Oh posture clinic

Tonight I delivered 'Rabbit pose - Sasangasana' I had a pretty strong delivery, I made a mistake by saying "walk your knees one by one, until your forehead touching the knees" and it should have been "until your knees touching your forehead" - our posture clinic lead tells me my mix up and then says "do you go looking for guys? NO! They go looking for you! So its knees to forehead, NOT forehead to knees" everybody laughed, and then another teacher said "too sweet, be bitchy" - story of my life -___- all my homework is to be bitchy!

My family & yes, they are all perfect '10's'

This is my family, or more commonly known as, my posture clinic group, group 10, the J's, K's & L's - middle of the alphabet, 20 groups at TT, so there fore we are group 10 - and if you can believe it, we are all "perfect 10's" ;) okay but seriously - each and everyone of these people have touched my heart in a very special way, at the beginning of TT the senior teachers and staff said your posture clinic group grows to be your family; they were right.

Shout outs to Kelly, Becky, Katy, Omri, Ben, Liz, Danni, Ozkan, Alex, Stephanie, Pong, Aureile, Cat, Adam, Chris K, Masataka, Chris L, Dina & Sarah!

It is so humbling to watch each of these amazing people grow day by day, the laughter is endless! From tattoo days to krispy kreme donut parties, my heart smiles just writing about all of you! Thanks for coming into my life and making it better, I will never forget you! Namaste group 10, my second family!

Funny memories:

"Come to the middle of your towel, sit down 'masataka' style"
"Hands-palms together, MASATAKI"
Chris K's football coach full locust delivery!
Full locust: "Fly! Fly away! Fly away... From here!" "look up, body up, chest up, come up, more up, go up, THROW UP"
Ozkan trying to pronounce coccyx :)
Ben & I trying to talk in each others accents. 
"I'VE GOT THE POWER" 
"Hold your feet from the outside, 2 inches below the toes, BITCHES"

Thoughts for DAY 40!

This week we had 2 lectures from Jon Burras, a certified yoga therapist, a creater of a unique blend of bodywork, called Intuitive Connective Tissue Bodywork. He gave very powerful lectures, there were a lot of bold statements to be made about a lot of different subjects, however I found his thoughts and methods on "believing in believing" very interesting. He said this:

you can get up everyday and find something to curse, or you can get up everyday and find something to appreciate

More pieces of my heart come into the yoga bubble...

Colin and Angela came to visit TT! Ending of week 5, into week 6! They were even in my posture clinic for my delivery of "wind removing pose" (thankfully I did really well!)

love you guys <3

when home comes into the bubble!

End of week 5 - MY DAD COMES TO VISIT! So blessed to have had my father come to LA to spend just a few short days with me in my yoga bubble! He took 3 classes with me, and 500 other people, he did great! He was so understanding of my study time, and it was wonderful to introduce him to the amazing people here. A group of us went out for breakfast the Saturday morning he was here too! So happy to have shared a part of my yoga journey with him, this was my thank you to him...

If words were enough to express the love and gratitude I feel in my heart I'd fill pages and pages for you. A number of my friends approached me tonight saying how lucky I am to have you as my father, and what a spectacular man you are. I'm not lucky. I'm blessed. My father flew across the boarder to spend only 3 short days with me, in my hectic busy schedule where I had to leave him for hours at a time, to share even just a tiny piece of my journey with me. I can't even begin to explain the feelings. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you, your help, your support and your love. You've taught me so much Dad, and I know in my heart one day you will be where I am. At times its hard, I want to cry, and scream and fight, and sometimes I do, but if everything was easy, how boring would that be? And what is just 9 short weeks of your life, its almost over and I feel as if it just began, I mean if memorizing words on a page and lack of sleep for 2 months is the hardest thing I ever do, then I'd say I'm pretty lucky. Thank you for being the best dad, man and yogi in the world. I love you, yesterday, today, tomorrow and always. Pee Wee

PS - Thanks for letting the little fish swim into the big sea

Struggles in week 5...

no matter how bad, old, tired or sick we feel... Just get in the room. [[Jeanne Heaton]] never let anybody steal your peace :)

its just yoga Nikki, its just yoga. Its just yoga, its just yoga, its just yoga.

