Somewhere in the last couple of months the joy slipped away from my Bikram practice. Fall ‘09 Teacher Training is on the horizon and money must be raised/saved. Not a natural fundraiser, (my family bought the band chocolate and softball raffle tickets) I get a headache imagining ringing doorbells, explaining Bikram, explaining TT, explaining me!
Lost in my own fears and worst case scenarios, the phone rang and an old friend was there to say exactly what I needed to hear in the only way I could hear it. “Don’t sweat the money stuff.” Right. There’s clearly enough sweat in the practice. So, with chest up and heart out, I set my intention to enJoy my practice again!
Archive for the ‘Bikram Teacher Training’ Category
Joy.
Monday, June 8th, 2009What is #bktt?
Monday, April 27th, 2009#bktt is a hashtag used on Twitter to follow Spring 2009 Bikram Teacher Training. Anyone can search #bktt and follow the conversation. Bikram TT is a 9-week training that usually goes all day into the night and often into the next early morning. The first practice is this afternoon and apparently it’s in a large tent. Hmmm, can’t wait for the tweets….
Adrenaline
Monday, April 27th, 2009Today is the first class of Bikram Yoga Teacher Training. Imagine Bikram Choudhury stepping into the yoga studio; it’s your first time to see him up close and in his yoga attire, there are 300 other yogis all trying not to go ga-ga over the man, and you have to complete the 90-minute series without losing your peace or your lunch!
Just thinking about it gives me jitters. What are those jitters? I used to think a little pre-game nerves was good for me, until I almost drown in my first triathalon! No kidding, the gun went off and my heart began racing way ahead of me. I didn’t even make it 50yds before my arms turned to stone. I had to turn over on my back for at least another 50yds just to keep swimming. I was pretty much devestated. I had swam everyday at 6am for months, run in sleet and snow, biked in rain and mud. What the heck was happening to me!? Adrenaline! There’s nothing to do when the adrenaline has been released but ride it out or, in my case, float it out. I can imagine that the sheer excitement of beginning the epic journey that is Bikram TT could push people from jitters to adrenaline overload. I suggest a few private Pranayama breathing before the first practice. At least there’s no gun in the Bikram TT!
Tweet and Train?
Sunday, April 19th, 2009
tweeter from ejphoto.com
Yes! Tweet me: all about the studio, the hotel guests, can you make smoothies in your room, what are you eating, how far to the ocean, how far to Joshua Tree, and on and on on on. Bikram bodies want to know!
The only teacher training blog that I’ve read is YogaJenn’s at yogabootcamp.blogspot.com. She realizes by Day 8 that folks know about her blog and are actually following it. Later she writes just briefly about Senior Staff questioning the wisdom of blogging during training.(1) Can you truly uncover the deepest parts of yourself, attend to what you find, and communicate to the masses, all without compromising what could be incredible moments of growth? The assumption here is that a Bikram trainee is there to do some tearing down, some self destruction with the hopes that what’s left standing is a better version of her self. Which could only lead to her being a better Bikram teacher. Right? Maybe. I’m guessing that many a trainee has already hit their walls, slayed their demons and lived to train with The Boss.(2)
Tweeting, blogging, late night calls to our loved ones are inevitable precisely because Teacher Training is not boot camp.(3) The Bikram Staff should talk amongst themselves about their thoughts and reactions to the new media.(4) Then, at Teacher Training Orientation, take a minute to let folks share their concerns, assumptions, and as a class, create guidelines of respect for tweeting and blogging. I can’t wait!
1. Can’t find the post. YogaJenn, you out there…… ?
2. Bikram, not Springsteen.
3. Military plebes don’t have access to their phones, computers, friends or family during their training. But, they are paid!
4. And then tweet it.
