Kick ass, take names

Over the past few weeks/months my yoga teaching homework has been to connect with the room, i.e. the students or 'bodies' as we so fondly refer to them in teacher speak. In order to actually 'teach' a class, apposed to standing up there spewing out verbatim dialogue, you need to connect. The easiest way to do this is to say a students name. And what better way to get a name out there is to give a correction. 

The next big step for a rookie teacher - step off the order of the dialogue - give a correction (still using dialogue speak) & get back on it again. It's very scary at first. Especially as I learned the dialogue by word association, linking the last word in a sentence to the next. It takes practice. (never stop learning!!) The first time I tried it I got my correction in fine & a name but then totally lost what came next in the dialogue. Totally fluffed it and said something completely weird to finish. "Get 'em out" I heard Michon's voice ring in my ears. Any which way I could!! 

I've started with the postures I'm very comfortable with & those that once the students are set up correctly & in there, there is room to jiggle the words. For me it's usually the inversions. Haha, if I start to fluff the students can't see my panic stricken face! Also when they are upside down I can sneak a look at my name cheat sheet. At check in the students I don't know I try to learn their names. By writing them down no less, with a quick note of how to identify them. Like white headband, blue Lulu top, red mat etc. you get the idea. I always write down first timers, say their name once at the start to check where they are, then leave them be. Not good to be barking out newbies name first class. Then I congratulate each by name at the end for surviving. Padahasana is a good one for me to check in who's who in the first set, glancing at my sheet putting names to bodies. Unless someone needs help setting up after things kick off then that comes first. 

I'm getting there slowly. My BYJ 5:45am's rock for names. Students filter in slowly so I have time to 'stalk' them and get a good look at who is who. I know most of them anyway from practicing with them for the past two years. Scarborough is a little more challenging as once they check in they're gone. The waiting areas are either upstairs or round the corner, out of sight. I teach the busy classes there so often people fly through & I don't even see them properly if I've got half an eye on the computer or writing a sale down. Answer to that, get my butt down there to practice more often. Get familiar with people by standing by them & mingling before/after class.

Hot Yoga Girl hits 100

Fellow BYTT Fall 11 graduate the Hot Yoga Girl posted this awesome piece on 35 things about teaching 100 classes. All the way through I was nodding and saying "me too!" Everyone teaches a different class, as we are all unique personalities. The core (the dialogue) is the same every time but we all inject something a little different. It was a pleasure to read this, I feel so proud of my TT buddies, we've all come so far from that first delivery of Half Moon last September, now we are teachers!

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.

Full Circle

Completing the circle and teaching your first Bikram Yoga Class is the icing on the cake after finishing Training. Saturday 26th November 2011 at 11:30am I closed my circle. This was a mock class set up by my studio director to make sure everything was running smoothly before I was let loose on the public. 

At training you don't get the chance to teach a real class, in real conditions. There are a few 'holes' that also need to be filled by your mentor. I was lucky enough to have a briefing on this before the class so I could make it was authentic as possible. Sadly I can not reveal any 'trade secrets' on this, comes under that copyright/teacher/student rule thing. There are some things students don't need to know ;-) 

The class was just like a real class. There were four instructors and three real life students. It was in the yoga room, with the headset and the heat blasting. It went very well I feel. My timing needs working on, like most new teachers say. This will come with practice, practice, practice! I was so relieved to get through Spine Twist I totally forgot everything that is involved in the final breathing so garbled something then started clapping. I received positive, useful feedback with homework. 

This is only the start. Someone asked me the other day what my next challenge will be, they know me well enough that I always need a project or three to be getting on with. I answered that this one has only just begun. So much more to learn. Just like before training, I sit on the train twice a day dialogue in hand reviewing and learning new things; left side, extra dialogue, benefits. This will keep me busy for a while!

Week 7 & 8

One week to go here at BYTT Fall 2011. It's nearly over. Apologies to my one reader for not posting last week (Hi H, hahaha!) I skipped town & went to Las Vegas. Posture clinics wrapped up so I took advantage of the fact I wouldn't be chained to studying to go visit with my friend Liz for some R & R, tea & sympathy, shopping & a show. After an hours conversation on Sunday night I woke up and just knew I had to go. 

It was great. The desert is a very powerful place to be. I left a lot of things in the crator and came back refreshed and ready. I got to see my idol Holly Madison live in her awesome burlesque extravaganza 'Peep Show.' I shopped till I dropped and had some much needed 'me' time. It may seem weird going from one artificial bubble to the next but it worked out easier to jump on a plane to Nevada than try and get around LA by oneself. I needed to get out of here. Don't get me wrong I have loved my experience here, the yoga, even all the lectures haven't been as grueling as I thought it would. The only thing that I have let get me down are the people. 

