Can You Touch Your Chin to Your Shoulder?

"Touch your chin to your shoulder..." Seems like a simple command but in actuality, it can be quite difficult, in any yoga posture. Yesterday in class Bikram demonstrated Triangle pose, which I have seen explained dozens of times and I've practiced it hundreds of times and yet, it was like seeing it for the first time, his explanation somehow clicked in my mind. For the first time in 4 years I was able to touch my chin to my shoulder, both sides! A small success for myself, hopefully there will be more as training progresses.

Can the Movie 'The Wedding Singer' be a Distraction? Uh, yes.

I signed in with the Bikram staff at 1:00 pm and went to grab something to eat with Nicole, one of the other trainees from Dallas. I had already eaten so really I was just there for moral support but of course I had to get something so I got desert, apple fritters with ice cream. YUM! Orientation was suppose to be at 3:00 pm and for some reason I thought it was at 3:30 so at 3:00 Nicole is texting me asking where I am because everyone is in the tent. Oh shoot! I grab my things and rush down. I was trying to decide if I should sprint to the tent or just walk fast when I decided walking fast would be better and I was right, they hadn't actually started yet so I was still good.

As we waiting for them to get started, I decided to jot down a few things in my new journal my friend Jessica gave me. Nicole grabs it and writes something. Dude, it's not a yearbook where everyone writes what they are thinking, it's my journal! lol She finishes and then says I need to promise to add her to the blog. I said sure. "You need to promise to add the note," says Nicole. "Fine," I say and write in the journal, "I promise."

So, here is what Nicole, future Bikram Yoga Teacher wrote...

"Hi Carolyn, you were watching 'The Wedding Singer' while we were waiting for you in the magical tent. There area  lot of yoga heads here. Everyone smells nice now. They won't smell nice later. The peeps to your right are from Singapore. Simon, Mark's roommate, is from New Zealand. I can't believe you at that godzilla sized apple pie at lunch. I digress....you better put me in your blog by the way. In the meantime, my state of mind if you must know is only mildly psychotic, right now I am chilling like a classic villain. I am also relieved to see I am not the only person in the "yoga temple" wearing camouflage shorts. How many will bend without breaking? All will cry and few will admit it. Most of us will probably get new tattoos..."

And that folks pretty much sums up orientation! We learned what to do and what not to do, all but a few appeared to be strong recommendations and not training ending experiences. Most importantly, I took from it to "be present", "have an open mind", and "have an open heart." Trust the process. 

Each day is sure to be difficult, some seeming almost near impossible to get through, all the while I plan on creating my own mantra with those words to recite through the tough times, just like a race. 

Namaste.

Last Bikram Yoga Class Before Training, steamy and HOT! (DUH!)

I think Bikram Yoga Downtown was secretly trying to prepare me for teacher training yesterday during the karma class for Jason Winn. It was SO stinkin' HOT! Sheesh. I know it's Hot Yoga people but wow! I thought I was going to pass out before the first water break. I was sorry I hadn't gotten two towels and an extra bottle of water for class. I've never been good at rationing water.

You might be asking, "What is a karma class?", I certainly did when Michael at the Dallas studio told me he was going and suggested I come too. Karma is defined as "action, seen as bringing upon oneself inevitable results, good or bad, either in this life or in a reincarnation." (dictionary.com) A karma class is simply a class you participate in to bring good to others and yourself. Jason Winn is a senior teacher in the Bikram Yoga world. He is originally from Austin, Texas and has taught seminars and Advanced classes in many of the Bikram Yoga studio's in Texas and around the world. He is currently going through some very difficult medical issues and is unable to teach or travel so the Bikram Yoga Davenport holds a "karma class" periodically to help raise funds for Jason. It's is a pretty neat deal, I was honored to be able to go and support the yoga community.

I've never actually met Jason. He came to the Dallas studio a year or two before I found Bikram Yoga. I've heard many great things about him though and to me it doesn't matter if I've met him before; it feels good to be able to help people in need, whether you know them or not. And to me, helping someone in need within the yoga world is just an added bonus...especially in the karma world. 


