THE FIRST ONE

Welcome to the Dirgha Kala blog!

As you know, this is a new class and I am new to Lexington and Barefoot Works, but I'm not new to either yoga or blog writing. And I am really excited about this! My hope is that the blog is another way in which we can learn together and get to know each other better. It is simply not possible to include every important or valuable or interesting piece of information in a single 75 minute class each week. It would be fantastic if we had many hours together on different days of the week and at different times of the day. The details we could explore and the levels of understanding we could achieve would be greatly enhanced. While that isn't available to us, this forum is. And here we can continue the conversation outside of the classroom.

It will be a joint effort, and not simply me writing things for you to read. What I'll provide is information which supplements and elaborates upon what we experience in class. You will, among other things, be able to see each week's sequence before we practice it together. That way you will know what to expect before you arrive, you can practice a little ahead of time, and you can prepare questions or anticipate the need for props or assists. I will also discuss each week's class after it takes place, highlighting areas of success and setting intentions for future work. I will also incorporate discussion of yoga philosophies and methodologies that we may not have time for during practice. That allows you to better understand not just what we're doing, but also how and why. It also means that you can stay informed if you happen to miss a class or two. It's meant to be fun and interesting and informative and engaging. But again, it can't just be me writing to you.

To be an effective experience, this has to be a dialogue. I will happily share what I know with you if you will attend class as consistently as possible, ask questions, and share comments. I often see students straining or stressing during practice -- they look tense or frustrated -- and I like to say "It's just yoga; don't take it too seriously." My point is that you should relax and enjoy it. Our practice times should be a release from stress, not a source of it. While yoga comes in a multitude of forms and functions, and it means different things to different people, it is a serious endeavor (at least it can be if you want it to be). Assuming your practice is important to you, it deserves earnest effort and a level of seriousness that demonstrates to ourselves and to others that it is a priority. Yoga does not cease to play a significant role in my life when I step off the mat. I take it with me everywhere I go: I think about it, I talk about it, I read about it. I practice Ujjayi breath when I'm stuck in traffic. I make better food choices when I know I'll be practicing later in the day. When I'm facing a problem or conflict, I look at it through the lens of the Yoga Sutra. If that sounds like you, then this is for you. (And if that doesn't sound like you, then it is perfectly OK to say "no thank you" to this experience.) Fun, right?

I think that is enough to get us started. The next couple of posts will include the first week's sequence (which took place on May 18), and some thoughts on what exactly Dirgha Kala means and where it comes from.

Enjoy and see you soon!