A little bit of yoga and a whole lot of wine!

The week following training was filled with lots of miles, lots of yoga, and lots and lots of vino.  Here's a little recap (with lots of photos) for y'all:

Sunday/Monday

Helloooo gorgeous!  After we packed our rental car full to the brim with our “necessities” for the next week, Megann, Lascel and I headed down the 405 to Newport Beach.  It was pretty much paradise (well, aside from it being a bit too chilly for the beach… not that we let that stop us).  We had this beautiful condo/suite that overlooked the ocean, had tons of heated pools and Jacuzzis to pick from, not to mention the hot tub and dual-head shower we had IN our sweet suite!  There was even a life-sized game of chess where you could be your own pieces.  Our room came complete with a kitchen stocked with appliances and cookware… which we made use of when Lascel cooked dinner for us gals.  :)  We took our first Bikram class post training at Bikram Yoga Costa Mesa.

Like little kids in a candy store... this place is awesome!

First class post training :)

Wow, it would really suck to live in the OC...

Goofy-man making dinner.

Tuesday

We left our own little paradise and made our way back to LA to return the rental car and meet up with Sarah.  It wouldn’t be LA without treacherous traffic, so that delayed our start a bit.  We got some gas to fuel the car and coffee to fuel ourselves and then we were off on our coastal route northbound through California.   We stopped in San Louis Obispo for a quick game of tourist where we hit up a few wineries, saw a beach filled with sea lions, experienced an amazing sunset, and of course took some yoga photos.

Starting out with a little caffeine. 

Driving up "The 1"

Backseat Love

First winery of the trip! CHEERS!!!

Sea lions taking a nap

Wednesday

We woke up bright and early, checked out of our hotel and headed over to Monterey Bay to get in our yoga fix.  Sarah wasn’t up for yoga so she went back to Big Sur while Megann, Lascel and I practiced.  We brought our stuff with us to shower and change for our day of wine touring while we made our way to San Francisco.  When we got there, we found out that this studio was “old” and it was built before they required showers.  Not to worry though, they conveniently had a hose out back to wash off with!  This was an interesting experience all around.  It was our second “regular” class after training.  They had no showers.  They stayed on their mats the whole time, including the duration of the standing series.  The director was particularly funny about sweating and not getting a single drop on her carpet (not really the most manageable requests seeing as she owned a HOT yoga studio, but that’s neither here nor there).  She even cut up mats to elongate the regular sized yoga mats so no one would step beyond the boundaries of their mat. 

Holy SHIT that's cold!

Mmm, kombucha on tap after yoga... yes please!!!

Heller Winery in San Louis Obispo 

Wine filled chocolate truffles... ooooh yeeeaaah!

Thursday – Thanksgiving

Megann and I decided to go to Global Yoga, a studio owned by Mary Jarvis, who is a well-known senior teacher in the Bikram community.  We tried getting the holiday schedule from their website, nothing.  We called the phone number associated with their studio, nothing.  We checked their facebook page for an updated Thanksgiving schedule, nothing.  So, we figured since it was a holiday, if they were open they would probably have their 9:00 am class.  If not, well, it would only be a 9-minute walk in each direction, so no love lost either way.  We suited up and headed down Lombard Street to the Global Yoga Studio.  When we got there we realized why we couldn’t get any information about their holiday schedule… Global was now Body Temp Yoga with brand new owners.  So, we stuck around, rented towels and mats and made our way into the hot room.  It was the first hot yoga studio I had ever practiced in with wooden floors.  It was now the second studio where we stayed on our mats the whole class instead of straddling them for a part of the standing series.  The class was packed with everyone trying to get their yoga in before the holiday so Megann and I were each parked in separate corners of the room where there were conveniently open spaces.  We soon found out that the reason for these open spots was because they were directly in front of the blowing heaters, where no one else dared practice.  We are tough though, I mean, we did just finish 9 weeks of torture, so we embraced the heat and got our sweat on.  Sweating more than either of us had in a very long time, we completed the class with what looked like a pool around each of our towels.  We went to the changing room after and asked about a shower.  Nope, no such luck here either.   This studio didn’t have a hose out back as an alternative either, so we walked back to our hotel looking like drowned rats.  No complaints here though, we got a great Turkey Day yoga class in.  Not to mention that along the way, we stopped at a coffee shop for a cup of Joe, only to get hit on by Zeus and his tattoo artist son, “King” Triton.  They didn’t want to let us leave but somehow, our stinky selves managed to escape.

