Bikram Yoga Teacher Training – Fall 09 is in the 3rd week, so congratulations to all the students who made it to the Las Vegas torture chamber! For those of us who haven’t been, we can only try and imagine what it might be like, physically and mentally and emotionally.
I’ve met a few yogis in my travels who are currently at Fall 09 Teacher Training and I’ve asked if they would like to write a few words in the coming weeks. I’m not interested in gossip, rumours or exposing the students to judgment, so the guest posts will of course be anonymous, providing just a snapshot of what’s going on in their head, heart or body at that moment in time. So here goes…
Teacher training week 1
Having worked up to this moment for the last two years I was full of all sorts of emotions as I landed in Las Vegas. I’d spoken to so many people and heard so many stories that I really didn’t know what to think. I’d heard how they try and brain wash you, how they will test you and make it as hard as possible, find your weak spots, and work away at them. And all of this is true and I’m sure will become much more so as the weeks go by. What people didn’t talk about so much, was just how bloody great the training is. They didn’t tell me just how amazing Bikram is. His energy, his charisma, his sense of humour (thought I was going to choke laughing in Rabbit pose the other day as he was talking about women and PMS). More than all of that, they didn’t tell me just how amazing he is as a teacher and a leader generally. Watching him listen to hundreds of people recite Half Moon and hearing him say just what everyone needed to hear was qutie inspiring. They also didn’t say much about his spirituality which I think oozes from every pore. And that’s just Bikram. Rajeshree has been an absolute delight, her soothing voice (with steely determination running beneath it) and her incredible warmth. We have been told time and time again to just ‘trust the process’ and at this point in time I really do, more so that I ever thought I would. I get what they are trying to do and how they are trying to do it and I do think it will work. I think there will be times when I will want to leave and go home, cry and never watch another Bollywood movie in my life but I am sure it works and I am as happy as a pig in ***t.
With Mine Taylan (
Getting home at 1am in the morning we jumped online, booking Erik in to the 8am class. With only one place available for the 10:30, I strategically convinced Erik he should sign up (my escape clause) and I would try my luck on the day. We then fueled up: 2 beef steaks for Erik, 2 salmon fillets for me, both grazing over a mountainous Feta Salad before getting 5hrs shut eye.
Joshua’s class was up there with the best and it’s hard to believe he’s only been teaching since Spring 2008 training. His international English flavoured the dialogue with trusted knowledge and good humour, although by camel pose my lump was in the wrong place and I slowed a little before the final savasana, bathing in the sweat bath that remained around our mats. Yeah.. ewgh!
