Congratulations Monica!

My friend from London, Monica, over at Don't Sweat it, successfully completed her first 30 day Bikram Yoga Challenge yesterday. I'm so proud, I've been avidly following along with her blog. It's great to see everyone has a different experience of a challenge, yet there are similarities as well. Even more awesome is that Mon is already planning her next challenge!!! Bikram is addictive for all the right reasons.

Standing Separate Leg Head To Knee

I have so much to write about still from Saturday's seminar. Things keep popping into my head that I must blog about. Talking to other yogi's at the studio today it is unanimous that the seminar was a success. Everyone found something new that has expanded their knowledge of the practice. The only negative was the length the of day. Some people had to leave and miss the class at the end. I had cleared the whole day as I knew this would happen. I only wished I could have stayed longer and got to thank Craig at the end. There was a line forming and I couldn't keep my fellow car poolers waiting.

One regular was telling me how she realised she'd been doing Triangle wrong as the people she was following in front were doing it wrong, unbeknown to herself. It was the 'just move your arms' part again. Instead of moving the arms and collapsing your whole side body down so you can reach your toes, we were shown how to move just the arms, stretch down whilst stretching up. Thus keeping the side waist lifted and the 'triangle' shape between the body, leg and arm visible. To get the fingers with the toes you have to have those hips down low, where they should be, not slump the body down. I had been shown this move before but it didn't compute till then. It was great this morning and Sunday watching the seminar goers doing it the new way. I shouldn't keep saying new as it's actually the right way. Hopefully we shall lead the people who weren't there the right way from now on.


I'm going to focus this post on a pose that I really like. Standing separate leg head to knee (Dandayamana - Bibhaktapada - Janushirasana). Despite 90% of the time I am blinded and my nose gets filled with a waterfall of sweat in this one it feels good. It comes after Triangle and is the third last of the standing series. It's a great compression posture that massages the thyroid and helps control obesity, diabetes, blood sugar and many kidney processes. It allows the heart rate to come back to normal after it's work out in Triangle. I'm highlighting this pose because it has been bugging me that I see some students doing weird things in the set up despite being told not too.


When it comes to the set up and we are told to move our hips five times to get the hips level. At this point some people start busting out some funky moves. Twisting their shoulders and arms back and fourth quite vigorously towards the front leg. I am guessing they think this is the right way to get the hips round. In actual fact what is happening is yes the hips are moving but then as the arms fling back again so do the hips. Both Shawn and Jo have brought this up in class and have even demoed how to set up and do the 'five times' move correctly. Then on Saturday Craig highlighted. Yes everyone laughed at the funky arm waving but people this is what you look like. I know I'm no expert or authority here I'm just reiterating what we have been told by the instructors.


What I have picked up on this is you need to turn the hips like a ratchet. If you have your shoulders and upper body square onto the mirror/side wall there is no need to move them forward and backwards with the hips. Just bring the hips round. Turn once, stop/freeze, don't let them slip back round, turn twice, stop/freeze carry on till you have turned them five times and they are level with your squared up shoulders. Jabbing the shoulders back and forth may look funky and give you a nice stretch/twist but it's doing nothing but twist the hips back and forth too. Keep the arms/shoulders still people, save your energy for the compression.

Set up, everything aligned to the side wall

The final expression - Courtesy of BYJ

Putting it into practice

To follow on from my awesome experience at the seminar I'd like to start by reviewing the one thing that nearly killed my whole day. I didn't look after myself physically like I usually do. I've mentioned already the headache and lack of food due to my 'child on Christmas morning' excitement. It made me realise how on the game I must be at training. Never leave home without snacks, water, pain killers and a cushion. You never know how long your going to be kept sitting for and I need to keep my strength/blood sugars normal. Hydration is a no brainer but even with 3 litres I had with me I only drank two over the whole eleven hours I was out. This was due to not wanting to take pee breaks and missing something. Anyways...