Next it was off to see the other side of Lombard, AKA the “crookedest street” in the world.  Then we stopped by Ghiradelli for some chocolate samples before making our way over to Muir Woods.  This is a state park in California with lots of Redwood and Giant Sequoia trees.  One of the neatest things here was the abundance of clovers, HUGE clovers.  These things were massive!  I was expecting enormous trees but never did I expect to see larger than life clovers.   On our way back to San Francisco, we made the necessary pit stop at the Golden Gate Bridge to take some obligatory photos.

A terrible shot of Lombard St.

Lascel and Megann enjoying a lil Thanksgiving chocolate

The gang at Ghirardelli 

Tree Pose with a REALLY big tree

Ridiculously big clovers

Yeah, those trees are massive!

Golden Gate Bridge

Of course, it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without a turkey dinner. We made a reservation on Fisherman’s Wharf at a placed called Capurro’s.  Out of the four of us, Sarah was the only one to order the traditional Turkey Day dinner with all the fixin’s.  Megann and I had the in-season, local, Dungeness crab.  MmmMmm.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Friday – Lascel Becomes a Teacher

On Friday morning, we were up bright and early.  Destination: Wine country with a pit stop in The Mission.  Lascel had the opportunity to teach his very first yoga class at Bikram Yoga in the Mission in San Francisco with studio owner Juicy Sanchez.   Nervous and stressed out, he wanted to get there early.  We arrived a half-hour before Juicy so we sat in the car, wondering and waiting for who was going to show up and introduce herself as Juicy Sanchez.  At 6:00 am, when a teeny-tiny, blonde woman with bright pink blushed cheeks walked up, looking around like she was expecting someone, we knew it was her.  Sarah went back to the hotel while Megann and I took Lascel’s class; he rocked it.  Ninety minutes later, the same bloke who was nerve ridden, anxious and stressed now sported a huge smile, a well-deserved one at that. He survived his first class up on the podium.  Lascel was officially a teacher.

Lascel and Juicy before his first class

Group 13 supporting Lascel in SF

Lascel and Juicy after teaching on the podium

After class, the three of us went down the street for coffee with Juicy.  She gave him pointers and feedback.  The one word she wanted him to make his mantra, “confidence.”  My dear friend, I know that will come in time.  I cannot wait to take your classes down the road. 

Then it was off to Sonoma; let the wine tour begin! 

When we got to our hotel, I somehow managed to make friends with the concierge and he upgraded our double room to a 3-bedroom suite!  SCORE!  Crappy hotel after crappy hotel, this was such a nice surprise! 

Saturday

After making it to seven wineries on Friday, we hit up another 10 or so on Saturday.  I only bought one bottle of wine along the way (mostly due to a lack of funds).  St. Anne’s Crossing, was a small winery that had some amazing zinfandels.  I just so happened to love one a little bit more than any of the others, so that bottle got to come home with me.  I can’t wait to have it when I get back. 

Sonoma

First winery of the Holiday Open House

In the wine cave

Cheers Ladies!

Little Vineyards

Not too shabby, eh?

With my new boyfriend... he's a bit stiff but he'll loosen up ;)

We really didn't want to leave... it's just so damn beautiful!

