Help Send a Friend to Teacher Training

Aloha everyone,

I wanted to take a moment to request your assistance. My blogger friend, Crisitunity, is trying to turn a negative situation (job lay-off) into a positive opportunity (yoga teacher training). She will be selling her original short stories for a small donation towards the cause.

Please visit her blog to read more about her and donate if you are able.

http://crisitunity.wordpress.com/

Day #28

Home Practice - Baptiste (70 min) #117
Friday

Bikram Hawaii Kai - class #118
Saturday 6 pm w/ Manny

Home Practice - Baptiste (45 min) #119
Sunday

I forgot how much I like Manny's class. He moves a bit faster through the 26 postures than other Bikram teachers I've had. But I really enjoy his take on the series. I also really like the radiant heat. It seems much hotter than the Kaimuki studio. Feels like it heats you through to your core and I am able to get deeper into the postures in a shorter period of time.

My roommate helped me put up a 30" x 60" mirror in my yoga room. Tonight's practice was the first one I did in front of the mirror. I love being able to check my alignment while I am doing postures now. Such a helpful tool, don't know how I ever got along without it.

I am really happy with my progress so far. Still not proficient at the Baptiste videoes, but getting better every day. I really can't wait for my new yoga dvd's to come this week. I am so excited to try classes with Seane Corn, Shiva Rea, David Life, and Sharon Gannon. I am going to be in yoga heaven with all the new insights and the variety in yoga styles. I feel almost like a kid counting down the days until Christmas!

Day #25

Bikram Kaimuki - class #115
Wednesday 8:15 pm w/ Tom

Home Practice - Baptiste (45 min) #116
Thursday

Solid class w/ Tom Wed night. Decent home practice tonight. Not much to say about either.

Hard to believe that I'm done w/ 25 days in a row and almost a quarter of the way to 101!!!!!

Day #23

Bikram Kaimuki - class #113
Monday 8:15 pm w/ Gail

Home Practice - Baptiste (60 min) #114
Tuesday

I *really* didn't feel like doing yoga tonight. I had one of those days where I can just tell that I am about to start my period any second now. Feeling really grouchy and low energy and uncomfortable and just blah. But I practiced anyway. And I know that it did my body a lot of good. Still kinda achy but my attitude is 1000% better.

Last night I took class with Gail - who I am not at all crazy about. I guess that I should consider myself lucky that she is the only teacher I've had here that I really don't care for. I purposely went to her class, though, because Kevo was teaching the 6:30 and my body needed an easier class. My back was still pinched last night but now after tonight's home practice it feels like it has relaxed a bit.

There were several men in class last night and somebody had serious BO. And then there was someone breathing out really hard with all kinds of drama after every single posture all through the class. I was a little peeved cause the teacher didn't say anything to correct whoever was doing it - but I knew better than to have high expectations for a cohesive class. I started to just tune everything out and actually had an OK practice in spite of it all.

Day #21

Bikram Kaimuki - class #111
Saturday 4:30 pm w/ Kevo

Home Practice - Baptiste (45 min) #112
Sunday

WOW. 3 weeks straight doing yoga every day. I feel fantastic. Although I must admit my back is kinda sore after 2 days in a row of Kevo classes. He just has a knack for getting me to push myself to the edge. And maybe a little past the edge sometimes. I'm hoping that after tonight's fairly mellow workout it will be better tomorrow.

I'm really going to try to alternate studio days w/ home days so that I'm not doing the exact same sequence (including Bikram) any 2 days in a row. I feel like my body does better with that kind of variety. At least for now. But I am really stoked to keep on going strong without skipping a single day of yoga for the next 11 weeks and maybe even beyond.

Day #19

Home Practice - Baptiste (60 min) #109
Thursday

Bikram Kaimuki - class #110
Friday 6:30 pm w/ Kevo

Back to the Kaimuki studio and an ass-kicking Kevo class. I really missed his teaching style. Such a great class. Definitely hard, but not quite as hard as I remember. I was able to hold his long count for both sets of the second part of awkward. I was also able to hold the entire count in the second set of standing bow pulling pose for probably the first time ever. And I was able to get down all the way on both sides of toe stand - which is another first for me - but then couldn't navigate myself back up to standing without falling out. I wasn't able to hold his extra extended version of both sets of camel, either, because by that point in the class I was running on empty. Still, I didn't sit out any postures even though I wanted to. I made it through strong to the end.

