Saturday, May 31, 2008

Midwest Yoga Conference!


What a weekend! For those who don't know, (and how that's possible we don't know because we've told everyone we've come in contact with!) Michele and I (Ami) are at the Midwest Yoga conference in Chicago. We are having a blast, learning lots, meeting people and networking in our spare time.

Really special thanks to Caren Miller who cracked us up and helped us fulfill our be.ology jones. The folks from be.ology will be at our center in the upcoming months (date TBA) to present the philosophy behind their line of clothing, as well as help you fill your closet. You can check out their web site at http://www.beologyonline.com/. Because of the sincerity of their intentions they're attracting the attention of of yoga boutiques across the world as well as celebrities such as Oprah, Ellen DeGeneres, and master yoga teacher Seane Corn, who has her own line of shirts, be.involved, which benefit Youth Aids.

We spent Friday in Detox with Seane Corn. (And yes, it's Sunday and we're still Detoxing!) Seane is a very dynaminc, in your face, teacher who really puts herself out there in her teachings. We love her! Her passion and energy were very contagious and we even made it through the "universally despised core section" of the practice, which Michele and I will be sharing with you in our Power, Advanced and Detox classes. Ask us about "miserable heifer"pose. Check her out at http://www.seanecorn.com/.

Saturday morning was Yin yoga with Paul Grilley. Yin yoga is a style of yoga where the poses are held for an extended period of time to release the connective tissues. It consists almost entirely of floor poses, targeting the hips, legs, pelvis and spine. So, imagine Pigeon (which in Yin yoga is called "swan") for 5 minutes (or more). We started on the right leg and when we switched to the left leg we were experiencing the left/right imbalance that we all have. Paul taught us this mantra to deal with feelings of frustration over this. He asked that we repeat each line after him:

"I am the only one.
Something is wrong with me.
I am inadequate in some way.
Shanti Om"

Needless to say, we were all laughing so hard we could hardly breathe. He also taught us how important it is to look around and compare ourselves to everyone else, how we should never listen to our bodies and always bow to authority figures when in doubt about alignment. I can not begin to stress how funny and refreshing he is. Paul's class was absolutely life changing and we can't wait to train with him again. The lessons we've learned here will be carrying over into our classes as well. Listen for the "I am the only one" mantra in your class soon.

We rounded out the rest of the morning with Yang yoga (also with Paul Grilley), where we learned a style of yoga very unlike anything we'd experienced before. We're hooked! We were in a packed room where, again, Paul cracked us up. "When you fall, it's very important that you take as many people as you can out with you." His wife Suzee was awesome, leading us through sequence after sequence and always ready to challenge us with something new. We came away from this class just completely addicted and ready to share Yang yoga with you. Watch for "the gecko", a great new twist on chaturanga.

For more on Paul Grilley check out his web site at http://www.paulgrilley.com/.

Our last class on Saturday was something we were a little unsure about. We took "Wild and Precious Life" with Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band. We went into this class not knowing what to expect as we were asked to bring a journal to class with us, were told Sean would use kirtan, storytelling, poetry and live music with a vigorous vinyasa practice. We started off with kirtan, warmed up on our backs and then were asked to write answers to questions in a journal. Sean read poetry to us as we practiced and the Wild Lotus Band played in the background. Sean encouraged us to make this practice our own and gave us time during the poses to "do something that surprises you", before finishing with kirtan. We came away from this class deeply moved and inspired. Check out Sean at http://www.seanjohnsonkirtan.com/.

As you can see, we've been busy here. Ask us about our trip.....like you can stop us from telling you. Pictures coming soon!

Also, check out our web site (http://www.satyayogacenter.net/) for special discounts just for our students at Everything Yoga.com. You can get a $10 off coupon to use online when you sign up for their newsletter.

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