It was my first experience with Yin Yoga. I love the concept of holding asana anywhere for about three to five minutes. Aaaaahhhh…to allow my muscles to melt into the pose.

The experience was…well, like I said…interesting. I liked the philosophy that it is based upon, but I think I was more disconcerted by the instructor and the delivery of the asanas.

When the class began, there was no attention paid to the beginners in the class or those who were trying this form of yoga for the first time. The instructor did ask us, “Is this the first Yin Class for you?” But what good is the question when there is no follow-up?

The instructor also didn’t ask that all-important question about whether there were injuries or issues that he should be aware of. This is usually a big tell-tale sign for me of what the instructor’s approach is going to be like.

As the class proceeded, he briefly showed us the asana, and several alternatives, but he did it so quickly that I found it hard to follow – so you can imagine that the beginners must definitely have had their issues.

How is a beginner to know whether their “Downward Facing Dog” is correctly positioned? Instead of walking around the class to correct an individual’s pose, he would just tell everyone to “do whatever feels comfortable to your body.” What? When I glanced around the room, I could see so much misalignment in people’s forms. Then the instructor continued by saying, “Yin Yoga is not about building strength as in other forms, and it is also NOT ABOUT BREATH?” Wow – a form of Yoga where we don’t integrate breath? Am I losing it? I have not heard that ever before. Not even in Tai Chi or Chi Gong, etc.

I know, I know – I should have been focusing only on my own practice but, believe me, it was very difficult for me to keep judgment out of my being at that moment. However, I tried hard to focus on myself, knowing that I had to be very careful, especially with my neck and shoulder issues.

Then another issue came up. When one holds asana for so long, we are usually shown a counter pose – a counter asana (as I call it) – to allow the body to recover. This was not shown, as a result of which I ended up straining my knee and have had to deal with it for the past two days.

What would happen to someone who’s new to yoga?

How do we prevent these types of situations, especially when a new student attends a class and is already too scared or shy to ask questions?

If you are an instructor, please share your expert advice with us.

Tags: asana, Yin yoga, yoga class, yoga instructor, breath, counter asana

Wow

This is my third class back. My body is feeling a bit better each time, as I’m getting reacquainted with each movement.

Has it been easy? No. Not at all! Like everything in life, we learn things and, when we have been away for a while, we have to relearn them, so it takes time to get back into the flow. Also, things change in time and approaches are different.

In this case, I’ve decided that Stephen Espinoza’s Anusara Yoga class at Still Yoga in Silverlake, Los Angeles, is for me. In one of my last blogs, I mentioned that I had not done so many Downward Facing Dogs in any class before. My body has begun to love it because it is a wonderful way to stretch my body out to its full capacity.

Well, the last Anusara Yoga class I attended only had four participants. Yet our instructor Stephen still asked all the same questions at the beginning. And he refreshed his knowledge of the issues and concerns of all his students. Even though the class was small, Stephen assured us that he would take more time to focus on the asanas and – believe me – he is a man of his word.

He was so clear and precise with the adjustments that he gave each of us. And he also took the time to help us not only feel but visually see the correct placement of our shoulders during Downward Facing Dog – not just the shoulders, but the whole form.

What a great class! We not only held every asana for an extended period of time, but we could also feel what it was to be aligned properly. Very, very exciting!

I wished my whole team could have been there in the class with me to experience this wonderful journey and enlightenment to the practice.

Tags: anusara yoga, asana, downward facing dog, adjustment, beginners, yoga practice

“It’s great! I’ve lost some weight! I bought this darling little yoga outfit that’s perfect for my classes! Can you do the tree pose?

At first, I couldn’t keep my balance but now I’m getting better everyday! Who’s your instructor? My instructor’s wonderful! I can’t decide whether to continue with this Hatha Yoga or try something else. What type of Yoga are you doing? Isn’t it fun? Thank you so much for turning me on to this! I’m trying to encourage other friends to go because I know they’ll love it as much as I do! When’s your next class? Maybe we should take classes together. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?”

