Acapulco Day 3: Tuesday

Today started with a killer morning class taught by David from Dallas. He started though, by taking time to acknowledge yesterday's difficult afternoon practice. As someone whose been through this, I really appreciate the leadership here and them really calling out the elephant in the room rather than leaving it dangling out there. He spoke about the fact that there was a deal to be made: They will fix the room, and in return, the trainees will work to stay in it (and work hard and dedicate to the whole thing, really). Also, he talked about how Bikram really took the time to investigate and as I mentioned in my last post, that he really "did his yoga" to understand the problem and fix it, rather than just react to the symptoms of it. David went on to teach a kickass class with some great tidbits and material that I grabbed onto in terms of using in my own classes :) The class ended with the group seemingly refreshed and ready for the day. It was a great turnaround, and handled really well.

This afternoon I did a long posture clinic with staffer Louis, who was super fun to be with. We had two groups, and finished off about 10 Eagle posture deliveries and got through all but 5 Standing Head to Knee deliveries, taking turns giving feedback. He has a system whereby he would observe and give the feedback, while I followed the dialogue for accuracy and then captured his suggestions to the trainee in the record book, and then we'd reverse. It was fun getting to participate so much and get to 'fly solo' on a lot of them. After, I asked him for feedback on how I did and overall, he said that I come from a very genuine place, and my feedback was solid. I was actually a bit (er, or a lot) nervous, again, wanting to do a good job for the folks going through the dialogue process, because I know how stressful and hard it was for me, especially at this point - when the dialogue I learned at home ran out :( It's very humbling to be on the other side, and I must say I now appreciate the proctors we had more, and also understand more about some of their decisions and discipline in a different way. I think times we thought they were being mean to us, they really were just protecting the delivery environment for the trainees...

Classes are going pretty well - no lie - they are HOT and hard. Todd and I are next to each other, or have been so far, which is fun. I'm diluting Pedialyte into my water, and drinking a reasonable amount (just like in my training, I always seem to have enough water left to share as needed with others on the lawn after class :) There are moments, and I've had to catch my breath here and there....plus, in the back rows, you aren't surrounded by people (energy) in the same way - the lines are nearly empty, so it's easier to lose focus. For me anyhow, it is. That said, tonight's class was fantastic - Gregg on one side, Todd on the other - both giving me occasional shit and making class feel light and fun. This morning was an ass-kicker and really challenging for me - that's how the yoga is though, you don't always enjoy the classes that yield your biggest return. It's amazing how it's been relatively easy to just jump back in, partially I'm sure because it's one week, not nine! :)

Minimal pix today:

Morning class, and Todd's with his toy. Us above, as I joined Todd in his outdoor post-class savasana on the lawn.
---

Acapulco Day 2: Monday

We got up around 8 to go to 8:30 class, due to my inability to properly set an alarm. Probably because Todd is hogging my iPhone since I (regrettably) introduced him to Jewel Quest 2, which now occupies a lot of his time. :) Imagine our delight at not having to sign in :) Anyhow, the morning class was great - realistic heat and that same'old humidity that we all grew to know and love here at TT. I got through class pretty well, with reasonable water and no major issues, feeling good afterwards. I must say though, walking into the building, smelling the smell of that space/room, it gave me a little wave of nausea which was odd since I never threw up or anything when I was in training. Still, perhaps it was just the memory of the whole thing...and its intensity.

Next we hit the buffet at Chula Vista -mmmmm! We ate with Gregg and Manali, who were both in our training and are now on staff. It was fun to see familiar faces and catch up on the nuances of this TT so far.

Then, we went to the lecture hall and got to introduce ourselves to the group. I said a few things, just the basics, totally forgot to say I was from Seattle and call out the Seattle kids - BJ, Linda and Katie - mostly because they told us about 3 minutes before that we'd be doing it. Then, Todd took to the mike and introduced himself, ending with the fact that "in case you didn't realize it, this is Jenn of Jenn's blog..." which embarrassed me and I gave him a good punch in the arm! But, in a way it was good as bunches of people have said hello and given me a chance to talk to people and engage more. One said, "It's good he did that - there are so many visiting teachers sometimes you just lose track..." The trainees then took their anatomy test and Todd and I hit the pool for a bit. At 2, I went off to do my first posture clinic as a teacher...

