Day 34 and 35: Bikram Yoga Challenge - I Got to Take Class from Diane Duscharme!

Diane Duscharme, a senior Bikram Yoga teacher and 20+ year Bikram Yogi was at the Bikram Yoga Grapevine studio giving a posture clinic on Bikram Yoga's 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises. I took class first, which Diane taught and then stayed for the posture clinic, both Saturday and Sunday; total it was about 10 hours of yoga. As a person about to go to Bikram Teacher Training, I found her class and posture clinic to be exceptionally valuable, it was so dialog driven, it really gave me a better sense of why we say certain things at certain times and why it is important to stick to the dialog and not create your own wording. After 2 days I left with 13 pages of notes, a better understanding of the posture dialog, a few sore muscles and a bunch of good information to improve my own practice, all in all, one heck of a weekend!

Saturday I got to Bikram Yoga Grapevine a few minutes before class started, the room was pretty full so I had to set up in the back row. I didn't notice until after class had started but for some reason I was an yogi island in a room full of yogi's. There were people in front of me but no one to either side of me. This made me feel slightly alone and sad I was without some of the class energy with no one on either side. That feeling quickly changed when I saw people having to reposition themselves and move their mats in Triangle, all the sudden I was pleased I was on the back row all by myself, plenty of room to stretch out without worrying if someone is going to sweat on me or my towel.

Today I set up in the back again, basically in the same place I did yesterday, heck, it worked well yesterday, why not do it again today. Now I already explained in previous posts I am a bit OCD and A LOT annal retentive (see other posts if you want more information), so it should come as no surprise to anyone that once I noticed my Kulae towel was sewn crooked, it was all I could think about. Yes, that's right, it is crooked. I know how that happens too, it isn't a defective towel, it just is the way the fabric is. The fabric comes on a big roll or bolt and when they cut it, they just cut, sometimes the weave of the fabric is not exactly straight so it gets cut a tiny bit crooked. When you WASH the towel, this "crookedness" becomes even more obvious. So through the first few postures all I could think about was how I was going to cut the towel straight and sew the edging to make it even. I tried really hard to not think about it, I really did. It helped that Diane Duscharme kept telling us to not look down, to look up or straight in the mirror, this gave me less opportunity to notice the crooked towel. But in Toe Stand we had to look four feet in front and there it was, the angled, crooked towel laughing at me because it knew I couldn't do anything about it. Darn towel!

Besides my island and towel issue, my two classes were absolutely awesome. I love taking class from teachers that really use the dialog and don't add their own commentary and Diane Duscharme really uses the dialog. I use to like this just because it was what I was use to from my own "home" studio in Dallas, as I traveled around the country for work I would go to other studios and there was sometimes a large difference in the way people taught class, I always liked the studios that were more like the Dallas studio where the proper dialog is a big focus. Now that I am preparing for teacher training, I like dialog driven teachers even more because then I get to use class as a teaching moment, I try hard to really pay attention to how they say the dialog and when they emphasize specific words.

The two days of posture clinic were simply amazing. I learned so much! We had to have spent the first 20 minutes just on the breathing exercise, Diane went through a fairly extensive explanation on how to breathe through the nose but using the throat. It was really quite fascinating, I had never been shown the difference or really explained the difference in quite the same way. We all tried it and sure enough, there is a clear difference from breathing using the throat and not. And something as simple as "no backward bending" in the breathing. Sure, we all know we aren't suppose to backward bend but to hear that when you do bend backwards, it can add pressure to the neck is useful information. When you get to USE that information right away by trying it both ways, well, that is just fantastic!

Diane used the phrase "ultimate destination" a lot to describe what teachers mean when they say certain things in class. For some students, the instructions in class are virtually impossible to follow, because they are not that flexible yet or maybe they don't have the strength yet. What Diane was explaining is the dialog is the ultimate destination, where you eventually want to end up, some day, in the future. Also, it can sometimes be more the direction of where the eyes or arms are suppose to go so when they say to "see the floor" behind you, very few people if any can do that but if you look back and always "try" to see the floor behind you, you will be going in the right direction and trying the right way.

My ultimate destination is to be a Bikram Yoga Teacher, eventually, in the future...when I've improved my dialog enough...then only..... :D Just need to keep going in that direction. Namaste

Day 32: Bikram Yoga Challenge - Texas Champion, Susan Anderson, Taught Class!

From 2010 USA/InternationalYogaCompetition (by Eye-Fi)

Susan Anderson at USA Yoga Championships in Los Angeles
I am in Austin, Texas visiting my sister-in-law and participating in a "green" networking event with Texas Green Network, all the while, still trying to get my yoga in everyday. There are three Bikram Yoga studios in Austin; Yoga Groove in North Austin recently expanded and I haven't been to the studio since the remodel so I decided go go there and check it out. I'm so glad I did too, Susan Anderson, the 2009 Texas Yoga Asana Championship winner was teaching!

First, the studio, it was amazing! The lobby area was spacious, great for hanging around after yoga and chatting it up with fellow yogis. The retail area was a large wall area with lots of selection, I almost bought something! (But I refrained.) There were also several massage rooms right past the sign in desk. At the end of the hall were two dressing rooms, one with a picture of Bikram and one with a picture of Rajashree, I went into the one with Rajashree. Very nice dressing area with two showers and a good amount of cubbies for our belongings.

