Frank's workshop day 1

OK, I'm amazed that I'm even able to type...my shoulders are so sore from all the inversions today!

I'm loving the Louisville Yoga community! They're very friendly and welcoming, and the Yoga East studio we're at is spacious and lovely. I didn't realize that so many of the teachers here are OM yoga trained.

The first workshop today focused on the awareness of how the breath and body work together in the yoga practice; how we can use the awareness of our breath to align our bodies and how the precise attention to the breath informs our asana practice. The thing I love about Frank's teaching is his precision of language and attention to detail. This, combined with an in-depth understanding of anatomy and a keen eye for alignment all make him one of the most perceptive teachers I've worked with. The second workshop focused on standing poses and inversions. Specifically, about how the grounding of our bodies, either through our feet or our hands, provides the lifting that we need to find ease in these challenging poses. Frank does a fabulous job of preparing you for each step of a pose, no matter how challenging. At one point we were working on Badha Parvritta Parsvokonasana (Bound Rotated Side Angle), and taking that to Badha Parvritta Ardha Chandrasana Bound rotated Ardha Chandrasana). It was the closest I've come to that pose (and I would have gotten it had it not been for a bit too much hummus at lunch). After several Pincha Mayurasana (Forearm Balance) and a few wheels, not to mention an extended Shoulderstand, I was done.

After class, several of us went to dinner at a local pub/cafe. We had a wonderful time hanging out, sharing stories and winding down. I'm SO looking forward to tomorrow.