Yoga on the Summit So thought I would check out the Yoga Summit, one of the popular yoga schools here in Hangzhou. It was a lunch time class and I strolled into the school 10 minutes before the class. The man at the front desk asked if I had a booking and I told him no. He told me that I had to have a booking to attend the class. After a little negotiation and dropping Emma's name, the man invited me to join for 200 Yuan or about $30. I walked into the class and must have been quite an unusual site for the 15 or so Chinese women all stopped their gossiping and stared at me as I lay my mat towards the back of the bright room. I don't really think Yoga is very popular with Chinese men as it is new here and men must regard yoga as a soft sort of practice. It all started to calm down as I assumed a seated posture and focused on my breath.
After about 10 minutes the teacher Arun entered the class. He greeted us in Chinese and English and began the class. It was quite a flowing class as Arun lead us through a constant flowing practice with numerous lunges and warrior poses. My Ashtanga body was not ready for all the lunges and holding and I definitely felt a bit weak. The class finished with a lovely sivasana with scented oil applied to the temples. I spoke with Arun a bit after the class he was quite well trained and had a lot to tell me regarding helping my knee heal from a meniscus tear. As we came back to the reception. A gentle old women offered me a bowl of rice and red bean porridge which hit the spot after the class.
It was interesting doing a yoga class half in English and half in Mandarin. It is amazing how the practice of yoga has spread from India to all parts of the globe and has come to china as a "new" sort of fad. I see advertisements all over the place describing the benefits of yoga. It seems to be the in way for women to stay healthy and happy, if they can afford the price tag.  ¶ 5:25 AM