Today is the day :) I did a basic sun salutation! It was intense! Such a simple sequence, once so basic-now strenuous! But I will now start with one a day, and soon as I know it, I will be adding variation to it!
The hardest part today was kneeling warrior 1 and also upward dog.

I feel privy now, to the true meaning of patience. I consider myself a very patient person in general-with many years of conscious practice to achieve this state. But now patience is a whole different thing...its not about the kids, or other people, or the person driving in front of me-its about ME...my BODY. It always seems there is something to "do" about "being patient", using the power of your mind. But now i have a physical situation that I cannot change with mere thoughts and focus. I must surrender and BE PATIENCE with my body and its temporary limitations. It has given me the beautiful opportunity to LOVE ME exactly as I am...NO EXCUSES>I JUST AM like this in this moment. No blame, no other way around it. All=patience.
 So I head back over to my mat, and lovingly tilt my head as far as IT wants to go today...breathe deep...and TRUST that someday soon it will go all the way :)

Such a deep personal journey here on my mat. As I take myself to my edges, I know how far I have to go...but yet...that doesn't even matter at all...this is no race,just a journey :) And I appreciate that I know that, that I am gentle and loving to myself and the limitations I am experiencing in this now.

Yesterday was a very big day for me...the brace around my neck is now off...my neck is free...my neck is healed!!!
I am so appreciative of my amazing body,healing itself so swiftly and perfectly. I am so appreciative of my wonderful doctor, who fixed my vertebrae...who studied all those years to know how to allow me life...omg.
I enter this new day with such happiness, so happy to just look "normal" to sleep on my pillow comfortably, to snuggle my kids fully,to get back to my life...
I am a bit sore, with range of motion lessened...but just a part of my journey...I have seen the incremental stages of this healing journey-i look to full RoM in my neck as a fun goal! Each day little by little...
So, with this milestone, my yoga practice is now allowed to go deeper, I will re-discover my body movement in even more ways...i will continue the delicious journey of re-birthing on the mat.

I feel so safe
so at home
so relieved
when i am on my mat
the quiet peace
the gentle ease
the loving release
all happens on my mat
complete surrender
to where i am at
loving kindness
and recognition of my progress
all are abundant
when i carve out time
on my mat

As the days pass, and I continue to test where my edges are, I find that my practice brings such a delicious relief to me-like the exhale...I find myself stretching alot over the course of the day, laying down on the mat here and there, using the steps, walls, table, and the counter. Some days my body hurts, and it doesn't feel good to extend and reach...i honor my bodies tempo...and I try again another time. I am humbled by the thought of how the beginning student must feel-body unfamiliar with the twists and turns of this movement. "A little bit of something is alot better than a whole lot of nothing" -Swami Satchidananda...his words I take to heart on a way deeper level these days! 

Today I did my first downward dog!!! It felt good, yet some pressure in my head(havent been inverted for awhile!) and in my palm. I continue to do a modified practice, using the stairs as before, with the addition of some lateral stretches while on steps.
Another exciting step is that i can do a standing forward bend! I do not hold the pose very long.
I can easily do warrior II, chair, squat, goddess,and triangle-all modified.
I have also started to do some restoratives, like legs up the wall for 10 minutes at night.

On 3/17/12 I was involved in a serious car wreck. It caused a broken neck(C2&C3) and multiple compound fractures in my left hand. I am starting this post 11 weeks after the incident, to share my journey back to yoga.
About 3 weeks after the wreck I was able to start doing some leg stretches. I was wearing a "halo" brace around my trunk and attached to my head-leaving my neck completely immobile and arms only able to lift part way. I would sit in the wheelchair and put my foot up on the bed(hip and bed level) and stretch a TEENY bit forward with each leg, a few rounds on each side. The other stretch I was able to do was a very slight twist(while seated), to the left was a bit easier.My left hand was totally un-useable at this time.
At 4 weeks i went home. At home I started using the the carpeted stairwell. I would put my leg up 4 stairs and hold onto the railing with my right hand. This caused a very nice stretch and i would alternate legs 3 times for 30 seconds.Next i bent my knee on the 3rd stair and braced myself with the other foot and did a type of "lunge" there, trying to bring my opposite hip closer to the stair.repeat both sides 3x. 
At about 5 weeks i discovered i could get my leg/foot up one step higher and then turn away from the stairs and create a really good inner thigh stretch. Then adding the teenyist lateral stretch(the vest brace didn't allow for hardly any lateral movement).
I also used the bottom step to create a calf stretch and top of foot stretch and to practice going up on tippy toes. 
At about 6 weeks I really needed to figure out how to stretch my quads(as I have been sleeping half seated this whole time). I could manage facing out on the stairwell and lifting and placing the top of my foot on the 4th stair and my knee(of the same leg) on the 2nd stair. I used the forearm of my left arm and my right hand to steady myself. The other side was a bit trickier but I was able to do it, and it felt delicious! On many days I then went into the kitchen and used the counter for a gluteus/hamstring stretch. I lifted one leg up to the counter and placed the shin in-line with the edge of the counter, then leaned forward and ahhhhh.... :)))
And now i am at week 11. The halo has been off 2 weeks. I continue with the above routine and now have added many other poses.