I first traveled to Kiev in early September. The weather was perfect, 70's to 80's, with the last heat of summer upon us, and the hint of fall on its tail. The horse chestnut trees were in their full beauty, with big leaves and full fragrance. Of course, as a runner, you notice all these things.

*Free "Preview" class on Thursday, October 4th, 5:30-6:45! Call or email to reserve your space: kenyonyoga@yahoo.com, 303-506-1826

We arrived in Santa Clara, and were blessed with a car that smelled like dead fish. I mean, DEAD FISH. Sasha, our agile team leader, said it smelled like he was riding on the wrong end of a camel. He asked me what camel was in sanskrit , and I replied Ustrasana. He enjoyed knowing the sanskrit name that appropriately represented the smell of our car.

In case you ever wanted to know.

After the initial conversations and introductions ("don't laugh at me!", "I'm not flexible at all!", "She made me come to this"), the class begins in Child's Pose. This is where the transformation begins, where they all come to their breath, center themselves, calm their minds, and retreat inward. Somewhere in Sun A, they realize, that they can do Yoga, and that no one is looking at them other than themselves. The giggling stops, and all you hear is their beautiful, synchronized breath. As they continue through class, there's often a time or two where you lose one or two students, their gaze pops up, their eyes bug out, and their lips turn down, and in those instances, some positive, kind words, bringing them back to the breath and guiding them slightly out of an asana into perhaps a more comfortable modification works wonders.