Heart Full

My Aunt Mila has been an inspiring role model to me for as long as I can remember. So it seems fitting that on the week of Mother’s Day I profile her. She’s kept up a strong practice of mindful eating, regular exercise, and valuable nutrition for decades. And it’s paid off, you would never guess how old she is. I won’t reveal it here. But just about everyone we meet thinks we’re sisters. In fact the realtor at the Oro, broke out laughing when I said “she’s like my mom“, still recovering she said “oh for a second i thought you said she WAS your mom!” I said “No … but she is old enough to “realistically” be my mom“, her eyes bulged.

NYC Yogini: How long have you been practicing yoga?

Mila: Well .. I’ve tried it for years but I wouldn’t say “practicing”… I would say the last 6 months I’ve been doing it regularly.

NYC Yogini: What do you find are some of the benefits to yoga?

Mila: Physically I’ve become more flexible, my posture is better, and it’s given me more energy. Mentally  – it’s made me calmer, like I’m able to finally take a breath.

NYC Yogini: Any poses you’re practicing?

Mila: I’m not practicing a specific pose but I’m always trying to improve my downdog. Because it’s a position I’m not use to — upside down.

Wise words from Mother knows best. Down dog IS an inversion. Mental check.

I have subconsciously been avoiding the Shala even though no one has anything but good things to say about it. Everyone from yelpers to some of my most personally influential yoga teachers, like Mia Baer. But I shied away from it after hearing some classes were “ashtanga inspired”, and seeing the various ashtanga offerings they had on their site.  I have to be in a specific mood to do ashtanga. The bindings, and the increasing difficulty of the sequence often becomes an exercise in frustration for me. I have to mentally prepare to be disappointed in my practice. But at last, I couldn’t resist — I convinced my friend Yadana to try out the studio, and somehow in the mix of it we both signed up for the unlimited monthly plan (for first time students), a Manhattan rock-bottom price of $100.

So far their classes have been remarkably good. The teachers take special care to guide us through proper alignment, and build heat by (often) having us hold poses for 5 breaths or more. This was a welcomed change for me, having just come from Laughing Lotus where the sequences are inventive, but often held for a brief half second. I whole heartedly appreciated the slower flow and hearing my breath instead of music. And they do good physical assists, a rarity now in many yoga classes, but such a powerful learning experience. Truthfully no matter how well a teacher describes a pose, the connection you make during physical assists is unparalleled. Shala teachers also seem to have a higher level of experience, so far each one has spotted a mis-alignment in my practice that has helped get past the stagnation that’s been weighing me.
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New York Yoga

It was love at first drop-in. I had seen the signs in my old UES neighborhood — plastered over what use to be telephone booths but today are advertising stalls. And after months of wondering, and a bad break up, I decided to try it out. My previous yoga experience was at NYSC, and had been brief and painful. After some grueling stretches, the instructor demonstrated “crow” and challenged us to “go for it”. My spirit was willing, but my keyboard trained wrists nearly snapped at the thought. I was sure she was joking. She wasn’t. I didn’t come come back.

But at New York Yoga, I felt welcomed the minute I crept through the door. The receptionist (Melissa) greeted me with a warm smiled, that felt sincere. The instructor (Molly) wasn’t the fitness instructor I was expecting. She was more like a friend, who understood. I came back the next day, and the day after, I was hooked. At first, it was the movement that captured my imagination, but as my practice developed, I found myself returning for the wisdom and the community.
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After an extended hiatus from yoga, I went back. Dealing with stress at work, and other sources of drama, I had lost sight of my practice, for what seemed like months. It’s easy to put off going to the mat, after a long day at work, sometimes a bubble bath was more appealing than sun salutations. I got tired of coming home at 9:30 – 10pm — too late to put anything together besides Lean Cuisine, and barely enough time spend with my better half. I was a certified teacher, I figured it was time to put some of my training to use and develop a home practice.

With all of my good intention, I never practiced at home. I did make dinners, but I also watched endless hours of TV. And the stress wasn’t getting any better, in fact it was getting worse. To cope, I started drifting back to my old habits. It was easy because I now had time to hang out with my old friends, and I always gave myself the excuse that it was temporary, I would be back soon.
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