Back from NZ

It's good to be back in Austin again... New Zealand just started their winter, so the weather was gloomy most of the days and raining! You just can't beat the sunshine we get in Austin.

Yesterday was my first class back with Sanieh. It was an asymmetrical hip opening focus using Vrkasana. I was a bit sad leaving New Zealand (I love that place!) that the hip opening class left me even more emotional. It was a great practice nevertheless. We ended with a little bit of 'meditation' using eyes focusing upward, downward, left, and right. Great exercise for the eyes!

This morning, my coworker sent me this article on the super-grannie-yogini for inspiration!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1172810/The-yoga-supergran-bend-backwards-age-83.html

Sweating Buckets

This is how I felt today at Sanieh's Hatha Flow class. She turned up the heat, but only to 83. I was sweating profusely. I wish I had a towel to wipe off the sweat dripping down my face, almost blinding me! At times like these, I turn my head to look at my shoulder, see sweat bubbles, and then get happy. It's totally superficial, but I do get satisfaction out of seeing those sweat bubbles (or really just sweat out of my pores).

Sanieh is my yoga mentor, she also keeps a blog. In a recent post, she shared the first two verses of Hanuman Chalisa, which I found beautiful:

"We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment, but it is transient. It is a little parenthesis in eternity. If we share with caring, lightheartedness, and love, we will create abundance and joy for each other. And then this moment will have been worthwhile." -Deepak Chopra

This is what I believe too and is how I would like my dance classes to be, a time and space that encourages sharing which results in joy.