The "Regulars"

I need to take more yoga classes.   In fact, I need to attend 60 classes over the course of my training program (8 classes to observe, 52 to actually practice).  Prior to joining this teacher training program, I did not often practice at the studio where the training takes place.  I did most of my classes at the gym.  At a gym, you have a few "loyal" yogis, but nothing like the regulars you find in a studio class:  yogis who are there week in, week out, who know one another's names, the teacher knows their quirks and preferences, they have their "spots" in the room, their rapport with one another.  When you're not a regular and you "pop in" to the class,  you're not really an interloper (yoga is very embracing), but you might as well be, because you aren't sure where to put your mat, you don't know the next person's name, and you certainly don't get the inside jokes from last week.

I would venture to say that the majority of women in our training cohort are accustomed to taking higher-level yoga classes.  We may frequent a level 1 class, but most of us are probably at home in a level 2...a disciplined few in a level 3.  But when you start out teaching yoga, you don't  launch as a level 2 teacher.  You have to begin with the basics and work your way up, therefore, we are required to take at least half of our 60 classes in a level 1 setting.  We are supposed to pay attention to the language, the postures, the pacing, the modifications.  Yoga is such a discipline that this act of taking level 1 classes is not a "step backwards"...it's not "too easy"  or "too simple". There is always something to learn and observe, and sometimes we do our best observing when we slow things down.

Today, I had to leave work early for an appointment, and I ended up (fortuitously!) with just enough time to squeeze in a Level 1 practice today.  It was listed on the studio schedule as "Extra Gentle".  In the car on the way over to the studio, I wondered who would be taking a yoga class in the middle of the day and I wondered what the pacing for an Extra Gentle class would be like.  I have found that timing is everything when considering who will be in on the mat next to you.  Super-early morning classes (6 am) tend to have mostly women students who are getting a jump start on their day before work.  9/9:30 classes tend to be mostly stay-at-home or work-from-home parents who have time for a yoga class after nursery school drop off or morning carpool routes are finished (again, mostly women).  Afternoon classes have a good mix of college students who are done with classes for the day,  and working people who take a class on their way home from work.  Evening and weekend classes are where you have your best chances of finding men, although still not many, and the classes can range from deep stretching postures to something more athletic that works up the desired sweat.  But who is taking a yoga class right in the middle of the day?  In NYC, probably young professionals on their lunch break.  In the suburbs? It's older ladies - ah ha - the "extra gentle" is starting to make sense.

Since we need to attend so many Level 1 classes, there just so happened to be 4 of our cohort in today's "extra gentle" class...and the rest of the class (the Regulars) had us beat by at least 20 years.  They all knew one another's names, knew one another's "drams", were comfortable offering up advice, lively chatting away in the hallway before class started.  They clearly had their "spots" in class, and some were even a tiny bit fa-tootsed (sp?) by the extra 4 people taking up precious floor space.  They knew whose mat went where, and at one point, there was an unclaimed mat, and it took several minutes of banter to figure out that someone had left the mat from the class before, and it actually belonged to no one (the nerve of someone to take up floor space like that!)

Let's be clear:  I'm not relaying this story out of judgement or condemnation, but more out of mild amusement.  I can clearly see some of their habits becoming annoying over time (yelling out in the middle of the class: "I have no idea what we are doing right now!" and the teacher patiently, gently responding, "We're just lifting our shoulders.  I know you can do that.").  Nevertheless, these were the Regulars of the Thursday midday class, and maybe their instructor sees these quirks as endearing, maybe she embraces the dynamic of the group, which clearly is comforting enough to say what you feel whenever you need to say it.  

It definitely made me wonder what the Regulars of my eventual yoga class will be like.  I'll need to make a lot of professional decisions:  Will I like my class to be more stretching, or more athletic?  What will I do if my regulars start talking to one another in the middle of my instruction?  Will I teach in the mornings, afternoons, or evenings?  How will I begin to captivate a class so that they actually WANT to become my regulars?  I'm going to need to be engaging from the start to build a group as loyal as the one I was part of today.

I am a LONG way from establishing a regular class...but ever the planner, it is something for me to keep stewing on the back burner while I continue my journey.  Every so often, I'll lift the lid of the pot and take a peek, even stir a little, but for now, I think I'd better take a lot more level 1 classes and worry about refining my practice before I start worrying about who I'm going to teach.

Relish the quiet bliss that comes with aging gracefully (and getting on the mat can help with that!)  Yoga is for everyBODY.