The Baptiste DVD, "Soul of Strength - Power Vinyasa LIVE!", that I did on Thursday is another excellent workout that I highly recommend. In fact, I would recommend all of the Baptiste DVD's that I have done so far. He has a very calm manner and relaxing style. Which is not to say that the workouts are easy - he definitely pushes you to your limits and makes you sweat a lot.

I am getting ready to order a 3 DVD Yoga Journal "master teachers" set that features 3 live 85 min classes - one each with Baron Baptiste, Seane Corn, and Shiva Rea. I am very excited to try these teacher's styles and expand my yoga repertoire. I'm also going to try taking Bikram studio classes from at least 3 different teachers per week going forward if at all possible. I really feel like the variety is helping my practice. I will also allow one of my weekly Bikram classes to be done at home w/ his cd a couple times per month just because I like it so much. ; ))

Still feeling strong and like I am constantly improving.

Day #17

Bikram Hawaii Kai - class #107
Tuesday 7:30 pm w/ Manny

Home Practice - Baptiste (45 min) #108
Wednesday

Really just glad that I got in a yoga workout at all today.

The DVD I did tonight, Baptiste's "Power Yoga Level 3 - The Ultimate Challenge", is really tough but only 45 minutes long. So it's very good to do at home when you're on a time crunch. I am not nearly proficient at any of the Baptiste DVD's yet. But I know that my skill level will improve with time. Especially as I get stronger and lose a little bit of bulk. Any workout that I could do at all well the first couple times through would have me bored in a couple of months anyway. These give me something to work towards.

Yesterday I took another hot class w/ Manny. I was a little annoyed because this was the second day I've been at this studio when he let students join the class late. Significantly late. During pranayama breathing is one thing, but people kept trickling in through the whole first set of half moon and hands to feet pose. I do understand that the class time has changed recently, but still. This was a crowded class so people had to shift their mats over to make room each time someone else came in. What is up with that?

As you can probably tell, I started to really get my panties in a bunch about it. I know it is the teacher or owner's prerogative as to when to cut off latecomers, but in that moment it seemed grossly unfair to those of us who took the trouble to get the time right and make it to class early. But then I decided to just stop and began working on my focus to breathe through the annoyance and let it go. That way I could at least enjoy the rest class.

SIGH. I hope that this does not turn out to be a regular thing because I really don't like starting out the class with a big fat chip on my shoulder. And to be honest, it has slightly tarnished my otherwise high opinion of this teacher. Whatever. Clearly, I am *not* the boss of the universe. Much as I seem to think I should be sometimes. ;))

Day #15

Bikram Hawaii Kai - class #105
Sunday 6 pm w/ Manny

Home Practice - Baptiste (70 min) #106
Monday

Did the Baptiste DVD, "Power Yoga Level 2 - The Next Challenge", tonight. So far it is my favorite non-Bikram workout. He incorporates most of the 26 postures from the Bikram sequence (or at least variations thereof) along with several additional poses into a vinyasa flow series that is pretty strenuous, but really enjoyable. Lots of "plank position" and "downward dog" so my shoulders are burning a little.

I only did 3 studio workouts last week so my goal is to do 5 this week. Shouldn't be too tough. I am just really liking alternating studio days w/ non-studio days. So it will be interesting to see how my body responds to going to the studio 3 days in a row.

I am feeling really good. School is a bitch right now and I don't know how I'd be able to deal with the stress if it wasn't for the daily yoga. I've been sort of wondering why in the world I wouldn't keep practicing every day after the 101 days are up. It hasn't really been a struggle at all. I will have to see how I feel 12 or so weeks from now. But I'm predicting that I'll be even more addicted to getting my daily yoga glow.

Day #13

Home Practice - Baptiste (60 min) #103
Friday

Home Practice - Barkan (60 min) #104
Saturday

So I got a new yoga DVD. It's The Barkan Method, a 60 minute yoga routine that is sort of like a hybrid of the Baptiste and Bikram styles. James Barkan was a student of Bikram Choudhoury and Bishnu Ghosh back in the 80's. Over the years he has developed his own approach to hot yoga. I bought the DVD because I was curious about his take on the practice. The workout was just OK. I am never able to do a new routine very well the first time through so we shall see how I like it after a few times. The thing I am excited about is that the DVD has a tutorial on each posture - which I hope will give me a better understanding of the proper technique.

