Day Twenty Seven

I am now a certified yoga instructor!  

It all seems very surreal and yet extremely satisfying to know that I have accomplished this goal that I originally set in February of this year. I remember handing over my check to the front desk for tuition fees and thinking to myself, "Well, this is it, no turning back now."  And then there were the dreadful moments leading up to my two weeks notice at the research company I worked for.  I was extremely nervous that my  directional change in career wouldn't be supported by my boss and co-workers.  Luckily, I was fortunate enough to have superiors who understood why I was taking this leap and instead of doubting my success they encouraged me to follow my heart.


Writing this blog has also helped me understand more about who I am and what I have gained from this training.  When I first thought of starting my blog it was mostly a way to share my experience with my mom and dad who I knew would be curious as to what I was doing "in the yoga."  What is has become is more than I could have ever asked for - the support and comments from everyone including those of you from the Huntington Beach Hot Yoga community kept me motivated.


Tomorrow is my first practice class at 9 am!  Nothing like diving in and going straight for it.  I'm excited and nervous but not because I'm worried about making a mistake, but because it means so much to me to have this opportunity.  I am so proud of all the teacher trainers who graduated with me and know that they will continue to be successful in their practice and in teaching. 

Thank you again to everyone who has encouraged me along this journey.  If there is anything I have learned is it to live in the now and trust yourself in following your passion.  As is said at the end of each class, Namaste (my soul bows to your soul).


_Peace and Love   

Day Twenty Six

Today we had the opportunity to visit the Lake Shrine on Sunset Blvd in Malibu.  Since most of us opted to take the 6 am class instead of having to come back and do the 4:30 pm class, it was an early morning and one that my body did not entirely appreciate at that hour.  But, it was well worth the effort since we were able to get up there and enjoy the calmness before most visitors started to arrive.  Here are some pictures from our trip:

There was something very humbling about visiting the Lake Shrine and sensing the stillness and peace that surrounded the grounds.  If ever there was a place to engage in meditation, this is it!  Many thanks to Jason for taking us on this "fieldtrip" and treating us to lunch.  


Tomorrow is the big day - graduation!  I know it's said all the time, but when you're doing something you enjoy there really is no concept of time, only a happiness that comes with each moment.  Although make no mistake about it, there were plenty of days that felt like "ground hog day" with the same repetitive instruction and classes.  But, I wouldn't trade this experience for anything else and am grateful for the support that I received in taking this huge leap.  Congratulations to all the teacher trainers for their hard work and dedication!


_Peace and Love

Day Twenty Four/Twenty Five

I must admit that I am getting a bit lazy in these last few days!  There's light at the end of the tunnel, and maybe it's because I don't want to admit that this won't be my life next week, or maybe I'm just so happy that I don't have to worry about studying the dialogue that I'm becoming comfortable with my nights (basically being able to eat a delicious dinner and watch some cooking shows on TV).  Regardless, I haven't forgotten about writing!  In fact, I have considered the questions I addressed Tuesday in my post.  


To recap, they were:


How do you see yourself now as compared to the beginning of teacher training - physically, mentally, and emotionally?
How do you see others (friends, family, other teacher trainers)?
How can we be the observer at all times?
What, if anything, do you notice differently about your own practice?


With everything that has happened in the last four weeks it's almost surreal to think that it will be coming to an end.  I can recall on the first day (orientation), I was nervous, uncomfortable, and very anxious about what was to come.  In my head I could only imagine what we were about to take on - endless hours of practice, subtle friendships, and some sort of instruction in anatomy and philosophy.  And yet what has come of the training is more than I ever expected.  I've met people, some who I recognized from the studio and others I had never seen before, that share a similar passion to teach yoga and learn more about the practice.  


At the beginning of teacher training I saw myself as a liberated worker - free from corporate America and the grey cubicle!  And I still do very much see myself in this light.  Yet I have also gained a new understanding of why I am in the position of becoming a yoga instructor.  Because I am a person who seeks to better understand the connection between my mind and body, and in doing so leave behind assumptions of how we should feel and act during given situations, but instead respond with an understanding that I just am.  And, to ultimately share this serenity and awareness with others.     


