final photos for now...

I know, not the best photos but the girl you see is this years Yoga Championship Winner, Alicia. She is also a Bikram Teacher. This was a special press conference demo we had in the lobby of the hotel for the Mexican press and tv re Bikram doing his Teacher Training here in Acapulco. The demonstrators were all senior Teachers, and Alicia. So no, not us the students, I think we need a couple of years until our postures look like that. At least for most of us.

YIPEEEEEE week 8 is about to start and I'm ready, lets have some rocking Yoga classes and let me rock out that final posture, the Spine Twist, with confidence and strength.

And next Friday my dear husband is arriving, we also will have a talent show on that night - so many people here have special talents, are actors, musicians, dancers etc.

Well, I don't have that special talent...so will watch with enjoyment and pleasure what my fellow yogis and yoginis have to show!

Lots of love and see many of you very soon again,

K

Week 7 - more photos....

The top left is the view from my bedroom, top right, and bottom the first outing in 7 weeks!! We went to see the cliff divers in Acapulco, was really great to do a little outing but we're not used to the outside world and environment anymore....so pretty exhausted and were all looking forward to getting back to Yoga base!!

Week 7 - Sunday - some photos...

1st one - Mr. Bikram himself, the boss!

Week 7 - Friday - WHAT A WEEK

Well, where should I start.....I've just come back from the strongest class we have ever had in our 7 weeks Training! Which is what Bikram said and I felt super strong and it was Super super good! It keeps on amazing me this Yoga and this training....we've been absolutely killed and slaughtered by Bikram last night and the night before, had numerous students who had to be carried out of the room, breaking down, heat exhaustion or all over body cramping. And today, NOT ONE PERSON LEFT THE ROOM. We were strong, united and full of energy. This is all Bikram's plan, to kill us and then rebuild us. Touch wood, I've not had to leave the Yoga room so far and not experienced any bad cramping, just the occasional numbness in the arms.

Apart from that this week has been really a f.......difficult week. Beginning of the week I think half the students wanted to go home and just felt like they've seen it, done it and were ready to leave....so the atmosphere was strange. I felt like that too, did not have any energy. I've also lost a bit of my confidence in Posture delivery and then finally yesterday, when I delivered Head to Knee with Stretching - I finished after loosing a couple of lines and then said "this was terrible" and burst out into tears in front of 30 or so people.....I think it was a general emotional release of this whole training, the long days, the sore body, the mind having to learn the postures and the pressure of doing a good delivery. And people who know me, that I am a perfectionist and put pressure on myself, so I can be quite hard on myself if I don't perform well.
In any case the posture delivery was fine and it wasn't even terrible, that was just my perception.

It's amazing how many people actually go through a very similar process and feeling quite like I did.

Anyway, one more to go, the Spine Twisting Posture, I couple of people went today but I felt it was better to wait, learn it well over the weekend and make a good final delivery (or at least give my best).

As Bikram says, it's all about trying the RIGHT way.

The lack of sleep doesn't help when you feel a bit shaky anyway and then you have the women's cycle which can also play havoc with the physical and mental state.

Anyway enough of that.

It's now Friday evening and this week felt like a month for me....It's also the pressure of the reality hitting me that I will actually return to England as a Bikram Yoga Teacher (fingers crossed). And I will never again be able to practice in the studio as a student but as a teacher. So a whole range of emotions are involved in this new way of thinking. It's very exciting but also pretty scary.

TODAY IN ONE WEEK my dear husband will be arriving here in Mexico - I can't wait to see him and show him where I have been living for the past 8 weeks and the Yoga studio etc. It's all pretty impressive.

Tonight we have another video night with Bikram, I pray that it wont be past 1am. We all take pillows and ear plugs with us. The ear plugs because they play the film so loud and as we anyway only read sub titles it's more agreeable....

That's it for now.

1 week and 4 days to go. And we are one week ahead with posture clinic. So there might be some extra little posture delivery surprises awaiting us....I hope not and am worried where all the postures are in my brain, hopefully just ready to be used when I'm back in England!!!!

