Yoga while on Vacay? Sign me up!

I had my first session with a "Celebrity Yogi" while on vacation in California last week.  It was up to me to plan the itinerary this time, and I was so excited to take advantage of the extremely agreeable weather in Southern California.  Of course, we did the obligatory LegoLand visit for the kids (quick review:  Go while you can.  It's expensive, but it's worth it.  Lots for the 3 and up set to do, but it's not nearly as nicely maintained as Disney properties are.  "Miniland", which was incredible, already seemed to be showing signs of sun-fading and weather beating.  It might look like a dump in 5 years if they don't get a handle on that.), but I also wanted to explore some of the lesser-known areas (LaJolla and DelMar) and get in some physical fitness.  We did some light hiking at the Torrey Pines state park, which provided amazing views. 
It was great, but the highlight of the trip for me was the quick jaunt we took up to LA, staying in Santa Monica.  I did a little research on what to do in LA (besides eating at In and Out or Pinks - both on Husband's agenda), and found not only was there a YogaWorks studio there, but there was a class instructed by Sara Ivanhoe while we would be in Santa Monica.    Yoga while on vacation?  With a "celeb"? Sign me up!
My experience with Sara Ivanhoe is through her Crunch DVD, "Fat Burning Yoga", which I purchased shortly after the birth of my second son, when I was really getting into yoga.  I didn't buy it because of Sara.  I bought it because it said Fat Burning.  But I liked Sara's style of instruction.  She has a little sidekick in the DVD, who demonstrates the modified postures.  The "sidekick" is Natasha Rizopoulos, who I think is a little more well-known, which I always found funny.  Anyway, the Fat Burning DVD is good, and every so often I return to it when I'm at a loss for home practice.  I have never purchased any of Sara's other DVDs; in fact, I wasn't even aware that she had other DVDs.  After practicing with her "LIVE", perhaps I should look into them for more variety.
So, my experience with Sara in person was interesting.  It was a level 2/3 class, and I was anxious about the class all week.  I was looking forward to it, but unsure of my ability to "hang" with the level 2/3-ers.  I was nervous that the class would be so packed that I wouldn't feel comfortable.  Neither was the case.  The class had maybe 30 people in it.  Some of Josh's and Heidy's classes have that many folks in them, so I was totally at ease there.  The sequence of postures in Sara's class was also totally manageable - in a normal setting.  The class was quite a bit longer than I'm used to.  It went from 4:15 to 5:45 - so I definitely got my money's worth as far as time was concerned. 
I certainly got my money's worth as far as "kick-yo-ass" is concerned as well.  As I mentioned before, the sequence of postures was not unfamiliar to me at all...but the fact that there was no (ZERO) air conditioning was unfamiliar to me.  It felt like I was in a Bikram studio.  Except I wasn't taking a Bikram class.  I sweat more than I've ever sweat in a regular yoga class.  There were some postures that I didn't attempt - not because I couldn't do them, but because I was frightened that I would slip right off of my sweat-drenched mat!  The room had massive ceiling fans, and I'm not sure why they weren't utilized, although I have my theories.
Frequently throughout the practice, Sara kept asking us to close our eyes and focus inward.  I am sure that there was more to this than just focusing inward.  She did not practice along with us, instead walking the room and adjusting here and there (she even adjusted me in my triangle!).  It became clear to me that many people probably come to the class to see her, and that might prohibit them from getting the most of the practice.  If you're busy watching the celeb the whole time, you can't focus and practice properly.  I got that totally, and obliged whenever she asked us to close our eyes.  I wasn't focused on "Oh, it's Sara" the whole time.  I was focused on my posture - and also focused on how dang hot it was ("why the heck aren't those huge ceiling fans on?!?").  The Tom Brady look-a-like (obviously it wasn't him because the Patriots were on the field far, far away from Santa Monica) and Jared Leto look-a-like (still not sure if it was him, but he had a weird knotted hairdo, so it might have been him) next to me were sweating buckets.  My ponytail was drenched - you could honestly wring it out like I just stepped out of the shower!  My clothes were sopping, and my mat was slick.  My muscles were nice and loose, and I think if you asked me right then and there, I could have folded right into a double lotus followed by a Marichiasana bind! 
So, practicing with Sara was a lot of fun.  She was attentive to our postures, could have used a little more imagery, but overall I felt fantastic after the practice.  I'm glad and so grateful that I took advantage of the opportunity!  I only wish I had the courage to talk to her and let her know I enjoyed the session, had a yoga blog and would be writing about it so she could check us out!  In another lifetime...

"One sees clearly only with the heart.  Anything essential is invisible to the eyes." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery