Yoga Practice - Chapter Continued...

The ends of teacher training marks a new beginning. Practice continues--

3/7
Today is my birthday.  I started my day with some yoga practice and bought myself a big cup of fresh squeezed vege juice as a gift.  I came to my office thinking about all the people I cared about.  My birthday wish is that they all find their inner piece and stay healthy and happy.  

I want to make more connection to all these beautiful souls, bring more love, joy and peacefulness towards them even though some of them are far far away.  I wish to have a calm mind and to be always content with myself even though we live in this crazy capitalism world and constantly undergo stimulation.  

It is a long way to go, but I trust it is a worthy one.  We all only live in this world and in this body once anyway.  Happy birthday to myself!





3/5
I had a chance to teach yoga last night.   She is a girl I met at a friend's birthday party.  Somehow she remembered I was getting my yoga teacher certificate.  She emailed and asked me if I could teach her.  Without a doubt I said Yes! I have benefited so much from yoga that I would love to share what I've learned.  And what a determination this girl has, it's a  Monday night after work and she wants to learn yoga? Then of course yes.  So we began our first class.
 She is a beginner so in a 1.5 class we went through basic breathing technique, sun salutation, basic balancing and stretching poses.  After the class, we had some conversation.  She told me "I worked my brain so much that if those energies can transform to actual workout, I must have huge muscles."  And indeed, our mind is the hardest to control, we are always thinking about the past and expecting about the future that we seldom live at the present moment.  Yoga is a way to train your mind through controlling your breath and movement,  to help you find that inner peace eventually.  I hope my friend did feel a bit peaceful after class on a Monday night.  Hope her practice continues.






2/27
I finally finished all my internship hours and will receive my certificate from my teacher Kay Kay Clivio on Saturday.  I am very excited!  I have to admit that recently I have not been very diligent about my practice.  Taking trips to Taiwan and Paris are no excuse cause with yoga you can practice everywhere.  I decided to pick up the early morning Ashtanga practice at Pure West.  Today is my first day.   My teacher is very strict about finishing an asana in one breath.   All the steps in my mind need to be simplified to one.  It is super difficult!  Take Warrior I for example, usually we have - one. step right leg in between hands, two. left foot on mat, three. raise arms up...now it's one. Warrior I.  My teacher said this makes you focus, no more excuses and checking this and that.  It forces you to get there in one breath.  Towards the end I feel I can hardly catch my breath.  Hope this will go away after couple days.




2/6
I observed, taken and assisted today.  That's a total of 4 hour in yoga studio!  I am now only 2.25 hour away from getting my certificate.  I am excited. 

2/1
I went to David's vinyasa class today.  He usually has a very serious look at morning's Mysore class.  So when I see him playing guitar, singing beautiful Sanskrit songs and saying encouraging words in this class I was totally shocked!  Two different classes with totally different approaches.  After the class I told David about this.  He said yes very different approaches but they lead to same results.  I enjoyed both.

1/28
It has been a while since i updated my yoga practice log.  I went back to Taiwan for two weeks and in that period of time, only done yoga twice.  I spent most of my time with my family, mourning Genie.  Now I am back to NY.  Today when I am waiting for subway, alone, all of a sudden there is a voice in my head telling me that genie is not in the world of us anymore.  It's still sound so harsh and makes me wanna cry.  I miss her.

1/5
I still went to the studio this morning.  I knew I needed to do something to occupy my mind.  However my mind is occupied by Genie.  Losing her is devastating.  I just want to be with my families now.  Sara emailed me this poem.  She said Genie is in a better place, healthy and playing.  Genie I hope you do.  Hope we will see each other again somewhere, sometime.  I love you.


1/3
Another swap assist night - I take a class my classmate assist me, then we swap in another class.  Today I was able to remain for about 5 sec in headstand by myself in the middle of the room without any supporting.  It did feel amazing.  One thing I did different is to tuck my chin into my chest, so I am actually looking at the back of the room instead of at the mat.  How magical that this one small movement helps my balance in head stand. 

