How to Power-Up!

"If you can you must." and "How you do anything is how you do everything."  These two statements were repeated like mantras by my first teacher when I first came to yoga.

Oh and how true they are!  I don't do anything kinda sorta.  I didn't just work out; I competed.  I don't casually date; I fall madly in love.  I don't just practice yoga... I bought the studio.  How I do anything is how I do EVERYTHING.  This is true not only in big examples but in each small detail of my life to.  So when I do come to my mat, I Power-Up!

What can I say?  It's how I am, and after all, if you can you must.  And I can.  I have been an athlete my whole life.  I have had a gym membership since I was eight.  My father competed in Aerobic Dance Competitions and as children my brother and I did push-up contests in the living room (full, military push-ups... with our feet on the couch).  Needless to say I may be a product of my environment.  If a family ski tripped was planned I was commanded to the track for laps in the weeks leading up, wimpiness was not tolerated.

So believe me when I say, I'm not proud nor am I "showing off" when you see me in class either leading or otherwise.  I hurt myself often and I wear myself out to the point of chronic exhaustion.  I do not know how to back off.  This is my own karma to burn...

I told you that story so that I can tell you this one:  Someone recently asked me to add more power classes to the schedule... and while subbing a class recently a student asked me "What's the difference between a power class and a vinyasa class".  I told her "nothing".

Wait!, before you go all technical on me... hear me out.  There are several branches of the Yoga tree, and each branch may have it's very special and unique leaves on it, but they all have leaves and they are all pretty close to the same.  Sure they are like fingerprints or tiger stripes and are all different but it's like being able to tell twins apart, if you are very familiar with them it is easy, if you see them walking down the street they seem identical.

The truth is this:  All Power classes are Vinyasa classes, but not all Vinyasa classes are Power classes... so, do you want to learn to Power-Up!?... if you feel like Jai Dee Power classes are not available when you are, come with me to a Vinyasa class.  I will show you how to Power-Up.  I will silently do the practice being lead but with all of the amped up variations of the poses that I can do safely, if you can take it there too come along with me!  This should give you some tools to take with you into other Vinyasa classes where modifications are always available, and while we say that as teachers often to mean "if this is too hard we can make it easier" it can also mean the opposite.  And if you see me doing an advanced variation you want to learn I offer Personal Yoga Training sessions.