Week 7

Dr Anne Marie Bennstrom

Tori and I enjoying our Friday

Rajashree on Thursday

Pumpkin Pies on Thursday
 

Week 7 seemed to be a turning point for Group 6.  Without exception every person in the group made a significant advance in the posture clinics.  Those struggling to get the dialog out suddenly hammered it out, those who formerly hammered it out but failed to connect to the students suddenly made that connection.  It was inspirational to watch.  It was exhilarating for the whole team.  Next week should be interesting.  Our group has gotten to half way through fixed firm at this point. I was very sleepy by the end of the week learning 1 or 2 postures a day.  Bikram is back on Monday so I may even have more sleep deprivation headed my way.   My theme for the week seemed to be forgiving and forgetting.  Inner peace is seeming less and less elusive each day.  Things are what they are :)

End of week 5

So, week 5 will henceforth officially be known as the week I did not have diarrhea.  It has been much easier to keep my electrolytes in check without that complication.  Ironically there is a downside.  I am not kidding!  Because I don't have to pay extra special attention to my water intake due to the added complication (diarrhea is a complication right?), I have been less than diligent.  Headaches have ensued as a reminder that 3 to 4 liters of water will not suffice.  Every cloud has to have its silver lining even the shit ones... (OMG that was a bad pun... I am so sorry!)

Last night in the hot tub I realized something very important about drive.  Not desire, but drive.  In the hot tub was a partially paralyzed Canadian.  He received a spinal injury many years ago whilst doing some extreme motocross mid-air flip.  After 6 weeks in hospital and months of 6 hour a day rehab sessions he was officially as good as he was going to get?  So what did he do?  He got into wheelchair racing (marathon length).  He has sponsorship, and is working on getting more.  His aim is to get into motor racing once he has enough backing.  After speaking to him I am pretty sure this will become a reality.  Alistair gets himself to all of his sponsorship meetings in his big truck (bakkie for you south africans).  In order to defray his costs he tows a large trailer which he uses to haul stuff for a fee between his destinations.  Additionally he works as a public speaker (again with sponsorship, this time to remove the speakers fee which is typically a hinderance to entry.  This drives up overall demand for his services, due to the price of entry being better for the schools.)  Some people simply CHOSE to have the drive to do what it is that they wish for.  For them it is a matter of reaching out and grasping what it is that they want, not hoping their desires get fulfilled. For those desiring to be a yoga teacher... the same applies... if you want it, you can make it happen.   More than 1 person here did not come up with the money to be here all by themselves.

So, onto crying.  Some people cry every day.  Others not at all.  Every journey is different.  I have had a couple of occasions when I cried.  Sometimes it's nothing more than reverting to my primal inner child when I am so sleep deprived my conscious mind has checked out, and my poor inner child gets overwhelmed by some of the goings on.  I have cried over being bullied by one person here at TT, and then moved on to learning to be more assertive.  I have cried for the pain, and now I am learning how to block it from my mind.  I have cried as I released the fears buried deep inside.  Surrender...

My practice

Other than the fact that I feel like a bunch of rabid monkey's broke into my room last night and beat me to a tender pulp (I must have been lying face down at the time) with baseball bats, I am doing better so far than I had expected myself to do.  Body pains seem as likely as sunshine here.  As I was warned, my practice varied A LOT.  What surprised me is that it did so from the very first class. As we all know, there are two kinds of yogis.  Those born strong and those born flexible.  I am NOT the bendo doll, trust me every millimeter I can move from perfectly rigid was earned in sweat (and many cases tears). Well, for the first 2 days I could not balance on one leg for more than 10 seconds at a time.  While it is getting better, all the poses I traditionally find "easier" have taken me work.  Elements of poses that formerly took no effort are now my nemesis :(  On the bright side I can forward bend all of a sudden.  The bad news is that I am so not used to being able to do this that I am struggling to find the happy medium between trying hard enough and injuring my back further than I have already (2 pinched nerves to date).  Please bear in mind that this will not happen to everyone.  I have some pre-existing conditions I have to contend with.

TMI ALERT

I knew before I came that I would have 3 cycles while here. I will tell you I had my PMS dialed up to a 12, Spinal Tap style.  OMG I wanted to punch everyone in the nose! I have never in my life felt so enraged. I tried to contain it but I would not be surprised if some folks are like "yeah I met her and WHAT a bitch!"  If you are not used to doing class during your TOM I advise you do some before coming to TT so you can gauge what typically happens to you (I typically get dizzy, and knowing this allowed me to be prepared and take some honey which is the one thing I've found to help).

I want to deliver a gargantuan THANK YOU to all the instructors that corrected my form and the form of those around me. I want to thank you for every "lock your knee", "straighten your arms", "flatten your hands", "keep still!", "heels together", "NO towel!", and other admonishment ever delivered before, during or after every class I was ever in. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. While it is true we have some rubber people here we also have many folks that are going to get such corrections delivered in a less nurturing way.  I accept I will be corrected, but I am grateful that it will not be for things I aught to know better about... things that you all cared about enough to make a habit for me.  So next time I suck in my gut, tuck in my tailbone and relax my shoulders away from my ears without so much as thinking about it... that's thanks to you guys!  I luv you and miss you all!!! (PS, thanx for all the texts, messages, emails, etc... keep em coming!)

And so it begins...

We're off to a racing start... no wait... where did my other bag go?  Lost luggage claim?  Breath in, breathe out, it will all be okay. The flights themselves were uneventful.  It was nice to sit and talk to another students on one of the legs.  Okay, I almost got asked to move out of the exit row.  Apparently one must refrain from crying in the exit row. Other than that it was good trip.

We have gotten our course materials and had our orientation.  The most important lesson learned today was that it’s a LOT hotter in the sun.  I’ll be playing the cartoon version of dash shade to shade.

Rajashree told us how happy they were to have TT back in Cali.  The belief is that this will allow us to get more of Emmy, Raj and Bikram.  This is good no? ;) We are getting back some folks who have not been to the last 4 TTs. On the flip side, it is a new locale, so we will no doubt have some issues to iron out with the resort.

 My focus now?

“Learn to be silent. Let your quiet mind listen and absorb.” 

– Pythagoras –

roommate

I spent the last 2 days doing research into apartments.  Now I am seriously considering finding a roommate to share a 2 bedroom/ 2 bathroom apartment 2.5 miles away from the TT resort (in another golf resort).  The accommodation cast would be HALF if shared, not to mention the whole washer/dryer/kitchen allure... alternatively I could go with ye olde 1 bedroom all to myself.  

So, if anyone if reading this before the end of March 2009 and knows of someone wanting to rent a room, email me and they can share an apartment instead!

7 weeks and counting...

My paperwork has been completed and is ready to be mailed (I had to wait till my medical on Thursday).  I have some preparations to do now I guess.  My friend Heather may not be going to Spring TT, which is sad.  I was excited for her to be going, as well as having a familiar face.  I am sure things will work out for her though :)  When it's time to go it will always work out, no? =D

I have been doing yoga almost every day (less than my 8 or 9 times a week I did during my 60day challenge)  Soon I will be trying to memorize the dialog.  Oh joy...