This mornings’ practice detoured from my usual militant long holds and I tried Darren Rhodes’ new yogahour app for iPhone.  Anything that conflates my tech side with yoga is almost automatically cool, and in spite of some hiccups here and there it was pretty kickass.  Let me tell you why:

- his languaging is very clear

Hmm...I wonder how I can get more people practicing yoga?

- the sequencing, albeit peculiar-feeling at first, is a fine representation of many pose families

- there’s harmonium for the OMs which reminds me of Benjy, Heather and Brent

- he made me practice poses which normally make my eyes roll back in my head, favouring a lot of the salabasana family, which generally I don’t pick up on my own as they take my thighs forward leading to various disastrous psoas/abdominal organ pain, but his cuing and the pace made them less gruesome

- it really is a yoga hour, in that you do more than I would have ever thought possible in an hour, giving you that satisfying feeling of having worked hard but having your practice complete, which CrossFit fans tell me is deeply pleasant after spending 3.5 hours of your day dicking around with the primary series

- I can see this being a Godsend after flights or long car rides.  You don’t have to conjur up your own sequencing, motivation, cues or symetry.  You can’t get distracted and start picking up dustbunnies or checking email.  Family reunion and you’re staying on the fold-out couch?  Alls you need is a mat and a blanket and you’re good to go.

The best part about it, which is also sort of irritating in that I no longer practice some of these yoga styles and there’s a reason, is that it’s very ecumenical:  it embraces and references many different commonly practiced styles, so that you never feel like the whole thing is foreign to you.  Bikrams fans will enjoy the aforementioned Salabasana emphasis and standing head-to-knee pose.  Ashtangis will be right at home, keep it moving chop chop, starting with Trikonasana in the standing series [!!!  I know, I wonder what John had to say about that, if anything].  And naturally there are some poses and concepts that I find more prevalent in Anusara Yoga such as the twisted thigh stretch before backbending, and hip openers before arm balances, and thank whatever gods there be for that addition to the series because otherwise I think I would never sleep or poop again.  It goes really fast.  Several times I said, aloud and by myself, “Aw, Darren…”.

So it’s a great amalgam/mindful preparation for whatever yoga class you might find yourself in if you can’t do Darren’s yogahour classes, and the languaging is top notch.  I will try to make sure I do it at least once a week in the next little while to see what happens, maybe in addition to my usual jive, because when it was done I bounded up with one eye bigger than the other and tried to alphabetize all my canned goods, so clearly there is something in the pace and energy of the series that is not hooking up with my body yet, but I was also just learning it.  I’ll keep you guys posted.  My word there is so much yoga, and so many different kinds of yoga, out there.  A bit overwhelming to tell the truth.  How will we ever find peace amongst these combative yogis?  Stay tuned for the next exciting instalment….

2 Comments »

August 27th, 2010 Natalie Says:

Sjanie,
You really are the funniest lady I know. For real. I hope you are having a fantastic summer…I so didn’t mean to blank you on your last email, and I still really want to see you up here teaching yoga for our community in Tofino….I just got super busy…and…yeah, shitty excuse I know.
I will always do my best to get to one of your classes when I am in town, and if you are planning any trips up here let me know so we can organize a class for you.
Blessings,
Nat.

August 28th, 2010 einajs Says:

Thanks Nat! xoxox including massive hugs. Yeah, I would love to come up at some point. Let’s stay in touch…

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