home sweet home

i wanted to keep this blog mostly about my adventures in the land of yoga but i couldn't resist adding this pic of my yummy winter salad. and my bff gabby came into town on monday!!! it was so great to see her and catch up on life together. she took some pics outside in our backyard and i followed her lead- love me some cati!!!

(gabby- you should send me the pic of us so i can post it on allibakes! :)

the 'winter salad' consists of a spinach salad with balsamic dressing and pomegranate seeds, almond clusters, and roasted butternut squash! yum and yum!!

weekend fun!

i have been waiting on pins and needles to see twighlight. yes. that is right folks- i have read all four books of the teen vampire saga by stephanie meyer. taylor promised he would take me as soon as i got home. it was really good and i can't wait to see the next one! here is a pic of us in the movie theater- and then having some 'mall fun' afterwards-holla!

welcome home

this warmed my heart so much when i came home that i wanted to share it with you. love the detail of taylors' do- too cute for words!!!

thanks taylor!

back home

things i am enjoying most about being home

sipping chai tea while reading curled up cozy under a blanket

the sun shining and cool fall air

scarfs

and .......MY HUBBY!!

and of course teaching my first bikram yoga class as an official certified bikram teacher

last few days

chilling with my hubby

texas represent- miss you danielle!

BYD in the house -so serious chutney face!

charlies' angels!

my lovely esZter-miss you!

love you kara!!!!xoxo

tv has arrived for the torture chamber and my last class!!

graduation with a sweet shot of taylors' chest hair!

things got hectic at the end and i didn't get a chance to blog but i didn't want to end my training with out a last commentary. my fans would hate me ;)

i added some pics of graduation and our final class for your viewing pleasure.

speaking of last class...during the whole time at training i managed to stay under the radar and bikram never really specifically yelled at/or corrected me in class. i was grateful for that. i did get a 'you two -hips DOWN!' but that was more of a plural correction. so for the LAST class i am standing with kara next to the podium in the second row(our fav front row spot was taken). bikram is already up on the throne and class is about to start in mere seconds. kara leans over and says 'you look tiny' which i immediately reply with 'it's an optical illusion- this top just hugs me in my smallest part' wrapping my hands around my rips right under my chest. without missing a beat bikram looks right at me (in front of the whole class) and says 'why you playing with your boobs? someone else is suppose to do that for you!' at that point all i could do was crack up. kara and i look at each other and start laughing hysterically. it was a moment. i glanced back to the visitor row to see if  taylor caught that and he was laughing too. good times at yoga boot camp-

taking my last class was one of the highlights of training for me. not because it was done-but because i did it. i didn't sit out once, didn't have to take a knee or lay down on my mat throughout the whole training. this was a huge accomplishment for me and maybe my ego a bit too ;) seriously though, it made me feel so strong knowing i remained standing that i finished what i set out to do. at the end of the last class i was filled with appreciation and gratitude along with an overall feeling of sheer bliss. an extra bonus was when they played track number 3 at the end of class from bikrams' lounge cd. the title translates to 'love is life.' 

i am loving life-

side note-i tried to add the video i took in the room but i don't have the software to compress it- so if any readers/yogis out there can compress my avi file i would be eternally grateful-

to be continued...

things got pretty busy near the end but i promise .....in the next few days i will upload pics from the end of training and recap. it feels great to be home and i am so thankful for this experience! i love you all!

