Bikram Yoga Teacher Training Spring 2011: Awkward Pose

Wednesday! So, we never really know what to expect each day, other than our 8 am and 5 pm yoga classes. In between and after each class, we are given direction of what to do next. It could be a 12 pm lecture, it could be a 12 pm posture clinic, it could be an 8 pm lecture, or 9 pm posture clinic, it could be two clinics, two lectures, anatomy, you get my point? (Bikram says that, you get my point?) Even with him gone this week, we still speak a little bit of his language. :) Anyway, it’s always good to be 100% prepared.

This afternoon, we continued on posture clinic with awkward pose. Awkward Pose is taught in three parts. We had an option to do just the first part, then the next two at a later clinic, or do all three parts together. I decided right away that I would do all three parts together. That’s how I will teach it so it only made sense.

As we got into clinic, I realized given our time difference to back home, I could try and present at exactly the time Laura was teaching awkward to the 4:30 class! I came so close, it was about 1:40 west coast, 4:40 east coast, so I was a little ahead. I rocked it! Mishaun was our facilitator and I had similar feedback to last night, perfect dialogue, good inflection, smiling, good pace, but to still work on speaking more from my abdomen or I’ll burn out fast. It felt better today with my voice, I’m really practicing, and it’s slowly coming back. I’m happy with that!

After we present, we stay up there and demonstrate three times for the next three presenters. I demonstrated for Jordan, Jordan you crack me up! When he finished, Mishaun’s feedback was ‘try to look at all of the bodies…not…just…one’ and he directed his eyes back to me. It was hilarious, we all laughed. He said I was giving him hints which I don’t think I was, maybe I was, so he watching my posture. Way to sell me out!

Every clinic we are mixed with a different group so you get more and more comfortable with standing in front of at least 40 people and different faces. It’s getting less and less nerve wracking, until I forget or don’t know what I’m saying I imagine.

Tonight’s class was hot and awesome! I loved setting up with my group – go group 18 front row! Dayle, Alyssa, Andrew – we had great energy and rocked it tonight! We all presented Eagle pose for each other in the hot room just before class and we’re all ready for it. I couldn’t stop laughing when Andrew pulled Alyssa’s hair up to the ceiling in Full Locust Pose. Usually in the dialogue we say ‘imagine, I am pulling your hair up towards ceiling’ so it was just the perfect time for a little chuckle to keep us strong.

Thank you Philomena for my letter today! I LOVED it and it was so fitting for me :)

Time to brush up on Standing Head to Knee during this quick break, and hit the lecture hall for 9 pm anatomy! Namaste :)

Here are a few more pictures from the weekend.