Arrived at Kripalu in Stockbridge, Massachusetts around 1pm. Frazzled from my 4-hour busride, which was beautiful, but just a couple hours too long. I was picked up by a Kripalu staffer at the busstop and delivered to the front door of the place with instructions to "check-in". Which I did, with a fairly nice, but somewhat distant, front desk person (I think I was expecting someone more, I don't know...smiley) and given a key card for my room. I stood there blankly, waiting for more, and he just kind of looked at me.
"Um...where do I..."
He came to a bit more attentiveness, "Have you been here before?". "No" I said. No, mister not-nearly-as-friendly-as-I-want-you-to-be, I have not been here before. He added a couple maps of the building to my materials, told me I had missed lunch and if I wanted it I would have to pay $15 anyhow but that there was a cafe with "healthy snacks" still open. Sigh. I decided to just go to my room, put down my stuff, and make a game plan from there.
My room was empty, to my great relief, and a "standard" room, which meant two beds instead of a dormitory. So far I was the only one there, and I hoped silently that I would not actually end up with a roommate, though I knew this was probably too good to be true. The room was nice, though small, and the one window looked out on...well...not much. The grounds of Kripalu were gorgeous, absolutely blanketed in snow, and the temperature was dropping steadily and I, not knowing much about anything, had only brought one pair of shoes, not suited for winter weather, so it became clear very quickly that I would be confined to the indoors. And so far, I was not sure what that really meant...
It was getting close to 2pm by the time I'd put down my things, called Paul for some moral support, and checked out the maps and schedules. The first yoga class I could take was at 4:15pm and I was starving, so I decided that first course of action would be to find the cafe and get myself a "healthy snack". This turned out to be just one floor away and indeed, it was full of yummy organic stuff. I settled on a green tea, a bag of trail mix, and a Luna Bar (a staple in my diet), and I sat down at a sunny table with a view of the snow to read all about Kripalu in the materials I'd been handed upon arrival.
I was still a little amped up from my ride and a little too hot in the sun and feeling timid and aggravated and growing more so by the minute as I felt myself surrounded by people who were just way too goddamn RELAXED! Stupid smiling people admiring the stupid view. I could not WAIT for yoga class.
I lasted about, oh, 45 minutes in the cafe before returning to my room, where (still thankfully its only resident) I called a dear friend and crabbed to her about everything. My spiritual life, my career, my feeling of awkwardness in this place that was supposed to be a respite! She listened to me and advised me in her wise wise way and after an hour on the phone I was feeling soothed and ready for my 4:15 class.
I had opted for the "vigorous" class, as I knew I needed something a little forceful in order to kick out the last of my funk, and I chose wisely, as I was definitely fully kicked by the end of it. Kripalu classes are set up as follows:
The teacher teaches, as far as I experienced, with a head-mic. Which is nice because you don't ever have to struggle to hear them, and also good for them, as there is definitely a "soothing" quality to the instruction and adjustments, and this allows them to talk softly no matter how large the class. Still, head mics take some getting used to.
Also, the teacher's mat is set up perpendicular to the mats of the students and he or she participates in the asana while leading it. This, I have to admit, I was not super fond of. I like to feel that the teacher is engaged with us, the students, and what we are doing, and in this set up there is just no way for their attention not to be divided. At least 1/2 of the time they are looking away, necessarily, as they are performing the asana themselves, and it makes me, as student, feel that I am then actually given the responsibility of watching them, while they teach, if I want to make sure I am doing the asana correctly. Which takes me just a bit out of my own practice and my own body. I never have this feeling when the teacher is walking around and engaged only with the act of teaching--their presence in that case is a comfort and I trust that if I am out of sync they will catch it.
I'd be really interested to hear from any Kripalu teachers/students about this practice--is there a reason behind it? Is there a benefit that I'm totally missing here?
Anyhow. After adjusting to these two things, I found the class really great. Difficult and specific and uplifting...all the things a girl could want from a class. Including (and I've come to realize this is a really serious part of the whole Kripalu teaching/learning model) a lot of pranayama. Which I love. And only usually do on a pretty sporadic basis. It was kick-ass. And for those of you who don't know, pranayama is a practice with the breath, basically. (Please jump in, those of you more knowledgeable!) And there are some amazing practices that really get that prana flowing and feel, to me, like they wake up every cell in my body. Every time I do really vigorous pranayam, I think to myself WHY don't I do this ALL THE TIME. It's like...it changes your brain. Instantly.
So...class was great, and I was so ready for dinner by the time it ended.
And dinner...Blew. My. Mind.
The food there?! Oh my freakin' god. Oh. My. God. Good. Really, really, really exceptionally good. No dessert, which was a little disappointing. But actually, the food was so excellent, I didn't even NEED dessert. If you can believe that. (Though I did slather some jam and butter on a piece of homemade sunflower bread and pretended it was cake...).
The evening activity, post-dinner, that first night was, ahem, a drum circle. Which...I hate to say it, is not really for me. Maybe...maybe in a very specific certain situation I could see myself doing that, but.... And, okay, okay...I did OWN a djembe in college. But I think everyone owned a djembe in college. At least in the Pacific Northwest. So...though I did however outside the door to the room for a few minutes, thinking maybe since I'd not spoken to another soul all day (except on the phone) it might be good for me, but no. I couldn't do it. I decided instead to head to the sauna and whirlpool, and oh ladies and gentlemen, I made the RIGHT choice.
Not only was it just dreamy (the whirlpool looks like a spaceship when you get in...all white light and fog)...I met two really sweet and interesting chicks from Boston, Maya and Kelly, who I hung out with the rest of the evening until finally retiring to my room (where I did, indeed, now have a roommate. A very sweet one, thankfully). At the ripe old hour of 10pm.
All in all, a beautiful first day.
Tomorrow: the photoshoot...
2 comments:
Sounds wonderful! Although I share your dislike of teachers doing the asana along with the class. When I was in my teacher training, we were actually taught that that was a terrible thing to do-- both for the students AND our own practice. The idea was that we should be among the students, adjusting and advising as needed, and occasionally exhibiting the poses with instruction. But my teachers specifically warned us that when you do the asana along with the class it often becomes a substitute for your own practice, and it can't possibly be a good practice if your focus is split between the poses and the teaching. But mostly it keeps the students focusing outside themselves, when the goal is to turn inward.
Yes, yes! That is exactly what I'm talking about. And that's funny, because one of the other teachers there actually did say that she thought what sucked about it was the teachers were just trying to fit their own practice into the class. Yeah, I'm not into that.
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