April 29, 2007
Sunrise Yoga at Kiltepan
Previous Session
Elle and Erwin paid Sagada another visit, this time, bringing 2 of their yogi friends - all brought their yoga mats! Our first session was at my place with me leading a power yoga class. It was a challenge to fit 5 mats in a small place...we managed. I did asana (poses) modifications incorporated into my routine to stress strenght training, given that Sagada has no weights gym - repeated push-ups on the downward dog and one-legged squats. It got us all sweating like crazy. It was a good muscle sore after.
Kiltepan Sunrise
Over at St. Jo's dinner buffet, they talked about catching sunrise at the Kiltepan tower, a plateau overlooking a valley. Hey, why not do outdoor yoga as well? The plan was set - 5 a.m. for the sunrise followed by yoga, with Elle, a Vinyasa Yoga-certified instructor, leading the class.
Outdoor Yoga
It was nippy. The session started with layered clothing that we soon shed. All the poses were standing with an added twist - partner yoga to extend the pose and provide balance. Time flew us by as Elle took us into a flow of asanas stretching the head all the way down to our calves, giving us a balanced mix of strength training, balance and flexibility. Her guided visualization nailed down my center of gravity for ease in extended poses. We wrapped the session bidding each one Namaste, translated as "...honoring the light that shines within you".
Ending Thoughts
I like firsts. Outdoor yoga without the mat is new ground for me...and it works! Imagine all these variables coming into play -
Sagada (the place alone says a lot), sunrise on a plateau overlooking a valley, clean crisp mountain air, and outdoor yoga. It doesn't get any better than that. Thank you, Elle!
--- TheLoneRider
»» next story: Crepe
»» next Yoga story: Bryan Kest Yoga Collective Video
»» back to Yoga
»» back to Homepage
|
