After practising Yoga for 30 years, I decided finally to train as a Yoga teacher. I started my One Year 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training with Yoga London in January 2018. Here is my Yoga Journal. As part of the training – all students are encouraged to establish a DAILY YOGA PRACTICE and to keep a journal. And that was the basis for this lighthearted take on how was it for me? I hope you enjoy reading it.
The short URL for this journal is bit.ly/bendylane
WEEK ONE
JANUARY
Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th January
9:00 Saturday morning, I embarked on my 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training with Yoga London. It’s now Sunday evening. 18 hours done. I am so tired, I no longer know which way up I am. Only 182 hours to go.
Monday 29th January
I have DOMS. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. Fortunately, I suspected I might so I had already cleverly booked myself a Sports Massage for lunchtime. Bliss. Felt justified, as having been in what felt like a constant Down Dog (and can I remember the Sanskrit name for it…? Ardhvo Mukvho Svanahatahsnananana or something) all weekend, I did not want to go anywhere near my yoga mat today. So I didn’t.
Tuesday 30th January
I’ve not ever really done a regular home practice. I’ve always been rather more of a ‘do a bit when I feel like it at home’ type as I actually prefer to go to a class. So, I can hear my mind trying talking myself out of this daily thing on the basis that as I already teach Dance, Fitness and Martial Arts – I don’t ‘need’ to do daily Yoga. I think I’m gonna have to re think that mindset.
Wednesday 31st January
Ah. Now. Wednesday I go to a class that is a bit like a Vinyasa flow class mixed with a bit of Tai Chi and some Pilates. We did lots of standing stretches, several variations of the Warrior poses and some Eagle Poses (I guess I should be listing the Sanskrit names shouldn’t I? Might help me learn them!) We also did some Happy Baby and a very familiar posed called Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) – which I do really like actually despite my struggling with the name!
Thursday 1st February
I recently joined the advanced Yoga class at the gym. It’s taught by a lady called Shirely who I know nothing about – except that I can tell by the way she uses her words and the way she moves that she is a very experienced yoga teacher. Today though – there was a cover teacher who introduced herself as Paula and said that she was a Vinyasa Flow teacher and was everyone familiar with Sun Salutations? Ah, Universe Provides! What a lovely class. Challenging but not impossible – give or take a few one legged balances! If we did any poses that I half knew the names for, I filed them away in my head for looking up the proper names when I got home. Well, that was the plan. When I got home, I opted for coffee and eggs on toast, by which time I’d forgotten the names of the Sun Salutations that I thought I had remembered from yesterday.
Friday 2nd February
Well – so far this week I think the words are -Epic fail on the daily practice promise. No yoga today. After teaching dance all day and then karate all evening – I hurriedly packed a bag and headed North to stay with my partner, Alon for the weekend. There was free parking on the M1 – so by the time I got to Alon’s all intentions of doing a few Sun Salutations before bed paled into insignificance once he’d poured me a glass of wine. Still, there’s always tomorrow.
Saturday 3rd February
Did a 35 minute LA type (that’s a pretty young bendy thing wearing a crop top in a mirrored, plant filled yoga studio, who can weave herself in and out of poses I can only dream about – and even that makes my eyes water) Vinyasa Flow Youtube video class today. I flipped the dog several times – not always intentionally. Then I made poor Alon watch a video of David Swenson doing Sun Salutations, which is just so beautiful, the way he moves is beyond inspiring. I vow to learn the Sanskrit names of the Sun Salutation sequences by the end of next week.
WEEK TWO
Sunday 4th February
No Yoga today. Genesis 2:2. I rest my case.
Monday 5th February
My favourite Yoga mat has now got itself a permanent rolled out position at the foot of the bed. This enables me to:
A. Feel guilty every time I look at it that I have not managed my daily practice.
OR
B. Get up at sunrise and do five rounds of Surya Namaskara A, three of B and then a full 90 minute power yoga class which is rounded off with 20 minutes of meditation. You get my drift? I mean, how long do a few Sun Salutations take? And I always feel better afterwards.
So, I opted for a (very) loose variation on B this morning. Just as well! Later on I had two teeth taken out under local (rather a lot of it) anaesthetic. One top tooth – one bottom tooth, fortunately on the same side. I was in the dentists’ chair for almost two hours and came out looking like I had had a stroke, numb from just below the eye to the top of my (non existent) cleavage. I was told to avoid any exercise for several days – which is all very well if you don’t teach dancing for a living or indeed are trying to establish a daily Yoga practice.
Tuesday 6th February
According to all the literature out there about tooth extraction – I should be resting. So I made a start on my Surya Namaskara script. I am now fairly certain that I have inhales where I should have exhales and I may even have added several extra breaths and a new pose that I have called Ardhva Thatsaridiculousasana.
Wednesday 7th February
The ongoing double tooth extraction fallout is annoying me. I can’t do any flow at all – any head down pose increases the pain to my jaw, which is still very sore. Cancelled my yoga class this morning and stayed in bed feeling sorry for myself. The yoga mat taunted me from the floor.
Thursday 8th February
Braved my Advanced Hatha class this morning. I learnt today that Shirely is a real Yoga traditionalist and she doesn’t like the way yoga has been ‘Westernised’. She even threatened to do some chanting today – which we didn’t actually do in the end though. Can’t say I was sorry! I found the class a bit slow this morning if I am honest, and although I did try and do her traditional type Sun Salutations, I had to make a conscious effort to stop myself ‘flowing’ – if you know what I mean. We did lots of Ujjayi breathing though, which I like. Also managed the splits – both legs. Hanumanasana at 57. Way to go!
Friday 9th February
No Yoga. Dancing? Yes. Packing bags to go away for the weekend? Yes. Guilty thoughts? Yes.
Saturday 10th February
My yoga loving sister kindly let me ‘practice’ on her this morning. So, along with my daughter and her son (both roped in reluctantly to boost the class numbers), I actually took my first ‘class’. Admittedly, was a bit squashed in the living room, but we did OK! We did a warm up, some breathing and some lying twists before launching into Sun Salutations. I had a chance to actually voice the ‘script’ that I had been running in my head over the last few days. A is coming along nicely. B needs work. Lots of it.
WEEK THREE
Sunday 11th February
Only one member of the class turned up for practice this morning. The younger two opted for a lie in. So, my sister and I rolled out our mats and, with the help of Adriene, we did a very sweaty 40 minute Vinyasa flow class, which ended with a shoulder stand, scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, croissants and gallons of coffee. Lovely.
Monday 12th February
Monday morning. Not my best time of day. Well. To be honest, I have never – all my life – and I’m 57 – liked getting up in the mornings. I have always secretly admired those people who seem to have no problem springing out of bed, bounding into the shower, effortlessly cooking a full English and taking the dog for a walk – all before 6am. Why can’t I? What’s wrong with me?
Anyway, the point of mentioning the above is to embrace the fact that today’s yoga class was at a civilised 12:30pm. Lovely class – lots of flow and standing balances. The teacher was quite slow and deliberate when she talked us in and out the poses, which I have filed away as I really liked that. Not lots of words, but clear and slow instructions. Bet she gets up at 6am….
