Back on the mat

Over Christmas both studio's were running a reduced schedule of classes. Unfortunately for me this meant the classes I usually practice or teach were cancelled. When I first started teaching I was managing to fit in my own personal practice, three or four a week. A reduction for sure compared to what I was doing before training. This is manageable with everything else going on in life. 

From past experience I don't want to burn out. I could pull a 18 hour day, teach the 5:45am, work all day, then practice the 7pm. Leaving me exhausted and not having enough energy to any of these things to my best ability. 

Throughout the festive period it was super hard to squeeze in two practice's a week. This was too little. I really felt it. Sometimes you don't realise how much you need something till it's gone. For me not getting to yoga left me cranky, snappy, tired and uneasy. Sure I was there teaching & getting great pleasure from assisting others through their practice but it's not the same as working yourself out. 

When I finally got back on my mat after a massive five days off (it's been well over year since this happened) it felt awesome. My balance was off, I fell out of Awkward twice, but somehow nearly got my head on my knee. Maybe a rest was what I actually needed to freshen things up? It reminded me just how much I need this yoga in my life and how grateful I am to bring it into other people's lives. I felt energised, happy, more at peace with myself and clean. I need to do yoga!!

Obviously this week I can't practice because of the post surgery medications. Pain killers and all that sweating put an extra strain on your liver (so a nurse/teacher friend told me). Also they mask any pain you might have in a posture which may result in you pushing further, not feeling the 'stop' pain, carrying on & hurting yourself. Antibiotics mess things up too, the side effects I've been feeling is extreme exhaustion that comes on without warning. I'm not that happy about filling myself with such poisons but I don't want an infection so am following doctors orders. I'll finish the course as directed then get back on my mat to cleanse from within. 

I'm itching to get back to yoga but my health comes first. As Bikram would say "Take it easy honey." Oh okay then, just for this week!

Teach - Work - Take

The title of this post might be a little cryptic, in short it sums up my day on Tuesday this week. Last week I mentioned in a post about making sure I keep up with my own personal practice. Easy as last week. This week a little more tricky. I scored five classes to teach!! Quite the increase from two or my expected three. I'm itching to teach as much as humanly possible. The only way to learn and grow as a teacher is to teach, teach, teach.  Apologies if I'm repeating myself, I have permanent yoga brain. 

Tuesday was an experiment. Teach the 5:45am class (4:15am alarm!), work all day at design job 8:45am - 5pm, then scoot down Scarborough & practice the 7pm. I've started a new energy boosting food program (whole post dedicated to this at some point) so with my mind programmed it would have enough energy to do a 17 hour day off I went. I survived nine weeks of 17 hour days, one day wouldn't kill me. It was fine. I did have the energy, my practice was strong and I'm seeing breakthroughs and improvements. Cramping was a slight problem, I'm sweating when I teach so I need to hydrate like when doing a double. Hands up it was a long day, I got home at 9:15pm, The Man had cooked me dinner but left the washing up. No big deal, I ended up washing up at 10pm as evening classes leave me a little wired. 

However. This will not be something I'll be doing every week. I was a little frazzled come Wednesday morning and crashed in the evening. Occasionally, once or twice a month at a push if I have to to get my own practice in. I wouldn't do this in reverse order, teaching last. I owe it to my students to be as fresh and alert as I can be. Successful experiment but won't be adopting it into my weekly routine unless absolutely necessary.

Home Sweet Home

There is no place like home. The 8 hour layover wasn’t so bad. Dubai airport is HUGE. I had many dollars in cash left so did a little shopping, eating and found some friendly Aussies near the gate to share a coffee and a giggle with. It also gave me time to write.

I arrived back in my house about 7pm Tuesday night WA time. It wasn’t as weird as I thought it would be. I noticed straight away the cobwebs hadn’t been swept from the rafters but the rest of the house sparkled!

Retiring to bed (my bed, my pillow!) at 10pm after falling asleep watching show jumping I fully expected to be wide awake a few hours later. But no, I actually slept through till 5am when the sun and the roosters woke me. So nice to hear nature noises instead of doors slamming and planes. No jet lag? Maybe my body really does only need 6/7 hours sleep now.