That took a lot out of me so I'm going to leave it here for tonight.


_Peace and Love

Day Twenty Three

I am really going to miss the discussions we have in Philosophy on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  The conversations are organic and raw - there's no feeling that something wrong can be said, and the dynamic is fully based on learning more about the practice of yoga.  As we are near the end, our teacher Robin brought up several questions to consider:


How do you see yourself now as compared to the beginning of teacher training - physically, mentally, and emotionally?


How do you see others (friends, family, other teacher trainers)?


How can we be the observer at all times?


What, if anything, do you notice differently about your own practice?


I won't address these questions now since I haven't quite had time to contemplate them, but I'm hoping to get to them within the week.  


However, I do want to approach the topic of an "ego," as we shared how this can relate to our practice.  Interestingly enough, which I never considered, we aren't born with an ego.  Take for example my nephew Nathaniel (who is pictured in my profile icon on his 1st birthday).  When he was born he was the size of a peanut!  There was innocence written all across his face, and every time I held him was like holding a bundle of peace and love in my arms.  Now he's approaching the big 2 and his ego is a force to be reckoned with!  Just look at the little guy:  

Now, getting back to how this relates to yoga - it's very easy to let our ego's get in the way of our practice.  "Oh, I can do that pose better than that guy, look how he falls out right away," or "I'm horrible at this pose, I'm not even going to try, I'll give my best on the next one."  Ego's can hinder our practice, allowing us to fall short of what we are really capable of - awareness and observance followed by stillness of mind and body!  But, ego's aren't necessarily bad as they essentially help us in self-preservation as we seek to understand our self-identity.  


Beyond yoga, we deal with our own ego's on a day to day basis.  It's very easy to get caught up in the feeling that we have the right to judge others or expect praise because of something we did.  Instead, we should live simply by observing at all times and expect nothing.  In doing so there becomes a sense of awareness that can help us tackle difficult situations or even enjoy moments of solitude.  Again, I know this might seem pretty "out there" and obviously I'm coming from a philosophic approach to yoga, but I truly believe that in doing so, we can all experience a more fulfilling life. 


_Peace and Love

Day Twenty Two

This post is for yesterday (Monday).  Remember that day where I had nothing to say and felt completely blank?  Well, that happened last night as I tried to think of something to write.  Being in this last week is a bit intimidating in ways since it's up to us to now put everything we learned into action as we begin teaching practice classes amongst ourselves.  Hopefully I have more to write as the week progresses but for now I'm just focused on improving my dialogue and gaining confidence.  And that's it for now! 


_Peace and Love

Day Twenty One

Well, I got a little nervous about our test on the nervous system today (hah!) and didn't do as great as last time, but it was the last day of anatomy!  As much as I cringe thinking about the multiple systems of the body and learning all the names of muscles and joints, it was very beneficial as a practical application to the yoga postures.  

Below is a picture of the teacher trainers with our anatomy instructor, Denny: 

If anyone is interested in learning more about what parts of the body are used in certain yoga postures, I recommend reading Yoga Anatomy. It wasn't a required book for our class but was given to me as a gift from my aunt and is very helpful in breaking down each posture (and with colorful pictures!).  

_Peace and Love

Day Twenty

Well, the day has finally come where we finished the entire dialogue for the series (minus the final breathing)!  Knowing that this is the third week and only one more week remains is both exciting and slightly depressing.  Working with this amazing group of teacher trainers has brought me closer to the Huntington Beach Hot Yoga community and other instructors.  It's always a little sad to see something so special come to an end - but, since there is one more week I won't get too sentimental!

Since I've been receiving positive feedback on pictures and my (novice) attempt at posting videos, I've included some pictures below from this week and other's posture clinics:

Nielan and Travis demonstrating adjustments in Ardha Kurmasana 

(Half Tortoise Pose) 

Jason standing on Jackie's back 

(she's VERY flexible so don't try this on your own!)

Cecilia in Trikanasana (Triangle)

Jason helping Leila in Triangle

That's it for today!  Tomorrow is anatomy and there's a test to study for!

_Peace and Love