This past week-end I had the good fortune to take part in a very special workshop – again. I wrote about the 2012 version of this workshop last October, and this one was very similar – but even better! Our instructor travelled from across the country to teach a very small group of dedicated yogis for the eighth year! We are so incredibly lucky to be part of this experience. The energy was fantastic. We learned a lot. We worked hard and sore muscles are now the order of the day. 
These poses and partial poses probably look very strange to most people, but we were working very deeply, fine tuning and adjusting muscle placement and movement. It was exhausting. As our teacher explained, we don’t just do the “sexy” poses. I’m sure you’ll agree with that statement after seeing these photos!
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Category Archives: yoga
look at me : i’m teaching yoga!
Okay – that might be a bit of a stretch. And there are no pictures to back me up. You’ll just have to take my word for it. Today – my first yoga class of 2013, and I got to teach (well perhaps it was more like lead) the class for 20 minutes! Believe me when I tell you, this was not planned. Perhaps I should explain.
This morning I went to yoga class at a family sports club (I go there for one class per week). This club shall remain nameless to protect the innocent. Class was scheduled to start at 9:30, and I rolled in at my traditional 9:28 to get set up. There was an obvious void at the front of the class where the instructor usually sets up. I knew this was not a good sign, as our instructor is usually there early, presumably well before 9:30. I thought I should take action, so I called our instructor at home. She had called the club the day before to confirm when classes started, and she was told that they started on January 12. LIARS! Okay, perhaps there was just a miscommunication to the sports desk staff, but for whatever reason we were without a teacher. Since our instructor would be able to move at near the speed of light and get to the club fairly quickly, she asked me to start the class with a few simple poses. Yikes! Thankfully there were only 7 other students, most of whom were able to follow along with my instructions and demonstrations. I was just about to repeat a pose when the studio door opened and my savior our teacher, arrived. The rest of the class was excellent.
Personally I’m shocked that no one thought to take a picture of my momentous teaching experience. Especially when it is not likely to be repeated any time soon. Here’s a photo from a real yoga class. My “teaching” was nothing like this.
Kush was helping me blog (she always helps when I’m stuck for an idea). She’s such a good cat. Now if only I could teach her to take pictures…
yoga workshop week end
I am just recuperating from a fantastic yoga workshop. The workshop took place over 3 days with a total of 11 hours of instruction. Most workshops have at least 25 participants, and some go as high as 100. We get a lot of individual attention at our workshop, with 10 or 11 people in attendance. That attention translates into “no slacking off,” not even for a minute. There is nowhere to hide in a group of fewer than a dozen people! Here are a few shots of the work we did.
This is a very special workshop as an excellent instructor from eastern Canada comes to instruct at a small, private yoga studio for 3 days each fall. This is the 6th year that we have had the good fortune to work together. For anyone familiar with yoga workshops, you will understand that this is not a common occurence. And one of the other perks of a small workshop? We have dinner together at my house! Here’s the table all set before my friends arrived.
We ordered a great dinner and had a delightful evening. The workshop was fabulous. There is always so much to learn and the camaraderie within our group is outstanding. Right now every muscle in my body is just a little sore and it feels so good!
thumb and hand progress
My left hand is obviously much more talented than my right. It is taking to physio like a duck to water. My range of motion after less than a week of exercises was nothing short of miraculous. Strength building will take a lot longer as the thumb joint continues to heal, but I’m feeling very optimistic about the process. I’ve worn my splint full-time, except for time out to do exercises. The next step is to wear the splint when I’m doing anything physically demanding or possibly dangerous to the joint. I should do my physio exercises every hour or two. Do you have any idea how tedious that schedule is? I just have to remind myself how it is very worthwhile. It is very worthwhile. It is very worthwhile. Got it.
I attended my first yoga class since January and was pleasantly surprised how easily I could adapt poses. Class was excellent and I’m looking forward to regular attendance. My body and my mind both need to attend class. How fortunate that they usually work as a team! Not always, but usually.
Here’s what my hands look like now – not much to see but they feel pretty darn good. My left palm is still a long distance off the table compared to the right.
The left hand is still somewhat swollen but continues to improve. The incision is healing nicely. Dr. Beveridge does lovely work.
I am able to do things that require flexibility as long as the strength and pressure requirement is low. I think I’ll start posting less often about my hand, as the rest of the recuperation process is slow and uneventful. I’ll just keep working on it and comment on occasion.
