Style: Ashtanga
Teacher: Basia Going
Studio: Adishesha

Third time's the charm. After a beautiful day in the Sun, basking in the warmth of life with friends and family, I'm on my way to Adishesha Yoga Zone. I've been to this small, cozy studio a few times now. I've heard high praise for the owner, Basia Going, from both Mark Laham and Todd Lavictoire. The last two attempts I've made to get in on one of her classes she's been mysteriously out of the country, off on some international yoga business in Costa Rica.

Walking into the spacious, one-room studio out of the blistering heat and unrolling my mat on the hardwood floor, my curiosity is peaked. The hype has built up over the course of the challenge and I can't help but wonder if my expectations could overshadow the experience. As Basia floated through the room collecting cards, I closed my eyes and tried to let go of my pre-concieved ideas. Music started to flow out of the speakers and moments later we all rose to our feet. The proceedings began and Basia's instruction carried me through the familiar Ashtangi motions, holding the space with a quiet confidence. As we got deeper into the flow, she came over and made slight adjustments to my poses, subtly shifting or contorting the positioning of my posture. Each time she did, I felt myself gain deeper access, sinking in further then I've ever been up to this point. A few well-placed changes made a world of difference, completely reinventing the asanas for me. After a few of those I realized that Basia was completely living up to the high praise she had received. By the end of the class I was satisfied, walking back out into the warm air with that priceless post-yoga buzz. Even in the twilight of my personal challenge, things continue to remain interesting and intriguing. It's an endless journey and in reality, it's only just begun.

Style: Hatha
Teacher: Julie Salter
Studio: Adishesha

I'm going to live at an Ashram. No, really. Only for the weekend though. A few months ago I bumped into some friends early on New Years Eve, telling me they were on route to an Ashram near Montreal. There would be chanting and meditation, yoga and contemplation. The idea of an Ashram reminded me of a secluded hut somewhere remote in India where you could go and learn ancient secrets from a wise Guru. Never imagining there could be one so close, I filed that information away in the back my mind for future use. Yesterday I decided to do some research. After giving the website a quick scan I spotted the phone number. Asking for some information, before I knew it I'd booked a room for two nights this weekend.

Today was a beautiful, warm winter day with a hint of spring in the air. I decided to head over to Adishesha, the cozy one-room studio in the Glebe. I'd been here a few weeks ago after hearing high praise for the owner, Basia. When I got there I was informed that she was in Costa Rica. Today I find out that she has in fact left for Costa Rica once more, having departed only this morning. Standing in today was a woman named Julia, leading the way through a satisfying Hatha sequence. It was conducted in a more open-ended fashion, taking requests and narrating the class with a lovely British accent, reminding us to keep a "noble posture". There's something really nice about this studio, not to mention it's a five minute walk from my house when the canal is frozen.

The Ashram I'll be staying at is called Sivananda. It's located an hour from Montreal, tucked away in the scenic Laurentian Mountains. There are close to eighty Sivananda locations around the world, and the organization has trained more than 10,000 yoga teachers. I'm not really sure what I've gotten myself into. Looking at the daily schedule, I notice wake up is at 5:30 am. I'm beginning to understand that this might not exactly be a leisurely weekend getaway. By 6 it's meditation, chanting, and discussion on the philosophy and psychology of yoga. After that it's a full yoga session. And all of this before breakfast! All meals are vegetarian, served twice daily. While not quite a herbivore myself, I am a huge fan of vegetarian cuisine. I'm really just a fan of food in general. Reading on, I notice they are quite adamant, explaining that no meat, fish, eggs, garlic, onions, narcotics, alcohol or smoking are allowed at the Ashram. No cell phones are allowed. Silence must be maintained from 10pm to 8am daily. Oh, and please dress modestly. I'm not sure what to expect. Is this going to be a weekend at the convent with a bunch of yogi-nuns? One way or another, it'll be an experience, and I will pass through it with an open mind.

The total ban on technology does present a bit of a challenge blogging-wise, but the solution is simple. During the three days at the Ashram I'll log the experience in my journal, the old fashioned way. Upon return Sunday night, I'll transcribe the entries and post them chronologically. Crisis Averted.

Style: Hatha
Teacher: Janice Tokaryk
Studio: Adishesha

And for those of you wondering, no, I don't actually live at Rama Lotus. Although, other then one evening in my living room, I can see how one might jump to that conclusion. Even during last years challenge, I did maybe 95% of my classes exclusively at Rama Lotus. Honestly, I've never even been to another studio here in Ottawa. A few times during the last challenge I found myself in Toronto and Montreal, and I had a lot of fun searching out and experimenting with different studios. In Ottawa, though, it's a much bigger challenge. Rama Lotus is just so nice! Consisting of 4 separate studios with construction almost finished on their gorgeous new Sun room, it stands as the most impressive studio I've been to yet. The teachers and staff also make practicing there so much fun. I've gotten to know everyone and they've created the most amazing family atmosphere, serving hot tea after morning classes. Did I mention I love Rama Lotus?

In keeping with the spirit of adventure and exploration, another aspect of this challenge was that I intended to visit many different studios. Its taken a while to reluctantly tear myself away from my home base, but on this sunny Saturday morning, I decided to venture out into the unknown. The first new studio I decided to try is Adishesha, located on 4th ave in the Glebe. It was recommended to me by Mark Laham, one of my usual instructors, and he said that the owner of the studio, a woman named Basia, had taught him more then anyone about yoga. That's a large compliment coming from him, so I decided to check it out. Arriving this morning, it turns out coincidentally that Basia is on vacation in Costa Rica. However Janice, our substitute teacher, was excellent.

I've only ever been to a handful of Hatha yoga classes, and this will be the first of the next ninety. From what I understand, every single style of yoga that we practice in North America that involves asanas, or physical postures - be it Bikram, Astanga, Power or Yin - has its roots in Hatha. It's an excellent starting point for anyone new to yoga, as it covers all bases to a certain degree. Hatha yoga attempts to balance mind and body through physical postures and exercises, controlled breathing, and the calming of the mind through relaxation and meditation. Asanas teach poise, balance and strength practiced to improve the body's physical health and clear the mind in preparation for meditation in the pursuit of enlightenment. Or something like that.

It is always a strange experience going somewhere new. New paintings on the walls, new layout, new people, new instructors, new everything. On top of that, Adishesha seems to be the polar opposite of Rama Lotus. Where Rama Lotus has a large lobby, at least 3 separate change rooms and many classes occurring simultaneously in different rooms, Adishesha is much smaller. Walking in the front door, I was a bit shocked to realize I actually stepped from outside directly into the yoga room. The entire place is essentially one open space, with the cash register literally in the same room that you unroll your mat. Very different. After changing and finding myself a spot, the class began. It was a lovely experience, with the early afternoon sun washing in through the large windows and across the twisting, stretching yogis. Afterwards, coming out of final Savasana, I squintingly looked around, wondering just where exactly I was. The experience of waking up in an unknown place with unknown people is always surreal, sort of like regaining consciousness after a long night of drinking with no memory of how the night before ended or how you found yourself here in your current location. A little bit bizarre but a little bit exciting at the same time.