"You're never too sick"

Good news first!

I passed my anatomy test with flying colors - I missed one out of 50 by being careless. My friends and I studied hard applying the knowledge to our bodies and the postures. It feels so good to know the information instead of just regurgitating answers. In college I was a a bit of a slack ass student, I"m not gonna lie, I went to college to be a stellar athlete and did enough in the classroom to get by. I didn't put the effort into getting good grades (if my coaches could hear me now). The classes I was passionate about, Environmental Ethics, Eco Tourism, Speech, and North American Folk Music, I did very well in, but classes like Physics, Differential and Integral Calculus, hmm, not so interested. If I had to give advice, take as many classes as you can that interest you. It is worth it internally to be successful as well as if you wish to continue in schooling. Mr T was right, School is cool! Hindsight for me that I can now apply! What would you call that? Learning?


First week they threw us an outside fastball (I'm a lefty, I hit that well, took it deep left center, my favorite pitch), most people couldn't wait and went for it too soon and too aggressive. Second week inside fastball (A little shaky), people were still swinging early but starting to make contact. We started to get settled into the batters box within those first two weeks, the they throw an inside curve ball at us. We see the ball outside, starting to become patient, but then the ball breaks in on our hands and we are jammed, too late!

I will never tell you my weakness in hitting! A good pitcher will figure it out, but by then I'll be practiced and hit it anyway.

The curveball
We are in groups now according to our last name. When we signed in on Monday the groups had to practice on certain lines in the yoga room instead of free for all, stake your claim. I think a few pooped their pants with the new assignments. I was assigned row 1,2,3 - not my usual comfortable rows 5,6. 1,2,3 would normally mean oh shit, the teacher can see me, I'm now right in the front of the mirror in front of 300 people and it's a hell of a lot hotter up there! But there is no science to this, I actually had a really good practice. The staff is right when they say, just take it moment by moment, don't get ahead of yourselves!


My best poses are the least sexy. Half Tortoise pose - on your knees in prayer position, Rabbit pose - on your knees rolling forward, butt in the air, Wind removing pose - on your back pulling your knee to your chest. Bikram never asks anyone to demo Half Tortoise pose to wow the crowd. I don't care, I'm in line for the next showing of Half Tortoise! Instead, everybody wants Standing head to knee and Bow pose - poses that are really bendy and crowd wowing. Yeah, yeah whatever, freaks! :)

I felt strong on Monday. My bow is coming along, I"m really focusing on using my quadriceps to kick my leg back. My hamstrings are becoming a bit more flexible as I'm contracting that quad to lock my knees and pull hard with my arms in standing head to knee, and seated head to knee.

Then it all changed, our bodies are still fine tuning instruments even in the third week.

Late Monday night about 1am my stomach starting cramping. I did my sexy wind removing pose in my bed to ease the pain/help things along - which is squeezing my knees to my chest while lying on my back. It aides in digestion real sexy. Well, it worked cause by 2am I was on the toilet every 15-20 minutes until 7am. Both classes were painful. Lunch was rough. I had no energy and after I ate my stomach sized up with horrible cramping and more visits to the toilet. My joints ached, my back was killing me, with cold sweats. Something wanted out. I let it out.

Anatomy lecture was rough to sit through. We broke up into our posture clinics. Another change of direction in that curve on Monday was to go with our group - I am group 3 - into a suite hotel room. We meet up with one other group and they rotate every day. Total about 40-50 people in two groups combined. Bikram teachers from all over the world sit in and listen to us teach the dialogue to three students doing the posture. Basically smaller groups listening and learning to each of us. The teachers give excellent feedback. I recited my back bend and hands to feet pose on the first day. My presentation, voice, speaking is great. I'm still no good at looking at the bodies and linking paragraphs together, I have pauses. It's still words in my head not students doing postures. I was really frustrated with myself. I'm a damn coach, I look at bodies and respond all day. I know I'm better and want to be better now. I know, I know, patience young grasshopper.

Last night Jim, a senior teacher, gave an awesome lecture on some history of Bikram, his upbringing, his training as a Yogi, and his arrival in America. Jim said the perfect quote "Don't try to get to the destination before you start the Journey." Jim told us the story of his training and how he started his first studio.

This business is a family. It's not your super company like Wal Mart. Which brings me to Bikram. He shows up at the end of Jims talk straight from his flight. He was gone from Thursday till Tuesday taking care of business. Jumps on stage to be greeted with cheers and clapping. Right away the show starts. He's been keeping us informed daily about an infection on his rear. In the past few weeks he's been asking if we wanted to see it. I keep yelling yeah! Just to see if he would do it. Well, last night we got our show. We laughed so hard and we needed it! He knows when to be hard, when to make us laugh, when to keep us awake, when to let us sleep. Bikram is a great pitcher.