Yoga Workshop Reporter July 2004 (warning long)

[Loretta S.]

Jane, re: sleeping in hotels, I'm a complete psycho when it comes to being able to sleep consistently (sometimes even at home!). I never travel without my tempurpedic pillow, but sometimes that's not even enough.

Like Sophie, I'm still grooving on the Anusara vibe. We have had what would normally be the most horrendous days at work (virus attacks, long hours spent tracking down problems, reduced staff, impatient customers), but I've just been skating through them with a smile and a laugh. It really makes me want to go up to Vancouver this weekend to take a class with the local Anusara teacher (that my closest, an hour away with an international border crossing, sad I know). So even I've "gone all Anusara".

I'm also very surprised at how much less sore I was yesterday than Sunday and even less today. Amazing. I haven't had much time to work on photo organizing (shrinking/developing/etc) because I've been at work much of the last two days. And Sophie's right, I'm trying to save bandwidth.

[Jane C]

Originally Posted by Loretta S.

Like Sophie, I'm still grooving on the Anusara vibe. We have had what would normally be the most horrendous days at work (virus attacks, long hours spent tracking down problems, reduced staff, impatient customers), but I've just been skating through them with a smile and a laugh. It really makes me want to go up to Vancouver this weekend to take a class with the local Anusara teacher (that my closest, an hour away with an international border crossing, sad I know). So even I've "gone all Anusara".

wow.

[Sophie]

Originally Posted by Jane C

Katie - did Felicity call you a strong beginner? That's quite a compliment. I have my eye on her workshop in Seattle this winter.
SNIP
The vibe was, clearly, supreme. I can't believe Sophie's all "gone anusara"
will it happen to me?????

Jane - it was very interesting for me to have done Felicity's and John's workshops within a month of each other. From the alignment point of view, it was good to see where the Iyengar principles track alongside Anusara ones, and much of what Felicity said about poses is what John said - different verbage.

One thing that really struck me, though, and I think I mentioned it to Loretta and Katie at one point, is that Felicity really emphasizes mastering depth in basic foundational poses "don't worry about that fancy stuff! Get your basics down, and the fancy stuff can wait" or wtte, while John and Anusara teachers in general like to encourage playing. He spoke for a while on WHY it's good to dare to do something you think you can do...Loretta can probably remember the details better than I can, but it was to the effect of learning what your body is capable of, even if you think it's beyond you. And after that, your perception of the basic poses changes and improves. I've been thinking about that on and off, even before the workshop.

I can certainly see an argument for being safer and more conservative about your practice, rather than risking injury through misalignment, or simply just not being ready for certain poses. Yet there is something awfully empowering about being led and assisted into a pose that seems un-doable. You really do find the edges of your body in more ways than one. Can you do this without hurting yourself? That's the big question for me. After this weekend, I feel great. But I will allow that the potential is there.

As for going all anusara - well, this is the way I felt after Desiree's workshop last summer. I was surprised, going into this workshop, that I'd actually retained quite a bit of her information, and realized how much I had started to integrate into my personal practice. If only there was actually an anusara teacher in my town

[Loretta S.]

I uploaded more pictures to shutterfly for viewing the Anusara fun. They are not in time order.

http://share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeAMWjFqxaNmzgQ

Sophie, while I do agree that the basics are really important, it is fun to play with variations. I do love a yoga workshop where you laugh your head off. I wish there were an Anusara studio in my town too.

[Katie W]

"I can certainly see an argument for being safer and more conservative about your practice, rather than risking injury through misalignment, or simply just not being ready for certain poses."

Sophie, I was really questioning that myself. Maybe its to do with the kind of risk-taker one is. I've never had a desire to bungee-jump or parachute. Am I intuitively aware of my body's limitations...or am I just a fraidy-cat?

With Felicity's workshop, I completely trusted that she wouldn't ask me to do anything unsafe for me, because she had asked what our physical issues were, before the class. In John's, he never asked, so didn't know what my limitations were, so I felt I had to set my own limits. While I was thrilled to do assisted backbends, I didn't want to do it on my own, because I felt I wasn't strong enough yet, nor was I prepared to risk injury which might set me back in my healing process.

I really admired how you and Loretta "went for it" and it was fun to watch, but I was quite happy to just watch, for now.

John did say he's fallen out of more poses, than anyone in the room, and injured almost every part of his body.

[SharonNYC]

Originally Posted by Loretta S.

I uploaded more pictures to shutterfly for viewing the Anusara fun. They are not in time order.

http://share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeAMWjFqxaNmzgQ

Sophie, while I do agree that the basics are really important, it is fun to play with variations. I do love a yoga workshop where you laugh your head off. I wish there were an Anusara studio in my town too.

