Master teacher Aadil Palkhivala opened his class on twists and backbends by saying "they have nothing to do with yoga." What he means is that asana, which he says is "not important but utterly necessary," is the first step in the yogic path towards freedom and enlightenment. We do asana because the body is the vehicle for the spirit.

What can I say about Aadil? I love him as a teacher and human being. He is meticulous, hilarious, kind, and precise. He is a big, burly, laughing redwood tree of a Buddha, so grounded in his practice that his spirit can fly big and free.

We did some intense twisting, including a supine variation of Matsyendrasana (hello quads!), and explored how to keep the vertebrae between S1 and T5 safe in backbends.

Here are some tidbits from the Master himself, in no particular order:

"Our practice must serve our individual dharma."

"Through the consequences of our past actions, we can make decisions about our present."

"There is great comfort in mediocrity. I urge you to rise above that to find your potential."

"You are creating your body of tomorrow now."