The yoga I have encountered in Japan has been very gentle and soothing. Last season I practiced with Japanese grandmas that would stare at the only foreigner in class - awesome! This season my yoga experience has been a little different...
The class was fairly small with about five students and a petite Japanese instuctor. She was beyond friendly and even taught me a couple of Japanese words before class so I could follow along.
Inhale: Sutte
Exhale: Haite (not sure how to properly spell that)
Right: Migi
Left: Hidari
The class focused on gentle poses, lots of breathing and most of all embracing the heat. And man, was it hot! I haven't done hot yoga since the summer, so I was completely soaked in the first ten minutes of class. My mat was radiating heat, water was dripping off the celing and I was completely engulfed in sweat. But it felt absolutely great! Seriously. The instructor gently rang a bell three times at the beginning of class and sprayed a lavender scent. I was in heaven! She was so nice and even snuck in a couple of English words so I could follow along. Have I mentioned how much I love Japanese courtesy?!
At the end of class, the bell was rung again and to refresh our sense she sprayed a lovely mint scent all over the room. I felt absolutely great, refreshed and covered in a pool of my own sweat. Absolutely lovely image, isn't it?!