Day 29 - On Teaching, part 1

I started working with my friend Michelle on private yoga lessons this past week. I wouldn't say that I'm "teaching" her. I'm showing her the poses, explaining the Sanskrit names, and working with her on alignment and yogic concepts.

We started doing this because Michelle told me that the classes she's been to are way too fast, the teachers don't explain the poses, they don't give modifications, so I'm really just preparing her for her yoga classes, wherever she may go.

This is the main concern/gripe I have about certain yoga classes, is that they turn beginners away, it's a big turn-off when you feel frustrated when you're supposed to feel relax. It's one thing to feel silly, in say, a step aerobics class, it's another to have anxiety in a yoga class, which is supposed to help calm you down, not stress you out even more.

My teaching sessions have 1) taught me to empathize with what it's like to be on the other side of the mat, and 2) confirm to me that I want to do this. There is nothing like seeing Michelle smile because she gets something, and that she feels good after each session. I love that feeling. I love what yoga does to me, and I want to pass that bliss feeling on to others.

I've been listening to these lectures by Shinzen Young called "The Science of Enlightenment", and he said an interesting thing about teaching: "...To teach is to inevitably mislead people, to a certain degree, any kind of teaching, as soon as you've opened your mouth you have mislead people. On the other hand, to fail to teach is to mislead people even worse. To be a teacher actually means to be willing to take on some bad karma, in the service of making more good karma."

It was a weird concept to grasp at first, but as I reflect on this, it rings so true! When you teach, you inevitably take what you have learned and internalize it, so when you open your mouth, it's now got your own flavor and interpretation of it. To teach is not just to learn twice (or three or four times). To teach is to accept this huge responsibility to stay as true to the integrity of the material as possible, or deviate but be open about it, and say, this is the original thing, but here's a different take on it.

I think this concept is so important to anyone, teachers and learners. It also makes me feel really privileged to get to be in the teaching role, to inevitably mislead, in the service of yoga, and hopefully making some good karma :)

Day 28 - Slippery when wet

One of the yoga studios I go to, The Sanctuary Yoga in Redmond, is also a Spa, and they often have lotion samples in the changing room.

Today I got giddy with this new Zen lotion with ginger, and slathered it all over my body, *before* class. Imagine my troubles with Downward Dogs and Crows when I'm trying to get grounded on the mat. At first I wanted to kick myself in the head for this total lack of foresight. (I mean, I could technically do it in Dancer's Pose, I'd just fake it as an accident.)

Then during a moment of clarity I reminded myself of my mantra, "Everything is perfect".

So I just had to laugh at my slippery hands and feet, and the irony that sometimes, perfectly smooth hands don't necessarily make things go so smoothly.

Day 27 - A Yoga Mentor

Today I got a chance to meet up with Karen Herold, an extraordinary woman.

I was telling my friend Derek that I want to open my own studio someday, and he mentioned that he met this woman in his massage therapy class who's a CFO of a company, is a certified yoga teacher, and is planning on opening her own studio as well, so maybe I can get some advice from her.

A couple emails later, Karen gracefully agreed to meet up with me, and I am so grateful for Derek for having introduced us.

The amazing thing about Karen is not only that she's highly accomplished in her professional career, and has managed to follow her yoga ambitions (she's a Forrest trained teacher, and is opening her own studio in Redmond), but she also has three daughters, and she coaches on their volleyball teams, so she's an awesome mom too. (Oh yeah, did I mention she teaches yoga during lunch @ work?)

Me? I have lucky bamboos that require watering once every six months, and they still die under my care (or lack thereof).

What's different, and super inspiring about Karen is on top of being a yoga teacher, she has a day job. That gives me confidence that I can use the same drive and passion for yoga and maintain that in other areas of my life.

I also realized how cool it is to have a Yoga Mentor, not a Teacher, but someone to gently guide and inspire you.

*update* btw, the web site for her studio is up, check it out: Om Yoga Redmond.

Day 26 - Yoga and Aging, Part 1

*updated* I love this quote from Samuel Ullman:

"Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind... Whether sisty or sixteen, there is in every human being's heart the lure of wonder, the unfailing child-like appetite of what's next, and the joy of the game of living. In the center of your heart and my heart there is a wireless station; so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, courage and power from men and from the infinite, so long are you young."

I turned 26 three months ago, and the shift from 25 to 26 is pretty subtle, but at times can *feel* pronounced. All of the sudden, 27 seems not that too far off, and 30 is around the corner. I remember being 19 or so and thinking 27 was old, I mean really old. And now I'm within arm's length of it. In college, I had a friend who did Botox, "it's preventative," she said, and I'd laugh at how silly that was. And now I find myself looking in the mirror an extra minute after brushing my teeth at night, examining if there are new lines on my face. (I know, I'm admitting to my own fear and vanity.)

I came across this on Youtube, and was pretty interested in what Gurmukh, who's 58 years old, says about Kundalini Yoga, especially that, "You never have to grow old if you do Kundalini Yoga." IMHO, you can be "old" in age, and be in way better shape, mentally and physically than when you were younger, because you know more about yourself, and self-awareness, to me, is worth trading a couple years of my youth for.

Day 25 - Yoga Music

I've been reading Steve Ross's Happy Yoga: 7 Reasons Why There's Nothing to Worry About. It reminds me of when I would wake up and do yoga with him on the Oxygen network. He would play all these "non traditional" yoga songs, like No Woman, No Cry by Fugees.

I really like Steve's approach to yoga: "Without love, without humor, yoga is just a lot of hard work," he said.

I've started thinking about the songs I would play during my own yoga class, and here's my play list so far:

1) Always Love - Nada Surf
2) Be Here Now - Ray Lamontagne
3) Hands - Jewel
4) I'm Yours - Jason Mraz

Here's the vid to "I'm Yours". I've been playing it nonstop.

Day 24 - Acro Yoga

Today I went to Amber and Colin's non-baby shower. It is somewhat *weird* to see your yoga teachers outside of the studio. For that matter, it's weird to see your fellow yoga practitioners in other contexts too. It's like seeing someone from the gym in something other than gym clothes.

I was completely pigging out over this deliciousness of a vegan nuts, dates and strawberries pie that Kelly brought when everyone rushed to the living room to see Acro Yoga demos. I peeked in too, and saw a guy spinning another guy in various yoga poses.

It looked awesome! I met Tim, who teaches at Samadhi Yoga in Seattle, who shared with me the reasons why he teaches, and invites me to do some Acro Yoga. "I really really want to", I told him, "but I've overfilled myself with fruits and nuts".

It was a beautiful late winter afternoon, and the shining sun gave the illusion of more warmth than it actually provided. When I left, it had gotten dark and much colder, but I felt an inner warmth of being part of the Seattle yoga family.

Day 23 - Yoking

"If you are spending quality time with someone you love, you are doing yoga."

That's what Vidal, my Bikram yoga teacher at Hot Yoga of Issaquah told me once when I apologized for missing class because I was having dinner with my friends.

Today, I spent the whole entire day with my boyfriend. It was a very good day.