Tuesday 13th February
I fess. No Yoga today. Plenty of dancing, which was good, but then it all went downhill. Big queue at the bank and same at the post office. When I got back to my car – I couldn’t find my car park ticket, so I had to pay a full days stay. To round it all off – there was no heating in the Karate hall later, which makes for a miserable barefoot class. It was 4 degrees warmer outside.
Wednesday 14th February
I went to another lunchtime class – I’m liking the timings this week so far and we did lots of opening the chest/heart type postures, which I thought was very appropriate, given that it is Valentines Day. The meditation/relaxation at the end was a guided visualisation, where I found myself on a quintessential palm-fringed, white sandy beach on a warm summer day, where my yoga mat faced the ocean and I could hold a handstand for 30 minutes.
Thursday 15th February
Yoga at 10:15. We lay down at the beginning of the class and were guided to ‘let go of our day so far’. I had to stop myself laughing as only got out of bed at 9:30. Still. Once we got going, it was an excellent Shirley type class – traditional and solid.
Friday 16th February
No Yoga. Although I did think about it. A lot.
Saturday 17th February
Feeling smug. Or chuffed. Or maybe just plain virtuous. I did a 40 minute Yoga for Self Discipline class with Adriene this morning. Let’s hope it works!
WEEK FOUR
Sunday 18th February
My day of rest. Well, apart from karate training, mountains of ironing, bed stripping and changing, emailing, cooking Sunday dinner and cleaning up cat sick.
Monday 19th February
Actually couldn’t wait to get on the mat this morning. A small but perfectly formed class – with lots of standing balances and forward folds (my favourites!) I am now considering the possibility that because folding forwards and hanging upside down feels so natural to me – I may have been a bat in a former life.
Tuesday 20th February
Luci (my 200 hour course leader) emailed today with some information on the coming weekend training – inducing slight panic, as my Sun Salutation script changes daily and I still can’t pronounce downward facing dog in Sanskrit without sound slightly Russian or even Japanese….. it’s still all Greek to me.
Wednesday 21st February
Home practice (yay!). I started with my own Sun Salutations and then unsuccessfully tried to follow an Ashtanga Modified Primary series video on Youtube. Gave up when everyone in the class gracefully folded into Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana (which is as impossible to do as it is to pronounce – believe me). Adriene to the rescue. A lovely 20 minute practice of mainly warrior and triangle based sequences. Almost as good as my beloved forward folds.
Friday 23rd February
No Yoga today. However – I forgot to mention yesterday that during the relaxation & meditation at the end of the class – my resting heart rate (I have one of those Fitbit things with a HR monitor) went down to 43 beats per minute…. that’s practically dead, isn’t it?
Thursday 22nd February
A Shirley class today. She’s subtle but pushy. She says there is always more in yoga. She’s right. There was so much more today that I actually managed to get one foot into a passable Ardha Padmasana position today (Lotus) – which is a challenge for me as my knees normally protest when I try. Still, I bet there’s more. Next week I’ll try the other foot.
Saturday & Sunday 24th & 25th February
Weekend Two of Teacher Training. I got up at 7am…that’s a challenge on its own for me. Several coffees later, I’m feeling a bit more yogi like. We did Standing Postures and teaching practice. The Universe likes to play with me. I particularly loathe reverse triangle posture – I’m now going to attempt to remember the name without the help of Google or rummaging through the flash cards… Parvitta Trikonasana…how did I do? Anyway, the point is – what do I get to teach on Saturday afternoon…..? You guessed it.
Ps. I just Googled it… my spechelling is rubbish!
WEEK FIVE
Monday 26th February
I actually thought that I would be so tired by this morning, I wouldn’t even be able to do any yoga – even if I’d wanted to – which I actually thought I wouldn’t anyway – are you still with me? However, I didn’t feel tired and I did want to do yoga. So I did. Felt good.
Tuesday 27th February
I tried the standing section on my own today – and I was rubbish. Not a little bit rubbish. But a whole lot rubbish. I had to keep stopping to refer to my notes, putting my glasses on, and then I would forget they were on, so they would fall off whilst I was head down in Uttanasana, so then I have to stop again to look at my notes, put the glasses on again… and so it went on… it was enough to put me off forward folds… shocking!
Wednesday 28th February
You know what I want? What I really, really want? I want a video walk through of the Modified Primary Yoga London exam sequence, with all the exhales, inhales and transitions between the standing poses. That’s what I want.
Thursday 1st March
Do you remember, ‘The dog ate my homework’ as an excuse for not doing it? I actually don’t have a dog, but I have lots of other reasons stored up ready to go that excuse me from my daily practice. Today’s excuse is snow. Bet you never thought of that one, eh?
Friday 2nd March
I haven’t done any dance or yoga classes since Tuesday. Snow Days have cost me almost a weeks wages. Beware any of you who are looking forward to being a self-employed yoga teacher. The weather is enemy Numero Uno. Not only have I hardly earnt any money this week – these Bloody Snow Days have actually cost me £129 on the Sweaty Betty website (there’s a sale on), £89 on Amazon and then, there I was just browsing around, and next thing I know – I’ve bought a subscription to an online Yoga course…. I need to get back to work or I’ll be bankrupt by Friday week…
Saturday & Sunday 3rd & 4th March
Snow. More snow. Even more snow. Managed a few Sun Salutations Saturday evening, which were surprisingly energising and warming. Then it snowed again. Me & my yoga mat do not like the cold weather. We are both stiff as a board.
WEEK SIX
Monday 5th March
Go me! I did an online 35 minutes alignment sequence and then I went to class as well! The teacher annoyed me slightly when she got the names of the poses mixed up. No, I’m being kind – they were wrong. She kept calling Utthita Parsvakonasana (extended side angle pose) Warrior Two. Maybe next week if she does it again, I might say something. In the meantime, I’ll keep breathing.
Tuesday 6th March
No proper yoga today. Apart from some Vrksasana, Prasarita Padottanasana, and Natarajasana during the warm ups in karate. Who would have thought that India and Japan would get on so well?
Wednesday 7th March
Went to class this morning. There must be a conspiracy. This teacher also got her Warriors and her Side Angles mixed up. I’m still just breathing.
Thursday 8th March
Shirley class this morning, which I found extraordinarily tough. My shoulders and hips were aching by the end of the lesson. Went to work later and by the time I got home, I felt like I had done an extreme Boot Camp style workout and not yoga. Thought it was supposed to get easier?
Friday 9th March
Woke up in the night shivering, nasty headache, a temperature and a sore throat. At least that explains the aching joints and why I found the class so hard yesterday. Not impressed. Managed to drug myself up enough to teach classes today and then came home and went straight to bed. No yoga.
Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th March
Spent the weekend in bed. If only that was exciting as it sounds. This must be what it feels like to be trampled by a herd of Wildebeests and left for dead.
WEEK SEVEN
Monday 12th March
A day spent much the same as the day before and the day before that. I am not even well enough to roll the mat out, let alone down dog on it.
Tuesday 13th March
Feeling better. Not quite better enough to down dog, but better enough to roll the mat out and watch a few online flow videos. Well, watching is better than nothing? Right?
Wednesday 14th March
Made a start on learning the standing posture sequence today. At least in English as the Sanskrit still eludes me most of the time. My Padangusthasana is still mixed up with Prasarita Padottanasana which could also be Paschimottasasana or even Ardha Badda Padmottanasana – which I’m pretty sure isn’t actually in the standing sequence anyway.
