Ekapada viparitadandasana: onelegged inverted rod pose

After a long, long while started revisiting my favorite variations and found that some of them were tougher and some were easier:) The side crow is becoming lighter. Koundinayasana is feeling easier. Scorpion lotus is falling in place. But the twists and backbends are more painful, thanks to kickboxing which has stiffened my hips, my neck and my back considerably. But decided that pain or not, I must move back onto my variation with my original gusto. . Some poses seem to have completely left me -- baddha konasana is one:( But then, I know it is always a matter of practice if you wish to regain lost ground.  It is also good for the ego, not to take anything for granted. But  I am not too dismayed.. and just grateful that I have used my 12-Sivananda basic sets to relieve my issues as a teacher.. For me when things go really tough, I prefer sticking to the classic 12 in the Sivananda sequence, and hold them longer. This sorts me out considerably. The variations distract and stimulate and exaggerate underlying tensions, when you are down and out, and I find that it is always better to seek a grounding practice when this whole spiritual business seems a bit of a challenge..

The business of teaching is feeling not so bad. I am trying to be more compassionate, and tone my biting tongue down a bit, but am learning to withdraw mentally  if a gives a lot of trouble.
 Jill (Janaki) wrote a very empathetic letter (in fact, two) which expressed and shared her own issues with teaching. So, I felt I was not in a state of isolation and perhaps I am not so bad, after all:) And perhaps, the sense of frustration came because I am not being as nice to myself, as I am to my students, ha ha (ask the ones who get the poison-tip of my tongue and they will smirk:) But yes, it is ok to be kind to yourself as well:)

Any case, part of that being-nice-to-myself includes getting back to some fun variations -- so re-tried the viparitadandasana, after a long time. This may be the first time I am attempting the leg lift in this, and felt rather good that I could negotiate ..

What u need for this pose?

• A neat drop back, from the headstand. 
• Good investment in the backbends, like the camel, wheel.
• A scorpion. 
• And of course, comfort with simple leg raises. 

MMmm, the day I can jump back from this pose into the headstand, then maybe I have attained complete moksha from being a teacher! And am back to being nice to myself and am investing in my own practice instead of caring about why some students simply do not get the basics of yoga right, including the yamas an niyamas..