I hadn’t planned on taking class today but I was up, unpacked and ready for it. It was three days since my last class, good time to rest & recover. I had a great class. I had planned on taking it easy but there was no need. It was like magic being back in my home studio. Everything felt loose, stretchy and pain free. It was like a total transformation compared to last week when I could barely move. Training really is life changing in a lot of ways. It was like having to take a step back in order to go forward. My practice was crappy and up and down through out training but a few days off worked wonders. I kicked out for SH2K both sets and held it the whole time. I even got my forehead on my knee. It felt effortless. Not everything was super, my balance was well wonky. I blame gravity for this, I need to acclimatize to the Southern Hemisphere again!!! Haha!

Note to the 30 day challenges. One week to go and you may be feeling like you’re set in cement. Honestly just you wait, it may be a few days or a few weeks but a transformation/shift/change has happened. Trust me, you will be stronger in many ways.

It was also great taking class when I wanted to, just for fun, not because I was required to. Still had to sign in though ;-)

Two more days to study now till my mock class. It’s been great reading my fellow graduates posts today. So many of them have taught their first class before I’d even landed, some have even taught more. We are teachers.

I’m very happy to have a few days to decompress & integrate back into the real world. Friends couldn’t wait to come over to say hi and we ended up throwing a impromptu bbq last night. (sadly jet lag did catch up with me & I ended up not eating any of it!)

If anyone has any questions I have a shiny new blog email address. See ‘About Me’ section on the left. Once I have digested this experience I will be writing some posts that may be helpful for future trainees. Especially as it’ll be based at the LAX Radisson again.

Lifted mood

I have just finished week 8 of the 60 day challenge. Home stretch, only 6 classes to go till I've completed the 51 classes in 60 days. This past week has felt like a cloud of fog has cleared. My roomie and I have both been dealing with some crazy stuff emotionally but I can see we on back on track. I am no longer angry. I've realised what emotions have been stirred up through my practice resonates in anger. Some people cry, I get mad baby!! I am an Aries after all, fire all the way.

I am sore now. I ache. I wake up with headaches despite drinking my own body weight in water. My muscles shake madly in Awkward, I fall out of the balancing series, I can barely lift my legs/body off the floor, my legs do not look like a perfect upside down L like Linda but who cares. I'm there, I'm present and I love this yoga.

I had probably the best class of the challenge on Tuesday night. It beat the socks off my last best class. We have a new visiting instructor from the States with whom I seemed to click with straight away. I like her style, she teaches an energising class to everyone as well as shooting out corrections and tips without blinking an eye. She's on it, she's on the whole room. You can not hide! You don't want to hide, her corrections are so encouraging and nice. Not that our usual teachers aren't nice but she makes you feel so relaxed without feeling bad you were doing it wrong.

I managed to skip out of work early and make the 5:30pm. My friend was finishing her 60 day so I wanted to be there. Tuesday is usually my Scarborough day so I missed out this week. Great class to finish on. DM rocked the front row and finished on a high. 

I received a lot of help in this class. I am flagging, I am tired so the encouragement really was appreciated. I've fallen into bad habits. Often if a lot of energy is directed on one student it can build the ego and take away the group energy. This didn't happen I feel. It made me stronger yes but the group was still working together. I have no ego right now anyway. A little help and high fives boosted my crumbled confidence. I needed a pick me up & I got it, I am very grateful. I busted out a nearly full expression of Sh2k. My toes flexed back toward my face effortlessly with both knees a locking, my hamstrings forgot they were tight, my standing leg was solid, concrete,one piece, lamp post, unbroken!

After class I was glowing. I felt awesome. I had a quick chat with the instructor who offered her time to chat about TT stuff if I needed. She also picked up on something that no one else has confronted me on. She asked if I worry when my practice is not spot on. She could tell I do. Probably as I scowl at myself or look annoyed when a posture isn't going well. I do have a strong practice (or else my director wouldn't be sending me to TT) but I'm no rock star. I do worry I'll stand out at TT for being a newbie who hasn't had years and years of practice under her shorts, just 15 months worth. It doesn't matter. I was told as long as I love the yoga, I want to be there and try to my best ability it'll be fine. And it will! 

I do love this yoga or why else would I have learned up to Wind removing pose!! (okay ego is back for this one but only coz I've put in the hard yards & studied my butt off this past 12 wks!) You get out of something what you put in. There's no free meal tickets for this one.