Hot Yoga at Dimitra Yoga Studio – inhale peace, exhale love
Do you remember how exited I was after attending the Yoga in the Park class early this summer?
Those classes are part of a great outdoor yoga program offered by Dimitra Yoga Studio in Delaware. The idea of the outdoor classes is to offer donation based yoga classes to members of communities in the beach areas around Rehoboth and Lewes during the summer season.
Can you imagine how sad I was when the season ended and the last outdoor class was announced…
Well then, I said to myself, I have to continue the outdoor yoga practise by myself on my roof at home, and attend studio classes at Dimitra’s.
I took off on a Wednesday morning early September towards a residential area called The Plantation in Lewes, in which Dimitra had set up her yoga studio some time back.
As I drive up the peaceful road to the yoga studio that lies in a very quiet corner, I start feeling happy already.
Lovely studio manager Lisa welcomes me, she is going to be the instructor for the 75 min hot yoga class I am going to attend today.
Lisa gives me a tour explaining me everything, and leaves me with the other students that start coming in at the hot yoga room for a few minutes, before starting the class.
Hot Yoga
I have done hot yoga before and like the concept. In general I feel rather too cold than too warm, hence I like warm environments. Since I have remembered to bring a large bottle of water, I hydrate prior to class by taking small sips.
Lisa starts the hot yoga class by having us lie down for a gentle hip opener, as today’s class is dedicated to our hips. She quotes Ralph Gates for us: “We are not trying to fix something that is broken. We rather feel into something that is sacred”.
Lisa, who moved to Delaware from Tennessee, has been teaching for 16 years and started teaching with small weekend programs before there even were the first 200 hour programs. By now, Lisa has undergone several teacher trainings and certifications of 200 and 500 hour programs.
Learn, believe and change your mind
Lisa says “I also took Dimitra’s 200 hour program, which is very important for all of us to understand, so that we stay true to that fine tune allignment of ‘what are we teaching’. It is a chance to learn, believe and change your mind!
This way we create a beautiful unity in our studio, which allows students not to get confused. There is a lot out there that may confuse students when it comes to yoga classes. It allows us to follow the same path. We kind of all have different ways where we want to go. There is many ways to teach a certain pose, we all look at it from different points of view. So, it is a beautiful program.”
After class, Lisa explains to me that there are no sun salutation in this class for a reason: there is no stepping from the back of the mat forward, so that people who can’t do that yet don’t have to. They rather take you back or walk you to the middle. The challenge for the teacher is ‘how can I creatively get you where you go’. It has all evolved to allow us at a slower pace each how to get into a posture. How to find our way into mylasana today. That pose was all Lisa was shooting for today, how to comfortably open our hips and get into a deep squat.
‘This specific class allows us here at Dimitra Yoga to begin to do that. So when you get into a power flow or a hot flow and it is fast paced, you might have a muscle memory or a thought where I need to back off and where I not need to push forward and be in the middle. I think it is a beautiful class.’ says Lisa. And i can only agree. Very beautiful.
Surrender
Thinking back to the quote at the beginning of the class, this is the surrender, the maybe I need to feel what my body speaks to me.
I agree more. Today during class, we did a standing split and Lisa pointed out that there were no rules. So we would get a feel rather than structure. Of course structure is important, but it is not everything. Because standing split was not the pose today, it was the freedom.
The Music
I usually would not mention music for a yoga class, and I have attended many yoga classes where no music was played, which is just fine. I believe that music can help students to relax and to be in their sphere during class, as much as unsuitable music can distract and disturb more than providing value.
Not only the volume is important to me, but also the choice of vocal vs. instruments only.
And in this class the music was so different yet suitable, that I feel mentioning it. There were slow pop songs, some jazzy tunes and loungey pieces. The volume was ideal, I could hear Lisa’s beautiful voice at all times perfectly fine. I enjoyed the music when not concentrating too hard (which I did a lot actually). Good choice!
My overall impression
Very high quality! I actually felt rather like attending a yoga teacher class than a regular student class. The cues Lisa was giving, the corrections, the ideas and intentions were excellent. I could tell Lisa’s experience and passion in Yoga practise and teaching.
No wonder: Dimitra offers teacher trainings, as well as oversea retreats, a variety of in-studio and outdoor classes… a lot to pick from!
The Studio
The studio has everything you expect, is wide and open with a hot room, a meditation room, changing facilities and showers, a lounge area with refreshments, and retail space with their branded yoga wear.
And great news is coming: Dimitra is going to make big changes very soon for locations. Of course I am going to report!
Which is your favourite yoga studio?