1/2
Weird thing happened during today's practice.  My body is extremely tight.    When I am twisting my body I felt something breaking inside.  It was painful.  Although just out of practice for two days, I think my mind and body is too stressed out on the idea of losing Genie so it becomes really tense.  The practice is good to bring myself back a bit.  And I learnt a new pose today - peacock.  Hands on the mat with fingers pointing backward, upper arms supporting upper body, legs in lotus or soles of foot touching against each other.  Only your hands on the mat, the rest of the body up.  Now I realize that your lower body is actually imitating peacock's tail.  Just when I learned how to do crow, peacock shows up.  This is yoga world, never ending practice.





12/31
Last day of the year.  Our plan to AC was cancelled last minute.  Not in the mood for celebration, I headed to the studio to continue my internship hour.  It's Matt's class.   I have to say Pure's teachers are all very talented. He played Guitar and has an amazing voice.  The sanskrit mantra with guitar during shavasanah creates a soothing atmosphere thats indescribable.  BTW, I become a member of Pure West!  Going to attend lots of class in  2003!

12/29
Observed Nicole's class for beginners, take Lauren's class for advanced.  Found out the name of the granola bar I like from Juice Generation - Raw Crunch (buying from Amazon is a lot cheaper!) Classmate Jamie did an 1 hour model yogi at Lulu's Lincoln store window and get a free yoga top.

12/27
Never never feed a dog Mortrin.   This drug is ok to human but toxic to dog.  My dog in Taiwan has internal bleeding and has been in vet for two days because of this drug.  I wish this drug was never invented and was never given to my mom and appeared in my house.

I am so far away and can't do anything to help.  But I am praying constantly in my heart and hope Genie gets well soon.  A little mantra combines breathing is how I calm myself down before go to bed and send good wish to my dear genie  Genie (inhale), Gets Well (exhale).... repeating.....

12/26
Learned an interesting way to orchestrate a class from Matt.  His class is built around a theme.  For example today is all about detoxing.  Last time is about opening the hips.  So we did a lot of twisting poses today.  Twisting in chair poses, in high launch, in triangle and in half moon.  And we hold each pose for a long period of time. Detoxing maybe, but I do feel my waist becomes lighter and thinner!




12/22
The first weekend without teacher training, I am spending my time at the studio anyway.  In Charu's Hatha class he demonstrated doing the traditional sun salutation within one breath!  Yes one breath.....how is that possible?  It's actually not as difficult as I thought.  I can do it as long as I don't forget any poses in the middle of the flow.  Charu mentioned that a normal adult can hold breath for 20 second.  There is about 12 (or 13) posed in a traditional Hatha Sun Salutation, if assume each pose takes 1 second, 13 poses you still got 7 second left.  Totally doable!

Lunch is at Juice Generation having my usual Kale salad and pomegranate smooth.  This place is expensive as hell but food is so organic and fresh.  Sara was there too.  It's so nice to see her today.  She is my pal since day one because our mats are side by side.  We chatted about the class, the teacher, , the training, our boyfriend and husband.  Though training has ended, friendship continues.





12/20
I didn't know about ERYT before I joined the training.  ERYT means Experience Registered Yoga Teacher.  There are ERYT-200 and ERYT-500 based on how many hours you have been teaching.  It is required that we complete 60 hours of taken, observed and assisting in only ERYT teachers' class.

Some teachers are absolutely qualified but refuse to pay the money to Yoga Alliance to get this title, Scott is one of them.

I heard of his name several times but took his class first time today.  I didn't think the way he gives instruction is superb.  But many students seem to been following him for a long time that can do the next pose without him even giving instruction.  What I like the most is his creative sequence.  It's a hot slow flow class and many positions are based in ashtanga practice.  I am sweating none stop after the first 6 sun salutation.  The rest of the posts - standing splits, birds of paradise, preparation of hand stand to name a few, are exactly what I need to get to the next level of my practice.  The way that he doesn't give many instructions other than getting you into the pose makes me focus on my own practice more.  Although its just an hour practice, I definitely felt challenged and fulfilled.

BTW, the picture is a gift i received from my classmate Simon.  She is a very beautiful and intelligent girl from Guyana.   This necklace is hand made by woman at Wai Wai tribe with seeds from deep amazon jungle.  I loved the parrot graphic and the texture on the seeds. Gonna find an outfit that can go with it so I can wear it :)