Lululemon at Keystone Crossing | Indianapolis, IN

Well this was a new experience. And yes, yoga in a mall before it opens is new. But what I didn't see coming was my lacking desire to do yoga today. Today was my first half-assed yoga class. So please take this review in stride, as I strangely didn't want to be there, and of course that will influence my perspective.

LOCATION: It was easy to get to the mall, but if you've never been here what door do you go to? The first one I tried was locked, the second one wasn't but was on the opposite side of the mall. Sigh. Park by the Cheese Cake Factory + Starbucks, using that same entrance. Parking is free!  

STUDIO: It's a Lululemon store—long narrow room with clothing racking of drool-worthy yoga clothing/gear pushed to the side. We faced the back of the store to avoid the distraction of mall-walking glory, I assume.

CLASS DESCRIPTION: I was under the assumption that these were beginning classes that would introduce you to instructors at different studios surrounding said Lululemon location. Similar to the places who have a Yoga in the Park program in place (which I love + you should take advantage of if you live near one). This class felt a bit more advanced.

INSTRUCTOR: James Jafari, after decades of practicing a variety of eastern arts found Yoga, during an extremely stressful period in his life. Yoga has provided him a way to find inner calm as well as blissful freedom from pain due to chronic injuries, received during years of participation in competitive athletics. James is a dedicated student of Yoga and in 2012, received his 200 hour certification from Cityoga under the instruction of Nikki Myers and Marsha Pappas. James brings his knowledge of the human body gained from his years (since 2000) as a full time, self employed, and Nationally Certified, Therapeutic Body Worker/Massage Therapist. James strives to serve students through an alignment based Yoga practice that is designed to deepen their body awareness, build strength, increase flexibility, strengthen focus and coordination, while maintaining poise and grace.
CONTACT: Lululemon's Facebook Page at this location

So yeah, I so didn't want to be at this class, but I shuffled in and set up in the back of the practice space. This was the first time "yoga voice" sorta bothered me. Have you ever had a friend who is a radio DJ and has his/her radio voice and then their regular voice? Yoga instructors do it too, but it's much more soothing, and less artificial... for the most part. Today, the voice was a bit too motivational speaker for me. It took some getting use to. See, judgmental smurf in attendance today, sorry.

James walked us through a really nice practice—it looks like he only teaches hot yoga at CityYoga, which I'm not a fan of, so that could be the third off-putting part of my morning (wait, what was the first? oh yeah, running all over a mall to find the store). It was a really great reminder of just staying open to the process of going to a new space with a new instructor. Also, a lesson on respecting your body's wishes. Half-assed at least gets me an hour of good breathing and focus on myself, so it's never wasted. But maybe I should have sought out a more meditative class.

He did encourage us to attempt a series of poses I couldn't (wouldn't?) do—but wanted to share as a wonderful goal for future practices. Marichyasana (there's great sequence photos here, starting with this photo—which is where we started):

But then we were encouraged to take it from sitting to balancing:

{photo source}

It was beautiful to see James execute it, but I was not up for the challenge today (oh really? who would have guessed that?!). So I observed, in awe of those trying.

James did do a great job of walking around the room adjusting all of us. Though there was rarely alternate poses for those at different levels, but his verbal instructions were articulate. I always appreciate new ways to hear instructions.

At the end of the day, the fact that Lululemon offers up free yoga classes in their communities is pretty great (even if it is a bit of a marketing ploy). And the opportunity to try new instructors in a neutral location for free is pretty appealing too. So, despite my Eyore attitude (ohhhhh dear), I would recommend trying these classes to learn more about your yoga community!

The entrance you want!

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Prana Yoga Center | Geneva, IL

Leave it to visiting new studios to remind you of how beneficial a yoga life is—it's a crash course on going with the flow (ahem, have no GPS or printed directions, will travel), new perspectives (you can't do yoga the same twice, but you sure can't when you walk into a new room with a new instructor), rediscovering yourself in each moment (you don't know anyone, you don't know the space, the instructor, the flow... you tend to pay attention more—to the practice, to yourself, to the moment. Also, you're a bit vulnerable—so you discover your ability to work through those awkward moments), being humbled (I don't know about you—but when I'm in a new experience, I tend to be shy/quiet/a student. Ego—what ego? I am new and need to pay attention. Little fish, here). 

LOCATION: I could probably write a whole post on my frustration with AT&T, iPhone 4S, and the latest upgrade to 4G. As a result of them not playing nicely together I was left to just figure out where the studio was. What? Luckily, I grew up in Hampshire, IL—so Geneva, IL isn't unfamiliar to me. I knew it was Stevens Street, so I drove around til I found it... and sure enough, I did. If you had direct directions you would have no problem at all. The space is part of a little strip of businesses with a sign prominently placed for all to see. Free parking lot and street parking included!
COST: I had attempted to check out a workshop here, maybe a year ago, and had to cancel. They were kind enough to credit me the money to use in the future. Looks like their drop-in classes are $18, accepting cash & charge (not sure on the check front).

