Practice was brought to you today by K Kel and Susie Crossfire.
Yup, just me and Sanskrit Scholar. I was the first person in. VBG met me at the door and said, “I was thinking I was gonna get skunked.”
Sanskrit Scholar showed up and VBG left us to our own devices.
There is something really interesting about subtracting the teacher energy, but leaving the other-yogi-in-the-room energy. As we were walking out, Sanskrit Scholar said, “That was a very companionable practice.” And it was. I suddenly understood why some shalas have a self-practice day. It’s a good intermediate step between having a teacher in the room and practicing all by yourself.
At the end, when I was in savasana (gosh, I’ve had super savasanas lately…), Sanskrit Scholar sat and did one chant. It was like when someone gives you a single flower or a bite of cake: small — ineffable, almost. A gesture that you can accept without getting attached, without wondering if it’s too much and requires some kind of gesture in return. A perfect gift.
***
Remember my crazy notion about flying off to Australia for a class with Matthew Sweeney? Turns out he’s going to be at Yoga House in Edina, Minnesota for a week in July. Woohoo! Yesterday I played phone tag with one of the teachers over there. I’m aiming to make contact and register today. Don’t want to miss the opportunity. I’m hearing from folks that Minnesota in July is humid and mosquito-y. Won’t matter. I’ll be going to practice exclusively. There’s Mysore in the mornining and adjustment class in the afternoon. I’ll be sleeping any time that I’m not practicing. Well, except for any time that I happen to be eating. But that’s it: eat, sleep, yoga. Because THAT’S how to have a good vacation.
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donutszenmom 
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What if you ring up MS and tell him about your guest room (if such exists?) and the dedicated group of Scottsdale ashtangis whose practices he could inspire?
I can only imagine it’s such a call that is bringing him to Edina.
I don’t know about that. Sounds like they’re pretty established and cushy, up there in MN. He’s going to a shala where the monthly Mysore fees are a whopping $250/month. Or maybe that’s normal and I’m just really spoiled here in the desert?
No matter. I’ve just finished signing up, booking a plane ticket and talking to a hotel within walking distance. In theory, I booked a room, but the fellow I was talking to was clearly disinterested in taking my reservation (“JULY?” he said, when I mentioned the dates I’d be there) so I made a note in my calendar to call over there in June to verify what is likely a non-existent reservation 😉
The people at Yoga House sound really nice, so I’m looking forward to this. Given the fact that I considered a flight to Australia, Minnesota seems marveously convenient!
You’re right– it will be a good adventure, and good to just experience a new place and new people. Set a unique tone for the workshop.
The prices you mention, given the relatively cheap real estate, are amazing. I do an annual on a student discount, which brings my monthly cost below 100. Otherwise monthlies in LA range from 125 at Starbucks to 175 at the shalas.
I thought it seemed high. I actually went back and checked again: didn’t want to misrepresent them. It is, indeed, $250/month. I pay $120. I suggested, recently, that it should probably be more, but VBG doesn’t seem to like thinking about yoga and money at the same time, and Sanskrit Scholar doesn’t want price to keep anyone from practicing. So I guess I’m stuck paying less than I think it’s worth.
I am so glad you are coming to Yoga House! It is very coincidental (or more?). I just got linked to your blog last week (it was the Iyengar’s face on his book post) and since then have been having so much fun with it. First I realized you were in AZ. Then I realized what your Shala was and who VBG was. Then, after tracing back to the dates I was in town realized that you had dubbed me “Mona” (Fair. Cured, I hope. And BTW, my belated apologies for distracting whacks) . After that, you, Sanskrit Scholar, Chanting Man, Renaissance Man, The Cat, Surfer Girl, The British DIrector were a breeze. Your names are spot on. Anyway, I teach at Yoga House. It will be a great week. I will be in AZ over the Xmas holiday and will talk with you then. Several fun people to hang with while you are here. We’ll make sure you have a great time. I think the whole Scottsdale group should roadtrip.
PS. I am not the owner. I don’t set the prices (and they don’t trickle down). I can only afford to practice there b/c, as a teacher, my classes are free. I agree, the monthly rate is crazy especially since you cant use it for led classes and mysore is only 5:45 – 7:30 am. (only a couple people do the monthly).