Strike a barrel pose

Juicy had texted and offered a morning class for me to teach the next day.  Since San Francisco was on our way south, it worked out perfectly.  The only dilemma was that we didn’t have internet at our hotel in Sonoma so finding a place to stay was a bit tricky.  Sarah wanted to go to a museum, so we were going to need to find a place near the yoga studio because we were on our own getting there.  Obviously, after 3 months of only spending money and not making any, price was a big factor too.  I called my sister and asked her to help us find a hotel near the studio that was reasonably priced and had two beds.  She found two, one was Element but they only had single beds, the other was El Capitan and they had a room with two full sized beds.  Since there were three of us, (we dropped Megann off and the SF airport to go see about a boy ;) ) we definitely needed more than one bed so we went with El Capitan.  Word of Caution: NEVER EVER STAY AT EL CAPITAN… EVER!  Honestly, sleeping in your car would be a better option.  This hotel was more like a hostel and a very dingy one at that.  We did have two beds, two beds on wheels that moved and squeaked if you tried to lay on it.  There was no toilet or shower, those were around the corner and communal, and very, very dirty.  There was an excess of pubes on one toilet and someone’s cigarette ashes on the other.  We didn’t even contemplate the showers.  There was no TV, radio, or clock but we did have a window that opened to the sounds of the city.  The room was rather warm so opening the window seemed like a natural solution, that is, until we realized that our room was now filled with bugs because that window had no screen.  Oh, fun times at El Capitan, fun times!

Yeah, this is where we stayed the night before my big day!

Oh, El Capitan... We won't be missing you!

Sunday

Today, it was my turn.  After what was quite possibly the worst night’s sleep any of us had ever gotten, Lascel and I went back to Bikram Yoga in the Mission for the 8:15 am class, taught of course by yours truly.  It felt like I stood up on that podium forever but in the end, it was exactly a 90-minute class.  I wasn’t as nervous as I expected.  After Pranayama Deep Breathing I was okay.  I even cracked a couple of jokes.  I also told my class to “point their knees.”  Yeah, I am not really sure how one would do that, but apparently I really wanted them to because I said it twice!  Oh the funny things that come out on the podium. 

After my class, Lascel and I stayed for the 10:00 lead by Juicy.  She is a very energetic young woman with a unique teaching style.  It’s very fitting, as her personality on the podium mimics her personality outside of the classroom.  Again, we went down the street for coffee and feedback.  This time, Juicy’s husband and daughter, Steve23 and California Poppy, joined us.  (Yes, those are their real names.  I’m not making this up!)  Juicy gave me two words for my mantra, “intensity” and “precision.” 

I am so grateful that Juicy let us to teach at her studio.   Her willingness to offer us classes and critique us was a huge help.  It feels great to get that first one under our belts.  As the saying goes, “you never forget your first time,” and I can guarantee that holds true here too.  Next time I make a trip to the west coast, I will make it a point to head back to the Mission and see Juicy.  Maybe she’ll even let me teach again… with intensity and precision of course!

With Juicy after my first time on the podium :)

The crew for my first class 

Monday

I woke up to embrace my last day in California by renting a car.  Since I hadn’t ever practiced at headquarters and I had never taken an advanced class before, I decided to drive over to the Bikram Yoga International Headquarters for a beginner’s yoga class followed by advanced.  At headquarters, senior instructor, 86-year old, Emmy Cleaves, teaches the advanced classes.  This eternally young firecracker will kill you in the hot room, and that’s just what she did to me.  That class was so hard.  I basically just tried everything but actually only did about 5%!  Of course, standing next to Emmy during this class, was none other than Bikram himself.  He called me out for my terrible spine twist.  “What you doing? This is easiest posture and you make it ugliest.  You pick up so many bad habits, I don’t know what the fuck you doing.”  He told another teacher in the room to “make sure Miss Blue understands how the fuck to do spine twist before she leaves.”  Needless to say, I’m Miss Blue and my spine twist needs help, a lot of help!