Thursday 15th March
Back to class today. Lovely. I have missed my beloved forward folds. My knees and hamstrings are a bit stiff from lack of use. But it make me think – funny how getting fit and flexible takes years – but getting unfit and unflexible takes about three days.
Friday 16th March
No yoga today. Although the meditation and breathing techniques came in very useful when my printer decided that today would be a good day to run out of ink, when I urgently needed to print off tomorrow’s dance exam timetables.
Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th March
Not much yoga this weekend although there was plenty of dancing. However, I did manage a token set of Surya Namaskara A and B before dance exams Saturday morning – with script.
WEEK EIGHT
Monday 19th March
Sometimes I wonder how I manage to fit in karate, dancing AND yoga. Maybe that’s the problem. I can’t.
Tuesday 20th March
It’s four days before the next teacher training weekend and I am ill prepared. I don’t know the standing sequence in English, let alone Sanskrit, I still can’t inhale and step from down dog to warrior one in one breath and since I celebrated my one legged Ardha Padmasana – both my knees have hurt. Maybe I really am too old for all this.
Wednesday 21st March
Went to class this morning where we did the weirdest set of poses in the most random order… flipping from standing to seated, back to standing again. Just when I thought it couldn’t get anymore weird, we did one of the hardest sequences of one legged balances I’ve ever done. My legs went purple with effort. First time they’ve ever matched my nail polish.
Thursday 22nd March
I’m beginning to feel quite benevolent towards Shirley. She has a sing song voice that sweet talks you into going further than you think you can. Today, she sweet talked us into a very challenging Upavistha Konasana (seated wide legged forward fold). I know the pose is not about how near the ground you can get your chest. Really, I know.
Friday 23rd March
I set myself a spelling test today. Like an old fashioned school mistress back in the late 1960s (yes, I’m that old). Ten Sanskrit pose names from the standing sequence. Good job there were no house points to be won is all I can say.
Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th March
Weekend three of the Yoga London teacher training. I thought it particularly cruel that the clocks went forward this weekend at the start of British Summertime. The trainings are exhausting enough without losing an hour’s sleep! However, highlights of the weekend included both the yoga classes, the Yoga Nidra lecture and the Savasana adjustments. But – the best bit was the inversions lesson on Sunday. I got to demonstrate the headstand. I don’t care if you call me a show off.
WEEK NINE
Monday 26th March
Paying for being a show off yesterday. But in a good way, I guess. If you like DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) and have a leaning towards masochistic tendencies.
Tuesday 27th March
No Yoga today. I made a little pile of yoga things to take on holiday as I’m leaving tomorrow for a week in Egypt. I do plan to do absolutely nothing for a week of course, but maybe I might sneak in a few Surya Namaskaras when no one is looking.
Wednesday 28th March
Spent all day squashed into a variety of different seats all clearly designed to make travelling as miserable as possible and to force you into consuming overpriced alcohol or buying expensive perfume to dull the experience. Both of which I did. Finally arrived at the hotel and unravelled my sore body into Savasana. Bliss.
Thursday 29th March
Yogi’ed like a pro this morning (really I did!) My daughter and I went to the hotel gym and while she flung weights around in a 40 minute circuit, I did my own modified version of a flow class, which included all the poses in the standing sequence albeit not necessarily in the right order. I did a headstand at the end – just to prove to Charlotte that I could. It’s not often a parent impresses a child.
Friday 30th March
Popped my Ashtanga manual into my beach bag with the intention of doing some light reading whilst sunbathing. That was the plan anyway. Ooops.
Saturday 31st March & Sunday 1st April
Took the teaching manual to the gym Saturday morning and while Charlotte flung more weights around, I actually got the poses in the standing sequence in the right order! On Sunday morning I joined in with the yoga class run by the hotel which was an interesting experience for everyone – including the teacher.
WEEK TEN
Monday 2nd April
So, while I imagined everyone in the UK to be gorging on left-over Easter chocolate and enjoying a day of rest – there I was in the hotel gym doing Sun Salutations and more headstands – but only because I didn’t have any chocolate to gorge on. Left over or otherwise.
Tuesday 3rd April
Last day of holiday, so all I did was work on perfecting my Savasana. It’s a hard life.
Wednesday 4th April
A long and weary journey home where I was body searched three times before leaving Egypt and served up what looked like green Play-doh on the plane as part of the vegetarian in-flight meal. Arrived home at almost midnight hungry, stiff and tired. Tipped the contents of the suitcases onto the kitchen floor ready for the Great Holiday Wash to begin tomorrow and went to bed.
Thursday 5th April
I rang the gym this morning to see if there were any spaces for yoga. It was fully booked. Shame. I wanted to show off my tan.
Friday 6th April
Read an article about not letting your practice become Showga. Moi? But just to be safe – I’ll stay away from the mat till my suntan is faded.
Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th April
My weekend ingredients: Washing, three back to back dance classes, washing, Karate, more washing, a round trip to Leicester, even more washing, a walk in the rain and more damn washing. Not a Yoga pose in sight – apart from the ones that I was ‘sent’ by Facebook, which obviously only serve to make me feel more guilty than I already do. I must get back on that mat in the morning.
WEEK ELEVEN
Monday 9th April
Easter Holidays. My mind easily justifies not doing anything as it’s ‘the holidays’. Although when my mind says anything, it really means yoga, as in reality, I am doing something. After a punishing hour’s dance fitness class tonight, making up for bank holidays and general over indulgence in all that is Easter – we did some Tadasana (mountain pose – that’s basically standing still with intention), Natarajasana, (dancer’s pose – perfectly fitting with the nature of the class I thought) and a more serious Utthita Parsvakonasana (side angle) during the cool down. That’s something.
Tuesday 10th April
Yoga is always on my mind – if not always on the mat. So, even though I may not be physically practising, I do spent a great many of my waking hours agonising over Sanskrit pose names.
Wednesday 11th April
Not many people at class this morning. It’s ‘the holiday’s’. Told ya.
Thursday 12th April
Rocked up at a Shirley class this morning where I dared do my own Surya Namaskara A sequence when we were invited to do three rounds of Sun Salutations. We did lots of standing poses such as Uttanasana and Prasarita Padottanasana and Trikonasana. When I thought no one was looking, I let my eyes wander around the room, mentally adjusting some of the other pupils. I am starting to look with the eye of a teacher? Or do I just want to interfere?
Friday 13th April
Saw a cartoon today that depicts a woman in Lotus position. The caption says, “I meditate, I burn candles, I drink green tea – and I still want to smack some people”. I bet we all can relate to that. Now, I don’t meditate, nor do I like green tea. Have been known to burn a few candles in my time – and as for smacking people… well… that’s why I do Karate…
Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th April
Sun Salutation Saturday. A & B. Lots of them. Felt a bit smug. Sunday evening, I receive an email from Luci at Yoga London outlining next weekend’s teacher training programme. Smug? Terrified more like.
WEEK TWELVE
Monday 16th April
Tried a new class this morning. I liked the teacher, who sadly was a stand in, so I doubt she’ll be there again next week. I got some good tips for teaching – but buggered if I can remember them now.
