Monday, April 23, 2007

Live Yoga in White Rock


Instructor
: Leanne Kitteridge

Yoga Type: Anusara
Studio: Live Yoga
Address: 1227 Johnston Road, White Rock, BC
Phone: 604-641-yoga
Web:
www.liveyoga.ca

Introduction
Snuggled a hop, skip and jump from the beach in White Rock, Live Yoga is a smaller studio that offers ashtanga, anusara, yin and pre-natal yoga. Myself and a few other lululemon athletica employees attended Leanne's Anusara yoga class last Tuesday night at the cosy studio full of neighbourly local students to check it out. If you are like I was before the class, you may be wondering what Anusara yoga is. Founded in 1997 by John Friend, Anusara is a fairly new yoga on the block, which is a hatha inspired system that also embodies a tantric heart-oriented philosophy of intrinsic goodness. Anusara means "flowing with grace" or "going with the flow".

Method
I soon found out that going with the flow can take a lot of work--especially at first! With the effort involved in postures, I really appreciated Leanne's active method of getting us to "hug our bones" with our muscles invoking isometric contractions to prevent injury before going into postures and her one-on-one proactive involvment with students to help them achieve safe and proper forms. After popping my knee in an almost competitive Bikram's class this meant a lot to me. I also liked that handstand is considered a beginner posture so I got to practice handstands again, which I hadn't since I stopped Capoeira years ago.

Special Features
One of my favourite parts of the class came at the end after savasana when Leanne poured out herbal tea in lovely little glasses, passed it around and we all took a moment to chit chat and relax. I could see that much of the friendly ambience was induced by Leanne's interaction with the students. It was a nice change from many of the Vancouver classes I've attended with a larger and interpersonally colder feel. It was the first time I've attended a yoga class and received such a sense of community, and since the Sanskrit root of the word yoga literally means "union", perhaps it was one of the first real yoga classes I've attended. I will definately make a point to go out and try one of Lauren's yin yoga classes at the studio next. It's a good excuse for a mini day trip to sunny White Rock followed up by cappuccinos or a stroll on the beach.



Live Yoga Anusara yoga: Two thumbs WAY up from me.

A New Practice

Yoga has exploded onto the health scene in North America over the last few years. The number of studios are sprouting up like mushrooms in a cow field and there seems to be a new kind of yoga for every new moon. For those who have not tried yoga, much of the territory may seem a little trendy or wishy washy, and for those who have already started yoga practices of their own it is hard to keep up with what is out there.

I started practicing yoga myself 14 years ago with Iyengar and have continued off and on ever since. I've also had the recent opportunity to visit studios twice a week due to a staff yoga program at my new employ at lululemon athletica in Lotus Land, Vancouver--one of the healthiest places in the world. I've realized that this privilege plus the need for information on the practice of yoga, instructors and studios could make for a useful reference. I have to admit that I am hoping that 'yogic' writing will also give me an incentive to practice more regularly! Hence this new blog, an offshoot from my previous one, to chronical my yoga journey and the places and people I meet along the way.

A new occupation, a renewed practice and a new preoccupation. I hope it will be both of use and enjoyable!