On Monday and Friday mornings at our local YMCA, a group of indomitable
women meet to stretch, run, "chasser," dance and smile. We are
attending "Spanda," a fitness class that combines yoga, aerobics and
music with a beat. Jane Eldridge Miller, a writer (specializing in
feminist literary history) and former university lecturer, has been leading the
class for nearly 8 years. While men are always welcome, they generally
aren't in attendance. Their loss!
In the words of its creator,
Dr. Jaime Stover Schmitt, Spanda is a Sanskrit term for the subtle creative
pulse of the universe as it manifests into the dynamism of living form. Spanda
can be translated to mean “vibration,” “movement,” or “motion,” referring to
waves of activity issuing forth from an unseen source of spontaneous
expression. See spandayoga.com for more information on the practice. Jane started taking Spanda classes with Dr. Schmitt
nearly 25 years ago. Some of the women
currently taking the class started with Dr. Schmitt more than fifteen years
ago.
Jane Eldridge Miller leading a Spanda class at our local YMCA
Watching the participating women move together across the dance studio
floor, one can sense their profound enjoyment as well as their sense of
community. One time, in between songs, a classmate said to me,
"You're always smiling!" I hadn't realized it, but upon
reflection, I noticed that she was right.
I responded, "Because it's fun!"
“I love the community we've all created together
in Spanda. We support one another in class and have formed friendships outside
of class, and that makes me very happy,” Jane says.
Age, body type, and athletic ability vary greatly at any given class.
There are participants who clearly have a dance background, and then some
who clearly don't, but are keeping up all the same, and getting just as much
out of it. There is no equipment for this class, and everyone generally
comes in casual stretchy pants, a t-shirt, and running shoes. An
exception is Lin, who is one of those people who does have a dance background.
"Standard workout shoes are uncomfortable to me because the
soles are so rigid. I was very happy to find split-sole shoes that allow you to
flex and stretch your feet," she explains.
While the exercise steps range from simple to complex, when I first started
taking the class last year, I could feel some of my under-used brain synapses
firing anew when I moved in ways that I hadn't for years. And while I
enjoy the challenge that some of the steps present, for my part, it's the music
that keeps me coming back week after week. Jane puts together a carefully
selected playlist every session, which keeps the class fresh and
up-to-the-minute.
“I love
collecting music and creating original playlists for the class,” Jane
says. The music is inspiring and
motivating. It's multi-cultural, and multi-generational. One playlist may
include a Spanish rap song ("I hope they're not saying anything bad!"
Jane confessed to the class one time), a typical Indian Bolly-wood song, pop
music from the '80's, and modern funk. Think: "She's a Bad Mama Jama"
(Carl Carlton, 1981), "The Obvious Child" (Paul Simon, 1990),
"Quién Manda?" (Mala Rodriguez, 2013) and "The Clean Up
Woman" (Betty Wright, 1972). Check out these songs on YouTube if
you’re not already familiar with them, and you’ll see what I mean!
Students have loved the music so much that Jane has taken to emailing the
playlists to everyone so we can download our new favorites. "I was
driving my teenage daughter and "What You Don’t Do" (by Lianne La
Havas, 2015) from our class came on the radio," Laura told us at a recent potluck
dinner students gathered for. "I started singing and moving to the music,
and my daughter was stunned. 'How do you
know that song?' she asked me. I felt so au courant!"
The music is not only energizing, but also empowering. While chassé-ing
across the floor, I often feel an overwhelming confidence that I can do
ANYTHING. "I'm the king of the world!" I think. That is,
until we get to the combination of 8 counts of walking in a comma-shaped
pattern while keeping low to the ground, followed by a double Charleston. Not
tripping over my own feet becomes my primary focus then.
“The biggest challenge for me,” Jane explains, “is
creating movement patterns that are interesting and challenging for my
experienced participants but which are also accessible for new participants and
adaptable for participants who might have injuries or restrictions. I always
want to insure that everyone feels welcome in Spanda and feels able to
participate at a level that is right for them.”
“I love that my
class gives the women in it the strength, flexibility, endurance, and energy
they need to live healthy, active lives,” Jane says. Personally, I can be really dragging on a frigid
winter's morning, but as soon as I arrive at the studio, sense the sisterhood
in the room, and that music gets going, my mood improves immediately, and in
spite of myself, before I know it, I'm smiling again, and grooving to the beat.
I defy any newcomer to respond differently.