I was bursting with enthusiasm to get into the hot room yesterday I reviewed my notes from the seminar about an hour before leaving so they'd be fresh in my head *yoga geek* alert. There was so much to remember but I had the feeling Anthony who was taking the 2pm would have soaked all Craig's words up like a sponge and would be able to give us some reminders. I was right!

We all had a joke at reception about the extended Awkward part two we were held in. The instructors were all practicing on the back row (just like at Training) and they were made to hold it even longer whilst we all turned round to watch. I must build my strength in this somehow it is slowly turning into my worst posture in the series. Craig did admit he would never ask people to do something he can't do himself so he must be able to hold it this long too. Okay future students of mine the complete Awkward series will now be a ten second posture!


My arms were so sore all the way up my triceps like I'd done 100 dips. The 'new arms' as Lisa W has named it, is very effective. It makes such a difference to the set up, it not only looks stronger but as a group doing it together we look in sync. = great group energy. It engages all the muscles instead of half arsing them up above the head like floppy rags.


Anthony commented how we'd all done our homework and were putting into practice what Craig had taught us. As hoped Anthony was there with some reminders. Oww my nostrils were flaring like a bull in pranayama as I made the 'so' shape with my throat for the inhale. It made the rattling sound in the throat louder and stronger.


I really tuned into the words for Triangle as well as doing the seminar tip. I'm not sure yet if it's verbatim dialogue but it was said after change to come out, "move your arms first then straighten your leg." This not only felt better, it looked better = smooth transition. Instead of flinging myself up and straightening my leg at the same time the moment the 'c' in change hits my ears. My mind is usually screaming "get out now & fast." It's all in taking it slowly as we were told.


The lights were kept on for the floor series. We had them dimmed the other morning which I loved. It made it so mellow and I wasn't seeing stars when I was looking up at the ceiling lights. We had two newbies so it wasn't appropriate I think, they needed the full beams on to see what to do.


Somehow, out of no where I pulled out the deepest Cobra of my life. This may be because I was looking super up at the ceiling. It felt close to an Updog but without the pressure in my hands/arms. Go spine strength!


I had a great class, I felt strong, focused and tuned in despite being sore. One downfall from the not hot Saturday class was I have friction burns on my knees. I do get a bit of stigmata on my knees but with the sweat the towel doesn't rub so much. It had on Saturday, nice dry, red scabby knees. Nice! I took today, Monday, off to absorb and rest. Back in there tomorrow, ekk can't wait so much to experiment with.


 

Craig Villani Seminar

 I'll start with a warning. This post may well be long. I know most of my posts are but this may exceed the usual. 

Saturday March 26th, Mount Hawthorn Hall, Perth, WA Australia.
8:10am lots of eager yogis were gathering outside a hall in Perth awaiting the start of the Craig Villani one day workshop/seminar and master class. The doors weren't opening till 8:30 so we were all very keen. I was an environmentally aware yogini and car pooled with two fellow BYJers. Good job as there wasn't much parking about. 

Being there early had it's advantages. We managed to get a spot right in front of the stage. Bit of a neck strain and kinda tricky to get out to the toilet which was right at the back but worth it being so close to the action. With 150 tickets sold, plus extra staff/instructors there wasn't much room between our mats. I'm imagining this is how training will be. It was very cosy, about on hand space between. There was also no mirrors or heat. More on that later.

Right from the offset Craig came across as very easy going and entertaining. Some of the stories he told were hilarious. The first thing I noted was how he wasn't your typical yogi stereotype person. He looked more like a rugby player with well muscled limbs rather than the lean, long, tall giraffe types you see on the front of Yoga Journal. Very refreshing, very normal, no ego and no entourage. He sat on the floor too, just like us. 


I was super hyped up, over excited which totally spazzed me out. I knew this would happen. I'd had crazy dreams the night before that we'd got the venue wrong and missed it all. I could barely eat breakfast which is weird for me. I didn't pack any snacks as lunch was provided so didn't even think about it. I did have over three litres of iced water which was something. By the time lunch came I'd not eaten for over seven hours and I had a tension headache that was brewing into a migrane. Of course I'd not even thought about packing pills as I've not had a headache in months. Janette and Lisa to the rescue who found me a Nurofen! Even then I only ate two very yummy veggie wraps as I didn't want that full, sick feeling for the class at the end.