STUDIO:  I've always had a crush on Geneva, IL. It's a river town, it's surrounded by farmland, it has quaint shopping (think more boutique, less craft fair), excellent restaurants, and now I can add yoga to the list (which, surprisingly, is sparse in the Kane County area). I walked in to the familiar pile of shoes and a greeting by the owner, who happened to be teaching the class I was taking. The place is pretty big, homing the entry way, two studios, bathrooms, a little kitchenette for tea, local art on the walls for sale, and (they rent a room to?) a photography studio. Bright colors through the entry way, soothing colors in the studios, clean lines, natural light. I didn't get a chance to check out the bathrooms (I'm forgetting all the steps I'm suppose to do, it's been so long)—but I really enjoyed the design of the space. 

CLASS DESCRIPTION: Vinyasa Flow—Put your yoga experience to work for your body. Level 1-2 classes help you build stamina through a warming sequence of sun salutations and standing poses. Vinyasa—linking your movement to your breath—sequences are creatively mixed with beginning inversions, depper twists, and poses that develop greater flexibility. Yoga experience recommended. 

INSTRUCTOR: My instructor was suppose to be Jennifer, but today we had Lisa Bertke—founder & director of PYC. Lisa's passion for yoga began when she took her first yoga class in 1997 and she immediately knew that yoga was part of her path. After 15 years in the corporate world of printing and publishing, she followed her heart and completed the 200-CYT training through Moksha Yoga Center in 2001. She then completed her 200-CYT and 500-CYT master teaching programs through Rod Stryker's Para Yoga program, blending elements of tantra, classical yoga, meditations, and Ayurveda to create a powerful tool for cultivating one's fullest potential. Lisa continues her studies with Rod Stryker and the Himalayan Institute's Living Tantra Program of Yoga, Ayurveda & Meditation. Lisa rounds out her training and personal practice by studying with Aadil Palkhivala, a master Iyengar teacher, and is a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists. 

CONTACT: Prana Yoga Center

From start to finish, this class was home—which I find interesting, because I often found myself checking other yogis to be sure I was doing the right thing. There definitely was an assumption (as stated in the class description) you knew what you were doing—maybe not a master, but a call out of the pose in sanskrit should be enough to get you there. 

We started in child's pose. I commented on this to Lisa after class, and she pointed out that she likes to start completely inward—looking inside (mentally, but literally too), folded into yourself, thinking of your intention. I've never had a class start like this, I really enjoyed it. She brought up a great visual—if you could walk out of this room to find you'd won the lottery—all your financial woes gone, other issues paid for—what would you do with your life? Since I've been challenging myself more than ever with this question—I had a quick answer in my head. But we didn't talk about it, we just carried on with the practice. Starting on the mat to open the body up—side stretches, twists, leg stretches. Nothing unfamiliar—short of the wonderful quiz of seeing if I knew the pose based on the sanskrit name. We also included kapalabhati (cleansing breaths) in our warm up, as if they do this for every class. Excellent. 

We moved into our salutations and then some standing poses. Lisa started the class saying she was going to focus on twists. So we went into a lot of standing twists & reversed poses. The room was set a little warm, but regardless, my practice has been creating A LOT of sweat lately—so the twists felt like just another layer of detoxing—so refreshing. Lisa walked through the room, adjusting us all at one point or another—constantly complementing us on our poses, reminding of us breath, and encouraging us to take it to the edge. We ended with inversion of choice. Lisa suggested shoulder stand while I was already in headstand, so I came down from headstand after a little bit to go into shoulder stand (Hayli recently had us do this in class and remove our arms from the mat—which made shoulder stand feel like an actual shoulder stand for the first time. So, thanks  to a change in perspective I have a new love for shoulder stands). I did feel like I awkwardly got into the pose, so Lisa brought me back down, arranged some blankets for me, had me roll those shoulder blades under before I even got in the pose, and adjusted me some once I was up. It was fantastic. 

We ended with more cleansing breaths, sivasana, and one om. Probably the most complete class I have ever taken in an hour and a half. She also brought it full circle—remember that question she asked us, "What would you do with your life?" We were reminded that yoga is meant to set up with the same perspective. So take what you learned about yourself today off the mat and out that door. Follow your heart's path. 

I think it goes with out saying, I highly recommend PYC. Chatting with Lisa I pointed out that I liked the variety of classes the studio offers. She lovingly referred to all the teachers and their diverse background, but pulled them all together saying—we're all moms, live nearby, and are invested in the local area. Basically, they're oozing nurturance. Love. 

Thank you, Lisa, for an excellent start to my Saturday morning. I look forward to more classes at your studio! Namaste.

