Jivamukti Class at Flow Yoga Center

I made it to Jivamukti yoga class yesterday at Flow Yoga Center in Washington, DC. I brought a friend along with me, which is always a great way to motivate yourself to practice yoga. Having a "yoga buddy" will add accountability to your practice and can make it more fun.

The studio is on the second and third floors of a rowhouse in Dupont. The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. I loved the long benches with soft, red cushions lining the walls. The lounge was an inviting place to spend a few minutes relaxing and chatting before class. The picture to the left is not me, nor is it Flow Yoga Center, but it is a pose ("downward dog") that you will often find yourself in, if you decide to try this style.

About ten minutes before class, we went upstairs and set up our mats on the bamboo floors. There were 20-25 people in the room for class. Our instructor, Agitha, began practice by discussing the theme of the month-listening, and how we could integrate this principle into our practice and everyday lives. She also asked us to dedicate our practice to someone we love, which I really enjoyed. The class was challenging, I definitely worked up a sweat, but it was also fun and powerful. Jivamukti is very different from Sivananda (music, flowing movements, very little relaxation between poses) but I can appreciate the practice for its differences. I felt strong, happy, and clear-minded after class. My friend mentioned that it reminded her of Ashtanga yoga.

Before class, I had the opportunity to meet Cory, Food Karma Alert blogger, and he mentioned a free Jivamukti class in Clarendon each Sunday. Cory and Agitha teach at Lululemon from 10-11am. The class is free!

Anyone else have experience with Jivamukti? Any studios that you would recommend?

Spicing Up Your Yoga Routine

I teach and practice Sivananda Traditional Hatha Yoga and I love it. I also think there is something to be said about exploring other styles of yoga. I've been spending a great deal of time on Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Life Forum, which inspired me to purchase a Jivamukti DVD (I also purchased the newly released Crazy Sexy Cancer documentary and I can't wait to watch it in its entirety when it arrives in the mail!).

I think its important to watch a yoga DVD before you physically engage in the practice, so that was my first step. Thursday morning, I did the entire practice and it was quite enjoyable. I could tell that I was using different muscles because when I was in the Sarvangasana (shoulder stand) my legs were shaking! It felt good to challenge myself. Based on my limited experience, I would say that Jivamukti is a mixture of Vinyasa and Traditional Hatha. The meditation and relaxation in the end provided a well rounded practice, although I would have liked some breathing exercises as well. The Traditional Indian music provided an enjoyable atmosphere for the practice. I found the verbal instruction to be helpful and complementary to the experience.

This weekend, I'll be visiting Flow Yoga Center in Washington, DC to take a Jivamukti class. I'll let you know how it goes. Anyone have yoga DVD recommendations?