Sunday, April 29, 2012

Wellington Yoga Classes 30/04/2012 - 06/05/2012

St Andrews Church Hall, Wednesday 12pm-1pm =OFF=
Purebalance Studio, plimmerton 9am-10:15am =ON=

Sadly, as mentioned previously, there will be no class this Wednesday due to Blood Collection. I was thinking, that next year, when this happens during summer months, I may offer to run the class outside at Frank Kitts park. Will seek some feedback from you guys on this when next we meet :-)

Shanti
b

Monday, April 23, 2012

Alone Together

There was a special moment in Bali, after the first full day at the Spirit Festival. As a group we were being driven back to the Villa. The general consensus was that we should be dropped off on the main-street so we could buy dinner at one of the many wonderful restaurants.

I had another idea though. I wanted to go straight back to the Villa so I could wash the layers of sweat off my body and change into clean clothes. I would then walk down to the small restaurant close to where we were staying and have my dinner there.

So I said goodbye to the rest of the team and completed the trip back alone. I had intended to jump into the pool first, but there was just no energy left for that, and the shower and change of clothes felt every bit as refreshing and renewing as I had hoped. 

The sun was just starting to fall and I took a slow walk to find food as my stomach was surely demanding to be fed. It was very quiet and moments before I got to the restaurant the sun had almost fully set. It was at that moment that I became consciously aware of how utterly at peace I felt. I was alone, and it was quiet with no one talking and no need to speak. It was this feeling of being in solitude but completely connected with everything inside of me, that in turn made me feel completely connected with everything outside of me. My whole life had been a progression that had led me to this very moment and I felt that it all had to happen this way or I might never have come to be here now, alone but together.

I took a picture of the fading light, just that very moment before it was gone completely, then I ordered my dinner. I just quietly sat in stillness looking out into the night thinking that this just might be one of the best moments in my life.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Wellington Yoga Classes 23/04/2012 - 29/04/2012

St Andrews Church Hall, Wednesday, 12pm-1pm =OFF=
Purebalance Studio, Plimmerton, Saturday 9am-10:15am =ON=

Hi all.  As it is ANZAC day this Wednesday there will be no lunchtime class. As an extra heads-up, the following week there is NZ Blood Collection so there will be no class the following week either.

Just as a sidenote, St Andrews do offer an alternative room but frankly, having used the room in the past, I felt it was simply too small given the class size. as always, I'm sorry and disappointed not to be able to offer classes due to this sort of unavailability, but on the balance of things, we are actually very lucky to have such a central and large space available at all (with heating too, on those cold winter days).  Thankyou all for your patience and understanding, your support of my classes means a lot to me!!!

Namaste
b

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Bali Spirit Festival: The blathering of a smitten fool

Bali Spirit Festival

My objective for this blog entry is simple.  To list and review every class I took at the Bali Spirit Festival.  Though I did much more in my travels than just this event, I want to dedicate this particular entry to the historical catalogue of this particular activity and I want to do it now before my memory of it fades any further.  Everything I write is as much a reflection of me as it is of the event.  I'm not attempting an expert analysis or critique of the classes, just my own perception of what happened from an adventurers POV.

Day 1
8am-10am: Erica Mather (Forest Yoga -USA)
This class had a strong focus on Core.  I had convinced my roomie Trevor to attend this session with me and within 10 minutes I felt him punch me hard in the leg.  Yeah, I probably deserved it, my abs felt like jelly and we were only just getting started.  Erica was a wolf in sheeps clothing.  Forest Yoga = strong core focus and long holds.  What a way to start the Spirit Festival.  In summary, enjoyed the class and liked Erica's vibe.  Genuine; full of light.  Forest Yoga =  business time!

10:15am-12:15am: Les Leventhal (Vinyasa Basics -USA)
Having just completed Erica's class, it was time to roll up the mat and head to the next class which myself and Trevor had already decided should be with Les, as he had a reputation as being a quality teacher.  So leaving the pavilion and rechecking the timetable I came to the awkward realisation his session was at the exact same place as the class we had just done.  Of course our spots were gone and it was obvious this class was going to be popular.  So back we went and I managed to squeeze in right beside Erica (who had taught the previous class).
Before the class even began I got a strong feel for Les's style.  a small smile turned into a big smile which turned into belly laughter.  This guy is funny, and he does it by turning the spotlight on typical dogmatic classroom behaviour.  I instantly liked him, because it really didn't feel like an act, this was Les being his true self, and his true self is a very likable person.  The actual class content, I can't honestly remember so much of, except that it felt quite inspired though perhaps it was more because of his narrative than the actual flow of asana that made the class feel special.  It was challenging, but it was mostly Vinyasa, so it did not feel like torture as we did not have to hold challenging positions for an eternity.  It was nice doing the class next to Erica, as I connected to her energy and focus which in turn helped me to go deeper.  At the end of the class Les told me I had a beautiful practice, which certainly made me feel good about myself as quite frankly a lot of the poses Les was offering were well beyond my current capabilities.

