How could I forget our circle of rose water?

While staying at the Yosemite Bug we had the great fortune to experience a beautiful yoga class led by Jon-Paul. The practice space was a serene room with polished wooden floors and smelt like any other yoga space - the lingering waft of incense previously burnt. Walking into the space was like entering a thick bubble of warmth and peace.

We met our instructor and had a short conversation about what style he practiced - “it’s like a mix of different styles, if I had to give it a name I would call it vinyasa flow” - and how beautiful it was in Yosemite.

The class, four students in total, began with us standing in mountain pose at the front of our mats. Jon-Paul came around to each of us and told us that he liked to create a safe, peaceful space to practice by spraying rose water in a circular direction over our heads. He asked if we minded, we said ‘of course not’. As he sprayed he wished for us a safe and focussed practice within our circle - squirt, squirt. It was a different experience but it did actually make both of us feel safe and present within our practice.

The class, Jon-Paul explained, was to be a rejuvenative practice - “don’t push yourself, listen to your body, listen to what it needs”.

The music playing was a gorgeous mix of east meets west tunes and completed the peaceful scene.

As we focussed on the horizon, our drishti, we watched the thick, green forest slowly swaying in the cool evening breeze.

Our practice was slow, steady and relaxing.

After finishing the class in savasana, we thanked Jon-Paul so much for creating such a beautiful space. The other two students - residents of Yosemite - thanked us for our presence in class. We all agreed that the class had generated a really moving energy and thanked each other for the experience.

We loved the space so much and asked Jon-Paul if it was available for use the next day. He told us we could definitely use the space any time we needed and that it was also a really good place to catch a nap.

We followed up on the offer and both did our full ashtanga practice the next day. The first of our trip.

Thanks Jon-Paul for a really special experience in Yosemite.