Day 5

date: 9/29/2016
time: 2:30
instructor: Chris Waldron
style: Bikram

I really enjoyed this class with Chris. Thus far, without even realizing it, the majority of my practice has been flow yoga. I really enjoyed the concentration involved in holding our poses and the sensation of building my strength within that holding. I also liked how each pose really built upon the last, which added to that strength building feeling. My typical class is also very calming and very focused on improving the mental state, whereas Chris's class was entirely physical; Chris named the muscles we were working and pretty much let us breathe how we wanted to (which wound up making me a bit dizzy at times).

As far as last weeks prompt (which I mixed up for this weeks), I think the "sacred space" is both something expected and created by the students. American students expect to enter a studio and get what they expect out of the class. If the students expect the typical calming, zen type of experience they usually stay respectfully quiet and calm and hold conversation until after. If the students expect a work out I think there's a bit more energy in the room. Part of it too is how the room is set up, calming classes are usually dim where as high energy work out classes are usually well lit. And of course the instructor really makes a difference too. Steevee opens her class with a very soft-toned calm and quiet instruction, even when shes making jokes. Chris's class felt like I was at a gym working with a personal trainer, learning how to move my body to gain strength. It's a variety of aspects that build together to give a class the feeling it has, and to make it whatever kind of space it is for the students.