It's been interesting teaching again, more then regularly too! Also, its been great having an ever changing number of people attend my classes, some of them repeats some of them new faces to me or to the studio. And it's REALLY interesting the different thoughts and feelings that run through me week to week.
There are some of the questions that I expected to face: Do they like me? Did they come back for another class because they liked my class? Am I a good teacher?
The one's I had never thought of before were: Are they giving feedback to my peers or supervisors? Will I get this feedback? (I actually want feedback, the good and the ugly!) How do I connect with my students? - Are they "my" students?
Both lists are endless, fortunately I haven't gotten lost in these questions and wonderings, but I do visit a couple of them each week. But my biggest questions surround figuring out my relationship with the studio. In my other life I also work with the public, in fact retail. The culture is: give amazing service whether they have a membership or are buying something, they will always come back for more of the lovin'! So it is naturally in my dialogue to not only sell our product and our culture but for that person who wants to see everything outside first I am more then happy to help and tell them about the different great places in the city. They will go there, check it out, develop a relationship and hopefully decide to come back, because hopefully we will always be more awesome, better people, better prices, and better product overall. And I honestly think 9 out of 10 times, it works. But can I do that to the studio, or is that frowned upon? I completely believe that no matter what, if you show someone a good time, and they groove with you, they will come back, especially if you remind them of that!
But most of this is superficial, and I only need to remind myself, if there is a problem or if they appreciate me, I will find out. Just like I did last weekend when I got called to sub a class last minute. At the end I had several of the students approach me and thank me for a great class. What I really appreciated was being thanked for not only being a good teacher, but for the poses or design of the class, being able to create a multi-level class. Because Asana class IS fun and there is a lot to learn when you push yourself even a little.
So my piece of advice? Talk to your teacher, we are all learning together! Tell them what you liked, what you didn't like. And teachers, just like when your practicing on the mat, keep an open heart, don't ask to many questions, be mindful of what your doing, who is in front of you and don't forget to have fun!
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Fall Cleaning and Maintenance
It's amazing that its nearly been 2 whole months since I settled myself down into a regular schedule. And I've quickly realized that working full time and teaching up to 5-6 classes a week is a energetic commitment. Don't get me wrong I love it, but boy do my weekends ever count when they arrive!
I've been doing a little blog maintenance over the last couple of weeks. Some changes are minor,that even myself might not notice, while others are of the function of the site as I grow as a teacher and learn more about social media and marketing.
Some highlights that I am especially excited about:
New Schedule and Workshops Tab
Now you'll be able to find my regular schedule on one of the tabs above along with classes that I might be substituting on a given day. On this same page, I am hoping to list some workshops that I hope to host in the nearish future. I'm not in a huge rush; I have a lifetime of learning and teaching ahead of me.
Library Tab
This was sort of a random page where I thought when I would buy a new book I would be so excited to review and share my experience, but when you have a limited amount of time and you just want to use that time to read and think about what you've read. The last think I am actually eager to do is review the book. I figure any time I happen to review a book I will still look the title of the book as I have done with one or two of the titles.
My plan now is literally to post my personal library on this page, so I can keep track of what I own, link the images to amazon where there are good reviews if anyone is curious to learn more. But with the background idea that perhaps I can utilize this library for others (that live around me) to borrow from. An easy way to track what is sitting on my shelf.
I'm now on Twitter
Come follow me! I'm still sporadic at best, but I hope to use this new (to me) tool more often especially for reminders of classes or updates on the blog. Search for @SoundsofOm and follow me. Please be patient as I continue to grow and learn in this department! You could also leave me a message to let me know what sort of things you might find interesting (eg. quotes, schedule, photos, my personal ongoings...)
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
A look backwards, a step forward, time to sit in the present
Boy did I ever turn OFF this holiday season!
I have been disconnected and loving it. But I'm now refreshed and ready to be back! And best of all, I am armed with new inspiration and lots of stories to tell!
There are no more holidays in my near future, but still lots of celebrations left! I consider fall to be my celebration season and this year I'm excited to kick it off with my 1 year wedding anniversary to my husband and best friend! And best of all it is now less then a week away!
