kinoyoga.com
The idea of taking a famous yogi’s class has never appealed to me. I like intimate, small classes. The venues that host more well known yogis are often packed and less intimate. Sometimes the teacher is on a microphone, or even on a stage! The price for me is also a draw back. Am I really getting more out of this then having this person teach me online? What creates intimacy and connection in a yoga class? Will it be the same when I can’t even hear their voice or only see a tiny silhouette of their body? Is this going to feel more like a concert than a yoga class?
I’ve been doubtful. In the past I’ve told myself that I would much rather put that money towards a local studio, someone who still teaches from the heart, is knowledgeable and more affordable.
But still, when someone like Kino MacGregor comes to town, I second guess all of my assertions here.
Why?
Because Kino MacGregor is professional, very knowledgeable and down to earth. Yes I could find a local teacher with the same values, but that would take much more time and risk. After all, Kino inspires me, as she has inspired so many others around the world. Why wouldn’t I want to meet someone who has inspired my yoga journey?
I decided to try it out. That is, to purchase a workshop that would help me get my legs behind my head. And that is something that I know Kino MacGregor would help me with.
If you have no idea what I am talking about, perhaps you should check out her Instagram account…
instagram.com/kinoyoga
I’m SO glad that I took up the opportunity to be in her class!
It was unreal. Around 100 people were in the class, mat to mat, heart to heart. Kino positioned herself in the middle and began the workshop with some inspiration. She spoke about how long it took her to gather the strength and flexibility needed to put her legs behind her head. She talked about her very first yoga classes in India and how intimidated she was. She talked about the journey and how to approach flexibility. She even through in quite a few funny jokes that I wasn’t expecting. This grounded her. In fact, I was so impressed with how down to earth she was. This woman has written several books on yoga, works with professional photographers, and travels the world to teach yoga and do book signings. Yet in her workshop I didn’t see any signs of a celebrity figure at all, just a professional yogi trying to inspire a bunch of wide eyed yoga students.
Kino started the workshop with a lesson on the anatomy of the hip joint. She spoke about the trochanter, femur, sacrum, and spoke about their range of motion. For the hip joint to really have a full range of motion, Kino explained that the trochanter had to be “burried” under our skin, that is, when we could not feel it anymore. Soon we were turning our bodies over to the side, trying to locate our trochanters, developing a greater sense of body awareness.
Kino spoke at length about dynamic and passive flexibility– that is, flexibility based on strength and flexibility based on just letting go and basking in the discomfort of each stretch. She spoke about how our hips conceal our emotions, and how important it is to just feel out your discomfort rather than pushing through it. The real challenge of yoga is to be equanimous, she said, or rather, to be comfortable feeling and holding our bodies in discomfort. Simply notice your body in a stretch and don’t try to run away from it or push your body into pain. Simply notice where you are in space. This is amazing advice for any yogi looking to push through the poses to achieve an elusive goal. Bringing our practice into this perspective is reaffirming the fact that the path is the goal. As we move through the discomfort we find that slowly our bodies open up a little bit more each time that we attempt a stretch. While we are leading up to a final pose, the journey is the bulk of our experience. After all, would it really be that much of a goal if there was no struggle or perseverance involved? Of course these lessons are not only related to opening up the hips in yoga. These lessons aren’t even just related to yoga, they serve even more importance in daily life. How often have you tried to cut corners to arrive at a goal that your mind has set for you? Are you any happier in the end?
We did a series of passive and dynamic stretches, to which some were quite difficult and really kicked my butt so to speak. If you don’t think that opening up your hips will give you a workout, take Kino’s workshop and you will be pleasantly surprised. My quads were burning through the process. As our muscles were burning and the temperature was rising, I was very much in touch with my own body and felt oddly supported by the community around me. This is very much unlike my usual group yoga classes where I can’t help but glance at what everyone else is doing.
Our final challenge was to get our legs behind our head, one at a time. And, well…my attempts were much less than graceful…
Kino’s attempt
Sara’s attempt (toonpool.com)
The path is the goal, right? 😉
I’m sure I’ll get there someday. And this class definitely helped me push past the fear. Kino gave me many tools that I can use both as a student and teacher of yoga. Yes, of course, there were downsides to the workshop. I was lucky enough to sit in the first row but many people were much further away from her, making it hard to see. Being mat to mat made many of the exercises very uncomfortable– my head was brushing against my neighbour’s thighs, feet and bum quite a few times. There was little time for individual adjustments, too. But still, for me, the positives definitely outweighed the negatives.
my awkward, sweaty photo with Kino
I would highly recommend any of Kino’s workshops. She is knowledgeable, professional humble and incredibly inspiring. Her workshop has opened my mind about taking celebrity yogi workshops in the future.
I wonder who will be in town next…
Stay present,
xo Sara Lou
saralouyoga.wordpress.com 