Locking The Knee

So now I’m a certified Bikram Yoga Instructor (Licensed to Kill). I really don’t feel like one yet because I still haven’t taught a full class. I hope to teach one very soon though. Don’t worry, I’ll post how my first class turns out. For now I’m just trying to process and absorb this crazy nine week process that I’ve gone through. There are so many emotions and thoughts that I still need to work out. Teacher training is like living in a different world and in some ways my mind is still in the Yoga bubble. I know that my thought process has been permanently changed forever (in a good way of course). I see the world a little differently now, dare I say like a true yogi? — Maybe. I’m happy I survived the nine week process and I’m looking forward to exploring this new chapter in my life as a yoga teacher. I’m already thinking of when I might be able to visit the training again. I think it will be great to go back and view the training as a graduate and participate in posture clinics. I’m also looking forward to deepening my practice and knowledge of this yoga and it’s lineage. I’ve started reading Paramahansa Yogananda’s book Autobiography of a Yogi and I’ve begun to piece together the family tree from which this yoga stems from starting with Bikram’s guru Bishnu Gosh. In my professional career as a graphic designer, I have so many great ideas on how to help studio owners manage their marketing and design materials and I’m just getting started on some of these projects. I will keep everyone updated on the progress of projects that I’m completing for all the new and current Bikram studios as well as all the new developments that my company plans to create for the yoga community.

Week Nine – “Whirlwind to Graduation”
In some ways week nine felt similar to the first week of training. It was a big week and we had a ton of stuff to get through for graduation. Monday night Bikram had us up late watching a part of the Mahabharata, one of the  major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. It was probably the most important part – the Bhagavad Gītā. Bikram has been showing us parts of the Mahabharata throughout the training, mostly very late at night and this was the last time we were up late watching movies. Tuesday was such a long day, we had a film crew in the yoga room getting footage for a DVD video that Bikram is getting produced. They had a huge setup in the middle of the room with a camera on two rails that they could slide back and forth. They also had a large film crew with cameras mounted on cranes and other guys with cameras strapped to their shoulders. The class started at 5:30 and went until 8:00 and then they let everyone go except for people who where chosen to demonstrate postures. Each time we did a pose the camera crew would get into place to film two volunteers who were to demonstrate the postures. All of the volunteers were picked before class and I got a chance to demonstrate full locust pose. We didn’t get done until 11:00 and I was so exhausted, but the good thing is that I might be in the video! Wednesday was the advanced demo. Bikram and Emmy led a group of Bikram yoga teachers through the full set of 84 postures which make up the advanced class. It was a real treat to see Bikram practice, he really get’s into it and “attacks” each posture. I think the best part was watching Bikram teach Joseph Encinia the nauli breathing exercise which is a difficult technique done with the abdominal muscles.

Graduation – “Dancing all Night”
The day of graduation was very sureal. It was the very last day in our hotel which has been our home for nine whole weeks. That moring I woke up and had nothing to do but pack up my bags and wait around until it was time to get ready for the graduation ceremony to start at 3:00. The ceremony was really great, and it was so fitting that it was held in the same yoga ballroom that we had all our classes in. They just put up a stage and placed out a ton of chairs. My first thought was “ewww” it’s going to be so stinky in there during graduation because we’ve been sweating all over that carpet for nine weeks. Much to my surprise, it wasn’t all that bad and I didn’t notice any smell. The coolest part of graduation was the demo team. A group of guys and gals from our training we’re picked to represent us on stage. They performed the 26&2 series while Rajashree talked about the poses. These guys we’re amazing and they have been working so hard the past few weeks perfecting their routine with the help of former yoga champ Ashley Hooper. At the end of graduation we we’re called up one by one to get a photo with Bikram and our graduation certificate and then it was party time. After a very yummy dinner provided by Bikram, they set up a dance floor in the yoga ballroom complete with an amazing girl dj duo that were whipping us into a dance frenzy all night long. I danced until my legs cramped. It was so wonderful spending one last night will all my new friends. They are truly what made teacher training special. The next morning I boarded my flight and made it home safely. It’s great to be back and I’m looking forward to teaching my first class!

The Demo Team

Team10 - Graduation

The DJ

This entry was posted on Monday, November 21st, 2011 at 2:57 am and is filed under Bikram Yoga Teacher Training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.