Do You Know What A Tambura Is?

It was Thanksgiving Day, and the Y was officially closed. Unofficially it was open for three hours, at a fee of $5 per person (to cover teachers and day care). They have an abbreviated schedule of classes, and I always find these "closed" days a chance to try new classes and new teachers. This Thanksgiving I took a 45 minute strength class with a new instructor, Suzanne, and a one hour yoga and meditation class with Hillary. Both classes exceeded my expectations.

Suzanne's class was so much fun that the 45 minutes flew by. She's got so much energy and a great personality, that even though she was working us without any break, nobody cared. I can't wait to find other classes that she teaches and try them, and if it hadn't been for this special day, I may not have discovered a great new teacher.>

I sat and had coffee with Audrey and Jan for 15 minutes, then headed into the yoga and meditation class, given by Hillary. Hillary guides the practice while her husband plays the tambura. The tambura is a drone instrument, similar to a sitar, but with no frets. It has four strings, tuned to the tonic. It is known for its very rich sound. It is made from a gourd. It was the perfect accompaninment to yoga and meditation. Hillary led us through a meditation that included three minutes of quiet and stillness. I didn't know three minutes could last so long. We then did a number of yoga poses, before moving into a final meditation that included three more minutes of quiet and stillness. I came away from the class thinking, "This is something I need to do more often." I will try to work this into my already busy Y schedule, but I think a class like this may be just as important as cardio or strength training, so some class will have to go. Thank goodness we have days at the Y like Thanksgiving, where we get a chance to try new teachers and sample new classes. I learned about an instrument I'd never heard of today, found a wonderful new strength training teacher, and was reminded of how good yoga and meditation are for me.