The yoga room was down the hall. Directly opposite the yoga room entrance door was a water dispenser, with ICE, and a wonderful wall were people had written note cards as to why they practice. It was fun reading the different reasons people practice Bikram Yoga, some do it for health reasons, some do it for a HOT body and others just do it for a more peaceful mind.

After I had fully admired the new digs I went into the yoga room and set my mat on the second line. Within a few seconds I felt hungry, possibly a little weak and rethought my decision to be on the second row. See, being hungry before the class starts just means when class starts, the word "starving" will start to creep into my mind, my stomach will start to hurt, it is likely a little growling will happen and I am sure to start to wither and fall out of poses, best to do that on the 3rd row where hopefully less people will see. I moved my mat to the 3rd row and laid down in Savasana.

I must had dosed off; I hear the instructor and I open one eye, wait for it to get acclimated to the light and open the second one. I heave myself up and turn around and realize my class is being taught by Susan Anderson, the women's first place winner of the 2009 Texas Yoga Asana Championships. Cool!

Susan didn't wear a head set which instantly made it feel like a more intimate class and her voice was soft and soothing, adding a more zen feeling to class. It reminded me of how people describe yoga; instructors with soothing voices that talk slowing and methodically giving instruction as if it were a Sunday afternoon. It wasn't exactly "Bikram-esque" but it was oddly motivating and encouraging, perhaps as encouraging as the strong commands of the Bikram dialog and microphoned voices coming out of overhead speakers. Clearly the other students in the room liked it, they were all intently paying attention to Susan's instructions and added correction techniques. Susan did spend a lot of time giving additional instruction and tips on how to hold the hand or how to bend or when to move to the next step. As I listened I pondered in my mind if this was better or worse to just having the dialog spoken in class with less general corrections and demonstrations from the instructor.

But then, as we closed in on the last few postures, I decided the extra instruction WAS helpful. Susan gave what I would call a fairly in depth breakdown of Half Tortoise with when and how to place the hands on the floor. Lots of people must have been having trouble with it because after she gave that demonstration, we did the second set and there seemed to be a resounded acknowledgment that her tips and corrects had improved the students postures.

I love taking class from different teachers, even though there is a set dialog (how to say the postures) and everyone is suppose to say it the same way, there always seems to be a personal flair that comes out through the instruction. The class was just right for a lazy day in Austin where the temperature was 74 and sunny. After class I put the top down on the car and zipped around town feeling happy and content. Yoga is a good thing.

Day 31: 60 Day Bikram Yoga Challenge - The Halfway Point Came and Went

From October 2008 Yoga Competition

The halfway point of my Challenge came and went without fan fair, there were no supporters cheering me on, no water stations and no signs telling me I was almost to the finish. Instead there was the comforting feeling of familiar posture instruction in class, the inspiring voice of a teacher and students I've come to consider my training partners in this crazy 60 day journey. We all work together to help each other make it to whatever our goals are.

So what have I accomplished in 30 days? I've lost a pound or two. I've increased my flexibility, I have reduced the neck issue I have from being hunched over a computer for 8 hours and I just "feel" better. Nothing to earth shattering I realize but not every 60 day challenge produces amazing, obvious results. And I don't really care either. I'm not doing the 60 day challenge to achieve amazing weight loss or lose lots of body fat although those would be nice changes too, I am doing the challenge to have an improved general fitness routine that improves my life, my mind and my body....and for the t-shirt. :)

It's now time to embark on the down hill part of the challenge. In a running event I would start to count down the miles and calculate how long it would take me to finish, all the way praying a mile marker came quickly. In yoga you just go to class and add a sticker to your 60 day challenge calendar at the studio. I am a little obsessive so sometimes I do count the days left....even though I know what they are, I like to physically count down each day....makes me feel like I am making progress, I think it is a tactile learning thing that makes me do that. Anyway, it is the journey, every class, not the end that is important right? Different than a marathon, where it is ALL about the finish! I'm just going to take each day as it comes and be happy with where my body is in the moment. Day 60 will come soon enough.

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Day 29: Bikram Yoga Challenge - Class Happens Whether You Are There or Not

60 Day Bikram Yoga Challenge

Even When You Are in Class, Sometimes You Really Aren't

Do you ever have one of those days when you WANT to be in yoga class but your mind is running a million miles a minute through all the OTHER things you need to do that day? That was me today. Class started off ok I guess, I can hardly remember. My mind was so busy noting all the tasks I needed to do and mentally allotting time in my day for each one. During the second set of Awkward I  was doing the third part during the second part. As I put my knees together and started to go down, I  noticed in the mirror everyone else had their knees apart...I quickly moved my knees out. I thought to myself..."are we doing this for the first or second time? Aren't we on the third part?" UGH...that is when you know class is just going to be a "thing" you do, not something you "experience" and participate it.

Oh, I tried to "get into class" but too many things were going through my brain. I'm working on some time sensitive stuff and was expecting some emails back this morning....and class was interrupting that process. But taking class later in the day wasn't going to work either...so, there I was, in class but not really IN class.

And I was suppose to take Advanced again today but clearly THAT wasn't going to happen! If I can't stay focused in the regular class, there is no way I was going to make it through another 90 minutes, my head might have exploded wondering if my emails came in.

As it turns out, it was a good thing I didn't take the Advanced class. My email was acting up and I wasn't receiving all my emails so I had to follow up with some vendors.

Perhaps tomorrow will be better now that I have a few of the "911" purchasing issues taken care of. Either that or I will sit in the back so few people notice my gazing off to look at my to-do list in the shy.