Still here!

In fact the reason I didn't get to blog Sunday was because I was taking extra special care to prepare my classes for the week since I'm filming them for my inspired application! So I already filmed Monday and Tuesday nights. I am so grateful one of my students, Steve, let me borrow his equipment! So far it's going well. I plan to film again Friday night (Empower 6:30pm, only $5!) and Saturday afternoon. Then we'll see from there.

My theme has to do with compassion which is also what I'm trying to practice while teaching. Not only towards my students but towards myself as I am trying so hard to do well. It's easy to beat myself up watching myself on camera. So it's not only my theme for my classes but through this whole process!

So I hope you can make it to a class this week. I so appreciate you all helping me out. I know it's not always pleasing to be filmed but I promise if you come, it won't end up on YouTube=)

Joyful yoga

I talked about the joy of practicing yoga yesterday in class. It was funny because we worked very hard and at some point I looked at the students and was pretty sure what I saw on their faces was not joy =) But determination, yes. And when we finished, several students came up to me and told me that they did in fact enjoy the class. What a relief!

But then I should know better. Some of my most enjoyable classes have been the ones that I worked the hardest. And I'm sure my face wasn't the typical picture of joy yet deep down it was a purer joy than when my face is all lit up. I've been experiencing a lot of this deep joy lately as I have been really committed to my practice. And my teachers have been great about leading me through - Jeremiah, Chris, Christina, thank you all so much!

Speaking of joy, Lululemon's "Yogasm" is coming up =) I put it as an event on my facebook page. It sounds like so much fun! Great teachers, lots of fun activities and MC Yogi! What's better than that? I will definitely be there. I hope you all can make it!

Finally I just want to say thank you to all my yoga friends who have been so supportive and loving recently. I have become closer to you all and am so grateful for your friendship. You all bring out my joy along with yoga.

Teacher Training Completed!

Oh today was bittersweet. It was my last day of teacher training and I am so happy and proud of myself for this accomplishment. At the same time, it was a little sad to think that I don't have this "yoga weekend" any more. Which is silly because I always have yoga. But it was the end of my time with this group of people in this setting. Of course I will see these people all over Austin, going to their classes, socializing with them, etc. But I will miss this special time with them.

I know this isn't Wednesday again but with my schedule, I believe it may be easier to get to my blog on Sundays. So that may be the new "day". Either way, I am still working to blog once a week. This week was just as busy as the last. Free day of yoga was amazing! I got to practice with an Anusara instructor I hadn't practiced with before. Charlie Pivert at Clear Springs. It was a fun practice and harder than I expected considering the poses were more level one for the occasion. Then I met my friend Heidi at the Love Coop to play with a little Acro Yoga. I hadn't done that in a while and it was as fun as I remember. Ashley teaches this class on Tuesday nights there so you should check it out sometime. Ashley is so great!

Finally Heidi and I headed over to the Castle for some hard work and play in Christina's class. It was fun as usual. We played like children in our backbends. Somehow though I don't remember it being as much hard work when I was a kid=) I guess I was lighter then...

The rest of the week I had a lot of fun practicing at the Castle. I actually got into a full version of visvamitrasana (sp?). My practice is really coming around since I have been so dedicated to practicing every day. It feels really good.

Well I hope to see you all in class this week. I'm back to my normal schedule. I will be working on my skills from training. I hope to do a lot more videoing of classes soon so that eventually I have one to send in for "inspired" status. My goal is to get it sent in before the end of the year. I don't know yet if that's reasonable but if not, I can always change my deadline. Okay well bye for now!

attention to care

I bumped into a friend the other day and we started talking about yoga. He mentioned to me that the first time he stepped into an Anusara class, he was expected a hot sweaty vinyasa class. So when the teacher started focusing on the details instead of just leading a quick practice, he got angry. He had already made up his mind that this was not what he wanted and shut down. But, he stayed in the class and about halfway through the teacher said something that popped a light bulb into his head. Something that opened up his pose, his body, his mind. And suddenly he wasn't angry anymore but curious.

This is what brought me to Anusara. While I actually sought the method out to try something new, I still had no idea what was in store. I had no idea what kind of potential my practice really had until I stepped into an Anusara class. This attention to caring for my practice, my body, my alignment all brought a new perspective. And now I'm addicted=)

So this week I have asked my students to focus on their shin, a detail often overlooked in practice. It can be tedious and a lot of work but the rewards can be great as well. This theme continues to overlap with the current theme of my life that you have to experience discomfort to create change. And that journey is moving forward for me and I am grateful...