I don't want to go into details but it has saddened me that friends I thought I'd have for life I am now doubting. It might just be my raw emotional state but I  the past two weeks have left me feeling like a 'tag along' only being asked out because of obligation or actually not being asked at all now. No drama. We're all adults here. It has made me go out and find people on my level. With nearly 400 of us I shouldn't be restricting myself to the same people, so many people to know, so little time. Only yesterday I met another Aussie girl who I didn't know existed. These are the people I feel I need to bond with for future connections, after all there is a great chance we can help each other out with classes/couches when we get back down under.We have team Australia dinner tonight so we'll get the chance!!

Dialogue has not stopped. My posture chicks and I have worked hard this week stringing together 4-5 postures. One set both sides. It throws you. Especially when you're faced with a 20 second savasana and your mind goes blank as to what is next!!! I can't wait to get back to teach. I feel ready to give it a go, I need to start the next phase of teaching, teaching, teaching. 

Our studio director Miss Jo dropped by last week and brought BYSB's director with her. So great to see them. We had a team Perth dinner and caught up on the gossip. Apparently the 'parallel universe' of training and the weird and wonderful things that go on happen every training. You have to be here to understand. 

Body wise I have got progressively stiffer and more sore as the weeks have gone on. Sitting down crossed legged is near impossible. I even thought the plane seat last week felt like bliss compared to the lecture room chairs. How sad is that.

I will definitely miss my posture group #7. We had an awesome night out on Saturday and shared hilarious stories of each of our different experiences. I know I have friends for life from this group. We also have three of our group in the demo team for graduation!!!! Go Neda, Liz & JJ. (Also Aussie Kaz!) 

I'm off, my last Sunday and I'm spending it with my Brit pack gang down Venice beach. This time next week I'll have my certificate in my hand and be packing my bags to get the hell out of here and back to The Man. I'm allowing myself now to miss him and I need to get back to the farm & out of the city asap!

Week Six – Fatigue, frayed nerves & f*ck-tards

 The elastic band has finally snapped & ouch it hurt. The yoga bubble has been a mass of emotional breakdowns this week, worse than last week, nerves are frayed and it will take a whole lot of welding to get them fixed. It was a different energy all together. I am fine, I am fatigued beyond belief but still happy to be here. I just need not let my peace be stolen. However I have been absorbing the negative energy of others. This has left me a little rough round the edges and thinking a tad irrationally toward the end of the week. Lucky for me ‘sleeping on it’ worked a treat.

Sometimes people don’t realise how their bad moods affects others around them. It is hard to find some peace and quiet here, there is no-where to hide. Someone is always in your face. We need badges to pin on that say “please don’t talk to me, no offence.” That has been my problem, I’ve walked in on some people who just need silence and no crap ‘making conversation’ small talk. When you get a nasty attitude back it does hurt, ‘snap, ouch,’ especially when you mean well & are just trying to lighten the mood. What can you expect in a situation like this? Any tensions were definitely left on the mat in Saturday morning’s class & we breezed into the weekend a bunch of smiling happy yogis.

The third phrase in this week’s title may be a little bitchy. Some people just need to learn to shut up & put up. Be a sheep, eat the f*cking grass, you won’t win so don’t bother boring us with endless excuses, it’s wasting valuable time. We are so close to the end, so close. Nuff said.

Posture clinic is nearly done. I finished on a high on Friday night with Fixed Firm. We may well be done by next Friday. Last weekends homework to learn Pranayama breathing went well too, better than I expected after leaning it on the short. I am no longer scrambling to be the first one up there to deliver. Sometimes I feel it gets a little nasty everyone fighting to get up, wanting to get it out the way. I am quite happy to sit back and wait now. Patience is a virtue.

Posture clinic was a hoot this week. We were told be ‘real’ students and give the ‘teacher’ distractions. Hilarious the stuff people were doing. At one point I pretended to burst into tears and sat howling whilst my friend Liz did a sterling effort to ‘ignore the train wreck’ and carry on. Other people busted out the wrong posture, sat drinking, talking and generally being naughty cows.

Physically everything is getting harder. I’m starting to slow down. It’s not just me there is a collective groan as we all bend forward for the first Hands to feet. In saying that somehow out of the blue my Awkward pose has had a breakthrough. It’s no-where near perfect but the best it’s ever been. Five weeks ago I wasn’t sitting on the bar stool, I was sitting on the bar. Now, on a good day, usually in the afternoon class I’m nearly, nearly on the chair.

