Team Perth

What a weekend. Whirlwind non stop excitement again. Next weekend I am definitely slowing down (for at least 10 counts, all the way down!). 

The weekend started with the 6pm Friday night yoga lead by my BYJ training buddy Jas. So good  to see her, after seeing everyday for 9 weeks then not seeing her for two weeks was very strange. I've missed her! Not a great turn out, there were five of us. Jas did great she got the class energy going, cracking jokes and gently pushing us hard through the 90 minutes. Jas is a natural. Beautiful voice, nice & calm but with firm command, very much like the lovely Rajashree. I had a great class. So much so I woke up Saturday morning with a total yoga hangover!!!

I taught my first class at the other studio in Scarborough Beach on Saturday arvo. Different crowd down there, in a good way. I went into commando style for some of it which I wasn't happy about. Already I have learned you can commanding without being a commando. My over excitement gets the better of me at times and that is when I start barking. It showed me how important it is, just like in personal practice, to teach at different studios. I am already very comfortable at my home studio so to have the opportunity to mix it up down at BYSB is great.

There were three of us from Perth at TT, Team Perth! The third gal from the North Perth studio, Kanayko, swung by my 8am Sunday morning class to say hi & practice. Again so good to see her & have her in my class. She hung out on reception & helped out before class. To have such great supportive friends/colleagues makes this job even more fantastic. I stopped for fuel on my way to the studio and the lady asked me if I was working today (probably as it was so early). I very nearly said no, then I remembered I was, but as this teaching job doesn't actually feel like 'work' it felt strange to say 'yes I'm going to work', so I said 'yes I'm teaching yoga this morning.' Looking forward to taking Kana's class and having Jas practice in my class. What a team!!

My mentor also took class so I was able to get some valuable two weeks in feedback. It was funny the things I perceived myself to have stuffed up she hadn't even noticed (fake it till you make it!). My feedback was very constructive. Mainly to help me work on timing. I finished both weekend classes on time but I was aware I'd 'galloped' through some of the standing postures & shaved a few seconds off the savasanas. I'm starting to look at second sides now and extra dialogue, this will help with timing & keep it it interesting. I'm comfortable with the dialogue we learned for training, the meat & potatoes, now I feel it's time to start adding some vegetables & gravy to the plate. I have time on my hands as this isn't expected of us just yet. Some little & often studying over the next few weeks will keep me on top of the game. So much more to learn & I'm so ready to learn more.

3rd time up

Last night saw my third appearance on the podium for some pre TT practice. I delivered the full half moon series again. Talking to other future trainees not everyone gets the opportunity to get up in front a real live class to practice their delivery. I think somewhere in the Bikram book of rules there might be something that says only qualified teachers can teach. We only get to practice teach in this way under the strict supervision of our studio director. No way would we be let loose if she didn't think we were up to it and in danger of putting her students/studio in danger. 

I'd not told anyone that I was up last night, apart from Courtney who read about it here!! I was so touched by this as she decided to come along to the class after not practicing for a while. *thank u* Slowly more and more of my friends and fellow regulars started trickling into the studio last night. I did well not to say anything. In the end there was about ten people I knew in attendance. 

It was very reassuring and I think it helped me a lot. I wasn't sure whether if it was a good move to focus on my friends or not. Turned out to be the best option as they were all concentrating on themselves in the mirror like good little yogis. Not looking at me. When I did look at the other students I must have had eye contact with at least three or four people. One lady was actually stuffing up her alignment so she could have a squiz at me up there! Look in the mirror people, I'm not doing anything exciting up there! It was hard not to slip an extra line in to say so but no I had to stay verbatim. I saw a few corrections too that needed attention but that is not my place, I am not a teacher yet so I cannot correct.

I've been practicing speaking from my stomach rather than my throat. I was better than last week and I didn't yell but there's a lot of room for improvement there. I felt a lot more relaxed last night and my thighs weren't wobbling with nerves. I may have even waved my arms round a bit on the uplifting sections.