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Jim Bennitt Workshops | Living Yoga Center | Urbana, IL

LOCATION: Living Yoga Center — my "home studio," as in where I love love love to practice when I'm not traveling. 

COST: $45/workshop or both for $80

STUDIO: See my original review  

CLASS DESCRIPTION: 

Stilling the Waking Mind, 10:30a-1p

We all know that meditation is good for us. If you're looking to connect to spirit, find inner peace, or just trying to deal with the stress of modern life... meditation can work wonders. Why then do we still struggle with starting or continuing a meditation practice? The answer may surprise you. It could actually be your yoga practice holding you back! When yoga is practiced inappropriately, it could make it more difficult to find the inner stillness necessary for meditation. In this 2.5 hour class, Jim will draw on ancient teachings and parables to help you better understand "the lake of the mind." Afterward, he will lead you through a specially designed sequence of postures and breathwork that will make it effortless to be still and reap the benfits of deep meditation. This class is suitable for all levels. 

Vinyasa from a Tantric Perspective, 2-4:30p

The word vinyasa stems from the Sanskrit word "nyasa," which means "to place." The prefix "vi," in this case, means "in a special way." Thus vinyasa would mean "to place something in a special way." The word tantra translates "to weave" and refers to weaving together the material and spirtual worlds. A tantric vinyasa class is a practice consisting of postures, movemembts, gestures, breathwork, and meditation weaved together in a special way to reach a specific desired result. In this class we will first decide what our desired result will be and then practice in ana intelligent way to get there. This class will be on the more vigorous side and is appropriate for students in good health and strong physical practice.

INSTRUCTOR: Jim Bennitt began his studies in Yoga, Tantra, and Aurveda in 1997. For the next three years, he bounced around from one yoga studio to the next, until he met Paul Weitz, a teacher at Moksha Yoga Center in Chicago. Two classes a week turned into five classes a week and Jim decided he wanted to teach. He completed Moksha's teacher training with Daren Friesen, studied with master teacher Andrey Lappa, and assisted Gabriel Halpern in his therapeutic classes at The Yoga Circle. In 2002, Jim met his teacher, Rod Stryker. Rod's teaching included mantra, meditation, and elements of Ayrveda. Since then, he completed and now assists in severl teacher trainings in Rod's Para Yoga lineage. Jim is also a popular presenter at conferences, workshops, and retreats in the US and abroad and is a co-owner of Tejas Yoga in Chicago.

CONTACT: Living Yoga Center

I'm going to go on a little bit of a frustration rant here... which has nothing to do with Jim Bennitt's workshop, except that it reminded me how discouraging injuries can be. I've mentioned before that I twisted my sacrum in March 2011. After a week-long yoga retreat I came home, got in my car at the airport, twisted to reverse not realizing how much I had loosened up that spine of mine, and crunched my sacrum. Those of you who have/had sacrum issues, you know how painful this can be. Since March, I've been visiting my chiropractor weekly, getting up to walk around at work so I'm not sitting on my twisted sacrum all day, and continue to go to yoga. But my sacrum is getting worse... as is my yoga practice as a result. Last week my chiro decided to do a lower back x-ray to get a closer look at what is going on, and we discovered L4 & L5 are jetting to my right (if you're looking at me) causing my spine to curve that way and my pelvis & sacrum are twisted enough to slightly make my left leg shorter than my right leg. 

After five hours of yoga my sacrum felt so much better, but honestly... there were some poses that were so painful (I obviously stopped going into them), I just found myself at one point in tears from wondering not only when will this be healed, but just when will I start to see improvements. I love my chiropractor, and I plan to continue visits because he does help and I consider him my primary doctor, but if any of you yogis out there have suggestions—I'm all ears. One of my instructors recommended bio-something (I've lost the pamphlet, I'm so unorganized these days, I apologize), which involved moving you further into the injury so the body corrects itself. She's had sacral issues and said it does wonders... but it also costs $70/hr and when I called that therapist she said we'd need to do about 3-4 sessions before I'd see a difference. Don't get me wrong, I completely respect the cost of natural/eastern/non-traditional health care, my dad was an acupuncturist, but I can't afford that. Seriously, when will my health insurance cover the doctors I actually see?!? OK, I need to move on, step off this soap box, kick it to the curb, and apologize for barfing this internal muck on you... but maybe one of you will have ideas. 

OK... Jim Bennitt's workshops. Hooray! I was so excited to be attending a yoga workshop in my home town. We don't get them here that often... or I'm horrible at getting information on these events. Anyway, I immediately signed up for both classes when I heard he was coming here. I really enjoyed the class I took from him at the Yoga Journal Conference—which was on Shodhana: Yogic Purification (see the link to watch a video of Jim demonstrating his practice, it's absolutely beautiful). 

