Lectures, First Class: 2 hour class I guess... I didn't notice!
I know I said once a week - but for now I'll knock out entries when I can. Our first real day starts tomorrow. 8AM sign in - 8:30 class, I believe the 4:30 class is our evening class - and of course lecture and posture clinics all day tomorrow. I am ready to rock and roll. I have half moon and am ready to deliver it to Bikram and my 400 other yoga teacher trainees.
Today was definitely one of those days that I know I'll remember well.
Meeting Bikram was pretty cool. He lectured for an hour or so, had the room laughing constantly and amazingly made it deep in a way I'm not sure I can describe. I've heard a lot about how he's an asshole. I think out of context Bikram comes off very wrong. In context, he seems a lot different than all the negativity I've heard about him outside of the yoga bubble here. So far I really do adore him and Raj.
More exciting than the lecture was our first class today. I met up with Billy and Ray - Billy from Seattle, who is already a good friend of mine - to wait outside the Ballroom that is our giant hot room. Ray is Billy's roomie. And after peeing for what felt like 4 times, while waiting outside the damn hot room (I did not want to even WORRY about my bladder in class!!!) they let us in.
I made it to the front row, far left. My goal was to be in the front row, and I snagged it. I was next to Scotland Sarah now living in London - and super tall Steve who was about 6 foot 6 inches tall... we discussed prior to class how he thought it was best to stick out less by being in the front, because anywhere else in the hot room, he sticks out like a sore thumb. We will see who in this session Bikram dubs as "Lamp Post," one of his fav nicknames for tall people.
The class was different than any other hot yoga class I've ever taken in my 3 years. I will say this. An honor to practice yoga with 400 people. It's something you've never imagined before. And it's awesome. My class was neither strong nor weak. I was not phased by the heat today. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not.
It was hot, I will say that - but our group did fantastic. Not that many people left the room, and Bikram was impressed by us. He did single out some people during class, but I was not one of them this time. *phew*! I guess standing series was like 65 minutes long though, and it's normally about what? 45? I forget. I just know it was about 15 minutes longer than normal standing series, and I frankly didn't notice. A lot of my yoga pals were mentioning it ... but today I was not struggling. I came to class very hydrated, but hadn't had maybe that much to eat. I had a mild headache beginning class but it pretty much vanished immediately. I was also hungry at the beginning of class and thought, "damnit... did I just undereat and fuck my first class?"
Nope. It worked out just fine. It was a hard class, but it was a good class. It was a moment in time where you know you'll just never forget it. Especially towards the end. I did notice some knee pain that is a kind of knee pain I've never ever had before. This made me be very careful and not push it for sure! I'm sure it's just temporary. I know my body pretty well - it has little to do with my patellar tendinitis issues.
It did amaze me though - that my final spine twist was really a shambles because of this knee thing! I could not get my knees, feet, and hands to touch in the same place on one side. Frustrating, because normally I can. My body must be different due to travel/thisisnothinglike practicing at home/goodness knows what. So I start fresh like I've never done yoga before, like I don't know what happened last year, yesterday, last week. That is how I am treating it from here - after... because really, until you've taken a Bikram class, it's true. Nothing does quite compare. And I say this in a good way - at least, well. For now. I'm not sure how I will feel after tomorrow doing 2 classes, but Raj is teaching tomorrow, and I have no doubt that it is going to be a wonderful way to wake up. Another first, of course.
She doesn't have a reputation for being quite so harsh on her students, but then again I can't know that ;) Anyway. Needless to say - my postures were alright (except triangle, where I wasn't really sure if Sarah would be okay with the fact that my leg stance is wide enough so that I *have* to put my feet on her mat to do the posture at all!?) And readjusting to carpet, as our studio has the other kind of floor... oh yeah, and my uber tight right hip. My right hip has been an issue for quite some time with the tightness. The left one has opened up in the last couple of months. Well - maybe righty will follow suit after a week of doubles? Maybe??
