Yoga Teacher Training.

What an experience!! Yoga teacher training was more amazing than I ever could imagine. It started in March and we graduated last saturday night. I am very sad that it is over. We all learned so much from Juliana. We covered every subject you could possibly think of. We spent a lot of time on yoga philosophy, we covered swamis, asana, pranayama, mudras, bandahs, tratica, chair yoga, teaching technique as well as too many other things to mention.

When it first began I was very upset because I really thought that I would not be able to do it. We started every session with a class that was much stronger than the classes I had been taking. I remember crying to Ruth (my very best yoga bud) that I wanted to quit because I felt it was too hard. I was wrong. In the end my practice got so much stronger and not only did I finish the training I kicked it's ass. :)

I must say I am very proud of myself. I set this goal a long time ago and when I did that it was really more of a dream then a goal. There was a time there that I thought it wasn't even going to happen. I really had to work hard to get all the paperwork that was required by the Yoga Alliance in order for Juliana. I promised her that I would help her get everything that was needed by her school filled out and sent in because I knew if I didn't do it, it wouldn't happen. I was right. I did it and it happened. Now my dream has come true and I am a yoga teacher. Even Richard Simmons is proud of me. He said so in a really sweet email to me. Yep I am proud.

I taught class at Vatsu Yoga last Friday and I will be teaching at Juliana's studio when she goes on vacation. Joy also asked me to sub for her at the Yoga Source when she goes on vacation in August. Things are happening. Just not fast enough for me. :)

I have been also offering up very inexpensive or free privates on Facebook just to get started. I'm hoping Debbie Wolff will ask me to sub at her studio too. I need to get myself a weekly gig. That's the next thing to do.



Wish me luck. Namaste!!

The Best Yoga Workshop EVER

I got up early this Sunday morning to go to Juliana's forward/backbend 3 hour workshop and I am so glad I did. There were 10 of us there so Juliana paired us up into 5 groups. My partner was Wendi who I've known for years. She is a fellow Coach freak as well as a yoga freak so we have lots in common. She turned out to be the perfect partner for me today.

Juliana had us sit back to back so that we could feel each other's warmth, breath and energy. Wendi did a forward bend as I did a backbend on her. Then I did a forward bend and she backbended on me. We spotted each other while doing alternating forward and backbends, triangle, tree and full forward and backbends. It was two and a half hours of Juliana teaching us how to spot our partners. In other words, she was teaching us to be yoga teachers. It was really wonderful. It made me really look forward to what is coming in March.

Full forward bend

We also did lots of work alone on our own mats. Hip openers, inversions, spinal twists and lots of down dogs. I really felt like it was the beginning of my teacher training. I think it was a dry run for Juliana's teacher training skills. She was fantastic. I can't wait to start up.

Downward facing dog

I worry about where I will teach once this is all over but the universe has a way of putting things in your path to make good things happen. I'm sure I will find a class to teach somewhere. I really feel that I can help beginners to start their practice and learn to love yoga as much as I do. Namaste!

It's been too long.

I was just fixing up Juliana's blog to reflect the teacher training that will be starting on March 19 and it made me realize that I have been neglectful of my own blog. It's amazing how quickly time passes. Here it is February 19 already. It really seems as if time is going faster as I get older. I remember my mom telling me "you turn around once and you are 65" and I see it's true. Well, almost true. I'm 58 not 65. :)

OK, let's see, what's been going on with me? Kerry came home to spend my birthday with me last month and it was the best present that I ever could have gotten. I am so in love with that child and I feel lucky every day to have her in my life. She has grown up into a wonderful, caring young woman and I couldn't be prouder of her.

Today she starts the interview process with the Masters program acceptance committee at UF. Her advisor, Charlie, has already made it very clear that she will be accepted into the program but she has to go through the process anyway. I think it will be pretty stress free for her. I would be thrilled if she decides to stay at UF.

Next week she goes to Notre Dame for her PhD interviews there. They want to meet her so badly that they paid for her airfare, hotel and food for the interview weekend. I know she is very excited about the prospect of starting her PhD at such a well known school but it's in South Bend, Indiana which is far away and VERY cold. I'm sure she will go there and knock their socks off. I'm still hoping for UF. I'm Mom. What can I say?

I start my yoga teacher training on March 19th and I am extremely excited about it. I finally will be learning to teach yoga from my guru, Juliana. Anyone who knows me knows about Juliana. She has changed me in a profound way. It's going to be about 4 months of learning about yoga philosphy, anatomy, asanas and teaching classes. I'm also thrilled that my very good yoga bud Ruth is doing it with me. I love Ruthie and it'll be nice to have her with me to study and practice with. I've started reading the required books and I am ready to go. I feel as if a new path is opening in my life and it's a very good thing.

I am also very excited about some upcoming things that I'm not ready to put in writing yet but I know about them and so do the people involved. I can't wait until March 24th.

Last month I decided to cut my hair really short. Now I know that this may not be a big deal to a lot of people but it was HUGE for me. I was upset about it until Pat came home the day I cut it and told me that he loved it. After that people started telling me that I looked 15 years younger and asked me if I lost weight. That was when I realized that I finally had the right haircut. LOL I will post some picture once Kerry brings my camera back from Gainesville.

As you can probably get from this blog entry, I am very happy and excited about life. I've got the most wonderful family and friends in the whole world. I am brimming over with joy. How lucky can one girl from Long Beach be? :)

2010-A new decade

Ok, well, here we are. It's January 1, 2010. It's hard to believe. I remember when I was a kid I would think to myself that I would be 48 in the year 2000. It seemed so old and so far away. Fast forward to now. It's 2010 and I'm 57 turning 58 in a few days. My mom was right. "You turn around once and you're 65". It seems that the older I get the faster it's going.

I'm excited about the upcoming year. I'm going to start my yoga teacher training in a few weeks and I should be finished and ready to teach at the end of April. I'm very excited about starting my new life as a registered yoga teacher. I truly feel that a consistent yoga practice helps ground you and allows for happiness and joy. I am always very grateful for what I have after a good yoga practice. That's why I'm going to Joy's class in a little while. In my opinion, there is no better way to start the new year.

Kerry's life is in flux but she will figure it all out this year. She is sending out application to University of Chicago, Colorado State, University of Michigan, Notre Dame and some other schools as well. She is hoping to get accepted to a PHD program somewhere. I'm thinking that someone somewhere will want her. She has so much to offer. She is very passionate about her research and her field. She's got good GRE scores, great letters of recommendation and lots of experience. I think she will be a huge success. I'm not real happy about her moving so far away but she promises that it won't be any different that it is now. She says that she will be more likely to come home because she won't have to make the 5 hour drive anymore. Let's hope so.

I have made 4 resolutions as Richard has asked me to do. They are as follows:
1) Finish yoga teacher training, obtain my certification and teach a class.
2) Stay positive
3) Do some kind of exercise 5-6 times per week
4) Continue to be happy

I think these are doable goals which is important when setting goals. They must be able to be acheived. I have decided to add one more resolution and that is to be more consistant with this blog. On looking back on this blog I realize that it's like a diary. I like having all this info to look back on.

I am looking forward to Tim Tebow's last game as a Gator tonight in the Sugar Bowl. Kerry is coming home from Ft Meyers to watch the game with me. What a fantastic way to start the new year. Yoga class and Gator football with Kerry. Go Gators!!

So that's it for now. I am looking forward to a wonderful 2010. Off to yoga class I go. Namaste!