YOGA IN THE AIR

Well, vacation season is nearly upon us...for some it's already started.  I flew a couple of weeks ago and decided to try to calm my frazzled nerves (fear of flying = me) with a few discreet yoga poses.  I should have found this article before I flew:  http://travel.cnn.com/sydney/visit/plane-yoga-18-exercises-healthy-flying-910157

 It has some good tips and many of them I thought of myself:

Deep Breathing, Head Rolls, Seated Cat-Cow, Seated Twists and Leg/Hip Movements -- all beneficial to help prevent the stiff and sore result of a 6-hour flight.

I did not, however, treat my fellow passengers to any Forward Bends, Warrior, Chair, or Tree poses.   I guess I'm not that uninhibited.  Unlike the empty seats surrounding the model in the photos in this article, my plane was jammed full of people!  I also didn't "take a stroll around the cabin" as this article suggests.   When was the last time anyone could "stroll around cabin"?!?  One long narrow aisle, between three-across seats, usually clogged with food and beverage carts and people waiting for the restroom leaves little strolling opportunity.

I do, however, commend our hometown Boeing company for creating the Alaska Airlines 737/800-900 aircraft.  Lots of legroom, even in coach!  And outlets for chargers and USB ports for devices at each seat!  Now, if they could just do something about that "unexpected turbulence", I'd be a very satisfied and oh so blissed-out flyer.©

Namaste,  donnajurene

Photo Credit: openclipart.com

ROBO-YOGA ON THE BEACH

Well, I've done it again....tried a Yoga class NOT at Yoga Circle.  I wrote in January about a class I took in Ashland, Oregon.   Now, here I am on Kauai and decided to do "Yoga on the Beach" at the resort where we are staying.

About 10 of us met at the Fitness Center to sign in and pay up ($15) and then grabbed mats from a supply closet next to the treadmills.  I got there a bit later than the others and found a wadded up, sort of stained mat was the only one left.  OK.  I get it -- heavy use.  We left the Fitness Center and followed our instructor, a tall, very thin woman of about 35 with a mane of curly blond hair that she had to reach into and physically move out of her way frequently.  It seemed to have a mind of its own. We took off on a serpentine trek through the beautiful gardens and courtyards to the beach.  She led us to a shady spot on the grass where we spread our mats in a circle.  The waves lapped the shore, the air was tropical warm, there was a gentle breeze under the palms.  Ahhh....I was ready.

Then she turned on the audio recording of her lesson....NO!  Not really!  The words were coming from her mouth, but in such an automated, robotic way that it could have been a recording.  Have you ever taken a tour of any kind in a strange city or tourist attraction and you just know the tour guide is on auto-pilot?  It was like that.

She gave us the entire history of Yoga in, like, 30 seconds of memorized spiel.  Then she had us stand, eyes closed, with hands in Anjali Mudra (together at the heart) for a very long time as she talked about the great spirits or something and I wondered if everyone in the circle who had likely come here mostly for the Mai Tais wondered what they'd wandered into.  I love the spiritual aspects of Yoga and believe it to be the heart of the practice, yet she was so in robo-speak mode that all "heart" seemed lost in spite of her sort of ethereal, very groovy speaking style -- which was such a dichotomy, since she also spoke so fast!  She also told us to look within and find an intention for our practice that day.  I assumed many just wanted to survive it.

Finally she led us through asana practice, but wow.  Again, sort of robotic and many of the poses were advanced.  Regardless, she encouraged the group to "go deeper", "stretch a bit more", "lower, lower"....  "hold, hold, hold".  Flow and hold,  flow and hold, flow and hold.  Most kept up, some gave up.  She didn't offer alternatives or slow down or take any cues from the class.  She had a job to do and it was her way or the highway, I guess.  Plus, and this is catty and nit-picky, I know, but she pronounced "body" like "boidy".  Every time she said it (a lot) I snickered to myself.  (OK, once out loud).  

She admonished us most of the time to keep our eyes closed, but I did peek a few times.  Two girls in their 20's across the circle from me were just barely going through the motions, lost or bored, I'm not sure.  A couple to my left, obviously unschooled in any but the most basic Yoga poses looked bewildered and annoyed.  The woman right next to me on my left was in a state of bliss as she proved herself to be the star pupil.  My husband, on my right, struggled to keep up.  In his defense he showed up to the class at the last minute after already doing a 5 mile morning walk.  I could tell he also didn't appreciate the couple of corrections our teacher offered to him about his alignment, since she had given no indication of actual instruction before his "mistake".  As for me, at the end of the class I felt I'd done a fine job of following along and realized I'm stronger than I might have thought since all the long holds weren't all that difficult for me.   So that was a nice little "Hello, Ego!" boost.  

As for "Yoga on the Beach", well, my feedback would be to gear it to tourists who think they will give something new a try while on vacation.   The rest who may be more skilled can have a nice gentle practice; nothing wrong with that.  I will say, this time the instructor was appropriately attired, which did not add that "extra something" to the class as it had a couple of years ago when we did this.  

http://circlingthemat.blogspot.com/2014/06/peek-boo.html  My husband was a tad disappointed.

As for my intention, it was to pay attention to class details so I could write about it for this blog.  Not a very lofty goal, but a success nonetheless.

Also, and always, I appreciate Yoga Circle so much!  I can't wait to get back to Yoga Circle  (and my very own clean mat).   Mata Ki Jai! ©

Namaste,  donnajurene

HITTING THE WALL

So, this has not been my best week...  Seems I'm on a run of stressful, difficult days lately but we soldier on, right?  Because, as a dear friend often says, "What's the alternative?"  So true.

