Today was my best day at the YJ conference so far. I was immersed in three of my favorite components of yoga: inversions, massage, and philosophical discussion.

The first two hours of the day were spent sweating my butt off. I have always wanted to take a class with the famed Ana Forrest, and she is a force to be reckoned with. She's so strong and powerful, it's hard not to get inspired. The practice was built around what Ana calls "gravity surfing." It's a fierce, yang practice filled with numerous handstands, forearm balances, and arm balances. We partnered up a great deal and Ana's entourage of assistants (all equally buff) were awesome in performing demonstrations and helping the students get deeper into poses.

Next stop: partner Thai massage with Saul David Raye. I find partner classes to be a little strange at first. We had to select massage mates, which is always a weird thing when you don't know anyone in the room. My partner and I talked for just a moment before I realized who he was—the former publisher of Yoga Journal, John Abbott! I was a little nervous at first, but you kind of have to let that go when a stranger is standing on your butt with their knees. John and I gave each other approximately 45-minute massages, and we had a great time, and Saul was an effective and compassionate teacher, giving specific instructions in a grounded, loving way.

I finished off my day with Dr. Manoj Chalam's lecture on Hindu deities. A sacred art dealer, Manoj (pictured left) talked to us about who the different Hindu gods are, and the meanings behind their poses in various statues. He covered both maha deities (great deities like Shiva) and upa deities (deities who are closer to the people, like Hanuman and Ganesh). I learned some interesting things. My favorite was this: Ganesh uses a mouse as transportation because the mouse (and its scurrying) symbolizes the mind; when Ganesh sits on it, he quiets it. So, when we meditate on Ganesh, it's like he is sitting on our mind's fluctuations and bringing them to a stop.