It is Saturday. It is also the traditional day of rest for Ashtanga practitioners and well deserved after my first week of practice. As always I am excited to practice with a new teacher and soak up every small adjustment. Radha's way of teaching is strictly as she was taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, her only teacher. She explains that Ashtanga taught this way works and therefore has never found a need for change. In my travels I have found that there are small (very small) differences in adjustments and I adhere to those when I am practicing with these teachers. In my own practice I follow what was taught to me by my first teachers in Noosa, Australia, Stacey and Tony Enchelmeier , who were students of Radha's and therefore my practice feels familiar at YogaPlus.



The yoga room only holds 17 people at full capacity and is affectionately called 'the oven'. Even when I take photos and am not practicing I am perspiring as if in a sauna. This is an ideal environment as muscles tend to melt and toxins are expelled rapidly via sweat. Everyone is gleaming with perspiration and the ujjai breathing swells and subsides like a large ocean wave. It is easy to feel entranced by the atmosphere and my practice is wonderfully self-contained. I finish and feel slightly spaced out. I have slept every day after yoga for at least an hour. It feels so luxurious to have the cool sea breeze caress your body while you are resting. It is irresistible.



There is also another less demanding yoga class at 9 a.m. for beginners that is lead by Radha; and if yoga is not your cup of tea there is Thai Chi and swimming lessons. On other course sessions Pilates, painting and bushwalking are offered as well. In between there are several places to visits. Agios Gallini is 30 minutes drive east from Agios Pavlos and Spili is west and also 30 minutes. Both places have Internet and wi-fi cafes. Gallini is a little larger and much more touristy and has some good restaurants.

Tomorrow I am taking a tour around some olive groves with Spilis main real estate agent Michalis.

The traveling Ashtangi