Book Review: The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 6)

Of all the books I've had to get for my Teacher training, this one right here is giving me the most trouble!   It's not that thick (220 pages), and the whole thing is basically a non-rhyming poem, but the language has a lot of meaning and symbolism behind it, making it a challenge to read more than a few pages in one go.  This book has come with me to Paris, to the pool, to NJ, to Boston, to the nail salon, to my couch, and I'm still only halfway through it.
The Bhagavad Gita is essentially the Hindu bible's equivalent of the Psalms.  It is quite a departure from the Christian Bible I grew up using and reading. Instead of the many allegories, stories and lessons about good and bad people and events that occurred long ago, the Gita is a conversation between a warrior, Arjuna, and his blessed lord, Krishna.  Arjuna is about to enter a great battle, where he will be fighting with and against friends and relatives he has known his whole life.  He decides this is senseless, and refuses to fight.  At this point, Krishna begins to teach Arjuna about wisdom, freedom, and the secret of life.  Sounds compelling, like something I should be paying attention to.  Except I'm not getting it.
Truthfully, I recently finished the chapter on meditation (chapter 6), and it was the first chapter so far that made sense to me.  Now, I have never been one to meditate.  I know my yoga teachers meditate, and I have many friends who swear by meditation as being transformative for their bodies, minds, and spirits.  I've never given it a try - and you can't really know ANYTHING unless you give it a try once - but I can't envision myself getting into meditation.  It takes 20 minutes or more of sitting and emptying your mind so you can connect with your true, inner self.  I know that my time is limited, and I'm used to multi-tasking.  Even when I'm on the yoga mat, I'm thinking about how I will need to switch the laundry from the washer to the dryer when I get home, swandive, but I should stop at the grocery store first on the way to pickup milk, and I need to keep my back foot at at 45 degree angle, was it a light load or a dark load? And now we're windmilling down, and as soon as I get the milk and get home I have to remember to call the roofer to asking about the copper flashing and chaturanga, updog, downdog, breathe, is there anything else we're running out of that I can get when I'm at the store...
If I was taking 20 minutes to empty my mind, how would I remember to do any of those things?  Wouldn't I spend the entire 20 minutes thinking about how I should be exercising because I had gelato last night from the new place in town?  Maybe I'd be thinking about all that laundry I should be folding, or tiles I should be scrubbing, or recycling I could be organizing (I won't kid you, I never organize my recycling.  Shameful, I know.  Disgusting, perhaps, but I just don't have the time).
But in reading this chapter on meditation, I "get it".  "when the mind has become serene by the practice of meditation, you can see the Self through the self and rest in the Self"  What this means is that you'll be like a candle sheltered from the wind - one that does not flicker and is still.  The chapter continues to explain that this is the true yoga; you'll be rooted, stable, courageous.  The book admits that the mind will wander and it is part of the process to reign your thoughts back in for clarity and peace.  Eventually you'll gain freedom and infinite joy.
I've not made plans yet to meditate.  I can, however, take these words with me and keep them in mind as I finish reading the text.  I'm only on chapter 8, and I have 10 more to go.  (Hopefully I'll finish before my classes start!) Anytime my mind wanders, I'll have to reign my thoughts back in so I can focus on the message and meaning of the text.  Eventually I'll gain freedom (even if it's only freedom from reading this dang book!) and find infinite joy!

You are right, Arjuna:  the mind is restless and hard to master; but by constant practice and detachment it can be mastered in the end. - Krishna, in Bhagavad Gita 6.35

