Yoga Shmoga

Since I arrived here, Bethany has taken me along to a free yoga class in the community center down the street on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. At first it was very hard because
A) I have never done yoga.
and
B) I didnt know a lick of Portuguese.

However I do have a bit of left over athletic ability, so I was able to make it through the class with mild success the first week. Combining that with running and biking and you have the perfect fitness stew for getting my toosh back in shape since I have been here. I apparently impressed the yoga teacher so much that she invited me along with Bethany to a class she holds in a studio at her house on Monday and Friday mornings for free (others pay). American privilege?? Thankfully since we have been doing it for awhile, I can listen to the words the teacher is saying vs. just looking around after she says something, though I also know the routine. Sometimes she will throw a new one at us though, it has definitely been helping with my Portuguese!

The yoga teacher (I am at a loss for her name at the moment) is such a sweet woman and even surprised me with some English words after she found out I spoke it. Apparently she is known as the "dragon" to some of the yoga-attenders at the free class because she can tend to yell when she has to repeat a position 5 times in a row. At some point in her life she suffered a stroke, which paralyzed her right side of her body so her arm is stiff and stuck at her side and her leg works but she cant bend it so  her foot drags when she walks so she is not actually able to show the yoga postitions, she sits in front of the class and speaks. I find her utterly fascinating, I can guess her age to be in her 60's, shes a tiny woman with a round face, white hair, and kind eyes. In the studio she has in her home (luckily she lives right down the street from us so it is very easy to get to her house) I found that she is a retired ballerina. She has a case full of certifications and trophy's, and pictures on the wall of her when she was young and vibrant in ballerina poses. To me she is the picture of strength, despite having a stroke she still teaches yoga as well as other ballet classes. On Saturday her group will be dancing in a show that John and Bethany are going to, I on the other hand will be going to Florianopolis (yay!). Though I dearly wish I could see it. The point being, when she was slapped in the face with the hard ramifications of a stroke she didnt give up, she kept going and works so hard at it. I have barely said more than hello or goodbye to this woman but I have much respect for her (minus some weird voodoo-y spiritual-connect- with- the- earth- and- nature-go- towards-the-light things she has gotten into in class).

I will definitely miss this when I am home, though I know yoga classes are easily accessible, yoga was part of my experience here and it wont be the same. However heres to hand stands and shaky positions!
Nama-sh-te.