I have my lotus pose down with no problems, I would really like to strengthen my fingers so I can elevate more. Right now I have about an inch off the floor for less than 20 seconds. I would like to get higher and stronger in my elevation.

I am having a lot of trouble with chatarunga, however the last few days it's gotten stronger. Then eventually I would love to do Bakasana to Chaturanga then to the feathered peacock.

Through out the year I want to further work on my strength in balancing. While doing the tree pose with my right foot on the floor my ankle sometimes becomes weak after 4 or 5 minutes. So I am working on strengthening that foot. Left foot is eazy peazy.

I have my lotus pose down with no problems, I would really like to strengthen my fingers so I can elevate more. Right now I have about an inch off the floor for less than 20 seconds. I would like to get higher and stronger in my elevation.

I am having a lot of trouble with chatarunga, however the last few days it's gotten stronger. Then eventually I would love to do Bakasana to Chaturanga then to the feathered peacock.

Through out the year I want to further work on my strength in balancing. While doing the tree pose with my right foot on the floor my ankle sometimes becomes weak after 4 or 5 minutes. So I am working on strengthening that foot. Left foot is eazy peazy.

You're doing 5 minute tree poses? That's pretty intense.

Well, actually. It's probably like 2-3 minutes. But crap it feel like 5 minutes. We normally go through the series of standing balancing poses. The typical tree pose, eagle pose, warrior 3, (i dont know the name of these poses) but when you move your knee to the side then extend your leg your and grab your toes, then close your knee and move your knee forward and extend your leg and grab your toes, then the one legged chair.

I really don't know how long all the takes. But I know it's hard for my right ankle even my balance gets all wonky on that foot.

I would like - no - I plan to be able to rise slowly into a well controlled Tripod Headstand in the middle of the room and I would like to be able to kick up into a headstand against a wall or partner without them helping my hips over my hands.

That is my promise to myself for 2013.

I have acheived the first part of this plan, also the second part and I am looking now to consolidate both of these.

I have kept my promise to myself.

I love this idea-

I did full back bend (Wheel pose) unassisted for the first time ever! I've never even done partial wheel-so it was pretty amazing.

My goal for forever has been headstand against wall---I have been trying and fell every time-even assisted is hard for me.

Well controlled headstand with both legs strait. I can get up in it and hang out for a few breathes but then I freak out and lose it. However just having the core awareness to get there was a huge victory!

I would love to be able to do a crow pose for over 1 second, and without falling on my face

Headstand with no wall was one of my goals this year too and I finally got it. I was getting more and more consistent at the wall and finally had to just go for it freestanding. I did it out in the grass in my front yard so I figured if I flopped over it wouldn't hurt as bad. And it's funny, but as soon as I went into it I think the lack of a wall made me feel so much more committed that it almost felt easy. And once I did it that first time now it's pretty easy to get up into headstand and stay there as long as I want to stay there. And even play around with my legs and do like eagle legs or straddles or things like that and it's really fun. Took what felt like forever to accomplish it though!

My other goal poses are Hanumanasana - I've made hugs progress (since I was so stiff to start), but still am probably 5" away from fully getting my hips to the ground. And handstands with no wall. I've only tried it without a wall within reach twice and it was really scary. Though I know I've tried the trick of picking up a hand if I'm falling over - and then it's like a cartwheel and you fall to that side rather than flipping all the way over. In the meantime I'm just working on doing them about 2' or so from the wall so I can still reach out with a foot if I need it.

I'd also love to be able to get into Lotus someday, but have arthritis in both knees and reconstructed ACLs, so that's extremely slow going. Rather than being a goal pose, it's almost more a sense of not being closed to the idea that someday it might happen and I'm just going to pay attention to my body and work on it very slowly and carefully.

To expand on my goal of splits... I really want to be able to deepen my wide legged seated forward fold. I can get my forearms down, but I can't quite hinge from the hips to be flat on the floor, and I can't get my legs any wider than what looks like a pizza slice.

One thing I've noticed recently is the surface on which I'm practicing has a HUGE impact on my ability to hold certain poses; specifically, balance poses. I never realized it until my studio moved to a new place with lovely synthetic tatami floors. They are kind of squishy, and until that point I hadn't noticed that I have only ever practiced on hardwoods (with my mat of course). It's almost as if I have to learn all over again... transitioning from tree to warrior 3 and back again (in a flow) is much harder on softer surfaces. So I plan to expand my practice locations to include my yard, the gym mat, or wherever might have a different hardness.

I've been working on boat pose, I am just getting back into yoga and a lot of torso strength related poses really kick my butt. When I first tried to do it I couldn't even remotely get into half-boat pose and my body would shake like crazy. Now I can get into half boat for a few seconds and I don't shake quite so much. It will be a while before I can do full boat, but by the end of the year I should.

Also, dido on wanting my feet to touch the ground in downward dog! I am much closer on this one.

BIRD OF PARADISE!!! Check (as of Saturday). : ) Next is THE CROW.

BIRD OF PARADISE!!! Check (as of Saturday). : ) Next is THE CROW.

That's awesome! I can stand up in Bird of Paradise but my leg is never straight and I'm kind of crooked. Same thing with Tittibasana/Firefly - my hamstrings don't want to fully cooperate quite yet.

I haven't been able to hold Bird of Paradise on the new floors at the studio... practice, practice...

I think I really need to move up a level in my classes, so I can practice some inversions and arm balances in a class setting.