May 13, 2012 Week Four

May 13 , 2012 Week Four Week Four - So difficult to sum up really. In some ways it was living in Hell without the devil in residence...Bikram was away all weak and returns on Monday. It was actually an OK week except for about half...well maybe a little more than half my classes which were an interesting exploration of will and determination or maybe stupidity, followed with a continual intellectual assessment of trying to figure out what I can adjust to ease the stress. so in that sense it was well...not too bad even if it sucked in the exact moment. Let me explain...So on any class where the ratcheted up the heat; and for those of you in my favorite studio of the whole world as a means of comparison...think of the hottest most humid day packed with bodies and then imagine it about 20 degrees hotter and if it were possible to get over 100% humidity, I'd claim we did it, but since it is not, I guess I'll concede to 100%. So in all my classes I got to the floor and while a little shaky by tree, I was OK. So you would think once you got to the floor you would be golden, that is what I thought by I experienced something totally different. I love the spine strengthening exercises, the next 4 so I work pretty hard then when I got to fixed firm and tortoise which can be the kind of rest postures if you need it I could barely lift my body up the floor on the sit up, then by camel I was doing some serious dry heaves, I love rabbit and it feels so good so I would do that but then could barely lift my head up for separate leg stretching and then could not even do spine twist or the breathing. Many of these days there was a steady stream of people out of the yoga room and several were carried out. Note: For those that think this is dangerous, well everyone recovers by the next class, at least well enough even if they lay there a lot. You are always next to people feeling better or feeling worse. I consider it my challenge to keep smiling and supporting those around me as I suffer and they suffer next to me, when they see me go on, they try harder to just stay in the room and we smile and give thumbs up, whisper words of encouragement and it is a powerful element of my classes this week. Well to continue the physical saga, so I started asking people about what they were doing to cope and got some suggestions on some supplements, but pretty much many many people barely the first set of all the standing postures exerting little effort, working more on precision of the early foundation movements, so I think I have just been going as usual, working as hard as I can on each posture. But I tried the last day working more on precision with less of the movement and it seemed to help. I also started bringing in Gatorade along with my water. On the last day one of my wonderful beautiful TT from Spain said that she was really struggling and now takes a full 15 minutes on the final savasana before going back to her room. She said that no matter how tough her class was it leaves her totally refreshed and ready for the rest of the day and not dreading the next class. So I tried it on Saturday, it felt great but it is hard to say as the whole class was great because the heat was more down in the 110-115 level. Did I tell you guys that I have to make sure I have my light titanium glasses on instead of my metal framed glasses because my metal knees get too hot and feel like they are burning my arms for half moon and separate leg head to knee. Anyway, a little more on this exhausting feeling. So After class I lay on my mat for about 5 minutes and then try to drag myself out of the hot room, step step...pause, drop my head...breathe; step step...pause, drop head, breathe, breathe again, breathe one more time, step step...you get my drift. I get into the yoga sign up room sit down, recover another 5 minutes and then drag myself upstairs where a shot of orange juice just boom is like a hit of energy. So I am trying to remember to bring some OJ with me for after class. Too bad it would make me sick during class. Many things to try this week with suggestions form others. Have to be careful with too many electrolytes cause they give you the runs and I think I would prefer fatigue and dry heaves to that. Oh there were a few classes that were normal cause the heat was lower. One of the fun things is experiencing all the different styles of teachers. There have been a couple which were universal favorites but funny how many of the others some people really connect too and others don't like at all. It is great to experience them all. Wish I could remember all the motivating cool things they say but it is like they hit the erase button on that tape and so I'll have to come up with my own. But these teachers, most with many years of experience have some great lines and motivational reminders about the practice and life. The other part of the week was pretty good. We had anatomy with Dr. P which just kept getting better and better and was in bed by midnight every night. We went through a lot of postures and am totally impressed with everyone that did not learn the dialogue before hand. I did have an interesting and what I considered was Abadan experience initially but now a very good one having experienced it. I know the dialogue on the postures we are doing very well because I help others learn it line by line so it just locks in what I already know so I've not had any problem delivering it. Well I was doing bow pose and did not really connect with the teachers critiquing our group that day. Then on the person before I delivered mine they were given a critique of gesturing too much. Well I tend to talk with my hands and gesture a lot it kind of helps me express my words, he said use your voice to express not your hands. So I tried not to use my hands and about mid way through the posture because I was focusing on this, the dialogue just went out of my head, but I just kept giving commands, a little out of order and missing command and repeating one again before I went back on track. I was pretty disappointed in myself but my group is super supportive and by the next day I was really glad that I experienced that because I'm sure I will again in posture clinic as well as many many times in my teaching life and I realize it is no big deal, if you know the posture, your students don't know at all, just be confident in what you are telling them and if you know the posture then no problem. Our group of 20 is fabulous. We have some real superstars which is wonderful because I kind of like being a B student and not the A student. We are all so loving and supportive of each other that one of the teachers critiquing us said she could just be with us every day and we need to share this energy and support with every group we get paired with. She just said it over and over. Dan has been here this weekend. What a wonderful break. You can talk with someone on the phone every day but there is nothing like spending 24 hours a day just hanging out to make you feel centered and grounded. We ate some nice meals and a cold brewski at dinner one evening was so pleasurable. Dan leaves by the time I get back from class on Monday am. Then he is off to his own adventure, flying back to Boulder to say a last goodbye to Jake, Michelle, and little Mac, before he drives to the head of the Mississippi and then goes on a 4 week self supported (carries tent , sleeping bag, cook materials, etc on his bike)journey. Yeah I am a little worried but you know just like this yoga, what's life if you don't push the boundaries just a little. Only one life to live and at our ages you got to do what you can when you can cause as the famous line from balancing stick goes..."if you're late it's over" Next week Bikram returns and I know it really will be he'll. 3:00pm bedtimes and 120 minute Bikram taught classes, but now I'm a little more worried about those because I have been doing so poorly physically. Well all I can do is trust that he will see that I always do the best I can...and you know I do believe that he does, well 95% belief anyway. Thanks for all the kind emails and Facebook words of support. I was a little slack on responding this week. Sorry about that. PS Liana (my sister) I know you are worried but life is good and I'm fine and this really is not a cult...promise. Next wee So that's the physical part