The day was awesome. I was torn between scribbling notes and hanging on every word so not to miss anything. We started with the basics, the very basics, ie. Mountain pose. How to stand correctly, weight evenly spread over the feet, hips, legs, knees tight and engaged. The most interesting part was what to do with your hands. Yes they are by your sides but they need to be engaged too, stretching down with the energy directed out of the finger tips. 

We were given some very handy tips for Pranayama. I was always confused with being told to look for the back wall but no back bending. It's amazing how your head follows your eyes without really thinking about it. Looking where you want to go really does lead your body there, it really opens the throat too. The optic nerve even gets a work out in yoga!

Craig then went on to explain how the bring he arms over the head correctly for half moon. Stretching down, to the side and up drawing an arch was a great way to remember to keep everything tight. There was a big emphasis on 'don't compromise form for depth.' I see so many people sinking into their side, slumping forward just to get deeper. The hardest thing when we did Half Moon was there wasn't a mirror. Without being able to see my form I found it hard to correct myself. I had to feel it instead...but was what I was feeling looking okay?


I won't go into every posture we went through but there was lots of demonstrations and audience participation. Small tips about grips, solid bases and fluid transitions made postures come alive. The tiniest alteration makes such an improvement. Eyes play a huge part in helping the alignment of the spine.


At lunch Jo came to ask me which posture out of Standing Separate Leg Stretching or Triangle I'd most like help with. Even though Triangle has been bugging me the former is something I'd like to improve on as I hit a road block. So there it was, I was going to make my debut on stage in front of 150+ people. Deb very kindly got some photos of me but as my camera is pretty old and crappy now they are a bit fuzzy. So there I was, on stage, getting patted on the head by this yoga master. Yes he was patting my head, saying "good yogi get your hair line on the floor." Of course I lost the plot, couldn't stop laughing, hence breathing and the whole thing went to pieces. As soon as I corrected one limb and went to correct the next the first correction disappeared. He had to tell me three times to get my arms back to my shins, oppsie.

But now I know what I need to do the most. Keep my chuffing forearms back with my shins. The moment I role forward to my toes and pull they fling forward. Least my back is staying straighter. Then I had the opportunity to ask my question to Craig. My mind went blank. I have about a years worth of questions for this man and all I could say was "I can't touch my head to the floor." This is the least of my worries, it's my back and arms that bother me the most! Oh well...stage fright gets the best of us.


The day was really long. Sitting on the floor was really painful. I should have packed a cushion. Every minute was worth it, I would have sat for three days. We didn't start class till about 5:30pm. There was no heat but with all the people in the room and a 30 degree day it was no way cold. I had been getting cramp in my toes and calves from certain postures we'd practiced so I still took my electrolytes as I knew the magnesium would help. Craig told us to be aware that there wasn't heat and listen to our bodies.  I did this in Cobra as no way was my back going to flex to it's usual depth with no heat.


Despite no heat I was pretty darn sweaty by the floor series. My throat was burning dry and I had to drink to moisten it. This never happens in the hot room. It was so weird without mirrors. At least being at the front I stared out a board on the stage in front of me to keep my balance. Craig told us, mentally picture ourselves in our mind instead. So there I was in my minds eyes visualizing myself gracefully going into full standing splits and my head touching the floor with only a metre between my feet!!!!! hahaha. Full locust was funny, it was a tangle of arms and we had no choice but to lay out hands on both neighbours backs.

Craig is notorious for holding the second part of Awkward for a long time. He does this because he can hold it for that long. He wouldn't ask people to do something he was not willing or couldn't do. Nice. Jeez I was dying. With my right knee/muscle/thigh still bugging me I gave up. Crapola effort Kat. However to lighten the mood the students got to come out and the instructors at the back got to hold out for a bit longer second set. Go guys, you are so strong and inspirational.  