I also bought "Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class" book which goes through the 26 postures in great detail with benefits and modifications for each. It also has some great photos of actual students he's had over the years. I read his most recent book when it came out a few years ago and got so much out of it. Now I'm *really* looking forward to going through all the postures one by one and getting his personal insights into each.

This book will have to wait until I am on break in July and August for me to read it, though. Right now I am pretty swamped studying Anatomy & Physiology to keep up with my summer class. Man do they cram a whole lot of information into six short weeks. I will be really happy to have a little bit more free time at the end of the summer.

Anyway it is late and I am pretty beat, so I will sign off for now.

Aloha & Namaste to all of you.

My Tattoo

So it's not completely healed but pretty close. The colors should be a little richer once the skin has finished peeling and it's not so flaky. The location is my right inner ankle and represents putting my best foot forward into the world. The tattoo design is not exactly what I had in mind, but I actually like it even better. This tattoo has many layers of meaning for me. I will try to explain them as best as I can.

The small stick figure in the center w/ the heart for a body is a representation of the Spearhead "Stay Human" logo. I decided I wanted to get that logo in a tattoo about 6 years ago when I first got turned on to Michael Franti.

A few weeks after seeing him perform at High Sierra Music Festival for the first time we heard about a cd signing at Amoeba Records in the Haight. We thought it would be a typical cd release - he'd sing a song or two and close up shop. What actually happened completely blew us away. The band played an acoustic set that lasted 3 hours straight, song after song, inside the record store. Then Michael stayed around for another hour and a half to talk to EVERY SINGLE PERSON and give them a hug. He made eye contact with each person like he was looking into their soul. It struck me so deeply that this man is a walking, talking manifestation of the word namaste. "I honor the divine in you that is also in me." Seriously, he is a musician who walks the walk and talks the talk. And an inspiration for me to do the same in my own life.

To me "Stay Human" means first and foremost to honor the sacredness of being human. It is a reminder to stay authentic, stay genuine, stay present and stay true to myself. To lead with my heart and to honor what makes me uniquely me. But at the same time, to realize that we are all the same. Through the process of recognizing and honoring my own humanness, I will automatically recognize and honor that same humanity in everyone I meet. Every life is sacred, every soul is pure.

I chose to incorporate the "Stay Human" logo within a mandala. The Tibetan word for "mandala," dkyil-‘khor , literally means "that which encircles a center." A "center," here is a meaning, and "that which encircles it" - a mandala - is a round symbol that represents or even amplifies that meaning. The goal of the mandala is to serve as a tool on our spiritual journey since it symbolizes cosmic and psychic order. And this particular design is a mandala within a mandala that reminds me of a flower petal blooming - which of course is a metaphor used frequently in Bikram yoga. To me this symbolizes that my life is in the process of opening up right now.

The colors I chose also have special meaning:

Orange is the color of the sacral chakra and represents creativity. This chakra is the center of the emotional body. It offers the opportunity to lessen "control issues" and find a balance in life, teaching us to recognize that acceptance and rejection are not the only options in relationships. The process of making changes in our life stream through our personal choices is a product of second chakra energy.

Red is the color of the kundalini or root chakra. It represents the element of fire. This chakra is the center of physical energy and vitality, the energy to succeed in business or material possessions, and the center of manifestations. The root chakra is the grounding force that allows us to connect to the earth energies that empower our being. When it is balanced we experience a steady flow of vitality.

Purple is the color of the third eye chakra and represents intuition. The third eye is the avenue to wisdom - learning from experiences and putting them in perspective. The ability to separate reality from fantasy or delusions is connected to the healthfulness of this chakra. Achieving the art of detachment beyond "small mindedness" is accomplished through the development of impersonal intuitive reasoning.

I know... Pretty deep. And now I will leave you with a YouTube video featuring Michael performing "Stay Human" that really captures his essence and the energy of being at a live show. All the freaky people DO make the beauty of the world.

