I love monkeys, I love Hanuman, and I love happy surprises. Cool Yoga had all of those things. Okay, there weren’t real monkeys. Friday night (I don’t think I thought about the possible difficulties that this could have had) in Dortmund for a master class to inspire the qualities of Hanuman within us (Monkeying Around) was a great idea. Hanuman goes out into the world and does what he needs to do, but more often than not he’s a bit of hermit. He doesn’t go cat-ing around on a Friday night. Staying in on a Friday night to commune with like-minded seekers was the perfect starting place to being this journey of emulating Sri Hanuman. He is vir, vira, viriya (all ways of saying that he is strong, heroic, and virile). His great practice of tapasya, amazing devotion, and practice of bramacarya have made him so potent with vital energy that even his sweat that falls in the ocean can give birth to new life. Like I said, I love this guy.
Having learned an important lesson the night before in Düsseldorf, I went with ideas rather than plans. It allowed me to serve up little bits of movement in a fashion that allowed the Coolies to really make the sequence their own. There were a couple of rounds in the sequence when I asked them to play around with the shapes we’d visited. And they did it! They got creative. That was amazing. Beyond that what struck me about the night was that the demographic was a little older and there were a few slightly less flexible men peppered about the room but the expressive, willing, fun-loving spirit within every person there was unmistakable. This was one of those happy surprises I like so much. Dortmund ROCKS! I even broke into song at point, singing “I like Cool Yoga”. It was, as some say here, “Zuper Kuhl!”
The last day of the GYT is titled Out of the Darkness. Into the Light, and it's 3 hours of moving into back bends. I think it will be a great last day. I know that some of the Couchies will come over to YogaYA in Leverkussen for a farewell practice. I’m excited.
Ramadhutam sharanam prapadhyé
Jai Bajarang Bali Hanuman ki jai!
Shankatamochana kripa nidan
Lal Longoti Vir Hanuman!
Oh Hanuman you are Ram’s envoy.
Give me shelter in the temple of your heart
Glory to strong brave Hanuman!
Protector from danger and difficulties
Bestower of grace
Hanuman in your red loincloth
Heroic Hanuman.
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