Intermediate Yoga 101
By Bretton Keating "What is Intermediate Flow?" on Wednesday nights is a difficult question for me to answer. It changes week by week, based on the students in the room. I feel that this class is a space to share the things that I am working on in my personal practice, both as a student and teacher, as well as a space for others to bring whatever they want to work on in their practices. In order to write this blog post, I asked a student who comes to class consistently how she would describe it. She pinpointed what we do on Wednesdays succinctly: “fine tuning poses you already know.” She elaborated with, “poses I was afraid to try in a ‘Hey, let’s all do this together,’ way,” and described the class as non-presumptive, incorporating individual adjustments as well as hands-on assists in an almost workshop-like format. In my opinion, the difference between a beginner yoga student and a more "intermediate" student - which, by the way, I typically shy away from defining students this way - lies in the details of practice. These include aspects such as breath, bandha (locks), drishti (eye gaze), alignment, and is the student in their body? Does a physical cue land in the body, and are they able to adjust their practice by then implementing the instruction the next time they take the pose? Number of years or classes does not make someone more intermediate than anyone else. The ability to do a posture that looks beautiful in a photo doesn’t make someone intermediate, either. Intermediate flow is about focusing on the details, building strength and grace, and ultimately, taking the practice deeper in both body and mind. Everyone can take this class, regardless of previous experience or physical ability. No matter how many or few yoga classes you have taken, you are welcome to join us and feel some of these concepts for yourself. You may not leave with a stereotypical “yoga high”. Hopefully you will feel as though you moved with breath, which does often contribute to the sensations we can feel after a yoga practice. You will also hopefully leave feeling embodied, relaxed, stronger, and like you learned something of value. My goal as a teacher is to encourage students to use the practice and their own internal wisdom as a teacher; to listen to intuition and allow the practice to work its magic. This can mean slowing down, breathing deeply, using the physical messages as sources of inspiration and wisdom; it means something different for each person in each given moment. It’s always changing, as is Wednesday night's Intermediate Flow class. So I cannot promise you what the class will look like or what we’ll be working on if or when you come in the room. But I do hope that you’ll join us, as this class holds a special place in my heart. It was my first regular class on the schedule when I (accidentally) moved back here with heels dragging, and it has since been a bright point in my week. No matter how long or stressful of a day I have had, I always leave the studio Wednesday night feeling filled by the students that show up and have immense gratitude for my job and the Yoga Heights community. Namaste.
Take class with Bretton: Wednesday at Takoma – 7:45 pm (Intermediate Flow)Thursday at Takoma – 5:00 pm (Half-Price Flow)Saturday at Takoma – 12:30 pm (Ashtanga) and 3:30 pm (Family Yoga)Sunday at Georgia Ave. – 3:45 pm (Pre/Postnatal Flow)