Dialogue... Okay, so memorizing 90 minutes of speaking is hard for anyone, however, as we proceed through the weeks the time gets shorter in between the amount of time we have to memorizing each posture, before we were doing 1 posture every day to day and a half, now we are doing two a day... Finding it difficult to keep up, I literally read my dialogue everywhere I go, I even bring my laminated dialogue in the shower with me and tape the poster I am working on that day to the shower wall... I memorize one and its as if I literally can't remember the last one I just learned, but they say, "It's all in there, and just trust the process". I have tried SO many different study methods, and they work-ish, but the best one is TIME, pick a method, any method, and I'll learn the posture, but its just time that works best for me :( so stressed out in week 5.

BREATH DEEP

May 18th 2011 - Jeanne Heaton!

On May, 18th 2011 we met Jeanne Heaton, an inspiration power woman! My description wouldn't do her justice, read her article and you will see how blessed I was to meet her, what a strong person, so lucky to have met her!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/13/fashion/13Mirror.html

Make up class -____-

Forgot to sign in for PM class on May 16th - make up class for me it is, dang, two classes on Saturdays instead of one. UGH

Anaaaaaatomy - Week 4, over & out.

Week 3 & 4 consisted of posture clinics and Anatomy lectures from Dr. Jim Preddy, an Emergency Room Physician at the University Medical Center, Adult ER and Trauma in Las Vegas, Nevada. We spent two weeks learning Anatomy (the skeletal system, muscular, nervous, visceral, endocrine and immune) Dr. P made learning and late night lectures really fun, I even got an A overall on both the exams! He had powerpoint presentations and slide shows with pictures and stories, lots of helpful hints for easy ways to remember the tough science stuff! He even corrected and adjusted some of the trainees with injuries and pain - he is a wonderful man and doctor, he even practiced with us everyday, some days he even did doubles with us! Can't wait to see you again at graduation Dr. P!

Week 4 smile :)

Having a pizza party in Binny & Sam's room and Mike asks what "veggemite" is - there is a jar of it on their fridge, Binny proceeds to explain and give tasters, and then she sings a song...

we're happy little vegemites as bright as bright can be,
We all enjoy our vegemite for breakfast, lunch and tea

:)

Her song made my day!

Week 4 accomplishment...

In my Teacher Training journal I made a list of goals on the very first page, one of them was to lock out in the standing splits before TT ended... Well, I did it! May 11/11

And a picture from a year ago, May 5th 2010

This is my moment - I just feel so alive.

Thoughts for week 4:

Positive outlook = positive outcome. 

Comprise more & complain less. 

One day at a time, one breath at a time.

 

Greatness is what we on the brink of

Week 3, check. 1/3 of the way to becoming a certified Bikram Yoga Instructor

Feet together nicely, toes on the line... Lock your knee... Twist like ropes... Absolutely locked... Do I even speak English anymore? Okay so... The emotional roller coaster continues, 3 weeks down, 6 to go. Before I left Candice and a few other teachers from BYL were saying if they had the chance to do TT over again (minus the payment) they would in a heart beat, I believe what people say when they say at the end of this whole thing you will be sad to say goodbye to all your amazing friends and so on, but at this point I am feeling I would NEVER do this to myself again! Once is hard enough! I love this yoga, I love learning this yoga, I dream to share and teach this yoga, however I'm feeling I'm going to turn into a yoga mat or something if I do, say or even think anymore about YOGA. Bikram says, having means nothing if you don't know how to use it... SO, this is it, this is me USING it, and in knowing how to use something, you must first be taught, so here I am, learning, studying, eating, sleeping and breathing Bikram Yoga. Welcome to my yoga bubble. Everywhere you go, you will find a yogi with there dialogue in hand, in the hall, the elevator, the bathroom, if you are quiet for a few seconds, somewhere in the distance you will hear "feet together at the line" - OH but as of this week we are not allowed to "study dialogue" in the hotel lobby?!?! Apparently guests were making complaints about us reciting the postures and having a few students demonstrate... Who would honestly complain about that? Last night I got angry in posture clinic, because before it started our lead gave us the whole "don't do this, don't do that, no, no, no" about everything from dialogue to not having electronics in the posture clinic rooms... What can we do? Okay negative ned, that's enough out of you... But seriously, Friday night, 10 yoga classes later and I'm being told I can't look at my iPod for the time... I was a little frustrated, but its all a part of "THE PROCESS" so I'll trust in it -___- Food... Water... I am always hungry and thirsty! I planned to spend $100ish a week on food, its been over that! 2 classes a day sucks you dry! On the note of 2 classes a day, I am shrinking, my legs and arms have lost quite a bit of fat, in hands to feet pose, when I lock out both my knees, my thighs don't touch! And in final stretching, my feet come together and touch (for anybody that does Bikram yoga they will know this means my legs have gotten smaller)... Hmm, what else. We met Bikram's wife Rajashree this Monday, she taught every PM class, she is wonderful! Very mothering, her class was inspirational, after every class she read a beautiful quote or poem. We started Anatomy study this week as well, we had Doctor Jim Preddy for lectures everyday this week, what a character! He made learning anatomy fun, on Monday I was saying "I'm nervous for Anatomy, I didn't do very good at Science in high school, I remember nothing" and a lady says to me "Sweetie I graduated high school before you were even born, so I wouldn't worry" I giggled. That's all for now... I miss my family!

