Yoga Place

Posted in Uncategorized on 11/15/2009 08:31 am by karen

Woke up at 2 AM, dying of thirst and a little hungover from the glass of wine I had with dinner. Did a quick calculation of the amount of water I’d consumed over the past 24 hours and was appalled. I could have just gone back to sleep, but knew it’d mean a crappy practice if I let myself stay so dehydrated. So I got up and made a huge pot of mint tea. While I waited for the water to heat, I drank a couple of cups of tap water and chewed a couple of vitamin C tablets.

Felt better when the alarm rang at 6:30. Had a cup of coffee, surfed the web via iPhone, took a shower & headed to practice. I love being on a subway again. I know public transit can be a pain when you live in a city, but it’s MUCH more entertaining than driving in the suburbs. I adore people-watching, and hadn’t realized how starved I am for the opportunity. In Scottsdale, everyone drives everywhere, so it’s possible to pretty much never see anyone other than family and coworkers and shalamates, with occasional strangers thrown in at the supermarket or a restaurant. But 99.9% of people in Scottsdale are 99.9% the same. Same socioeconomic backgrounds, same race, same clothes, etc., etc. A super homogenous culture.

Yeah, so I’m thrilled to be here.

Okay, so I just have a couple of stops to get to Bethnal Green. Head upstairs and start walking. And walking. And… Okay, now I’m clearly past where the shala should be. Walk back a ways. Nope. Retrace my steps again. No, the shala has not magically appeared since the last time I walked this way. Try the other side of the street. Consider calling Susan. Oh, there it is! Thank goodness for a big sign.

Into a rather dark building and up a few flights of creaking stairs — this reminds me a little of the entry to Troy Lucero’s studio in Seattle. I find the entry door and step inside. A woman coming out of one room stops and looks at me.

“Karen?!” she asks.

Even as I say “yes,” she’s hugging me. Angeline (aka AC) is welcoming and irrepressible. Travelling can be exhausting, so her energetic spirit felt so refreshing. Next I met Kevin (aka Globie), equally hospitable, though more an introvert (like me). It always feels like a kind of refuge, going to a shala far from home.

The practice room was warm and bright, with 10 or so people already practicing when I went in. As I rolled out my mat, I heard Cary introducing a student to sun salutations. Perfect! She’d be busy with him, so I could just go about my deeply-vata-imbalanced-because-of-flying-and-being-dehydrated discombobulation.

Do I wish I were one of those people who can go anywhere and do anything and maintain centeredness and equanimity? Hell, yes! Sadly, though, I get spacey and pretty much leave my body when I’m stressed. Thank God for practice, though. With each breath I reeled myself back in. Talk about a refuge.

I got a great, grounding adjustment during baddha konasana. Enjoyed every speck of primary, did 5 urdhva dhanurasanas, then went in to closing. I wasn’t sure about doing dropbacks, largely because my heels go up and I just didn’t want to trot them out. Tmorrow’s a Moon Day, but perhaps I’ll give them a go on Tuesday. I feel like I need a disclaimer pasted on me during dropbacks: “Please pardon the mess — my heels go up. Sorry!”

After practice Susan, Angeline, Kevin and I went out for a leisurely three hour brunch, followed by a scenic walk through neighborhoods and marketplaces. A lovely morning/afternoon in East London.

 

15 Comments

  1. Great to meet you Karen, glad the Shala felt like a refuge and welcoming place in a foreign city.

    Brunch was nice, living out in the sticks I always enjoy spending time with yogi’s to chat about practice when the opportunity comes.

    I sent you an e-mail about the travel stuff.

    Have a great week in London

  2. What a fun, fun post. Thank you!!!
    I’m so jealous, though.

  3. This is what they mean when they say “world class city.” A gorgeous place.

  4. Karen, you made me laugh with your kindly description (I have a lot to live up to now) AND I thought I was a retiring wallflower. I hope we never get more than 3 visitors at YP at any one go, I was saying to Cary I could not possibly hug more than 3 people in a space of 3hrs!!

    We do live in a great city that’s for sure.

  5. Sorry you had trouble finding the shala! I should have explained it better. And that I didn’t think to tell you to leave your mat there…. I had an obvious case of ‘post-practice head’ : )

    Never get tired of walking around London….

  6. Globie’s a guy!!! I never knew :)

  7. Kevin, if you read this, can I have permission to talk about your passport? I think it’s a great story.

    AC, a wallflower? Um, NOT! Haha! You are a ball of energy!

    Susan, as anyone who knows me will attest, I will get lost no matter how detailed the directions I’m given.

  8. LOL, I’m the same! My mom says I can get lost in my own home.

  9. Hi Karen,

    no problem, I have the complete Axis of evil in there minus Libya!

  10. Boodiba LOL :-)

  11. This was wonderful (and today’s post – I’m working backwards). I had intended to be there too on Sunday but stupidly set my alarm wrong and woke up too late to make it, I’m sorry I missed you – but the more I read, the more I am intent on moving to Yoga Place.
    Your posts are definitely helping me! Also as I am having an I hate London day it’s lovely to hear some positive things about the city I live in to help lift me out of my fug – I hope you continue to enjoy your visit :)
    p.s. Kevin it took me a while to figure out your were male too, with all these goddesses we just assume!!

  12. Mel,

    There are Shala’s that I could get to much more easily, but only at Yoga Place do I have that feeling that my practice will move on, which is why I make the effort to get there. Cary and the other teachers there all “Teach” as opposed to just adjust.Not to mention its a lovely space to practice in.

  13. And the practitioners there are really friendly! You’ll get hugs! :-)

  14. PS The days are long gone it seems when yoga classes were 95% populated by female practitioners. I remember being the only guy, surrounded by bendy women who could do most of it, while I sweated away feeling way out of my depth and like I shouldn’t really shouldn’t be there.

    Now that the percentage has changed to probably between 30-50% males doing practice I can sense a change of atmosphere in practice rooms, certainly at YP there is a friendliness between students, no doubt helped by the communal changing rooms.

  15. 50% men? I’m definitely coming to YP!! I’m trying not to misconstrue your statement Kevin that the practitioners are friendly because of the communal changing rooms though… but joking aside thank you for the reassurance. Roll on Sunday!

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