A Day In The Life (2nd weekend of training)

Thought I'd do a little something different this time around... Here's how my day went for the most part. Times are probably off. Times are definitely off.. But you get the jist! This was a lot of fun to write this way! :-)

5 AM - Wake up call! It's 5 AM, on a S u n d a y! My alarm is going off and instantly I wished I had went to bed a little earlier the night before.

5:15 AM - Alright, fine! I'm up!

5:30 AM - FIFTEEN MINUTES HAVE PASSED???? CRAP! Time for a shower. Looks like the hair is going up today... OH! I'll wear that cute headband!

6:00 AM - Thank God Eric is taking me. I'll die if I have to drive myself. Wait...We need gas??? UGH! He's in the car already. I'll be right out!

6:01 AM - Shoving everything in a bag... (Seriously, Thank the lord Eric is driving me. If I have to lug this thing around for even 1 block, I'll literally cry!)

6:04 AM - CRAP! I forgot I went to Trader Joe's last night. YES, I'll have snacks today! "HOLD ON! I'LL BE RIGHT OUT!" Throw everything in lunch bag

6:07 AM - OUT THE DOOR!

YES! I'll sleep in the car on the way there.... Yeah; that didn't happen.

6:10 AM - Can we stop at McDonald's so I can get ice for my water?

6:13 AM - Pull into McDonald's.
          Eric: "What do you want?"
          Me: "A large ice water - extra ice!... Ooh! and a Blueberry muffin..."
          Eric: "A muffin? Really?"
          Me: "Yeah, nothing heavy! I'll be the girl in the corner with the smelly farts.. or worse!
                  in the bathroom! lol"
          Eric: "Okay.... Yeah Can I get a large ice water; extra ice, a blueberry muffin, and
                    a Steak, egg and cheese biscuit?"
          Me: (blank faced) "I want that..."
          Eric: "NO! You said you didn't want anything heavy!"
          Me: "I know.... But.. it sounds so good....."
(long pause)
          Me: "Well, can't I just lick it?"
          Eric: (Laughing hysterically) "OMG, Really? NO!"

6:17 AM - I take the smallest bite of Eric's Steak, Egg & Cheese Biscuit. It's literally the best thing I've tasted - EVER! (Well, it feels like it). I literally chewed it for like 5 minutes lol

6:20 AM - stop for gas at Meijer

6:27 AM ON THE TOLLWAY!

I'd really like to sleep now, and I'm trying.. But, there's this thing on my shoulder...

7:20 AM - ARRIVED AT THE NEW STUDIO!

OH MY GOSH! This space is SO freaking cute!!!!!!

7:30 AM - Guess I better set up my space...

7:35 AM - Practice begins!

Que Mishelle feeling nauseous and like the room is spinning.

8:00 AM - PLEASE SAY PREPARE FOR SAVASANA

8:01 AM - PLEASE SAY PREPARE FOR SAVASANA

8:02 AM - PLEASE SAY PREPARE FOR SAVASANA

8:03 AM - PLEASE SAY PREPARE FOR SAVASANA

8:04 AM - PLEASE SAY PREPARE FOR SAVASANA

8:05 AM - PLEASE SAY PREPARE FOR SAVASANA

8:06 - 8:16 AM - PLEASE SAY PREPARE FOR SAVASANA

8:20 AM - OH. MY. GOD. PLEASE SAY PREPARE FOR SAVASANA.... I'm going to die!

8:23 AM - YES! SAVASANA!

BREAK TIME! Time to break out the Excedrin Migraine. *remember to ask if forward folds normally make people want to throw up and die... literally die on their yoga mat!

9:00 AM - That banana in the cooler is MINE!!!!

9:01 AM - Walk past Rachel as she is putting on her flannel. Date drops on floor at my feet.

9:02 AM - WHAT. THE. HECK. IS. THAT. OMG. What do I say? Seriously. It looks like a turd.
                 OMG! I almost stepped in it...

9:03 AM - Still staring at the proposed turd

9:03:30 AM - Rachel: "OH! My Date!"