It was an awesome, energizing class. I learnt so much, I hope I remember it all in class today. Especially the Triangle tips. That made all the difference. I had such a great day. I was dead on my feet by the end of it, hungry, fatigued but elated. What would I have been like if there was heat!!! I couldn't hang around after, I was officially spent and still had an hour's drive home. So pleased I was only driving half of it, thanks Keeley xx. It would have been good to speak more with Craig, maybe next time. I am really wishing I could go to France this June for the retreat but if I am to make TT happen too, financially it won't be possible. Maybe next year! I did have a win on the Lotto this weekend, a whole $12.90. How cool is that, something is better than nothing. 


Here's some photos. Excuse the quality...

 

The room, getting set up for class

Jen, Bikram Yoga Perth Director, demonstrating a beautiful Standing Bow

A very inspiring Standing Head to Knee

Me getting my head patted

Me again, forearms nearly in the right place

Triangle set up

Big weekend ahead

I managed to take two full rest days this week, Wednesday and Thursday. The muscle above my knee is still feeling odd. There was no strength there is toe stand on the right to push myself up for the final expression on Tuesday. There isn't any pain but just a weakness. I don't feel it in any other posture apart from Awkward when I come up out the posture. I'm just glad it's not in the knee joint and it's muscular. 

I did feel nice and refreshed today for the 5:45am. I had a nice surprise that Meagan was teaching. I've only got to know her since she arrived back from TT in November and I turned into an unofficial cheer squad/supporter. I was so pleased to take part in her class today and watch her journey come full circle from fresh graduate trainee to fully fledged instructor. This will be me at the end of the year so the more I learn from these new instructors the more prepared I will be.

The class was tiny, only five of us. The temperature was spot on, I had nice juicy limbs and felt good. A bit stiff though, my hamstrings were nice and morning short for kicking out. Burning, blinding sweat in my eyes nearly floored me coming out of standing separate head to knee. I had to close one eye it hurt so much and wooow wobbles.

It was good to hear some verbatim dialogue. I'm really starting to tune in and pick out all those Biklish sayings 'put you're exactly head on the knee.' I can't wait to hear it live from the man himself!

We breezed through and even finished a few minutes early but I just can't relax and enjoy it as I knew i needed to shower and get out. The parking at the station has been crazy recently and I didn't fancy the idea of leaving my car on the street again. 


Tomorrow is the day! Craig Villani is in Perth, he was at BYJ this morning. I was so tempted to take the day off so I could go to the 9:30am but I don't want to turn into some mad instructor stalker type person. I will wait for tomorrow. Ekkk a whole day of information, postures and advice. My inner yoga geek will be in her element.

Yoga anatomy

I am a self confessed girly swot. I actually enjoyed school and university so much I even completed a post graduate degree last year through distance learning because I could. Having a thirst for knowledge and learning is one of the reasons I am going to training. To learn more about this yoga I love so much. 

Part of the training curriculum is an anatomy course. This makes sense, you need to know fully what is going on inside and out in order to understand the benefits and assist students with any problems. I've heard the course is designed for complete anatomy beginners, it's easy to understand and the Doctor is fantastic who runs it. Still the girly swot in my would like to go in there being a little bit familiar with muscle names etc. I would also like to be up on this side of things as students are always asking questions as to "why does this hurt, I have recurring issues here, what's pinching there, is it normal?" I would like to be a well read, well informed instructor who can answer these question confidently. (I'm sure this will all be covered at TT)

I'd seen this book, Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kaminoff, a while back and read other recommendations from fellow bloggers that it's a good read. It arrived on my door step last week and I've got stuck straight in. It has lots of lovely illustrations that appeal to me, I like cross referencing words to images it helps me get an understanding of what's going on. All the poses are broken into different chapters ie. standing, sitting, kneeling etc. 

