{"id":587,"date":"2017-10-02T02:36:08","date_gmt":"2017-10-02T06:36:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.pamlindberg.com\/?p=587"},"modified":"2017-10-03T01:17:16","modified_gmt":"2017-10-03T05:17:16","slug":"class-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.pamlindberg.com\/?p=587","title":{"rendered":"Class One"},"content":{"rendered":"

My two roommates and I walked across the street to RIMYI, otherwise known as the Institute, for our first class of the month. Although I have seen many photos, this is my first time at the Institute.<\/p>\n

My initial impression was that it is smaller than I imagined. I had that same feeling I have when I go back to someplace I remember from my childhood. It felt so big as a kid but as an adult it just doesn’t have the same size as in my mind. The stage is a half circle-ish shape (five flat sides making a half circle) with rows of yoga mats in a semi-circle around it. To the right of the stage is the rope wall, which has six or eight sets of ropes – not as many as you would think. The back of the room has wooden props and mats and there is a closet with bolsters, blocks, and blankets. BKS Iyengar’s photo is everywhere. The windows have bars on them and are used to do rope work when the classes are large.<\/p>\n

Today there were 70 or 80 people in class, mostly westerners, some Indians and a couple of Asians. It didn’t feel crazy crowded or cut throat, as so many of the stories go. It is certainly a community feel; “your” mat and props are just mats and props. People grab what they need for whatever they are doing.<\/p>\n

Prahsant, Mr. Iyengar’s son, taught the class. Even though he had a microphone headset thing it was hard to hear and hard to understand. I must not have been the only one because about 45 minutes in someone adjusted the volume and once it was louder, it was a bit better. Even so, I probably only got about 30% of what he said.<\/p>\n

Here’s what I remember about the sequence.<\/p>\n

Full arm balance against the wall for half the class, downward facing dog for the other half of the class. Switch spots.<\/p>\n

Rope downward facing dog for half the class. Trikonasana on the mat for the other half. Switch spots.<\/p>\n

Trikonasana at the rope wall hanging onto the rope with the top hand, trikonasana on the mat for the other half. Switch spots.<\/p>\n

Trikonasana at the rope wall hanging onto the rope with the top hand, virabhadrasana II into trikonasana on the mat for the other half. Switch spots.<\/p>\n

Parivrtta Trikonasana at the rope wall hanging onto the rope with the top hand, Parsvakonasana into trikonasana on the mat for the other half. Switch spots.<\/p>\n

Bharadvajasana.<\/p>\n

Choice of either janusirsana or sarvangasana.<\/p>\n

Paschimottanasana<\/p>\n

All the poses were held a long time, at least two minutes on each side. There’s no instruction on who is in what group – it is all self selection. There were no physical instructions on how to do the poses but commentary on the breath and doing the poses for the organs; lungs, kidneys, bladder, and (at least I think he said) the organ of imagination. Like I said, it was hard to understand him with the accent. He also encouraged us to know through practice, not to just do because the book tells you to.<\/p>\n

After class we went downstairs to the office where Pandu, the secretary was taking registration forms and payment for the month. We got a form and our balances and the daily schedule of classes and practice times.<\/p>\n

Mon\/Tues\/Thurs – class at 7 am and practice hours from 9-noon<\/p>\n

Wed\/Sat – class at 9:30 and practice hours from 4-5:45<\/p>\n

Fri – pranayama at 6 pm and practice hours from 4-5:45<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My two roommates and I walked across the street to RIMYI, otherwise known as the Institute, for our first class of the month. Although I have seen many photos, this is my first time at the Institute. My initial impression was that it is smaller than I imagined. I had that same feeling I have when I go back to<\/p>\n

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