9:04 AM - DATE!!!! She said date!!! It's a date... Not a turd! HOLY CRAP! (literally... LOL)

9:09 AM - Linda just walked in with coffee from Starbucks...

9:10 AM - Now I want Starbucks...

9:13 AM - walk to Starbucks

9:15 AM - Hey cute handlebar mustache guy! Oh, you're a flirt too.... Please break out the Pumpkin Spice Latte kit JUST FOR ME.

9:17 AM - FINE! I'll wait. Jeeze! Carmel Macchiato it is I guess..

9:18 AM - Handlebar Mustache Barista: "What's your name?
                Me: (OH-M-GEE! They write your name on the cups here!) Mishelle... BUT WITH AN
                       S, INSTEAD OF A C!
                Handlebar Mustache Barista: (smiles)
                Me: (Nearly faints... OMG! HE'S PERFECT!!!!)

9:20 AM - COFFEE IS READY! Oh look... He crossed off the wrong spelling and wrote it right... just for me... He knew!! He knew!

9:30 AM - get back for lecture time!

9:31 AM - Is it me? Why are my ears like icicles?

9:35 AM - No seriously.. I'm freezing! Am I getting sick?

9:37 AM - Linda, Rachel and Michelle are all cuddled under a blanket... I want a blanket! Maybe it isn't just me...

9:40 AM - Rachel gets up to put on a sweater. YES! It isn't me! It's cold! Like Antarctica cold in here! I'm getting another blanket!

time passes...

12:55 PM - HOLY CRAP! It's almost 1???? LUNCH! YES! Wait.. I forgot a fork. Didn't I?

12:58 PM - Pretty sure I forgot a fork!

1:00 PM - I forgot a fork!

2:00 PM - stuffed! still have a headache. I'll muster through it...

more time passes...

4:00 PM - WHERE IS THIS DAY GOING? Why is it going so fast?

4:05 PM - SNACK TIME! GO!

4:07 PM - hummus falls on the floor. "NOT THE HUMMUS!!!"

4:08 PM - OMG! Linda's chips are delicious!!!

time passes....

5:10 PM - OMG Suzie's sounds so good right now...

more time passes....

6:10 PM - Seriously though. Suzie's!

6:11 PM - Time for some Cat/Cow talk...

Seriously.. I must post this in the group... LOL! I really want to bust out with my Unicorn... I know.. I'm delirious. Control yourself Mishelle!

7:00 PM - I still want Suzie's. Dang me for only bringing a salad and fruit!

7:01 PM - VARK Test... hmm.. I scored pretty evenly. Go figure. But wait. I totally thought I was more of a visual learner than anything. No.. This is right... 

7:30 PM - TIME TO GO! I'm texting Eric I want Suzie's dangit!

7:45 PM - OMG! This is the greatest thing ever! EVER!

9:30 PM - Oh, we're home already???

TIME FOR BED!

My First Teaching Experience

As most of you already know, the night before I began Teacher Training at Ganesha, I embarked on my first ever Yoga class as a teacher.

All the planning and practicing lead up to me finally making my debut. I am so grateful to Caitlin for making this happen! For believing in me and pushing me. And to Kay for allowing me to come into the studio and teach. I am just so blessed!

I had a GREAT turn out! It was an awesome group of 11 amazing women made up of family, friends and friends of friends. The fact that each and every one of them came to show their support is just mesmerizing. It wasn't for every one, and I'm okay with that. But for those who I did "change" - it was an amazing feeling to be a part of that.

I arrived at the studio at 5:45. My class didn't start until 7. I just needed to breathe, in a comforting environment and "get in the zone". I took some time to read over my class and then I decided to set up the room. I knew I would have quite a few people and I didn't want to spend 20 minutes just getting set up. So, I set up 11 spaces. Thanks to my fabulous family and friends, I ended up having the most attend for the drop-in. Which was AWESOME!

When I started class, I got a little nervous. I knew I was going to have that moment where I froze. So, that's why I took the time to write everything out. Even with that, there were still some points I skipped.

I only got lost once. That was at the end of the practice. I would say the room was half relaxed and half "what do I do? I can't hear". I wasn't sure what tone to use. I didn't want to scream. It's also hard to get up there and command things of people. Especially when you're nice. So, I'd say I haven't found my yoga voice yet. But I'm getting there.