What fun. Really. The posture clinics are very supportive and focus on giving people homework. I started out with David from Dallas, and then he had to go see Boss and Marlin from LA came in. After a while, I was invited to give feedback and it was really cool. It was harder than I thought, and I recall how as a trainee, we all hung on each teacher's every word - so I considered how important everything I said potentially could be to each person. At the same time, it was really an honor to be able to help and be on their side, and also just seeing the folks who were clearly 'naturals' vs. those who were struggling with a variety of things - memorizing, anxiety, etc. and targeting feedback to each person's current ability/performance along with their potential.

The evening class brought an interesting experience it turns out, not even the older, seasoned teachers have had. Bikram left the room with frustration after half-tortoise. There were a lot of people leaving, and it was blazing crazy hot (even for this room, Todd and I were both struggling but had kept up to this point). I do recall thinking, "There is an actual din of crowd noise coming from the lobby..." which illustrates how many people were out there. In the room, people were dropping like flies. My training had one crazy class like this, but I think we fell apart later in the class so though he was not happy with us, we did finish class. Anyhow, after, the mood was very, very somber. Everyone was working hard to welcome Boss back after he had been away over the weekend, and instead he was livid...

But here's the cool part: He did his yoga, as one senior teacher put it later. Bikram asked questions, investigated and found out that all the senior teachers and experienced practitioners were in agreement that simply put - something was/is up with the room. In the evening lecture, he told the group, "This is not your fault" and proceeded to call the engineer who built the room from Mexico City to catch the next flight and look at things. He said in the Spring training (mine) the room was not this bad. I can't say what my opinion is, as it was my first day in the room and any struggles I had were chocked up to that...but get this - we later found out the humidity in the room, intended to be around 45% - was 97%. Good lord!

Anyhow, the whole event ended up just fine, but it was a rough day for the trainees, as it sucks when Bikram's feelings are hurt because he doesn't think he's being taken seriously. And, in the end, it turned out very cool that he realized and was able to let the class know that while in some cases, some people may need to work a bit harder/address patterns, overall, there is a bigger issue at play.

And as for that lecture, I'll admit to bowing out after an hour to get a good night's sleep, because, well, I can and was tired. Todd and I both are just taking it day by day in terms of our participation. I hope to get a little sun at some point, but I'm really learning a lot by participating!

p.s. We had to change rooms - long story - and ended up in a non-view room in the Princesa tower, rather than the killer view room we had in the main building. Still, it's just fine!


--
Me after morning class; yoga room; my standard brunch; Gregg; Evening class; and Bikram lecturing...from the teacher's seats in the back. And, our former view... :(

Acapulco! Teacher Training Re-Visit: Day 1, Sunday

Back in Acapulco! It's surreal in a way...but let me start at the beginning.

I got here around 2:30 p.m. or so and Bikram had been on my flight. It was fun to see him right off the bat. After arriving at the hotel, I found Todd in his usual spot by the pool and got settled into a really nice room in the main tower, facing the ocean. We hung out by the pool and caught up. I almost immediately met a handful of folks who are blogging this time, as well as a few people who read mine. Super fun to put faces to names and facebook pages. Anyhow, we then headed to dinner at 100% Natural (a TT favorite) and then took a crazy cab ride to the Mega (big local grocery) whereby Todd insisted on sitting upon MY lap in the front of the tiny car that had 5 Mexican packed in the back already. Upside, it was just a buck for the lift. :) (See photo)...

We grabbed water, Pedialyte and some limes and headed back for the 9 p.m. teachers meeting. I'm psyched about the bevy of cool senior teachers here this week - including Lynn W., Diane D., and Mike W. - along with others I don't know very well. The format for helping out was gone over, as well as staff roles and responsibilities. A lot has changed, and fundamentally, a lot is the same.

It's hard to write without comparing. I don't wanna be all, "We walked uphill to the hot yoga room both ways in the snow" about this training versus mine in Spring. And it's not that way - so I'll call it out now: It is not comparative, rather, it's just different, and overall, I have minor-to-no opinions about the differences. Some are downright good things though, I will say that.

