Awesome!

I want to be a part of it...

....New York, New York!!! 

NYC is on my bucket list for sure. I've not yet ventured to the East coast of the States and there are so many reasons to and so many friends to visit. *Waves at Johanna & Ilana* It's just so far away...

Tomorrow is the Summer Solstice. To mark the occasion there is a MASSIVE yoga event happening in Times Square. Bikram's wife Rajashree is teaching a Bikram class at 12:30pm. Sounds like the heat in NYC tomorrow will be sticky so perfect conditions for some out door Bikraming. I can't say how much I'd love to take this class. It'll be awesome, and it's free. Well jell I tell you. If you are in NYC do not miss this. Raj is an amazing teacher and to practice out doors with hundreds, possibly thousands of people would be mind blowing.

A great weekend in the learning pool of knowledge

Perth was very blessed this past weekend and extremely happy to host Bikram senior instructor Craig Villani. Craig first visited us last March for an epic one day seminar and class. It was a long, long day and class was not in the heated room, making things a little less authentic. This year each of the four studios were hosting their own 2 hour comprehensive master class. Open to all levels of students of course.


Luckily I managed not to get myself in the same state of sickness as last year, ie. migraine brought on by sheer over excitement & bad hydration. I was a lot more centred but very eager for the event in hand.

This year I was so honored to be part of the teacher's workshop & question/answer session that was held the day before the workshop. This man has so much experience & knowledge of Bikram yoga I was ready to tap into it. I'd pulled a crazy again, teaching the 7:30pm Thursday and then the 5:45am Friday. Slight fatigue might have helped calm me down but lead to a not so good practice. 


We were killed. In a happy, smiling way of course & I actually am hugely thankful for the ass kicking, I needed it. Half Moon lasted about 5 minutes each side or so it felt like. I think I went through every emotion in that two plus something hours. I was quite grateful for my dysfunctional tear ducts at one point, as I quite possibly could have shed a few, especially after my abysmal Awkward Part 2 for which I was called out for, had corrections directed at but then failed completely. I felt I was letting down all my students and I was no way in possession of a strong enough practice to be calling myself a teacher.


I got over it, kind of, once we were in the change rooms slugging Powerade & all looking wrecked. Relief it wasn't just me holding my heart in my sweaty hand. Especially as I know deep down & I tell the students this, it is a PRACTICE not a PERFECT. I managed to redeem myself in the Q & A by asking some posture questions that I needed clarifying. Kicking myself now for not actually preparing for this session by writing them down before hand. I have so many questions & of course when put on the spot one's mind goes blank.

The student workshop on Saturday morning at BYJ was great also. I hid in the back row in a great spot near the air vent (well not really hiding, Craig could still see us all). Nice packed room of 50 something teachers & students. It was steamy, humid and highly energised. Loved it! Every muscle was burning from the previous day's class. I tried my best but still failed at Awkward, I now have a blockage on that posture I need to let go of. I could blame the calcified sesamoid bone in my right foot but it's an old injury that doesn't flair up that often, even though it can cause me pain in this posture.

It was brilliant to be a teacher at this workshop. To be fair I wasn't 100% focused on my practice as I was paying close at to the corrections the students were receiving. I was thinking 'great that's really helping Jane, I needed to know how to help her get to the next stage in that posture, will look out for this next time I teach her.' The way Craig dealt with small issues like hands on hips or racing ahead of the instructions was great, something I will try & adopt. I know I'll be reviewing my notes from this weekend most often!

The students had a ball. No one was disappointed. We sold a lot of Coconut water after class. I learned so, so much. The students learned so, so much. I feel so blessed to be part of an amazing local community of yogis as well as an International one. Excellent weekend all round!

Here's some photos....

Lee-Ann star student completing her 60 Day Challenge that class...

with a broken right toe no less!

747's taking off, BYJ's best posture!

How to execute a correct Triangle

Instructor love!

 

Oh I had to get a fan photo...

Half Moon Delivery

Tuesday was the first day we started delivering the Half Moon posture to Bikram. I’d noticed on the right side of the stage there was a red cross then three tapped red lines going across the stage. Doesn’t take a genius to figure out what these were for, ie. The cross was where we stand to deliver then move onto the lines to become the demo people. I’m sure I read somewhere on a blog that trainees line up on the right of the stage then go up to deliver.

Being a super keen person that I am I made sure I sat on an isle seat on the right hand side of the stage so I could leap up and get in line asap. As soon as the gates were open I was off. I ended up lining up (well sitting on the black waiting chairs) for nearly two hours till it was my turn.

