The workshop with Swati Chanchari was wonderful. It seemed like the Friday evening session was just for me as it was all about getting the hips to release and deepen and given all my driving, they really, really needed to … She has a lovely teaching style, lots of stories and demonstrations (almost into the pose and then “come quickly, take a look” was a frequent refrain) and she uses very apt metaphors (“the wire around the tree after 5 years is part of the tree, the back of the chair needs to be part of your back ….”).
Swati is from India where she and her husband Rajiv run the Yog-Ganga Centre, focusing on Iyengar yoga – a number of people here have been and from what they’ve said and the pictures, it looks wonderful. Funny enough, it was a spot I considered for my trip last fall – maybe this fall instead.
The workshop was held at the Iyengar Yoga Centre of Denver – a big studio, in fact 3 studios. It is the largest Iyengar studio I’ve seen – could be the Semperviva of Iyengar with classes running in all studios. It was founded by 3 people and has a very friendly, warm and welcoming energy.
I was lucky to stay with one of the teachers who billets people visiting – she was lovely. An older woman who has had a very rich life – lived in Germany, DC, California, Katmandu and now Denver near her grandchildren. She had also traveled many parts of the world studying with Iyengar teachers and was also a big Obama supporter who’d worked the convention and been to the inauguration – we had some great conversations and I’m very grateful for her warm hospitality.
Meeting her was a good reminder of how full life can be and how it doesn’t need to be rushed – there is plenty of time for all the potential experiences. Inspirational. Still the question of financing I need to figure out – how do I finance my life in a way that stays true to the potential longer-term journey.
She also introduced me to the local community and one lovely couple in particular (both also teachers) who we had dinner with Friday night and who I ate again with on Saturday evening with another teacher. Lots of yoga talk – both of Swati’s teaching, time in India, yoga philosophy – some of which went over my head if I’m honest, but very interesting to listen. And all over great food – finally, a little green – Thai on Friday, Whole Food’s salad and really good vegan buffet at Govinda’s Spiritual Food, at the local Hare Krishna Temple ... (never would have thought I’d be there myself, but I really enjoyed it and the Dal was excellent). All in all, a really great 48 hours in Denver.
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