Was ist los hier! My First Class in German..

I am working in Germany for about 12 weeks and while I love my home practice and there is plenty of of room in my apartment here to practice,   I also need the community of fellow Yogis from time to time.     Therefore,  I took the plunge and went to a class at a studio about 10 minutes from where I am staying.   I was a bit nervous as I did not know what the class would consist of and how I would do following instructions with my less than optimal knowledge of German.  

Because I travel a good amount for work,  I have had the opportunity to go to a number of studios in the US but this was the first class that I took outside of the country.   One thing you learn from going to different studios is that each place has a set of customs that can be unique to that studio.   In this studio,  this was no exception.    There were two side by side dressing areas with curtains where many people changed in and  most people work socks even on the practice floor (the instructor never took his off).   The studio provided mats, small pillows and thin blankets that many people used both before class and during Savasana.    I was one of the few people who brought his/her mat.   No one brought in a water bottle. Conversation was very limited.    There was a small altar in front of the class with candles, incense and photos of a few gurus.     My overall impression is that this studio was really into the spiritual side of Yoga and is in fact,  the most spiritual one I had ever gone to.

As for the class  (which lasted about 1.5 hours) ,  we said a few Oms and then some songs were sung  (this happened before and after class) that were in Sanskrit and related to Vishnu  and everyone but myself knew the words.  It was actually quite nice.    We then did the longest session of Pranayama (breath exercises) that I had ever done as we did two types for a number of rounds.     The actual Asana part of the class was somewhat strenuous  (it was listed as intermediate/advanced) and was generally in line with what I would have expected from a good Yoga class.    We even got to do a nice long headstand.    As for the language challenge,   I was pretty much able to follow along (though I did not get much of what he was saying) and I did pick up a few new words and phrases  (and looked up a few after class that he used often and that I did not know).   I did not encounter any new Asanas.

When I was walking to the class, I kept reminding myself that it was Yoga and that I should not be nervous about going.    After I left,  I was able to believe it.  I have decided to spend  €80 (about $88) for 10 classes which is less than the compatible in most US Yoga studios.  What was nice was that the first class  (Probestunde) was free. 

Namaste