Two of my new friends Lauren and Tiffany both rocked it. Tiff didn’t even get to finish the dialogue, Boss had heard enough to know she’d be a great teacher. They were both awesome. (& so were all my other new buddies, you know who you gals are!)

My turn came. I was kitted out in my shiny new Lulu tank and a pair of capris. What I considered a professional teaching outfit. I wanted to look and feel like a teacher. Boss chatted a little with me about his up coming trip to Australia in January. I smiled and nodded but didn’t say I wouldn’t be attending ;-)

Off I went. Those who have heard me deliver dialogue know I have my own unique style. I am very animated and pronunciate certain words. This actually had the crowd of 400 people laughing. I was a little scared by this, why are these people laughing at my best drill sergeant technique. Not to worry they were all cheering and clapping before I got to the end. What a feeling. I put 100% passion behind that delivery and it paid off. Boss smiled and said “I’m glad she made you all laugh.” Then said good. Phew. The girl after me stumbled a little and Boss told her it’s okay, it’s hard to follow a performance like hers, ie. me.

It was such a rush to be up there teaching. It felt so good. I am heading in the right direction. I was scared I would come across as OTT or not genuine. A lot of other people were told to cut the drama, stop acting, you’re not doing it for the right reason. Boss has a way of figuring you out in 10 seconds what you’re really like. I’m hoping from my feedback he knew I wasn’t acting and the energy was a true reflection of my character.

I had lots of nice feedback from other students and a few asked me to help them with their dialogue, that was nice. My karma yoga can be helping some of the others who aren’t as far ahead as me. I started yesterday by going through Standing Separate leg stretching with my roomie. We had a rare afternoon off so took advantage of the free time & pool area. I won’t let this first performance go to my head, with the impending sleep depravation, harder classes and stricter rules, dialogue delivery may well be more challenging. Some of the floor postures have already disappeared from memory…

End of week 1

Every instructor that has gone through training says the same thing. You cannot describe it. The daily schedule is very structured. Two yoga classes a day, a mid morning lecture and an evening lecture or posture clinic or infamous movie. Even in the five days we have been here I have fallen into step. I love this. Just be here at this time, that time. Even when you are on time the schedule always runs late. We work on Indian time here! Also expect the unexpected.

I’m not gonna reveal the secrets of training. It’s copyrighted and the Big B has very good lawyers! I can describe to you what I have gone through this week.

My jet lag stuffed me up. I barely slept the first few days. I was wired, excited and running on that energy. 400 excited people whip up some awesome energy alone. The yoga room is amazing, HUGE and of course f&^%ing hot. Never, never will I ever complain that a studio is hot. You are soaking wet before you even stand up for the breathing. It’s been the least of my worries, the heat has not actually bothered me. In saying that no one is moaning about the heat really. Fatigue has been my dagger. That is what has brought me to my knees quite a lot this week. That & probably malnutrition!

People who have practiced with me in Joondy would be shocked. My cast iron determination and focus went to shit the first few classes. I was actually being my own worse nightmare, a fussy, fidgety mess in savasana, between postures and generally every chance I got. One class I was stuffing ice down my top and laying out small piles of ice around my towel to lie on!!!!! WTF! This is not me, this is also not normal practice. I have managed to pull it together the past day or so. I had one near normal practice with the Boss and one today. I’m not worried. I am taking all the advice and not killing myself early on. It is hard not too as the room is so hot I am finding kicking and stretching comes so much easier. People are dropping like flies. Big strong men being carried out of the room. There has been puking, lots of puking. No crying as yet. This is just the start.

Oh boy food. We are blessed to have a fridge but cooking in the room is illegal. I got round it ;-) I’ve been getting my protein in and some veg. I found an awesome water boiling thing that can cook veg really quick. I have no interest in food. Nothing at all interests me. I am ramming food down when I’m not hungry because I have to, there is barely an hour to change, eat & get out the door. Even if I did really crave something I have no time to get it. This weekend we have all decided it’s steak and pizza on the menu for sure!!!

So far so good. Today, Friday, I felt like death all day but as soon as evening class is done I am alive. I love this yoga! This has been the pattern. Wacked all day, tough morning class, then some jazzed in the evening. My muscles are sore but they are holding in there. My throat is getting sore, a few people have this. Probably best not to be sharing ice with people out of the same container any more? We have been blessed with the evening off. The Boss is out of town & there isn’t anything they can do with us as 200 people still need to deliver Half Moon.