Hello, it's me (it's me, baby). I've thought about this for a long, long time - and I decided to go to a Rocket Yoga teacher training in Cincinnati,Ohio. I know, it's not a very exotic locale. Actually, it was an interesting place with wonderful historic architecture, and a rich industrial vibe of it's former life. And the people I met, just charming.
We were a group of twelve, from all over the US (and one from Sweden). We practiced together at YogaAh Studio in Northside, learning the Rocket Ashtanga system from Larry Schultz's former student, Amber Gean. She has also created a beginner version of the practice called the Bottle Rocket. I've used this to introduce the practice to my students, and they love it.
Simply put, the Rocket system is a reconfigured version of the Ashtanga sequences. Like I said before, I love Ashtanga, but I also love creative movement and progressions. Ashtanga is serious, the Rocket is playful. It's a nod to the tradition of an ancient practice with a dash of rebellion.
Even within the "beginner" sequence, there are multiple opportunities for handstands and arm balances. That's why it's called the Rocket - because it gets you there faster! That's a great story, better told by Larry's children.
Who's Larry??? Well, if you're interested, I'll tell you what I know. He was a student of Pattabhi Jois, an ashtangi and a teacher of the yoga. The story goes, he was contacted by the Grateful Dead to travel with them on tour and teach Ashtanga. This is when he began to play with the traditional sequences of the Ashtanga system. Pattabhi Jois called him the 'bad man of Ashtanga'. He seemed to be very charismatic. He is truly and deeply loved and missed by his former students.
I needed this. I needed to reign in my practice. I do love creative movement but I was ignoring/avoiding my weaknesses. I was becoming too creative with my teaching, I could see how it could be overwhelming for some students. I need my students to know that I'm just facilitating their practice while their inner teacher gets his sh!t together.
It's Monday, I've got to go practice Rocket I. Namaste y'all!
