NOW THAT'S THE STUFF

Friday afternoon I gave blood for the last time this year (you're ineligible to give blood 12 months after going to India). That made me woozy and stomach-achy for the evening's Chuck and Maty workshop, where we spent no less than 2.75 hours deconstructing Surya Namaskar A. Boring? On the contrary. It was challenging and illuminating and invaluable for teaching. Potentially esoteric principles about shoulder alignment and lower rib movement, which some have turned into metaphorical hogwash, were made clear and accessible. We used blocks, yet at no point did the Ashtanginazis storm the doors and remove them (or us).

The pair, who have innumerable years of experience between them and founded LA's Yoga Works (which they have since sold, and is now a chain), have equal billing and switch off adjusting and speaking. They're also quite funny. It was encouraging to hear many of the things I say while teaching ("Samasthithi is the root of all poses" and "Move your head last" in up-dog, which Chuck calls "Don't drive with your face") reinforced and sometimes spoken verbatim.....although they stopped short of my common admonishment, "And if you can't get Samsthithi you're going to have trouble with every other pose in the series." They didn't have to threaten.

What was surprising was the absence of prominent local ashtanga teachers in at the workshop.

Perhaps they'll show at this morning's Mysore class. On a moon day no less.