So at Yoga today, I was looking forward to just a soft-focus practice of familiar asana and a time for breath and meditation.  Hmmm....

What I got instead was a student suggesting we "go to the wall".  Huh?  Oh sure, I'd seen the installation of hooks and straps on the wall of the studio.  I figured that was some advanced form of yoga asana that the teachers all got together to do after hours -- the kind that looks and feels rather torturous.  And I am a student of the "no hurting" yoga school.

But today, once our sweet Kundalini warm-up was over, Karen directed us to choose two long straps from their location at the end of the "wall of death" and attach them to the hooks at the uppermost level -- over my head.  (There are three levels of hooks -- just to give many options for attaching ourselves to that crazy wall).  My group approached our part of the wall slowly and with some degree of confusion,  a bit of skepticism, and perhaps a moment of wondering if once lined up there we'd be handed blindfolds.

But we are a trusting lot and assumed all would be well once we wriggled our way into the straps over our heads and dropped them down to waist level.  We were instructed in various postures using the straps to hold our body weight as we stretched forward into folds, outward into Warrior poses, Pyramid poses, Side Angle poses, poses with our arms stretched high over head, out to the sides, into Downward Dog and finally with the straps holding us as we dropped completely backward into deep backbends.

I wondered at one point if this strap thing was "cheating".  We are constantly reminded that yoga is not competitive, but I do like to know I am trying as hard as I can to build strength, agility, and alignment.  There were times when I felt the straps were doing all the work and I was just flopping my body around, but then Karen explained how the straps help us do deep fascia work -- moving us deeper into familiar poses by supporting our weight, but still allowing us to work intently in a different way.  And I realized I was working deeper by not having to worry about tipping over or losing balance.  I am willing to give "the Wall" a chance again some day.

Oh, and speaking of competition.  Karen also had us do "wall sits" -- those sitting with back against the wall, knees at a 90-degree angle, thigh muscles in full contraction poses that football players and other athletic types do to build leg strength.  She had us sit there for a good long time as she reminded us eventually that we are not competing against each other -- knowing full well, no doubt, that at that precise moment competing was exactly what we are doing!  Either that, or every other student has much sturdier thighs than I do!  I had to smile as my legs shook and burned and I finally stood out of the pose.  Yep.  I didn't want to be the first to stand,  but when I did I saw others rising up too.  So, if I was the one to give "permission" to the others that they had at least defeated one other student, well, good for me!  And you're welcome -- because we could STILL be sitting there if I hadn't given up first!

I love how the lessons just keep coming for me -- seeing my fear of new things, my self-judgement about whether I am "trying hard  enough" if something seems too easy , the way my ego sneaks up on me and wants to "win" at the silliest of times.

Oh, Yoga, I love you....NOW, UP AGAINST THE WALL! ©

Namaste,  donnajurene

Photo Source: http://embodyphysicaltherapy.com/hanging-out-the-yoga-way/

AND THE LITTLE CHILDREN WILL TEACH US

On Mother's Day three years ago, Yoga Circle offered a "Family Yoga Class" for all ages with the idea that mom would bring the kids to a Sunday afternoon class.  So I brought my family... my husband, my 20-something sons, my daughter-in-law, and our 2-1/2 year old granddaughter.  I was so happy they all consented to come -- they must really love me, I thought, especially my non-yogi sons.

I had already been doing some form of toddler yoga (lots of Lion's breath/pounce and Child's Pose) with my granddaughter (I'll call her "Angel" here) for some time and I thought she'd get right with the program.  Silly me.  She hung in there for about 15 minutes then proceeded to prefer the task of removing all the bolsters from the shelves and stacking them around us, fort-like.  Hmmm...maybe a bit distracting for others?  But they were good-natured about it, as was the teacher, Dorrinda.

Needless to say, I've confined my Grandma/Granddaughter yoga sessions to my living room since then.  Her attention span has increased dramatically as has her skill level.  But it's still mostly just a fun and funny exercise in creating weird shapes with our bodies.  

Lately, though, after our weekly Family Dinner, she has pulled my Hatha Yoga Illustrated book from the bookshelf and challenged me in joining her in doing the poses on each page.  She likes the advanced versions; I always tell her modifications are just as effective.  Usually much laughter ensues at these sessions on our mats, but I have noted she is taking it all just a wee bit more seriously.

Then, last week when she asked if I wanted to do some Yoga, I expected the same silliness.  I said sure, with a bit of distraction, since I was also eager to cuddle my NEW granddaughter in my arms (one month old!).  So when  my Angel ignored the illustrated book and instead asked me to stand in "Mountain" with her, I barely noticed.  Then she said, "Now, please fold forward, fingers on the floor."  With amusement I did that.  She continued, "Please plant your hands...now jump back into plank, lower your feet and come into Down Dog."  WHAT???  When did this 5 year old go off and do her teacher training? 

I looked at her incredulously, asking, "Angel!  Where did you learn that?"  "

"Oh, at school," she said.  "Our Yoga teacher taught us."  She attends an all-day preschool/childcare and apparently one of her teachers brought someone in to hold short Yoga sessions with the kiddos. 

Imagine my delight!  She didn't know much more than that, and quickly went back to the book for our next few asanas, but it was still pretty darn cool.  

At the end of our "session" she very seriously joined her hands at her chest and with the slightest bow, whispered, "Namaste".  We've been doing that for a long time and it's usually me who initiates, but not this time.  My Angel is a Yoga instructor in the making and this Grandma is proud to be her first student. ©

Namaste,  donnajurene

Photo Credit: Pixabay.com