It was actually amazing to have that under my belt before doing the round robin at teacher training. I felt more comfortable, PLUS I went off what I had sequenced in that class.

I wanted the evening to be about balance and bliss. Not so much balance pose wise. But finding that balance within life and your practice. I wanted people to feel like, "oh my gosh! this helps with all of the stress I had today. I NEED TO COME BACK!" Some did.

And some it just wasn't for. They wanted to m o v e. And I can't blame them for that. As I've said before, the beautiful thing about yoga is it can be so many things. I want my practices to be of course a challenge to you, but be gentle and relaxing all the same. You could say I would want it to challenge you more mentally than physically in the fact that I want you to challenge YOURSELF to put YOU first!

There were quite a few who asked me when I was teaching next! Genuinely; they loved it! That was so amazing! It was worth everything!!! I even had my Mom call me to ask "Well, when are you teaching there again?" "Oh, well, they should add a drop in!" and "Well, Okay, I think I want to come to Caitlin's class with you!" I've been begging her to come with me to Caitlin's class for almost 2 years now!!! So, If I could turn my Mom... That was an AWESOME thing for me. Lots asked me when I would be back, when there would be more yoga for them, and where I would suggest they go to find it. It was an awesome feeling to be able to bring this into people's lives. MY YOGA... MINE... My yoga made them start to love it and long for more of it. That still gives me chills.

Finding MY YOGA is a work in progress. I know what I want; for the majority. I'm finding things I want to add. I'm just starting my training. So, it could very well change. I'm just keeping an open mind about everything. If I don't feel I'm ready to teach in November, I won't. or maybe I'll limit myself to what I teach until I get ALL of the training I want. That's the beauty of this. I can go at my own pace. I have the judgement to control when and what I teach. Sure, I can come out of this and be like, "LETS GO!" But... It's not about that for me. I want to be the best teacher I can be! So, if I have to wait; I'll have to wait. We'll see what happens. I'm excited! I've got lots of things planned to learn all I can!!!

This is my true calling, and I couldn't feel more at peace!

My First Weekend of Teacher Training

Last weekend was my first weekend teacher training! It was exciting, intriguing, amazing, and exhausting; mentally, physically and emotionally! Like, literally ALL of those, rolled into this HUGE ball of a w e s o m e!

Friday was short and quick. There are 8 of us total; including the teachers. So, 6 students. Everyone is so different. We all look different. We have different styles. We have different reasons for wanting to share yoga with the world. But we're all here for the same thing. I found that SO awesome. Truly, we're an amazing bunch! I can't wait to get to know these ladies!!

The Holy Bible.... AKA, My Manual! :-)

We ended Friday night with a gentle practice. WHICH WAS AWESOME!!!!! Everything was on the floor. Which didn't mean it wasn't challenging. But it was REALLY neat to be able to do the entire practice on the floor. Something I totally want to try!

Saturday was longer. I was tired, but it was manageable. Practice was a little more intense. I guess the other thing I wasn't expecting was so much practice. Obviously I look now and think; DUH! And I'm so glad it isn't just sitting and listening to lecture all day/night. The practice was a happy medium in between my normal practices. Which was super nice.

For the most part, aside the practice - this is what Saturday looked like... This was in the beginning of the day when i just set up my stuff!

Sunday was the worst. And I say that the best way possible. It wasn't bad.... Actually, it was GREAT! I was just EXHAUSTED mentally at that point, and with little sleep the actual practice was super hard for me. Granted, it was a harder practice too. It took everything in me to not stomp my feet like my inner toddler and throw a tantrum. When the pain in my feet got too intense, I took a break. I left the room. Splashed water on my face. Took a couple breaths. Got a ball to roll my feet out with. Then I came back and tried again. I'm so proud of myself for that.

We also had a lot of information to get through. But the beauty of it is; even though it was 12 hours, it was FUN and exciting!

Of course, by the end of the weekend, I had a pretty sweet drink collection going on.