The first chapter is really interesting and goes into detail about the respiratory system and spine. This book is for yoga in general but there are a lot of the Bikram series in here, some with slightly different names and variations. It still highlights which major muscle groups are being used. I've not done anything slightly scientific for over 16 years but after reading a few of the chapters some of my GCSE biology started to kick in and it wasn't so alien to me. Also during the Bikram class instructors will talk about the medical benefits and name some of the muscles or parts of the spine that are being engaged. So I'm getting mini anatomy classes during class as well!

Anyone interested in the inner workings of the body and relating it to yoga I'd say get this book. It's not too heavy on the words and the illustrations are clear and easy to follow.

Good advice

It's Sunday afternoon and I decided to rest up today and take the day off from my usual Sunday 2pm class, get some essential jobs done and have lunch out with The Man. As I've mentioned so many times Craig Villani will be hosting a posture workshop and master class next Saturday so I want to be refreshed and on top form. 

I also went out last night and had my first alcoholic drink in two whole months. I didn't plan to go this long, it just sort of happened. The sparkling wine tasted so good but I was super sleepy after just a few hours. I may have lost my drinking endurance! I didn't drink too much and felt fine today. I haven't missed hangovers. At teacher training it is in the agreement that students do not drink for the duration of the course (9 weeks) or risk expulsion. My dry run has been good practice for that.

Yesterday I did the 9:30am with Dom. He'll be moving on after next weekend which is again sad. I may not have said that before Christmas as his classes used to kill me. Now I am used to his style and really enjoy them. He is full of very useful hints and tips and I've learnt a lot in the past month. Isn't funny how you can change your mind so easily. What was once hard becomes easy and not an issue anymore, just like postures.


The class was hard though. It was like the old days. I had well digested my light breakfast but something was tight in my chest. The feeling I get when I've eaten too much. It was weighing me down, it was hard to breath. The room was the spot on humidity and temperature but the air was thick. I was screaming out for some circulation, I felt like I couldn't breath. By Standing Bow Pulling I was contemplating taking a knee, I was zapped. I didn't I pushed through. British Bulldog determination.

I got some more well needed help in Trikanasna. The moment I adjust one body part I loose the one I just fixed. For example, I get the hips down then go to adjust my arms and the hips come back up again. 


I literally dragged myself through the rest of the class. The Yoga Bus was back. I flaked the first set of camel, as did half the class. The air came on and I managed to get through nearly the whole second set but it was a crap effort. I didn't feel good and drank throughout the floor series. I can not pin point what caused this, it doesn't matter really but it would be nice to know so I can avoid it happening again. I was very well rested, fed and hydrated. Only today I realised it was a moon day. Could this have been why my energy was all over the shop?


This leads me to the good advice we received in class yesterday. We were told to stop scrutinizing and judging our practice. Just go in there, do it and except that's how it is for that day. Obviously I do scrutinize and then I come in here and write about it! This is how I keep a record of how I'm doing. What I'm finding hard, what I'm finding easy. The good advice would mean me letting go of that. I understand every day is different, we should be in there to have fun not turn it into an exam. It's yoga practice not perfect, we will never be perfect. I do enjoy analyzing it all, it's part of my fun. Through the feedback I get from this blog other people find it useful to know that they are not alone with their personal struggles. I'm going through it too. However, I will take up this advice as I think it is valid. 

I shall stop judging myself whilst I'm in the room. Instead of scrowling at myself when I fall out of Standing head to knee or get cross when I can't even kick out one day I will let it go. Whilst I am in there I shall stay present and not judge. Then afterward I will look back and review how the class went and write about it as I enjoy doing this. It's nice to look back and remember a good class and the high it brought. It's a reminder that gets me through those tough classes.


Being zapped of energy left me with yoga brain. I had it before leaving home too as I forgot my entire wash bag. Then on my way down the freeway after class I missed my exit as I was so totally absorbed in driving/thinking/singing I forgot where I was going. Good job I was running early. But what a feeling suddenly snapping out of it and thinking 'where am I going, I missed my exit!' At least I didn't end up in the centre of Perth before realizing, what a waste of fuel that would have been.