Archive for the ‘Yoga’ Category

Yoga Classes in North Atlanta

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

My friend Lori just opened a new studio in the Duluth Georgia area – Yoga North Atlanta. I went to the opening class this weekend and she taught a great Ashtanga based class that was very challenging, yet grounded in alignment. It was a great showing for the studio’s first yoga class – I counted 15 students.

I’ll try to get some pictures the next time I go because the space itself was very nice with a separate reception area and very large dressing area. Lots of studios are cramped so it was refreshing to have plenty of space.

I know there is a Bikram studio in that area but I don’t think anyone else is teaching Ashtanga classes in the Duluth area. Besides, I have been teaching with Lori for nearly 8 years and it would be tough to find a more experienced, knowledgeable yoga teacher.

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Same Sex Parenting

Wednesday, April 8th, 2009

So I spent this past Saturday afternoon at a baby shower. The parents-to-be both happen to be female. And the dad? Well, the donor was present too. He is a gay man who lives in NYC. But I don’t believe he will be involved in the actual parenting.

Georgia is no “New England” state so the legitimacy of the union of these two women is not legally recognized. So until the progression of society evolves a bit more, they are going to experience plenty of road blocks and obstacles to health care and property rights, among other things. Yet they are going to raise a child together and I believe they are going to do a fantastic job.

From the outside, an uninvolved observer might find it easy to think, “gee, that’s a little weird.” And I’m sure the righteous among us would quickly condemn and think the whole thing beyond the scope of their acceptance. Thus the current laws. But having known these parents-to-be for many years (we happened to meet through yoga), I have much more confidence in their ability to raise a child in a loving atmosphere than most other couples I know. It would only be weird if there were a lack of love in the union. But love is love is love.

So I hope the new baby enjoys the baby blanket that I gave them. If I ever have a boy, he is going to get the same blanket. And it’s very appropriate for them because they live across the street from the zoo.

I can’t wait to meet the new baby and look forward to watching him grow up. He will have great parents.

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Mystere – A Brilliant Cirque du Soleil Performance

Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

Since I was in Vegas for the Pubcon conference, I thought it would be a crime to leave without seeing at least on Cirque du Soleil show. The only problem was in the choosing. I have heard a lot about the “O” show and “LOVE” has gotten some rave reviews. But Mystere was showing in my hotel (Treasure Island) and when I decided to look into buying tickets, I was lucky to find that lovely single seat on the second row, center stage, right on the aisle. I couldn’t pass that up and it was a fantastic decision.

For starters, the comedy relief act was really clever and funny. Comedy shows and Circus acts are famous for picking on the people up front. Luckily a woman a few seats down from me got the brunt of the jokes so I didn’t get splashed, pulled on stage, put in a cage or taped up by a clown.

The costumes were very creative, the music was powerful and the artists were incredible. There was a constant texture of percussion throughout the show. At one point the stage was filled with drummers and the center point was occupied by an enormous drum with a head at least 5 feet across.

The most stunning act was of the “strong men” who leveraged their strength and weight in ways that defied physics and seemed humanly impossible. At one point, one of the performers was doing a one-handed hand stand on top of the other performer’s head. At another point in the show, artists climbed up poles…except that they held their bodies out horizontal from the vertical pole, arms extended, and moved up and down the poles with amazing synchronicity.

The see-saw act was also amazing. In rapid-fire fashion, one artist after another jumped on their see-saw end to send the other side flying in the air and ultimately stacking up to 4 people in a vertical pile. The trapeze artists were perfectly synchronized and flipped and flew threw the air and landed with the ease and softness of human cats.

I can’t imagine the stage show would travel well. That would be a huge undertaking. Platforms disappeared and gave way to different stages with different props every few minutes. It was a constant barrage of amazement.

If you’re ever in Vegas, see one of these shows. You won’t forget it.

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Atlanta Hot Yoga

Friday, October 10th, 2008

My office is minutes away from Atlanta Hot Yoga. My Ashtanga practice has been a bit scattered lately as my home studio is too close to the baby’s room (and I don’t EVEN want to risk waking up a sleeping baby) and Atlanta Yoga is too much of a trek. So I have kept my eyes open for other options. I attended couple of Bikram classes in Alpharetta recently but I was a little hesitant about re-engaging that style of yoga. It’s not that I don’t think the practice is beneficial, it’s the generally strict style that has always been a bit of a turn-off.