Dinner was Panera - then I stopped by Bed Bath and Beyond with Steve B. (Buchanan from Colorado) and we studied the Dialogue together. I have it down a little more pat than he does, but it felt great to help boost someone's progress prior to delivering it to Bikram. Normally we'd be back for lecture, starting at 9PM. You read that right, lecture BEGINS at 9pm, and often does not get out until after midnight. Sometimes after his lecture he insists on movie night (so that could be anywhere from 1AM-3AM). And then of course, Goooood morning, yoga people - class at 830, sign in at 8 - me and Karen are getting up tomorrow at 7. We'll see how that works as far as prepping our water, grabbing a quick pre-class bit of fuel. I think tomorrow AM I'd like a chocolate protein shake - with coconut milk. Super thick and creamy and yummy and perfect for a good light boost.
I feel good about the amount of groceries we have. Karen got a drying rack, and I bought a tea kettle for us. We're doing very well with the roomie alliance. Lots of sharing, lots of respecting each other's boundaries - it's just awesome. This is what my wish was for in a room mate. She was also impressed at how fast I was with my shower post-yoga class! By the time she got back to the room, I was already dressed after my shower. Bingo bango, wasting no time. Ahhh feels good after a shower and a class. A nice 2 hour long class......... jeez.
And like I said, I didn't really notice the class length or the holding in the poses, I was just so in the zone. A lot of other folks did......Sure it was hot, but I wasn't dying. I hydrated well. I didn't eat a lot, but I still ate. This sort of thing may have helped? Who knows. I guess some people left the room, but I was so much in the yoga zone I didn't notice. I had a good set of yogis and yoginis around me too.
"The reason you are having trouble with this class is because you have never really exercised before. You do what you think is exercise here in America - swimming, jogging, this and that, but if it were real exercise, this class would be a breeze for you!" -Bikram
;) A few closing comments.
How nice is it to leave and immediately shower.
How nice is it to have a 2 floor commute to the hot room?
Oh yeah. And how nice is it to go directly to the source of this Yoga? The only living person who got yoga from a guru directly still doing this for people? I'm telling you. I'm beginning to see there is no parallel for this investment. Priceless.
Just wow.
-Angela
Today was definitely one of those days that I know I'll remember well.
Meeting Bikram was pretty cool. He lectured for an hour or so, had the room laughing constantly and amazingly made it deep in a way I'm not sure I can describe. I've heard a lot about how he's an asshole. I think out of context Bikram comes off very wrong. In context, he seems a lot different than all the negativity I've heard about him outside of the yoga bubble here. So far I really do adore him and Raj.
More exciting than the lecture was our first class today. I met up with Billy and Ray - Billy from Seattle, who is already a good friend of mine - to wait outside the Ballroom that is our giant hot room. Ray is Billy's roomie. And after peeing for what felt like 4 times, while waiting outside the damn hot room (I did not want to even WORRY about my bladder in class!!!) they let us in.
I made it to the front row, far left. My goal was to be in the front row, and I snagged it. I was next to Scotland Sarah now living in London - and super tall Steve who was about 6 foot 6 inches tall... we discussed prior to class how he thought it was best to stick out less by being in the front, because anywhere else in the hot room, he sticks out like a sore thumb. We will see who in this session Bikram dubs as "Lamp Post," one of his fav nicknames for tall people.
The class was different than any other hot yoga class I've ever taken in my 3 years. I will say this. An honor to practice yoga with 400 people. It's something you've never imagined before. And it's awesome. My class was neither strong nor weak. I was not phased by the heat today. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not.
It was hot, I will say that - but our group did fantastic. Not that many people left the room, and Bikram was impressed by us. He did single out some people during class, but I was not one of them this time. *phew*! I guess standing series was like 65 minutes long though, and it's normally about what? 45? I forget. I just know it was about 15 minutes longer than normal standing series, and I frankly didn't notice. A lot of my yoga pals were mentioning it ... but today I was not struggling. I came to class very hydrated, but hadn't had maybe that much to eat. I had a mild headache beginning class but it pretty much vanished immediately. I was also hungry at the beginning of class and thought, "damnit... did I just undereat and fuck my first class?"
