Hope your summer is sunny and you are keeping cool!

It’s been a month and a half since we touched down in New York and I am pleased to say that the adjustment has been pretty graceful. I was anticipating some reverse culture shock but instead it feels as though things are simply returning back to normal.

There is this precious slice of time in transitions such as this when your perspective is still fresh and you are able to see things slightly different. In terms of yoga it’s become shockingly clear to me how much one’s culture effects the yoga practice. When teaching in Singapore, I focused so much on building strength in the legs and stability in the joints. The constant heat and humidity keeps people moving slowly and if you ever took my class in Singapore you most likely heard me talk about the “Singapore Shuffle” — that slow saunter where a person drags their feet on the ground so as not to loose their flip flops or build too much heat.

New Yorkers move quickly, cover a lot of ground, and do a lot in one day — even during a heat wave! In the body this seems to manifest as tight hips, hamstrings, and shoulders as well as the added need for students to fully “land” once they’ve arrived to class. I’ve learned by walking my sensitive dog around midtown how LOUD New York is. I actually never noticed this too much before. This constant stimulation really requires us to unplug, wind down, be still, and be silent.

This week is the end of my 6-week summer series, Align & Refine. With this heat we will keep it really relaxed and restorative in tomorrow night’s class; rejuvenating chest and hip openers and class will end with a breezy savasana. More details below.

As always the very best place to stay up-to-date with all things yoga is on my Facebook page Yoga with Lisa Devi. That’s where I post my regular schedule, last minute subbing, upcoming workshops, yoga-related articles, as well as #SundaySavasana; your weekly reminder to chill out.

Keep cool and see you on the mat soon!

Lisa