Heart Full

The first week came and went so fast, it’s a strain to remember it. But I know that after one weekend with these 17 other students, I felt a connection. This was unexpected for me. During my 200 hour training class it took us awhile to build up a sense of camaraderie, a casual sharing of  ”my mat is your mat”. I would say it took us somewhere between week 6-8. Not that we didn’t get along, or have intimate sharing sessions, we just were missing a connection. Our teacher noticed it too, she commented that many of the teacher trainings she’s done the yoginis tended to hang out outside of training. Not so with us, it seemed that outside our love for yoga we really didn’t have that much to talk about it. After our teacher training, a couple of us became good friends, and in fact one of my close friends now, Yadana — is from my 200 hour teacher training.But in this training, after just one weekend I felt like I already knew each and every one yogi, and I liked them. It was as if exactly the right mix of people got together for this journey.

Metrotech — a commercial complex in Downtown Brooklyn bound by Jay St, Johnson, Flatbush and Myrtle has stood at the center of Downtown Brooklyn’s resuscitation from a rather messy dilapidated district with few residents, to signs of a real neighborhood, including my favorite — Brooklyn’s first 2 Michelin Star — Brooklyn Fare. And while the neighborhood isn’t here yet; DoBro’s early pioneers can enjoy the play of lights this Holiday season, and its periodic public art. This one is an inflated cow which was paired with what looks like an inflated couch. I think it might be missing the TV to complete the piece. I’m not sure what it all means, but it was interesting enough to inspire me to unzip my parka in the super cold, and show off my own wobbly / slightly crooked, cow face. Moo!

It seemed everyone was anxiously awaiting the opening of Kula Williamsburg. Even the Brownstoner couldn’t help but run a shout-out for this much anticipated opening. I couldn’t wait to try it and see if it was similar to Tribeca. I was giddy that I still qualified for the $30 for 3 classes first-timers special, even though I’d been to the Tribeca studio. I noticed they’ve maintained the same pricing structure, and many of the same teachers that teach at Tribeca are also in Williamsburg. But the Brooklyn studio (at least to me) seemed to have a decidedly Williamsburg feel. I’d read that they had used reclaimed wood from the Catskills to give it it’s cabin like architecture, and while it nods to Williamsburg with its industrial/ steel accents it has a more minimalist-retreat like aesthetic, with a sauna in the back, and a working shower (yum!). My favorite piece is the wooden sink with its flirty mermaid in the corner. This studio also has a small cafe, called the shakti-shack. I haven’t tried any of the treats yet, but I fully appreciate the inviting smells of their baked goods that greet me before and after class. It adds to the retreat-like feel.

The classes I took have all been fantastic, the studio still new isn’t as packed as the Tribeca location, but still very well attended. So there’s enough yogis to generate heat and help you find depth in your poses, plus the extra room allows you to play with transitions and movements that would have been restricted in the Tribeca space. The classes are familiar, they’ve brought over the kula flow, honey flow, Kula Hour and Multi-intenso as a few examples, and they’re all just as sweetly challenging as I remembered.

Having been transplanted to Brooklyn a few months ago, several veterans warned me to “get to know the bus system”. I have stubbornly refused, the dizzying matrix of multi-color routes intimidates me. And I figured after one or two classes at Kula, I’d go back to a local studio, so there wouldn’t be any need for me to learn the bus system. But having become a recent kula junkie, I’ve accepted that the bus is the fastest and easiest way to get there, making the  B62 my new BFF. I also once confidently told my husband that generally “people go to studios that are convenient”, and don’t make a pilgrimage to follow a teacher even if they want to — time on the road means less time (with family) at home, not an easy sacrifice. But to take classes at THIS studio, I’m doing all the things I said I never would.

By now everyone has heard of the Great Lawn Yoga from Flavorpill that never was. It was a good idea. Nearly every part-time / semi-interested yogini turned out for Flavorpill’s Great Lawn Yoga. And it produced the longest line I’ve ever seen. This thing stretched out for miles, true story. I heard figures of around 10,000+ yoginis turning out, and I believed it. I called my friend Yadana who I was planning on practicing with, “I’m sorry I don’t think I can go” I said disappointed, “the line is way too long, I’ll never make it.”  Yadana, always the one with all the solutions recommended, “Don’t worry. Just skip ahead to the front and come all the way up to the VIP tent, we have a ticket for you here.” I stared at my phone in disbelief, sure that finally my hearing loss was finally kicking in, “NO WAY! “, “YES.” She assured me, “just skip to the front and walk all the way up to the VIP tent, it’s got a white top, right next to the stage.” Knowing she is exceedingly reliable (aren’t all teachers?), I did as she told me. I easily walked in front of 3+ miles of forlorn yoginis looking hopelessly to the front of the line. Most of me was wracked with guilt, another angry on their behalf — how long had they been waiting, and were some of them even going to make it? And another part that I kept pushing to the dark corners of my heart, relieved I knew someone “on the inside” so I wouldn’t have to wait.