1:30pm-3:pm: Tina James (Jivamukti Yoga -Canada)
This class was a somewhat random choice, as I was still feeling a bit shell-shocked from the two previous classes and the bedlam of the lunchtime scrum for food.  It wasn't just that there was a small army of ravenous Yogis wanting to be fed.  It was also that most of the people serving the food had only a limited command of English and they were clearly very comfortable working in a way that seemed as chaotic as the people rucking their way to the front of the lines.  After lunch I took a wander and ended up seeing one of my group (I think it was Donnelle) at a class so lay my mat down beside her, although it was outside the pavilion as there was no room left inside.  The sun was out in full force and even though I had my sunglasses on the intensity of the heat was causing me to sweat whilst doing nothing more than sitting on my mat.  Things were not looking good, and I was starting to worry about my ability to make it through but then Ella showed up and sat down behind me.  It was nice to see her smiling face and being a sensible woman she immediately said we should move to the other side of the pavilion as that side was sheltered from the sun.  I readily agreed and off we went.  Anyway, as to the class, the teacher was very holistic, the asana played second fiddle to the spiritual connection she felt with the people and the earth, which came out in her powerful and loving narrative.  The class was not too challenging which suited me just fine.  We were asked to do a few advanced poses but they were so far out of my reach so I didn't even bother trying them.  I did get to see Ella do full Pigeon with foot to back of head, which she did with such consummate ease that I could not help but be filled with admiration (and a touch of envy).  She had a beautiful practice, but what was special is that it did not feed her ego, which only made me even more inspired.

3:15pm-5:15pm Future Sound of Yoga (Flow session-Australia)
Probably my favourite class of the day.  Firstly is was in the biggest pavilion so there was plenty of room.  Secondly, as the name suggests this class had some great (modern) music in it.  Lastly, the class was taught using the same basic modality of teaching I use:  Non-interference.  Actually, they took it to the next level, as they would first walk us through a simple flow, then they would leave us to continue the flow in our own time, allowing us to change or modify the flow based on our own intuition and experience.  For me, this was heaven, and it was a wonderful way to wrap things up.  Just to be clear, this class was run by a somewhat young looking and trendy couple, with the guy working the sound-system and doing the music mix, and the lady doing the narrative and demonstrating the sequences.  I got the feeling they would fit in quite nicely at a night club and so it was no real surprise when I heard they were also hosting a late night RAVE.  I might like to have checked it out but not at the cost of compromising my energy for the Spirit Festival.  According to one particular wag (a fellow Kiwi no less) "It really went off".

Day 2
8am-10am: Les Leventhal (Vinyasa Hips and Twists-USA)
On Day 1 we had a full house on a taxi trip to /from the venue.  Infact I had people sitting on my knee for both journeys.  On Day 2 we lost at least a couple of people.  I mention it because this was a trend that continued.  Day 1 saw me taking in 7.5 hours of Yoga classes, and on Day 2, I could feel every one of those hours sitting in my body.  In addition, I took to doing a regular 1 hour practice of my own early in the morning at the Villa.  I did this because there is simply no substitute for your own practice. I also did it because as the days wore on I needed a way to revive my body so that it did not feel like a train-wreck.  Anyway, since I enjoyed the first class with Les I decided to back that up with his next class (Trevor joined me and I think Amber was there too).  The class was great and a strong reaffirmation of why Les is such a popular teacher.  What really stood out though was the lady next to me.  One of the most verbal participants I have ever met, you knew exactly what she was thinking and feeling, unfiltered by any acts of censorship.  I later found she was also teaching at the festival, but I did not go to any of her classes.  I do however remember finishing a class just as she was setting up and the first thing I herd her do was drop the F-bomb.  It takes all sorts, and that was what I loved most about this festival: There was something for everyone.  About the actual class, probably the most interesting moment came when Les demonstrated a twisting progression that ended with his leg slung behind the back of his head and his other leg bend back behind him with his arms wrapped around the back of his body.  If you have seen Les, you would not think he looked like a typical bendy Yogi being of short and stocky build.  But this guy can do seriously advanced Asana.  His practice is remarkable and no doubt it is the result of many years of dedicated study.  His humour might disguise the fact that he is such a dedicated and serious Yogi but I really can't see how someone could have achieved such a high degree of flexibility without being utterly dedicated.

