Wow well the second day was certainly full. We covered some postures in depth, what they are good for the correct/incorrect ways to do them. Who should/shouldn't do them. What chakra's they covered and what the benefits were. I am surprised to hear that so many postures are useful for sexual energy - has to do with celibacy.

We covered basic sun salutations and then we also talked about the Ashtanga Sun salutation. Being an Ashtanga teacher already I was really focused on this. I can see for some of the people in the group that these two practices would get confusing and I saw and heard a lot of confused questions and people in the group trying to wrap their heads around the differences. For you if you are reading my blog - the classic sun salutation is more about breath and lengthening the spine where as the Ashtanga Sun salutation is about heat and strength - just and FYI.

I have learned to come to class a little bit early I was there about 10 minutes before class today and the only spaces left were right in front of the window. Good for Ashtanga hot and sweaty practice, not good for sitting and learning. Ottawa is cold and rainy right now and it is common practice at the center to keep the windows open all the time - even just a crack. Being right beneath the window - was chilly and I am so glad the center has blankets!

Lunch was also interesting. There is a room that they let us use for lunch. A bunch of us brown baggers were sitting in there and no one was talking. I thought at first that this was because we were all starving but then I realized that this is a big group of people (we are 40) and there are few who know each other. You could see that getting closer to the end of lunch people were starting to chat a little bit and open up if only on the surface.

My body is already going through some interesting changes in this process. I have been practicing for about 18 years. Which makes me seem old I know, but basically I was first introduced in high school and loved it and I used to practice with this local T.V. show - "Yoga with Joy". Joy if you are out there you totally inspired me. I then took Yoga at this gym in Orleans when I was in my last year of high school, continued through university and haven't looked back. There have been of course times in my life where I have lost my way but yoga has always been there for me when I needed it. Anyways I was recently in a car accident and was rear ended, my entire right side has been affected by this. I am tight and find a simple forward bend to be a challenge. I have been practicing at home through this and it has been getting better and better which is great. I don't have time for physio and massage and all the other therapies so yoga is the best thing I can do. Anyways after all the sun salutations that we did today I was starting to notice that the tightness in my shoulders and neck as well as my right hip were feeling better and better by end of the day and I don't know how many surynamaskara's later! It is AWESOME!!!

More tomorrow and here's looking forward to even less and less tight shoulders and hips for me!

Namaste