The show must go on

Week two is almost over!  Wow!  The time flies by so fast here, I’m actually going to be sad when it’s over.  

Boss’s throat was killing him last night so we had evening class and lecture with Jim.  I love him!  He owns the Bikram Yoga Studio in San Diego.  He has a great way of teaching class and keeping me focused.  It’s almost like a perfect balance of kill yourself and be gentle at the same time.  I had a great class, as always, in the evenings.

Jim’s lecture was just as great.  He said he wasn’t prepared to teach us, as he was just filling in for Boss, but you would never know.  My notebook (thanks Sara!) is filling up fast.  We were up until about 1 am but I could have kept listening to him I was so engaged.  His story of how he found yoga is incredible.  Adrienne and I keep saying how much we love training and how we are already sad to think about leaving.  I think we are in the minority there :) 

   
I’m also really enjoying learning more and more about the health benefits of Bikram Yoga.  It’s so much more than exercise, it works the hearts, lungs, glands, each and every organ of the body inside and out.  You can’t get that from sports, running, walking, or swimming.  Yoga creates the perfect marriage between each organ that work together to keep the body working normal.  It’s scientifically proven.  All at the same time, you work the 5 aspects of the human mind – trust, self control, determination, concentration, and patience.  All 5 aspects carry over into your daily life.

I can’t wait to teach and inspire students to become the best person they can be, reach your potential, inside and out, bones to skin, fingertips to the tops, with my smiling happy face :)

This morning’s class was absolutely brutal; I have to find a way to love mornings.  My body was like ‘sleeping in the cold storage, like the dead meat’ and I started to feel ‘dizzy, blackout, nauseous, throw-up’.  That’s good though, just means heart and lungs are getting along.  Then, halfway through class I realized I could see through my yoga top in the front mirror.  Dead meat muscles, pain sensation, see through top, doesn’t matter, the show must go on.  I’m trying to stay positive to get through the hard moments.
 
Monday we start in on Anatomy, Backward Bending, and Hands to Feet Pose.  I’m so happy I got a little ahead back home with the dialogue so I can focus on anatomy for the next two weeks. It’s going to pick up fast with quizzes, presentations, posture clinics, nonstop.  Bikram is gone all week, and I’m actually a little bit sad!  Never thought I’d say that!

I’ve had some wonderful letters this week from Aunty Ann and Uncle Bob, Adam, and Eileen.  Thank you so much!  Each one was so very thoughtful.  Eileen, I think of you in Cobra pose every single class and visualize me looking as good as you!  :) I can’t wait to practice together again very soon and then push you in floor bow :)  I will call you this weekend!  Aunty Ann, I exactly remember that day!   There is nothing more that I enjoy than spending time with my family.  Thank you for that beautiful memory.  Adam, you are exactly right.  I can’t tell you how many times, how many people, told me I was crazy to follow my passion and all the negative things that came with it.  Can you believe that!  Bikram says ‘It’s better to follow your own path imperfectly, than to follow someone else’s path perfectly.’  This is my path, and although it’s a struggle, I know it’s where I want to be.  

I will leave off with one of my favorite quotes we’ve heard from Bikram and Jim, “Anything you can do in this life, all you have to do is lock the knee” :)

Honeymoon is over

2:00 am:  ‘Should we get back in our beds?’  Adrienne says sadly.  ‘I guess so :(’. 

Just when we heard clapping and roaring and what seemed like the lights coming up, we quickly popped back up to our seats.  Adrienne and I were uncomfortably curled into little balls on the floor, between isles of chairs, hidden nice and small so no one would see us and try and wake us up – in our ‘beds’.  It’s freezing and loud purposely to try and keep everyone awake.  You should see me, all of us, dressed like we’re back on the East Coast in the middle of winter.  Even with ear plugs, it’s so so loud.  Little did we know that at 2 am it was only intermission of Bikram’s Bollywood Hindu movie.  It was time for disc two.  Another 4 am night and 7 am wake up call for class.

This was my mind in class this morning on 3 hours sleep:  yoga is a gas station, no it’s not you idiot, I can’t do this I want to die, yes you can you won’t die, I need sleep, no I don’t yoga is energy, I want to leave the hot room, no you don’t stay strong you’re almost there, I like to sleep I don’t want to be sleep proof, trust it - it’s part of the process, I want to go home, no you don’t you are lucky to be here, the only way out is through. 

In case you missed our typical day’s schedule, we start at 8 am sharp with two yoga classes a day, posture clinics, lectures, until 12 midnight the earliest but lately way later like 4 am.  We get two quick breaks to eat and shower.  Saturday is one morning class, and Sundays are the day of rest.

