YOGA MEXICANA

Ever since I arrived here, I've been thinking it would be good to find a yoga class. I do walk a lot which is, of course, great exercise, but I'm afraid my strength and flexibility which I've worked hard to maintain in Pilates at home will fade away quickly. I did a little yoga with Ceci when I was studying spanish with her out in Tequisquiapan, and it felt good, but my online search for yoga in Queretaro was unsuccessful.

Finally, one day last week on a long walk along the river next to Avenue Universidad which is one of the outer boundaries of the historical center, "El Centro", I spotted a yoga studio which was closed at the time. I was on the way to a movie with Kikey the next day and telling her about this find, and she told me there was another yoga place on Nikolas Campa much closer to my house.

On Monday, I walked over to check it out, but it was closed -- I had forgotten that Monday was another big Mexican Independence holiday --- the 1910 revolution.... not the 1810 one which is celebrated in September. This one was much more low key - my excuse for not realizing it was a holiday. Anyway, when I finally went there a few days later and inquired about classes, the receptionist handed me a brochure describing the classes and the requirements. I have to say I was a bit daunted when I read it. I needed to have a certificate of health from a doctor, 2 small photos of myself and an introductory interview. The photos I could figure out how to get, and my spanish is probably good enough to get through an interview, but the doctor thing stumped me -- I don't have a doctor here.

I had coffee with Aurora the next day, and mentioned to her my dilemma about the doctor, and she said (of course in spanish), "That's no big deal. You can just go to the pharmacy next door, pay 50 pesos (a little less than $4) and a doctor will examine you and give you a certificate." So she took me down to the pharmacy, and sure enough, I paid my 50 pesos and a lovely young woman doctor asked me some questions about family history, listened to my heart and lungs, looked in my eyes and ears and gave me a certificate. No blood pressure check though.... interesting. Who knew it could be so easy. I suppose at home I could have walked into the Walk-In Care Center, but I probably would have had to wait a really long time, and it certainly would have cost a lot more than $4.00.

A word about pharmacies here.... I was walking past a different pharmacy yesterday and was handed a flyer about the services they offer. For example, you can go the pharmacy and get a resting electrocardiogram for 105 pesos (about $7.50), or a gynocological ultrasound for 165 pesos (about $13.00) and a lipid/cholesterol test for 340 pesos (a whopping $26.00). Okay, folks, check your health insurance receipts to see what you were charged the last time you had any of those things done in the U.S. of A.!!!!

Back to the yoga: it is called Solar Yoga and is part of The Gran Fraternidad Universal which is a worldwide organization evidently started by a Serge Raynaud De La Ferriere. According to the brochure's description, the first 30 minutes sounds like vigorous physical exercise, then you take a shower for 15 minutes and change into different clothes (preferably white), and then 10 minutes of relaxation that sounds like a body scan, then 15 minutes of something called gnani yoga, then 15 minutes of asanas, ending with 5 minutes of exercises for the eyes. Certainly will be all new to me. My first class is next Wednesday. By the way, my sign up fee was about $10 and a month of classes 2 times a week is about $15.