Teacher Training
…you take three yoga classes in one day. And yes, that’s with working a full eight hours at the day job. How did I manage to do this today? With plenty of planning, preparation, determination and a pep talk or two to get myself out of bed in the morning. Surprisingly getting myself out of bed wasn’t as tough as I thought it would be. Neither was the first class of the day, Bikram Yoga at 6am.
My second yoga class of the day was Hot Power Fusion by Candlelight with Mandy at CorePower Yoga. Class was so full of love. Love for myself, love for yoga, love for winter, love for life, love for my upcoming yoga teacher training that starts next week…Mandy’s theme for class tonight was “Get Lost in Your Heart Center.” In addition to Mandy leading class, Tiffany was available for on-hand assists during class, which meant double the teachers, double the love. Let’s be honest, what’s there not to love about hands-on assists?
As I lay on my mat before class started tonight, I thought about how much I loved winter. To me, winter means snowboarding for me in the mountains. It also means shorter days and early, dark nights. I love a good, dark, cold, rainy night. Especially when I get to spend it inside taking a hot yoga class by candlelight.
Tonight’s class with Mandy was the same HPF sequence, but the focus was on the heart and opening up the chest. As we did our first backbend in class, I heard and felt my back make the loudest cracking noise all up and down my spine. It felt delicious. It was like my body was telling me how much it needed this class.
My favorite part of class was doing the Camel Pose. Camel is one of my all-time favorite postures. Sometimes if I’m struggling through class, especially if it’s a Bikram Yoga class, I’ll have to mentally talk myself into getting into this posture. As soon as I start to lean back, grab my feet and look for the back wall, I’m always happy I made myself do it. I get to release a lot of tension and anxiety in this posture.
Tonight’s Camel Pose was crazy amazing. It wasn’t that I went any deeper than I normally go in this posture. It was the amazing and gentle hands-on assist I received from Tiffany as I did it. As I sat there looking at the back wall, grabbing my feet with my heart and chest open to the room, Tiffany came over and gently moved her hand across my sternum. Then as I came up out of the posture, she moved her hand all the way up my spine and finished the assist with a gentle neck rub. OMG! I thought I was going to melt on the spot. Camel has never felt so good!
Mandy let us know at the end of class that with the upcoming time change of springing forward an hour ahead, the HPF By Candlelight classes would soon be coming to an end. I was so sad because just at the beginning of class tonight, I was thinking about how this was one of my favorite parts about winter. I better enjoy as many of these HPF by candlelight classes as I can while they’re still on the schedule.
As for my third yoga class of the day, I ended the day with a fantastic and uber relaxing Yin Yoga class with Devyn at Seattle Yoga Lounge right before bed. By the end of class, I was prepped for a very good night’s sleep.
Class #12, Hot Power Fusion by Candlelight (Get Lost In Your Heart Center) at CorePower Yoga Greenwood with Mandy and assists by Tiffany (HPF-8)