This evening marks the end of Day 3 at the Midwest Yoga Conference, and I’m exhausted yet totally ecstatic. In fact, I’m high on the last three days of joy I’ve experienced here. Jonny Kest, his family, and their studios put this conference together every year. They bring so many great teachers together for a big slice of yoga pie. It feels like coming home, and I’m just really very happy to see everyone. This year I decided to spend less time in my booth and more time taking classes and getting to know the teachers. That was such a good decision, I can’t even tell you. It’s important while running a yoga business to remember how much I love yoga, and the thing that helps me remember is getting on the mat.
Today I took my first class in Acro-Yoga with a super-chill guy named Joe Barnett – I am already addicted… call it “Love at first flight.” I am a pretty big guy, so while it’s fun for me to fly, I’m more suited as a base. But this means I get to fly all sorts of amazing people and now that’s literally all I want to do. Joe did an awesome job of getting us all — a room full of strangers — quickly comfortable with touching and being touched; trusting and being trusted. Even though most of us had just met, we felt like old friends after just two hours in the room.
This morning I learned the 5 Tibetans from Chris Kilham, someone who really understands them. This is something I want to do every day! They are supposed to make you younger, and for a guy about to turn 60, Chris is terrifically agile, upbeat, and youthful. These teachers are proof of how well yoga really works!
Day 2 was recovery for me. I woke up so sore from my Day 1 intensive, I probably wouldn’t have taken any yoga at all except that Les was so cool and casual I decided I had to take his class – more Vinyasa Basics. 3 seconds into my first down dog I was already regretting my decision to take another class, but Les made room for my exhaustion by granting permission to the class in general to take Child’s Pose instead of Down Dog whenever it felt necessary. I was in the front right hand corner of the class – visible to all. I left that class holding the record for greatest number of Child’s Poses ever.
As someone who studies and loves Iyengar Yoga, I have to say it’s nice to (more…)