3 classes left!

a tweeked left knee, injured right hip, popped out right rib and a couple of heat rashes later.....i have arrived at this point. i have survived up to this point and honestly that feels really good. no earthquake or triple class can shake or knock this moment. i feel such a sense of accomplishment but with a dash of apprehension :) it is going to be weird to leave this yoga bubble of self discovery. 

at lunch yesterday i sat with a woman from germany, switzerland, and tel aviv. at no other time in my life will i have that global interaction/experience. you have to hand it to bikram for bringing together such an international audience. it is a pretty fantastic thing!

my face hurts from smiling. taylor is coming tomorrow and i couldn't be happier! i can't believe 9 weeks has passed by so quickly and yet it felt so slow at the same time- funny how that works. i am so grateful and content to have arrived at this point.

namaste-

yoga with a side of yoga and some yoga on top!

yes that's right folks- just when i thought week nine our final week was going to be wrapping up nicely...things slowing down- us seeing the light at the end of the tunnel- what happens??? MORE YOGA! not that i'm complaining- okay maybe i am just a little:) we had morning class as usual- we arrive for lecture, are showered, caffinated, and ready to sit for hours when it is announced we should go to our rooms and change into yoga wear. for what? a 2 1/2 hour posture clinic- which was great because trainees got to get up on the podium and do dialog. but the downside of that was doing yoga posture upon yoga posture and then some more yoga postures. it was ad nauseam! we took mini breaks in between postures- the even rows sat while odd rows did the postures and literally when i laid on my matt and shut my eyes i actually feel asleep for a few minutes. luckily i came too but other trainees were being woken up by staff. then we got a 30 minute break and got to come back and do what??? MORE YOGA PEOPLE! 

on to lecture for what? that's right ....more yoga! at least this time we will be listening about the yoga and not doing it. pray that bikram doesn't go past midnight-

word-

almost there

it's sooo close. i can almost smell the end. i feel like i am running a race- i can see my friends and family in the distance across the finish line but i am still running- i haven't made it to the finish yet. but i can almost taste the cold icy water awaiting me. that's how these last few days have been. you wake up so extremely happy that it is the last tuesday morning here, the last tuesday morning class, the last tuesday lecture..... a part of me is also going to miss it though. although this whole process has been challenging - i have done so much growing and self discovery in the 9 weeks i have been here. i am a bit fearful of being thrown back into the real world and see if all of the knowledge sticks. i'm scared of not doing yoga twice a day. i know that sounds crazy but i feel like it balances me :) at the same time i am happy and more aware than i have ever been. if i can be present and keep that mindset i will be good to go.

last weekend hurray!

saturday night after the beach fiasco i had a group dinner with group 15-woot woot! we went to casa de canoli better know as casa nostra. i had a diet coke with lime so i really felt drunk with caffeine. i'm living on the edge i know :) it was great to sit and talk with everyone out of the confines of our little box hotel rooms where we all watching and cheered one another on through the anxiety and fear of performing. i am so excited to see where everyone in our group goes to teach and possibly open studios. it will be so fun to to travel and visit my fellow yogis- group 15 is awesome.

on a more sobering note- kara and i just did a mock class for one another in our pajamas. from standing deep breathing to eagle- both sets both sides. two girls, a hotel room, one yoga mat, and that damn mariachi band. kind of sounds like a risque movie minus the band. we set a timer and everything. we both were right on time which is good. pranayama proved to more difficult than i thought. you can only say stretch your elbows up towards the ceiling so may times until your students will be bored of you. but we did it- we got the dialog out. no freeze ups or major meltdowns. the transitions were a little iffy but that will come with time. i am grateful we did it because the more practice i get..the more confident i feel. so on to moving to the standing balancing series. 

everyone is sooo excited to be done here. i was talking with some trainees at brunch this morning and it is funny because there is kind of a divide- those that have mock classes and student classes to teach asap and those who don't have anything set up. the first group is of course being forced to stay on top of the dialog and review out of sheer fear. the second group is able to relax and have some time when they get back to review and set classes up. little jealous of the second group but at the same time i think it is better to be fresh and teach asap.

i cannot believe i will be hugging taylors' neck in 5 days. i am filled with complete happiness and gratitude that i survived and thrived at teacher training. i cannot believe we are almost there. only 10 more classes to go!!! it is completely surreal. in order to commemorate this i have made a top ten list- so david letterman i know.

top 10 things i am NEVER going to miss

10- chula vista buffet

9- THREE classes a day!