Tuesday 17th April
I am thinking that I need to get out of bed and onto the mat… without going via the kitchen to make coffee, feed cats, empty the dishwasher, put a load of washing on, scoop up the post, read the post, check my emails….etc… otherwise this daily practice just ain’t gonna happen.
Wednesday 18th April
I am a daily practice Queen! I did the whole of the Exam sequence this morning – with the help of one of the cats who would insist on lying on the mat even after I had moved her four times. Eventually I got used to adjusting my Chatturanga Dandasana to Urdvha Mukha Svansana (Low Plank to Upward Facing Dog) so that my nose didn’t skim her bottom on the inhale.
Thursday 19th April
Shirley – love her. She had us chanting, breathing, huffing, puffing and omming at class today. There were two new ladies I’ve never seen before – doubt I’ll ever see them again.
Friday 20th April
When I was about eight years old, my Grandmother told me a secret. She said that time goes faster the older you get. I dismissed that as senility on her part (she was VERY old) as obviously everyone knows, even eight year olds, that that can’t be true. So, how come she was right? How can it possibly be the next Yoga London weekend so soon? Am I getting old? Or senile?
Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd April
Yoga London Weekend Four (or five if you count the Foundation course I did.) Exam sequence Yoga for breakfast. Fascia for lunch. Joints, cartilage and synovial fluid for tea, then teaching practice before home. Sunday was more breakfast yoga, fascia and even more fascia after morning break. We had spinal chords for lunch on Sunday with a side serving of psoas and various other muscles and RICE for afternoon tea. Then a couple of dollops more teaching practice before home. At home it was several glasses of wine and not much else. Maybe some chocolate.
WEEK THIRTEEN
Monday 23rd April
Had a massage this morning and a very interesting conversation with my massage therapist, Jackie, about anatomy, joints, bones and fascia. When I did my dance teacher training (over 20 years ago) no one ever mentioned fascia. Before the weekend, my understanding of fascia was something you slapped on the outside of houses that covered up bad pebble-dashing and saved you having to paint the exterior.
Tuesday 24th April
No yoga today – my ‘I’m too busy for daily practice Genie,’ seems to have gained a new strength since the weekend. Not sure why. Maybe she’s had too much chocolate?
Wednesday 25th April
Gym yoga. Grim yoga. Class this morning was poor. Lots of flipping about on the mat like a beached fish and some ridiculous balances which only the teacher could do – just about. I think I would have preferred to do my own practice at home. At least mine might have flowed and not flipped.
Thursday 26th April
What a lovely class this morning with Shirley. More Kriya and Pranayama. Then some challenging reverse triangles (Parivrtta Trikonasana) which I am pleased to report I am actually getting better at! I only fell over twice. Oh, and those two new ladies who came last week…. no sign of them.
Friday 27th April
I think I have discovered a way (that doesn’t include chocolate) to overcome the, ‘I’m too busy for daily practice Genie,’ that pops up everyday. I reckon the best thing for me is not to do ANYTHING else first thing in the morning. Just set my alarm half an hour earlier and basically roll out of bed and onto the mat, avoiding coffee, kids and cats and just concentrate on doing as many rounds of Sun Salutations I can. I might even try it.
Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th April
A rare weekend with time to do plenty of yoga. So – firstly, I decided to to sort out my yoga bag. I washed my blanket and added an extra pair of socks – I just can’t be doing with being cold whilst in Savasana. I also sorted my Asana flash card deck into four little piles: Sun Salutations, Standing Sequence, Seated Sequence and finally a Finishing Sequence one. I then labelled my block, my brick and my strap. I love a bit of organisation in a world of general chaos.
WEEK FOURTEEN
Monday 30th April
I was looking forward to class this morning – although my knees and my back were not. I still have Lotus Knee Syndrome and, as with most back complaints, I have no idea what I did, but it hurts. Any attempt at Urdvha Mukha Svanasana (up dog) was pushing it this morning, even my cobra was looking poorly sick. Still, my child pose is almost perfect.
Tuesday 1st May
My lower back is worse. So I just lay on the mat this morning and wallowed in feeling sorry for myself.
Wednesday 2nd May
Up with the larks and down the A21 to Tunbridge Wells to do my first observation. Hot Vinyasa Flow. And when I say hot, I mean HOT. Like 40 degrees. I was sweating within the first five minutes and the only poses I did for the whole hour were Dandasana, Vajrasana, Sukhasana and Padmasana…. in other words… just sitting and watching.
Thursday 3rd May
My back felt a bit better this morning so I went off to my Shirley class – but no Shirley! I missed her. No breathing, no Kriyas and even no Savansana at the end of the practice. What? Felt cheated. Had to go home and lie down.
Friday 4th May
Apart from possibly being part bat, as I love hanging upside down, I also think my DNA might also contain some Jedi. I felt full of energy this morning and my back didn’t hurt at all. May(be) the Force was with me? (I know that’s an old joke – but I couldn’t resist it).
Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th May
A weekend of sunshine & yoga. There is something quite virtuous in doing yoga outside on the grass in glorious sunshine. OK, maybe the glass of wine wasn’t strictly necessary – but it was a holiday weekend, after all.
WEEK FIFTEEN
Monday 7th May
I am sure I read somewhere that there is a new trend called Beer Yoga. Or was that just wishful thinking? We were right out of beer, so today – I just worked on a bit more Wine Yoga left over from yesterday.
Tuesday 8th May
I am a bad yogi. If there was a prize for the best excuses for avoiding the mat – I reckon I’d be in with a shot for first place.
Wednesday 9th May
Almost redeemed myself by attempting the whole of the Modified Primary Series this morning. Attempting is good word.
Thursday 10th May
I have to confess to not missing Shirley this week. Instead, we had Paula and a gorgeous juicy Vinyasa flow class this morning. Slurp.
Friday 11th May
My little boy is 15 today! Although having said that, he’s not so little and not so much of a boy either – his legs are far too hairy. However, I think 15 is a perfect age to introduce him to yoga. He, on the other hand, does not.
Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th May
Yoga London teacher training weekend five. What a lovely chilled, Zen-like weekend. Saturday we did Seated postures and adjustments (I absolutely adore a good adjustment!) and on Sunday we learnt about meditation. We also did blindfolded Sun Salutations… I publicly apologise to Matt (one of the other trainee teachers) for inadvertently touching his bottom every time I swooped down into Uttanasana.
WEEK SIXTEEN
Monday 13th May
I thought I would practice the counting up to ten and down from ten meditation I learnt yesterday. I only got seven… on the way up. I obviously need more sleep.
Tuesday 14th May
My morning practice intention didn’t go so well today. OK. I fess. It didn’t go at all. However, my morning coffee intention went better than normal.
Wednesday 15th May
Did my own practice this morning – with the help of all three of my cats, who obviously thought that trying to trip me up, sit on the mat and generally just get in way would make me give up sooner and feed them breakfast. Epic fail, Mogs.
Thursday 17th May
Shirley is back – with a vengeance. She whirled around the class this morning doing adjustments and – if I may say so – was a little too over enthusiastic in adjusting my Trikonasana. She pulled my left hip back so far I thought I was going to fall over. My back muscles jammed in an effort to stay upright. They got jammier throughout the day, so that by 9pm – I was toast.
Friday 18th May
Paracetemol & Ibruprofen for breakfast. Ibruprofen & Paracetemol for lunch along with a large dollop of Tiger Balm. Managed to stiff upper lip my way through dance classes today, disguising my grimaces of pain as smiles. Woe is me.
Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th May
My poor injured back is in spasm. I can barely move. Just about managed to hobble to the fridge and pour a glass of wine. I phoned Jackie, my massage therapist, and wailed down the phone. She is squeezing me in Monday morning.
WEEK SEVENTEEN
Monday 21st May
Never do anything by halves, my mother used to say… which obviously includes pulling muscles. Jackie says I have certainly not done a half assed job on my back.
Tuesday 22nd May
Darling Quadratus Lumboram… loosen up, man!
Wednesday 23rd May
Went swimming this morning. Thought that Mr Quadratus Lumboram might like that. So far so good – I can still move. A bit.
Thursday 24th May
No yoga, no swimming, no dancing, no karate. Yawn. I’m 78% stiff and 22% fed up.
Friday 25th May
I have been making friends with some cat/cows and some lying twists this morning… think that’s working to loosen me up a bit more.
Saturday/Sunday/Monday 26th – 28th May
Another holiday weekend – which I am sure has helped my back injury – although that could have been the wine.
WEEK EIGHTEEN
Tuesday 29th May – Sunday 3rd June
My back has just about recovered. It’s not been all bad. I have laid off my daily practice (waaaaaaa!) apart from lying twists and gentle cat/cows and tried not to do too much too soon. However, the good thing is – I have been educating myself about treating injuries and muscle pulls, as well as looking at anatomy rather a lot over the last week. I now feel quite confident in dispensing treatment plans to all my pupils who present injuries to me.
WEEK NINETEEN
Monday 4th June
My inner wisdom told me to take it easy this week, but I ignored it. So today – I went swimming, did home practice and then taught Dance Fitness. I‘m hoping my back hasn’t noticed.
Tuesday 5th June
I really should listen to that inner voice of wisdom. I may have slightly overdone it yesterday and my back did notice. Bugger.
Wednesday 6th June
My back was not too bad this morning, so I did a bit of gentle stretching and some twists. So far, so good. Might try class tomorrow.
Thursday 7th June
Took it so easy at class this morning, that Shirley asked me if I was OK. So I just pointed to my back and made a face. I think she understood.
Friday 8th June
One step forward, two steps back. That’s what this daily practice versus life’s challenges feels like. However, I’ve heard that some people call that a Cha Cha. I’ll buy that.
Saturday & Sunday 9th & 10th June
My house is in chaos along with my daily practice. My yoga mat is now buried under hats, canes, sparkly skirts, legwarmers and neon scarves and I have an 80 cast dance show to put on in little less than five weeks.
WEEK TWENTY
Monday 11th June
About now – ever since 2005 when I first put on a summer dance show for the dance school – the same thought enters my head… Whose idea was this dance show?’
Tuesday 12th June
Tuesday is bad Yogi day. Or so it seems every week. Good job I’m cool with that.
Wednesday 13th June
Rescued the yoga mat from underneath a pile of leotards and relocated it to the conservatory with the intention of resuming daily practice in between typing up stage and lighting directions. My intentions are good.
Thursday 14th June
Off to my Shirley class this morning. I rocked up a bit later than normal and the only place left was right in the middle at the front. Shame.
Friday 15th June
I have theory that the older you get – the more stuff you have in your head, therefore the less room there is for new stuff. This appears to be especially applicable to Sanskrit and anatomy terms. Bet you can’t guess what the weekend might hold…
Saturday & Sunday 16th & 17th June
Weekend six of the Yoga London Teacher Training. By around 3pm on Sunday afternoon after a day and a half of anatomy, teaching practice and self practice – even the grandchildren (that’s all the young ones on the course) were flagging. There’s obviously no hope for me then.
WEEK TWENTY ONE
Monday 18th June
Day off – justifiably as I have been a good Yogi all weekend and on top of all that – am feeling smug as I now know the difference between Plantarflexion and Dorsiflexion. That in itself is an achievement. The fact that I actually remembered it makes it an amazing achievement.
Tuesday 19th June
Had another sodding tooth out today. At this rate I’ll have none left. So – goodbye daily practice for another few days.
Wednesday 20th June
One of my cats has taken a liking to my yoga mat. I am happy the mat is getting some use.
Thursday 21st June
The nearest I got to the mat today was putting it in the washing machine. Sorry cat.
Friday 22nd June
The Dance Show has taken over – which is normal for this time of year. There is no room in my life, lounge or conservatory right now to even swing a cat, let alone any kind of dog. Up or down
Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th June
Woe is me – again. I have a ‘dry socket’ – go Google it. One step forward, three steps back…that’s NOT a Cha Cha.
WEEK TWENTY TWO
Monday 25th June
Back to the dentist. Cloves. Antibiotics and no yoga for a week. Why me?
Tuesday 26th June
Everything tastes of cloves.
Wednesday 27th June
Yawn.
Thursday 28st June
Missing my class. I am sure I can feel my hamstrings tightening by the hour.
Friday 9th June
They say everything happens for a reason. Wish I knew what the reason is.
Saturday 30th & Sunday 1st July
Perfecting the art of chewing on one side of my mouth. It’s the opposite side to the one I had to chew on last time I had a tooth out. I am sure that’s actually good for the brain, isn’t it?
WEEK TWENTY THREE
Monday 2nd July
My resting heart rate – according to my Fitbit – has gone up to 56bpm from a normal 52bpm… now, that might not be meaningful to you… but it is to me…need to sort that out!
Tuesday 3rd July
I’m baaaaaacck! Sun Salutations galore in the garden. Lovely.
Wednesday 4th July
I’m baaaaaacck! Full Exam sequence AND some alternate nostril breathing.
Thursday 5th July
I’m baaaaaacck to class! Yay! A lovely stretchy bendy forward foldy class.
Friday 6th July
Knew it wouldn’t last. There’s far too much to do for the dance show next weekend, so only managed a ten minute meditation to stop myself hyperventilating about just how much.
Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th July
No Yoga. There’s Football – World Cup. Dance Show prep and all manner of other excuses for not doing any -all excuses are valid & completely true.
WEEK TWENTY FOUR
Monday 9th July
Go for a consultation about a troublesome cyst on my back. ‘No problem,’ says the doctor, ‘we’ll just remove it. Sign here….’ WHAT? Now? Yes. Or go back on the waiting list. So, eight stitches later, and again – no Yoga (nor moving it appears) until the stitches come out which is Monday week.
W.T. F.
Tuesday 10th July
Avoid physical exercise for at least a week. Hmmm – self-employment just sounds like a good idea. Don’t teach? No money. So – who is going to pay the mortgage if I cancel classes and sit around for a week? The NHS?
Wednesday 11th July
Am I avoiding physical exercise? Sort of… Trikonasana doesn’t count, does it?
Thursday 12th July
Am I avoiding physical exercise? Well, if you don’t count Zumba I am…
Friday 13th July
Am I avoiding physical exercise? No. Basically.
Saturday 14th July
Weekend seven of the Yoga London teacher training. Came home thinking I’d overdone it. What’s new?
.Sunday15th July
Dance Show Day. No room for Yoga – just legwarmers, stage make-up and lots of sticky, sweaty kids and, of course, pom-poms. Occupational hazard.
