Hello all. I'm honored that the infamous Mary Jarvis, a longtime Bikram teacher from San Francisco, is a reader of my blog! I've heard that she doesn't let any teachers drink water at all in her classes. She wrote me a great comment and I thought it was a good one to share here. I am off to class in an hour, and plan to really work to internalize her comments over the next few classes. I don't know if I'll ever get to a water-free practice, but for me, of her three reasons below, typically it's #2 and now I'm aware that it's #3 that are getting me. Read on, and thanks Mary for taking the time to write. I'll let the Dutch boys know you said hello (they are too sweet!).
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Hi Jenn
I have really enjoyed reading your teacher training blogs.Congrats on almost making it through teacher training.Life is about to happen for you.The Yoga community that has been created because of Bikram is most precious to me.All of us have friends from ALL over the world because of this yoga that we practice and teach.
Now about the water....I have been practicing with Bikram for 24 years...I drink water after class but I have never drank water in class.I do not allow my teachers to drink water in class when they practice OR when they teach.
People drink water for 3 reasons:
1)They are bored...they have no concentration,discipline or focus.
2)It is emotional...they think they are going to die or something like that!
3)Most important....They Do Not Know How To Breathe Correctly and In Great Relaxation.
Everybody fights me on this and I really do not care..It is not to make class hard.I never think a teacher should do that. Watch when people drink and drink and drink...they get weaker and weaker and more loopy in class.You put yourself in digestion the moment the water hits your stomach....takes a LOT of energy.
If I raced you to get oxygen and hydrogen and nitrogen into our bodies...you with water...me with air ...I have already won! I have already absorbed it into my body with one inhale before you ever picked up your water bottle!
Oxygen carries Prana,Chi,Life Force...it is all we need.
If you ever came to my school in San Francisco,you would see that the only people who have water bottles in the room are students visiting from other schools or first time people that brought in water because they read some where that they should.Nobody is dying...you just sit down for a moment on your knees and slow your breathing down if you are dizzy....A lot of the time dizzy happens not because of water or heat,but maybe crappy food or drink!
Hold still in the posture breathing normal(or less)...hold still NOT in the posture breathing normal(or less)...That is our yoga..that is all we need to do in class..Hand towels,water breaks,such a shame it exists in our yoga....it never used to when I first started.It has nothing to do with the yoga.
Tell the Dutch students I love them and cannot wait to see them in San Francisco after training.
Good for you Jenn...I think you have had a GREAT training and it is only going to get better for you when you land at your school to start teaching.Thank you for taking the time to share your training with us.
All thet best!
Mary E Jarvis,Global Yoga
San Francisco
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2 comments:
Congrats, Jenn! Looks like you're still going strong. So, so impressive.
I liked the bonus comment you included about the water drinking. I didn't enjoy my first water-free class until I was about half-way through my 30-day challenge, and then after that, I found I rarely even wanted to drink in class. I realized I actually felt worse (!!) when I drank. Go figure.
This sounds simple, but it's the trick that worked for me. At every party time, at every moment I thought I wanted/needed a sip of water, I mentally closed my eyes and sucked in as much breath as I possibly could. The air became my water, if that makes sense. And, very soon I realized I needed the breath much more than the H2O.
You'll get to a no-water class in your own good time. After all, you can't force anything in yoga, right? :) I look forward to reading more about the journey!
Namaste...
Thank you for sharing this comment, Jenn! Really interesting, and I'll definitely be pondering it in my own practice.
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