Back in Class
Chiang Mai is a beautiful city in northern Thailand. Surrounded by an old moat and the remnants of city walls and home to a population of around 250,000, it's a destination for tourists, backpackers, and host to a number of export industries. I've spent a lot of time photographing the ridiculous profusion of flowers here - every time I think that there can't possibly be something else I haven't seen, there it is... and that's just walking around the streets! There was also a wonderful market sunday night that stretched across half of the old city, and right into the wats(buddhist temples).
Even better for me, Chiang Mai has a nice yoga studio called Yoga House. I stopped by there the other night not really sure what I should expect. When I was in the islands in the south, the dive masters there (a very humorous and practical bunch) were deeply ambivalent about the Tantric Yoga retreat center there, mentioning odd sexual practices, and strange, half-starved, almost zombie-like students. Since the divers were people I had already entrusted my life to, I decided to skip investigating for myself.
Yoga House, however, has no such reputation, and I was very pleased to meet its' founder, Adam. The first thing I noticed was how nice it was to be back in a classroom setting. As fantastic as the OM Yoga in a Box recordings and cards have been, I had really begun to miss the dynamics of the classroom and the direction of my instructors. It was very easy for me to imagine Adam teaching at OM, as he has a very playful almost mischievous teaching style, very gently poking fun at himself, his students, and the world in general. After my first class, I really felt fantastic, and due to the small class sizes, there was a fair bit of individual attention for each student. I returned to Yoga House for two more clases in the following days, and was deeply pleased with each class I took there. What's more, classes are a mere 200 Bhat, somewhere between $6 -$7.
Last night I conducted a short interview with Adam, asking him about his teaching style, teaching in Thailand and Yoga in general. I have the whole thing in an audio file, which I will be posting, along with pictures, when I return this Sunday.
Today is my last day in Thailand, and I have another grueling travel schedule ahead, which will soon land me for several days in Tokyo, where I'll be visiting old friends and seeking Japanese Yoga Schools. As for today's practice, Chiang Mai is also host to the National Thai Massage Training School, so I'll be taking advantage of that. 1 hour of Thai Massage goes for 250 bhat, if I recall correctly, about $8. So I'll be thinking of all of you while I get my massage.
kisses from paradise. brett
Even better for me, Chiang Mai has a nice yoga studio called Yoga House. I stopped by there the other night not really sure what I should expect. When I was in the islands in the south, the dive masters there (a very humorous and practical bunch) were deeply ambivalent about the Tantric Yoga retreat center there, mentioning odd sexual practices, and strange, half-starved, almost zombie-like students. Since the divers were people I had already entrusted my life to, I decided to skip investigating for myself.
Yoga House, however, has no such reputation, and I was very pleased to meet its' founder, Adam. The first thing I noticed was how nice it was to be back in a classroom setting. As fantastic as the OM Yoga in a Box recordings and cards have been, I had really begun to miss the dynamics of the classroom and the direction of my instructors. It was very easy for me to imagine Adam teaching at OM, as he has a very playful almost mischievous teaching style, very gently poking fun at himself, his students, and the world in general. After my first class, I really felt fantastic, and due to the small class sizes, there was a fair bit of individual attention for each student. I returned to Yoga House for two more clases in the following days, and was deeply pleased with each class I took there. What's more, classes are a mere 200 Bhat, somewhere between $6 -$7.
Last night I conducted a short interview with Adam, asking him about his teaching style, teaching in Thailand and Yoga in general. I have the whole thing in an audio file, which I will be posting, along with pictures, when I return this Sunday.
Today is my last day in Thailand, and I have another grueling travel schedule ahead, which will soon land me for several days in Tokyo, where I'll be visiting old friends and seeking Japanese Yoga Schools. As for today's practice, Chiang Mai is also host to the National Thai Massage Training School, so I'll be taking advantage of that. 1 hour of Thai Massage goes for 250 bhat, if I recall correctly, about $8. So I'll be thinking of all of you while I get my massage.
kisses from paradise. brett
posted by brett at 9:54 AM
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