10:15am-12:15am: Simon Low (Safe and Sound Yin Yoga-UK)
As I mentioned previously, I was not feeling so great today, so the name of this class was enough to sell it to me.  As it turns out, Simon was an immaculate teacher.  His class was strongly rooted to long standing yogic principles but at the same time the biomechanical analysis of deeply researched anatomy underpinned all the poses we did.  He took a lot of time to explain why we were doing poses the way we did them, and he made it clear that we needed to do these poses in a way that honoured the principles of Yin Yoga, which was not to push it, but to find a place we could genuinely rest in.  As an aside, he also taught chanting/mantra, and his method of teaching difficult to pronounce sanskrit phrases was superiour to anything else I have ever encountered.  When it gets right down to it, I find Yin Yoga very hard.  I'm a Vinyasa kind of guy, and I'm not totally sold on the idea of sitting an innactive body in a statically held position for long periods of time.  What I will say though, is that Simon made the best of it, and I really appreciated his approach.  In my own practice, I always do Yin (long holds of passive poses) after a Yang practice, it just works best for me, and if I ever teach Yin (informally or otherwise) it will always be under this context: Yang first.  I only teach that which I believe works in a practical sense based on my own experiential evidence.  Nothing I have experienced about Yin Yoga so far has changed my view on this, however I will say, Amber ran some Yin flow classes during the retreat, and I was really vibing them.

1:30pm-3:pm: Rachel Zinman (Hanuman-USA)
This class I chose for a rather superficial reason: My love hate relationship with Hanuman asana (Splits, which these days I'll admit is more love than hate).  I was not sure what we were going to get, but I can tell you that by the end of the physical practice we did not do Hanuman asana which made me feel a bit short changed. As to the actual class content, we were given a very comprehensive lecture on the history and mythology surrounding this pose.  (The teacher herself was a practitioner of devotional Yoga -Bhakti Yoga); followed by the physical practice; then devotional chanting.  To cut to the chase I thought the teacher was a lovely lady but this type of class was not for me.  Traditional devotional practices just conflict too strongly my strong sense of constant inquiry.  As some of you know I am an Agnostic, albeit one with spiritual tendencies.  I am uncomfortable treating ancient scripture as anything more than parables designed to provide moral guidance and lessons.  To emphasise devotion as a goal or desirable trait, rather than the natural outcome of a committed journey [into the self] feels fundamentally wrong to me.  Emphasis on the "to me".  The path, regardless of whether it resonates to me or not, is valid it if allows the heart light to shine.  I saw plenty of shining people at the class, nuff said.

3:15pm-5pm: Bunked Class
If I remember rightly, I decided to go for a swim, at which time I noticed the water was so heavily chlorinated I felt like my eyes were going to burn out of the back of my head.  Not surprisingly I didn't stay in there too long.  Then the skies opened up and Bali rain is like nothing else I have seen.  I did manage to catch the end of Danny Paradise teaching an Ashtanga based class, and frankly, I was quite glad I did not go to it mainly because it looked very challenging and I know I would have dived in and probably half killed myself given how tired I was anyway from the day before.  As for the rain, it seemed like it flooded the place and then left as quickly as it came.  I remember just feeling all kinds of tired by the time we got shuttled back to the Villa.

See this post for a beautiful moment I had in Bali at the end of this particular day http://www.bendybruce.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/alone-together.html

Day 3
8am-10am: Copper Crow (Universal Yoga-Singapore)
So this class was hands-down my favourite Yoga/Asana class. Firstly, we just got on with the job. It was physical but accessible, meaning most people with a normal range of motion could really get involved with the flow. Secondly, it had a slight martial arts/eastern feel to it that I really enjoyed. Thirdly it had a unique structure that focused on only 1 side of the body, followed by a short pranayama based meditation and then we did the other side of the body; then another mediation then we did symmetrical poses; then we did strength work. I loved the class, I loved the teacher, maybe the way he taught, if I was to be honest, was most similar to the way I teach, or at least, this is how it felt to me.  Oh yeah, I also liked that in doing downward dog we got to break one of the typical alignment rules, which was in this case we were allowed to push through the chest in order to draw the head towards or even onto the floor. yes yes I get why this is not a good way to always do your dog, but sometimes, at least for me, it is exactly what the doctor ordered, so I appreciated that black and white was muddied into grey, for this is what real life is like.

