Comprese los abdominos!

My yoga teaches sticks two fingers into my flabby tummy to make sure I am really compressing them, not relying on my fat to hide me being lazy. This morning I ventured out to my first yoga class. I had Googled "yoga, oaxaca" last week, and Casa del Angel came up as an option. They have classes on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings at 7 a.m., so I thought this would work well with my work schedule. I was a bit nervous as I pulled on my yoga pants and matching yoga top this morning at 6:25. For a few reasons. I am a Bikram Yoga junkie, I love it. I have my favorite teachers, I try to practice all over the world when I travel, it keeps me in an overall great state of mind, and the community of Bikram is truly open and willing to accept others of all shapes and sizes. How would this class and community compare?
It had been about 5 weeks or so since my last class, so I knew it was going to be tough. I was ready. My favorite Yoga teacher (Janice Guertin) once told me that we learn something different from every teacher. I was open to learning. I drove down and after taking the wrong turn only once, I got a parkig spot right in front of the studio. It is 6:57 and I see one woman standing outside closed doors. Hmmm... I walk over and ask her, in Spanish, if there is still an 7:00 a.m. class. Yes, she responds, and they are usually quite punctual. Do I know what time it is? When I tell her, she seems relieved. Obviously they are not late, but right on time. Another student arrives and gives me a welcoming kiss on the cheek.
The teacher arrives, opens the gates, and off we go. After asking me if I want her to speak in English, if I have any physical ailments and collecting my 50 pesos, I'm told to just grab a mat and put it wherever I want.
I am immediately worried. The teacher sits in Lotus position and begins rolling her head back and forth. Candles are lit and nice music in the background. Uh-oh. Smelling some hokey "chant while holding this posture for ten minutes" coming on.
Turns out I should have been woried for other reasons. I am now convinced that my yoga instructor, in a past life, was a member of some hard core physical training corps. Think Marines. Think Germany 1939. Think Russian Army Special Forces. As my leg is in the air shaking and I am balancing on my shoulders with my other leg up against the wall for support, she comes over, grabs my leg, pulls it straight, then tells me that my focus should be "HERE", as she beans me in my third eye and holds her finger there while holding my leg straight. Having a hard time with floor bow? Not to worry, seems she has made me her pet project for the day, she'll just come over, pull my arms back and place the rest of her weight onto my legs to get them to bend forward to her satisfaction.When she said "Open your chest", she really meant it and it seems I did not committ. She places her knee in the centre of my back and pulls my arms wider then they have ever been in my 35 years.
I came home "open", there is no other word for it. If I get out of bed and not fall on my face tomorrow morning because my legs went on stike in the night from the abuse they received today, I'll be going back for more. Thanks to Janice for her great saying "The mind is weak, the body is strong." It got me up for and through my class this morning.
Inhale. Exhale. And Comprese los abdominos!