The dangers of workshops.

Before going to a workshop I program my mind to practice modest. Workshop seduce to overdo, to exaggerate. I practiced modest this morning in the led class with Lino Miele. "Jump through", he said and too quickly for me he announced the next pose. I only blame myself. I should have taken the time I needed for my jump throughs. What I did was: quick quick through. I used my travel mat, which is very sticky and suddenly I heard a noise and felt a pain in my second little toe of my left foot. I was stopped by my mat, the second toe was the victim of this crash. OMG, I thought and feared that this could force me to stop practicing.  I could go on as always. At the end of the class my toe was blue and now I've something to show.

Responsibility was a word that Lino mentioned. We have responsibility for our own practice (not any other person.) So true. :) I must laugh. Yeah, it's all OK.

The little red point on the big toe was caused by summer shoes. Barefoot I'm happy.

Setu bandhasana: Many of the yoginis and yogis of the workshop didn't practice Ashtanga yoga for a long time. Lino showed a variation of setu bandhasana that everybody should do as this pose should be too dangerous for the neck if someone cannot do it correctly. The hands were posed next to the head so that the weight was also on the hands and not only on the head.
It is true, in the first years my neck hurt when I practiced setu bandhasana. The reason: my body was too weak. During my trip to India I gained a lot of strength. One day I met with a yogini and we wanted to take pictures of each other (click on the link and you shall see one of it). I was so amazed when I realized that this pose felt wonderful and that I could hold it for 5 breaths and even longer. The muscles must be engaged when doing the pose. The weight is not only on the head, the feet press into the floor, the bandhas are engaged, leg muscles are engaged. When this is practiced that way, this pose feels great.

To practice the vinyasas makes sense, they develop strength that is needed (not only to avoid injuries, also to be able to perform asanas.)

Ashtanga yoga is about strength and flexibility.