The late nights and early mornings are becoming more frequent.  Classes are getting harder.  Last night’s class we had to do an extra set of balancing stick pose because Bikram wasn’t happy with the first two sets.  My body is really starting to feel it.  I could barley lift my arms up during pranayama breathing today, the very first part of class.  It killed!

Michael Lepore my cousin, I got your letter this morning and it was so fitting for today.  Spoken like a world class leader, yet only 12 years old, here is a piece of what he wrote:

‘You should do whatever it takes to achieve your goal, everyone was put on this earth for a purpose, and if this is yours, then you should do everything that you can to get it.  So, no matter how hard this is, as long as you know that this is what you want do above everything else, go for it.’

Thank you so much Michael, just when I needed it most you thoughtfully reminded me why I’m here.  I feel so grateful that I’ve been able to watch you grow up since day one and I’m so proud of the young man you are becoming.  I know you will achieve great things in your life and I’m so excited to share that with you.  I’ll be cheering you on 100% of the way just like you are for me :) Love, Kara

The Today Show

The Today Show 

Wow.  Click on the link and check us out in LA!  :)  Now you can see the hot room and the lecture room! 

Ashley Hunter you were right.

This morning’s letter I opened was from my cousin Christopher!  Yay!  Thank you so much Christopher!  I miss you a lot too and I can’t wait to see you this summer.  Love, Kara xoxo :) 

Half Moon Complete!  Let me see if I can come close to recapping the moment. 

The way it works, picture a great big (at least 6,000 square ft) rectangular lecture hall with the stage in the middle of the rectangle along the back wall.  There are five chairs to the right of the stage in the far corner that act as the holding spaces.  First, you’re called to the chairs, and wait in your group of five.  Then, you’re directed to the line besides the stage and wait.  It’s kind of like the process of going on a ride at Six Flags.  I was so happy and nervous waiting in both lines but remained calm.  Bikram is right up front taking it all in with his headset and cup of tea with honey.  I was watching him watching the students intensely.  Then, my eyes darted to the front row and I noticed some familiar comforting faces which put me at ease.

Now remember, there are 430 people in the room, (plus visiting teachers and staff), all in rows of chairs facing you, staring at you.  This particular posture is the most difficult one to learn and present, which is part of the reason it’s the only one we do for him.

Next!

Brandy went right before me.  She was awesome!  I was so happy for her!  I was smiling and cheering her on!  I knew she’d be great.  She didn’t miss one word, it was perfect dialogue! 

Next! 

I walk up the stairs to the stage and Brandy hands me the microphone.  ‘Good Afternoon, my name is.…I start to say and realize it’s not working.  Oh no, I think, please don’t make me do it without the microphone!  Someone comes to grab it and fix it, thank goodness!  In the meantime, Bikram went on to tell a story about how Portsmouth and Manchester are two of his favorite spots, something about a hotel in Laconia, something about mafia, something about how he is the boss of all the mafia, something stolen in the hotel, and how he wants to make a movie about it.  I was so nervous I was only half listening but smiling and nodding along.  My microphone comes, and then out of nowhere I ask, ‘If you film the movie in New Hampshire, Brandy and I will be in it’.  Okay!  He said, very enthusiastically!

Start Please…

Okay I think, here it is, remember Christopher's Letter this morning, take a deep breath, smile, and do what you know best!  ‘Half Moon Pose, Ardha Chandrasana, Everybody together, feet together at the line….’  I was shaking, nervous, sweating, and smiling but felt good, proud, and composed all at the same time.  The dialogue felt like it went on for hours!  I was soooo happy and pleased when I finished.  I looked straight at Bikram and waited patiently for the applause the end….

He looks very seriously at me and says….You are the definition of ‘smiling happy face’ Isn’t that in my dialogue?  I invented that line, I said that, in my dialogue, and you are the ‘smiling happy face’.  

Woah!  Thank you Boss I’ll take it!  I have to censor the next few things he said because my parents and family are reading :) but will fill you eventually in the future.  I remember responding to him ‘I’m not married’ then was up there for another story about how he is ‘the match maker’ and only 2 went wrong out of 1,000 matches he’s setup.  He ended shouting to the crowd ‘she’s available guys, get her number!!!’.  

What an experience.  It was so surreal.  I wish I had the train of thought to ask him about my dialogue and how I taught it.  I suppose if he didn’t like it he would have picked it apart and not try to marry me off.  I'll take it as a compliment. 

