Sapling

This week's practice included home practice and a new class, Mommy and Me.  Mommy and Me is yoga with babies and is as tumultuous as one would expect, but fun and a good way to connect with the little one.  Paxson had a great time and was uncharacteristically touchy with all the strangers, much to my chagrin.  The teacher, Jen, did a fantastic job of cueing the class while wrangling babies.  Home practice included podcasts and a session of self-guided flow, which went surprisingly well and had a whole different feel than a taught class or planned sequence.  Beginning to feel confident enough in my repertoire of asanas that I don't worry I'll get stuck wondering what to do next.  Missed practice Wednesday and Friday, spent that time napping instead.  Was wondering why I was so tired all the time- found out that we're expecting baby number 2!  A bit apprehensive as to how this pregnancy will affect my teacher training, but obviously all I can do is ride the wave where it takes me, and try to take advantage of this quirk in my learning process and the unique perspective into potential prenatal teaching that it will give me.

TT class today included my favorite yoga subjects, the yamas and niyamas.  Really liked Joann's idea of focusing on one per week, incorporating it into life, practice and teaching.  We also did breath work, had some breakthroughs during full diaphragmatic breathing- at one point felt like I was breathing through my ears and into the back of my brain.  Good stuff.

Am content with my current yoga reading homework schedule, been reading a bit daily and that seems to help me from feeling overwhelmed while simultaneously keeping the lessons and subjects fresh in my mind.  All in all, very happy with where I am in teacher training, and life.  :)

“Life does not become easier; we become easier with life just as it is…”

—	Donna Farhi in Bringing Yoga to Life, on what the practice of yoga can do for us

Easing In

This week's practices included Joni's Gentle Yoga and Meditation and various home practices.  Inclement weather cancelled the Ashtanga class I'd been hoping to take, so I added another home Budokon practice.

Joni's class was the first class I took as an official "teacher trainee".  Chatted with a girl who was maybe 22, very new to yoga, and it really brought back some perspective on the concerns and mindset of folks for whom all this breathing and bending is new and kinda funny.  Joni incorporated some Qigong energy releasing practices that I thought were quite effective.  I believe that class had major positive effect on me, as that night I had a terrible night's sleep (baby up every hour), but still felt calm and happy the next day.  I'm very interested in continuing to explore meditation and its effects on my psychology.

Home practices are beginning to feel too short at around 25 minutes, although I am thankful that I'm able to get them in all while the baby's napping.  Practiced every day but Friday.

Read an interesting article in Yoga Journal about "the shadow".  Felt timely, as with my increased practice and attempts at greater consciousness have come unexpected waves of the darker aspects of my personality.  Thinking maybe the practice is releasing them, and I have to let them out somehow- sort of how when you get a deep tissue massage it can release stored toxins and make you feel ill?

This week also brought frequent thoughts of acting in saucha- found myself wanting to clean the house.

Appreciating today- inclement weather messed up my plans, but that just opened the door to this happiness: