So Many Backbends

Here is me and Anne with George, one of my favorite Iyengar teachers. He is so funny, so genuinely nice and so able to inspire hard work without shame, criticism or anything negative attached to it. Since demeanor is so casual it is sometimes easy to miss the depth of his knowledge, training and experience but he is really a great teacher. One time my spiritual teacher said that true humility is one of the most rare qualities to find in a person. I think George has it.


Note the cure bloomers we are all wearing. Perhaps we should have demanded a full body shot to really show the truly unflattering nature of said bloomers.

George definitely wins the creative bloomer award. These have some kind of Chinese symbols on them. I really like his John Deere pair. One time I was in a class with him when someone said they were going to make him some with lace and challenge him to wear them. He replied that he would certainly wear them explaining, "That is the great thing about being so comfortable with one' s masculinity. Stuff like lace is no problem for me." Love that guy. Particularly funny to imagine if you actually know him.

Well the main thing I have to say about yesterday is SO MANY BACK BENDS! Ustrasana, shalabasana, makrasana, danurasana, parsva danurasana, scorpion, kapotasana, and all kinds of grueling preparatory drills that I am certainly going to steal and make all of us practice this year. I had fun, I learned a ton, and had a great practice. I am never disappointed in a workshop with George. Oh also a fun thing is only one standing pose. of course it was uktasana and we did do it about 5 times but really, how wild- no trikonasana, no Vira 1, etc. Radical! Moslty back bends preapring us for more of the same. Very great sequencing. On a future post I want to write about the four pillars of back bending that he discussed but no time right now.

Okay- I have to bathe, drive to Austin for a meeting with Juan Amigo, then back home for the Eye of the Tiger at noon. More later.