8- constantly being water logged yet never having to pee

7- peoples nasty feet in my face during floor series and watching people 2 inches away from your mat wipe their snot on the towel- sick and more sick!!!

6- staring at someones' but to balance in row 10

5- having diarrhea before every posture clinic because of nerves/then having verbal diarrhea in every posture clinic

4- bikram 'love' cd- specifically 'i feel lonely' - feel free to look it up on itunes- bikram choudhury- bikram love cd

3- waking up early EVERY morning and not recognizing your face in the mirror

2- late night lectures

1- movie night till 2:30 am

top 10 things i will miss at teacher training

10- being surrounded by 300 people in the same boat as you

9- doing yoga every day

8- coconut water in an actual coconut

7- evening class with bikram- what can i say- when he says do something- i want to do it

6- feeling like i am in college again

5- drinking lime water by the pool while doing dialog

4- being able to eat 3 plates of food without being full...only in training

3- the spa, the spa, and more spa

2- bikram- yes the boss man himself- his sense of humor is hilarious!!! no matter how off color- you have to admit it- the guy is funny!

1- kara- my roomie/friend/confidant- if we didn't have each other through this experience it would have not been the same!!

the other beach

after class kara and i headed to 'the other beach' (bonfile- sp?). we had seen everyones pics on facebook- laying in the hammocks- it looked so relaxing and we wanted to get away to practice dialog so why not kill two birds with one stone. got a cab over there and saw a whole different side of mexico. as we walked down to the beach it kind of smelled like carney food- hot dogs and funnel cakes with a side of urine- you catch my drift. or as bikram would say 'you follow me?' and as we were walking on the beach we realized we were the only non locals there. of course we got accosted by the jewelry ladies, sarong girls, and the 4-wheeler guys (yes i really grew up thinking that it was only big in texas or the country- who would of thought to do it in mexico on a beach). lots of other vendors approached us for massages, tattoos(removable), and lovely corn row braiding girls. finally we found a spot to get a rented chair and of course we forgot our towels. from the start we already felt uncomfortable but we thought what they heck?! lets order some lemonada and make a day of it. we get our drinks sit on the chairs with a lovely sort of plastic covering. i looked over at kara and said 'i feel dirty' and then removed a flee crawling from my stomach. not a second later kara said there is a dead ant and spider in my drink. seconds anyone? so we packed up our stuff and headed back. had to make a treck across the highway and got a couple of interesting offers for transportation. scary! we finally got a marked cab and got out of there.

it's the weekend baby!

so my last post was a debbie downer but i'm back to my old self again. of course i am so excited it is the weekend- no doubles or triples today- just one yoga class. that i can handle. kara and i are going to a different beach to study and do both sets/both sides like a mock class up to party time. should be interesting.... :) sunscreen- check, dialog-check, my juicy vampire book-check, and last but not least the cam to document it all- CHECK! i will take pics and post later-

love you all!

night of the living dead

i'm officially yoga-ed out.

so this morning i felt like an oak tree. a solid tree trunk- i couldn't bend at all. every time i tried to push it a little further it literally felt like razor blades in my spine. i had to come back and take a nap which i never do after class- i was wiped.

lecture/posture clinic was a beat down as well- bikram was having to wake up several trainees left and right. everyone is just wiped out.

so i really went into the evening class needing it. a chiper ausie named yella (i think) taught and it was a great class for me as far as flexibilty goes and going deeper into my practice. i felt very strong and when the class was over i was so grateful and content. 