Day #11

Home Practice - Baptiste (45 min) #101
Wednesday

Bikram Hawaii Kai - class #102
Thursday 7:30 pm w/ Manny

Another awesome class. I was really tired all day and on the way over to the studio I made a deal with myself that I'd take it easy. Well, that didn't happen. As soon as I got set up for the first breathing exercise I couldn't help but give my hardest, best effort. It seems that every time I set foot in the studio lately each class builds on the last and I am amazed, yet again, at my constant progress. Tonight I touched my head to the floor for the first time ever in standing separate leg stretching posture. Then I nailed both sides and both sets of Triangle. And standing separate leg head to knee. That's just to name a few. It seemed like I achieved new ground in almost every single posture(!) I've only been back in the studio 3 times now and each has been an incredibly strong practice. I'm a little dumbfounded.

I have decided that Manny just may be my new favorite teacher. He is the owner of Bikram Hawaii Kai and totally old school, like 1970's style Bikram. His dialogue is not really by the book. He adds a couple of (optional) extra postures - like push ups before fixed firm. He talks a lot about the mind body connection and self realization. Tonight he mentioned that he doesn't believe in the typical 30 day challenge for those w/ moderate fitness levels because if you're overly tired then you won't improve as much or get as much out of your practice. He says that if you're out of shape, unable to get through all the postures, and just kind of cruising through class *then* coming every day has a lot of benefit. But he encourages everyone else to come to the studio 4 times a week and really work 100%, full out in every single one of those classes.

I know that all of this will sound blasphemous to the die hard Bikramites, but it makes so much sense to me. The danger of over-training is very real in any repetitive motion exercise. Why should yoga be any different? And so far w/ my little yoga experiment I feel like a living, breathing example of the benefit of working the body with different postures and even different styles of yoga in order to deepen my Bikram practice. I have never felt stronger or more limber. Or more committed to this practice for that matter. We'll have to see how this plays out during the full 101 days. But even in this short time frame I am pretty sold on the benefit of yoga cross-training.

Day #9

Home Practice - Baptiste (60 min) #99
Monday

Bikram Hawaii Kai - class #100
Tuesday 7:30pm w/ Leigh

Whoa... I made it through 100 yoga workouts so far this year. Now that's a major milestone.

Tonight I completely got my ass kicked, but in such a good way. Leigh used to teach at the Kaimuki studio when I first dabbled with Bikram back in 2007. I'm pretty sure that she is a master instructor because there are pictures of her teaching at TT on the official Bikram website. I always loved her class way back when. And having her tonight confirmed that the Kaimuki teachers are indeed much harder, at least than the other Hawaii Kai teachers I've had so far. My arms and legs felt like jello and I was completely loopy on the ride home.

Tonight I was also blown away by the progress I've made. Really. The improvement in my practice over the last several weeks is remarkable. Is it because I started listening to the dialogue w/ Bikram himself and am therefore executing better? Is it because I took a long break and so my body is fresh? Is it because cross-training with different styles has worked my muscles in a different way and given me a deeper appreciation for Bikram's 26 postures? Or could it be a little bit of all of these combined with my body just being ready to change? Who knows. But the last few Bikram practices I have felt a bit like a rockstar. Even tonight when it seemed that Leigh was mopping the floor with us.

So glad to be back in the studio.

Day #7

Home Parctice - Bikram #97
Saturday

Bikram Hawaii Kai - #98
Sunday 6 pm w/ Manny

Last night was my first time back in the Bikram studio in 3 weeks. I went to Hawaii Kai because I bought a package of 10 when I was there before my trip. And even though it was only my 3rd time at that particular studio, it still felt like I had come home. I even got a little bit emotional during the first pranayama breathing exercise because I felt so deeply that I belonged there in that room doing that practice at that very moment. This yoga is truly amazing. It has worked its way down into my soul.

I had a really strong practice, probably my best yet. I was able to get deeper into most of the poses and my focus was really good. The class was really crowded and I barely even noticed. I was also able to stay in most of the balancing postures longer than usual. Overall a really fantastic class. Everything just clicked. The instructor even commented to me after that he appreciated my focus. That's always nice. ;))

I feel like the yoga cross training is working. I am not sore any more, I just feel worked out. My Bikram postures feel like they are getting better. I am going deeper into most of the positions and I am holding my balance longer. On the Baptiste side, I feel like I am getting the routine a little better each time I do it. We shall see how the weeks progress. But so far I would say that this experiment has been very beneficial. I have a renewed passion and respect for the practice of yoga.

Day #5

Home Practice - Bikram #95
Thursday

Home Practice - Baptiste (45 min) #96
Friday

Yes. Five days under my belt. One more Bikram home practice tomorrow and then I will venture back into the studio on Sunday. I am excited to get back into the swing of things.