So, those who went with me are dying to know the changes, I'm just guessing, because I was. So, here's what I've got for ya, in no particular order:

- They sell not only Bikram Yoga clothes - but SHAKTI!
- You have to carry your towels to the top of the stairs and outside now. Hot and heavy, and not in a good way :)
- They play music *before* class as people are getting set up...random artists...
- You are not permitted to puke or cry (heavily) in the room. You are required to leave and talk to staff in the lobby. Todd wondered what it would've been like to leave each and every episode ! He said, "I'd have never been in the studio!"
- Posture clinics are very supportive (like ours) and more focused on - specifically - 1 or 2 things to work on for next time. It seems more about learning to teach the dialogue than making sure you didn't forget to say "nicely" in "feet together nicely." Again - not complaining - it just seems like a positive change.
- The food is better - the Asian-esque food is way better.
- People, it seems, are not out and about as much - seems they are studying in rooms or secret places we have yet to find. The lobby and pool seemed stark in comparison to how it was for Todd and I.
- The staff is a 100% change - no one on staff from our training. We keep trying to figure out who is in what role, exactly "is she the new Rowena?" :) They're all great, just a totally new lot.
- The hotel staff don't seem as overwhelmed and many of them are the same (the old taxi guy at the front; the woman with funky glasses at Chula Vista).
- There is a new mall out this way! Todd seems especially excited - there is a movie theater which would have been cool to be able to see a flick without having to go all the way into town.

Otherwise, the Wal-Mart and Mega are still standing :) I plan to do classes tomorrow and help with posture clinic and just see how it is from the other side of the table. Being open, and seeing how it all unfolds, just like my own training :)

---
Below: Me, our view, and Todd.

Visit in Houston before Acapulco! (Updated)

I decided I had a little more to say on this post, so here is a more detailed version...

Well, I'm here in Houston visiting Marshall, of Group #14. We were good pals at training, and I thought it'd be fun to see him while I was on my way to Acapulco and Houston is an easy path to Mexico. I arrived yesterday and we went straight to 4:30 class together which was super fun. We had a big, wet, sweaty hug at the end of class! So fun, you can really only do this with teacher training friends, and maybe a girlfriend :) However, when I walked in the studio, the teacher, Therese, was like, "Oh wow! It's you!!!" - apparently a reader of this here blog.

I blushed, I felt it. And then panicked a little - and this is a little worry for my trip to Acapulco...I know a lot of folks read my blog and know me, or think they do....and to a degree, it's true. But I'll admit it's a little weird for me - mostly because I don't necessarily feel that same connection to folks who read this - I mean, I love y'all (I can say that, y'all, I'm in Texas) - but I haven't read months of posts of your daily life! An then, the pressure in class - to perform, to be a (perfect) yogi in class...oy! It's not a complaint, just an observation of something I semi-expect when I get to Acapulco - and at the same time, it'll be fun and easy to talk to people and hopefully be a help to some folks as they embark on Week 4 - not the most fun time. Still, I think in the end, I don't want to let anyone down on my mat or off of it; and not that anyone should (or actually even does) care, it's my stuff and it'll be interesting to explore how these feelings unfold for me while I'm in Acapulco.

After yoga-soaked (pun intended) dinner conversation after class, we came back to his place and hung out. Today we got up and took Sherri's 8:15 a.m. class, another person who was in our training! Her class was spirited and peppy as expected.

We then bummed around Houston, my first time here - and then took a rest, and then I got to take Marshall's 4:30 p.m. class!! He is as incredible teacher as expected, and his class was really well done. He has a command of the dialogue that lets me connect to it in a meaningful way, which I appreciate a lot. It's painful when the dialogue sounds like a recitation; his decidedly does not. And he is, as those of you who know and love Marshall know, a dialogue machine. One fun thing that happened was when he had a new student try to leave the room after the first set of Rabbit (!!!) and he threw up his hands, smiled and said, "Hey, where you goin'?" She said, "I just need to step out. It's really hot in here." (LOL!) So then he said, "It's better if you stay. C'mon everyone, help me get her to stay!" And he started to clap for her a little and people just started calling out to her "Stay!" "Don't go!" "It is better!!" and she shrugged her shoulders, smiled, returned to her mat, and finished class. It was a brilliant and cool way to deal with it, without scolding her and in a way that gave her confidence and snapped her out of her attachment to her discomfort.