I had some lovely feedback after class too. Such great support and community spirit we have going on at BYJ. A few people have commented on my accent which is cool. Despite pledging my allegiance to Australia last year I am proud to have held onto my British accent. I think I am still maybe the first British accent to grace our studio? Kinda cool being unique. 

Onwards and upwards. My dialogue study sped up this week. I've down with Standing Separate leg stretching and am half way through Triangle. I envisaged needing two weeks on this at my usual study pace but its going in very well. I think I have a lot of it it from just hearing it in class. I'm well on track for getting all the Standing Series in by September. May well get half of the Spine strengthening series down too...maybe?!

A little release

Even though I said I wasn't going to count the days in this challenge, I am at day 23. This is the point in the 30 day challenge when I started breaking down physically and mentally. Last week my life outside the yoga room was getting to me emtionally. My house was a hideous sh*t pit, I felt I was getting no help and was being bitched at for falling asleep the moment my arse hit the couch at 8pm. Funny that as I get up at 4:30am, do yoga, have an hour and 20 mins commute both ways to work, hold down a full time creative job that is demanding, cook dinner every night, clean up nearly every night, launder stinky sweaty clothes every night and unpack/repack kit bags every night. Am I moaning? Yes, I need a release. Done, I can move on.

I live this crazy schedule because I can and I want to. Some people might even envy me, others, mostly think I'm totally bonkers! I know this isn't forever. This is just part of my life right now. The challenge has to be done, for me it is the ultimate preparation for TT. I can discover things now that might go wrong with my body and find a cure for it or a prevention. I'm booked in for a well over due deep tissue massage today as my shoulders are so frozen I have to kick the penguins off every morning. I'm so looking forward to leaving the real world behind for nine weeks. It'll make me appreciate it so much more when I leave the yoga bubble.

My body is screaming at me for neglecting it. Yoga is healing but it stills needs complimenting with other toxin releases activities such as massage. I was told to push my hips more forward in Camel today. I thought I was...my hips feel like they are set in concrete. I've let my form slip in a few postures because I hurt, I'm a little tired and emotionally challenged. 

An instructor who I've not had for a few months was back today. We've both been away so our paths haven't crossed. I was called out a few well needed times. Picking out the small details I was slacking on. I was given a very helpful pep talk afterwards. I can't be slacking off, even though I'm tired and using the challenge as an excuse for backing off. It will be ten times as bad in September. (Rachel in Leicester pointed this out too) I was told I need to go into every class & imagine Bikram is teaching. He won't take any bullsh*t and in his not so polite manner will tell you so. It will reflect badly on my home studio if I'm asked where I come from and why haven't they taught me to do this correctly.

I am comfortable with my instructors as they are with me. Only the other day a friend and I were saying how we often get over looked in class because the newbies need attention. Very true, I don't want to deny newbies the attention they deserve. Us regulars don't want attention all the time but if we are left to our own devices we'll slip into bad habits. Which I have. We're getting a load of support and coaching for dialogue but I need it in the room too. A matter to be discussed. My practice is no way as strong as my training buddy but on the up side I've been told my dialogue, teaching technique and voice are strong. Training is as much about practice as it is learning to be a teacher. 

I'm an advocate for "lead by example" not a "do as I say, not as I do" person. If I want my future students to do well in their practice, I need to do well in my practice too. I always look up to the instructors who practice in class with me, I must be on form to do the same. I would hate for a student to think 'why should I listen to her bossing me about when I saw her in class the other day and she can't do it herself!" Ekk am I getting paranoid now?!

As I've said this challenge is supposed to get me in the zone, if I'm slacking off it's not fulfilling it's purpose. I need to re-focus and push through those mental and physical road blocks that we all know like to pop up from time to time.  

Mentor

"Mentor and coach others where you can. Your teaching will deepen your own Learning." Lee J.Colan

This future teacher training adventure will never stop expanding and developing. TT is just a tiny step to getting started. A never ending story perhaps? Can't wait to get started!!