yoga teacher training

So

18 July 2012 / pictures, ronni, yoga teacher training

I had a bumbley week, emotion-wise. For some reason over the weekend, I started feeling really down on myself in regards to the teacher training, in regards to my diet, in regards to everything! I tried to keep it on the down low, but it kept coming out in the form of random irritability and crankiness. I haven’t been to a yoga class in well over a week, and well, some days it was just not good. 🙁 I felt resentful of yoga, and the yoga lifestyle, and the…things required in my life to be a good yogi. Which you know, is just as messed up as when I was really into the evangelical church and always worried about being a good Christian. I just need to be ME, and “me” is a girl who does yoga but also likes to scarf down candy bars and eat bacon.

But I’m better now, sort of. Tonight we had a homework review and the leader, who is also our counselor, said that my feelings are normal and will come and go. It’s a roller coaster; she said to enjoy the ride!

I think part of my problem is that it’s mid-July, and that it feels like summer is practically over already, even though the Solstice happened less than a month ago. It’s been super hot outside, even uncomfortable for ME at some points (and y’all know I like the heat!), and it’s totally been feeling like summer. I’ve been craving a scoop of chocolate ice cream in a sugar cone, and I haven’t had enough cookout food. I’ve had TONS of pizza though….and I am covered in mosquito bites from hanging out outside with the neighbors from the next block Sunday night. Worth it.

I’ve been MISSING Disney World like a missing thing that misses stuff (not that I really fancy going in the middle of July, however). I want to eat loads of Iowa sweet corn. I want to visit my mommy in her new apartment. I ~~want~~ need a pedicure. I want to go to Half-Price Books and lose my freaking mind. I am LONGING too much and that is no good!

I’m sure I’ll snap out of this soon. In the meantime, here are some photos:

Aidan and Mommy!

I love summer!

I briefly got to have a s00j last week!!!!!

Best Curls Ever

Adam, the birthday boy on July 13

We’re having a thundershower right now. The breeze feels nice. I was going to take a shower (just got a big ass bottle of Dr. Bronner’s baby mild soap. I don’t care too much for the way it smells WHILE I’m washing with it but love the way I smell afterwards. Weird, I know), but because of the storming, I will wait until tomorrow. Now it’s time to play around on some websites before taking a book and heading to bed. Possibly a snack first. I’m still hungry.

Till next time!

3 Comments

OK, Then.

10 July 2012 / pictures, ronni, yoga, yoga teacher training

I almost put “Happy Monday” as my subject, then I looked at my menu bar and saw that it is indeed, Tuesday. Of COURSE it’s Tuesday; I had my teacher training today. We worked on seated twists. It was good. One of the twists–I went into a bind (with some help) and I DEFINITELY felt it where I get my side pains. I’m hoping the twist wrang out whatever causes that pain. Cause that’s what twists do, you know. They wring out your organs and detoxify them.

I kinda got my wish Sunday. I didn’t get to be in a TON of nature but I did get to sit under a tree and read. 🙂 I had to do some yoga poses. Here’s my favorite:

Rock ‘n Roll Ustrasana

I had a good time at the park. The weather was perfect, I had my tree, and it was peaceful. Definitely needed that recharge. 🙂

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Teach

4 May 2012 / pictures, reflection, ronni, yoga, yoga teacher training

As I move along in my training, I’ve started giving thought to the kind of yoga teacher I want to be. For a while, I’d thought I wanted to teach children, but no. Then I thought about teaching hatha–for I enjoy hatha yoga the most. I’ve also thought about restorative yoga. See, I’m not an athletic person. I don’t like aerobics, unless it’s low impact. I like cardio, but I do not like running, jumping, that sort of thing. So what business would I have teaching it?

I like hatha yoga because it allows one to really get into the pose. You hold the poses longer than you would in vinyasa (which is more of a flow) or ashtanga (which is pretty aggressive), but you’re still working. BELIEVE ME, you are still working. I like that deep work in a pose, especially the heart openers or the hip openers or the forward folds. Like, when you’re right at your edge, and you think you can’t take it anymore, then something releases, and you relax into the pose. Love that.