Book Review: Poser

2 weeks ago, I took my kids to the library afterschool as an "outing".  Yes, I've been so busy lately that the bar is set really low for what passes as "an outing".  The joke is that my younger son thinks the library is where we go to rent DVDs, and my older son likes to get Star Wars graphic novels.  Neither of which quite fit the bill for what I have in mind when visiting the library.  Anyway, while the boys were hunting for their choices, I decided to peruse the "new releases" section.  This is a complete joke, because new releases are typically 2 week loans with no renewal, and anyone who knows me would realize that I have ZERO chance of finishing a book in 2 weeks.  BUT, I saw this book, and it just spoke to me.  Was I a "poser"?  I practice yoga (infrequently), I write a yoga blog (even less frequently!), I can get into 23 different postures (I think).  I borrowed...
So, Claire Dederer, the author, is from Washington (state, not DC), is a journalist and a person who found a mode of "escaping" through yoga.  I think this is why a lot of people turn to yoga.  They are looking for meaning in some area of their lives, and yoga, with it's mysticism and contradictions, makes one feel less confuddled and more capable of coping.  Claire had some issues left unresolved, and her journey on the mat helps her cope, discover new things about herself, and just plain old "deal".  She's up against a northwest neo-hippie culture where you're not a good enough mother unless you puree your own organic babyfood, co-sleep, and nurse your baby until he's nursery school age.  That kind of maternal pressure is crazy - it seems enough to make any mother feel insufficient!  I joyfully nursed my kids well into their first year, but God, when that was done, I was SO ready to have my own body back!  On top of this, she was dealing with insecurities from needing to work, needing to support her husband as he dealt with insecurities about supporting his family as a journalist, complications from when her daughter was first born, and dealing with a strange parental dynamic (her parents were married, but not living together, as her mother had a live-in boyfriend for the last 20 years or so).  Yoga was her escape. 
I returned the book to the library today, only about 30% of the way through.  I have to say that I didn't give the book a fair shake.  It was interesting to read about the progression of Claire's practice, but I couldn't relate.  I felt like an insufficient mother just reading about what Claire went through to prove herself a "good" mother/wife/daughter/sister.  Jeez.  Several times I had to put the book down, step back, and ask myself if this is what it was really about.  I work full-time and look with envy at my peers who are able to stay at home and be fantastic mothers to their children, "effortlessly" keep in shape, eat well, do proper outings, and keep an active social life.  If this is what it's really all about, I'm doing a piss-poor job of keeping up!  I don't need that kind of reminder that I'm not as awesome as the rest of 'em...so yeah, I didn't finish the book.
Claire had problems to cope with in her life...not on the mat, and this book was more about the coping and less about the posing.  Seeking time on the mat was her release, as it is for me, and I didn't feel motivated to read her book to find out more, especially when it made me feel like more of a loser than I needed to feel.
Suffice it to say, I know all about turning to the mat to work things out.  Even with this, however, maybe when the book goes off the "new release" shelf, I may return to it to finish reading this summer (typically when I have more time to read!).

Life is a bridge.  Cross over it, but build no bridge upon it. - Indian proverb

Sunny Saturday Yoga

Holy Chaturanga was class a challenge today!  And I'm not just talking about the postures!
I'm on a bit of a tighter budget for the time being, and "extra" expenses, like Studio Yoga classes, are out of the question right now.  I'm lucky enough to belong to a gym, though, where I am usually quite happy to get my fill of classes.  In fact, I have a week-off coming up, and I'm looking forward to challenging myself to squeeze in a class everyday, if possible!  I sense a post coming up about that...
Anyway, the Saturday class I can get to is one that used to be taught by Diann - and regular readers know how I feel about Diann ♥  Her feet are tiny, but she has some big shoes to fill!  The gal that's been filling them for a while now is Kathy, and she's good, but her voice has a bit of an eliteness to it as she's instructing, and can be a little off-putting.  She does a great job of challenging the class, and while she does walk around the room as she instructs, she very rarely gives hands-on adjustments.  Believe me, I know I need them now and again!  She also has a "front-row crew" of yoginis who love to strut their stuff, and she doesn't mind pointing it out.  Case in point:  today we're in extended side-angle, she offers that those who can do so, have the option of "binding", and suddenly, she's talking about "Bird of Paradise - just look at the beautiful front row..."  I come out of my bind to admire, and realize they're doing something that Heidi had us doing a few months ago in a Sunday class.  I just didn't know it was called a bird of paradise...and Heidi gave a bit more instruction on how to get there!  Thankfully I've been practicing for a while, otherwise, I'd might be intimidated.
There is one fellow classmate, though, who I wish WOULD get intimidated and not show up on a Saturday (or at least show up on the other side of the room)!  She's being coming to the Saturday class for as long as I have, probably longer, and she is probably a more reliable attendee than I am (she who shows up once every 2 months...ahem...).  But honestly, I don't know why she bothers.  She's such a nut, and she inevitably ends up setting up her mat somewhere near mine so I have her, annoyingly, in my peripheral vision whenever I do a Saturday.  I know she has every right to be there, and it's very un-zen of me to pick apart someone else who's just making her peace on the mat, but those of you who know me KNOW that I can't let something like this go without commentary...
What makes her so nutty?  Oh, where do I begin?  Is it the chatting with her buddy before class begins and all the way right up until the instructor starts?  (Once she came with a guy (her son?) and they exchanged dialogue throughout class - not a single posture was left without comment between the two.)  Perhaps it's the fact that she always is in need of a pedicure, cracked heels, chipped nailpolish and all.  I'm not saying you need to sit in the chair, but come on, use a pumice in the shower once a week if you're going barefoot at the gym!  It shouldn't be a big issue, but when you're that close to my mat, I don't want your ancient feet accidentally stepping on my mat. 