The soreness is going away. I gave my body this week to sort of get used to the 45 min Baptiste workout. Next week I want to do the 60 min Baptiste workout at least 2x and the 45 min only once.

I do already feel a bit skinnier, but I am refraining from weighing myself until Sunday. I feel so much better both physically and mentally now that I am getting into a daily exercise habit again. And I realize that I have a tendency to be a little bit obsessed with the scale. So during the 14 week challenge I'm gonna try my best to weigh in once a week instead of daily.

Today I happened upon an old blog post from Bliss Chick about how she got rid of her migraines. (You can check her blog in my blog roll if you're interested.) For me, I think it's been almost a year since I had my last migraine. And it's also been a whole year since I gave up diet soda.

In her blog post BC talks about triggers and mentions dairy as a big one. Reading her words it was almost like something clicked in my head. When we consume most commercially available milk, cheese, etc. we are ingesting a BOATLOAD of antibiotics and synthetic hormones. How could this intake over years and years NOT screw with our bodies delicate hormonal balance and upset the natural intestinal flora of beneficial organisms?

So, drumroll please... Beginning tomorrow, 6/6/09, I am hereby giving up dairy for an entire year. I may add some organic and raw products back into my diet at a future date. But not until I've gone cold turkey from all milk and cheese for a full year. You reading here are my witnesses.

It's going to be hard. But that's what I thought about giving up diet drinks and it really wasn't too difficult once I made up my mind to do it. This is my health we're talking about. And that is of the utmost importance.

Day #3

Home Practice - Bikram #93
Tuesday

Home Practice - Baptiste (45 min) #94
Wednesday

Three yoga sessions down, ninety eight still to go. ;))

I am actually pretty sore. The particular Baptiste video I've been doing is only 45 minutes long but it has a lot more arm work than I am used to with Bikram. I feel it all through my shoulders and deep in my adominals as well. Exactly the kind of cross-training I am after. I'm not strong or limber enough to do all of the postures very well. But so far I like that it gives me something new to strive for.

I decided to err on the side of caution and stay out of the Bikram studio until Sunday. That should give my tattoo ample time to heal completely. It is getting better every day. I just want to be careful and make extra sure that it's 100% before exposing it to the sweatbox.

It's late so I am going to sign off now. Goodnight everybody!

Day #1

Home Practice - Baptiste (45 min) #92

So today I began my own yoga challenge. I am going to do yoga every day consecutively for 101 days(!!!) However, I have decided that I will not be doing the Bikram sequence at the studio every single day.

I want to experiment w/ a couple of Baron Baptiste videos that come highly recommended by an old roommate of mine. One is a 45 minute beginner's Ashtanga practice and the other is a 70 minute Vinyasa flow sequence. I am hoping that this "yoga cross training" will keep my muscles guessing and get me into better shape faster than just doing Bikram alone. Not to mention trying these other styles will help make me into a more well rounded yogini in the long run.

Don't get me wrong - I LOVE Bikram. It will still be my foundation and I will go to the studio 4 days per week religiously. But I really feel like I want to expand my horizons a bit. So I will do one of the Baptiste videos at least 2x per week. And then the last weekly practice will be my choice - either the Bikram audio cd at home or one of the Baptiste videos. Who knows? Maybe at the end of this I will return to doing strictly Bikram or maybe I will like the variety of practicing different styles. Never know until you try.

In addition, I have been invited by Penni Shelton to join her "Big Fat Raw Experiment". For the next 14 weeks, or the duration of my yoga challenge, I will be trying my best to eat a high raw vegan diet and tracking my progress for the world to see. Check out my "Raw Mana" blog if you're interested in the details.

This is sort of active research for a book she's writing. So I am very excited to see what kind of effect the combo yoga and eating a much cleaner, higher water content diet will have on my body. The two seem like perfect compliments to each other.

My ankle tattoo is still healing. I had no problem doing the Baptiste video at home tonight but I'm a little worried about the heat. I'm gonna have to see how it feels tomorrow before I decide if I'm quite ready to get back into the studio yet. If worse comes to worse I'll just do a couple extra Bikram workouts at home this week. They say everyone heals differently and it takes as long as it takes. I really love it and promise to post pictures once it isn't all crusty looking. ;))



Anyway thanks for reading & sorry for the extended absence. I assure you that I'm back with a vengeance!!