So Ashley Hunter, you were right :)

Easter in California

Happy Easter! 

This morning, we figured out our room connects with our friends Omri and Jay, fellow yogis from Brooklyn and Oregon.  We opened our doors and joked it was a now a honeymoon suite!  I asked Omri if he could help me move our armoire into to place because it was slightly crooked.  He looked at me and said ‘obsessive compulsive much Kara?’  Hah, it was driving me crazy but it was too heavy to move.  Now, ‘two feet are in one line’ (dialogue speak) and all is good. 

We made our way to Manhattan Beach via Trolley and enjoyed a lovely day in the sun.  Everyone was smart and no sunburns!  There is nothing worse than practicing in the hot room dehydrated with a killer sun burn.  Shannon – plums on the beach!  Sing it!  I tried to get a picture for you but I already ate the plum :) We practiced a little bit of dialogue and postures and also got in some shopping and relaxation. 

After the beach we treated ourselves to a nice holiday dinner – sushi!  It was the best sushi ever!  Nothing like back home!  I got to speak with my family, Sister, Jason, Shannon, Aunty M (I’m proud of you learning how to text!), Steph, Philomena and it felt good.  I got a little homesick but remembered 8 weeks will go by fast. 

Now its study time, relax, and mentally prepare for Week 2.  I can’t wait to present Half Moon tomorrow!  It reminds me of American Idol in a way, Bikram is like Simon.  I can’t wait!

Life is good :)

Easter Dinner at Izaka-Ya on Manhattan Beach

Kara and Leesann

Pfp for Sean - California Rolls in California



Brandy and Leesann.  A little bit of Becca on the left, and standing head to knee on the sand!



Omri, Anna, Kara.  Pale is the New Tan.

A Few Weekend Pictures

Wait a minute, do monkey's live in this room or Leesann and Kara?

Bed bow?  New posture?

Hotel fans - can you tell what software the Radisson uses here by the Readerboard post?  I knew immediately! 

Johannas, where you get the rotten bananas?

LAX

Matching $5 Bikram Sweatshirt!

Tonight I will just share a few pictures.  The first one is of my mat for the hot room.  They suggest you put your name on it so the teacher can call you out and correct you / yell at you easily from the stage.  Some yogis do, most don't, but I figure that's what I paid for.  Brandy has some really great ones on her camera but we're still working on getting them off her camera slowly :)  More to come of our day and of the hot room!  :)    We had In and Out Burger tonight yum!  I don't eat red meat, but I have to have In and Out in California, it's so so good!  

Tomorrow is Easter, but for us it's non-traditional, a beach day!  11 am beach sign in for the Northeast Mafia - don't miss the sign in or you do beach make up!  Did I tell you that we have to sign in for every class, every clinic, every lecture all the time?  If you forget to sign in, you have to still suffer through the class and make it up on the weekend.  The only option is Saturday morning, a back to back double!  So, we had a good laugh tonight when we automatically scheduled ourselves in line with the system for our day off.  Goodnight everybody!

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. 

3:45 am

That’s right, 3:45 am.  Bikram dismissed us from lecture last night/morning at 3:45 am and sign in for our first class of the day is 7:45 am.  Surprisingly, I just got back from class and feel really good and super energized.  Before class, different story.  

I was hating the thought of going back to the hot room and leaving my comfortable bed.  I thought well, this is only the beginning so suck it up, think positive and get going.  And, thank god for my letters, I look forward to opening one each morning to help motivate me.  Today’s letter was from Auntie Tracey, thank you!  It was just what I needed.  Love you too!  The last two were from my sister and little Andrew.  

Classes have been going okay.  There are some classes when I feel great and normal, and others when lying in savasana I hope and pray with what’s left of my little energy that the beautiful chandelier on the ceiling will turn into a ceiling fan.  We’ve had some wonderful teachers, Jim, Juan, Emmy (86 years old and still can kill Bikram in class!), Marlin, and Bikram’s tough love class really pushes us.  He typically teaches the night class, and the morning we see a great rotation of the senior teachers.  I’m trying to take it all in and pace myself; each teacher has a different perspective, a different energy, but still we accomplish the same goal of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises.  I know I can learn a lot to bring back to my teaching style.   

Half moon presentations are going well.  Last night Bikram thought someone was selling ‘dialogue pills’ before lecture because everyone was doing so well.  I can’t wait to get up there!  I think before last night we were around 170 so we must be just over 200 by now.  Almost half way with half moon :)