The new mats have arrived and they're fantastic. A good grip and not too spongy (perfect for those of us who like a solid base for our tree pose!). Maybe a bit too sticky for a smooth flow through into Cobra, but I think that'll come with a bit more use.
I've had two months of practice classes before the doors officially open today. It's been great to experiment with different ways of structuring classes on my lovely guinea pig friends at the Origins Centre. And for the last week, we've had daily one-hour sessions with a bunch of Buddhists here on retreat.
Yesterday, before class started, one member of the Buddhist group told me about many of his war wounds - a broken neck, torn rotator cuff (as in shoulder completely torn off!), injured forearm. This guy is in his 70s. He's an absolute inspiration. If yoga needed an advertisement for effectiveness, he's it. Fit. Flexible. Strong. Calm. Happy. He and his wife came to all my sessions. She's had one hip replacement and is about to have another in a few weeks. It didn't stop her from participating in classes, either! Amazing couple. It was beautiful to have them in the class, to see their passion for yoga and the strength and power in their bodies.
Another student this week had never done any yoga before. Nervous, unsure she'd be able to keep up and maybe a little intimidated by the superhero couple. It was encouraging to see her smiling at the beginning of class, lying in Savasana, when I mentioned that we're not participating in the yoga Olympics. Reassuring her, and everyone else, that no one is watching out for mistakes or inflexibility. We're all there because yoga offers us time to be present in our own body. That, in fact, so-called mistakes and sore hamstrings allow us to be more aware of our bodies and that is one of the true goals of yoga.
She left the Centre yesterday after arranging to catch up with the couple at their regular yoga class. Result!
I'm so lucky to be able to share this wonderful gift of yoga with anyone who's interested (and many people who might not be!). Seeing how it embraces people from all walks of life, at all levels of fitness, and helps to overcome nervousness and insecurities.
So. Doors officially open 4.30pm this afternoon. See you there!