what is advanced?

My second 6 day practice week, for ashtanga, as I used to practice 6/days a week before when I practiced vinyasa style. (and included my first true self practice at my aunt's house on Sunday). This month I am trying to practice every day other than moon or rest days (or ladies holiday, which always seems to fall on a moon or rest day!! hmmph!!), to see what the effect will be. Before this, I was practicing 5 days a week pretty consistently this summer. Of course, I chose the hottest and most humid week to start this adventure..and promptly injured myself after 1 week, probably out of exhaustion. Now I am trying to learn to be less ambitious with my practice, and do a little less when I am feeling low energy. The energy required for 5 or 6 consecutive days is quite different than when it is broken up with a rest day in the middle.

I have been reading guruji lately, and in interview after interview, the idea of an advanced practitioner does not necessarily coincide with a person who has an advanced asana practice.

Meanwhile, at the shala, the people whose practices inspire me (in addition to my teachers) are those who show up every day and practice and have a good energy about them, lightness and an ability to not take the whole thing too seriously (I am aiming for this..but it doesn't always happen!). These are not people practicing the advanced series. When I talk to them, they explain how years of daily practice really helps them in their daily lives.

I see some changes in myself from the past 2 1/2 years of practicing yoga, and especially from where I started my ashtanga practice. But I am also realizing many hard and not so wonderful things about myself in the past few months. Hopefully this too will pass or at least evolve, with more practice.

Really happy that tomorrow is a rest day, and looking forward to a massage today.