Class #33, 2010

It's fun to have a new teacher (to me) once in a while. Today it was Glenn, in Redmond. Good class with co-workers. Super-soaker, Redmond style!

Class #27, 2010

Honestly life has been busy and I feel bad my posts have been mostly informational and not necessarily a crafted writing effort. However, this week is a bit nuts and it starts to calm down and March will be better! I am going to teach a little less, which makes me sad but is necessary to maintain a balanced life. Just sayin'

Anyhow, I think I've mentioned that I'm on a mission with my group at work (Microsoft) to get them to try Bikram. And, well, my first 'victim' was my boss, who after two classes bought a 30-punch and became more of an evangelist than I am! Between us, we have 9 people on our recurring invitation and we go once/week as a group right now. As of now, including him, 5 have actually gone, with the other 4 waiting for a day when they can get away.

Today, two newbies went with my boss (Andrew) and I, and another co-worker who'd gone once before (to that BRUTAL class last week - his first one!) came back. It was a fab class with 35-week-pregnant Jenny, and it was just right - that studio is hot. Really, really hot. She managed it well and actually kicked the thermometer my way and it was only 102...but 56% humidity. That's a heat index, or "feels like" temperature of 130. Yikes.

It was a really good class for me though, and Andrew. Of the two newbies, one sat out about 1/2 the class, but she never tried to leave (I was proud) and in the end, after class, she said she really liked it (to my surprise) and would be back. (And, since I'm writing this a few days after, am happy to report she did go back, 2 days later). The other newbie did great - I could tell from her personality it would be a good fit and she did well and loved it. Andrew and I both had strong classes, and the fella who came for a second time said it was "much, much better..." :) Yay, Bikram!

Class #22, 2010

Oh my.

Some classes just simply kill me. This Monday afternoon class, with my manager and two co-workers a long (one for his first class!) was brutal. I cried a little in standing separate leg head to knee, but you know, you can't really breathe much less emote in that posture...so then I stopped. But it was hotter than hell, and I could tell from about breath #4 in Pranayama that I was gonna be in trouble. And trouble I was in...

I tried to kneel for a sip of water at the break to catch my breath, but Heather wasn't having it. "Get up." Ok. I'm up. But I'm in trouble! Carrying on, I made it through without a break but with a little bit of a broken spirit by the end. Phew. In fact, (writing this a few days later) I ended up taking 3 days off to recover. And sometimes, it's just like that.

Class #20, 2010

Lately, I've been practicing about once a week in Redmond after work, as I've mentioned. My new manager, and today, another teammate, joined me. Had a bevy of teenage girls behind me - that was...special. Actually the good news was I didn't let them impact my practice too much, and had one of the strongest classes I've had in a while (in fact, I think that's 3 in a row that haven't nearly killed me, as it's seemed most have, lately). Such a different vibe there than at 'home' but it's really nice to mix it up.

My favorite line tonight, by Jenny, who is always a hoot on the podium, in Fixed Firm, "Grab your elbows...no, not like you're chill-axin' on the beach, really grab them..." Made me smile.

Class #15, 2010

Wow.

Tonight I went to yoga near where I work now, on the Eastside. Fortunately this studio allows all teachers to practice for free (most in the world do - but two in our area don't - my 'home' studio included...alas). Anyhow, my new boss went along for his second class, as he got that 'fear' that tends to build up after the first class. He was so excited, he was recruiting around the office and telling everyone how amazing Bikram yoga is! Yet, he (by his own admission) made excuses and did not go back until today, 8 days later! So I put it in our calendars and went along for moral support. We all need a push, sometimes.

Arriving, to my delight, I found that Heather was teaching. She was on staff at my teacher training. She is a serious person with a stern veneer but has a very, very compassionate heart and is a stellar teacher. I hadn't had her class since she moved back to Seattle a few months ago and was so delighted she was teaching!! (The online schedule had said otherwise). Class was *kickass* - so challenging as the heat was afire, and she pushes hard! Aside from some minor suffocation on the spine strengthening series, I made it through but it was not easy - not that it should be - but whoa. Kickass hard, kickass good.

Her teaching reminded me of the value of using the dialogue in a way that is personal but still involves a lot of operational commands that your brain can hear and process without adding thinking. The different between "Next, you wanna pick up your foot" and "Pick up your foot." We all add words, but she is especially skilled at using these commands without any sort of robotic sound to her cadence. It was a real treat actually, to have her class, and I can't wait to go again!

Class #13, 2010

Sometimes going to a different space makes a big difference in my practice. Today, I took my new manager (of a mere 2 months) to his first Bikram class. I opted for the studio nearest to work, in case he actually liked it, so he could more easily get to class.

It was a nicely-populated 4:30 class and he was the only new person. I also opted for a male teacher, who knows if it makes a difference, but especially for a man who's never done any yoga, just seems like it'd be cool to see a dude up there guiding you through. And, by the way, my manager (in the words of the instructor) "killed it" :) He did really well and after had a great reaction, "I'm so proud of myself! That was so hard, and I feel like I need a week to recover...I'm shaking and whoa..." etc. I was just glad I'm not getting fired.

For me, the standing series ruled today! I felt surprisingly light and capable after my cold series of backward bending last night. In fact, my backbends felt extra-deep today, so who knows, maybe it helped! The floor, however, was another story. Thank God the teacher opened the door here and there, each time, I thought, "if I had $100, I'd give it to you right now." The air crept in, tapped my toes and circled up my body until I could breathe in that fresh, oxygen-laden air! So delicious, and it gave me the strength to go on. I could see the gauge - 111 degrees, 41% humidity - a little hot, but right in there...though it felt decidedly different, of course, I survived!

Having a different teacher at a different studio was great too. The vibe of different studios is something I appreciate - though I may not always like it. This, though, I liked. He's funny and says nice things that I don't hear anywhere else. My 'home' studio rules - it will always be home for me - but having the same teachers, who take each others' classes and steal the good stuff from each other, means a lot of repetition of similar ideas. Last night, for example, after the first set of Balancing Stick, "Someday, you may be in the hospital, lying in bed wishing to yourself, "What I'd give to do the second set of Balancing Stick right now!" - it was funny, but added perspective.

We are privileged to get to practice yoga. We are privileged to have the money to pay for class, clothes, mats, towels and water (or coconut water, as it were...). We are privileged to have the motivation to go, to have studios near us, to have teachers who guide us and want good for us. While at times it's a challenge to appreciate (say, after the first set of balancing stick) it bears reminding ourselves that the yoga is a gift, and we're lucky to be its recipients.