Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Blogger Shut Us Down
Well, as it seems, we have been a popular read the last few weeks. Apparently so much that it appeared that we were a spam posting so they shut us down for a few days until they could prove we are real people. I am pretty sure when they saw our goofy photos on the plane that they not sure what to think.......I guess we are real folks because we are back up!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Teacher Training Flashback
I know it has been four years but once you walk into a room full of atleast 200 people you kind of get lost it in all. I am sure you thought we fell in a puddle of sweat and lost all consciencousness and were worried sick? Not so bad as that but it seemed like the last few days in Honolulu were fast and furious. Just a few picutures to see how class went for some...
The last photo is of one of the students daughters being spun around like an airplane in floor bow posture. If we could all have her flexibility who would need a hot room! I guess some of the students here are that lucky....
Arnie and I are almost to these positions after just one week of advance training! With us teaching you when we get back you too can look like these guys! :)
At one point this week, I thought, why are we here when we could be in the comfort of our 105 degree studio? Well, Bikram was is a great mood most of the week and class ended up being a lot of fun. There were days when it would have been a bit difficult to follow if you had never taken advance before but there were a few "teaching" days that gave us all time to "try the right way".
As always, with anything to do with Bikram, there are always something that happens. Since the training, is in the lobby of a hotel,yes, you can stand in the lobby and see through the windows as the students strut or show their stuff. (Let's just hope the stuff is a posture and not something else....) Yes, please wear short that cover all the basis! Anyway, strange as it is, the hotel has units that are individually owned and people live there. You can image what kind of scene we are in the midst of their "peaceful" Hawaiian lifestyle. Several residence wonder down during class to make sure the doors are not open. This is the worst for the students since the yoga room has NO ventalation and we rely on the days the Bikram allows the door to be cracked to let in some air. The lobby mind you is open to the outside so it is not airconditioned but it is much cooler than in the room. I kept wondering what was the big deal with the door opening, we are not waisting their electricity. I finally come to understand that the residence wanted the door shut due to the smell! Yes, and they would kick whatever was keeping the door propted open to make their point!
One thing for sure there was never a dull moment.....
The last photo is of one of the students daughters being spun around like an airplane in floor bow posture. If we could all have her flexibility who would need a hot room! I guess some of the students here are that lucky....
Arnie and I are almost to these positions after just one week of advance training! With us teaching you when we get back you too can look like these guys! :)
At one point this week, I thought, why are we here when we could be in the comfort of our 105 degree studio? Well, Bikram was is a great mood most of the week and class ended up being a lot of fun. There were days when it would have been a bit difficult to follow if you had never taken advance before but there were a few "teaching" days that gave us all time to "try the right way".
As always, with anything to do with Bikram, there are always something that happens. Since the training, is in the lobby of a hotel,yes, you can stand in the lobby and see through the windows as the students strut or show their stuff. (Let's just hope the stuff is a posture and not something else....) Yes, please wear short that cover all the basis! Anyway, strange as it is, the hotel has units that are individually owned and people live there. You can image what kind of scene we are in the midst of their "peaceful" Hawaiian lifestyle. Several residence wonder down during class to make sure the doors are not open. This is the worst for the students since the yoga room has NO ventalation and we rely on the days the Bikram allows the door to be cracked to let in some air. The lobby mind you is open to the outside so it is not airconditioned but it is much cooler than in the room. I kept wondering what was the big deal with the door opening, we are not waisting their electricity. I finally come to understand that the residence wanted the door shut due to the smell! Yes, and they would kick whatever was keeping the door propted open to make their point!
One thing for sure there was never a dull moment.....
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Advanced Classes
I know you are all wondering about yoga. That is why it has taken us a few days to post on the blog. We did miss the first couple of days due to some communication errors but that was resolved quite nicely and gave us some time for sightseeing. I really don't know what to say but HOT. Have you ever walked around with a wet towel covering your face and tried to breathe? Now take that same towel and tie tightly around your head and do 4 hours of yoga......enough said.
The "Other" side of the tracks......
