Gotta keep things fresh

How easy it is to fall into a set of routines. Everyday-life can of course be sweet, and there's definitely comfort and joy to be found in routines. Like my morning coffee ritual for instance. That said, I believe that it's good to shake things up a bit every now and then; to get some freshness in life.
Even living here in New York, where much is utterly different than life in Oslo, I have after 5 months in the city now gotten my routines; a sense of everyday life (which is a pretty lovely life, so no complaining here:)). Attending yoga classes at the Yogaworks' Soho location has become a part of that every day living here. I have found some wonderfully skilled and inspirational teachers whose classes I take on a regular basis. There is much to be said about studying with one or a few teachers on a regular basis. You get to go deeper into the certain style of teaching, your teacher gets to know your practice and your body, and might help you design a specific sequence if needed. Maybe there's a curriculum or a philosophical tread (like the Sutras) through out the season.
I find that my practice has become deeper and stronger with the consistency that follows studying with the same teachers over time.

That said; I've also felt the need for something new and fresh lately. So when one of my teachers was away for tonight's class, I decided to go to ISHTA http://www.ishtayoga.com/ for a drop in class. And what a lovely experience it was. Not a bad word about the Soho location at Yogaworks; I love the Spa vibe with the sauna and the showers. It was so good, however, to do yoga at a small studio again. The room was not too big, and there were about 15 people in class. Michael Bartelle, the instructor, had a voice as smooth as caramel, his instructions were clear and there was a lovely ease to him. It was an open level class with basic poses. I went very deep into my practice, moving slowly from one asana to the next became a moving meditation.

So when we feel that things become a bit stagnant and life looses some of its magic, simply changing things up a bit might bring some vibrancy and color back to those gray January days. And we're not talking about big life changes here. Walking a new path home from the subway, wearing a red sweater if all you usually wear is black, going to a hip hop concert if all you ever listen to is rock, checking out a new studio every now and then...
And then maybe that freshness also allows you to appreciate your old routines more as well:)

I look forward to continue practicing with my dear teachers, and will, every now and then check out new studios, styles and teachers; to keep everything fresh. I might even go to a spinning class soon...