Exhibit A: my Sprite left over from dinner on Saturday, My Passion tea cup from Saturday (that I originally wanted to keep, but ended up throwing it out, my water, the coffee I drove in with Sunday, and then an Oatmeal Latte from Bakin' & Eggs (SO FREAKING GOOD!). I also enjoyed a delicious Blueberry scone. YUM! It's probably a good thing they're moving locations LOL

I also got a pretty SWEET bag from Target to lug all of my books and such with. I'm really digging it! Like; INSANELY digging it. I'm in love! And I love that my wallet matches the "leather" part on the bag too.

I also found out, apparently, I'm drawn to purple! LoL (water bottle, coffee cup, bag, mat and bolster... ALL purple!)

I have to say. Not being around technology all that much was SUPER great! I think that's definitely something I'm going to work on! Getting rid of that addiction! Because it was AWESOME!

I also have to say, as tired as I was... It was something that I constantly held gratitude for. I was constantly finding myself in that state of "Wow! I'm here, and I'm so thankful that I am." On top of that, I felt like it was just where I was meant to be. Everything felt right! Like everything was happening the way it was supposed to and this truly IS what I'm supposed to be doing! 

Funny thing is, I have this thing where prior to starting something new within yoga; an animal or insect crosses my path. Like, literally. Before I started practicing, each time I started a new class (like when I ventured on my own), and NOW when I enter yoga teacher training. You can choose to believe in this kind of stuff or you can think I'm a little weird or "cooky". I am just the type of person who believes EVERYTHING happens for a reason and has meaning.

This didn't happen until Sunday. I was sitting on my bolster, taking notes and listening to lecture when I noticed a cricket like, ALL in my space. I'm not the biggest insect fan. But, I know enough; or rather I believe enough, to know not to kill it. So, I scooted it along. As I watched it scurry over to my mat, and just chill staring at me. Once it felt like I had noticed it's presence, it just kept walking/hopping away towards the front of the room.

When I googled Cricket Spirit Animal This is what I found;

*I usually use Spirit-Animals.com for this.

If Cricket has jumped across your path;

It is a sign of extreme good luck. All the things that you have been working toward and dreaming about are now possible. Stay open to guidance and cosmic messages and you will know exactly what you have to do. Whether its buying a lottery ticket, interviewing for a new job, or being in the right place at the right time. All things are possible right now – all you have to do is feel that you deserve it!

Additional Associations for Cricket…

Good luck

Emerging Self

Enhanced intuition and psychic abilities

Ability to change focus and direction quickly and easily

Grounding

Contentment

Inner Voice

Teaching the power of song in darkness

New Vibrational Energies

Happiness

Finding ones way out of darkness by following their song

Self Expression

Understanding the time to jump out of a situation

Satisfaction

Communication

Good Fortune

Pleasure

Connection to the plant kingdom

Positive Outcomes

So, even if I wasn't truly believing that I was where I was supposed it be THIS totally reassured me. It was eerie, but REALLY really nice! And you can TOTALLY think I'm a weirdo for reading that much into it. But it's so odd that literally, EVERY TIME I start something new in Yoga, some type of animal crosses my path.

I CAN'T WAIT FOR NEXT WEEKEND!!!

Sequencing Part 3

Last week I finished tweaking my sequence. I ended up taking TONS of notes on my actual sequence, so I went ahead and re-typed it. But, I found as I've gone through it the last few nights; I'm still making notes. Writing down all the things I want to say, and the things I want to explain. I need to write them down so I don't forget.

I don't want to be that girl at the front of the class reading off of the paper. But there are sometimes where I think I need to. I'm not very good at explaining what I'm doing while I do it. My mom will attest to this, I'm sure. So I have to constantly remind myself that I need to be talking while I'm moving. Right now, just starting - that's hard for me. SO I can't just see the sequence pictures and go. I need to have something to back me up, in case I'm up there and I freeze.

I actually have a feeling I may not need much while I'm up there. At the studio I think I'll be more in the zone. But, I also don't want to get up in front of everyone and then be at a loss for words. It's going to be overwhelming. But it's going to be great! I have 2 days until I teach and I'm so nervous now! It's all setting in and becoming real!

