RESORT YOGA

I thought I was going to be the only one in the class.  With only minutes to spare before the start time, I found the upstairs lounge where the class was scheduled to meet, but all I saw was one mat at the front of the room and a box containing some loaner mats, blocks, and a few blankets.  I stood around, contemplating leaving before having to commit to a "private lesson", but while I hesitated four women, well senior to my 66 years, came in -- all smiles and enthusiasm.  This was their fourth day in a row of yoga at the South Lake Tahoe resort at the same hotel where we were staying.  They grabbed the complementary mats, a few props, and slowly lowered themselves to the floor.  I decided to stay.

We introduced ourselves and I found they were from Iowa and very disappointed that the mountain ski areas were closed for the 4th day in a row due to the storm of the decade creating high winds and 7 feet of new snow -- so much that buildings and lifts had to be dug out before they could be opened for use.  Yoga was Plan B for them; Plan A for me.  I don't do snow sports.  But I was sympathetic; I watched as my snowboard-fanatic husband, who was majorly disappointed in the unexpected delay to his week-long snow adventure on a new mountain, compulsively checked weather and snow conditions on his cell phone.

Back to yoga...I've not had the best luck with vacation yoga, but I keep trying.  Mostly I am very judge-y.  I decided this time I would be all open heart, open mind and just go with it.  So when the young and friendly instructor showed up (she had to spend 30 minutes digging her car out of her driveway), I bowed to my practice and sat on my mat, eager.

She announced it would be a gentle class for all levels.   She did her best to provide props to those who needed them, but with the few she had to work with, she had to borrow my blanket and run around trying to find a few straps in the storeroom.  Finally underway, she led us through a practice that was all on the floor -- sitting or lying down.  It was a "gentle" beginner class that at times meant we barely moved, but at other times we were contorted into shapes familiar to me but new and uncomfortable to my classmates.

Two of the women seemed familiar with the asanas, one a little confused, and one, well, my opinion was that she should have been doing chair yoga and not trying to get down on the floor and move into yoga postures that were obviously very uncomfortable and painful for her.   The instructor was encouraging, but not very helpful, nor very sensitive to individual abilities.  She had her routine and by golly she was gonna teach it!

This is what I find with "resort yoga" -- props are non-existent or torn, tattered, and dirty.  Rooms are "multi-purpose" and not really suited to yoga.  Instructors are friendly but seem to have one teaching routine and it rarely takes into consideration all ages and abilities.  It was easy to "keep up" in this class since it was super slow with long-held poses, but some were not suited to being held for a long time by people who were straining to find their pose.

And it was a 50 minute class.  Short.  I left feeling like I'd had a nice little stretching routine, but knew I wouldn't hurry back.

I've said it before...there's no place like home at Yoga Circle Studio.

Namaste...donnajurene