How it all began (yoga-wise)

I started taking yoga classes about 16 years ago, when I was 18 (if you're interested in math, you can do a little to figure out how old I am). I have always had back issues and the classes I took would help with the pain. The style of yoga didn't matter much to me. In fact, I probably wasn't even aware that there were different styles, or traditions. As much as I loved the classes I took, I never really progressed in my practice. I'm not naturally flexible (couldn't even touch my toes!) or strong (aside from my right bicep, from working a year at Baskin-Robbins), and I didn't gain much flexibility or strength from practicing yoga. Enter New Orleans.

My partner, Alex, and I moved to New Orleans in 2003 for Alex's math post-doc at Tulane (yes, he's also a math nerd). I managed to get a lectureship at UNO, and to convince Alex to take a yoga class with me. We took one at the rec. center at Tulane, and it was ok. Sometime in the winter, we went to a math department party, and Alex was talking with a colleague who was practicing Ashtanga Yoga. We weren't familiar with it, and she compared it to Power Yoga, which completely turned me off.  I wasn't interested in an aerobics class trying to pass for a yoga class! Alex was interested though, so he decided to do the introductory class. He went once and enjoyed it, and asked me to join him the next time. His description of the class sounded ok to me, so I agreed. Enter Kiran.

I immediately fell in love with Kiran. Aside from being incredibly knowledgeable about yoga and Ashtanga in particular, she also knew the human body very well and knew when to push and when to back off. Ashtanga teachers tend to be pretty hands-on when it comes to adjustments--physically moving your body, rather than talking to you about where your body should be. Kiran had a really good sense of the energy running through the body as well, and for me, her adjustments were not just moving parts of my body, but moving energy too. I consider myself to be extremely fortunate to have had Kiran as my first Ashtanga teacher. She spoiled me for most other teachers, which made things difficult in the future, but I'm glad to have such standards. I think this has kept my body safe (for the most part) and it has kept my practice from turning into something that I didn't want it to be (competitive, analytical, purely physical, etc.).

So, back to the intro class: Kiran not only introduced us to the physical practice, but also presented the history of Ashtanga, as well as the other limbs (there are 8). The practice was intense, but she started us off gradually and I actually found myself becoming stronger and more limber than I had ever been. We began with the sun salutations (Surya Namaskara A & B), and then each Sunday Kiran would add new postures. Alex and I would also attend the evening mysore class a few times each week. By the end of the first month, we had the standing postures under our belts. At some point we switched to the morning classes (6am!) so that we could practice at the shala 6 days a week.

At this time, there was a little bit of fun competition between Alex and me, though it was never real because he is way stronger and way more flexible than me. My one claim to fame is my long, monkey arms, which allowed me to get into Marichyasana D the first time I tried it. Meanwhile, it took Alex a while for his hands to meet. We progressed through the Primary Series postures over the summer, and began the Intermediate Series in the fall. The furthest I've gone in the Intermediate Series is Supta Urdhva Pada Vajrasana, but Alex does the old Advanced A Series, which is mostly the new Advanced A Series, and some of new B.  So, here we were, happily trucking along with our Ashtanga practice, loving Kiran, the shala, our fellow practitioners and New Orleans. Enter Katrina.

Hurricane Katrina arrived, and threw the first big wrench into my practice--along with mucking up other things for us, the rest of New Orleans and much of the Gulf coast.

Up next: Katrina Ate My Yoga Practice
Also, I promise to get to mommying soon!