Day 12: ISHTA June 25, 11:15 am 12:30 pm

BACK TO BACK BABY! It's the Friday before my teacher training begins so I decided I was in desperate need of a restorative class with Gina. Hands down she is the most wonderful restorative yoga teacher ever! Her voice is exactly what you want to hear when your eyes are closed and you are trying to relax. She lights her aromatherapy candles and rubs a sweet smelling lotion on her hands which fills the small room with a warmth and coziness that makes me feel safe. To me Gina's class is like a treat to my body. It's here that I try to repair the damage done by everyday wear and tear. I simply can't get enough. This is the first time however that I took a restorative class directly before a regular open level class. It was heaven! I was so relaxed and in tune with my body that I knew where to push and when to give in and relax. The 12:30 class was slated to be taught by Douglass Stewart, but much to my delight it was Peter that subbed in (FYI nothing against Mr. Stewart, I have never taken his class, I was trying to achieve that today!). I took Peter's class last week and left feeling light hearted and easy going. That is just the type of class everyone needs on a Friday. His humor wins me over time after time. I felt so grounded and rooted down during my entire practice. And what a bonus that my problematic lower back was no issue whatsoever.

Day 9,10,11: ISHTA June 22-24

OK so I have fallen off the blog wagon...my apologies. This is harder than it looks! So a nice condensed recap of the last few classes will have to do for now. On Tuesday I took Amy's early morning class at 7am. It was great. Really peaceful and relaxed, but intense every now and then. It was the only class that my schedule permitted me to take but it was well worth the early rise. NYC at around 6 am is so amazing, especially in the summer when its bright but still cool. Wednesday my schedule was the opposite and I had to take the last class available at 8:15 pm. Cassandra was teaching and never disappoints. She has a really great calm vibe about her and she always ends the class with a sanskrit mantra or some form of a song. She also always plays amazing music and gives great adjustments in poses. Thursday's class was really different. Meaghan was teaching and she has the type of body that women look at with skinny envy and most men probably think something totally different! She is tall and long and lean, in a very ballerina-ish way but still has some curves and strength to her frame. She was so tall and graceful that it was a pleasure to watch her demonstrate poses like warrior II and triangle pose. It definitely motivated me! It was in the schedule as an intermediate class so I was nervous at the start, but I have learned that placing too much focus on what level you might be at is not the point of yoga. Some days I feel pretty advanced and others all I need is to go back to basics and keep it simple. If anything, I am learning how to listen to my body. Once I started practicing this, my mind stopped fighting me back and my yoga practice became more enjoyable and beneficial. Props are your friend! Just because some days I need to use the blocks because my back or legs just aren't feeling like they can fully support me in a pose, doesn't mean my practice doesn't count or that I am a beginner or weak. This act of becoming humbled by your own body has taught me that its ok to not always do what everyone else is doing in class. It's YOUR practice, so do what serves you and only you! What a valuable lesson...I hope I can remember this.