Guest post: Visitor report from Kino and Tim's Miami Life Centre - Mysore Intensive Old shala style

In a recent comment Matthias mentioned that he was currently in Miami on a week long intensive at Kino and Tim's Miami Life centre, I asked him if he fancied writing a guest post....and here it is, we hear a lot about Kino's workshops, was curious about what it was like at home base. Besides, practicing at home many of us don't have a local shala available, a short Mysore course might be an occasional option and alternative to another backbending or learn to jump back workshop.

Thank you Matthias, appreciate it.

http://www.miamilifecenter.com

Thank you for inviting me to do a guest post.

The course was a week of Mysore Intensive Old shala style, e.g. 12 students, 2 teachers.

Let me start with the shala, e.g. Miami Life Center: I was kind of surprised how small it seemed. I guess that with two international teachers, I kind of expected a huge set-up, but it is a very well designed and hospitable shala, totally sufficient for the local community they cater to. They have two rooms - a larger one that can probably host 20 plus students and a smaller one for eactly 12 students. The energy is very nice, just your typical Yoga shala.

Kino and Tim offer the Old shala-style course several times per year (though next year, so far it does not appear on their schedule). The workshops fill up extremely early. To get in, you either have to book as soon as they are showing up on the website of Miami Life Center or hope for the waiting list. They have a good cancellation policy (free of charge up to one month before the date) and, if your are flexible, there still are always one or two last-minute cancellations.

The Mysore classes are every morning from Sunday to Friday, from 7.30 a.m. to 9.30 a.m.. If your practice is longer, you can finish in the "public" Mysore class in the larger room. On Friday, they suggest to do Primary - but you can also do your usual practice.

Sunday afternoon, Tim gave an introduction into one basic Pranayama "Guruji-style", which we then could practice on our own for the rest of the week half an hour before the Mysore class started. On Thursday morning, Tim would then check in on us again for the Pranayama. The Pranayama is quite basic - one round consists of 3 times inhaling and exhaling "breathing with sound", then three times with Kumbhaka after the exhale and three times Kumbhaka after the inhale, and all this for 5 rounds total. The main reason why he does this is in my view a) to introduce the students to the concept of Pranayama and b) to increase the focus on Moolha and Uddhiyana bandha control that he is also emphasizing very much for the Asana practice itself.

On Tuesday afternoon, Kino or Tim (this time Tim) offer each student the chance to ask questions and get extensive guidance for a specific Asana the student is struggling with. There you get your 20 min one-on-one while the rest of the group is watching. Quite an interesting experience.

And on Thursday afternoon, Kino guided a 30 min meditation (focus on the breathing) and you get to ask both of them further Asana questions and general questions on Ashtanga, food or whatever you feel like. By then, everybody was quite tired, so that workshop did not last the entire 3 hours foreseen.

I had done Mysore with Kino and Tim in larger settings, but never with such a small group. Already in larger groups, they are a very good and balanced combination: usually very positive energy between them, relaxed, helpful and attentive. In Kino's case, the balance is usually more towards the verbal explanations than towards the "explanation by adjustment" approach, whereas in Tim's case, in the Mysore setting, he teaches very strongly through the touch. In some cases Kino steps back and lets Tim do the work (especially with the larger guys), in other cases they complement each other. And of course this combination of the two is even more efficient with just 12 people. You really get all the help and explanation you need (and sometimes more than you thought you needed...). And the energy in the room is very intense -and (at least mid June) the heat as well. Too intense for a home Ashtangi? I cannot answer that - I just noted that quite many of the participants do self-practice for the rest of the year and just check in with Kino and Tim on such an occasion.

Should you have additional questions, feel free to ask.
Warmest regards from Germany
Matthias