Last week I did a 2 hour twist workshop, which was Iyengar-based. For those of you not familiar with the Iyengar style of yoga, there is a focus on precision in alignment, and usually classes will make great use of lots of props. I have always liked doing Iyengar, because I personally enjoy the challenge of trying to achieve "perfect" alignment. For me, it is a fulfilling way to practice because it's almost as if there is a set of rules or steps to follow, and I love noticing the subtleties of sensation I feel by making minute adjustments in my form. I have found that most of the Iyengar classes I have taken feel less spiritual, less hippy-dippy emotional if you will, and feel more like an anatomy based learning situation, which can be very nice. It's still therapeutic, just in a different way then say, a Kundalini class would be.
I signed up for this workshop for a few reasons: it was close to home at Shambhala, it was $25, and I have a difficult time teaching twists so I wanted to reacquaint myself with them and remind myself of the vocabulary, both verbal and physical. And I thought that I could gain some insight into teaching twists through experiencing someone else doing it.
Anyway, in this twist class, we did some very deep, cleansing twisting. The class moved slowly and we stayed in the poses for a good amount of time, maybe 2 minutes a pose. I think my favorite twist may have been one where we had a folding chair against the wall, one bent leg on the chair, and twisted towards the wall, pushing and drawing the hands down the wall while drawing the spine up and squaring the hips. Meanwhile, originating the twist through the standing leg- starting down the thigh. Before this experience, I had never thought about originating a spinal twist in the legs, but it totally made sense, felt amazing and is something I feel I can access again the next time I want a really deep, cleansing twist.
The workshop was small, maybe 5 students, which was really nice because we had plenty of room to spread out with our blankets, mats, blocks, straps and chairs. And our lovely teacher was able to come around and assist. Our teacher was having a slightly difficult time verbalizing in her demonstrations, getting turned around with left and right. Because the yoga teacher usually demonstrates through mirroring, I know from experience that it can be easy to get mixed up. For instance, if I want my students to twist to the right, placing their left hand on their right knee, with their right hand behind their back, I'd demonstrate by placing my right hand on my left knee, left hand behind my back, but I'd still verbalize it in the way that they should do it, calling my right hand my left hand as I lead. It can get very confusing very quick for all involved. I felt for our teacher as she got turned around, I've been there! I was thinking about what I could do in the situation in the future and thought that it might be a good idea to turn my back to the class, so that I can move in the same direction as the class, and raise the same limbs they raise, etc. Also, this is a case where having an assistant in the class would be an asset. I even entertained the idea of being this teacher's assistant, I could demonstrate the pose and she could talk through it and adjust me. :)
On a related note, or two related notes...today I start my yoga trade karmi program with Shambhala. I will run the front desk for 4 hours checking in two classes and maintaining the studio in exchange for free yoga classes. I am thrilled. Part of me is asking myself why I didn't do this sooner, which I know the answer to (I haven't had a schedule that has allowed me to plan for something like this) and the other part of me is just saying, it doesn't matter, you're doing it now! I am very excited to meet more yogis, spend more time in a yoga studio in a behind-the-scenes way, and to have access to so many classes for free. I've been wanting to build up a yoga support group for myself and I think this is a way to start building it.
So the second related note, is that I'm currently reading Light on Yoga, by B.K.S. Iyengar. It's kind of like THE book. Some refer to it as the bible of yoga. It covers philosophy, breathing, asanas, and has photographs and step by step directions for moving into the asana (poses). It's a good reference manual and I appreciate the thorough introduction which discusses the stages of yoga and talks through lots of sanskrit terminology that I am not comfortable discussing yet in my classes because it's pretty heady.
until next time...
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