Lots of love,
K the Yogini xxx

Friday night - Week 6

Well, finished quite a hard week, with a Craig Class on Friday night!!! As you can imagine, it was super hot, super challenging - the speed he puts on for the Standing series is beyond - but it keeps you rocking I tell you!! My earlier tierdness has vanished (once again after an evening class). AND at the end, when Savasana started instead of a quiet moment the Reggae song, PLEASE DON'T WORRY, ABOUT A THING, EVERYTHING'S GOIN TO BE ALRIGHT.... and the whole room, over 300 People sang the song and clapped with their hands - what else can you do but cry after 6 weeks of Bikram Yoga Training and hearing this song after a Craig Class. People were hugging each other - moments like that make up for a long and challening week.

For those of you who don't know Craig, he is Bikram's left hand an basically our boss and managing this training - he is the BIG MAN so to speak and his classes are like an explosion.

Delivered two postures today and did really well, the teacher who evaluated me said: Awesome, you rock today!!

No free Friday night but posture clinic starting at 9pm. At least now Bikram lecture, which as you might remember, last Friday lasted until 4:15 am! So if I get to bed by midnight tonight, well, that's an early night for me :-)

A weekend ahead and not too many postures anymore to study - the End is getting closer and the mixed feelings about this are bizzare.

But need to study Bow Pose now, might be delivering a third posture today.

It's all going, never stopping, always forward, and as Craig says, we are riding the wave and should TRUST THE PROCESS.

Lots of love,
Katherine xx

Week 6 - Thursday FEELING FANTASTIC!!

Right, here my advice to you - if you ever feel completely run down, have the flu, are ill or just hungover - have a Vitamin B injection!! After sleeping only about 5 hours last night I woke up this morning feeling like I had a solid 12 hrs sleep and feeling full of energy! Just great.

This training keeps on amazing me, the effect it has on me and what I am experiencing here - your mood normally changes a couple of times within one day - from extatic to run down....and again to being happy!!

Posture clinic kick-ed off again today and presented the Cobra with Energy and power. While writing this I am listening to Bikram's Love CD which I bought - it's a bit cheesy but we have listened to some of the songs in the Yoga Room after class which was fantastic, the atmosphere - so this music will always remind me...who knows, maybe I can play a song after class back in London!!!

We are all slowly waking up to the fact that we will be a certified Bikram Yoga teacher in just over 3 weeks - and we are all quite scared about leaving this community to go back to our home studios and teaching a 90 mins class. My aim will be to A) not to forget any of the 26 postures B) not last much longer then 90 mins for the class and C) manage to get the students in and out of the posture. The rest is added benefit!!

Sending you all love and warmth,

Katherine XXXXX

Week 6 - Wednesday evening

At the moment I'm almost using this blog as my journal...especially after today feel the need to write down a couple of lines.

Well, I woke up this morning feeling dreadful, like when you have the flu - so weak. So I dragged myself to the doctor at 7am (24 hours onsite doctor service which the hotel provides) as I thought I had fever - but did not have fever, did not know why I felt like that, if I was just getting a cold or what. Anyway, to give me strength he gave me a Vitamin B injection - into the bum - which was soo painful - I then went to class, a bit panicky if I could make it in class - but as you might know, it's a very strict attendance policy and you would need a doctors notice if you can't attend and redo class at the weekend. Basically in these 9 weeks no class is allowed to be missed to get the certification. Anyway, I informed the staff and had a couple of outburst of Yoga crying and then settled into a very gentle class missing out some of the postures.

I felt a little better afterwards and during the course of the afternoon I improved. And did tonight's class again with nearly 100% energy - I DON'T UNDERSTAND! Such weird physical and mental things are happening right now - it is a bit scary you know but I know that I just have to acknowledge them and not get anxious about them.

But I am pretty glad when today is over - I wish I could go to bed now and rest and sleep but as everyday we have an evening program with a lecture tonight by Bikram's wife.

At times the lectures are more tuff then the Classes...I wont go into more detail right now but people who have done training know what I'm talking about!

I think a lot of people are feeling exhausted right now and are seeking motivation, energy and vitality. Thank god we have each other and the 280 students supporting each other, talking to each other and giving each other hugs.

I miss so much my friends and family and home - it's not long to go now - just about 3 weeks to go!!!

I do hope you are all well and healthy and in good spirits, every day is a new day, a new beginning, a new opportunity to make it a good day, being positive and content.

No, don't worry, I'm not turning into some guru speaking wise words all the time but I tell you, being here you need to hold on to positive attitude and words as much as you can.

Lots of love,
Katherine the Yogini