Yoga Moves (Iyengar yoga)

North Van: McCay Park off Marine Drive

"B.K.S. Iyengar"

teacher: Morgan

Drop-in:$15.00

SUMMARY: Wow! I discovered today that Iyengar yoga is all about alignment and let me tell you a yoga posture becomes 1000 times more effective when you are doing it in proper alignment. Too achieve this numerous props and devices are used to teach your body.

SETTING: It was a rare treat to be the only attendant at this Friday evening class. I had the teacher's full attention. Comfy props (blankets, bolsters, straps, "foamies" and wood blocks) galore, warm terra cotta tile and summer songbirds on the breeze made relaxing irresistible.

STYLE & PACE: Great care and concern with the natural opening and restoration of the body was the definitive message of this series. Beginning with a number of restorative poses on large cushiony props and blankets, energizing poses followed next and lastly some carefully executed inversions. Epic effectiveness of the postures was achieved from great concern for alignment. I felt lovely muscles I had never consciously controlled before in unprecedented amounts.

SCENE: Because I was the only participant in this class I can't offer much for scene. The teacher was a long, slim middle aged woman.

MY EVALUATION: If you ever have the chance to do this yoga, do it. It is good, it quenches the body's thirst and awakens its holiest structures. It is a gentle and effective workout so, if you're looking for intensity maybe look somewhere else.

Moksha Yoga

4th & Alma
"Moksha Mild"
Teacher: Monica
Drop-in: $18.00/
Currently Intro Week: $20.00

SUMMARY: Releasing, Strengthening, slow but not overly stressful or fundamentalist Hot yoga that increases total embodiment. A nice blend of styles in a clean, classy studio. But be careful there's an hour parking limit outside of the facility and some classes last 90 minutes (I learned this one the hard way, damn you parking patrol!).

SETTING: There was sincerity and naturalism here, qualities you don't find at every yoga studio. A more intimate experience was created by the small number of attendants and warm lighting in this weekday mid-morning class. Moksha seems to have a well developed environmentally sound philosophy. Nice hard wood floors, simple decor and modern, practical yoga accessories add to the feelings of purity.

STYLE & PACE: It was Hot yoga (as in you'll be dripping) and the poses were held stationary for a substantial amount of time; this brings the chore of ignoring an often uncooperative mind. This is an important habit to develop:ask yourself "are these thoughts serving me right now?" and if they're not, you let them go because they're hogging your moment!

SCENE: Roughly 25% out of shape middle aged men, %25 fit young females and %50 middle aged woman of various ethnicities. Although my friend and I did scope a rather attractive young man getting ready for the more intense class after ours. There were less than ten people in the class.

MY EVALUATION: I can't resist the temptation to compare this class to Bikram's (the first copyrighted hot yoga series?) there were definitely likeness in the continuum. But Moksha's defined a less rigid approach, that blends popular hatha yoga poses with flow and other forms. They offer classes of varying levels, lengths and styles. I think practicing yoga in a hot room is great when you're really craving embodiment. You can manipulate your body so much more freely and move into positions you never imagined you would experience in this lifetime. It can be a bit dangerous though if you're worried about loosing too many fluids or have any sensitive medical conditions.

Semperviva

Kitsilano: Sun Centre, Broadway & Tralfagar
Teacher: Maggie
Drop-in: $9.00 first time
$18.00 regular drop-in fee

SUMMARY: "Open level hatha," Gentle guiding words and deliciously intense foot stretching in warm up, the class degenerated into physically demanding moves held for long periods of time. Lots of use of props. I think I left with as much of other people's sweat on me as my own.

SETTING: On a busy street, the studio itself sees a lot of traffic. You enter the large tiled room through a small shop where some ayurvedic and clothing sales, as well as registration is completed. The classroom (like most yoga classrooms) is quite plain. White walls with storage units for props and your stuff. At the front is a picture of wind swept curtains framing an ocean view, some candles and pampas grass. No windows, no mirrors and modest lighting.

SYTLE & PACE: I sweated profusely during this class from the humidity and intensity, which was not something I was anticipating. The bulk of the asanas (poses) involved holding lunges for long periods of time. An activity I personally find desperately strenuous and more work-out intensive than restorative. The teacher seemed a bit befuddled and unfocused, which can be very frustrating when you're holding an uncomfortable pose.

There is an old yoga adage that you have to know your boundaries, and observe them with care. This is often counter to our nature because we are cultivated in Western, Protestant self-pressure to do everything to the extreme if we can take it. If we leave a yoga class hurt it is because we did it to ourselves, we ignored the voice of our bodies asking to be treated more mindfully. But what's the point in being at a class if your bodie's telling you to quite on half the poses? Is it just a brutal reminder of how weak we are in comparison to the masses surrounding us? Is it a realization that of how far we have to go to physical well-being and health? Or is it a teacher telling us to do things we don't want to...

SCENE: As with all of the other classes I've blogged about so far this mid-morning yoga session was very crowded. At least 40 people in the room. A lot of the attendants appeared to be quite fit and very keen. There was a large number of men there of all ages, comprising 30-40% of the class.

