Elaines Blog - Day 3 & 4, Me again. Day 3 yesterday, no yoga as I was persuaded to take a spinning class at Flywheel near Lincoln Centre (Broadway and 66th) where Lucy works as a receptionist. Like all (currently) out of work actors she works several jobs to keep the money coming in, but still be flexible enough to go to auditions. She has worked pretty consistently since graduating in 2008, but this year has been tougher. Undaunted, she keeps smiling, no good being in the acting business if you cant take rejection. Seriously, I wouldnt last a week! So I went spinning, twenty or so bikes in a tiered room, hot, dark, loud music, and a very challenging workout with an amazingly pumped and ripped instructor called Wendy. It was very intense (and more than a little competitive), I think I sweated out of every part of me, including my eyelids. Not sure I liked it (felt a bit sick at the end to be honest!), but it certainly got the blood pumping, and (apparently) I cycled 20 miles, most of it with my heart feeling like it was about to leap out of my chest. Day 4 - we both went to YogaVida, which is back down near to Union Square again, (not far from Laughing Lotus from day 1), and about 40 mins on the subway from Astoria. YogaVida is a well known and long established studio, one of the co-owners is Hilaria Baldwin (the very young and gorgeous second or possibly third wife of actor Alec), who famously tweets herself in a different yoga pose every day, often in a bikini…... (she wasnt there today). Lucy used to get her yoga free here when she was at uni, in exchange for cleaning the mats after class. YogaVida is a bit more basic in its decor, but still with a really nice vibe, and very well attended - this 12 noon class probably had 40 in it. It was supposed to be with live music, but apparently the live musician called in sick :-( This 75 minute drop in class was cheaper at $17, we brought our own mats again but could easily have rented one, certainly makes shopping afterwards easier if you arent knocking people over in H & M with a mat over your shoulder! There were cubbies at the studio where people could keep their own mats at YogaVida, a good solution to that issue. Our instructor Jessie was lovely, gave really clear instructions (just as well because we couldnt see her most of the time, she was all over the room adjusting and assisting people), and made extensive use of props - blocks, blankets and bolsters. I found them incredibly useful, some postures that I would normally find difficult were much more accessible with the use of props, and lying down in Baddha Konasana (bound cobbler pose) with a block under each knee for relaxation was amazing. We held some of the poses quite a long time, which gave us all time to really inhabit the pose, but also for Jessie to get around the room to give a lot of individual attention. I loved some of her adjustments, which again will inform my own teaching. (so all this yoga tourism could really be called professional research……….. I wonder if I tried to claim it against tax the Inland Revenue would agree…….!). The majority of the workout again centered around a great deal of quite strenuous downward dog/plank/warrior combinations and very little seated work, then she brought us back down with a lovely heart centered meditation at the end, which I will most certainly bring back to Bliss with me. Lucy and I floated out of there with yoga face and yoga brain, literally blissed out. She went off to a rehearsal and I managed to get myself home on the subway without getting lost. Tomorrow…..a few options, will choose in the morning based on weather, mood, distance….. and the state of my knees which feel a bit bike mashed…... One more day in NY, then out to Connecticut where I used to live, hopefully to practice at my old Astanga studio, will report in after that. Hope you are all well and keeping up your practice for when I get back, bristling with new ideas! Namaste Elaine xx
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 12:00:00 +0000
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