Sunday, August 14, 2016

Atma Yoga Classes

Today was the first day of yoga teacher training class.    I've been studying the last two weeks for this class.  Today was the first day of "contact" hours for my newest learning endeavor.  I really shouldn't worry so much.  We had a wonderful class.  I believe we will all be fine and compassionate and learned yoga teachers.  I enjoy the instructor, and I very much enjoyed the interactive participation of the group.  There are fourteen people, when I think to count.  Maybe there are only eleven students...we have three teacher trainers.

Atma Yoga is located in Tacoma, Washington.  And oh, what a beautiful day in Tacoma.  I fell in love with Opera Alley near our studio/teaching lounge.  Jazz club on the corner is B Square.  it is now on my list for the next night out for jazz.  No need to drive the hour to Seattle, I can get my jazz fix nearer to home.
Tacoma has beautiful murals all through the city.  I had no idea.  Tacoma seems like the best kept secret in Western Washington.  It's a sleepy little city on a Sunday...at least during our break for lunch between asana-s practices and lectures.  

Atma  is the sanskrit word for the individual soul or essence within the universal.  Or as dictionary .com says: the individual self, known after enlightenment to be identical with Brahman. 

We spoke of Atma at length in class.  Though it is not the definition given during class - I truly believe dictionary.com definition is spot on.

This is going to be a great fall.  I am looking forward to the journey...and Tacoma has grabbed my attention too.




Atma Yoga Classes

Today was the first day of yoga teacher training class.    I've been studying the last two weeks for this class.  Today was the first day of "contact" hours for my newest learning endeavor.  No need to worry so much.  We had a wonderful class.  I believe we will all be fine and compassionate and learned yoga teachers.  I enjoy the instructor, and I very much enjoyed the interactive participation of the group.  There are fourteen people, when I think to count.  Maybe there are only eleven students...we have three teacher trainers.

Atma Yoga is located in Tacoma, Washington.  And oh, what a beautiful day in Tacoma.  I fell in love with Opera Alley near our studio/teaching lounge.  Jazz club on the corner is B Square.  it is now on my list for the next night out for jazz.  No need to drive the hour to Seattle, I can get my jazz fix nearer to home.
Tacoma has beautiful murals all through the city.  I had no idea.  Tacoma seems like the best kept secret in Western Washington.  It's a sleepy little city on a Sunday...at least during our break for lunch between asana-s practices and lectures.  

Atma  is the sanskrit word for the individual soul or essence within the universal.  Or as dictionary .com says: the individual self, known after enlightenment to be identical with Brahman. 

We spoke of Atma at length in class.  Though it is not the definition given during class - I truly believe dictionary.com definition is spot on.

This is going to be a great fall.  I am looking forward to the journey...and Tacoma has grabbed my attention too.




Monday, August 8, 2016

My Return to School

It's not that you can't teach an old dog a new trick.  It's that this old dog is having a hard time relaxing into the new world order, regardless of how much I want to.  I have signed on for this wonderful, whole semester, comprehensive class to become the next fully trained, compassionate, inspiring and motivating yoga teacher and I am having some serious issues with finding the time to do all the things involved with going to school.  Of all the problems to have this is a good one.  I fully appreciate my 'dilemma'.


I don't know if y'all remember but when one is in school it is good to crack open a book before class, preferably for longer than twenty minutes at a shot.  Once the book is cracked it is good to read it.  And maybe even read with comprehension.  These books may not be great luminaries of literature - but I do enjoy losing myself in the reading. Blocking out the time necessary to 'get lost' in this information has gotten squashed repeatedly.


It is also good to take notes when one is in school - to write down what one has read as another way to assimilate the information.  It is good to have flash cards, or make them, and then actually flash ones' self.  (I just like the thought of flashing anything.  What a fun idea.)  It is good to physically practice the sequences and moves one is training for - maybe for longer than twenty minutes.  I see on the syllabus that for a Yoga teaching certificate daily meditation is required.  I don't mind any of this.  How marvelous it would be to meditate twice a day. Wait - it's a requirement.


I love the reading, and the new information.  I love the feeling of immersion into something that has held my attention for over thirty-five years.  The flash cards, the meditations, the asana sequences are all so much fun.  WHY CAN'T I FIND MORE TIME FOR THE THINGS I WANT TO DO??!


I calculated the time spent studying this week.  It was a lousy seven and a half hours.  Pitiful, downright pitiful amount of time for something that interests me so much.  I missed two days completely .  Am I too stringent of a student?  Apparently not.


This last week instead of studying I was fixing dinner and then cleaning up from dinner.  I was folding clothes or grocery shopping. And when the weekend came around and I was out on the boat crabbing - with a boatload of friends.  And then the boat needed cleaning and putting away.  And the crab needed cleaning and putting away.  And or course the green beans came in.  They had to be canned before they went bad.  And all of these things are good.  All of these things are necessary.  I am just finding that it is really hard to go to school, dont'cha know.  Thank goodness there's another week before our first class.  These are all the early assignments given out at orientation.


My best study time all week was Sunday morning in the wee (very wee) hours at midnight thirty.  That study session lasted two and a half hours.  It was magic.  The house was quiet.  The fluorescent lights in the kitchen come on softly until they warm up.  There are no phone calls, no need to make any.  The information flowed into me and I soaked it in surrounded in the quiet ticking of the wall clock.  In the still of the night is the very best time to study.


Late night studying

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Going for Certified - Yoga Love

I finally signed up for Yoga Teacher Certification.  I will be officially certified to help any of you with a great child pose.  Believe me, it's worth it.  Child pose is worth it, being able to confidently and knowledgeably help any of you into and out of this most difficult of poses (NOT difficult at all) is worth it, and being certifiable in anything is always worth it.  Even certifiable crazy is worth it - I think there's some public health funds available with that one.


I chose option 3 (for those that read my March posting) for my training certificate.  I chose the studio that only does teacher training for Yoginis and Yogis (not Bear - he just wants the pik-a-nik basket).
from fanpop.com
I chose the studio that offers overseas retreats in conjunction with the class.


There's no retreat attached to this particular class session.  I know, you are all wondering why I would sign up for the session that does not include the overseas retreat.  I signed on now because I felt a great connection with this instructor. I signed on now because in the course of chatting with the studios that offer RTY200 - 200 hours of yoga teacher training - this one seems the most holistic, rounded, all encompassing, and generally kinder, thoughtful.  This studio appears to be less like a business, more like a service.  I like the philosophy that was presented; basically her yoga, my way.  And I signed on now because I will receive my teaching certificate while I am still 55 years young.  That has been a goal of mine for the last two years.  Timing, it appears, is everything.


Especially when one is grabbing for their pik-a-nik basket.