Oh, I know, I'm being petty.  I should be commenting on the fact that she doesn't even follow the postures that the instructor is giving.  Kathy does give modifications to the postures...but when we're in down dog, and you're in side plank, I don't think that's what she's going for.  We're in Chaturanga, you're doing some Warrior I modification.  Times like these, I wish Kathy did come over and do a hands-on adjustment for this classmate.  The coupe de grace?  All the huffing and puffing she does, followed by sighing at inappropriate times/postures.  Today, it happened twice.  We were resting momentarily in child's pose, and she starts doing Lion's breath (3 sharp inhales, followed by a sighing exhale)  WTF?  At the end of practice, we're in Savasana, and she's audibly moaning with her exhales....like she exerted herself so much that she's completely and utterly done.  Kathy worked us hard today (lilke I said, Holy Chaturanga!  Like every other posture), but there's no need to moan about it.  Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention, and this lady's own improvised routine was a lot more acrobatic than our vinyasa, necessitating the sighs and moans over there.

Whatever the case, we can't control who is on the mat next to us any more than we can control the weather.  What we can control is our response to it.  My response, of course, is a childish derision of the person behind her back.  In reality, making the situation humorous IS my way of dealing with it.  Next time I'm in Saturday class, she'll be there, and I'll be ready for her.  Who knows, maybe she writes her own blog and at this very moment is blogging about the annoying girl and her dirty yellow mat...  (It's well-loved, lady.  Well-loved)

"In truth, it matters less what we do in practice than how we do it and why we do it." - Donna Farhi

HEY, READERS!  Don't forget to comment/follow on the YATS Giveaway post (below!).  You only have until Wednesday to get your name entered in my drawing to win Seane Corn's Vinyasa Flow DVD!  Good Luck!!

Savasanaaaaaah!

Well, readers, Josh made us work for it today. By the end of class, I felt like we earned and deserved that Savasana (final resting pose, aka "Corpse pose" - nice name for a pose, isn't it? Lying dead on the floor...). You always appreciate Savasana at the end of practice, but sometimes it's just so much more "aaaaaahhhh...." than others. Today's practice was one of those times!

For starters, Josh put us through such an intense vinyasa today that I really worked up a true sweat. I mean, there were drips down the spine, people. Yeah, I know, TMI, and I shouldn't be surprised because it is a summer practice and it gets hot and all, but I sweat a little more than usual (by the way, just to clarify, that is NOT me in the picture today. I could see how you might be confused because I'm buff and all, but no. Not me). The real kicker, though, is that we had to do no fewer than 10 chair poses. Do you see the irony in this? Can you see how I would be more than a little annoyed by such a practice and therefore feel I earned my Savasana at the end?!?

I do have to say that my 10 rounds with Utkatasana didn't make me grimace too much today. On the other hand, in fact, I actually wanted to laugh out loud with a crazy mental image. Now, my blog isn't well advertised, and even when I do a Google search, it doesn't appear, and I've never mentioned my blog to any of my instructors (except one), so I doubt Josh is reading here. But after the 3rd Utkatasana or so, my mind began to wander, and I thought, "Is he doing this to spite me?"

I rationalized: How could he possibly know my feelings about this pose? Of course, during my mind wanderings, a hilarious visual popped to the front of my mind: Josh sitting at home, checking out my blog, reading my Pose of the Week, saying in his best Dr. Doofenshmirtz impression: "Soooooo... The girl with the yellow mat doesn't like Chair Pose... We'll just see about that....I'll show her a chair pose (or 10!)"

So yes, this mental image made my time in Utkatasana a little more humorous than usual. And then Josh redeemed himself by finishing the practice with one of my favorite poses of all time: Pigeon. After today's intense Vinyasa, Chair pose included, Pigeon was a nice way to find myself at the end of the practice.

Finally, Savasanaaaaah. After all that, you can't really hold it against him, can you? Plus, at the end of the day, I am really not supposed to be disliking any poses, but rather working through my difficulties with them. Don't worry, even after so many of them in my practice today, I still have a waaaaays to go.

Get your Savasanas where you can!