Monday we took a tour of the "Other side" of the Island. The west side. It is a very interesting change to the east side. The air is dry, the mountainside is dry, and it looks like the checkbook on this side is dry too. Many peoples homes consist of cardboard boxes, tents, and a fishing line. They all fish for food and live on a beachfront community. Fresh food and community sounds like a pretty great way to live.....maybe they are happier in life than many of us. As you drive north along the west coast, the pavement ends and a dirt road exists for much of the way to the point. We drove a ways down, parked and hiked the remaining 2 miles or so. The coastline breathtaking and quiet.
At the end of the road where Arnie performed the most amazing tasks, balancing on a rock doing tree pose sideways-- look above, amazing. Anyway, the rocks above Arnie are where the seals come to sunbath. We met up with a native that told us that there are only 1200 seals around Hawaii, they are all numbered and named. Only a little over 100 live on the Island of Oahu. We bouldered hopped around played in the ocean and returned back from the "Other Side".
Oh yeah, Dad on the way back we discovered the field of poles....Very interesting government experiment being done on this Island.
At the end of the road where Arnie performed the most amazing tasks, balancing on a rock doing tree pose sideways-- look above, amazing. Anyway, the rocks above Arnie are where the seals come to sunbath. We met up with a native that told us that there are only 1200 seals around Hawaii, they are all numbered and named. Only a little over 100 live on the Island of Oahu. We bouldered hopped around played in the ocean and returned back from the "Other Side".
Oh yeah, Dad on the way back we discovered the field of poles....Very interesting government experiment being done on this Island.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Nestled Safely Under the Canopy of Bamboo
This morning we decided to drive around the entire Island to get a overview of what we would like to do for the week aside from any yoga. We started pretty early for the two of us, around 7 am but by the time we showered, packed, and studied our handy-dandy Insiders Guide it was around 9 am. We snuck by the yoga room, they were do a pre-training class to set out for breakfast. We ate under the trees at the edge of the beach. By the way, I forgot to mention, on the way here we drove through Rodeo Drive of Hawaii. I have never seen so many beautiful upscale stores in one street. Note to self, we must go back and walk the strip at some point of the trip. Anyway breakfast was ok but the scenery amazing....
We left Breakfast and climbed down a very steep lava rock to watch kids jump off a cliff into the ocean. My feet and hands (this is Jen) were beyond sweating!!! It was crazy to watch them fall and have to wait for the waves at just a perfect point to get to a place to climb back up. One of the girls did not have the strength to climb out and a friend had to help her. She was literally drug over a lava rock to safety. I guarantee Mom I will not be doing that!
The day was incredibly beautiful. We stopped by a cemetery that have a replica of a Buddhist temple. The grounds were perfectly manicured and once you entered it truly felt like you were away from it all. This is where we found the bamboo. There were a cluster of bamboo stalks around that created a path you could walk through. As you entered, the wind blowing the stalks against each other created a sound much like a wind chime. Here in the beauty you felt safe, protected and knowing that was music to our ears (literally)
Before Sunset we stopped over at the North Shore. You will be hearing a lot more about this side of the Island, it is somewhere we want to come back to again over the week.
Until then Aloha
We left Breakfast and climbed down a very steep lava rock to watch kids jump off a cliff into the ocean. My feet and hands (this is Jen) were beyond sweating!!! It was crazy to watch them fall and have to wait for the waves at just a perfect point to get to a place to climb back up. One of the girls did not have the strength to climb out and a friend had to help her. She was literally drug over a lava rock to safety. I guarantee Mom I will not be doing that!
The day was incredibly beautiful. We stopped by a cemetery that have a replica of a Buddhist temple. The grounds were perfectly manicured and once you entered it truly felt like you were away from it all. This is where we found the bamboo. There were a cluster of bamboo stalks around that created a path you could walk through. As you entered, the wind blowing the stalks against each other created a sound much like a wind chime. Here in the beauty you felt safe, protected and knowing that was music to our ears (literally)
Before Sunset we stopped over at the North Shore. You will be hearing a lot more about this side of the Island, it is somewhere we want to come back to again over the week.
