Clear, Sunny in Philadelphia, 42 degrees. I sense spring is on the way too soon.
I showed up to substitute a Kroc class, but so did another sub. D’oh! I had mixed up the times and was subbing the class after. I stayed and took the class instead of taught it. It was nice for a change.
This teacher focused on alignment a lot. I give pretty precise cues but don’t make them do it. I figure yoga is about self-realization more than perfection in a pose. It was clear this instructor studied Iyengar. Iyengar is a yoga discipline that believes in precise body alignment.
It’s a great teaching and very useful, but many people have had injuries, surgeries, are taking their first yoga class. It’s hard to know, so I err on the side of compassion and let people do the poses their own way unless it looks dangerous.
I come from the Classical Yoga lineage. Founder Yogendra was a working man, with a family and all. He started the Yoga Institute for householders in Mumbai, India on December 25, 1917. It’s still going strong and their social media is pretty cool to follow as it celebrates it’s 100th year.
I did enjoy learning more about the positioning of the feet in standing poses and the half sun salutations.
I taught the next class. Fourteen people in attendance.
I invited the class to “do whatever you want to do”, Mysore style they love that. It gives me a picture of how they are feeling and what kinds of things they enjoy doing if given half a chance. Then the class began in earnest.
Here’s the Playlist: Child’s pose, Cat & Cow, Downward Facing Dog, Warrior I, II and III, Tree, Cobra, Locust, Child’s pose, Bali Seal, Staff, Head to Knee, Lord of the Fishes, Stick, Dead Bug, Philly Pretzel. Bridge, Squeeze Breath, Corpse, Sponge, Sukhasana OM OM OM
NAMASTE
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