After class, the staff at HQ told me that they didn’t have a teacher for the 7:45 class that night.  I asked them if I could teach it.  They said yes.  I about shit my pants.  Why on earth did I ask to do that?  Teach a class, the second class I will have ever taught, that night, AT headquarters?!  What the hell was I thinking?!  I went back to the hotel, went over dialogue, did a wee bit of packing and then headed back to teach.  Lascel came with me for moral support.  I got up there, on the huge podium with Bikram’s big, orange chair (the one no one is supposed to sit in except him… whoops! Haha) and I did it.  I taught the class, microphone and all.  Lascel said that after class one of the guys in the locker room said, “wow, that was a great class, she was really good.”  Lascel turned and said back, “I know, and for her second class!”  When he told me that, I couldn’t help but smile.  He said that was one of the best classes he’d had in a really long time, and that made me smile even more.  Not only did I do it, I did AND they thought it was good!  It’s funny because the whole time I was standing up there, I thought, “oh man, I’m doing so terrible.”  It just goes to show that what they say is true, it’s not about me, it’s about them.  If they liked it, that’s all that matters!

Standing proud next to Bishnu Ghosh 

Headquarters

Underneath the HQ spotlight after teaching on the big podium.

Lascel being, well, Lascel... ;)

Tuesday

After 5+ hours in the hot room and less than two hours sleep, I got up and made my way to the airport… now toting along an extra bag that I didn’t come here with.  Thank goodness for Lascel.  I mean, how else is one little girl supposed to lug three suitcases to LAX?  Ridiculous?  Most definitely.  Why I needed all that stuff is beyond me.  Maybe one of these days I’ll learn how to pack for traveling.  I’m not holding my breath though… 

It was really hard saying goodbye to Laura last week but when I left her, I was on my way south.  I still had a week in Cali and I was still with Lascel.  Today, when I had to hug him for the last time before I went through security, it hit me.  I honestly have no idea when I will get to see either of them next.  I know we WILL see each other, I know we WILL be friends for life, but just the whole idea of saying goodbye and not knowing when or for how long we’ll be apart, that’s the hard part.  I already miss my yoga loves. 

Until next time my friends….

Namaste!

"Close friends contribute to our personal growth. They also contribute to our personal pleasure, making the music sound sweeter, the wine taste richer, the laughter ring louder because they are there."

Licensed to Kill

What a week!  What a journey!  This was the 9^th and final week of Fall 2012 Bikram Yoga Teacher Training.  As I’m writing this, I’m already reflecting on my life before this, during this, and simultaneously looking forward to how this experience has changed my life “eventually or in the future.” It felt like this day, the end of training, our graduation, would never arrive and now that it has, I have mixed emotions.  There have been countless highs and lows over these past couple of months.  I am ready, beyond ready for training to be over but at the same time I've made so many wonderful friends here and I'm going to miss them.  It's going to be a big change from seeing people for 18 hours a day to once a year at best.  (Though, making friends around the world definitely has it's perks!)

Friday night we had the most amazing yoga class I’ve ever taken.  It was our last class at TT so naturally that stirred up some emotions.  Despite not being able to take photos in the hot room, people were running around everywhere with their cameras and smart phones snapping pictures left and right.  The energy during that class was insane.  Apparently, it’s a well-known phenomenon with the locals about just how great the final class is so everyone shows up.  When I say everyone, I mean EVERYONE!  We literally had less than an inch between our mats because there were so many guests.  Just imagine, 443 trainees, all of our teachers and staff, PLUS additional parents, spouses, brothers, sisters, friends and random yogis in the community who came to the ballroom at the Radisson solely for this class.  It was unexplainable.  The energy was through the roof.  We showed up, all 443 of us wearing black, all black, nothing but black.  This ‘yogi in black’ concept was symbolic of all of us united as one but it had an additional bonus… you see, when Bikram teaches, he always calls people out by referring to them as “boss” for guys or “miss pink/blue/leopard/etc” for the girls. Now, when each and every one of us is wearing the same color, “miss black” could mean any one of us!  Hilarious.  He told us he loved the surprise even though it looked like we were all attending a Hindi funeral. 

