…have yoga mat will travel

Kayak Time Lake Tahoe

While on our speedy “pick up The Ru” Tahoe trip we, not surprisingly, decided to sneak in just one most excellent kayak before catchin’ our later that night class with popular teacher, Jason Crandell back in San Francisco. Leavin’ late on this still Sierra morn, we put our perfect “avoid traffic” plan in place and began our scoot back to the Bay. After just minutes of blissfully sayin’ bye to the pine air, we found ourselves crammed into one long, forever California lane, and we knew…our scootin’ days were pretty much over …

Just Breath….

Notice the exhale… Try not to control the breath… Notice the exhale… The inhale will come.

Jason Crandell

The trusting YoYo’s did as they were instructed by Jason Crandell at his Vinyasa 3-4 class at The Yoga Loft and concentrated on their “out breath”… Slowly, the breath became easier… more even, and just as our insightful guide predicted -the inhale did come.

Above the businesses on Divisadero off Haight, the Yoga Loft looks down at the city through its patchwork of serene 2nd floor spaces that are both very old and very cool. Two busy yoga studios intermix with a nostalgic foyer-parlor turned hang-out space, vintage hotel inspired check -in spot, an antique room for dressin’ and ginormous hallways, packed with “waitin’ for class to begin”, yogis.

Focused on the Breath at Yoga Loft

Faithful Jason-ites snatched a spot when the prior class crammed out of the airy, historic space makin’ room for the loyalist of Jason’s easy style, even tempo and continual attention to the breath in his, No Hurries… No Worries… No Performin’, class. Expectations set by this mellow teacher to melt as though you were to hang out awhile in each asana, helped the YoYos find our skeleton and some welcome focus on that-exhale. Inversions unfolded with no pressure, advanced postures introduced with no demands, modifications done with thorough instruction were accomplished as a compliment to the teacher who continually encouraged each yogi to experience, not muscle each shape.

With the YoYo’s Yogi’s tool chest of yoga gems overflowin’, we gratefully add Jason’s “spot-on” insight to use the asana to create awareness in the body, instead of usin’ the body to simply build a pose.