WEEK TWENTY FIVE
Monday 16th July
Hi Ho, Hi Ho back to the doctor I go….verdict…infected wound…. grounded for at least ten days and placed on a strict diet of Fluoxacillin…although the Doc did say that he was prescribing me the antibiotic that you could drink alcohol with. Not sure if he thinks I’m an alcoholic or maybe I just look like I could do with a stiff drink. Clever people, doctors.
Tuesday 17th – Monday 23rd July
Grounded. Haven’t been that since I swore at my Dad back in 1975.
HALFWAY THROUGH WEEK TWENTY SIX
Tuesday 24th July
Had my stitches out… wasn’t banned from doing anything – but just told to take it easy…
Wednesday 25th July
Taking it easy. Sort of.
Thursday 26th July
Taking it a bit less easy.
Friday 27th July
Am I taking it easy? Well – I guess that depends on what your definition of ‘easy’ is.
Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th July
Easily quaffed a few glasses of wine this weekend and bored Alon (my partner) with a lesson in Kriyas.
WEEK TWENTY SEVEN
Monday 30th July
Tried a few Sun Salutations this morning. Easy.
Tuesday 31st July
Managed to do no Yoga today. That was easy too.
Wednesday 1st August
Easing myself back into establishing the daily practice that I hadn’t exactly got to establish in the first place…
Thursday 2nd August
Rock up to my Shirley class – she’s on holiday. Brilliant Ashtanga class in place instead. Perfect.
Friday 3rd August
DOMS & DAMN. That Ashtanga lark is harder than it looks!
Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th August
Half way through 200 hours of Teacher Training. That must mean I’ve done 100 hours. I know that my Math is a bit rubbish – but it surely must be more as it feels like at least 1.6 zillion billion hours.
And I still can’t do a back bend…
WEEK TWENTY EIGHT
Monday 6th August
Forgot to tell you – got horribly lost this weekend. I was supposed to meet my daughter at IKEA in Croydon. I somehow ended up in Old Coulson. I blame the SatNav. Oh sorry, this is my yoga journal isn’t it? Got horribly lost doing that too – although probably would be pushing it to blame the SatNav…
Tuesday 7th August
Sun Salutations and standing sequence in the garden – with the help of one of the cats. She just loves a down dog.
Wednesday 8th August
Sun Salutations and seated sequence in the garden – with the help of the other cat. She hates all dogs.
Thursday 9th August
I was a Yogi observer today. Does that count as daily practice? OK. OK. Thought not.
Friday 10th August
Packing for a partner & child free week away. My Yoga Journal, the David Swenson Ashtanga Practice Manual, the Yoga London Teacher Training manual, all four of the anatomy books and the Yoga Sutras book all go into a bag. I wonder if they will actually come out the bag during the week? Taking bets.
WEEK TWENTY NINE
Saturday 11th – Friday 17th August
Spent the week away at the Swanwick Writers Summer School (www.swanwickwritersschool.org.uk). Drank a LOT of gin. Didn’t write much BUT I did Yoga EVERY morning! Feeling very virtuous, flexible, bendy and still a tad drunk.
WEEK THIRTY
Saturday 18th & Sunday 19th August
Woke up Saturday morning with the realisation that last week I may have discovered the secret to daily practice. Bombay Sapphire.
Monday 20th August
Actually thinking I am finally – after eight months – getting to grips with the daily practice.
Tuesday 21st August
Actually thinking I am stupid for thinking that finally – after eight months – I might be getting to grips with the daily practice. No Yoga today.
Wednesday 22ndAugust
Confirmation that I am actually stupid. No Yoga today. I blame the lack of Bombay Sapphire.
Thursday 23rdAugust
Lovely Ashtanga class again this morning. Possibly, secretly hoping that maybe Shirley and the Advanced Hatha class might not make a comeback after the summer holidays. Is that mean of me?
Friday 24thAugust
Remember the bag I packed with all the Yoga teaching stuff in? Undisturbed. Saves me repacking it for the Bank holiday weekend, I guess.
Saturday 25th, Sunday 26th & Monday 27th August
Bank holiday weekend in Somerset. Yoga is easy to do when you have a sister who is more than willing to let you practise adjustments on her. Thanks, Blaj.
WEEK THIRTY ONE
Tuesday 28th August
Back to school dental appointments and hair cuts prevented me from my daily practice. Really, they did.
Wednesday 29th August
Felt guilty enough to do a few Sun Salutations and then attempt to write down – in the correct order – the Yoga London Standing Sequence without looking at the book. Ha….
Thursday 30th August
Last of the lovely summer long Ashtanga classes this week as the Hatha class is back next week. Shame. It went out with a bit of a bang though as I crashed to the floor whilst attempting a headstand.
Friday 31st August
It’s not lying down… it’s Savasana. Really. The most important posture in yoga.
Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd September
A lovely weekend of yoga, wine, sleep, wine, yoga, sleep, wine, wine and more wine. Rather more wine than both yoga or sleep. YOLO.
WEEK THIRTY TWO
Monday 3rd September
Did a 40 minute Adriene class followed by a three hour Savasana in the sunshine.
Tuesday 4th September
Managed to work a few Sun Salutations into my daily routine this morning whilst making banana bread and folding washing. If you want more details – email me.
Wednesday 5th September
Preparing for the return of the Advanced Hatha with some gardening and an extreme twenty minute garden shed stretch routine which was really an attempt to rescue one of the cats from behind the old lawn mower, without disturbing any of the cobwebs.
Thursday 6th September
Back to the Advanced Hatha Shirley class this morning. She’s back.
Friday 7th September
Feeling the Advanced element today of yesterday’s class.
Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th September
Goodness! Still feeling the advanced element of Thursdays class. My body is calling for Ultimate Savasana. I can do that.
WEEK THIRTY THREE
Monday 10th September
Flipped a coin this morning and Adriene lost out to swimming. I was not sorry as my hips are a bit stiff from not doing anything all weekend. I mean not doing Yoga. Of course I did some things…like drinking wine… obviously…
Tuesday 11th September
Back to the dentist. And guess what? Yet ANOTHER extraction. W.T.F. This time a wisdom tooth. They are taking me away bit by bit. No Yoga AGAIN for another few days. When will it end??
Wednesday 12th – Friday 14th September
Here’s to a lifetime diet of soup & mashed potato. And Bombay Sapphire. Hmmmm. Maybe it’s not too bad after all.
Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th September
Yoga London teacher training weekend nine. Thank goodness we did some sequencing on Sunday as I’d forgotten how numb ones backside can go when sitting on the floor all day learning about yoga history and philosophy.
WEEK THIRTY FOUR
Monday 17th September
Managed to repeat the Banana Bread Sun Salutation sequence this morning. Maybe I should write the recipe down? Beating eggs whilst in Baby Cobra pose is quite an achievement.
Tuesday 18th September
No Asana practice today. However, the banana bread is good – that’s got some in it!
Wednesday 19th September
Had a revelation this morning whilst lying in Savasana. Can’t remember what it was. But it was a revelation.
Thursday 20th September
Due to a logistical cock-up by the gym this morning – all the beginners ended up in the advanced class. What an interesting hour that was. I did mental adjustments on everybody, including the gym management.
Friday 21st September
No yoga today. The banana bread is still good though.
