Spring trainees Bon Voyage!

Time is flying by, this time next week 400+ (Maybe more, maybe less) eager Bikram Yoga teacher trainees will be excitingly sitting on their mats ready to start their first class of teacher training. It's been over six months now since I took that first class at TT. Half a year already?! I look back with fond memories of my experience. I loved it :-) I know I had some anger, hurt and resentment when I came home but that was totally personal, not professional. I was lucky to have not hated on the actual yoga. Those wounds have healed, I have let go & moved on. All in all I relished the experience to do yoga for nine whole weeks and be close (sort of, well in the same room at least) to Bikram himself.

This time round no one is attending from my home studio BYJ. Happy though we have Bahar going from BYSB. I worked a little with her early on with dialogue. I wish my schedule had allowed me more time but it was not to be. Another student arranged a lovely surprise send off last weekend for Bah so we all got chance to say goodbye and dish out our words of advice. 

I'd put together a small gift for her, something useful to take along to LA. A couple of notebooks with matching pens. It's nice to have cute stationery and the notes you take are for life. A reference point. Even if you don't understand what you are writing at the time, someday down the line they will make sense. I also gave her a book of inspirational quotes.There will be times all trainees feel homesick and down, when I saw the book I knew it would be perfect. Open it up and see what the universe presents in it pages. Some wise words of wisdom to get you through. 

Bon Voyage to my lovely friend, come back a flower petal in full bloom! Good luck to the North Perth students Helen, Jason & Maja who are also attending. I've heard they are so, so ready for it. (Mock classes completed already!) Even though we have not met I wish you well on your journeys and look forward to taking your classes on return.

See you all on the other side.....

Gotta have nice stationery!

Inspiration in one handy book!

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!

With gratitude

I was really touched with gratitude this year how my friends and family have really taken interest in what I've been up to. The gifts I received reflected this interest. I know there is more to Christmas than gifts. I give gifts as a sign of love and friendship to people who mean a lot to me. I do spend a lot of time carefully selecting gifts. Charity donations are awesome presents. As are the many yoga gift vouchers I sold over the past month at both studios, the gift of health & fitness. Being so far away from most of my friends, a small token in the mail is like sending a small part of me as I can't be there in person.

Here are the thoughtful gifts I received. Yoga themed! A lovely Lululemon bag which is HUGE and has many pockets, perfect for teaching & practicing. (I did buy myself a similar, smaller Lulu bag in LA which I have now passed onto a new home) This came my way from The Man's mum along with a lovely lilac pashmina. All the way from London arrived an amazing fair trade yoga mat bag. Useful and for a good cause. (Made in Bikram's home town of Calcutta no less) From my friend and healer a beautiful hand made Mala with beads carefully selected to keep me balanced. Finally my very own Buddha statue from The Man. He is currently watching over my front garden (facing East) until we can construct a proper shrine area for him. The chickens aren't quite sure of our new addition but they are slowly getting closer but maybe they are just after the food offerings.