A Day in the Life of a Yoga Teacher Trainee...

5:00AM - Wake up.  Reluctantly.  Become immediately suspicious about it still being 80 degrees out, even at five in the morning.

5:15AM - Actually get out of bed, again, reluctantly.  Make some sort of caffeinated beverage.  Vow not to feel bad for having coffee, as no one should have to get up this early and not be allowed coffee.

5:30AM - Chant "Sri Ram Jai Ram" 108 times.  There is no making this cooler than it is, so get over it people, I'm a yogi.  And now I'm a yogi with a mantra.  (That definitely needs to be an action adventure movie tag-line. "She was a yogi...with a maaaantra.")

6:00AM - Start my home practice.  This usually starts with some perturbed pacing around, as my body is in full-on refusal mode about being asked to move at 6AM.  But, eventually I kneel down on the mat and begin. 

7:00AM - Cold shower.  (This is not for any reason more exciting than that my body temperature from the constant heat and physical activity is so high the cold water doesn't even phase me.)

7:30AM - Make food for the day--this usually means an apple, some carrots and hummus and some sort of rice concoction.  Did I tell you I'm going vegetarian...finally?  Aw yeeeeeah! You're welcome, animals everywhere.

8:00 - Leave house, loaded down with books and food and notebooks.

9:00AM - 5:00PM - Learn to teach yoga, learn Sanskrit, learn anatomy, learn restorative  yoga, learn kids yoga, take Kundalini workshop, learn twists, learn inversions, learn standing poses, learn the sutras, learn the koshas, learn the doshas, learn the yamas, learn the niyamas, learn the eight limbs, laugh, eat some food--but not very much, get exhausted, cry a little bit--or want to, take notes, chant, dance around, laugh, explode.

5:30 - 7:00PM - Maybe a study meeting.  Maybe a mentor meeting.  Maybe a class.

7:30 - 10PM - Do homework.  Lots of it.  Be frustrated by how much homework there is.

10PM - Chant "Sri Ram Jai Ram" 108 times, if I can stomach it.

10:30PM - Go to bed.  Fall into a deep, exhausted but happy sleep.

Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

It has BEGUN.

 Okay, I know, I know...here I am in freakin' YOGA SCHOOL, you would think that this blog would be jam-packed with goodies and insights and funny stories, but the truth is, I am EXHAUSTED.

Truly.  Truly.

I started on Friday night with a class and then a several hour orientation, in which we played introduction games (ugh), did some chanting, met our mentors (more on that later), heard some stories, got our super-special "Lotus College of Yoga" binders (that's right, college.  I'm in Yoga College, yo.) and got to take a look at our truly terrifying schedule, which I will describe in more detail later.  All in all, totally exhilirating and inspiring...just to be back in my beloved NY studio, which I have missed so dearly, and to be embarking on this adventure with teachers I love and adore...it's too good to be true.

And then we jumped right into the fire.

Today and yesterday were 8 hour days...I can't even begin to tell you how much new information is currently swimming around my skull, seeking out a resting place.  Both days have been scary and exciting and passion-filled--what a total gift it is to be taught by people who are so passionate about what they do--and who approach teaching truly, truly, truly as an ART form.  We have talked about Picasso and Proust and Twyla Tharp and a myriad of others--we have talked about inspiration in the form of poetry and painting and music and architecture--all of the things that make me fall in love with this practice over and over again for its openness and universality and deep creative potential.

And we've talked, of course, about moving. And the body.  And the breath.  And what it means to teach...which I still have not wrapped my head around.

But if you think 8 hours a day/5 days a week is a lot...it's not even the tip of the YS iceberg.

First of all, this week, we're going 7 days...friday to friday, and then all the rest of the weeks will be weekends off (hallelujah!).  Second and third and fourth and fifth and sixth of all...in addition to our class time we are also required to:

Attend two additional (1.5 hour) classes/week.

Write about those classes, and turn in write-ups on a weekly basis.

Keep a daily journal. (Does a blog count?)

Maintain a daily personal yoga practice which explores and incorporates everything we've been learning.  (this part is no joke...our personal practice is getting a lot of emphasis and it is where we're supposed to be doing the deep learning, and there will be no fudging on the at-home practice.)

Complete weekly written homework--also no joke--this is hours-worth of written and exploratory work every week.

Meet with a mentor group every week.

Meet with a study-buddy every week.

Be vegetarian.  (um.... oops.)

Did I leave anything out?  Sleep.  Eat.  Make occasional phone calls home to boyfriend.  I think that about covers it.

So...please forgive me if I'm not as vocal here in Shanti-town as I want to be...I will do my best to keep you all updated, but just know in the meantime that I'm thinking of you...and sweating.



Um, did I mention it's 11,000,000 degrees out in New York right now?