football and "good" yoga

my goal for these posts is every other day or so...we’ll see how i manage. as was pointed out by my father, the last post had several grammatical etc errors- i warned you! its the thoughts that count ;-)

i must admit, i am really settling into this london lifestyle. just watched two football (yes football!) games. the US game was exciting, albeit unfair that we didn’t get that 3rd goal, and the England game disappointing. it really is amazing how wrapped up in these games ive gotten when 2 weeks ago, i couldn’t have told you who rooney or gerrard or donovan were for anything. i actually spent most of the day at home, battling allergies or some sort of now-that-im-on-vacation-i’m-sick thing. unfortunate but good rest... and did get to skype with David from SBY- much love to boston.
i’m quite excited for tomorrow’s yoga class: going to take with Sundara at TriYoga. heard she’s an exotic type with a fierce practice...has to beat our class yesterday. here’s my anatomy news flash number 2 (so far in england i’m really getting some good lessons!): apanasana- or supine hugging the knees in- is now a hip flexor stretch. aarg. am going to give it a go though and see if maybe i can’t teach a class or two while i’m here; perhaps share a little boston/magi love with these london yogis!

on that note, a thought i was having was what makes a “good” yoga class. while i can’t quantify it exactly, sutra 49 from ch1 is brought to mind. i’m always looking for the teacher who provides the space and vocabulary for me to form my own language and expression. these teachers that are giving me scripture i should adhere to (like feeling my ovulation or inhaling a ball of energetic light into my solar plexus) are giving me a language i don’t speak and thus an experience that isn’t mine.

ultimately, i think johanna hynes said it best: a “good” yoga teacher is one from whom the student walks away feeling empowered and liking themselves. or, to continue with my previous linguistic analogy- i hope to have given my students a vocabulary with which they experienced an incredible conversation within themselves and their asana.

we do this practice to dive within, so that we can connect to others, rather than searching outside some validation for the inner self. our teachers create a path through the asana sequence, and it is our own journey that brings us inside.