With Boss himself before our final class

We all decided to screw the line assignments for our last class.  I was in the center of the 4^th row, squished between who else but my yoga husband and wife - Laura and Lascel. The room was hot, hot, hot.  It was a long and hard class.  Practicing between my two yoga loves and knowing full well that this would be the last time for quite awhile, well, it was bittersweet.  The class itself was just something that I can’t really put into words but the best part was the end, and that is even more difficult for outsiders to understand.  The final part of a yoga class is Savasana.  It’s where each person lies down on their mat and absorbs the benefits of the class.  After we finished breathing, Bikram had the staff turn off the lights.  Instead of the final savasana, the disco ball started spinning, the music was playing loudly, the silly string was being sprayed all over the hot room.  This was only the backdrop of everything else that was going on… lots of smiles, hugs, kisses, tears, and laughs.  Some people were even passed out on the floor, just glad that it was over.  Each and every emotion imaginable was flying high in that room.  It was like a ‘slow motion picture’  that no one can comprehend without insider information, and in this scenario, the only ones with that info were the 443 yogis in black.  It was spectacular and surreal.

Yogis in Black

Savasana

In front of Bikram's Orange Chair w/ Lascel

Of course, it wouldn’t be Bikram Yoga Teacher Training without having to stay up until the wee hours of the morning watching Bollywood, so naturally that is what we did after class on Friday to culminate our last night at TT.  The combination of the energy from the class we just took plus knowing that it was the final mandatory, late night, movie fest made it somewhat bearable.  

Saturday was graduation.  The day we had been anxiously awaiting for weeks on end.  It was the day we would receive our certificates and finally and officially be certified Bikram yoga instructors!  I was expecting something big, something exciting, and something that met or even better, exceeded the hype.  Unfortunately, Friday night into Saturday was a bit of a let down.  Actually, it was a dramatic let down.  Friday was so extraordinary and graduation was very anti-climatic.  It was so disorganized, not personal, and less than impressive for something we all had worked so hard for.  I guess I wanted something more to culminate and celebrate our achievements.  What was even more disappointing was that after we received our certificates and got our photos taken with Bikram, anyone of the “poor folk” (AKA – those who had to take out loans because they couldn’t afford the tuition) had to immediately give their certificates back.  There were staff members waiting to collect our certificates back before we even stepped off stage. For the 60 of us who took out loans, we don’t get our official documentation until we pay back our loan in its entirety.  That being said, for me and the other 59 certified and certificateless teachers, we weren’t able to engage in the certificate photos with our groups and in front of the Bikram sign.  It made the whole ceremony feel even less special.  Anyway, that’s neither here nor there and it’s over and done with.  I’m still a teacher regardless.  I still have my ‘License to Kill” even if I don’t actually have the physical proof. 

Licensed to Kill

Graduation Demo Team

Goofballs at Grad

To celebrate, Laura, Lascel and I went back to my room and popped open a bottle of bubbly.  It was our last night together and we made sure to enjoy it.  Laura and I stayed up well past midnight (I think I went to bed at 4:00 am… no Bollywood though!)  We talked for hours.  We laughed and cried.  I mean, it’s not everyday you have to say goodbye to your soul mate!  Only a few short hours later, that’s exactly what we had to do.  Before Laura left, we made a quick trip to Marina del Rey to get some bubble tea.  Then it was back to the hotel to pack up her luggage and head to the airport.  Saying goodbye was so hard, but even harder was watching her walk away not knowing when I’d see her next.  If this sounds like the plot out of a cheesy love story, it’s because it is!  The tears were just streaming down my face as she faded off into the terminal, Canada bound.  I miss you already my love!  “I’m feeling lonely… baby come soon.”

Fun w/ Bubbly

Bubble Tea!!!