MY EVALUATION: General consensus (from my new-to-yoga-co-attendants as well as myself) was the class was bad, which breaks my heart to say because I've love loved this teacher in the past (she was the first one to ever show me pigeon pose and she made it so wonderful). Maybe she was unfocused because she has a new baby and in a few months time will be all wonderful again. In general I've experienced a great inconsistency in quality with Semperviva yoga teachers. I know they run a large teacher training program but it's particular flavour doesn't seem to accord with my yoga practice preferences. The classes, I gather, are all supposed to be very slow, smooth, and soothing as well as toning. But as often as I've found a class at their studio helpful and explorative I've also had a class uncomfortable and strenuous- more phsyically challenging than opening and relaxing. As my swim coach always said "the slower you do it the harder it becomes."

Bhakti Yoga

Earth Day Festival
Topanga Canyon
Malibu, California
Govinda Goddess Radha Bakti yoga
$10 suggested donation for festival entry

Since it's 4th of July I'm doing a short post for my Americanos

My first time doing this type of yoga, Bhakti means devotion to god/goddess and generally indicates great passion. In the 90/32 degree heat chanting to the goddess feels dizzying. "Jai mah! Jai mah, Jai mah" we all sing along with the beautiful voice and drum beats of Radha. There was a lot of simultanous jumping, spinning in circles with your arms out and chanting. My legs were very weak after the class.

Our warm up was free form, moving and spiraling to our own rhythms. Gentle loosening of energy, sweat trickles. Our teacher tells us: twisting = healing, breathing = singing. Durga, Sri, Kali we sing great praise. I really enjoyed moving in poses that are often held stationary. Spinning our arms in lunges in great circles, mimicing "the cosmic spiral" - the shape of our DNA.

I now must seek some shade to recover and hydrate.

Bikram's Yoga

Kitsilano: Broadway/Trafalgar
Teacher: Rea
$21.00/drop-in
Unforseen Costs: $2.00/towel
+ $1.00/mat
+ $2.00/water

SUMMARY: Hot, wet and dangerous. General consensus on this yoga is largely contradicory. Listening to your teacher in class or Bikram himself, nothing in the universe could possibly be better for you, listening to teachers of different disciplines or peers nothing could be more forceful and contrary to listening to one's own body. Regardless, you do the exact same 28 poses & 2 breathing exercises every time, it can get very tedious, it can be a great way to learn a portable comprehensive yoga-routine (don't teach it under the table though it's copyrighted!) and get your body into a different shape ASAP.

I began my yoga career in Vancouver when a good friend oozed and oozed about and eventually took me to Bikram's yoga in Kitsilano. "You'll never be the same," she had said about the effect the class would have on me and in some ways I suppose Hannah was right. Yoga has been a part of my life ever since. I was fortunate enough to have the sweetest most inspiring woman as my first instructor and be accompanied by a very good friend. When I stood up after, outside of the classroom, my posture, my body, my feet on the ground and head in the sky felt as they never had before. Having recently quit the UBC water polo team and looking for some new athletic outlet I got hooked fast. I went to 5-10 yoga classes that first month and could not believe the visual changes in my body. Visibly loosing centimeters around my waist was an awe-inspiring phenomenon that I never thought I'd see the day of.

SETTING: 98 degree heat [whoops I'm american, excuse me] 37 degree heat. You'll see your skin cry. A wall of mirrors but surroundings don't matter much, you're only semi-concious.

PACE & STYLE: Pretty slow. The poses are held stationary for 30-60 seconds and the structure of the class is rigid. Disciplined. Perhaps Bikram philosophy operates on the premise that we don't know what's best for us. The teacher proclaims "Every yoga class you do lessens your pain, physical, emotional, mental, scientifically proven!"And I cannot deny my clarity and peace of mind now that I'm outta the hell hole. Nothing in your daily life could possibly be worse than facing yourself, sweating profusely, in tight, tiny, spandex clothing uncapable of obeying the simplest laws of gravity. But not much can out-do the high of getting out after. Sometimes you cannot listen to the commands because your mind is telling you, "3....2....toss your cookies & pass out [This is called heat stroke]," "get out while you still can". But I stay, I lie down despite the teacher's commands not too. She talks incessantly: pushing, encouraging "you can do anything for 30 seconds!"

But I'm not used to the heat. I haven't done this for 6 months, a year even. Luckily my mind is calm, and there is no vengence in my heart so the constant banter, presumptions and philosophic prophesies do little to jar my nerves. I let them pass through me like water.

"Calming your entire central nervous system," "the real yoga begins the second you walk out the door in the way you live your life," "You'll never need hormone supplements again if you do this right." Yes, there is the occasional ridiculous claim.

SCENE: Old, young, it takes all kinds. Usually 75% women but often a lot of men are present. Generally very crowded (although I remember years ago where you'd be in a 12:00 noon class with two people and your first class was free) expect to be intimidated by people's outfits (as in, they are minimal) but don't worry after the first five minutes you won't notice a thing about the people around you- you'll be struggling to survive. A lot of their classrooms now - well actually they're only currently operating 2 studios in Vancouver (West end & Kitsilano)- have antibacterial flooring.


MY EVALUATION:If it's so good for you than why does it feel like torture? Are our bodies that far gone they need a serious contortionist whooping? If this blog post and these questions turn you on, than I think Bikram's yoga might be right for you. It sure did me some good once upon a time. The instructors in Vancouver are particularly militant (I have practiced this same yoga series in Colorado & Los Angeles and the setting tends to me more gentle and flexible) so if you want someone to push you to the max go for it but if you like to talk back maybe let's find a different hot yoga setting.

*Caution: Can be addictive.