As you may be able to tell from the above, my friend tends to be somewhat exuberant by nature. Throughout our phone conversation – or should I say monologue – she just went on and on and on (and on). I was so impressed because she didn’t seem to need to stop talking to take a breath. My only contribution to the conversation was “Uh-huh. Great. Uh-huh.”

But you know what? Who cares that I wasn’t able to get a word in edge-wise (a rare occurrence, I’ll have you know). I was delighted to hear that my friend is well and truly hooked on yoga. Her enthusiasm brought back recent memories of how excited I was when I started practicing Yoga. I’ve calmed down a bit since then but it’s wonderful to find a kindred spirit and be able to reconnect with a friend on something new that we both enjoy.

So now my friend and I are looking into taking a Yoga class together. And she’s right – it’s going be a hoot!

Tags: yoga classes, hatha yoga, yoga for beginners, yoga instructor, tree pose, balance

I just finished my first class in Anusara Yoga, which I will now be calling “Downward Facing Dog” Yoga.

I have not done so many Downward Facing Dogs EVER before in a class.

My body reacted so strangely at first. It felt like it was straining each time it was asked to go into the pose. But 45 minutes into the class, it began to feel good, and then I began to yearn for it in between the asanas.

Isn’t it funny how our bodies respond?

This was a beginner’s class taught by Stephen Espinoza at Still Yoga in Silverlake, Los Angeles.

Stephen was very good. There were about 15 people attending the class and he made sure he welcomed each one of us and asked us all the important questions,
“Is this anyone’s first time to Yoga?”
“What injuries or issues do any of you have?”
“Are there any areas that you would like to focus the class on?”

Not only did Stephen make it a point to remember what each of us said or asked, but he is also one of those people who seem to have a knack of remembering names.

It was a great beginner’s class and I recommend it to everyone. I will definitely look forward to returning.

Let me know if you have a chance to check him or the studio out.

Tags: still yoga studio, beginner’s class, muscles, Downward Facing Dogs, Anusara Yoga, asanas

No kidding, my body made it totally clear to me – especially my shoulders, which is where I’ve been experiencing so much discomfort in the past year from carrying and nursing my son.

It didn’t help that the day after my first class, I had to work with my arms a lot. Then again, maybe it did help because I may not have continued to move my arms as much if I hadn’t needed to. So, come to think of it, that was probably a good thing.

Apart from my arms, my lower back felt a bit achy, as did my hips. In fact, every single part of my body reminded me that I needed to get back to another class – and FAST!

For me, three is always the magical number. I usually need three sessions to allow my own body to make its adjustments and get used to anything new. For some people, it could be six or eight sessions, but for me it’s three.

So, as I go through these next few days, I will continue to do light stretches and rotations to remind my body of the journey it has begun.

Tags: back to yoga, discomfort, arms, three sessions, stretches

What a wonderful way to begin my physical practice again.

I chose a beginners’ class with Jonathan Emerson, who is one of the owners of Silverlake Studio, which has been around for 14 years. That is a testament in itself, when a community studio is able to sustain its location and practitioners for so many years.

Upon my introduction, Jonathan immediately asked if I had practiced yoga before, and what issues he should be aware of. He asked me directly first and then, before beginning the class, he asked the group.  Now this is a sign of an instructor who chooses to be conscious of his class.

I have been to so many classes in the past where the instructor has not bothered to ask this of beginning students, which of course is the precursor to higher possibility of injuries.

The participants voiced what they would like to work on and Jonathan took all their requests into consideration while instructing us through a series of asanas that were wonderful.

He took the time to watch over each and every one of us. He assisted us with minor adjustments that made such amazing differences to our asanas. It was truly a “beginners” class. Not for one moment did I feel that anyone was being rushed into following, or having to push themselves to go deeper into a pose that they were not ready for.

All I can say is that this is one of the best classes I have ever participated in and I would highly recommend all beginners who live in the area to check this Studio out. For those who are not able to do so, please be diligent about finding an instructor who can provide you with the necessary support and nurturing, especially if you’re a beginner.

Finding a yoga instructor who is attuned to the needs of his or her class is the best start that you can give yourself as you embark on your rewarding journey of yoga.

Tags: Silverlake Yoga, Jonathan Emerson, support from instructor, adjustments to asanas, caring about students