Category: Yoga

I will be covering for lovely Maria and subbing her class 8:10AM Friday, the 19th over at Bay Club Redwood Shores. You will get me both Thursday and Friday mornings for a change and I will make sure that the two classes are not identical – rather, they will be different styles so coming two days in a row would be worthwhile – after all, the two are distinct and complementary classes – Thursday, we will continue our journey, this month of June, focusing on the internal organs of stomach/spleen as we stretch and hold our delicious yin poses to care for and NOURISH our joints, connective tissues (fascia around the muscles are Yang; but fascia enveloping internal organs are considered yin tissues…learn something new everyday:), tendons … and the themed internal organ that we will pay particular attention to.

Then Friday, we will focus more on our muscles for strength and flexibility attentive to our alignments while we move from one pose to the next. The theme of “alignment” seems so appropriate and timely as we are coming upon Summer Solstice when the Sun reaches its northernmost point of the equator – so come by Thursday and/or Friday to find the inner sun and fuel that inner source of radiance as we head into Summer Solstice, the day with the longest sunlight during the whole year:) We need energy – PRANA – we need to harness ENERGY to remain vibrant throughout the longer day that’s coming upon us. YES, the solstice will mark the beginning of summer – it’s coming …it’s a time of seasonal transition.

details details … are important. This photo is from Maty Ezraty’s Intensives course – I am not into intense practice but this was “intense” in a very different sense of the word. Intensely precise? Methodical? It does make a difference in the outcome. You will feel the difference. There’s no point doing a pose if the pose is not from sthira and sukkha; strength/stability with ease … so that means, no ego, no gritting teeth and torturing our body.

Rare for the fickle minded, I decided to commit to this teacher’s class after reading his books and felt compelled to learn more. So I have started to go relatively regularly especially because the schedule is perfect (for me) and … because … I learn so much from this true yogi:) Teacher’s teacher’s teacher? Like, Judith, anyone teaching for decades effectively is … a rare find these days and a true professional. Perhaps because it was a new place or new schedule, first class had only a handful of students – at one time, I was the first one to show up and was a bit worried that it may be a private session – wishful thinking:) next class was even fewer; and normally maybe 5-10 or so students so I was actually VERY HAPPY. I mean, to have this incredible teacher in such cozy setting, I was all smiles, thanking the Universe for my good fortune.

Well…

What’s that Buddhist teaching of impermanence summed up in two words
by late Shunryu Suzuki?

“Everything Changes”

Last weekend, I was startled to find that the class size more than doubled, tripled as I rushed in … it was a “what happened?” twilight zone, double-take moment for me. I looked over to my favorite mat space – um, that piece of real estate was already staked out … oh, no ~ We use the wall so found an okay spot… NOT the best Feng Shui but no choice. The room was full with some without the needed wall space. I could not tell if he was happy that the class all the sudden mushroomed or if he cared … I actually prefer smaller classes when I teach too where I can better remember students’ names – more personal and cozy is what I like. But for him? This sudden big class of his, for me, was a bitter sweet feeling of a loss. As Judith described, I recognized this small “loss” but then I also recognized the gain, the joy to share with more students. Still… Is it going to now be like a crammed Bikram class where you are identified not by your name but by the color of your shirt? “Hey, girl in the pink top, front row” – hate that. Train of thoughts trailing off the tracks…

– I guess the word got out…(that he’s awesome) or maybe the studio did some promos & marketing as they seem so IT savvy OR he consolidated other classes into this one …

– Whatever the reason behind this sudden change… miffed as an outsider… reminiscing the small cozy class, sigh…

– I can’t keep him a secret serendipitous find – a sage for me and the few … what an illusion (or is it a delusion?) I got attached to.

– I hope this blog did not contribute to his popularity – sorry – I am so selfish and full of it – ashamed.

Yet, as to makeup for this bittersweet feelings of loss, a gift was bestowed to the unexpected …

He says at 9:45, oh, by the way, this class is ending 10:15 not 10:00 – but you can leave if you have something better to do (no one left…)
So he increased the class time to one hour and 45 minutes or 105 minutes from 90 minutes ! It’s not a loss after all – it’s a gain:) I am elated – Yeay! What A gift:) I mean in a world when some yoga classes are just a blip of 60 minutes or less during lunch for the same price, he’s willing to extend the time – because he knows as much as I know – this:

You have to give it time – you have to give it time for the fruits to ripen:)

Then he goes on to say – I want to make this NOT all levels class but intermediate-advance class, so, it that okay?

Yes, yes, YES

!!!

Felt waves of gratitude wash over me. Blessed are dedicated teachers with so much knowledge he can bestow to those who seek it.

AND

Aren’t we all ‘that’? Seekers … yogis are … seekers.

*Speaking of twilight zone … photos at dusk taken by me… overlooking San Francisco Bay. Love this place where the setting sun glistens on the surface of the water.
It’s “magnificent”:)