Fall to me has always been the time of year that is the beginning of something new, something like my own personal New Years! Even though I have been out of school for nearly a decade I have not been able to shake it!
So it's always neat for me to look at my year since, since I'm often filled with seated enjoyment thinking about the past moments and the setting of my future goals. But it is what I feel at this moment in the year that make it special, I am simply sitting between an end and a beginning, a past and a future. That leaves me in the present!
Taking snapshot highlights, the pretty and the not so, starting around now, this is my year in review:
1. Big deal, I got married! Yeah, perhaps a little ground crashing! I won't get into it, (you can read enough stories on the internet!) but I will say this: Hosting a wedding was the most rewarding, most stressful, most surprising thing that I have ever done and experienced. To come from a home that is rather broken and conventionally different, to feel people around me, people I wouldn't expect, to come up and help and be there and show me such love was so amazing and shocking all at once. At times it felt so unreal, I couldn't believe it was true. And it was here that I began to understand some of the true essence of what it means to live in a yogic life. Even if you aren't a "yogi".
2. I came to realize and accept that I suffer from SADs and it hits me hard in October and November, and it can be the most debilitating experience. This coming year armed with this acceptance, I am making it my mission to not let SADs take over my life for 2.5 months. And with the start of September I will be beginning a daily dose of Vitamin D. That and teaching yoga and having a direction with focus will help keep the spiral in check! Maybe even through in a little R&R retreat or meditation retreat and I think I will be rocking this West Coast!
3. Although this is old news for me, Christmas can do wonders for my spirit, probably because it is my favourite holiday! So December is when I snapped myself out of my slump, started practicing yoga and began making plans to jump start my career as a yoga teacher.
4. Okay things are rolling, doing a little number crunching, financially survived christmas, mmm I always wanted to go to Wanderlust in California! Baby, here I come, this is happening, chocolate chip cookies, yoga donations, cupcakes and selling my couch. Oh wait, Wanderlust is coming to Whistler?
5. I technically got hired at a yoga studio. Which, although I never worked a class there, was a huge ego boost!
6. Starting in January for 6 months straight I taught two yoga classes a week, which was so much fun and so rewarding to build that kind of relationship, and to really experience how much your students can actually teach you! And I always thought it was funny when people told me that I have a "yoga voice"at work. People new I was happy and calm then!
7. I enrolled in my first ever month long yoga intensive class. It was so great to go to the same teacher (someone I have a lot of respect for and have studied with previously) twice a week and to get to do a book project... It was nice to feel like I was part of a kula again, even if only for a month.
8. Passed my "L" Driving, although I still have a fair share of restrictions on my driving, I can now drive by myself! I'm 28 and I can finally legally drive!
9. Off to Wanderlust California (thank goodness I passed my test, not sure I would have made it!). 6 months of hard work, great saving skills, and a friend to join me for the ride, and a very long 2 days of driving I have arrived in Squaw Valley/ Lake Tahoe region. And there are no showers. Next to these perfect yogis I felt so dirty! Being stuck in a car for two days with some really messed up sleeping and coming to this pristine and perfect experience I felt dirty! Blah! After 5 days of feeling this way I finally muster the energy to spend some time at highcamp (that is over 8,000 ft!) and chill in the hot tub and get me spic and span!
10. Over these two week I manage to have my mind blown over and over and over again. California, the coast, and the Oregon coast are magical! There will be more on this later!
12. Worst mistake ever, come back to work for three days between holidays. So unfocused and excited to not be there! Hah, I do love my day job!
13. Family.... the good the bad the ugly. But still worth every minute of it. My Aunt and Uncle are the greatest people ever and I know they will always be there!
14. Happy to be back at work. Happy to have a schedule. Happy to have responsibility. Oh wait, I'm going to Whistler in a week! Yay!
15. Wanderlust Whistler, lets see what you can do in Canada! Volunteering for Wanderlust Whistler was the best way to experience the festival, especially when you no longer have any savings. And a possible highlight has getting to hang with two fabulous and fat cats!
