Journal 5

    This week we had Iyengar and Ashtanga yoga practices. I enjoyed the opportunity to get moving around more than usual during class time. So far I have taken a liking to Iyengar sequences oppose to Ashtanga. The movements are more in sync with my current bodily ability so I tend to feel comfortable and capable. Our instructors for this week, Amita and David taught Iyengar and ashtanga with their own personal knowledge, experience and style, which set the two practices apart. 
    While practicing Iyengar with Amita, she demonstrated each and every posture. Every movement was broken down verbally and physically to ensure execution from us, students. This is something I appreciated since I am fairly new to yoga, and she taught the class as such. Her postures made me feel grounded and relaxed, as she remined us to plant our feet on all for corners, whether for balance or reset position. I used that as a basis to stay on track without wobbling or forgetting to breath, which she didn't tend to mention very much. She called for short breaks in between and multiple sets within each position. I enjoyed her transitions that consisted of jumping in and out of postures. Something about it and the anticipation for the next transition kept me immersed in the practice, rather than simply stepping back in and out. Also, the volume of her voice and the energy through both her voice and body kept me motivated to follow along and hit each posture introduced. Having felt her willing nature, my overall experience was heightened.  
    Ashtanga practice with David was a brand new yoga experience for me. His tone of voice was unlike Amita's but it set a calm mood for the duration of the session, which was appropriate due to the consistent moving and nonstop breathing that he directed. This was our first practice where the instructor spoke and the yogi demonstrated the postures for us to follow. Practicing this way wasn't so bad since the yogi was experienced. I enjoyed watching exactly how each posture should look when executed properly. The downside to this was that her experience allowed David to move at an advanced pace, which isn't ideal in my case. I had a tendency to lag behind, and there where a few postures I could not execute, but I did my best to keep up. This practice was a bit nostalgic for me because some of the postures reminded me of my childhood cheerleading days. Specifically, the reverse summersault, backbend, headstand and other floor movements like these were what I would do for fun on my living room floor as kid who was tampering with her new found flexibility. The sequence presented is the first one I could not complete proficiently, but would love to thoroughly accomplish in time. I am thankful to both instructors for the new experiences and new found enthusiasm for ashtanga yoga. 

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