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."
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."
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