Things that make me happy!

Vanilla Coke! Thank you United States of America <3

My hotel room was decorated with some tacky LA brand "art" so I covered it with photos of those I love :) these 2 things make me happy! wheee

Even too much sunshine burns...

* sigh *

Last week a teacher told me through your own personal experience with Bikram Yoga Teacher Training you are to going to feel like shit, look like shit, you are going to be shit... Pretty much summing up my life right now. I love Bikram Yoga, but even too much sunshine burns.

Frustration...

What is going on :( I am so frustrated in yoga classes since coming here, the first week the room was not hot or humid and I hardly sweat, the second week it was perfect, so hot and humid, almost as hot as BYL, so many people were complaining it was TO hot, and now its back to like it was in week 1, I was NOT sweating today, my arms and legs were bone dry, and what the heck is going on with my practice?! First back bend, my spine will not bend, camel - my back won't go backwards! Literally it just won't bend - and I can hardly see my toes in floor bow anymore :( not to mention to being able to hold standing head to knee or standing bow... What is going on :( :( :(

Thirsty!

So thirsty... All the time -____-

Week 2 comes to an end

2 down, 7 to go. Has it really been 2 weeks? Wow... Sometimes we forget what day it is, and have to double check with each other, or we think something happened earlier in the day, when really it was yesterday or the day before that even, the days are just blending together, and going really really fast! We are exhausted, very little sleep, long lectures, posture clinic and of course 2 Bikram hot yoga classes a day, that are usually longer than the regular 90 minutes, wowee! The room temperature has finally become normal, hot and humid! Some yogi trainees are not happy about the heat and humidity, but I love it, it feels like home :) I mean, this is HOT YOGA after all! I am finally sweating! The teachers here are great, everyone is a little different and very knowledgeable, I really miss my BYL teachers though. This journey has been a bit of an emotional roller coaster for me so far, but I figure I am just getting all the bumps and kinks out of the way now, in the first week I was having like 16 different things going wrong/weird with my body (not having heat in the room was a big part of it) then I got a bad cut on my finger that wouldn't heal because of doing so much yoga, then a few other minor things, but throw together 10+ minor things and you've got Nikki freaking out a little... Much better now though :) A couple late nights this week, lectures, Bollywood movies, documentaries, but we won't have Bikram until May 11th, he has gone traveling to do a number of things all around the world, the international yoga guru :) What can I tell you about this week? I started swimming lengths once or twice a day, I know it sounds crazy after all the yoga, but I am not sore! The cool water releases the lactic acid in your muscles after it builds up in class, and then I feel so nice and refreshed, plus being out in the sun makes me feel so much better, I sometimes forgot I'm in LA because we are kept in the hotel for sometimes 20+ hours a day, with little time to ourselves which is spent in our room, eating, showering, studying and sleeping. I have met so many amazing new friends and yogi's, pretty much everyone has a smile on their face and kind positive words (except at 4AM when we are kept up watching 3 hour Bollywood movies with sub-titles). Last night we had a lecture from Jim Kallet, senior teacher, owns a studio in San Diego, WOW, what a powerful man, and he is a great teacher. We talk about heat, and teaching with compassion and understanding, I am trying to be more understanding and compassionate through out this process, as well more PATIENT, living with 430+ sweaty, tired, hungry (sometimes stressed) other people is a process that takes some getting used to, as well as patience, understanding and compassion. Its kind of impossible to describe in words, nobody from the outside world can understand exactly what goes on here, except for those that are here with me, or have done it in the past, its amazing, challenging, frustrating, rewarding, tough and fun, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually this TT experience is working my whole soul, inside out, bones to skin, finger tips to toes ;) to those I love & cherish, I miss you all.