however a moment later it was announced we were not to leave the room. oh shit. a third class. yes that's right bikram walked in and said 'check check one two.' seconds later we went into our third pranayama breathing (fifth if you count both sets) for the day. the tears started to flow. normally i don't cry until the floor series but i just lost it. not because i couldn't do it or did not want to but because i knew i had no choice. losing control is hard for me. i don't like being made to do anything- i guess no on really does. eventually after i wrestled with myself emotionally and just told myself this too shall pass i was able to stop crying. but looking around the room- people were dropping like flies. dry heaving, cramping, crying, throwing up- it was like we rewinded time to week one. a bunch of yoga zombies. it is difficult not to pick up on the air of desperation in the room. it didn't help that people were leaving the room to get more water and my group was on the back row right by the door where we could see every moment of the gatorade distribution line that formed just feet away from me behind the glass doors. that was the biggest temptation- leaving the room- escaping the chaos- get a frosty glass of orange gatorade. but i did not cave in- i did every posture. it was by no means my best piece of work and i wouldn't but it in my portfolio...but i made it through. in final savasana, bikram turned on his cd and i swear if i have to hear that one more time i might just pull my hair out. sometimes i close my eyes and ask myself how i arrived here- at this very moment- and what the heck am i doing here? it really feels like you are in some sort of trippy movie that if you tried to rationalize it or explain it to people they would look at you like you are crazy. i feel like i am going crazy. let's pray all 300 plus trainees don't go crazy tonight when we have to stay up watching movies. the festivities begin at 10. i'm trying to hold back my excitement.

best chula vista ever

just when i think i couldn't stomach chula visit buffet again and who appears two tables over to add some spice to my life? enrique inglesias! no i do not like his music but he is pretty easy on the eyes -i'm not gonna lie. so at first no one is really noticing him then all the yogis sitting near are table start to whisper and stare at him and he puts on his shades. so hollywood :)

headed to afternoon lecture. there is a rumor we might have two classes tonight with bikram. i would say i'm afraid but at this point in the game-i am too tired to resist. bring it. beat the yoga into me. i already feel broken and weathered and still strong at the same time. what else can they do to hurt us?

free night

bikram said because we did our best class yet so we got the evening off to watch for the election results. kara and i decided to celebrate with dinner at the veranda, which really means dessert with a side of dinner. their oh so yummy coconut ice cream is better than any 'dinner' they have to offer. once the results were in, of course i had to gloat by calling my dad and reminding him of our little bet and that he now owes me 100 bucks. sorry dad- i love you but i knew obama would take the lead. now on to some posture re-viewage (yes i think i made up that word to commemorate george w and all his stratergery) and a little movie watchage. there i go again. 

and to all of my friends and family- thanks for the comments- i check daily so keep em coming. even though it is the end is near i need all the blog love i can get

final spinal relief

words cannot express how thankful i am to be finished with the dialog. i cannot even count the amount of 'rights/lefts, spine up, chest up, chin up, more forward, look back way back go back' that have come out of my mouth. each time i did the dialog there was a new challenge to work through, but as time has gone by i feel more self assured and confident.

i am also grateful to end on a positive note. auto from nyc was in our posture clinic today and he said i had very good flow and i had worked through my voice/throat issues- finally! it feel so good to have accomplished all that we have thus far. i feel like i can take on more than i ever thought i could. i never want to underestimate or sell myself short again. 

so cheers to being finished and on to grouping all of these strange words together as numerous postures. after ester did her dialog she came and sat down next to me and pointed to the word megkonnyebbules in her hungarian dictionary. megkonnyebbules means relief in hungarian. i could not agree more.

weekend wrap up

some trick or treaters downtown. when they came up to me -they stuck out their bags for me to fill and said 'halloween'. it was funny. and yes i'm not denying it the girl on the left scared me.

cute lil ones

me, celeste and kara in front of the japanese sushi restaurant yoi

day of the dead offerings at the hotel

lazy pool pics

final spinal! thank god- the end is near

happy halloween yoga style!

yes- i spent halloween doing none other than yoga- class no. 2000- you can tell i am having difficulty holding back my excitement at this point in the game. we all thought we would have off being that it is friday and halloween but oh well lynns' lecture was really helpful and she addressed a lot of good points for us new teachers. i wrote down almost every word she said so i will remember each golden nugget-