And of course, we have had many spirited discussions about dialogue, about specifics of the dialogue that um, perhaps I struggle with :) and Marshall is a by-the-book kinda guy...and I'm a slightly defiant kinda girl. Not that bad, but it's hard when you're 'raised' in a non-dialogue studio by a super-experienced director whom you respect a lot. And while overall I am committed to the dialogue, I honestly do struggle with some of the nuances, which Marshall defends to the death, and it's fun to hear his way of thinking about things because he is super smart. One day, eventually, in the future, he might convince it me it's better to say "charge your body forward..." before "kick your leg back and up..." in standing bow. Maybe. Overall, it was super fun to reconnect and be with him, geek out about yoga, practice together (for both of us, it's so great to be next to not only another teacher, but one you practiced next to a lot at training), and of course, to see a little of his world here in Houston.

And, it was a great jumping off point to Acapulco - hot here, humid, loads of yoga and lots of fun geeking out about it! I did 3 classes in 24 hours at two different studios, with everyone knowing I was a teacher, and Marshall by my side or overseeing me as a teacher - so I was 100% on my best behavior :) Not that we shouldn't always give 100% on the mat, but, somehow it amps it up when you know on some level, you're being observed with expectations - expectations I fundamentally have for myself, but don't always um...execute to the fullest of my capability, like anyone, I have less-than-100% classes. So, the result here was 3 super-focused classes in a much higher humidity than I'm used to, one that felt super hot and two where the heat felt like a friend. Love that. Anyhow, onto Acapulco, where Todd has already sent me a bevy of emails telling me about how it is different now than it was for us. I can't wait to see for myself! I'll be posting daily.

By the way, I plan to close out this blog at the year's end. I will have a new one, rattling on about teaching and practicing Bikram and possibly other yogas - but the purpose of this blog was to explain my personal experience of Bikram's teacher training, teaching afterwards, and then closing the loop with this visit back to see it from a teacher's angle. I do, however, want to write just a bit more of perhaps how this visit influences my teaching over the November and December. :) For now though...tomorrow morning I will enter Bikram's Torture Chamber, where I will kill myself for 90 minutes hopefully 11 or so times this week!

p.s. Marshall, Sherri & I above.

p.s.s. Marshall started his class with, "Good afternoon y'all; let's do some Bikram Yoga!" Y'all. Cracks me up. :)

The Work in this Yoga is Never Done

Those of us who practice Bikram Yoga, which is I assume most anyone reading this, know the work is never done. I was thinking about this in my morning practice today - after two days off; one by choice, one due to a 12-hour workday that didn't allow it (both of which I plan to make up by doing doubles). So, I didn't want to go, but I got there. This yoga is like running a marathon- an analogy I used when I was at training. Sometimes, I find I really, really push myself - it's like I'm there with a cattle prod pushing and pushing and pushing. And then days like today, I feel like I'm there to just encourage, give myself a big virtual hug and just let the class unfold, without the pressure of performance or achievement - but just the goal of practice. Period.

These kinds of classes feel very 'young' - like I feel like I'm just a little kid trying hard to do this thing and it's ok, because I'm there and I'm trying and no one is monitoring my success but me. Other times I do feel like a big bad grown up who can and should push to do more and do better, and I'm accountable to the teacher as well as myself in a heavier way. And I guess the point is (yes, I know you were waiting to see if there was one...) you can't be one way or the other all the time - like you can't sprint a marathon, but you sprint portions and then you rest and then you get in a groove, etc. Sometimes, I imagine I'm somewhere in between - just plugging away, doing the yoga, in a groove.

And part of me is anticipating - which is a no-no, I know - but I'm anticipating the torture chamber. The love and hate. That room that didn't win, but pushed me to new places within myself and my practice. That room that allowed me the privilege of teaching this yoga, with confidence and credibility. That room. And this time it's just one week, and I have a choice to be there or not. Going back reminds me of how it feels to revisit a place from the past - where you had a first kiss; or saw someone just before they died; or simply put - where something big happened to you that changed you forever more. And I want to be ready but I know deep down you can't be ready for That Room. You can prepare and set yourself up, but like the yoga itself, expectations are a bad idea in that you just never know what you're going to get. So, for now, I'm practicing daily to be strong and feel as physically and mentally prepared as I can going in. Just a couple weeks now!