For instance, in my most recent visits to a Bikram class the teacher barked at me in front of the whole class, “That’s a towel? I could use that to blow my nose. That towel is more like toilet paper!” The next class was followed by a strong critique of one of my postures: “What’s wrong, aren’t you supposed to be a teacher or something?”

Granted, I have certainly encountered Ashtanga teachers (and Iyengar, and Kripalu teachers as well…) that wanted to assert their authority over the class which kinda made the whole experience suck. But I try to keep an open mind so I decided to give the local studio a try. It was convenient, after all.

I stopped in on a Monday evening and Wes was teaching. I was surprised when he recognized me as a teacher (Atlanta is a big city) and fully expected to be ostracized as per my previous experience. But that wasn’t the case at all. The class was very pleasant (and very hot and difficult) but there was nothing but kindness from the teacher. That made a big difference and made me much more inclined to support the studio.

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Yoga in Atlanta – Where to go for Yoga Classes

Saturday, January 5th, 2008

I have had a number of people approach me lately about wanting to start yoga. Some of the big questions were, “Where should I go?”, “What are the classes like?” and “Will it help me relax/get in shape/lower my blood pressure?”.

Yes, yoga will help you lower your blood pressure, get in shape and calm you down. But if you live in Atlanta, a big factor is actually getting to a studio. If you get stressed out in traffic or have to rush to get to a class, thereby raising your blood pressure and anxiety, the net gain will not be as great. Duh.

My advice: try out 5 different places and/or styles of yoga. Start with a convenient location or travel to a not-so-convenient location on a Saturday morning when traffic is not an issue. Approach each place with an open mind as they will all be different. Go back and revisit your top 2 choices, learn more about their style and begin the process of integrating 1-3 practices at home every week. Use the weekly or bi-weekly class for learning, but start practicing at home. Buy a couple of videos related to your favorite style of yoga and just do it.

If you’re interested in ‘generic’, one-size-fits-all yoga, go to a gym. Gyms are much less touchy-feely and usually will not involve Ohms or chanting or incense. Most studios vary on their candle burning, feel-good, let’s chant in non-English components, but many of them have it. If that stuff freaks you out, stay at the gym. But gym yoga is like eating at McDonalds and there are a few McYogaStudios in the Atlanta area ready to serve the masses.

At the end of the day, yoga is about creating space between your last thought and your next thought. Just like in meditation, breath awareness is central to this process. Some types of yoga may not even mention the breath. Some types will have you sit in a room and do nothing more than breathing techniques. And the best way to learn about what works best for you is just to start trying. It’s like trying to describe the taste of an orange – the best way to know is to taste it yourself.

I hope to give a review of some of the yoga studios in Atlanta in a different post. Until then, here are some of the basic types of yoga and my take on them.

  • Anusara
  • – Yoga based on the teaching of John Friend. Classes are challenging, some chanting in the beginning, are suitable for most and make you feel good. Inner and outer body alignment are focus points.

  • Ashtanga
  • – Yoga based on the teaching of Pattabhi Jois (Guruji). Vinyasa, Power, Flow – these other forms of yoga are based on Ashtanga. Ashtanga has some chanting, synchronized breath and movement (vinyasa) and makes you sweat a lot. It is physically demanding and most suitable for the young, athletic and strong. I wouldn’t recommend it for a couch potato looking to start yoga. But the practice is fun and moves quickly.

  • Bikram
  • – Yoga based on the teaching of Bikram Choudhury and involves a series of 26 yoga postures done twice, facing a mirror in a very hot room. Every teacher says the same thing in every class, literally. You like hot and constant? Bikram’s for you. Bikram makes you sweat buckets and does feel really good if you can stand the heat. I don’t believe they chant.

  • Gym/Mcyoga studio
  • – Teaching styles vary greatly from teacher to teacher. There are some really good teachers, however, so don’t discount them altogether.

  • Iyengar
  • – Yoga based on BKS Iyengar. Iyengar is very focused on alignment and precision. Instructors are highly trained and have the most difficult road to certification. Classes can be very intense and may focus on very few postures. Generally good for all.

  • Community Yoga Centers
  • – These little gems usually have no advertising, are usually free or low-cost, and are often taught by very knowledgeable teachers. A “community center” might actually be a room in a local church.

    I am leaving out many other systems but perhaps I’ll visit them at another time.

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