Saturday 22nd & Sunday 23rd September
Went to a new yoga class this morning at the gym. Only an hour, but it meant that I could indulge in my lazy weekend in Leicester guilt free. Almost.
WEEK THIRTY FIVE
Monday 24th September
There is something about the beginning of a new week that gives me hope regarding my DPAS (Daily Practice Avoidance Syndrome). I promise myself every Monday morning that THIS will be the week I really, really, really do it.
Tuesday 25th September
Really, really…
Wednesday 26th September
Really….
Thursday 27th September
I love it when my cats ‘help’ me with my daily practice. I especially love it when I look around and think it’s safe to get out the mat as the cats are nowhere to be seen. Out comes the mat and – whoosh! Suddenly there are two cats vying for the middle position…
Friday 28th September
Looking forward to the catch up classes on Ayurveda. Perhaps eating a Yogi diet might help my lack of willpower?
Saturday 29th & Sunday 30th September
Did a catch up class Saturday which was supposed to be Ayurveda. I was really looking forward to it. But alas! Somehow this changed to Hatha Pradipika. No, it’s not similar. Hatha Pradipika is more philosophy. The biggest challenge for me was trying to stay awake.
The journey up the mountain may take different paths – but I don’t need to do them all. The view from the top is the same.
WEEK THIRTY SIX
Monday 1st October
My bottom is still numb from sitting on it all weekend.
Tuesday 2nd October
Enrolled myself on an online Ayurveda course and did the little quiz to find my Dosha. I’m Pitta/Kapha and a weeny bit Vata. Maybe that should be a dollop or a drizzle of Vata. Sounds more food-like.
Wednesday 3rd October
I did another Dosha test via another website – just to check the first one was accurate. I’m now Kapha/Pitta/Vata in equal measures. Mix well.
Thursday 4th October
This is addictive. I tried one more Dosha test – just to make sure. I’m still Kapha/Pitta/Vata. Think I preffered Pitta/Kapha and dash of Vata.
Friday 5th October
Just one more – honest. I am now back to Pitta/Kapha and a swirl of Vata. Although could be a pinch.
Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th October
A Leicester weekend. There was plenty of free parking on the M1 – my bottom is now so used to being numb, I am no longer stiff when I finally get out of the car.
WEEK THIRTY SEVEN
Monday 8th October
Another Monday… another promise. Three Sun A & three B and then the phone rang…
Tuesday 9th October
So, today, my morning practice went like this: Pick a cat up on an inhale and exhale said cat to the other end of the mat whilst stepping back – on the other cat’s tail, which causes another inhale – from both me and the cat. Repeat.
Wednesday 10th October
No Asana practice today. But I did a 60 minute Savasana after I got home from work before supper. Lovely.
Thursday 11th October
More feline ‘help’ this morning. I swear the the fluffy one tried to kill me by waving her tail in my face – which tickled my nose. Has anyone else ever sneezed whilst in shoulder stand? Twice.
Friday 12th October
No yoga today. Karate was punishing though. Somebody must have told Sensei I skipped my morning practice.
Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th October
Weekend Ten of Yoga Teacher Training. Sunday morning, we were two yogis down for assisting morning practice – so I shot my hand up without thinking and said I was up for the challenge of teaching. Once I had stopped hyperventilating – it was AMAZING!
WEEK THIRTY EIGHT
Monday 15th October
Had a lovely massage this morning. My massage therapist is really useful for practising my anatomy knowledge on. She uses ‘proper’ names for all the joints and muscles. I lie there and pretend I know what she is talking about. I’m pretty convincing. I reckon.
Tuesday 16th October
Did I tell you I’d subscribed to one of those cooking meal box delivery things? I know it’s got nothing to actually do with Yoga, but tonight we had Coconut Paneer Curry. That’s a bit Yogi though, don’t you think?
Wednesday 17th October
I’ve been thinking about my future career as a Yoga teacher. Right now I don’t have any space in my teaching calendar to fit in any other classes. Hmmmmm….
Thursday 18th October
A lovely forwardy foldy bendy classy today with Shirley. Still thinking about how I’m going to fit in the Yoga teaching. Something has to give. Like a hamstring, maybe?
Friday 19th October
Had a very large skip delivered yesterday to aid with house clearing before the move – which should have been about three weeks ago. What do these solicitors DO?
Saturday 20th & Sunday 21st October
A Leicester weekend – which means I get to practice the Exam sequence on my partner, Alon. It’s the only time I get to boss him around. Then we do a lot of Savasana. TMI, I know.
WEEK THIRTY NINE
Monday 22nd October
Loving the skip. Throwing things away is very cathartic. I’m hopeful that I will create enough space in my head, so that I can actually remember the Exam sequence.
Tuesday 23rd October
The home delivery cooking box has gone all Oriental on me. Pork Ramen and noodles. King Prawn Nutty Bang Bang. Not a curry in sight this week.
Wednesday 24th October
My trusty old yoga socks have sadly got so thin and worn (a bit like me!) that they have developed a hole. At school we got taught how to hem curtains and cover school books in fabric or wallpaper – but not how to darn socks. I’m sorry to see them go.
Thursday 25th October
Couldn’t get a place on the Advanced Hatha this morning as it was fully booked, so I thought I’d try perfecting my headstand at home. The King Prawn Nutty Bang Bang I had last night was not the best choice…
Friday 26thOctober
Got myself a new pair of yoga socks. Pink & fluffy ones. Very cosy.
Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th October
Saturday I went to visit my cousin, Nasus, this weekend. Yes – that’s her real name – backwards. She’s also about to embark on her Yoga London 200 hour teacher training. Guess what the chosen topics of conversation were? Wine. Obviously.
WEEK FORTY
Monday 29th October
Recovering from yesterday’s Chanting Workshop. I don’t think I’m going to include much chanting, if any, in my classes (should I ever do any of course!) But I’m actually loving an OM. And my new socks.
Tuesday 30th October
There is nothing like a good list to focus the mind. Especially when said list is carefully typed and the choice of layout and font takes about three hours to decide on.
Wednesday 31st October
Home practice with feline help, as usual. The fluffy one tried to sit on my lap whilst I was in Paschimottansana. How to make forward folding more challenging. Add a cat.
Thursday 1st November
I read once that if you can stand on one leg with your eyes closed for ten seconds or more without wobbling – you’re gonna live to be 100 years old. They obviously didn’t mean in dancers pose, or tree or eagle or warrior III… I hope…
Friday 2nd November
I also read once that if you can sit down on the floor (without giving yourself a big butt bruise) and stand up again without using your hands or knees to help you up – then you’re also in for the long haul. Not looking good for me then…
Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th November
Another weekend spent in the Midlands. So that means no daily practice apart from a bit of Savasana. OK. A lot of Savasana.
WEEK FORTY ONE
Monday 5th November
Made another list of all the things I need to revise up on for the Exams – which are soon. I don’t want to go and look up the exact date – it might be sooner than that…
Tuesday 6th November
Thought I’d better make a start on the revision. Poured a glass of wine and typed, ‘Easy Ways To Remember The Eight Limbs Of Yoga’, into the Google search bar. Less than five minutes later I’m engrossed in a video on something called a Cat Café…amazing isn’t it the things you can find on the internet…?