16. Oh yeah! My teaching is going public! Remember when I got hired at a studio 6 months ago? Well they gave me a class to teach starting in September and I'm getting trained to work the space! I couldn't be in a better spot, I have had a summer of inspiration and a year of real experience!
17. And look at that, here we are, moving into my full circle of a year! I knew this year was great, but I could never have said it was going to be like this! And to think I have another year ahead of me with lessons learned, new experiences and a career in yoga that is really beginning. I can't wait to jump back and get started again! Just two weeks to go!
I have been disconnected and loving it. But I'm now refreshed and ready to be back! And best of all, I am armed with new inspiration and lots of stories to tell!
There are no more holidays in my near future, but still lots of celebrations left! I consider fall to be my celebration season and this year I'm excited to kick it off with my 1 year wedding anniversary to my husband and best friend! And best of all it is now less then a week away!
Fall to me has always been the time of year that is the beginning of something new, something like my own personal New Years! Even though I have been out of school for nearly a decade I have not been able to shake it!
So it's always neat for me to look at my year since, since I'm often filled with seated enjoyment thinking about the past moments and the setting of my future goals. But it is what I feel at this moment in the year that make it special, I am simply sitting between an end and a beginning, a past and a future. That leaves me in the present!
Taking snapshot highlights, the pretty and the not so, starting around now, this is my year in review:
1. Big deal, I got married! Yeah, perhaps a little ground crashing! I won't get into it, (you can read enough stories on the internet!) but I will say this: Hosting a wedding was the most rewarding, most stressful, most surprising thing that I have ever done and experienced. To come from a home that is rather broken and conventionally different, to feel people around me, people I wouldn't expect, to come up and help and be there and show me such love was so amazing and shocking all at once. At times it felt so unreal, I couldn't believe it was true. And it was here that I began to understand some of the true essence of what it means to live in a yogic life. Even if you aren't a "yogi".
2. I came to realize and accept that I suffer from SADs and it hits me hard in October and November, and it can be the most debilitating experience. This coming year armed with this acceptance, I am making it my mission to not let SADs take over my life for 2.5 months. And with the start of September I will be beginning a daily dose of Vitamin D. That and teaching yoga and having a direction with focus will help keep the spiral in check! Maybe even through in a little R&R retreat or meditation retreat and I think I will be rocking this West Coast!
3. Although this is old news for me, Christmas can do wonders for my spirit, probably because it is my favourite holiday! So December is when I snapped myself out of my slump, started practicing yoga and began making plans to jump start my career as a yoga teacher.
4. Okay things are rolling, doing a little number crunching, financially survived christmas, mmm I always wanted to go to Wanderlust in California! Baby, here I come, this is happening, chocolate chip cookies, yoga donations, cupcakes and selling my couch. Oh wait, Wanderlust is coming to Whistler?
5. I technically got hired at a yoga studio. Which, although I never worked a class there, was a huge ego boost!
6. Starting in January for 6 months straight I taught two yoga classes a week, which was so much fun and so rewarding to build that kind of relationship, and to really experience how much your students can actually teach you! And I always thought it was funny when people told me that I have a "yoga voice"at work. People new I was happy and calm then!
7. I enrolled in my first ever month long yoga intensive class. It was so great to go to the same teacher (someone I have a lot of respect for and have studied with previously) twice a week and to get to do a book project... It was nice to feel like I was part of a kula again, even if only for a month.
8. Passed my "L" Driving, although I still have a fair share of restrictions on my driving, I can now drive by myself! I'm 28 and I can finally legally drive!
9. Off to Wanderlust California (thank goodness I passed my test, not sure I would have made it!). 6 months of hard work, great saving skills, and a friend to join me for the ride, and a very long 2 days of driving I have arrived in Squaw Valley/ Lake Tahoe region. And there are no showers. Next to these perfect yogis I felt so dirty! Being stuck in a car for two days with some really messed up sleeping and coming to this pristine and perfect experience I felt dirty! Blah! After 5 days of feeling this way I finally muster the energy to spend some time at highcamp (that is over 8,000 ft!) and chill in the hot tub and get me spic and span!
