cold, cold winter

So, despite yet another delay at Pleasant Ridge due to the cold, there was a healthy turn-out for the 8:30 class this morning. We continued working on side body long and head of the arm bones back and it is very cool to see how much more folks are understanding from one class to the next. We practiced coming to the top of the head in preparation for Urdhva Dhanurasana, but stayed there working on plugging and unplugging the head of the arm bones with the help of a partner. Everyone made progress here, for some: Huge! The class theme was really undeveloped which was too bad, but seemed to turn itself around OK. My intention had been to discuss what the cold weather in its intensity is asking us in terms of will (ahh, there it is again…) and that we can really choose to allow this extreme cold to cultivate an un-relenting resolve in the practice. Kind of like ” yes, the cards are really stacked against me here, it is sub-zero outside, probably colder than I would like in the studio, and I could just stay in and sip hot cocoa, but I know that if I just get there and breathe and move in the good company of fellow practitioners something may happen that may warm my day like nothing else could, I may shift something in myself that will allow me to be more accommodating during this challenging time of the year.” Something like that at any rate. If that did not come across, better luck next time. And that is really one of the things that gets me so excited about teaching Anusara Yoga. It is not just next time I will aspire to do a better job instructing Suzie Q. in getting her arm bones back, but next time I will more clearly present and carry a theme that will inspire not only Suzie but everyone to experience the deep meaning in each breathes, each adjustment and each action. So we all become through the power of the theme, more capable and allowing, not only in our bodies, but in our hearts and heads too. So very very cool.

Other than this, I love laughing and playing with everyone in each class.

The Wednesday night basic class worked diligently on shins in thighs out, which we have not done in awhile. We must have really been connecting to something bigger too because we had a woman in class for the first time last night who has pretty strong hip pain every time she works out or does yoga. So shins-in thighs-out was the perfect class for her to jump in on. She had so much relief just getting her thighs back that I think it blew her mind a little. As it often does when we have been living with pain for awhile. So that was fun.

Thats it for now. Stay warm and I hope to see everyone soon.