I have to admit, I’ve broken an official* Yoga Challenge rule by practicing with a teacher for the second time in the course of my Yoga Challenge month, but as it was a very different type of class in the form if a dance event, I have forgiven myself.
The event, called Black and Light Yoga, is the brain child of Charlie Kelly, a Lululemon employee and Jivamukti Yoga teacher. The format at is as follows: a one hour Jivamukti-style asana practice in black light with yogis wearing neon and glow in the dark clothing and body paint, practicing to a live deejay. After the back bending sequence, the mats are rolled up and a dance party ensues. After an hour or so of black light dj’ed dancing, mats are unrolled and seated postures and inversions are followed by savasana, meditation and a little dharma talk.
Overall, it was a lot of fun. Emma Henry was a great hostess and emcee yoga teacher, the music was great and the venue was cosy. If you are into dancing and yoga, this may just be your ticket. The asana class was clear and felt good, including basic standing postures and a few balances (most notably, revolved half moon pose into dancing shiva), and a flow that was designed to get your feet tapping and hips bumping to the beat. There were some vegan goodies afterwards and everyone seemed to really enjoy it. As this was only the second time the event was offered, there is a tremendous amount of potential for decorating the space more fully and turning it into a full evening preceded or followed by food and/or alcohol free drinks.
The event will likely be running again in a couple of months, and listed on Facebook. Hope to see you there!
*I’m only supposed to practice with each teacher once within the month. Oops!