SIX TEACHERS, 108 POSES, 3.5 HOURS

My heart was palpitating with caffeine and trepidation. I, the everlasting beginner was headed for Yogathon 2009 at the Iyengar Institute of San Francisco. Craigslist said beginners were welcome, so did the lady who answered the phone.

The Yogathon is a fund-raiser for the Iyengar Institute. The point is to find someone who would sponsor each of your 108 poses. Yoga is a cause I believe in, and will gladly raise funds for.

Even with these good intentions and assurances, I was worried. In my gut I knew that only the hardcore would go to a three-hour yoga marathon and attempt 108 poses nonstop. My yoga spirit may be willing, but my poses are weak. But Patanjali help me, I still registered.

MY FIRST TEACHER

My gut was right. The only familiar face I see is that of my first-ever in the world yoga teacher, Rogelio Nunez (www.yogamastery.org) who is as hardcore as they come. He looks glad, but also maybe a little surprised and puzzled to see me there.

More than two years ago, I first met Rogelio at the yoga introduction series at the Omine Yoga Studio (www.omineyoga.com) in San Bruno, Califiornia, about 15 miles south of San Francisco. His first words to me on that fateful meeting: "You're late." From then on, I knew yoga was serious business for Mr. Nunez, and I was never late for class again. And if I love yoga, props (a supposedly funny pun if you get it) go to Rogelio Nunez.

Under Rogelio's strict but kind guidance, I believed myself to be on the way to his intermediate class. Then crazy work schedules forced me to stop yoga for more than year. Bummer! Just recently I picked it up again,and such is the way of Iyengar, I started from the bottom again. Uber bummer!

So what is this eternal beginner doing at Yogathon, Rogelio must have asked himself.

As I go through the two-page list of the 108 poses of the afternoon, I shake my head. "No, no, no," I tell myself. I saw many, many polysyllabic, tongue-twisting Sanskrit names that I only knew from books but had never even seen live, much less done, before.

I kept on shaking my head, knowing I might not be able to do even a tenth of these. Rogelio sees me and says, "You'll be fine." I nodded, even as I weigh which is worse, walking out of Yogathon or being the class dunce.

YOGATHON HIGHLIGHTS AND SOUNDBITES

The yogathon starts out like every class, the "aum" call and response and the chant I can never get right, "Invocation to Patanjali." Not even a karaoke screen with a bouncing ball would help.

Yogathon kicks off with the basic mountain pose, tadasana, the foundation of all poses. OK, this I can do. We go through triangle, extended side angle, the usual intro series menu.

After the easy series, "I cannot do this, that or the other," becomes my refrain throughout Yogathon afternoon. And the teachers always end up saying, "Try, " or give me modifications if they assess that maybe this might be too much for this poor, little trying-so-hard yogi.

(Please note that there were many poses where I used props such as blocks, chairs, bolsters, straps and even teachers. Iyengar yoga teaches that if the practitioner is unable for any reason--like lack of skill, lack of flexibility, injury or weakness--to attain the full pose, props should be used to attain proper form. It's better to hold a pose properly with props even for just a few seconds than to hold an incorrect form for long. The muscles should be trained for correct form, and will remember those few seconds of correct form.)

Here are some of my favorite soundbites and highlights of my Yogathon experience.

"I'm a very good wall," - Janet McLeod, propping me from behind to improve my extended side angle pose.

"C'mon, you're young and strong, you can do this" - Alex Fraim, as he hoists up my legs for an arm supported headstand. (This is the best quote, because I know I must be at least ten years older than this dude. Thank you, Asian genes.)

"Tuck in, tuck in, tuck in! Now, breathe. You'll be fine. " - David Sirgany correcting another headstand, before moving to another student.

"She hasn't done this before." - Rogelio to Janet, referring to my weak backbend.

"Oh, my lord." - Me, after Janet pulls my torso up to correct and deepen said weak backbend.

"Are you all right?" - John Hayden, prepping me for a relaxing pose. I suspect that after three-and-a half hours of nonstop practice, all the teachers knew that this eternal beginner needed savasana. Now.

"Oh, my lord." - Me, repeatedly throughout the afternoon, as each teacher showed perfect execution of many of those polysyllabic poses I've never seen done in person before. Just go to youtube and type in "toughest yoga poses in the world." Whatever that search yields, I saw them up close that afternoon.

All these teachers left me in shock and awe. And inspired. Namaste.

POST-YOGATHON

A thank you message on the Iyengar Institute's website (www.iyisf.org) said Yogathon raised over $10,000. I'm happy to have been part of their success. But most of all, I'm happy with what Yogathon gave me.

It reinforced a lesson I have to learn again and again--that my tendency to try and do everything myself, as a fiercely independent individual, is not the most beneficial attitude.

As in yoga, many times you will need support--be it a wall, a block, a chair, or people-- to prop you up so you can attain your most pefect self. And even if you never do attain that perfection, with or without a prop, it's okay. At least your tried. And had fun in the process.