I want to be the kind of teacher who helps her students *get that*. Who inspires them. I want students who love and respect me, and who generally enjoy coming to my class. But right now, I’m having a hard time taking myself seriously as a teacher, probably because I’m still SUCH a student. And it’s true–one is always a student of yoga–but I’m REALLY a student! One day I was practice teaching, and it just felt so weird to tell people to do things and watch them actually DO IT. I’m sure that’s something I’ll get over… but it’s still a bit odd.

I can’t ignore the fact that instead of singing in the shower, most of the time I’m making up yoga practices, or practicing my cueing. Is that weird? Sometimes I can’t sleep because I’m trying to put together the perfect practice in my mind. Yeah, it’s definitely weird.

Every week in teacher training, we practice teach, either with a partner or a small group. I’m learning that I am SILLY. I’m going to be one of those teachers, like Moksha’s Rich Logan, who’ll have the entire class cracking up while trying to hold a pose. And honestly? I would LOVE that. Yoga doesn’t have to be all serious and frowny face all the time. I love when I can laugh during a pose. A lot of people do. His class was packed today!

I know I have time to worry about it, and I have time to find my voice. First, I need to get the cueing down and keep learning as much as I can. Then everything else will fall into place, just as this entire journey keeps falling into place. I can’t believe how amazing it’s been.

linking up here:

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Cray Cray

28 April 2012 / life, pictures, yoga, yoga teacher training

You guys, I’ve been so busy. Somehow, I still found time to play FarmVille though…BUT ENOUGH ABOUT THAT.

Ahem.

Seriously, when I filled out my planner, I swear it didn’t LOOK like *that* much was going on. But I guess looks are deceiving. Because now it looks a LOT more full. Maybe I had a veiling mechanism in place to keep me from freaking out.

What do you think?

All I know is that the life planner is a life saver. Seriously. I don’t know how I lived without it. And I swear, no one is paying me to say these things. It really is that awesome.

Monday, Adam and I ran errands. We went out to the mall to get more glassware (I’d developed an aversion to our plastic cups because they tasted like dishwasher soap–ew) and a few necessities. We also hit Stanley’s to get fruit and other yummy goodness. Tuesday was a whole day of yoga teacher training, where we worked on Balancing Poses pt. 2. We also worked on some advanced poses. YES LORD, they were advanced! Poses like Utthita Hasta Padangustasana (Extended Hand to Big Toe) and Natarajasana (Lord of the Dance). (The main reason I constantly use the Sanskrit names for the poses is that I have to know them! I’m considering making or purchasing flash cards, seriously.) Anyway, Natarajasana just about did me in! Even though I was against the wall, it was still REALLY HARD. Whew.

Wednesday was yoga, practice teaching, and a lecture. Oh, and I got my first apprenticeship sorted. I’m going to be apprenticing with Amber Cook. I am SO excited, you guys. Amber is amazing. She’s beautiful (inside and out), strong, smart, and one hell of a teacher. I’m going to learn so much from her! My apprenticeship starts in June. 🙂

Thursday was more yoga, meeting with a friend, and hitting the library. Friday, I stayed the heck home and caught up on some homework (assignment is due this upcoming Monday) and talked to my mommy. YAY. Imagine my surprise when I called her and Aidan answered the phone! Aidan’s dad surprised her by bringing Aidan to see her for the weekend, which I know made her month.

Life is wonderful, you guys. Pleasantly busy and full of good stuff. I’m crazy about my yoga teacher training classmates. I look forward to seeing them when I go to class and when I’m hanging around Moksha. I’ve been running into yoga friends I haven’t seen in months or years lately and it’s been so cool seeing their faces. Seriously, the community at Moksha is amazing, and I am so blessed to be a part of it. Weather is still stinking cold, but it’s supposed to warm up next week. I doubt it’ll actually stay warm, but one or two days is better than none, and definitely better than this 30s-50s crap we’ve been having lately.

