Yoga Teacher Training: Week 7

Tuesday was a practicum class at Sutra. Highlights of the class were different transitions and the guided visualization of bright light passing through the body at the end. I’m filing these away for future use. Afterward the girls and I went to Main Ingredient for dinner and drinks. I enjoy my time with my yoga buddies!

Our lecture on Ayuvedic Science taught me I may have a Vata imbalance and some of what that entails. After we went over Pitta I suspected I could have a Pitta imbalance as well. I wished the teacher would tell me what he thinks I have but sadly he would not. I guess he wants me to figure it out for myself.(I later took a quiz on finding out  your dosha, and just as I suspected, my results said Vata and Pitta.)

My pre-yoga Saturday had included running 6 miles as part of my training for the Fiesta Bowl Half Marathon in December, so I was hoping we wouldn’t have too much movement during yoga. But our next two hours were spent working on Side Plank, Head Stand, Hand Stand and other poses. (Boy, was I sore the next day.) I first tried Head Stand next to a wall, but my teacher encouraged me to try it once away from the wall. She was there to catch me if needed, which reduced my fear. Doing it by myself the first time was such a cool moment;  I felt so accomplished. She then asked me to try it again and I did it! No more using the wall. (A few days later I tried Head Stand at home to see if I could do it again and I was able to four more times away from the wall!)

Later that day, we tried more arm balances, including Side Crow and Forearm Balance. I learned that I have been reinforcing bad habits by using the wall to practice. First I wasn’t activating my lower ab muscles, which was causing me to go into my back. I felt it in my abs the next day after doing it correctly. I’m so grateful for my encouraging and supportive yoga teachers for helping me improve and grow.

The lecture on Nutritional Science taught me I need to take a good look at my eating habits. (Don’t we all?) After that we spent the next two hours discussing the shoulder muscles and pinpointing them on each other’s bodies. It’s not my strong suit. We then went over and demonstrated twisting poses, which felt so nice after Saturday. For teaching practice I led the class to Head Stand, which I transitioned to from Malasana. An extra step to place the knees on the triceps would have made more sense, but I didn’t think about it in the moment.  You live and you learn. 

Now I need to persuade more people to let me teach them my sequences. …