Tonight I considered publishing a post called “I’m itchy, I’m smelly, and I have a preschool song stuck in my head,” but I decided that sounded too whiny, so instead I decided to give some kudos to an amazing Bikram Yoga instructor. Gary Smith, at Sweat Box Yoga on Capitol Hill in Seattle WA.
Sweat Box Yoga, is a cozy, unassuming little studio in the heart of Seattle’s Capitol Hill Neighborhood. The two most recent classes I’ve attended there have both been taught by Gary, and they have been two of the best Bikram’s classes I have ever taken. Anywhere. Period.
Gary is the kind of teacher I would want to be if I taught yoga. As Gary guides his students through the postures, he shares knowledge, tips, mantras, and personal anecdotes. His story tonight about his pride at getting fully into the Fixed Firm posture reminded me that even teachers and skilled practitioners have postures they struggle with. He has the rare gift of being able to at once command the class, and bring lightness and humor to the practice. His high expectations of his students are infectious, making for a rigorous, but extremely rewarding experience.
As Eric Grandy quoted in an article in The Stranger last year, Gary Says “My class, it’s not just word for word, ‘do this, do that,’ I make jokes […] I kind of push the limits a little bit, but I make it fun. ‘Cause the class is freaking hard, man – 90 minutes, 105-degree heat? If it’s not fun, It’s gonna suck. Like, today, I taught the class as myself and as a robot; I quoted Tupac and scarface. Plus I just bought a bunch of little speedos, so that helps” (March 2, 2010).
It isn’t enough, though, that he leads the postures so superbly, and adds humor to make the class more interesting. If you go to his class for no other reason, go for his guided relaxation at the end. He draws attention to every part of the body, from the backs of the knees, to the top of the head, urging his students to relax, let go, and breathe.
Thanks for being great at what you do, Gary!
-C
January 21, 2011 at 4:10 pm
Gary and I went to training together, do send him my love! π
January 22, 2011 at 2:43 am
Small world! Do you teach in Seattle?
January 22, 2011 at 10:55 am
I’m from Malaysia and I teach there π
January 22, 2011 at 6:01 pm
Wow… really small world in that case! Thanks for reading π
January 21, 2011 at 5:53 pm
Isn’t it amazing what an instructor’s impact on your practice is? It makes a world of difference — hopefully Gary stumbles upon this post!
January 27, 2012 at 10:20 pm
Hi there. I enjoyed reading your review. Really well written. I agree. Gary rocks! I saw that someecards card a few weeks ago – love!
October 29, 2013 at 4:34 am
This review is funny and spot on. I have some friends who live out of town and do Bikram in their home cities. We like to swap stories about classes, postures, instructors, etc. When talking about Gary β because of his off-the-wall, pushing the limits jokes, and because of his ridiculous speedo collection β I refer to him as Penis Man.
Hi Gary, I mean, Penis Man,