At the end of a winding street, where the shrubbery folds over and creates a canopy of dappled sunlight, Captains Quarters sits perched on the banks of the Ohio River. The building stands tall and spacious, looking like a renovated lodge cabin, and opens onto an outdoor decking area decorated with people and food, the essence of a humid summer evening falling on the horizon.
Positioned on the left is an area of shade no bigger than a parking spot, sheltered by four rainbow umbrellas. With an incense candle on the ground beside her feet, the yoga instructor has her back to the river and invites the class to sit facing her in a cross-legged position with hands at heart center. The smoke of the candle escapes into the clouds and filters a herbal aroma throughout the group.
At 7:15 pm, the sun sits proudly above the trees, and the relaxation yoga that brings slowly slides away with the beads of sweat that appear on the participants' foreheads. Sunset yoga quickly becomes outdoor Bikram yoga, replete with insects and nosy locals staring over from their shaded dinner tables.
Live music from the restaurant filters through the session, and the clatter of knives and forks accompanies the creaking of bones and heightening of groans that are released when it's time to change to the next position.
At around 7:50, the sun begins to nestle behind the trees and sprinkle a golden shimmer onto the lake. With eyes closed, palms together and quadriceps shaking in a firm tree position, the air stills, the energy from the restaurant softens, the leaves of the trees shake, and there's nothing but the thoughts in your head informing you that you're being bitten by a mosquito.
Finally, the class is told to lay flat on their backs. The instructor places cool towels soaked in lavender water on our foreheads and leaves us to focus on our breathing and the surrounding sounds. When practiced outside in the humidity of a Kentucky summer night, alongside buzzing conversation and music from the nearby restaurant, yoga becomes a different experience. It's challenging to center concentration and find silence, and it's physically exhausting trying to grip a slippery, sweaty yoga mat with one hand and one foot as the other side of your body wobbles inelegantly in the air.
But come 8:15, as the class bows our heads and begins to depart, the birth of a sunset breaks upon the river, the surface of the water reflecting it like a mirror and doubling the brilliance. The faint aroma of the candle lingers, making the view complete.
While perhaps not the most relaxing yoga experience, the class provides a great atmosphere and a workout for anyone at any level. The restaurant bar is a definite pit stop for hydration purposes afterwards, and honestly, who isn't a sucker for a typical technicolor Louisville sunset?
