SCW Recap...Day 1 Yoga!

"Namaste"

I woke up super excited about the day.  I had my super cool ACE yoga tank and my cute floral yoga mat. I would be diving into a new dimension of my fitness development, and learn a skill that I have always had so much respect for. It was Yoga Day! 

My 1st yoga class was at UGA and I took it with my girlfriends Anisha and Latoya. I was not very flexible but it was very relaxing.  I think I bought a Yoga DVD after that, I probably watched it once.  Then my Dad invited me out to Hot Yoga at an Atlanta studio. It was sooo much fun! That is what got the yoga spark going. Since then I would pick up occasional classes at Georgia Tech. During my exercise science internship they needed a sub for a Yoga class, but it was the one area I did not feel comfortable teaching. If my goal was to be a multi-dimensional fitness instructor I would have to get stronger in the area of mind-body fitness.  Hello Yoga Fundamentals!

It's funny how your perceptions of Yoga and the mind body community can influence your behavior.  I wanted some coffee sooo badly, I mean I was dragging. But, some part of my brain convinced me that coffee is bad and that my instructor might judge my vente coffee I so desperately wanted. Have you met Lawrence? Yeah he definitely had his own coffee and did not care what was in our glass.

Lawrence Biscontini, our facilitator was great.  His personality leapt off the stage, not at all what I was thinking for a Yoga instructor, but I really appreciated it.  He was fun, and he joked with us, he kept things light and informative. It was really funny, he would try and engage us and we would all just stare at him like everyone was thinking the same thing...are we "allowed" to laugh and respond during Yoga? But, I learned that just like boot camps and cardioboxing classes, Yoga does not have to be one size fit all.  The instructor and their community are what make the class.

Over the next 9 and a half hours we learned:
- 30 of the basic movements of Hatha Yoga, the discipline of opposites, sun & moon yoga
- the brain body breathe connection
- Sanskrit terminology
- cue what you want a participant to do
-Ujayyi breathing
- 6 Categories of spinal movement in relation to Hatha Yoga
- 3 phases of yoga movement
- how to facilitate movement for a safe and effective warm up, class, and cool down
- the purpose, postures, progression, prana, precepts, and prescrition for each asana
- yoga is made for all people, not all people are made for all postures

We went through so many progressions of the different postures and every movement was mindful: posture, purpose, and breathe. One of the most important things I took from the Yoga training was a greater focus and intention when my body moves. It forced me to take inventory of muscular strength and flexibility imbalances.  Generally, I am so consumed with the loads and the time and the reps, that I forget to focus on the base, the posture, and the intent of the movement.  Without that awareness I will eventually hurt myself. 

I have been more mindful of my posture during my weight training.  I have even had to lighten the load on some of the lifts, recognizing I was going out of alignment at certain points to achieve the reps.

Our facilitator gave us several assignments to complete before we begin teaching. One was taking a variety of yoga classes from different instructors in the community.
I know sampling instructors and classes will help me develop my style and help me absorb the yoga culture.  In the few experiences I have had, each instructor and style was different.  I can't wait to see what all is out there!

This weekend I am taking my lil sis to "Rock Star Yoga" with Tough Love Yoga in midtown.  It is a rooftop yoga class! How could I pass up that opportunity!

"Namaste"

Health and Happiness,

L