Nope. It worked out just fine. It was a hard class, but it was a good class. It was a moment in time where you know you'll just never forget it. Especially towards the end. I did notice some knee pain that is a kind of knee pain I've never ever had before. This made me be very careful and not push it for sure! I'm sure it's just temporary. I know my body pretty well - it has little to do with my patellar tendinitis issues.
It did amaze me though - that my final spine twist was really a shambles because of this knee thing! I could not get my knees, feet, and hands to touch in the same place on one side. Frustrating, because normally I can. My body must be different due to travel/thisisnothinglike practicing at home/goodness knows what. So I start fresh like I've never done yoga before, like I don't know what happened last year, yesterday, last week. That is how I am treating it from here - after... because really, until you've taken a Bikram class, it's true. Nothing does quite compare. And I say this in a good way - at least, well. For now. I'm not sure how I will feel after tomorrow doing 2 classes, but Raj is teaching tomorrow, and I have no doubt that it is going to be a wonderful way to wake up. Another first, of course.
She doesn't have a reputation for being quite so harsh on her students, but then again I can't know that ;) Anyway. Needless to say - my postures were alright (except triangle, where I wasn't really sure if Sarah would be okay with the fact that my leg stance is wide enough so that I *have* to put my feet on her mat to do the posture at all!?) And readjusting to carpet, as our studio has the other kind of floor... oh yeah, and my uber tight right hip. My right hip has been an issue for quite some time with the tightness. The left one has opened up in the last couple of months. Well - maybe righty will follow suit after a week of doubles? Maybe??
Dinner was Panera - then I stopped by Bed Bath and Beyond with Steve B. (Buchanan from Colorado) and we studied the Dialogue together. I have it down a little more pat than he does, but it felt great to help boost someone's progress prior to delivering it to Bikram. Normally we'd be back for lecture, starting at 9PM. You read that right, lecture BEGINS at 9pm, and often does not get out until after midnight. Sometimes after his lecture he insists on movie night (so that could be anywhere from 1AM-3AM). And then of course, Goooood morning, yoga people - class at 830, sign in at 8 - me and Karen are getting up tomorrow at 7. We'll see how that works as far as prepping our water, grabbing a quick pre-class bit of fuel. I think tomorrow AM I'd like a chocolate protein shake - with coconut milk. Super thick and creamy and yummy and perfect for a good light boost.
I feel good about the amount of groceries we have. Karen got a drying rack, and I bought a tea kettle for us. We're doing very well with the roomie alliance. Lots of sharing, lots of respecting each other's boundaries - it's just awesome. This is what my wish was for in a room mate. She was also impressed at how fast I was with my shower post-yoga class! By the time she got back to the room, I was already dressed after my shower. Bingo bango, wasting no time. Ahhh feels good after a shower and a class. A nice 2 hour long class......... jeez.
And like I said, I didn't really notice the class length or the holding in the poses, I was just so in the zone. A lot of other folks did......Sure it was hot, but I wasn't dying. I hydrated well. I didn't eat a lot, but I still ate. This sort of thing may have helped? Who knows. I guess some people left the room, but I was so much in the yoga zone I didn't notice. I had a good set of yogis and yoginis around me too.
"The reason you are having trouble with this class is because you have never really exercised before. You do what you think is exercise here in America - swimming, jogging, this and that, but if it were real exercise, this class would be a breeze for you!" -Bikram
;) A few closing comments.
How nice is it to leave and immediately shower.
How nice is it to have a 2 floor commute to the hot room?
Oh yeah. And how nice is it to go directly to the source of this Yoga? The only living person who got yoga from a guru directly still doing this for people? I'm telling you. I'm beginning to see there is no parallel for this investment. Priceless.
Just wow.
-Angela