Yoga Update

Okay, so when I last posted, I was going up to Kripalu for the weekend. Well, Kripalu was wonderful; more than I bargained for in fact. I found that even with all the reading, introspection and yoga that I do, I still felt like a fish out of water and was very much intimidated by being there. It was a little like being at college again for the first time. I was entering a space where I knew one person and she wasn't even going to be around the whole time. I would be lying if I said I wasn't uncomfortable. After stepping back from it all, I realize that my discomfort came from the fact that even though I can talk the talk when it comes to yoga and the yoga lifestyle, I still don't always walk the walk and therefore felt like a "fake" and like I'm putting on a show.

My internal discomfort not only came from my own perceived personal hypocrisy, but also from the pranyama(breathing) exercises that were done during the workshop I was helping with as well. The theory goes that if a person suppresses their emotions, the pranyama; dhirga in particular, can dredge up those emotions and make them free floating in the body, resulting in spontaneous crying, as it did with me. As a result, I became overwhelmed enough that I left Kripalu before the BEST musical performance of the weekend; Yo Yo Ma! Yep....my experience was that profound and overwhelming, that I had to leave because for now it was more than I could handle.

Despite the emotional discomfort I felt while I visited Kripalu, I would go back in a heartbeat. The grounds are so beautiful and so peaceful and everyone is so nurturing and accepting. Being there is like being enveloped by a HUGE hug......however, if you aren't ready for it, as I was, it can be like getting a hug from a complete stranger.

So.....what does this mean for my yoga practice? Well.....less than a week after I returned from Kripalu, I was in a Latin Impact class and asked the instructor if LA Fitness pays (like a scholarship) to get people certified so they have class instructors for their gym. She said no, but AFAA (American Fitness and Aerobics Association) was having workshops which they were charging only $99 for (as opposed to $300) in the month of September. They had a yoga workshop available that I registered for immediately. The workshop was yesterday! Woo Hoo! I can now teach yoga within a gym setting.

This by no means is a "true" yoga certification, but it's a step in the right direction for now and I can get some teaching experience which I desperately need. I've recently learned of a YTT at a local yoga studio right in my town. Saraswati's Yoga Joint has a thorough and comprehensive 200 hour training program that meets every other Friday, Saturday and Sunday for 3 months. The cost is not that astronomical that it's out of my reach, so I think I will do it if my application gets accepted.

I get butterflies in my stomach when I think about it. The idea of doing what I love and sharing that with the world brings me to tears. The excitement and the joy along with the fear and anticipation make me giddy. The signs keep pointing me in this direction. All I can do is honor my heart and answer its call.

Until next time.....

Thanks for reading!

Kristen

Yoga Focus

So.....bad news. My trainer has moved onto another gym to take a better paying job, so that concludes my personal training. Oh well. That's okay.....my focus had shifted for a short while there away from excelling in my yoga practice to rising up to the many challenges put before me by my trainer instead. It wasn't counter productive, but I wasn't as yoga focused as I should have been. Now that he's out of the way, I can realign my focus once more.

And wouldn't you know it.....the timing of things couldn't be more uncanny! Here's what I'm talking about:

My trainer moves onto his new job last Thursday and that same night I was at a going away party with my friends and and we were discussing our exercise regimes and I mentioned how much I enjoy yoga and do it as much as possible to which my friends suggested that I should be a yoga instructor. Only two days later, I received an email from my friend Larissa, who is a yoga instructor at Kripalu Health and Wellness Center in Lenox MA asking me if I could come up and be her assistant for a workshop this coming weekend. I won't be helping to teach any yoga classes as I have no certification, but I will be helping to greet guests and hand out pamphlets, etc. I do get to have access to all the yoga classes, free room and board for the weekend and get to attend the evening concerts at Tanglewood. I've been toying with the idea of becoming an instructor for a while, I'm just not sure when I would find the time to become certified. Perhaps this weekend will show me a way.

I'm really excited to see where this adventure leads me.

Until next time......

Thanks for reading!

Kristen

Can't get enough of the gym!!!!!!

......and that's why I haven't updated my blog in a while. I'm on a SERIOUS health kick and trying to get to the gym as much as my children will allow me to.......which lately has been every day! Can you believe it????? Thank God for that Kids club that the gym has.....my kids actually request to go to the gym so they can play with the other kids. Fine by me!