If I can get half way through the practice; I'm golden! While they're laying there isn't much I have to demonstrate. I just have to be really good at explaining and adjusting. That I think I can handle!

I went through the practice again last night. I caught myself thinking "what if this happens?" and wondering if some of the ladies will actually be able to. Then that got me thinking of adjustments. Just so I didn't forget that, I came up with a plan for one of the poses to be able to adjust everyone and get everyone to benefit from it. I was uber proud of myself for that. Because I sure would have been there; staring at Caitlin mouthing HELP! haha

I also practiced teaching on Eric. Bad idea. He doesn't listen to me, and that gets frustrating. He doesn't look at me like a teacher and so I get that. But add that in with the dogs going nuts trying to figure out why Daddy is laying on the floor and it was just overwhelming. I gave up.

Anyway. Sequencing is HARD work. Being a perfectionist makes that even harder!

my "last weekend"

Going forward, blogging is totally going to be hit or miss for me. Last weekend was my true "LAST WEEKEND" before training begins. Here's a short re-cap of what I did.

Friday - came home, relaxed for a bit and caught a movie with my brother and husband. After we got home, a couple of our cousins came over for some drinks and ended up staying the night.

Saturday - ABSOLUTELY FREAKING NOTHING! Boy did that feel amazing! My husband had made plans to go on a guy's trip to the Cubs v. Sox game. I went to run a couple errands in the morning and from then on, I crafted a little, watched the entire first season on True Detective (OMG! SO GOOD!). Napped. Ate. My brother came over. Napped some more. Crafted a little more. Ate a dinner that consisted of JUST macaroni and cheese (HELLO INNER 5 YEAR OLD SELF!).

Sunday - Day 2 of absolutely NOTHING! I didn't even finish my craft project! We watched a few episodes of season 2 of True Detective. Went for a ride with the doggies and got ice cream. Then we came home and I cooked a spectacular feast of Mexican food that we purchased from the tiny Mexican store down the street. Pretty sure I may have been a latina in a past life! SO freaking good!

The weekend prior I celebrated with a Girls Weekend in Wisconsin. (expect this portion to be photo heavy!)

We had SO much fun! We started with the drive up on Friday with 3 of us. Saturday we got up and explored nature and did a little shopping. Then 1 other girl came up and decided last minute to take a small trip to Lacrosse and get tattoos! I know! I was shocked by myself too! Sunday we woke up, did a little more exploring and then headed home. Summer coming home from Wisconsin traffic is AWFUL! But it was still fun! All in all. These last 2 weeks have been AWESOME! I can't wait to see what the next few j a m - p a c k e d busy weekends do! It's going to change me... I just know it!

On Saturday we had every intention of going to the beach. However it was cold and cloudy! SO, we nixed that idea and went exploring. This was one of the areas we stopped at. Devil's Elbow. The flowers had finally bloomed on the lily pads and they were BEAUTIFUL!

Caitlin looking out on the lake! My FAVORITE picture of the weekend!

Oh yeah. We got tattoos! Now THAT was an experience! So glad I got to share it with these three ladies! (one was just there for moral support!)

Ami, Myself and Caitlin after a few too many drinks :-)

Sunday actually ended up being the PERFECT beach day! But we only went in and dipped our toes!

Here is us on another beach. This is usually where Eric and I take the dogs to swim! It was beautiful though. MINUS the huge dead catfish that REAKED!

It was so beautiful that day!

Kathleen, Caitlin, Ami and I posing with Caitlin's selfie stick! (SHE ONLY HAD IT BECAUSE SHE DESIGNED THE PICTURES ON IT!) haha

We also stumbled upon this cemetery from the 1800s. It was a bit eerie, but so neat! This cemetery consisted of lots of women and children. We walked through trying to decipher their stories and just pay tribute to them. The stones were so old yet so beautiful!

I teach in 10 days!

I can't believe it's already nearly a week until I teach! I truly can't believe it at all!! Thank you all for joining me on my journey here. I am so grateful for such great friends and family like you. If you're interested in coming to my class (which, um - hello! you better be!), here are the details;

When? Thursday August 20th

What time? 7:00-8:15pm (please arrive a little early to set up your spot!)

