Style: Vinyasa Inversions
Teacher: Todd Lavictoire
Studio: Upward Dog

Now that was an epic yoga class. Even though Todd Lavoctoire is one of my instructors in the yoga teacher training I take every second weekend, I've never actually been to one of his classes. I've loved his style so far, so tonight I decided to head downtown to Upward Dog and see what it's all about.

Tonight the focus was on inversions. Todd is soft spoken but tough as nails and as things got going, he provided every level of variation, accommodating students who were just beginning to those who already have an established ability. Things progressed and the level of intensity began to rise. People were falling over and crashing to the ground left right and center. The studio turned into a war zone and I was on the battlefield, dodging bullets. As I attempted each handstand, headstand and a host of other intense inversions, I would feel a choking primal fear rising up my throat. Swallowing it back down, I centered my focus and did my best to calm my mind. Like Todd said, falling is part of the learning process. Very punk-rock. In the end, the class was unbelievably exhilarating. To turn, face my fears and stare them directly in their eyes is a powerful feeling for me. I looked at them until they backed down and allowed me my space. Over and over again I flipped the room upside down, deepening my practice bit by bit, making slow but solid steps forward. I felt like I was building a fortress brick by brick. If I focus on the big picture, it's easy to be intimidated and overwhelmed. Instead, I focused on what was directly in front of me, carefully placing one brick at a time and by the end of the class I could sense my foundation becoming sturdier then ever.