My practice in general hasn’t turned to as much mush as I was expecting.  Probably as I’m not going hell for leather like I did during the 60-day challenge. I’m trying but often when I fall out I don’t get straight back in, preserving some energy as there is always a class later or the day after or the day after that.

Hydration is becoming hard for me. Water just does not interest me anymore. I try spicing it up with ice and lime but it’s a chore to get the 4 litres in. Hence now I am slugging water, not a tiny sip, in class, usually towards the end of the floor series. I’m not cramping which is good but being actually thirsty is not a good sign. My caffeine intake has increased, counteractive I know. Not major, only 1 or 2 drinks a day. This is to pep me up out of the perpetual zombie state I seem to be in.  I can see my training buddies laughing now as I’m probably known as the sleeping girl in lectures. Yes, do not ask me what happened in this week’s movies or fascia lecture. I have no idea. I am always attentive in posture clinic though and haven’t mastered the 20 second savasana naps in class.... yet.

To finish off I got the exciting news I am on the teaching schedule for when I get back home. Wooow weeee! It makes everything so real. I have a mock class scheduled first before I’m let loose on the general public. Then some real life classes all by myself. I’m not saying when, the studio does not to advertise who’s teaching so I will respect that. You’ll all just have to keep coming to yoga and see if you get lucky (??!!!).  

Sleeping is a running joke round here!

Yumo fish tacos

Group 7 'G' girls!

Halloween festivities at the hotel

Warming up

I've just rolled over the two week count down till I leave for LA. I really just want to get there now and get started. It won't be no holiday but as a travel hound I think a sea change/continent change is just what I need to freshen things up.

I had my last dialogue class yesterday with my director. First I ran through the reception desk procedure  and had a go checking students in and using the EFTPOS machine. Half an hour really does go quite fast. Anything I cock up can be sorted after after the class. As long as the names on the sheet match the names in the computer and the till balances we're good. There's a lot more to learn on my return, opening and closing procedure etc. 

Dialogue went well. We ran through a 'mock' warm up series. Both sides, two sets of each from the Half Moon without stopping. I was worried about the left side of Eagle getting mixed up lefts and rights but actually it flowed very well. Even though we are not worrying about timing I came in at 18 minutes. I've been told including pranayama the warm up is 25 minutes, on the floor by 53 minutes at the latest. I ran through cobra too. I'm really enjoying that one, you can get a lot of encouraging up lifting energy going.

Next week if I make one particular evening class there will be the opportunity to get up on the podium again. It's been well over a month since I've done that so I'm really eager to get another go in before I leave to combat those nerves!

Close to the end

Less than two weeks till I finish the challenge. I know I wasn't going to count but it's close to the end so did a count. I had a quick scan of the challenge board yesterday and I could see a lot of people hit the same road block in weeks 6/7 as I did. Their ticks stopped as they pulled out the challenge. A few people I know have gotten sick. This is normal, with the intensity of the challenge and the natural detoxing effect of the series it often comes on in flu/cold type symptoms. It's winter here too, sickness season. Others, like me, real life just caught up with them. At least they tried, they gave it a go, that can be commended. 

My outlook shifted dramatically last week. I went from angry to normal and chilled out in a day. I can't say I had a great revelation or anything, I just sucked it up and put up. 

I even did a double yesterday, Saturday. Madness I know. Even BYSB's director was a bit alarmed when I told him afterward. Everyone is worried we'll burn out before training. So I am. However I set some rules yesterday before I committed. If I had a good morning class and didn't kill myself but tried hard I'd do a double. If I came out the 9:30am feeling wacked and woozy I would not do the 2pm. I came out feeling good. I took a huge savasana, nearly ten minutes. I had nothing to do that day but concentrate on yoga so the conditions were all right. I'd had nine hours solid sleep, a good breakfast and a clear head.

We had a great posture clinic with our directors Mum who helped us with our verbatim. I delivered the whole of the standing series straight up from the top. One side, one set of each posture. Took about 25/30 minutes. JJ did a stellar effort of being a great body demo. I was a crap one, I feel bad, I kept falling and coming out early. JJ is only two behind, she'll be on Tree next week. Go team BJY!!