Wednesday 7th November
Exchanged contracts today on my house move. Completion is a week away. I would be a liar if I said I wasn’t in full panic mode. Not even sure Savasana can help me now…
Thursday 8th November
There is no room for Yoga. Just more panic. And more boxes. So many boxes.
Friday 9th November
Running Yoga teaching scripts through my head today as I simultaneously pack more boxes for the house move. I’m officially assisting tomorrow. Every time I think I’ve cracked it – I suddenly remember another pose that I almost forgot. Really – I am too old for all this.
Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th November
Weekend eleven of Teacher Training. Assisting wasn’t as bad as I imagined it would be. I think I’m getting there. Pretty sure the socks helped.
WEEK FORTY TWO
Monday 12th November
Two days till the move. Another pile of boxes and still not ventured into the loft.
Tuesday 13th November
Frantically throwing random loose items into boxes and then realising that said items are maybe not so random. Has anyone seen the cats???
Wednesday 14th November
Moving Day. It’s 15 & ½ years since my last house move. I am absolutely knackered. I found a wine glass in my handbag (not guilty – honest!) and a bottle of wine in the local Co-op. Couldn’t find the corkscrew – which would have been a problem 15 years ago – but fortunately nowadays most wine has screw tops. Cheers!
Thursday 15th November
I was hoping to wake up and find that the Moving House Fairy had unpacked all my boxes, sorted out the loft for me, filled the freezer, cooked the lunch and fed the cats. What do you mean? There’s no moving house fairy? Nooooooooo…
Friday 16th November
Can’t find my yoga mat, my blanket nor my socks!!! Can’t find the cat food bowls either. Not sure which of them is more of a disaster.
Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th November
Still looking for the cat bowls, but more worrying is that I can’t actually find one of the cats. I know they have a thing about boxes… this could take while…
WEEK FORTY THREE
Monday 19th – Friday 23rd November
Spent almost a week of not being able to find ANYTHING. It took me three days to find the cat food bowls. I found my mat & blanket – they were in the car. But I still can’t find my favourite yoga socks. However, I did find the cat though. No prizes for guessing where.
Sunday 25th Saturday 24th November
Had a Yoga London missed class to make up Saturday morning, which I thought would be much like all the other morning classes. Wrong. We did lots of partner work and then some circus skills too. How lovely. As for Sunday. That’s a rest day isn’t it?
Still can’t find my yoga socks. Waaaaaaaaa!!!
WEEK FORTY FOUR
Monday 26th November
Upped the revision for the History & Philosophy Exam which is soon. Too soon.
Tuesday 27th November
The lounge remains a no go area as it’s still full of boxes that need sorting and I’ve basically no time between doing my job and revising the Eight Limbs, The Chakras, The Pancha Kosha and the Bhagavad Gita.
Wednesday 28th November
Last night I could name all the Chakras – in order – by colour and location. Last night. I thought sleep was supposed to improve your memory?
Thursday 29th November
My birthday. I’m 58 today. On a serious note – I am fitter, healthier, more flexible, stronger and less stressed than I was when I was 28. Yoga? You bet.
Friday 30th November
Whose idea was it to do this bloody Yoga teacher training course?
Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd December
While the rest of the country is drinking mulled wine and doing their festive shopping – I am head down, ass up on the mat trying to remember where my Dristi is supposed to be and if I am inhaling or exhaling. I guess as long as I keep breathing…
WEEK FORTY FIVE
Monday 3rd December
Flick through the Yoga notebook looking for stuff I have written over the last years on Anatomy. Ah. Here it is… can’t read my writing…
Tuesday 4th December
Out comes the Anatomy folder again tonight – gosh. I’d forgotten how much I’d forgotten.
Wednesday 5th December
Let’s hear it for the internet! I can proudly say that I have now done 254 different quizzes on ‘Can You Name The Muscles of The Body’.
Yes. Yes, I can. I think.
Thursday 6th December
I’m upside down, inside out and back to front. Just when I think I have got to grips with the differences in the transverse, saggital and whatevertheotheroneis planes of the body – I discover a new way of moving the shoulder joint.
Friday 7th December
Spent the evening rather much like the previous evening and the one before that. With a highlighter, a picture of a skeleton and a memory like a sieve. Why has the body so many different ways of moving? Surely FORWARDS is the only one we should be focussing on?
Saturday 8th December – ANATOMY EXAM DAY!
There was a question in the Anatomy paper of the Yoga London Exam today that said: a student tells you they have injured their Rectus Femoris muscle. What poses would you tell them to avoid and what poses/exercises could you suggest they do to aid recovery? Cue meltdown as I was buggered – despite all the quizzes I allegedly excelled at – if I could remember where the damn Rectus Fermoris muscle was.
Sunday 9th December – PHILOSOPHY EXAM DAY!
Philosophy Exam. I think I got the Pancha Kosha Sheaths and the Eight Limbs mixed up. But then having said that – all I can think about is the bloody Rectus question. Surely… surely they would just say, “My leg hurts”? or “I have pulled my quad muscle” Surely?
WEEK FORTY SIX
Monday 10th December
The Rectus Fermoris question is haunting me. Now I know where the damn thing is. I have this to say on the subject – if a student came up to me and told me that they had injured their Rectus Femoris – then I would A – assume that they were some kind of anatomy freak to even know that they had injured that particular muscle and B – suggest that maybe they would know what poses to avoid – given the above knowledge.
Tuesday 11th December
Back to Rectus Femoris. Again. Sorry. If a student ever comes up to me one day and actually utters those words, ‘I have injured my Rectus Femoris muscle’. I think I am probably going to just stand there with my mouth open. For a least a minute. Maybe even two.
Wednesday 12th December
Decided I am going to rename my two cats. One is now called ‘Rectus’ and the other ‘Femoris’.
Thursday 13th December
I’m now done with Anatomy. I have the Practical teaching Exam looming this weekend to hyperventilate over now. The first pressing decision is – do I wear my lucky purple leopard leggings or the black practical ‘go-to, but extremely boring and not really me’ black ones for Exam day? Either way – will need fluffy socks (oh! where oh where are my favourite socks?), a thermal vest and gloves. The weather forecast is Arctic.
Friday 14th December
Spent the evening reciting the breath flow in the seated sequence and changing my mind about what leggings to wear. Maybe I’ll go for the black Saturday and the leopard Sunday.
Saturday 15th December – TEACHING EXAM DAY!
Practical Teaching Exam today. Of course, I knew it was going to be freezing cold but raining as well? Really? Had to get the train up to Covent Garden. Opted for the lucky purple leopard leggings, a thermal vest, three tops, legwarmers, two pairs of socks, gloves, body warmer, snow boots (well – you just can’t be too sure, can you?) and a coat that I thought was waterproof.
Sunday December 16th – GRADUATION!
Graduation. Yoga London’s idea of fun is over 25 ‘themed’ Sun Salutations. We flowed, we huffed, we puffed, we laughed and we dripped (sweat). My theme was Funky…the Uptown sort. Knackered doesn’t cover it. However, the drinks afterwards more than did.
WEEK FORTY SEVEN
Monday 17th December
YAY! I’m a qualified 200 hour Yoga London Ashtanga Vinyasa teacher! At last!
Gonna have to lie down… sorry… I mean Savasana…
PS. Guess what I found this morning…? My favourite yoga socks…
International Dance Teachers' Association