Hi there – just ‘delurking to let you know how much I enjoy your blog. Your perspective on the practice resonates with me. I really like what you wrote about a chant being ‘a perfect gift’. I’ll keep that in mind next time I chant (and hope that my gift is in tune!) 🙂
Oh my gosh! I know who you are, Carol. You know, I was kind of reluctant about the Mona thing, and I apologize if it made you unhappy to read that. One of the other bloggers, Arturo, asked me a while back if I thought I might offend someone with the blog names and I said I thought not, but I rescind that now. And officially rename you “The Gracious Yogini”!!
Let me know before you come back to practice with us. VBG has been bouncing around, location-wise. We’re actually in yet another new space. When you are here for Christmas, you need to practice next to me and smack me a few times for the dumb things I said.
Karen, i am very seriously thinking about meeting you there. are you flying into minneapolis? would you consider a roommate to decrease costs? this is all just an idea for me right now as i would still have to line up “who will watch the kids”.
and OvO, i take back what i said to you about TT’s. i realize that MS doesn’t do what he calls TT, but i would most certainly want to get his take on adjustments, as well as everything else. he is dreamy! why don’t you come too?
and Karen, all my real vacations revolve around yoga, eating, and sleeping. my last “vacation” that did not involve all of these things left me very unhappy, physically and mentally.
Hey Tova,
Sure, I’m down with having a roommate. Provided The Cop doesn’t decide to come along for the trip. I don’t imagine he will, but there is an outside chance. The hotel is supposedly rather old and funky, but it’s pretty cheap — around $70 a night. I’m perfectly happy to share. And yes, I am flying into Minneapolis. Yoga House is about 10 miles from the airport. The hotel is a mile from the hotel, so I figured I’d take a cab from the airport, then just walk to and from the shala. I’m totally psyched! It looks like a great program. Just FYI, the Mysore portion of the program has a limit of 12 people. I was all nervous, thinking it might be filled up, but I think I was the first person to register. Still, there aren’t a lot of spaces. And (0v0), you should come along, too!
Yogis
Here is the lay of the land around Yoga House; The only hotel near YH is the one you are talking about. It is sooooo nothing fancy, but it works. YH is in a beautiful urban residential area with lots of little shops, sidewalks, coffee houses, a co-op, Whole Foods and a few gorgeous lakes for walking/running/blading around. No need for a car, but a bike would be good. I have a garage full that you and any of your pals could borrow while you are here. I live a couple blocks from the shala and less than a mile from the hotel. Welcome.
PS. I thought “Mona” was funny (humbling, but funny). I will, however, gratefully accept your new name for me.
PPS. The mysore classes are limited to 12 people. There are only 5-6 spots left. So act fast. There will be plenty of room though in the led primary classes at 9-noon.
Carol, so idyllic! I love to imagine little mysore communities growing up all over the world… especially in beautiful distant places with bikes and lakes and high quality groceries.
K, I would love to join you but the number of ? marks in my July make it not ideal. I do have it in mind to practice with MS sometime and do want to do a mysore-specific adjustment clinic, as Tova mentioned. It’s a little ridiculous not to feel competent to put a shala-mate into supta k….
There will be other times. We all could all be like the eating enthusiasts who vacation together every year on Norwegian Cruise Line. Except the main event is vinyasa instead of midnight buffet and we do kirtan rather than sitting through a rendition of A Chorus Line.
oh, that sounds AWESOME!
Hi Karen
How great that you’re going to go to that workshop in Minnesota. For me, being an architect, an ideal vacation is one where I can do mysore in the morning in a city, then spend the rest of the day seeing architecture. People have been mentioning shala mysore prices. In my observation here in SF, the range is between $125 to $175 per month. One of the studios I go to had an offer that required a minimum one year committment and the price was lowered to $99. But that was during a membership drive, and this was a new location of a studio that has 2 other locations in the area. Most independent studios would have difficulty sustaining an offer like that. In other studios if a person signs up for a 6 months time, the cost of mysore practice is less than the monthly rate by maybe $20 per month.
Namaste
Arturo