Yoga...it ain't cheap!

I love a group yoga class, the bigger and more crowded, the better.  I love to feel the energy in the room, to see the effort from all the unique individuals moving together like a school of fish or flock of birds.  I love the floors and the music and the altar and everything about whatever that particular space, time, and gathering bring together!  I remember piling in to a small Esalen classroom on a very  wet and windy afternoon.  Just when you thought we couldn't fit another person in, the doors would open and a blast of cold would present a few more eager faces and we'd all move a little closer until our mats were overlapping.  Kishan Shah, our teacher, made every bit of discomfort fade away as he inspired you through movement and expression.  Another memorable class, or series of classes were held in an exquisite 4th story yoga room of hardwood floors, giant windows facing ocean and jungle, exquisite cane ceilings and of course, the exquisite teachings of Sharon Gannon, David Life and Jules Febre, live music from Deva Premal and her musicians...one long yogini orgasm of yogic ecstasy!  But, these experiences have a price, as do studio classes in our cities.  Bikrams is up to $17 for one drop in class!  That can get expensive if you are wishing to challenge your practice.  So in this year of simplicity, getting in a budget, freeing myself from debt, I must find more economical ways to grow my practice, to experience Sadhana.

Yogis 1500 deep for White Tantric Yoga in the mountains of New Mexico

The bliss of darshan with the goddess, Kirtan with Deva Premal at Esalen

For my first solution, the remedy comes surprisingly direct from the mother of yoga consumerism, the Lululemon Store.  This fabulous boutique of expensive work out gear that looks great to just lounge in, transforms into a yoga studio.  It's great, they have all of there center racks on wheels and they push them out of the way and have a big open room.  Every Saturday morning they invite a different teacher from the community (usually a different studio is featured each month) to teach an hour class starting at 8:30.  It's totally free, and the teachers are always really great and trying to do there best job possible since they are promoting themselves.  It's a great way to explore all the different styles of yoga available here in San Diego, for free!  They offer other classes sometimes on weekday evenings, and they also have a running club.  When they first opened, I went white a few times, but I've been out of the habit for a while.  But I took a great class from Ingrid Yang the first weekend of January and made it back in this morning for a fun vinyasa class by a gentleman whose name I didn't get, I was late!  He led a great mindfulness exercise during final relaxation, I'm going to practice this the next few nights at bedtime to help simplify my thoughts and get me to sleep!

In this breathing exercise, you will count down from 100 begin by inhaling, counting 99, exhaling, counting 98, inhaling, counting 97, exhaling, counting 96, and continuing like this to 50.  After 50 you change the pattern, inhale and exhale, counting 49, inhale and exhale, counting 48, inhale and exhale, counting 47, continuing like this to 1.

In-store Yoga at Lululemon