Yoga in Cambridge and Bishop Hill- The Yoga Frontier

As you may have noticed, we teach a two classes a week in our home town of Cambridge and one in Bishop Hill. We are rounding one year in Cambridge. What a surprise! Many people have tried it out, many have continued to attend. It's really cool to be able to share this interest of ours with new people.
Usually Evan and I each teach a class through the week in Cambridge. Right now though, I teach both nights. We rent a space above the Henry County Farm Bureau. It's a big open room with a nice wood floor. We set up mats and a lamp and off we go. The students and community have been highly supportive. We even made the Cambridge Chronicle with a little help from our friends. It's been a real pleasure to see students enjoy the classes so much. Even when it's super cold!!
In November, I started going out to Bishop Hill on Sunday nights for a class. If you know us from the cities, it sounds like a long way, but it's actually really close and seems to be a good time for people. This class is held in the gallery above the potters shop. It's really beautiful and the people are awesome. We get a really good turn out in this class and have a high percentage of men. Jeff, the potter downstairs is always there to let us in and practices too.
These are beginner classes with interesting elements added when appropriate. It's fun to teach so many different types of classes to all different people. Yoga changes people, whatever practice style, whatever space you occupy. It makes our lives more comfortable, more livable, more joyful.

Quotastic

Theologians
don't know nothin'
'bout my soul

I'm an ocean
abyss in motion

- Wilco

Kelly rocks the legwarmers!!

Boy am-y-sore!

"Mysore" practice is named for the South Indian city of Mysore, where the guru of Ashtanga Yoga, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, has taught since 1947. Because the Ashtanga style includes several fixed series of poses, there is no need for the teacher to call out the name of the next pose - once the student learns it, everybody knows (and sometimes dreads) what's coming. So a style of practice evolved in which students all begin practice together (usually with a chant) and then do thier own thing, skipping the poses they need to, stopping early if needed, etc. This allows the teacher(s) to roam around and give instruction and adjustment as needed. So, you might have a brand-new student just trying to remember what comes after Marichyasana C (Marichyasana D - duh!) next to a nearly-enlightened Advanced A practictioner. It makes for a great practice environment. The energy is absolutely addictive.

Kelly and I have wanted to get this type of class going for a while, but the time just hasn't been right. This Sunday we'll give it a shot. We'll have handouts with pictures of all the poses. There will be options for everything from a 15 minute practice up to a full series (about 90 minutes). Most of us will be working on or within the Primary Series while a few others are considering dipping into the Intermediate Series. Everyone is welcome - the environment couldn't be more friendly and fun. We encourage plenty of skipping and cheating on poses. Anything goes, as long as its fun. Hopefully we'll see you there!

Saturday

The Intermediate Vinyasa class (some call it Power Yoga, but I refuse) on Saturdays is always interesting. It's always a different flow, with plenty of poses you know and a few you might not. We follow the basic format of Ashtanga yoga: Sun Salutations, standing poses, seated poses, backbending, inversions, and Savasana. Within that framework we might do just about anything, adding a seated twist in the middle of the standing pose flow (as we did today), luxuriating for minutes on end in Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Lateral Angle posture), or taking turns laughing as we fall out of some ridiculous balance pose Evan found on the Internet. We usually throw in an arm balance or two and try lots of variations you may not have seen before. Definitely a lighthearted practice, even if we are working hard. Sense of humor is a prerequisite for this class. Today we tried the fabled Mahamudra, part asana (pose) part pranayama (breath exercise). Where to they come up with this stuff?

What's happening on Sundays

We are really looking forward to the next several Sunday classes at the Davenport School of Yoga. We are preparing for a led Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series on March
9th. The last couple of weeks, each class had a different focus. Evan led us through the full standing series and last week we did the full seated series. This week we will focus on the closing poses. March 2nd we will host a Mysore style class- choose your own yoga adventure. It should be a good time. :)

We've started a Blog!!

Check it out