A Second Chance for Yoga in Delaware

During my yoga road trip week I visited a large studio in Wilmington, Delaware, that I did not have the best experience in (see previous Blog: "Bigger is not Always Better"). I wanted to get back to the tiny state to the south to see if that was a rare instance, which I am sure it was, so that I could remove any negative thoughts about their yoga community from my mind. So I went online and found a smaller studio in Wilmington named Tulaa (the sanskrit word for balance).

I arrived 15 minutes before class to a locked door. Peeking in I could see a small check-in area, two pairs of shoes, and little else. The sign on the door said if yoga class has started or body work is in session, the door will be locked. I checked the time again. Well, class hadn't started yet, so apparently there's a very small window of opportunity to get into this place, I thought!

I wondered if I should wait in my car or not. I decided to take a stroll down the plaza to see what else was there. The typical: nail salon, pizza place (Best in Delaware!), etc. I walked back and peeked in the window again. Yup, shoes still there, door still locked. Then just as I was about to go sit in my car, a girl drove up and got out with a yoga mat. She greeted me while a smile.

"Are you the yoga teacher?" I asked.

"Yes, I sure hope you haven't been waiting long," she commented.

I smiled and told her no, then we went into the studio. Small space with two treatment rooms for massage: 1 in front of studio and 1 behind the yoga room. Everything was gray and white, with a couple small Buddha ornaments, a few chairs and cubbies. There were no brochures, flyers, things to purchase, or information on upcoming events. Even the large chalkboard behind the desk simply had a picture of a sun and a quote that read something like "How can you make footprints in the sand if you are sitting down? Who wants to make butt prints?" It was cute and I chuckled...then wondered exactly what it meant. I mean, what's wrong with butt prints?

It was a 1 hour all level Vinyasa class, and that's pretty much what we got. I think there were 4 of us in the room of various levels of experience. We started seated with a few easy stretches - there was no check in to see how we were or ask if there was anything we wanted to do. But I know how to take care of myself and I'm letting go of that sort of thing on my yoga road trips, so I went with it.

We did a standard Vinyasa sequence. The breath cues were good, the alignment was - eh, okay to "come into Warrior I" with no cues. She rattled of a litany of variations at the beginning of the pose, most of which I missed because I was focusing on "getting there." And even though she walked the room (pacing style), she never did any hands on assists or adjustments. I struggled not to judge her as a teacher, and was doing okay, then nearly lost it when I saw her do her first forward bend, push back into her heels and lock her knees! Agh!!! Further research on her bio explained why: former ballerina. Some of the most challenging yoga students I've ever had were former ballerinas. So much of the form they have drilled into their heads completely goes against what we tell students to do safely in yoga.

Okay, end of my critique. Now about my experience...

As I sit here writing about it a couple of hours later, I really feel no change in myself. I don't really feel as though I practiced yoga today. The same tightness and stress that I had from this morning still exists now. During class I took care of myself, modified as I should, redirected my breath/movement intention as I needed to, and followed her guide with the sequence. But I wasn't moved. I wasn't challenged or nurtured.

The A/C was cranked when we started to practice. I tried to let that go, but it was cold. I never broke a sweat, and just as we began to get a little warm, the flow was over and the A/C went back on. I just cannot understand practicing in a yoga studio with air conditioning on. I'm sorry, it hardly broke 8o degrees by the time we were practicing, why was the A/C on anyway? I understand for beginner classes or in certain circumstances you may need to put a little air on, but for me, I simply cannot practice like that. I need heat and I need to sweat - otherwise I do not feel the benefits practicing.

I noticed the teacher was Yogafit certified and is from Texas, originally. That explained a lot to me. I guess at this point in my tenure as a teacher, I simply need philosophy, spirituality and depth to my practice. It doesn't have to be physically challenging for me to get something out of it - a well planned Restorative or Gentle class will do the same. But it's just difficult for me to find enjoyment in a practice based solely at the physical level.

In looking on the website I don't think this particular teacher is indicative of the whole operation. It looks like a small studio that is getting up and going. And they have a Thursday evening Asthanga guided primary series there. I'm curious about that and it would be a better drive than going into Philly, so I may go back and check that out with another teacher.

At this point I'm struggling a little with determining if I'm turning into a yoga "snob" of sorts or just closing in on the type of practice that resonates with me. My hope is that I am not coming off as the first, because I do always learn something from every yoga class I've ever taken. Today she reminded me of a small arm variation for WII I had been wanting to do lately. I'd almost forgotten about it, but I'll add it in to class tonight. So I'm grateful for that. And, there is also a Trader Joe's right across the street from the studio, so of course that is a plus too...especially since in Delaware there's no sales tax. So I did a little shopping and then headed home.

In the end I think I'm still convinced that some of the best yoga classes are the ones in our area - Mercer County and up into NYC. The teachers in this area are by far more knowledgable, nurturing and challenging. I'm hoping this trend I'm seeing of the stripped down physical practice of yoga in other areas eventually grows into something more spiritual and with depth that we also have.

So, I'll give Delaware one more chance, and perhaps the 3rd time will be the charm. I'll keep you posted.
Namaste.

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