher who fixed me up was someone I always thought of as very strict and she turned out to be compassion personified. I spent the bulk of my time in urdhva prasarita padasana tied up well and good against a column. She called the setup ‘engineering’ and it truly was so. The shape of my knees and shins took a different appearance and nature. And all this with just props, I did nothing. It’s very different to be passive in an asana after being used to being engaged all the time but healing requires surrender. It’s clear that if I would want a complete recovery, I would need to rest, rest and rest. The time for active work would come later. I guess it was the loss of a certain level of proficiency in asana that didn’t allow me to let time do it’s magic. It’s just very hard to relax, still.😊 How do you tell your legs to be still when the mind is whirring with thoughts and ideas? 

I remain awed when I see the brilliance of Guruji’s system and the healing power of asana without actually performing an asana. We’re truly lucky to have had such a giant who blazed a way for countless suffering souls.

In gratitude