ring of fire

good morning everyone!

yesterday we were listening to some johnny cash in our room. i think the 'ring of fire' is a perfect analogy for our first class tonight at 5:00 with the man himself- bikram!!! i am so excited to take class for the first time with bikram and 310 trainees!!! technically i guess it is 309 not including myself. our little group of friends is going to set up our mats together. whatever makes you sleep better at night -right?! sleeping at night hasn't been a easy transition here. i think it is because my mind has been active with the unknown. once we get 'tuckered' out and squashed like a bug from doubles every day i know i will sleep like a baby. 

last night rajashree(for you non-yogis- bikrams' wife) spoke at our orientation. this is the first time i have seen anyone in person from the 'bikram camp' and she was amazing. everything people say bout her is true. she is graceful, poised, and elegant. a true lady. i could tell right off she was going to be one of those people that i will soak up and learn a tremendous amount from. 

my teacher and mentor karen sent me an email yesterday about willingness, from the book affirmations for self-healing. the line that touched me the most and will be present in my mind is ' willingness must be cultivated deliberately. it is an attitude of mind, and depends not on outward conditions. train yourself in the attitude of say YES to life! ' thank you karen for sharing that. i think having a positive and willing mind set will be the key to personal growth during our transformations here at training.

random side note- i always thought people were a little weird when they said 'are you having dreams about bikram yet? about training?' to me it sounded silly because don't get me wrong - i love this yoga and it has changed my life but i wouldn't think it would consume my rem sleep. so this morning i was telling my roommate kara that i had my first bikram dream! in my dream it was time to go up on stage and do half moon for bikram in front of all the other trainees. and i got up there to deliver the dialog and i had in my retainers(yes folks i had braces as a teen and sometimes sleep in the retainers) so i took them out in order to not sounds so slurry. well when i confidently went to say the first lines it was like a lisp fest! the words would not come out unslurred. in my head i was thinking this is a disaster!!! after all this practice i sound like a fool in front of bikram. then i woke up. obviously that was a fear based senario.....

the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.