STILLING THE WAKING MIND: This class started off with my 15-20 minutes of talking and taking notes. Here's what I gathered note-wise from it...

It is believed we suffer because we identify with the mind—there are four functions of the mind: 

The arrows on this differ from my notes,
but you get the visual

And the goal is to 

• Calm the Manas (senses) through donating our time to others, meditation on inner light and sound, and/or spend time in nature. 

• Dissolve the Ahamkara (ego) through seva (selfless service), Bhakti Yoga (chanting), and sacred gatherings (the Sanskrit word I wrote down for this isn't popping up in google, I apologize for my inability to hear or write sanskrit properly)—like this workshop I just so happen to be in.

• Empty Chitta (memory) by noticing samskaras (mental patterns) through mantra, pranayama (breathwork), concentration techniques, and meditation. This was talked about a lot in class, because we all cherish our memories so so dearly, right? But it's not about forgetting them, it's about not letting them define you or spending time judging them. What's done is done, today is a new day. 

• Sharpen Buddhi (intellect) through concentration techniques, self study, tapas (self-discipline—an internal heat that burns away impurities, often thought of as only a physical heat created in practice but much more). 

• And all of this to connect to the "fifth quadrant" (as my awesome sister-in-law once joked in reference to something else), called Atman (your inner light/soul).

Random not written down... Patañjali says "Yoga is when the mind stops" 

After our discussion we returned to our mats. Jim chanted a blessing before we started with some sun salutations and eventually held some poses for a longer amount of time... self-discipline to create tapas (sharpen that buddhi of ours). I loved that we were asked to do a headstand, as if it were nothing. It's not common to do a headstand in my daily classes—we do them, but there's just not enough time to include an inversion at the end of every class, let alone with the instruction of doing it in the middle of the room. I opted for the wall still, but I liked the experience of being surrounded by so many talented yogis. So inspiring! After savasana we did, I believe, fifteen minutes of meditation. A practice that I would like to start incorporating into my daily routine, but I've never once done this at home. My friend later recommended, just taking 10 minutes in the middle of the work day to go somewhere quiet and meditate. Which is a great idea, and probably when I need it most. But I would ultimately like to begin and end my day with yoga and some meditation. Goals are good.

Again, whenever I write about these workshops (like I noted for the Yoga Journal Conference), it seems a bit empty. Explaining the poses we did or the techniques we learned is useful, but the best part of the class is experiencing the feeling of yoga. The mental cleansing that comes after a couple of hours of yoga with a large group (yes, you can do this alone, but there's a vibe in a group... hence the importance of sacred gatherings). I can't put it into words gracefully (or even in a fumbling sort of way), but I just want to be sure to note that while the poses are necessary, they're not important. Great lesson to be reminded of. 

VINYASA FROM A TANTRIC PERSPECTIVE: This class had very little talking at the beginning, in fact I didn't take any notes as most of what Jim responded to students' questions with was taught in the first workshop. He did talk about how when people hear the word Tantric they equate it to sex, but quickly pointed out that sex is only a small part in the large world of Tantric yoga. I also liked the fact that Tantric yoga recognizes people living in a material world (I know, I hear Madonna singing now too), and instead of us all isolating ourselves in caves somewhere with out possessions and ultimately distractions—this path of yoga teaches us to appreciate the material objects, but to not become attached to or define ourselves by them. 

This basically was a lot of salutation work, which is why I think my sacrum is feeling better... there is no better way to wake up the entire body than doing a number of sun salutations. I mentioned before that twists were my nemesis for the day, but I had an amazing accomplishment today too. I did my first Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana) in my adult years, anyway—held comfortably, arms correct, feet flat on the ground (I do have to thank my friend, Hollis, who I met during this class. She's doing her teacher training currently—while writing her thesis for school, both major accomplishments at the same time is impressive—and she talked me through it some... "arms looks good—work your feet in more pigeon toe—point the knees forward". Thank you Hollis!). It felt amazing!!! It's funny how a pose that is so intimidating or challenging your strength or brain function, when accomplished becomes your new favorite pose and you want to do it all the time. Yep, can't wait to do my next Wheel Pose. 

The last 1/3 of the poses was really a moment for me to sit and watch much more advanced yogis work into arm balances I can't yet do. Hayli has been prepping us in class for Eight-Angle Pose (Astavakrasana), which requires a lot of arm strength because you're basically holding yourself in the position by squeezing the legs to the arm. 

I love watching people go into Eka Pada Koundiyanasana II, it's so amazing to see the body hold these positions—for the flexibility and the strength. It completely inspires me to continue nurturing my body because as Aadil Plkhivala would say, "The body is the home to your soul!" 

Book List: 

Yoga Sutras by Patañjali

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika

Gheranda Samhita

Shiva Samhita

The Heart of Yoga

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