Workshop Price - $16
I mixed it up today and attended a "handstand workshop" instead of a yoga class. I've been working on my handstand for a while and actually thought it was in pretty good shape, having recently managed to hold one for almost 25 seconds. And by "hold," I mean tip back and forth, walk forward and back and hold myself up using brute strength for that time period. It's not necesarily "pretty" but it's very capoeiristic.
Anyway. Online I learned that the class would be taught by someone named "Max Wizard."
I was pretty sure it was going to be this guy and was hoping his magic wand would help me straighten out my handstand.
more on him later...
OM Factory is on the 17th floor of a building in the armpit district of new york city, tucked nicely between Penn Station and The Port Authority. However, the studio is beautiful. Nice floors. Bright, sunny, good vibe.
I'm a little embarrassed that my friend Amber Campion aka Palmiera aka Palm Tree worked here for years and even taught a capoeira/yoga class called Yogaeira and I never checked it out! I just wasn't ready. Hopefully this link on my widely viewed blog will help keep her happy ;) Palmiera teaches yoga in Nicaragua right now at a place called Zen Yoga. You should go there.
The people working the door were nice and friendly. Like most yoga places there were cubbies in the waiting/lounge room to put your shoes and a locker room. There were 3 showers with seperate bathrooms. Everything was super clean and nice.
There were 3 or four large sized yoga studios including one dedicated to anti-gravity yoga where you hang from shit like this
Interesting, but not my cup of tea, umm, yet.
There was some music coming from down the hall and I hear some people mention the handstand party was in there. I was excited because I love handstand parties.
When I entered I grabbed an open spot and ended up sitting next to Max Wizard himself. He did not have a blue cape on so I didn't even know it was him!
We got right into some good stretches that would help the handstand, stretching the core and keeping the back on the ground.
Max is awesome. He is German so he talks a little funny, "upstairs foot here and downstairs foot there," "point your feets." But it made everyone smile and he was very funny about it. He gave lots of personalized instruction and pointers to all of us. He was very touchy and would adjust your body accordingly.
I learned to create a hollow body, straighten my arms, point my feet, add a pelvic tilt and not try to muscle it so much. Interesting how that theme comes up in my life a lot. That idea of trying to make things go my way through strength, or will, and not letting it happen the way it should.
The class was challenging with many different exercises that were all pretty hard. The other students were nice, friendly and helpful. I spotted another guy who had some pretty capoeirstic movements and told my friend almost immediately that I thought he was a capoeirsta. Before I could even ask him, he asked me - "so you play capoeira right?" and he used to. Interesting how obvious it is to us.
The workshop was a little bit expensive but this was a special field trip for me so I was ok with splurging. I will definitely go back. I will also take a real yoga class there too because the place kicks ass.
It gets 3.7 stars/5
