Backward bends

After almost a year I went back to yoga class today. A three hour long session concentrating on backward bends. Now I have never been good at bending over backwards. I will go out of way to please a friend, but not bend over backwards, not going against my grain. It was a hard class and I felt empty and calm afterwards, calm in the knowledge that I'll never be good at it, but that it is good for me and good for hernia. Now bending forward in submission isn't quite my thing either, so I guess I am far away from Zen or Nirwana. The Dahrma wheels turn and turn...