This morning in my yoga class at Thrive, I was able to jump back from forward fold [Ardha Uttanasana] to staff pose [Chaturanga Dandasana] in the vinyasa sequence for the first time. I had tried it a couple of times before and it was always a jarring experience, with a lot of pressure on my lower back and knees buckling to the floor. One time, I bashed my nose into the floor. Because the jump back landing felt as if I was going to fall apart, I refrained from including it in my routine. I transitioned by stepping back, one leg at a time, to staff pose.

It was strange this morning because I was suffering through the class, in part because I think I was underhydrated. Halfway through the class, I was feeling thirsty and I do not normally need to have a bottle of water with me. In any case, I was being cautious about not over-extending myself so it surprised me that on the last vinyasa of the morning, I decided to try the jump back. I landed it without any problems. After class, I tried the move a couple of times, just to confirm that my success was not a fluke or a stroke of luck. I guess I am being rewarded for the work at strengthening my core.

Since I've been able to do wheel [Urdhva Dhanurasana] and crow poses [Balasana] almost every class, I feel as if I am consolidating my practice. The biggest flaws are my one-leg balances and inversions, like headstand and shoulderstand.