I had a full hour and a half before the next class. I headed down the Scarborough studio with my esky packed with snacks and water. Sat on the beach, took in some sea air and scanned my dialogue over. There are a few set ups I'm mixing up between the postures. Mainly the feet on the line or at the line bits. I'm tending to say the same 'feet together nicely toes and heels touching' through out. This is not a worry, at TT just before I go up to present I'll make sure I do a final check to make sure I get it right. The 'meat' of the posture is juicy and solid just the bread either side is a bit soggy in parts!

Second class went well. No one was on the front row, hardly anyone on the second. Everyone, including me were squished up on row 3/4. It was good practice for me to be aware of my neighbors being so close. 'You can touch your neighbor but no feeling!' 

The point of my double madness. I can take today, Sunday, off. I'm staying at home, resting, catching up on personal admin, getting some well deserved me time at home. I may not even get dressed today. The Man is cooking a roast for lunch and we'll kick back and do normal Sunday stuff without me having to dash off to yoga.

Japense Ham Sandwich

One of the unique phrases in the Bikram series appears in Pada-Hasthasana or Hands to Feet pose. Your told fold your body in half, stretching from your lower spine toward the floor, no gap between you body and your legs so from the side you look like a 'Japanese Ham Sandwich.' What the heck is a Japanese Ham Sandwich? No real answer there on that one. Mon from "Don't Sweat it" blog found a real life Japanese Ham Sandwich in Japan. Here it is.....

Japanese Ham Sandwich in Japan!

The Dialogue

The essence of Bikram yoga, and what makes it different from other forms of yoga, is the dialogue. Each class is the same 26 postures and two breathing exercises that follow a set dialogue, in a set order. The instructor does not demonstrate the postures they guide students through verbally, using the dialogue. 

One of the main tasks in teacher training is obviously we have to learn the dialogue and present it to the training staff. How can we expect to be Bikram Yoga teachers if we don't know the dialogue. It's a given, we must get down with it. Some people will find this harder than others, like some with struggle with practice more than others. We are all different & we must not compare or judge. We are all equals in this game with different strengths or weaknesses. We are unique or life would be pretty boring.

Being a girly swat as I am I couldn't wait to get learning it. I am lucky to be academically minded which has helped me so far with studying the vast expanse that is the dialogue. For training we have to know if verbatim, word for word as it is written. Yes the grammar is a little out there, sometimes it doesn't make sense to say the words in the order it is presented but it works for the class. 

Myself and my BYJ training buddy have been having weekly posture clinics with our director as well as having the opportunity to present certain postures to real life classes. This has been invaluable experience.

Yesterday we ran through everything we'd learned so far. I have exceeded my goal of learning all the standing series before the 15th September. Well, I still have to learn tree and toe stand but with 6 and a half weeks to go I think I should have that down. My new target is to get some of the floor learned too. It was great to run straight through from Half Moon to Standing Separate leg Head to Knee pose. I was a little scratchy at the latter as I'd only spent five hours on it. 

My main feedback was to slow down. I am pretty comfortable with the warm up series so was belting it out at top speed. Saying it too fast will have the students in a flap and they'll feel rushed if the words are flying out at them too quickly. As we are not concerned about timing the class yet we need not to stress. We need  to know this verbatim and present with passion and character. Timing is something we will learn on our return under the guidance of our mentors. On the job learning.

It's so exciting! I'm really pleased with my efforts. I just hope everything I've learned doesn't fall out my head come September.

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?!

Closing the circle

Everything is speeding up now. It's now only nine weeks till I'll be in LA for TT. Fully installed in the LAX Radisson, getting ready to meet my roomie, meeting everyone else in the possible 400+ people with whom I'll be training with. 

I was very honored last Saturday to be invited to freshly graduated instructor Hannah's first class back at her home studio. There were five of us in attendance. Two instructors, two trainee's and a future possible trainee. It was so exciting to be part of the this class. I've heard after you finish training you have to try and teach a class to complete the circle. 

I had a great class, it was what I could describe as a floaty class. I just drifted from posture to posture, listened to the instruction and was totally in the zone. Once we got past SH2K I chilled out more as I stopped trying to 'say the dialogue' in my head. Hannah's voice and presentation is very encouraging but without being mean or too loud (like my own!!!). It was relaxing to just be there and go with it. Class finished bang on 92 minutes. It seemed the fly by. When we got to Rabbit I was like, 'wow that went fast' but without thinking we hadn't held the postures long enough. I certainly had worked hard.

It was funny at 'party time' as no one took a drink. We just all stood there, waiting to move on. I'm so impress with my training buddy Jas who doesn't even take a bottle in the room. I always have one there but very rarely touch it till after class.