Dream come true.

This is Brandy Winfield, current world hatha yoga champion. Talented, beautiful & kind, this women was an inspiration to me before I even met her. Thank you for giving me a chance Brandy, I'll never forget it.

1 week down, 8 to go..

Ah Saturday, my new favorite day of the week. For a visual idea of my weekly schedule see a couple posts ago. 8AM yoga class today, and then we were free! So far so good, had a rough start to the week, my body was being weird, and I had a pretty bad cut on my finger that was bothering me a lot during practice, but all those things passed. 10 classes this week, first class at TT was Bikram, then we had class from Emmy (senior most Bikram teacher, the only person who can quote "kick Bikram's ass") Brandy (current woman's world champion), Jim (San Diego studio owner & senior teacher) and a number of other amazing teachers! Our teacher from this morning did 1 set of triangle in French! We are still working on getting every trainee through half moon, all 430 of us sit in the lecture hall as one by one we go up on stage and recite the posture to Bikram... My roommate was saying half moon in her sleep last night, not kidding, I had to wake her up and tell her to be quiet. My biggest highlights of the week were practicing with the world champ, Brandy, and getting some one on one time with her after class, she helped me with my back bands, she even pushed me to try an advanced posture called full standing bow! I'm looking forward to spending more time with her, she is so kind and her mom is in my TT too! Another highlight, we were on a short break from lecture and the line up for the bathroom was HUGE, Bikram walked by and said "line is so long, you all pee so much, want to use my suite, I have 3 bathroom" eagerly 5 of us took the opportunity to go with him! I used his bathroom, his little yoga speedo's were hanging in the tub, it was too funny! I took the opportunity to sit beside him twice this week, I got the opportunity to thank him for helping my dad save his life through this yoga, Bikram kissed my cheek and said "cute like a baby" and then later introduced me to his best friend Iqbal, a doctor from Vancouver area, Bikram had me tell my dads story again, Iqbal then asked if I would speak to other doctors about the wonders this yoga did for my dads body, can you believe it?! Since Bikram now personally knows my name, he called me out in class, in triangle -___- the hardest and worst posture for me, he killed me! He says "hips, hips not in line, what is wrong with her hips, I have to fix her hips", he says I can fix my postures in 9 weeks time, I believe him. It is my dream to share this yoga with the world as a teacher, and one day further my own practice enough to represent my country as an international hatha yoga champion, hopefully I can keep practicing with Brandy and learning from Bikram :) Funny stories from the week: 7 hour lecture/posture clinic/bollywood movie night, Sam and I are sitting together curled up with a blanket, I thought I saw him bring a pillow down, I say "Sam where's the pillow" he says "What pillow, I didn't bring one" a few minutes later I ask again, he doesn't answer, a third time I'm like "Sam, seriously where did the pillow go I want something to lean on" he says "Just use your back fat" I sit up to beat his ass and I notice the pillow is propped up under his back the whole time, I knew it! Another, Bikram says he can hold & bounce in 3rd part awkward longer than anyone, he gets on the stage, arms up parallel to the floor, sits down all the way and literally bounces up and down like 40 times, even up and down the little steps on the stage! Also, he called out someone with a big ass in class, mean, but funny at the same time because he said he wants to work them harder to make their ass smaller... Oh Bikram.