Where in the Hell can you go in Maui to find a yoga studio?
HA!! My question lately has been more like, where can I ESCAPE the yoga??
The answer: You cant.
Maui is like the Medina of Yoga, not THE Mecca, but one of the three pilgrimage spots for sure. And Boy do they pilgrimage here! Every week I meet a new couple or 60 year old woman on a spirit quest following their guru around the globe... Its really weird, and really beautiful all at the same time... Hell, I used to live in Jerusalem (btw, that's the OTHER holy city of Islam) and I KNOW 'weird'. And honestly, I think I love it too...
I am more of the 'fall into my teachers arms after I jumped off some huge spiritual cliff ' kind of student than the dedicated, 'ill follow you off the cliff' kind. Well, I jumped over three oceans and landed here, at the Maui Mysore Style yoga studio. I'm pretty sure it was completely fate. Lord knows, I had NO part at all in the decision to start with this kind of yoga. I just 'took what I got', and wow, I definitely could not have picked better.
Mysore Style.
You have a small idea about what ashtanga yoga is. Well, in terms of class style, there is two different kinds of approaches to learning this ashtanga. There is the led class style, which I'm sure more of you are familiar with. Everyone follows the teacher and does all of the poses at the same time.
The second type of class style is called Mysore. (its named this after the city this style came from) In Mysore style, everyone is at their own pace. A practitioner can come into the 'class' any time between 730 and 9 for example and practice until they are finished. Part of progressing in the Ashtanga practice is memorizing each pose, or Asana. I LOVE this. Like i said before, I'm not really the follow the leader type. In Mysore style, IM THE BOSS! o yeah.
I love this style also because I can have a 15 year practicing yogini on my left side and a 1 month practicing old man on my right. We all just laugh together as we are constantly challenging ourselves to get deeper into whatever pretzel move we are up to in our sequence. And DO WE LAUGH! The day you get to the point of putting your feet over your head (and it comes a lot sooner than you'd think) and rolling in a ball all around your yoga mat, you've earned a good laugh.
Everyone in the class is holding the same space, focusing on the same place, and moving the same kind of energy, but at the pace that is right for them. Its a very special thing to struggle with your body and mind in a group that is having the same exact struggles as you. The person on my left is inspiring me to deeper levels, while the person on my right is reminding me where i came from.
Another cool thing about Mysore style is that it is more of a reflection of real life than a traditional led class. While the environment is a meditative and sacred one (we do pray before we start after all!) it can also come with distractions every now and then. People are having their own struggle right along side each other. These struggles include, crying, farting, giggling... all kinds of distractions, like I said. This small microcosm forces me for an hour every day to accept the world around me as is and to struggle with my own focus only. I cant change anything around me, only whats within me. A Mysore style class is an amazingly forgiving and gentle learning pad for this.
Basically, in Mysore style, I feel like I'm in my own little yoga class, in my own little world, on my own little yoga mat (well, the one i borrow from them)...
My teachers come and correct me or encourage me or tell me to quit bitching and just breath.
After yoga, we sit and have tea. Ah, the Tea. If you come to Maui Mysore Style for just one reason, it should be because of the Chi Tea. Some days the thought of the chi at the other side of my down ward dog keeps me going.. and so does the smiles and laughter of Shari and Avi, my teachers.
I'm not trying to show favoritism, but I think my teachers might just have a special touch. I'm just sayin'...
Everyone one of my friends who comes, never leaves... kind of annoying when Im trying to avoid them, but I think that's quite the testament to the power of this style and this Shala (yogi for 'yoga studio')
Here is the link, in case you were wondering:
www.mauimysorestyle.com
HA!! My question lately has been more like, where can I ESCAPE the yoga??
The answer: You cant.
Maui is like the Medina of Yoga, not THE Mecca, but one of the three pilgrimage spots for sure. And Boy do they pilgrimage here! Every week I meet a new couple or 60 year old woman on a spirit quest following their guru around the globe... Its really weird, and really beautiful all at the same time... Hell, I used to live in Jerusalem (btw, that's the OTHER holy city of Islam) and I KNOW 'weird'. And honestly, I think I love it too...
I am more of the 'fall into my teachers arms after I jumped off some huge spiritual cliff ' kind of student than the dedicated, 'ill follow you off the cliff' kind. Well, I jumped over three oceans and landed here, at the Maui Mysore Style yoga studio. I'm pretty sure it was completely fate. Lord knows, I had NO part at all in the decision to start with this kind of yoga. I just 'took what I got', and wow, I definitely could not have picked better.
Mysore Style.
You have a small idea about what ashtanga yoga is. Well, in terms of class style, there is two different kinds of approaches to learning this ashtanga. There is the led class style, which I'm sure more of you are familiar with. Everyone follows the teacher and does all of the poses at the same time.
The second type of class style is called Mysore. (its named this after the city this style came from) In Mysore style, everyone is at their own pace. A practitioner can come into the 'class' any time between 730 and 9 for example and practice until they are finished. Part of progressing in the Ashtanga practice is memorizing each pose, or Asana. I LOVE this. Like i said before, I'm not really the follow the leader type. In Mysore style, IM THE BOSS! o yeah.
I love this style also because I can have a 15 year practicing yogini on my left side and a 1 month practicing old man on my right. We all just laugh together as we are constantly challenging ourselves to get deeper into whatever pretzel move we are up to in our sequence. And DO WE LAUGH! The day you get to the point of putting your feet over your head (and it comes a lot sooner than you'd think) and rolling in a ball all around your yoga mat, you've earned a good laugh.
Everyone in the class is holding the same space, focusing on the same place, and moving the same kind of energy, but at the pace that is right for them. Its a very special thing to struggle with your body and mind in a group that is having the same exact struggles as you. The person on my left is inspiring me to deeper levels, while the person on my right is reminding me where i came from.
Another cool thing about Mysore style is that it is more of a reflection of real life than a traditional led class. While the environment is a meditative and sacred one (we do pray before we start after all!) it can also come with distractions every now and then. People are having their own struggle right along side each other. These struggles include, crying, farting, giggling... all kinds of distractions, like I said. This small microcosm forces me for an hour every day to accept the world around me as is and to struggle with my own focus only. I cant change anything around me, only whats within me. A Mysore style class is an amazingly forgiving and gentle learning pad for this.
Basically, in Mysore style, I feel like I'm in my own little yoga class, in my own little world, on my own little yoga mat (well, the one i borrow from them)...
My teachers come and correct me or encourage me or tell me to quit bitching and just breath.
After yoga, we sit and have tea. Ah, the Tea. If you come to Maui Mysore Style for just one reason, it should be because of the Chi Tea. Some days the thought of the chi at the other side of my down ward dog keeps me going.. and so does the smiles and laughter of Shari and Avi, my teachers.
I'm not trying to show favoritism, but I think my teachers might just have a special touch. I'm just sayin'...
Everyone one of my friends who comes, never leaves... kind of annoying when Im trying to avoid them, but I think that's quite the testament to the power of this style and this Shala (yogi for 'yoga studio')
Here is the link, in case you were wondering:
www.mauimysorestyle.com
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