It's awesome to think this will be us in five months time, closing our circle and carrying on our journey as real life instructors. 

Dialogue, dialogue, dialogue!

Today was our second dialogue class. I thoroughly enjoyed last weeks session. Probably I was a total girly swot and had done my home work. I was prepared and ready to go. Same this week. I got down the rest of Eagle and Standing Head to Knee. SH2K wasn't as flowing and I did slow down in my delivery so I could think.

I loved it though! I delivered from the start right through to SH2K. We were lucky to have three instructors there today to offer feedback. I had Meagan in stitches when I started Half Moon as my nervous 'telephone' voice came out. Or as Jules said the 'actor voice.' Once I settled down and chilled out I was more me. I have to remember I am not playing a part, I am me, teaching yoga. My feedback was to watch this fake voice thing as I will be called out for it but it did disappear toward the end. 

Apart from a few jumbles of words in the wrong order and a missed word here and there I feel I did well. SH2K still needs a bit more practice. My training buddy also did good. I've had a head start so am more ahead but this doesn't matter. I can understand it must be hard in this situation if one person is flying ahead. I'm being very encouraging and supportive as she has been getting nervous. After class we were running through Awkward whilst we showered! We still have 11 weeks to get this down. Some people go not even knowing Half Moon. As Jules told us back in 2003 when she did TT they weren't allowed to learn it before hand & she learned the lot in nine weeks so it is possible. I personally need my sleep so that is why I am cramming as much as possible now to make the experience less stressful. Also as I've said many a times I am a girly swot, type A personality, I don't do things unless I can give 100% and do it was well as I can. No half arsed efforts from me.

I'm onto the big three now, Standing Bow Pulling, Balancing Stick and Triangle. We probably won't be doing dialogue next week as we are off to the Scarborough Beach studio for freshly graduated instructor Hannah's 1st class in Australia. She's already taught a class in Mexico so it won't be her very 1st class. I'm looking forward to this and talking to her about her LA experience. It also gives me more time on Standing Bow as it's a long one.

Congratulations to the 30 Day Challengers at Bikram Yoga Leicester. I hope Friday's classes with Rachel and her birthday gift to her students of "Death by Yoga Truck" was enjoyable.

Week One done!

I've been getting a bit slack with writing recently & I have a lot to write about too. It's been all go this week, cramming dialogue in and starting the 60 day challenge. I finished day six today, aka week one, eight more to go. Will this be what TT is like counting down the days/weeks. I'm sure we will be. My official one day off tomorrow!!

The highlight of this week was I got to teach the whole of Utkatasana/Awkward pose to a real live class of 20 students on Wednesday night. I had no idea this would happen which might have been a good thing. Jo was teaching so that is how it was made possible. I'd heard this sometimes happens to trainees but as we passed over the half moon series I thought I was safe. Ah ha, no I was invited up there to do the second set of Awkward. No hesitation I jumped right on up and gave it my best shot.

It was weird having so many people there in front of me and actually looking at me. Hey you should be looking in the mirror! I was nervous, I may well have forgotten to breath myself but I did it. I was aware I was twisting my fingers over each other as I was speaking, nervous habit.  I got them through, in and out, up and down. I did stumble on part two, I could see people shaking, falling out and staring at me with evil looks. Those who aren't familiar with part 2, it's a killer, your balancing on your toes like a ballerina, whilst sitting on a chair which isn't there. I personally struggle with this too, it kills my knees and thighs but it will make me stronger and hopefully develop killer abs and shapely legs. 

Awkward pose part 2

I wasn't as flowing in my delivery as I was in practice which I did get down on myself for. It's hard when you know you know it and have practiced it verbatim but then fluff it up when it's time to perform. Jo told me I did great and even got some nice feedback from the students. One asked if I'd had military training as I sounded like a Sergeant Major! I may  be developing a reputation for being a hard ass already.


It was such a rush though to be up there and doing dialogue to real students. Very exciting. When I got back down to carry on practicing I was smiling a lot which was followed by total jelly legs in Standing Head to Knee. 

A good week all round. I even made it to two evening classes which were steamy and drippy. Friday night's class was hot, hot, hot just what I needed but I was too near the cold air vent & I kept getting blasted. I know we all love a bit of cool air but I am really trying hard to get away from being attached to this luxury as there won't be any air con in LA. It will be hotter, humid, sticky, probably stinky mat melting heat.