10. Over these two week I manage to have my mind blown over and over and over again. California, the coast, and the Oregon coast are magical! There will be more on this later!
12. Worst mistake ever, come back to work for three days between holidays. So unfocused and excited to not be there! Hah, I do love my day job!
13. Family.... the good the bad the ugly. But still worth every minute of it. My Aunt and Uncle are the greatest people ever and I know they will always be there!
14. Happy to be back at work. Happy to have a schedule. Happy to have responsibility. Oh wait, I'm going to Whistler in a week! Yay!
15. Wanderlust Whistler, lets see what you can do in Canada! Volunteering for Wanderlust Whistler was the best way to experience the festival, especially when you no longer have any savings. And a possible highlight has getting to hang with two fabulous and fat cats!
16. Oh yeah! My teaching is going public! Remember when I got hired at a studio 6 months ago? Well they gave me a class to teach starting in September and I'm getting trained to work the space! I couldn't be in a better spot, I have had a summer of inspiration and a year of real experience!
17. And look at that, here we are, moving into my full circle of a year! I knew this year was great, but I could never have said it was going to be like this! And to think I have another year ahead of me with lessons learned, new experiences and a career in yoga that is really beginning. I can't wait to jump back and get started again! Just two weeks to go!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Yoga with the Belugas
Did you know that June 8th is celebrated as World Ocean's Day? Also, did you know that it is Canada who inaugurated this celebration around the world?
Here in Vancouver, the Vancouver Aquarium hosted the best World Ocean's Day Celebration! They organizing with Ocean Wise (this is the group that advises what fish are good to eat and which are endangered) the first ever Yoga with the Belugas! And even better yet, this practice was led by none other then Ocean loving surfer-yogi Eoin Finn!
When my husband showed me this event, I immediately latched on and decided that I had no other choice then to fork over the cash and go! Not only were all of the proceeds going to helping protect our oceans and environment but when will I possibly ever get to have this experience ever again???
Well, it was well worth it! There were countless times that you would look up and there would be this incredible creature brushing up against the window curiously looking in on us. It was such a surreal experience to be witness to!
Unfortunately on my way out the door, I grabbed the wrong bag, I grabbed the bag I had unpacked which had only some random things that I did not want for the day! So of course I showed up with no camera and no video camera, only my iPhone! Although the quality isn't superb, this clip I captured really caught the essence of the morning. You could tell there was a connection occurring with our event, the music and the belugas. You could see through music what they enjoyed and the music that they didn't understand. This song seemed to be one of their favourites, in their small entrapment, it looked as though they were dancing!
Enjoy!
Here in Vancouver, the Vancouver Aquarium hosted the best World Ocean's Day Celebration! They organizing with Ocean Wise (this is the group that advises what fish are good to eat and which are endangered) the first ever Yoga with the Belugas! And even better yet, this practice was led by none other then Ocean loving surfer-yogi Eoin Finn!
When my husband showed me this event, I immediately latched on and decided that I had no other choice then to fork over the cash and go! Not only were all of the proceeds going to helping protect our oceans and environment but when will I possibly ever get to have this experience ever again???
Well, it was well worth it! There were countless times that you would look up and there would be this incredible creature brushing up against the window curiously looking in on us. It was such a surreal experience to be witness to!
Unfortunately on my way out the door, I grabbed the wrong bag, I grabbed the bag I had unpacked which had only some random things that I did not want for the day! So of course I showed up with no camera and no video camera, only my iPhone! Although the quality isn't superb, this clip I captured really caught the essence of the morning. You could tell there was a connection occurring with our event, the music and the belugas. You could see through music what they enjoyed and the music that they didn't understand. This song seemed to be one of their favourites, in their small entrapment, it looked as though they were dancing!
Enjoy!
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Remember a few months ago when the New york times published that excerpt from the book "The Science of Yoga" by William Broad titled "How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body".
Well back in April at the New York Yoga Journal Conference, they hosted a Panel of Yoga experts with such giants as Ana Forrest, Gary Kraftsow, David Swenson and of course William Broad, all debating whether Yoga should hurt and if the hype around William's book actually a wake up call or a scare tactic.
It is a very interesting listen!
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