…have yoga mat will travel

Yo!…Day 50… Already half way through this most excellent adventure… and the “spinnin’ on a dime”, YoYo’s celebrated by throwin’ their “best laid plans” out the proverbial window. Seems the “in the know” Bay Area yogis are a little more than adamant about addin’ more epic of the epic teachers to the YoYo’s vast itinerary. So “away we go” on this divine day, as we head waaaaay across the Bay to the space where luminary owners Rodney Yee and Richard Rosen, bring yoga leaders of legendary scope together at the Piedmont Yoga Studio. This stellar studio voted “Best Yoga Studio 2009″ by the readers of East Bay Express offers yoga classes for everybody; seniors, disabled persons, people suffering from illnesses, mom’s to be and well, …just everybody!

Ann Dyer

Ann Dyer

Today, we had the profound pleasure of takin’ a Hatha 2-4 class at this celebrated studio from Ann Dyer, ex-dancer, former jazz singer and now, on now her 3^rd blissful life, as a “most excellent” Hatha and Nada yoga instructor. Using her spiritually rich gift of voice, Anne joyfully began by filling the room with a most beautiful, soothing chant that relaxed the YoYo’s into Ann’s theme of the day….Shoulders!

Yogini of Sound

Shoulders openin’, shoulders rotatin’, and shoulders at times, feelin’ like they were gonna fall off; we learned how to use the tops, sides and blades of those “holdin’ the weight of the world” ledges to allow our chest, back and even our kidneys to open- or in Ann speak, “fluff”! Rehearsing Ann’s scientific lesson through familiar postures during this subtle, yet advanced practice we learned to make our “tired” Down Dog’s and Warrior One’s, feel bright, shiny and new!

The YoYo’s loved practicin’ what we were learnin’ under Ann’s super-experienced microscopic eye, knowing these priceless lessons were a gift to take with us on the next 50 days…and the rest of our yogi lives!

Yoko Yoshikawa

Little over ½ way through our most excellent adventure and in every one of those 61 mind-openin’, body stretchin’ classes, we continue to feel subtle ch-ch-ch-changes in our ever expandin’ yoga practice, compliments of the most excellent teachers on the west coast.

Yoko Yoshikawa

How true that was today as we returned to the celebrated Piedmont Yoga Studio, home to teachers of fame and distinction. Drawn to revisit this renowned spot, the bridge crossin’, traffic endurin’ YoYo’s couldn’t resist the invite to attend the popular Hatha class of long time yoga stalwart Yoko Yoshikawa.

Yoko’s mind- expandin’ class began in a long thankgodasana, child’s pose on a bolster which almost brought the worked-over YoYo’s to grateful tears after last nights’ Powerama with Les Levanthal at Yoga Tree. Carefully, this inventive teacher systematically guided this room full of addicted Yoko-ites through an intricate series of hip openin’ and lower belly engagin’ poses. Ya know, postures like the ol’ shoulder-knee-ear balance with leg in air pose, the twisted every which way prayin’ pigeon, and the illusive “airport pose” that cooked our hips, sautéed our butt and burnt our core in a way that will forever make us remember Yoko’s smilin’ face and the amazing lessons she left us with us on this learnin’ adventure of a lifetime.

And so it goes…with the forever ch–ch-ch-changin’ and happily growin’ practice of yoga.