Do I need to bring anything? NOPE! Not at all. The studio is kind enough to have yoga mats, bolsters, blankets and props for us to use throughout out practice!

What can I expect? A gentle heart opening class that will challenge and relax you both mentally and physically! We will use gentle heart opening poses to create a balance from within the heart. You'll leave feeling renewed and refreshed.

How much? Shine's drop-in rate is $16. If you have previously purchased a class pack, you may also use this for this class.

You say a challenge, what if I can't do what you're asking of me? Trust me, we've all been there! I'll have several modifications for you to get you where you need to be. If at any point during the class you "get lost" I promise I'll find you and get you to where you need to be!

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email, call or text me!

Sequencing Part 1

Today I met with Caitlin to go over my very first sequence. In the subsequent weeks prior, I have been actively researching and planning for my first class. You could say my training is a little different than what you typically see. I am actually teaching a class prior to my training. I know. I always get that look of confusion from people. "You're teaching, before you're certified? How is that possible?" Yoga training is quite a bit different than say; becoming a doctor, an EMT or even being a school teacher. However, the similarities between all of these things is the requirement for on the job training. Typically, you'll most predominately recognize this as being an intern or in terms of teaching; a student teacher. This is the same concept. Except my experience in yoga also counts as me becoming a teacher. I've learned what I want to include and what I don't and 9 times out of 10, I know what the Sanskrit word for the pose is as well as the benefit of the pose.

But the reason I still need to go through the training is to be able to dig deeper. Why is it affecting these muscles or areas of the body. WHY am I doing THIS pose after or before THIS pose?

So, this is what I'm learning now.

Caitlin approached me a few months ago with the idea of me student teaching a class that she would help me sequence and plan. We would take lots of time to go over it and it would also be a "self-teaching" moment for me. I accepted this challenge with open arms. I mean, who has the opportunity to have this cool experience? It's rare, and I am so eternally grateful to not only have her guidance but her faith in me as a Yoga teacher.

After researching and reading different sequences online, I bravely began composing my class. My first intention was to make those that were attending my class fall in love with yoga. Of course, this isn't always the case for everyone. So, I wanted everyone to walk away feeling renewed, refreshed and intrigued.

I actually centered my practice around Tree pose. (inspiration from a photo I took in Curvy Beloved) But, after I finished the draft of my sequence I later realized I never even included it. I'm thankful I didn't. I think it would have been to hard to start with. I brought my sequence to Caitlin's and we went over it dividing my poses in to YES, NO and MAYBE. From there, we restructured. I had great bones to the class. But there were some things that didn't make sense, and some things we decided to add to help the flow and to give options in case we blow through the poses I had planned.

I never truly realized how much time and energy goes into sequencing a class. I went into this thinking, yeah; someday I'd love to do this and this alone to; maybe I was right in thinking of it just as a hobby. I love Yoga so much, I don't ever want to get burnt out. I don't ever want to resent it.

You can totally tell when a teacher just throws stuff together and when they've taken the time to fully map out their class. It's those classes that help you dive deeper than just the physical movement. It's THOSE classes in which I want to offer.

When it all boils down, it isn't just picking poses that seemed to correlate and going with it. It's picking a PEAK pose, and then structuring your class around it to warm up the body and then release and help loosen those muscles we used even more. Not until we flat out make a list of what strengths and what flexibility is needed for my peak pose did I understand this. Then, everything else seemed to fall into place. There really was only 1 or 2 poses we got rid of completely. Then we added 3 or 4 more based on my deciding warrior would be the peak. The majority of my class had ended up being heart openers. This was extremely interesting to me because I had even chose a reading for Savasana that was based on the heart. This was my intention from the get go. But I just didn't have enough faith in myself that I was doing it correctly.

So, right now - It's safe to say I'm okay with offering select classes. But my goal is and always will be to make Yoga accessible to anyone who wants it. Regardless of their age, body type, mental capacity or financial situation.

My next steps are to practice my sequence for the next 8 days; every other day. Starting out just doing it, and then making mental and actual notes on how I feel during the poses.