So let's get back to the class itself. HOT! Carlos, a teacher from San Antonio taught class. He taught it half in English and Half in Spanish, so interesting! It was a little hard because unless you knew Spanish, you had to really think about the pose and what you were suppose to do and when to come out. But after a few poses I started to understand what a few words meant, plus, since I uh...know the dialog... I was able to follow along a little better than maybe a regular student. 


The dual language dialog wasn't enough though to distract me from the extreme heat, which really was probably more humidity than true heat but whatever right? I mean, when sweat is streaming down your face and your eyes are burning from sweat and whatever crap is in your hair (I had straightened my hair a few days earlier.)...who cares if it is heat or humidity? The point is it was HOT! And I normally wouldn't complain. I'm going to teacher training, it is going to be hot there, plus, I am going to teacher training, I shouldn't complain about the heat. But I've been sitting on the couch for 2 1/2 days doing nothing, "mentally preparing" for teacher training (at least that is what I was telling myself) and I was dehydrated and probably a little food deprived. The cucumbers from lunch weren't helping either...those were NOT tasting good the second time around. I thought I was going to pass out during Standing Bow Pulling Pose and truly felt like a big dork for sitting out part of Triangle but what are you going to do when you feel shaky and light headed? No one needs to pass out a day before going to teacher training. 


If Austin WAS trying to prepare me for training, well, all I have to say is, thanks. I appreciate the steamy, hot room filled to the brim with yogis.  It was a test of my patience's and ability to deal with things that are uncomfortable for me. I'm starting to really appreciate people trying to get me out of my comfort zone...my zone is getting larger, soon nothing will bother me. 


HAHAHAHAHA Let's not go overboard.

I got to run onto the Dallas Cowboy field at the America's Run!

From America's Run

I ran my last race before I go off to Bikram Yoga Teacher Training, the America's Run in Arlington, Texas. It a nice course, even with the hills and the weather was absolutely perfect. I know it is a good run when sweat runs off my shorts into my socks, which happened today!

It started off a little rocky with trying to find where to park. After I learned the parking game the attendants had and after going to three entrances, I finally found how to get in the parking area. There didn't seem to be a lot of people around, I guess because it was the inaugural year, there weren't that many people. Also, the Big D Marathon and Half Marathon were going on and that always has a good crowd.

My ankles started to hurt just as soon as I started running, not a good sign. After the first half mile or so though the pain seemed to go away. I was feeling pretty good after that and decided to try and run the first three miles without stopping. I made it to mile 2 at 21:25 and 3 miles at 33 minutes. Doing pretty good I thought. I ran most of miles 4 - 6 but did have to walk in between the miles, but at least I ran about a mile before stopping. At mile 6 I had been running 1 hour 8 minutes, pretty good for me. At that rate I could have finished one of my best times....but that pace didn't last.

At one point there was a hill and I had decided I would walk up it only to find when I got close to the top there was ANOTHER hill, a larger one, right after. So I had to run up that hill since I had just walked up the OTHER hill. UGH! I made it but it wasn't pretty. lol

At mile 10 my time was 1:59. At my best speed I would have finished at 1:33 or 1:34 but I was losing steam and my knees started to hurt. I decided somewhere in mile 10 there was no need to push myself to get "my best time." I am not trying to the be best at running and I have to be careful since I'm going to teacher training, I don't need to mess up my new career path over a silly race. So I decided to just take it easy and just do the best I could, I would get there when I got there.

And I did. I made it to mile 12 at 2:24 and ran into the Cowboy stadium at 2:39.  It was pretty cool, we got to run down into the stadium where "regular" people don't get to go and we ran right onto the field! So cool!

The only odd part about it was nothing was really on the field. You got your medal and then they made you walk up the stairs where the seats are then into the hall, then up more stairs. It was very strange. Why would you make people that just ran 13.1 miles walk up a bunch of stairs? I felt like an old lady. I had to hold the railing and walked up the steps VERY slowly. Maybe other people didn't have an issue with the steps. I was just glad I had only run 13.1 and not a full marathon!

Troy Aikman was there too, it was his first half marathon. I am sure he was in the "elite" running group up front. I looked up his time, 1:45. I am sure he was gone by the time I crossed the field, too bad too. I would have loved to have seen him! Maybe next year!

From America's Run