Also, I'm re-reading my blog for the first time since I got home from TT. I'm reading it daily along with the students who are there now, and it's interesting and painful and fun to see what and how I experienced things while they were happening. Since returning, it's been easy to romanticize TT to some level, remembering the good and forgetting the bad like you do when you speak of the dead or after childbirth. Re-reading it is like reading an actual daily life diary - reminding you of the realistic aspects and nuances (good, bad, otherwise) of the experience. It's somewhat cathartic and it's especially cool to be doing it now, when I've amped up my practice over the past month. I'm enjoying the current students' blogs too, it's like the same only different...

Teaching is good - I've had a 5-day break this week due to some work stuff that came up, and kind fellow teachers who picked up my classes. I teach again Thursday and next week, then I'm off to visit TT, back for about 10 days where I've packed in a lot of classes, assuming I'll be super-energized from TT, and then off again to Arkansas to see Jill's family. We come back November 1st, whereupon I hope to just nestle into Seattle for the winter - teaching, practicing, working and playing inside while it's gray and rainy outside!

p.s. I updated my Bikram Yoga Calendar application on Facebook back to the beginning of the year (!!!) as I keep all my practices in my Google Calendar. Anyhow, to date this year, I've done 234 classes. That's 21,060 minutes of yoga. Or 351 hours. Or 14.625 days. There was an illness or two in the mix, out of 266 days this year I've only left 32 days yoga-less (though there was this 9-week period of doubles....). Super cool. Makes me want to try for 365 next year, but that's a bit lofty.

Fall Teacher Training Is in Full Swing!

I've been having fun reading blogs and re-living my own experience at TT. In fact, for the first time since being back, I've been going to back and reading my blog in tandem with the new training class. It's amazing the similarities already, and truly, it's so interesting to me how overall, the experience is kinda "the same but different." People are going through the first week issues - dehydration, adjusting to the room (heat/humidity) and managing their own expectations of their personal experience - which is not easy, because we all want to go and be a rock star and never get sick. It's the same, only different. The group experience, I mean, seems to be the same - of course each person's experience within that group is different. Anyhow, I added a link list of the blogs I've found so far. Feel free to comment with any others!

In other news...

I've been teaching a lot and that's been good and fun. My studio director, who is a non-dialogue senior teacher whose practiced 30 years and taught for 20, is teaching again these days so I've been chasing down his classes and learning loads about my own practice and about the postures. It's been a breath of fresh air, since overall, there isn't much opportunity for mentoring here in Seattle, or at least not that I've found. Anyhow, each class he teaches I get new material for my babbling in between postures, and it's nice to also grow in my own practice to better understand what I'm learning.

Practicing is going well too. I've taken to doing ~2 solo practices each week - one bonus of teaching - access to the hot room whenever you want! So, in between my 6 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., I do my own practice and it takes about 1 hour, 10 minutes. It's been super cool to have time to work on things that in normal classes I can't. I can re-adjust myself and do an extra set or hold it longer. It's like I'm going to a trainer, and then going on my own other days to apply what I'm learning so I can do better next time we meet. It's been great - and right now, I'm able to stay really focused and engaged in it; that may wear off one day, but right now, it's working. Oh, and I put on a (music) CD too. I suppose that is breaking the rules in some people's eyes, but it's so groovy for me to sort of experience the Bikram in a different way once a week or so. I'm on track for my 53-day-ish challenge!

More sooner than last time, hopefully. :)

Photo above: Lucy, Kevin (studio owner) Yu, another teacher, Joyce, Lynn, me and Christian, all from Spring '08 training. Lynn is Lucy's dad - she lives here in Seattle and he was visiting.

Going to Acapulco - Again!

Well, I bought a ticket. I'm headed to visit Teacher Training in Acapulco for Week 3, from October 5 - 12. Todd will be there with me, and I'm super excited. In fact, on Thursday I started what I hope to be 53 practices between now and my trip to Arkansas with Jill on October 22. If you can imagine, there is no Bikram yoga there. :( So, daily until I leave, then doubles while I'm there, and daily when I get back until we depart. Before Acapulco, I'm going to stop over in Houston to visit pal and fellow Group#14'er Marshall - take his class, hang out and all that. I won't be around Seattle for much of October - but I'm excited to re-infuse my yoga enthusiasm!

Teacher training from the angle of being a teacher will be interesting too. I'm hoping to learn even more, as well as help the current students however I can - if only by being a smiling, happy face. :) And will I blog it?? Of course! :)