Yoga training week two!

Finally another post! Sorry guys, I am not able to document as much as I wish to as the course has me very busy from sunrise to sunset. I have homework daily, and really must relax my muscles in between our vigorous asana (pose) trainings/practice.

I have now completed week one of the Samyak Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training. It is very vigorous. We rise early and must meet at the yoga shala at 6:25am. The Samyak shala is about a 5 minute walk from our hotel. Once we arrive we do morning opening chants, then immediately start our warm-up and entire primary series practice. The practice is in its entirety and we do all the vinyasas in between. The series takes about 2 hours to complete. That is two hours of solid yoga; asana and vinyasa. Like I mentioned, it is vigorous. We break for breakfast after morning practice, then return for a few hours of intense yoga sutra theory, pranayama study, kriya study, and the exploration of ethical yoga practice. We cover in depth all eight limbs, not just asana, alignment, and corrections. Eventually, we will also have anatomy study and prenatal yogic training. On top of all that we must learn each asana in detail and the proper corrections, we also must practice learning to teach, so everyday in groups of five we take turns leading the primary series, breathing, and vinyasas. We finish each day with an intensive vinyasa flow practice, again 2 hours, then chant Kirtans.  That is easily over 4 hours of physical yoga 6 days a week.

This course is hard. Many of the students in this course are very seasoned Ashtangis. I am impressed and moved by their passion to teach. I am learning all I can to improve my own daily practice. Ashtanga is hard, I personally think it is the hardest form out of all the yoga derivations.  It requires a dicipline and the daily asana practice can be quite challenging, especially the sitting series. I am hanging in there, working super hard, and growing stronger and more flexible every day.  We all sweat buckets in class. I have not honestly sweat this much continuously in my life. I am now getting quite comfortable wearing wet spandex, and I am getting used to the smell of my own and others perspiration. It's a fucking badge. I worked hard for that stink!!


Sorry guys at home, don't have more to post yet. I am working hard, studying, making new muscles and new friends. Each day so far has been a gift in fitness, discipline, and release of ego. I will have more contemplation after the course, and of course time to digest. Thanks for reading and stay warm back home.

Namaste,
Christy