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Archive | April, 2011

Finished with finish lines

I was all but certain I would complete a full class last night: The only thing that could have stopped me was myself, and lately I’ve been careful to keep out of my own way. So I wasn’t really surprised to be ringing the Tibetan singing bowl at the end of class. But I was […]

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Fifth time’s the charm?

Graduation is in four days, and if I don’t successfully teach a complete class tomorrow, I’ll have to return my diploma after the ceremony. And it will be okay. Take that, my Type A personality traits! I’ve chosen santosha (aka contentment) and isvara (aka surrender) over fear and anxiety, and it is a blessed relief. […]

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How do you live your life?

Such a simple question, and the answer means so much. We had a quiz on the sutras today, and I didn’t have much time to study: Last night I spent ten minutes reviewing class handouts and notes while I ate dinner, this morning I looked up a couple websites while waiting for the bus, and […]

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Failure is relative….really.

“Take the class through a collective breath, and then I’m going to take over.” The voice was gentle and kind, and yet I almost had to choke back tears as I did as I was told, asking everyone to take a full, rich inhale and heading toward the back of the room as I haaaaaaaahed […]

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On chair pose and chest pain

I’m writing this post primarily to document two events of personal interest that transpired in the last twenty-four hours. So please forgive the lack of structure or theme. (Or don’t read any further.) Firstly, chair pose: I have no problem doing it but have been really struggling to teach it. In the sequence I must […]

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This too shall pass

I’ve been unusually aware of the fleeting present, lately. This past weekend of yoga training was painful and sad, in the best of ways–if that makes any sense. Early a.m. Bikram led by one of Bikram’s longtime colleagues was definitely one source of sorrow and sweet, sweet release. Plenty of students in my training are […]

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Time to perform

I saw a play tonight that I really enjoyed. The theater was small, and I gained renewed appreciation for the bravery of an actor: making the choice to expose your soul, if you are any good. To share your heart and voice with a group of strangers and friends. Communicating takes courage. Tomorrow night’s training […]

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Take two

So I’m teaching again in a couple of days, and I’m taking tonight to study. Some time to reflect, refresh, and restore. Because for a practicing yogi, I haven’t felt very relaxed recently. But, thankfully, tonight I’ve reached a turning point. I knew it would come; they always do. But being patient isn’t always easy. […]

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One down, forevermore to go!

I.   LOVE.   YOGA! That sentiment should be beyond evident if you’ve ever read a word of my blog, but it’s never felt truer than tonight. I taught a full (half) class! All by myself! I’m actually glad I didn’t get through the whole thing–I knew I wouldn’t, such is the structure of tandem […]

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Time to teach

I woke up today like a kid on Christmas morning, eagerly checking the training calendar to see if I’d been scheduled to teach. And I squealed just like a child when I saw I was on the roster: As of 10 p.m. tomorrow, I’ll have made the transition from trainee to teacher!!! Well, technically I’ll […]

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Good morning sun

I just did my very first set of at-home sun salutations and I sincerely hope I have the discipline to make it a daily practice. For one thing, it only took about five minutes. And for another thing, I feel amazing! Equally amazing is that in all my years of yoga, it was not until […]

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Love > fear