Love Friday

I forgot something.  Tracey – can you tell my cousins Christopher and Michael that when I get back, I want to really teach them yoga as a true instructor (if they want, and when they're a little bit older) instead of in the living room at Thanksgiving?  What a fun holiday that was!  Tell Christopher the man in the book, Bikram, is actually teaching us!  Sending love and hugs!

So last night we were dismissed sometime around 1:30 am / 2 am only to get up again at 6:30 am / 7 am and do it all over again.  I really enjoyed Bikram’s lecture but we were all fighting from dozing off.  The ‘sleep police’ we call it are now on the clock, every time someone would doze off they’d be around to wake to them up.  Yikes!  Hope that doesn’t happen to me!  We are all looking out for each other and learning how to become ‘sleeping ninjas’.  Thanks Mike for the pointers and my new favorite phrase!

Bikram had some really interesting points to share, I took a lot of notes.  I like learning more about the benefits to the body with each posture.  Each one is designed to increase the longevity of your organs, preventative medicine if you will.  I also learned the definition of exercise.  Anybody know without looking it up?  Also, guess what the worst body is in the world?  The body that is most destroyed and damaged?  Ballet.  The ballet body is the worst the body world.  That’s me.  No wonder why I crave the yoga, I need it the most!

By the way, exercise means stretching.  That's all.  Exercise means stretching.

After lecture we file out in order to the elevators.  I’m getting so sick of lines, waiting in line, sign in at this time, in your seats by this time, bathroom at this time, on your mats at this time, stand up at this time, sleep at this time, clap at this time, so structured with so much togetherness.  Imagine 430 of us at the same time, following order to get where we need to be.  Sometimes I drag myself up the stairs 8 flights just so I can escape the routine.

This morning waking up was killer.  I’ve been pushing the time to get up later and later each day and thinking what I am doing here.  I struggled through the entire morning class and couldn’t get out of my head how much I didn’t want my toes and heels at the stupid line.  You should see us walking down the dimly lit long narrow hallway to the ‘torture chamber’.  Body hurts, legs hurt, arms hurt, eyes burning…some mornings we all look like dead body’s slowly going through the motions. 

Brandy, the world champion, taught the class.  She’s amazing and had some good things to say but still I didn’t want to be there.  Immediately after class I felt energized but needed to break away from the group, from so much togetherness.    Best thing ever – lunch break outside by myself in the sun.  It was quick (they always are) but was exactly what I needed.  First time I was able to go outside all week with this schedule!  There is no time during the week, I actually jump in the shower with my yoga clothes to wash them and to save time on going to do laundry.  It’s funny, you learn tricks along the way to make things work in a new environment.  Anyway, my outdoor excursion brought an entirely new and better energy to afternoon posture clinic.  

Clinic was good, I was really hoping to present Half Moon today on my Mom’s birthday but we ran out of time – Happy Birthday Bella Mama!  It will now be Monday for sure.  Brandy and I are numbers 7 and 8 to go.  Oh right I almost forgot, Bikram gave us tonight off!  That’s why I’m able to write just now.  I’m sitting alone in a random hotel hallway, continuing my escape from all the togetherness.  I was actually looking forward to going tonight so I could present.  Brandy and I both were bummed, probably the only two in the room!  What is going on with us!  Leesann presented today!  She did great, I was really proud of my roomie :) My favorite Leesann quote of the day was ‘I brought my knitting’.  What?  ‘I brought my knitting’.  You can’t knit during posture clinic!  You can barely leave your chair!  We had a good laugh and surprisingly, she was able to sneak some knitting in. 

While I was sitting there, a yogi got up to present half moon that reminded me of Joe Prieto back home.  I thought to myself, hmm, if Joe was here and presented I would imagine him like that guy.  Then it was weird, he must have sensed it because when I got back to the room and checked my phone, he had text me.  Anyway, just wanted to thank again the Prieto/Coulter/Smith/Lyman/Herald family and for the most thoughtful card before I left.  I brought it with me here :) Joe, you would love this training by the way.  Think about it.

One quick story, one lovely yogi from Italy got up and Bikram shared some stories on his time in her country.  He calls everyone either Boss or Sweetheart.  She was a Sweetheart.  He doesn’t understand how the Italian’s each so much.  He said ‘they make so much with the eggplant’.  :) If he or anyone grew up in my family, you would understand the eating.  :) It reminded me how I always cook my famous egg-a-plant for our holidays.  I’m sorry family you’re missing it this weekend at Easter.  Next holiday I’ll make two! 

Tonight’s class was my best so far.  We’ve been setting up in the second row most nights, ‘to kill yourself’, and I’ve been ‘taking it easy honey’ towards the back in the mornings.  It’s amazing how the group has formed a powerful energy in the torture chamber, such a difference from our first class.  Now don’t be scared non-yogis, I’m going to get a little intense for a minute.  Class is very different on a smaller studio non training scale.  During our first class (and most of this week), yogis were dropping like flies, being carried out of the room, nearly passing out, and more than half the room was sitting out / lying down most of the class.  The medical tent outside the room has been packed.  Leaving the hot room you would see yogis flat on their backs (savasana) all over the second floor of the hotel.  Sometimes I tear up seeing so many people in so much pain - unnecessarily in pain.  For me, I’ve been able to pace myself and power through so far, but I’m sure my day will come.  Although, as a wise instructor told me, “Manchester yogis are built like rocks!”

 

So my point…today was different.  Maybe only two people left the room.  Almost the entire room did the entire class.  More people were smiling.  More people were confident.  The energy was positive and we were all working together.  It was so amazing.  I felt so good, so re-charged, I could have stayed for a third class.  Don’t tell anybody that last part around here please! 

One more class tomorrow morning and then week one is officially complete!  This weekend hopefully I’ll be able to rest, catch up on some sleep, study dialogue, and get off the ‘island’ as we like to call it.  Another demanding week will come fast.  I feel like it’s going to get a lot harder than it already is.   

By the way, did I tell you the dialogue is 22 pages front and back of direct memorization?  Front and back!  That makes 44.  Marissa, if you’re reading, remember that friends episode of the letter Rachel wrote to Ross and he kept saying ‘front and back front and back!’ haha.  Anyway, it’s a lot harder than I thought to get it exactly to the point.  I’m starting to speak dialogue in my everyday conversation.  I said ‘exactly twin sister’ to Becca the other day and paused for a minute, reminded me of ‘exactly forehead to the knee’. :)  We’re hoping to take some pictures after class tomorrow to post, I’m dying to show you the torture chamber!!  For now -have a great holiday weekend everyone! 

PS.  Thank you again for your texts, emails, comments, and everything supporting my blog.  I didn’t realize how much writing relaxes me, how much I really enjoy it, and how much everyone is enjoying it :)  I’m glad I can sneak some time in to do it, and happy I’ll be able to look back and remember this.