Until next time.....

Thanks for reading!

Kristen

Yoga Dreams and Aspirations

There is a saying that "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear." I have been wanting to take my yoga practice to the next level for a little while now and keep envisioning myself being strong enough to lift myself from a seated position into a handstand with ease and control.

Currently, my upper body strength does not support that vision and I have been working to condition myself to be more flexible, but have needed a teacher or trainer to help me reach the next level of my yoga practice......one that is strong enough and flexible enough to have the knowledge of how to achieve the goal I have in mind.

It just so happens that I was at the gym last Thursday for my yoga class and did some shoulder exercises and cardio after class. As I was stretching I looked over to see one trainer inverted on an exercise ball with is legs up in the air. I was in pigeon pose and decided to comment and said, "Now you are just showing off!" He told me I had him beat because he could never get into pigeon pose. I tried doing what the trainer did and fell commenting that once I master Crow position, I should feel more confident doing an inversion. Then seemingly out of nowhere appeared two more trainers, one of which showed me he could not only do Crow, but he could push himself from Crow into a handstand!!!! OMG!! My teacher has appeared! I told him I wanted to learn how to do that and he said he could teach me.

BRING IT!!!!!!

He proceeded to put me through the wringer for the next 30 minutes, but was impressed that I was able to do most of the exercises he put before me even though I'd never done them before. One thing I do need to work on is my balance! At the end of it, I was so seduced by the idea of meeting my yoga goals, that I hired him as my trainer....not taking into account that right now spending money is a no, no in my household. I ended up having to cancel my training membership the very next day and felt so badly about it because I wanted so much to train my body to be stronger without looking like it....and I know this trainer can get me those results!

Luckily, he said he'll still train me regardless of a membership......and I'll sign up for a valid personal training membership once funds become available.

Life is good!

Until next time.....

Thanks for reading!

Kristen

Yoga

The first time I EVER did yoga was when I was working in Stamford, CT and the gym was in the same building as my office. I remember feeling so intimidated because I had no idea what I was doing. Would my posture be right? Would I lose my balance when I had to hold a pose? And worst of all......do I look like a yogi in these clothes? Yes, I was that preoccupied with how I looked in a class that would challenge me to juggle breathing with posturing, stretching and contorting. Strangely, I found that after all that, I was as mellow as a jellyfish on muscle relaxers. In fact, I was so at peace and relaxed that even my overly chauvinistic and needy boss couldn't rile me up. It felt so good, I had to go back. And so I did.

Now, almost 7 years later after having two kids, I'm finally able to get back to doing yoga on a regular basis. Yes, roughly 7 years have passed since I had last done downward facing dog. I did have a couple of opportunities to indulge my love of yoga over the years, but they were few and far between. A video here, a class there, but nothing regular to help me keep my peace of mind in check.

And even though it took me THIS long to get back to yoga, I myself would've thought I'd been practicing all along......and perhaps others in my class would've thought so as well. The postures, poses and vinasa flows all seem to come so naturally. Depending on the day, my balance may be great....or not. Just today I wasn't able to stay in half moon pose with my leg off the floor. Then there are other days when I could stay in tree pose all day, focusing on my dristi point. One of my other favorites that always "poses" a challenge for me is eagle pose, but I always feel so accomplished when I'm able to hold the pose without even so much as a tremble.

I love it when the instructor really pushes the class with challenging poses. It helps me to find my range of flexibility and work to become even more flexible.

I once read that a flexible body is an indication of a flexible mind. If that's the case, then I'm doing pretty good, but I'd like my mind and body to be this flexible:

My friend, Lissy is a yoga instructor at Kripalu Wellness Center in Lenox, MA and she is such an inspiration to me. She has been studying yoga for years now and just got back from studying in India. How wonderful for her. She can do reverse warrior.....and really any other pose like no one I've ever seen. In this shot, it's reverse warrior. I'll have to find out her secret for becoming so open through the ribcage.
For now though, I will take comfort that I am incredibly open through the hips, which allows me to do butterfly and pigeon pose with ease. I can hold my own in class and when a challenging pose presents itself, a little voice inside of me says, "Bring it on!".

Thanks for reading!

Namaste!

Kristen