Thanks Loretta -- for the photo fix. Gives me a chance to relive my own workshop experience. That's one thing about being by yourself -- you don't really feel free to start snapping.

We do laugh a lot in my anusara classes -- after the 40 min. or so of tortuous standing poses and minding the spirals we just have to cut loose! .

[Aline]

Originally Posted by Loretta S.

I uploaded more pictures to shutterfly for viewing the Anusara fun. They are not in time order.http://share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeAMWjFqxaNmzgQ
Sophie, while I do agree that the basics are really important, it is fun to play with variations. I do love a yoga workshop where you laugh your head off. I wish there were an Anusara studio in my town too.

Loved the pictures!!! Loved the reports!!!! I have no idea how you manage to take all those pix during the heat of a workshop but I'm glad you did.

About basics etc. I hear what Katie's saying about erring on the side of caution and agree that's totally the best way to start. Later would be the time to play with variations. Whenever "later" is will vary, and could be months, years, decades, or even never.

There are 3 or 4 Anusara studios in my town and a gazillion (OK, maybe 50 or 60) teachers and it's pathetic that I cannot find a class I want to attend regularly. The problem might be that I compare the ones I try with 1) Desiree's workshop or 2) John Schumacher's Iyengar class or 3) home practice! with Ana Forrest's 5-day CD set, and none of them are in the same league. Or maybe I haven't looked hard enough.

[Loretta S.]

Originally Posted by Aline

Loved the pictures!!! Loved the reports!!!! I have no idea how you manage to take all those pix during the heat of a workshop but I'm glad you did.

About basics etc. I hear what Katie's saying about erring on the side of caution and agree that's totally the best way to start. Later would be the time to play with variations. Whenever "later" is will vary, and could be months, years, decades, or even never.

I've never taken more than a picture or two at the beginning or end of a workshop, but somehow it all worked at this one. A lot of it had to do with Katie taking the pictures for me (thank you, Katie ), and the fun atmosphere and other people were taking picutres too, so it wasn't awkward.

Yes, I totally agree with Aline. The only reason that I'm willing to "go for it" on the variations now is because I've spent years working up to feeling strong enough to do that. I think you must have a strong base in the basics first, before finding out the hard way that you didn't spend enough time in the basics. Having a good idea of what you body can do really helps when you want to push the limits.

[Loretta S.]

Originally Posted by SharonNYC

We do laugh a lot in my anusara classes -- after the 40 min. or so of tortuous standing poses and minding the spirals we just have to cut loose! .

We laugh a lot in my regular Iyengar class too, but a lot of that has to do with the teacher. I've been in classes where everyone, including the teacher, was so darn serious.

[Rivercat]

Originally Posted by Katie W

"I can certainly see an argument for being safer and more conservative about your practice, rather than risking injury through misalignment, or simply just not being ready for certain poses."

Sophie, I was really questioning that myself. Maybe its to do with the kind of risk-taker one is. I've never had a desire to bungee-jump or parachute. Am I intuitively aware of my body's limitations...or am I just a fraidy-cat?

With Felicity's workshop, I completely trusted that she wouldn't ask me to do anything unsafe for me, because she had asked what our physical issues were, before the class. In John's, he never asked, so didn't know what my limitations were, so I felt I had to set my own limits. While I was thrilled to do assisted backbends, I didn't want to do it on my own, because I felt I wasn't strong enough yet, nor was I prepared to risk injury which might set me back in my healing process.

I really admired how you and Loretta "went for it" and it was fun to watch, but I was quite happy to just watch, for now.

John did say he's fallen out of more poses, than anyone in the room, and injured almost every part of his body.

I hurt myself quite painfully going into Warrior I (of all things!) about 3 weeks ago in a live class and it has really made me think hard about my yoga practice. I sprained a glute muscle about 40 minutes into the class after many, many sun salutations and a lengthy Warrior series on the right side so I can't even say I wasn't warmed up. I think it had more to do with using an unfamiliar and slippery mat on which I didn't feel entirely secure.

One of the reasons that I enjoy my home practice (and video workouts in general) is that I know I'm a competitive person who has always felt inferior in my physical capabilities so in group situations I tend to push myself harder to match what the others in the room are doing, whether I'm ready for it or not. At home by myself I am more aware of where my body is on a particular day and willing to let it be. That's not to say that occasional classes aren't great for alignment and feedback and fellowship, but in general I think I'm better off with a home practice, at least for now!