Saturday (today), I have homework, homework, homework. The sutras questions are kicking my bootie. They’re so hard! But the Anatomy Coloring Book is fun. 🙂 Then I have the Urban Priestess Workshop with Ashley Turner which I hear is going to be um, AMAZING. And then Sunday will be super busy again. Master Teacher Roundtable (I’ve never been to one of these, so I’m interested in what it’s going to be like. I have to attend a bunch for my certification.), lectures, yoga class. Moksha River West is indeed my second home. And then the madness starts all over next week! But I’m not complaining. No way. 🙂 This life is a blessing.

But now I’m going to go and read. I’m jumping between three books now: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, There is no Dog, and Akata Witch. Plus my text books for training. Multitasking much?

Oh, and that first picture? Yeah. There is a stuffed Beast now. It EXISTS, you guys. IT IS A THING. It must be mine. But maybe once it stops being $29.50. If it doesn’t sell out before I can scratch up the cash for such a frivolous purchase. He’s so cuttteeee. I wannnnttt itttt!

OK then. Bye for now!

11 Comments

Two Good Days

10 April 2012 / happy, life, pictures, yoga, yoga teacher training

This week is already awesome. I mean, Aidan is here so how can it be bad anyway, right? 😀

Yesterday started off with a great phone call from a client, then a trip out to Oakbrook for some shopping. Aidan tried out the really fancy $3000 massage chair that has zero gravity, scans your body to properly determine the massage, and it is AWESOME. Aidan asked why the Easter Bunny didn’t bring him one of THOSE.

Aidan Trying Out The Fancy Massage Chair at Brookstone

I’m pretty sure that Brookstone is the real life version of SkyMall.

We also had lunch at The Cheesecake Factory where Adam managed to find something that was kosher enough for Passover. I had chicken romano, like I always get, and my favorite dessert, the lemoncello.

Frankly, Cheesecake Factory isn’t my favorite place to eat. The portions are way too large, even the lunch sized ones. But that dessert. Gah gah gah.

Yoga teacher training was good today. I was kind of dreading it because as you know, I’ve been feeling really tired and listless. But it was good! I got my front seat again, and I got to teach with my favorite partner again. Today we did a lot of standing forward folds, including my favorite, Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide-Legged Forward Fold). Y’all. I think this is my favorite standing pose EVER. Even more than Warrior I or II, and DEFINITELY more than Side Angle or Triangle.

Source: yogajournal.com via Ronni on Pinterest

Doesn’t it look heavenly? I can’t get my head all the way to the floor. I have to use a block. But if I keep practicing, one day my head WILL touch the floor. Touching your head to the floor drains all the worries and stress out of you and gives it to the earth. It’s true. I feel a hundred pounds lighter when I come out of the pose. Awesome.

Tomorrow I will take it easy. I have to start studying hardcore–big quiz on Tuesday. I have a lecture tomorrow, but it’s not until the evening. Should be good.

I need a massage so badly. It’s time to go ahead and schedule one for next week. Maybe a pedicure as well for good measure–as long as the weather warms up nicely enough for me to wear the flip flops home. The cold is certainly not giving up easily. We’ll get a day in the 60s but then we have to pay for it with a day like today, when the high didn’t get out of the 40s. I’m really OVER that cold bite in the air. I’m ready for mild temps. It LOOKS like Spring outside, but it still feels like November. Bah.

So. Not sure if you remember I got an Erin Condren Life Planner recently. I have to tell you one thing. IT IS SO WORTH THE COST. I use it every single day, and I take it everywhere. It’s been so helpful. AND the 2012 ones are on sale now. If you’re looking to try one out, now’s a good time to do so. I definitely plan on getting one for 2013. Wonderful investment. 🙂

And now, I leave you with this cuteness.

OK then. ‘Til next time.

8 Comments

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