Slow flow

At a class last week, a new student asked my teacher, Dina, what one of her rigorous classes is like. Dina explained that her classes don't move quickly from one pose to another, that she spends enough time in each pose to attain and maintain alignment, but that you can work hard and sweat in a class without moving quickly. She said she believes in practicing at this slower pace, and I felt extreme agreement and gratitude for being in her class. Her pace is perfect for me, and that is the first thing I noticed about her classes. She is so good at instructing the class to inhale and exhale at a comfortable pace. I have been in several Vinyasa or Hatha Flow classes that move too quickly. 3 years ago in one of those quick paced classes, I injured my elbow while lowering in chataranga (which is like a push up). I was moving too quickly, trying to keep up with the teacher's pace, and I was not holding proper alignment in my upper body. Something popped in my right elbow, and it is still a sore spot and a challenge for me in some yoga poses.

Last night I enjoyed a class taught by Dina. I was able to focus on her voice, and allow it to sooth and guide my mind and body. Sometimes my concentration is better than other times, and last night I was grateful to have the sensation of surrender and devotion. She invited us to set an intention for ourselves at the beginning of class, and she reminded us to think of our intention later in the class. I picked "patience" last night, because lately I've been frustrated by my limited upper body strength. I find a lot of value in setting an intention. It helped me last night, and I had a great experience with little or no self criticism.