The First of Many...

On Friday, I taught my first class at New York Yoga!  In most regards this was my 'first real class' - first time at a real studio, first time having a strict start and end time, etc.  I have been teaching a weekly class and privates at my apartment for the last couple months and, though I knew this would be a different experience, the things that caught me off guard were not what I expected them to be - which was totally nerve wracking and exciting.

For one, the room is huge; there is a real sound system and a fan running. So lesson one - volume.  Not too tough, raise my voice. Check. Bottle of water inhaled over an hour because I haven't had to project this much since theatre in high school... Check.

 

The second obstacle was time. When I teach from home we set a time for everyone to arrive but we all settle in and begin the actual class at our leisure. I have a sequence prepared and a playlist that both go for a little over an hour - so that has been my time keeper. Class on Friday was 8:25-9:25am. At first I forgot about keeping time - oops - so remembering is a challenge in itself.  Then when I looked up at the clock I had 25 minutes left to class and it felt like eternity. I actually threw in a few extra poses because I thought I hadn't prepared enough. Incorrect because then I had to take poses out because twenty-five minutes flies by. 

At the top of class I got three requests... 

1. Do not talk through savasana.

Easy one - I agree that savasana is a time to soak in the results of the practice. Dharma talks are lovely and can have the first minute or two of settling in to this pose, but ultimately I like to leave the student space to just experience and be present.

2. Do not tell us 'ok just do it on your own'.

Not leaving students to flow on their own was a new thought to me - I think this depends on the class and the difficulty of said flow. This particular student was afraid of getting lost or forgetting the sequence. As the teacher it is up to me not to let this happen ever and to create a supportive environment for all students - so number two was my pleasure to oblige.

3. Keep the air on.

Check, check and double check.

Overall, I believe class was a success. My students laughed, smiled, took a pose or two more deeply than they usually do... and taught me a thing or two about teaching. I am already looking forward to the next class at New York Yoga Hot. If you would like to join me you can check out the schedule page for all the Donation Classes I am signed up to teach. These classes are pay-what-you-can and you can drop in the day of. No stress. 
Just yoga. Jai! 

Jenny Gammello's Yogini

Recently I had the honor of working with one of my amazing teachers - Jenny Gammello - on her fabulous project Yogini. Jenny, and producer Matt Jared, are making yoga accessible to all via these yoga tutorial videos.

Each Yogini episode takes you through a ten minute series with detailed instructions and three lovely yoginis to guide you. What's really lovely and original about these episodes, is that they show variety in the poses - unlike many yoga videos that often demo the peak of each pose without the krama or steps along the way. With Yogini Jenny Gammello successfully shows that yoga is for everyone.

Check out Episode Three starring Erin Fogel and me as the lovely assistant yoginis. (Erin will also be teaching donation classes at New York Yoga soon - don't miss out!) For more great yoga sequences to practice at home or sneak at work ;) check out the video section of Jenny's website.

"End, begin, all the same. Big change.

... Sometimes good. Sometimes bad." Dark Crystal anyone? 

The end is here. Or the beginning. Both really. I have completed my 200 hours of yoga Teacher Training! From here it is on to teaching community classes at New York Yoga. I feel so blessed to have come so far. This training has been triumph after triumph for me, at a time when I really needed them. The lessons learned have already so greatly impacted who I am - mentally, physically and spiritually - and I look forward to sharing these teachings as they sink in a little deeper.

The teachers who have led me on this journey are so dear to me. To think that I can now call myself a teacher too is a bit surreal. When I got up to teach my sequence during our final I was nervous, afraid I would choke and forget what to do. Then looking out on my peers waiting to do yoga, I just got to work. Teaching them felt natural, even though I was being observed for a test, and I hope that stepping in front of an actual class will feel the same way. I am okay with getting the jitters as long as once I begin teaching I can turn them off. :) 

I have to admit I am sad training is over. I will miss the amazing people I shared my weekends with, the constant encouragement and the learning environment. I am so proud of everyone and their accomplishments, and let me tell you, this is one amazing batch of yoga teachers hitting the scene! The classes we will all be teaching at New York Yoga are Yogi's Choice, Donation Classes - meaning you can come in and pay whatever you like to take them. I highly recommend taking advantage of this opportunity and coming out to meet these amazing teachers. (Then you can say you knew them when...) 

I went in to each weekend of this training excited to learn something new and was never let down. Yoga is ever evolving but has the deepest roots you can seek out. There is so much information, so many opinions and practices, that people dedicate their lives to studying text about it. Which is okay by me because that means there will always be new knowledge. I think one trick to finishing this training (and not go right into shock) will be to continue my studies of this amazing subject. Happily sharing what I discover with you. 

Of course I will still be doing plenty of yoga and evolving my practice at home and in classes. The difference now is, come June, I will also be teaching! More on that to come. Namaste. 

Engaged...

As in: to be married, ring on the finger, purposed to, on my way to Mrs!

Mala + Engagement Ring

I am so happy right now it is difficult to put into words. I know, me, speechless?! I was when he asked me too - all I could think to say was 'yes yes yes yes yes'. I have been thinking of how to write about this in a yoga way all week - since thats really what this blog is all about. Then I realized that since I am day to day a yogi, that this has everything to do with yoga. And since yoga means union - well marriage just doesn't get more yoga, right?

We in the West are householder yogis. Meaning that we cannot drop everything and just do yoga or meditate or read sacred books around the clock. We have to find our enlightenment and keep our Ahimsa mind while holding a job, paying taxes - living out in the world. This is no excuse to not be as good a yogi as you can be and actually I think it comes with many, many benefits. Householders have marriages or not, have kids or not, have jobs, create art, make a mess of their live and bounce back etc.  There is more choice and many more paths to the divine. As householders with basic needs and social requirements we live and learn  - and love.

It is the choices we make that set us on our path. I have made many to put me right where I am today and I would not want to be anywhere else. Just a few that brought me to Mike... I did theatre in high school, because of this I decided to double major in theatre (and writing) in college, I went to Ithaca (a school I hated on the campus tour and now adore), because I wasn't sure about it Lee Byron (head of the program) helped me pick classes, I ended up in a theatre class I may not have gotten into otherwise, I was assigned to work on The Mysteries of Edwin Drood my freshman year, I met Mike on that crew. We became friends pretty instantly and closer friends after a steel rack of chairs was rolled over my toe backstage and he basically carried me to the dining hall for dinner and back to my dorm after. From that moment on he was the man to depend on... I just didn't get it yet.

Ithaca College - freshmen!

Okay, so it took me about eight years to figure out he was Mr Right. Well, not exactly. About three and a half years ago I had to make a choice. Mike and I were starting to see what was between us but neither wanted to be the first to talk about it - while at the same time someone from my past came back into my life suddenly. Suddenly enough to declare us a couple after a day as if things could go back to the way they were spontaneously. I was happy but confused. On a car ride to Ithaca the next day I thought about both paths. Only one seemed like the one I was meant to be on and it was moving forward, with the person I am now set to marry.

We make big choices, take leaps of faith, go for it, jump in with both feet... and hopefully, if we are in the moment and true to ourselves, we reap big benefits because we are choosing love every single time.