Until then Aloha
Hawaii bound......
We left Friday for our adventure travels to Hawaii, now know to us as the epic of Polynisian shopping and shrimp trucks. The eight hour flight filled us with movies, videos, food, and a few funny photos.
Although Hawaii is within the 50 nifty, you soon notice that it is an island and not part of the mainland. We discovered this early in our trip in the rental car line. After you check in for your car, you leave to go to the parking lot to pick the car of your choosing. NOT. You leave inside to a mob of interesting characters outside. All travelers must wait for a previous customer to drop their car off and then for the car to go through the car wash before you can get your car. If you happen to rent a SUV, as we did, then your wait is much longer than the wait for the Impala. A family of 6 waited for over 1 hour for a van, we were so lucky to only have to wait for 50 minutes.
We arrived to Jamba Juice after the drop of blood sugar from the car rental line wait, only to see our friends Mardy and Jeff walking down the street! How fun to be in a different city and see a familar face. We arrived to the Hotel to find the most spectacular view from our room. Breakfast on the balcony will be a favorite spot for the week.
Exhausted, since it is 5 hours behind, we crawled into bead at 3 am Houston time.
Although Hawaii is within the 50 nifty, you soon notice that it is an island and not part of the mainland. We discovered this early in our trip in the rental car line. After you check in for your car, you leave to go to the parking lot to pick the car of your choosing. NOT. You leave inside to a mob of interesting characters outside. All travelers must wait for a previous customer to drop their car off and then for the car to go through the car wash before you can get your car. If you happen to rent a SUV, as we did, then your wait is much longer than the wait for the Impala. A family of 6 waited for over 1 hour for a van, we were so lucky to only have to wait for 50 minutes.
We arrived to Jamba Juice after the drop of blood sugar from the car rental line wait, only to see our friends Mardy and Jeff walking down the street! How fun to be in a different city and see a familar face. We arrived to the Hotel to find the most spectacular view from our room. Breakfast on the balcony will be a favorite spot for the week.
Exhausted, since it is 5 hours behind, we crawled into bead at 3 am Houston time.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Advanced in Honolulu
Jen and Arnie, the studio owners at BYTW will be packing up and heading to Honolulu, Hawaii to participate in yet another round of Advanced Posture Training. They will be taking over the blog while in HI to give us a stretch by stretch account of their experience.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Advanced Recovery
Not to this point yet, but something to strive for in the future. I believe they'll be back next spring for another week long adventure in flex. It makes the beginning class seem so easy and when you feel like you can't do another second in floor bow, thinking of this will help you push through to the end.
Photo: Cynthia Wehr
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Advanced Postures
I really need to post here a bit more frequently.
Looking back at the few posts I see it was in the early part of May that I went to Austin, Texas to take and Advanced series workshop with Jason Winn. Now three months later I find myself going again. This week at BYTW the studio owners Jen and Arnie brought in Cynthia Wehr and Ky Ha the female and male 2007 Yoga Champions to teach those interested in competing or just taking their practice to the next level. To re-iterate, this is seven days of the Bikram's beginning class followed by the advanced series, not just a double.
Cynthia and Ky are wonderful teachers and have such a good attitude towards the students who are trying to make a go of these advanced postures. So with a lot of laughs, praise and exhaustion we're pushing forward to day five this evening.
Looking back at the few posts I see it was in the early part of May that I went to Austin, Texas to take and Advanced series workshop with Jason Winn. Now three months later I find myself going again. This week at BYTW the studio owners Jen and Arnie brought in Cynthia Wehr and Ky Ha the female and male 2007 Yoga Champions to teach those interested in competing or just taking their practice to the next level. To re-iterate, this is seven days of the Bikram's beginning class followed by the advanced series, not just a double.
Cynthia and Ky are wonderful teachers and have such a good attitude towards the students who are trying to make a go of these advanced postures. So with a lot of laughs, praise and exhaustion we're pushing forward to day five this evening.
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