Day 9: Week 2, Week With Emmy Begins!!

AM: Emmy taught class this morning. She is the most amazing teacher I have ever had. She has so much wisdom and knowledge. Emmy is one of Bikram’s first students, if you ask how old she is, people will respond with “older than god.” I think she is somewhere in her early 90’s. Her class was amazing; I was dying the front corner of the hot room so I tried to pay particular attention to what she was saying. She does not teach the dialogue, and as a more advanced students it is nice to hear different imagery when practicing. Some of the things that resonated with me were:

1. Standing forehead to knee: for the last part you bringing your elbows down and your head IN towards your body.

2. Pada-Hastasana: life your hips up and bring your head down

3. 2nd part of awkward: stressed that it is easier if you are higher on the toes

4. Standing Bow: non-flexible people need to bring their body down even further

5. Standing separate leg stretching: rotate your pubic bone to create a perfect triangle with your sits bones.

6. Separate leg head to knee pose: separating your hands is a crutch. If you need your hands then you are not using your core strength enough and are doing a disservice to yourself.

7. 3 main aspects to a good yoga practice: frequency (at least 5 times a week), precession (doing the postures correctly), and intensity (doing the posture to the best of your ability)

After teaching class, Emmy taught the afternoon lecture. She spoke about different injuries from the prospective of yoga teacher, not from a doctor.

PM: Bikram taught tonight, I think at least 50 people left the room during class tonight. It was ridiculously hot during the day…record high in San Diego since 1973. It got up to 111 in some areas, hence the hot room was heating up all day and it was unbearable. It didn’t help that we were sweating all day in the lecture tent; no one had time to properly rehydrate since we were sweating ALL day. I stood in the back of class today for the first time, it was not any cooler, but not being surrounded by people made getting through class easier. I DID NOT leave the room. I was surprised by how many people could not handle it, but I think the thought of leaving crossed everyone’s mind. Dom congratulated us today since we actually have a hot room, whereas some of the previous trainings were not hot enough. He said it is like being back at headquarters in LA for training!!!

After class I took a quick run to Wal-Mart to get a larger water bottle since I ran out the night before. Bikram gave his first lecture tonight on the types of yoga. The overall message of the lecture was that EVERYTHING IS YOGA!!