And this is the Fallover Asana

I can't quite make up my mind whether I like my new yoga class. I've been three or four times now - for a couple of months I never made it out of work in time. And I always feel good afterwards, and sometimes in the middle of it, but mostly I feel bloody stupid. It's a different style of yoga to what I'm used to - not sure what it is tecnickly; ashtanga maybe? - with more emphasis on balance than bending, and the class is constructed differently too: one long sequence of poses flowing into each other, with the instructor intoning the movements. So those who've been taking the class for a while don't really have to listen to him at all - they know exactly what comes next, and how to do it - but if you're new, or newish, or just not very good, it's quite confusing. Teacher wanders around prodding people into place occasionally, telling you to point toes forward, etc, but by then you've already done the whole sequence wrong four times. And then he says bizarre things like 'keep your legs soft' (yes, my legs are soft, but what does this mean?), or 'relax your bottom' when that bottom is the only thing keeping me from falling on the floor.

And then there's the problem of balance. I have none. I've always been fairly confident in a yoga class, on account of being really bendy, so even if I look stoopid I can at least do the movements. But now - if I'm doing really well - I draw my right knee to chest, concentrate fearsomely (it's pretty scary catching my eye in the mirror at this point), open leg out to the right, look over left shoulder, fall over. Regain balance, lift leg, return to centre, extend leg, point toe, fall over. Then do it again to the other side. Place right foot on left thigh, raise arms, look at thumbs, fall over. Again to the other side. And so on. And so on. Even some of the poses where I get to keep both feet on the ground result in falling over, because my left foot cramps up and becomes useless. Why, I don't know, it just does. Very reliably.

So that chunky chick at the front of the class, glaring furiously (it's concentration, but looks scarier) and wobbling... that would be me. Is this fun? I'm really not sure.