10:15am-12:15am: Erica Mather (Arm Balances-USA)
So Trevor may have punched me in the leg last time we went to her class, but he was still keen to have another go, as was I. I'll admit when someone says arm balances I think handstands but we did not do that. Instead started with a strong core workout (no surprises there, that's the foundation of Forest Yoga) then we tortured our hips, then we did arm balances most of which required very open hips. Trevor showed me up in this class, and in fact I would say he was probably one of the most advanced people in the class, with a great combination of hip flexibility and strength, meaning he was able to pull off all the poses, including firefly. I'll also mention Julie Dorhman was in the class and sitting beside me. She had done Copper Crows universal Yoga class and very graciously complimented me on my practice. However in this class both Julie and Trevor shined, and I finished with the clear knowledge that I have plenty of opportunity to improve my hips over the next few years. Julie, btw was also a teacher at the festival (anusara inspired) and I do regret I did not get to catch any of her classes, as there was definitely something about her I liked.

1:30pm-3:pm: Les Leventhal (Backbends-USA)
I felt a bit nervous about this class. My back, I regard as precious and I'm very wary of giving up the steering wheel to someone else when it comes to bending of the spine. In all honesty, this class was probably my least favourite of Les's classes, mainly because it felt rushed. Also, as I just said, I'm very picky about how I work my back, and I didn't feel like this class was optimal in terms of getting my spine really open. When it came time to do the more advanced poses, I just didn't feel like I was in the right place to take them on, mentally or physically. So, to put it bluntly, I kind of went my own way at least a couple of times. It was still a good class though, and again, Les demonstrated he was a complete bender, doing poses that even on a good day, I would only be able to dream of doing, and he did them with seeming impunity.

3:15pm-5pm: Bunked Class
Well not really.  I actually went and found a quiet grassy spot and did a combination of handstand and backbending. I did this because I felt like I had not really worked my back as much as I'd wanted in the previous class and because during my time in Bali I had not done nearly as much handstand practice as I normally do at home. I was pleased with my sense of balance and focus. It felt like the break from my regular routine had served to actually improve/freshen me up. The handstand practice went well and felt like fun. The backbending felt good too. I felt open. It was a nice way to finish the day, and all in all, I had definitely found some sort of second wind for this day, compared to the day before I also finished this day by getting a motorbike ride back to the Villa, just for the fun of it. The driver got lost, but that was part of the fun too.

Day 4
8am-10am: Anthony 'Prem' Carlisi & Heather "Radha" Duplex (Mysore Ashtanga -Bali)
This class was a lecture/practice combo and was perfect as I was feeling seriously tired. I appreciated the lecture and what Prem had to say. While I had struggled with Ashtanga (when I did it) I really liked this guy and felt myself wanting to learn from him. He was not dogmatic, he was a deep thinker; he seemed compassionate but also committed to the practice. Speaking of which, when we did the practice is was just the Sun Salutations A and B and a handful of simple standing poses.  Perfect for me, given my level of fatigue was starting to hit the redline.

10:15am-12:15am: Vinn Marty (Soul Motion Sanctuary-USA)
OK, so this was it. This was hands down my favourite class overall. It was in the biggest pavilion and there was plenty of space. No need for Yoga mats, and Vinn made sure to ask everyone to clear the dance floor before he started the class. Something hypnotic and guiding in his voice. I let myself go with it. I let him take me to this place of non judgement; of exploration of body and soul moving with music. Exploring. It just kept building and it was thrilling. To move myself without fear or shame in a way that filled me with joy for my own physical and spiritual presence. To see others all shining in their own unique way, to connect with myself and then trust to connect with others without fear of rejection or attachment. To be chosen by two other dancers as a source of inspiration. I was being me and I was shining brightly without holding anything back. I was also sweating like at no other class, and that is saying something in the heat and humidity of Bali. I remember thinking "this was supposed to be a gentle improv dance class but everyone is going off!" Vinn created the "Town Square" were people could take centre stage and make an offering to the group. I remember meeting someone there and we went crazy, just shaking everything loose to beat of the music and I was for a moment lost in a world of pure light. I wanted to leave the class early because I was just killing myself out on the dance floor, but I stayed, and I allowed Vinn to expertly bring us back down. I left that class feeling like my mind had been torn open. I was vibrating and it was time for lunch, but I don't remember what I did for the next hour because I was in some sort of altered state of perception, but it must have involved a lot of drinking to replace lost fluids.