As trainees, we have been through so much together.  We understand each other and no one else, not even other teachers from previous trainings can fully understand just what hell and happiness we have each endured over the last 9 weeks.  The reason is that through all of the good times, the bad times, the happy and the sad times, we have ALL gone through it together.  Even the people whose names we don’t know, those people whom we haven’t ever had a conversation, those people we may not really like very much for this reason or that, yes, everyone here has become this great, big family.  That bond is an undying understanding that will only continue to grow through the years.  We will forever be the team of teachers from “Fall 2012Teacher Training.”  Despite our dismay, the Radisson LAX will forever hold a special place in our hearts, even though we might never care to go back there EVER again! Now as teachers, we have so much to look forward to, including about 400 new places to visit to reunite with our new family, our lifelong friends.

Even though our massive 443 person family is something I am thankful to be a part of, there are a few smaller families I will miss immensely:

LUCKY 13 – I feel so LUCKY to have been a part of such an amazing posture clinic group filled with so many wonderful people and an insane amount of love.  You all gave me the courage, strength, and support to get up day in and day out despite my struggles and lack of confidence.  I have grown a tremendous amount and so much of that is because of you all.  For each and every one of you, I am grateful. I have a special place in my heart that will forever me marked with the title “lucky 13.”  That my friends, will NEVER die! Love you all!!!

Lucky 13

We did it guys!

Caramello Sandwich – Laura and Lascel, I honestly don’t know how I would have survived TT without you.  I came here with the intent that I needed to complete 9 weeks to walk away with my certificate.  I ended up walking away with so much more.  You two have been the everlasting light in what was so often a dark hall.  I cannot even begin to describe how sad I am to have to say goodbye.  We have made so many amazing memories, had countless laughs, sang our hearts out to loads of country songs (despite Lascel’s protests), enjoyed who knows how many samples, drank lots and lots of coffee and perhaps eaten even more chocolate.  Above all, we have embarked on the journey of a lifetime.  No, I am not talking about teaching yoga, I am referring to the unequivocal friendship that we have built.  I feel so fortunate to have met such amazing people with whom I connect with on such a deep level.  I have childhood friends, high school friends, college friends, and work friends but never did I imagine that in a matter of weeks, I could make such strong, unwavering friendships which I know will last a lifetime.  In such a short time, I met two of my bestest friends in the whole world.  It might sound silly to some, but I strongly believe in ‘love at first sight’ and this is merely proof.  I FREAKIN’ LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

Caramello Sandwich :)

Laura – my yoga girlfriend - I honestly think I came here and I met my soul mate.  I don’t quite know why I came down to the pool that day during week 2 but it might have been one of the best decisions of my life.  Getting sick and not leaving the Radisson was less than enjoyable but nonetheless, it let me to you and my heart is already breaking as you are on your way back to Canada.  The caramello flatbread just isn’t as good.  It’s missing something; it’s missing you!  The border patrol better get used to seeing us because we are going to be spending quite a lot of time crossing back and forth!

Lascel -  my yoga husband – what can I say, you are such a goddamn goofball!  Not a day goes by where you don’t make me laugh… at least 100 times!  You are just so flippin’ awesome, even if you don’t like country music! I hate that England is so far away.  I don’t know what I’m going to do without you.  Other people might not understand the dynamic between the two of us, but you know what, they don’t have to!  You are one of the most genuine people I have ever met and the fact that you didn’t change your name before training goes to show that we were meant to be in the same posture clinic group… LUCKY is right!

Now that Teacher Training has run it’s course, I am going back to NH where I will make use of my brand new License to Kill.  Before that though, I want to explore another passion of mine… wine.  For the next week, I’m going to be driving up the coast and doing some wine touring before heading back home.  Stay tuned for the next chapter... 

Namaste!

“There are moments that mark your life, moments when you realize nothing will ever be the same, and time is divided into two parts – before this and after this.”