Nash's yoga class at the Yoga Tree this morning. I have been going to Yoga Tree for 3 weeks now, on an introductory month of unlimited classes for about $50. As I had not been practising at all since leaving Trinidad and before, I thought I would try it out. It's about 2 blocks walk away, so easily accessible...all plus points. I love the studio, it has a tranquil feel, has a living wall- the wall behind reception is made of earth and planted with trailing plants and foliage. It has 2 studios, upstairs, the studios the hot room, where heaters heat it up for Hot Yoga classes and downstairs, the studio has a yoga wall, with ropes, for Iyengar practise, it also has blankets, blocks, straps, foam blocks, chairs, bolsters- all props that can be used in yoga practice.
I have tried a few different classes, different teachers too. Hot yoga with Karin at Level 2 is challenging, and I managed a head stand in my first class. I was really surprised I was able to do it. I have yet to master the crow... but it will come. My core and upper body strength needs work, and am working on them..hehehe
Jason, who owns the studio and is a charming young man is a great teacher too. I did one of his classes at 8am on a Sunday, and a lot of what he did in class reminded me of the Moksha I practised in Trini. These hot classes have the room temperature set to 35-38C. Reduced heat is less taxing with the room set at 28C, just hot enough to build up a sheen, but not dripping like you do in a hot yoga or Moksha class.
http://www.yogatree.ca/rh_studio.html if you want to have a look at the studio.
Anyway, back to Nash's class. He calls himself the 'Tree Hugger'. Florence had suggested I try his class. It said it was a Hatha class. I walked into the studio and he had placed some cards to mark where people could place their mats. Mine was something about our thoughts and how they affected every aspect of our lives, about the mind being powerful. About thinking about where we want to be rather than what we don't have, about positive thought and our conscience.
Nash was very personable, he introduced himself, made newcomers feel welcome, ask about any injuries, asked if anyone had any areas they would like to work on specially..and so on and so forth. He had a great sense of humour. Then he asked us to choose some crystals that he had brought in and to take it back to our mats... that's something new, I thought, cards, crystals, whatever next! I went with the flow, Jennifer, Florence, Juanita were in the class too, as were some other ladies that I recognised from other classes we have done together. We were encouraged to relax, to let our bodies do what it could, encouraged to laugh. Nash led the class, changing his voice to low and slow, almost comical at times to motivate us to let go, breathe slowly, let go and let our muscles stretch. And if we break wind, so what?? We are in the wind relieving pose after all! hahahahhahaha 
This months theme was healing, as it was September and remembering 9-11, Nash had made month number 9, the healing month. He explained what the colours of the crystals we chose signified, I had chosen a red/purple pink a light pink crystal. Mine signified my legs for the red, and my heart for the pink. Also for the bit of purple-intuition. So, these crystals would give us energy to heal these areas of my body and mind. He said the pink crystal would heal my heart, to love people I knew but first and foremost, to bring love and energy into my own heart, that it's important to love yourself. We all know this, but I have always found it a bit difficult to do just that, I am getting better at it though. There's hope for the future.
We worked our core and lower back, in positions, holding them for longer than normal, almost like in a Yin class. It was good to have more time to focus on each pose, allow myself to relax completely in the pose. He also said that is our right buttock muscles hurt during threading the needle pose, it means that we have held tension in there caused by a male person upsetting us when we were a child, and to let that go, to breathe in, accept that it upset us and then breathe out and let it float away. Now, if you have pain on the left, then it was pain caused by a woman and to do the same... I had more discomfort in the left, and I tried my hardest to breathe it away, to let it go and not let it affect my life anymore....The class finished with a lovely savasana and I felt ready to face the world, head held high, heart full of love and positive thought.....
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