I did no further classes on this day.  I took an early taxi ride back to the Villa, and at this point I will mention it was only myself and Trevor who came to the Festival on this day. We were the last two standing and as it turns out, half a day (after the mind-blowing class with Vinn) was enough for me. Anyway, the skies opened up and as I was driven back it poured with rain. In my rush to get out of the Taxi and to the shelter of the Villa, I fell and cut my elbow. I jumped into the shower to clean myself up and the water was turned off.  I had soap in my hair and in my eyes and I had blood running down my arm and I was stark naked. It was an outdoor shower but even the rain stopped falling so I didn't even have that.  Half blinded by the soap, I found a jug of drinking water from the bathroom and used it to clear off the remaining suds and cleaned myself up as best I could.  I was exhausted but was unwilling to let this get me down and mostly found myself laughing out loud at how rediculous the whole episode was. A few hours of rest and I bounced back nicely, enjoying the company of my fellow Yogi adventurers as the evening closed in.

Day 5
8am-10am: Cat Kabira (Yoga Energetics-Bali)
In spite of yesterday, I did my own morning practice, and headed to the last day of the festival feeling like a war veteran ready to go into the final round of battle, knowing that one way or another, I was going to see this thing to the end. Amber had rejoined us, but Veronika said she would come later. So it was a team of 3.  And all 3 of us did Cats class. Her teaching was precise and unrushed.  The core work felt very similar to Erica Mather's forest Yoga. In other words, it was challenging. The Asana practice was mature and well structured, with nothing too outrageous and to be honest I was just pleased to have just made to the end of the class.

10:15am-12:15am: Bunked Class
Thought I might do the hip-hop class but it was filled with little kids.  Went to the Mandala Dance class and found it was for women only (doh!) Decided to go watch the Yoga Mala 108 Sun Salutations. I would have joined in but the floor was full.  Well there may have been a few gaps but yeah, I was happy to just watch. Went and got lunch just before the queues started to build, was a great plan!

1:30pm-3:pm: AwaHoshi (Crystal Bowl Healing-USA)
I'll cut to the chase here. I chose this class because it involved doing nothing more physical than listening and either sitting or lying down. We started with a lecture and frankly I wasn't buying most of what she had to say. It had the feel of a snake-oil merchant to me. But what I will say is the crystal bowl music was pure bliss. It did seem to vibrate through my whole body. It was more than just the sound hitting my ears. It was washing right through me, and it was just what I needed. Trevor had made a deep affirmation before the session (as we were asked to do) and I very sincerely hope that it came true.

3:15pm-5pm: Vin Marti (Soul Motion Alone/Together-USA)
Having loved his session so much the day before, this was a no-brainer. The problem was we were in a much smaller space, and there were a lot more people. But it was party time, and this class felt more about just dancing for fun. There were moments when I felt like it was something spiritual, moments were I was exploring movement in ways that felt very personal and special, but mostly it was just time to rock it out with the other yogi peeps. I had a lot of fun, but I was running on empty and I had to stop a few times and rest.  When it was over, my T-Shirt and Pants were as wet as if I'd jumped into the pool. Before leaving I purchased a new T-Shirt just so I had something dry to put on.  Amber had left at lunchtime, leaving myself and Trevor to find out own way back to the Villa. I opted for a motorbike ride. Before leaving, a complete stranger gave me a big hug and said she hoped she would see me again next year. Maybe she had been at Vins dance class, I don't know, but it summed the Festival up perfectly. This had been a coming together of people, open to sharing their differences in order to become one.

That night, myself and Trevor went to the closing night concert at Arma. I was so tired I did not think I was going to go, but then I realised this was my last night in Bali and even if I had to crawl on my hands and knees, I needed to be part of the final party. I'm so glad I did. The live music was rocking, and Ella and Indra were both there so somehow I refound enough energy to shake my booty and we danced and smiled and I felt like I'd fallen in love with Bali.

More importantly, I realised this was me, and I was loving life, like for real

Monday, April 16, 2012

Wellington Yoga Classes 16/04/2012 - 22/04/2012

St Andrews Church Hall; Wednesday 12pm-1pm =ON=
Purebalance Studio Plimmerton; Saturday 9am-10:15am =ON=

ps. Have not given up with regards to doing a summary of my trip to Bali, but just have not yet completed it yet.  I will get it done, I promice :-)

Om
b

Monday, April 9, 2012

Wellington Yoga Classes 09/04/2012 - 15/04/2012

Wednesday 11/04/2012 12pm - 1pm @ St Andrews Church Hall.  -ON-
Saturday 14/04/2012 9am - 10:15am @ Purebalance Studio -ON-

All, I am preparing a writeup of my time in Bali, initially discussing my time at the Bali Spirit Festival.

Stay tuned!

btw, perhaps predictably, It seems I picked up a cold on the flight back home, but nothing bad enough to stop me teaching.

Om
b