60 Day Challenge

To get in the zone for TT my studio Director and myself thought it was a good idea for me to do a 60 Challenge. My UK trip has pushed the starting date a little further back than I would have liked. I start tomorrow and finish three weeks exactly before I go to LA. Enough time to relax but still be in the zone. It was decided to run my challenge as a studio challenge. People have started early which is cool, others are starting tomorrow with me. Tomorrow is also my one year anniversary of when I took my first Bikram class. Who would have thought 1 year ago I would be heading to TT. It'll be nice to have support for this one. Usually people head out by themselves on 60 dayers. The 30 day challenge was so enjoyable as we had a team doing it together. 

I will take this opportunity to say I won't be alone at training either. I knew I wouldn't be alone with all the new, exciting people I'm meeting through social networking & my future roomie! But I have a training buddy coming from BYJ. 

We met yesterday for the first time and practiced next to each other. After class we had our first dialogue group session with our director. It was a bit nerve wracking but once I found my feet and my flow it felt great. I did miss out a whole paragraph in Awkward though whoops! Everyone would have been doing it with their arms at their sides. It was easier once the gals got up and demonstrated in front of me, I definitely didn't forget the arms when I could see what the bodies were doing. My homework for next week is to get all of Eagle down, I only had half & no way was I confident with it and also standing head to knee. We both did great and already our personal style & energy are showing through. 

Dialogue, dialogue, dialogue, dialogue, dialogue, dialogue for the next 11 weeks!

60 Day Challenge Poster, I feel bad now as its with Kat & Jas, not just me!

A letter from America

On my last night before I flew out I got a letter from America. It was my receipt and official dialogue book for Training. It didn't look a lot to say how much money I'd spent. A stapled wad of A4 copy paper. I dunno was I really expecting a gold plated, diamond encrusted file or something?!! I have it, it mines and I'm in. This book must be guarded and not given to anyone or left unattended. It's fully copyrighted and must not be changed or altered in any way. I agree, everyone needs to pay the money in order to obtain a copy, can't be giving these things out for free to anyone!

This made it a lot easier to break the news to my parents. Even though I knew I was in and going after I got my email confirmation, having the paper version made it feel more official. 

My parents were so cool, they didn't freak out and I think they were kinda expecting it. Another crazy adventure! It's been a while since I last had one so I'm due it. They've known I've always had an interest in teaching of some sorts and this will fill the slot. They were more worried what my Man was gonna do for 9 weeks with out me. He's having a two week trial run right now and he'd spent up to a month with out me quite a few times in the past. He'll be right, as us Aussie's say!

The Holy grail of BYTT, full payment receipt & my dialogue - for my eyes only!

 

Full steam ahead

Things are really coming together now for me. I am certain I have made the right decision about this whole teacher training adventure. It's still scary and nerve wracking, there are doubts about whether I'll be strong enough or get sick/injured. But you know I need to drop them, no expectations = no disappointments.

I've been cracking on with my dialogue study. The Man has had his doubts about me being totally insane confirmed. As he sat out on the back verandah on Sunday, he heard strange speeches coming from the bathroom. I was indeed in the shower talking out loud to myself....practicing dialogue!!

I've been at it just over two weeks now and I'm up to Awkward part two. 15 weeks to go I might have nearly all of it in there or at least the standing series. For the past two Saturdays I've had some practice in the actual yoga room, standing up on the podium giving it my all whilst my friend scribbled notes on my book as to where I was going wrong. This was a great help and I could see the mistakes I was making which were the same each time. Mainly dropping or adding a word or mixing up similar sentences. My voice sounded so loud in the room, hopefully I wasn't actually yelling. It felt good to be up there, it seemed right. Hmmm get back to me when there's a room full of eager faces/bodies in front of me!!!

My study method so far has been repetition. Saying each line three times till it's in there, then adding the other lines as I go. I'm a visual person so I've been trying to get an image in my head how the page of words look to help prompt me if it's a short or long paragraph. This sounds weird, it's hard to describe. I'm throwing in a few anagrams too. I'm feeling comfortable (easy, flexible!!!) with the whole of Half Moon to hand to feet. I'm loving Back bending but I really like this to practice. I'm getting at least an hour in every day on my train ride to work and in the car talking out loud!

Two days till I fly back to the home land of the UK. I'm ready for a break now, I'm feeling flat and winter bluesy. I've only taken one and half days leave since Christmas excluding Easter so I'm ready for a rest. (& a dishwasher, home cooked food, pub/restaurants in walking distance, whole bed to oneself!) I'll be back refreshed and ready to amp up my pre-training training and start my 60 Challenge!!!