Day 55
Style: Teacher Training
Teachers: Mark Laham, Louise Sattler, Todd Lavictoire
Studio: Greco
I'm going to be a yoga teacher. Someday. But today, that journey has officially begun. Over the next ten weeks, every second weekend I'll be making my way through the first eighty-hour segment of Mark, Louise and Todd's teacher training program. Instantly, I feel like I'm in the right place. The first day unfolded naturally, starting with some ice-breakers and introductions. The first day of school always comes with a funny feeling. Surrounded by intriguing strangers not knowing what to expect, I'm back in the 3rd grade, the new kid in elementary school. The three teachers take turns introducing themselves and describing the overall structure of the course.
Before I know it, eight hours seem to vanish, and I'm back outside starting my car. My head is still spinning. We went more in-depth then I've been so far, breaking down different aspects and dissecting the Universe of yoga, bit by bit. Even then we only scratched the surface of what's to come. We touched on some things that were familiar to me, some that were brand new. We began the study of Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga. Described as the path to self-healing and self-actualization, Ayurveda provides the insight for each individual to create a way of life in harmony with the world of nature and our higher self. Both yoga and Ayurveda are part of one system of Vedic knowledge, a philosophy which states that the Universe is One Self, and that the key to cosmic knowledge lies within our own hearts and minds. Did I just go over your heads? Bear with me. It's a new world with new terrain, and I've only just set-off on my travels.
The day continued on, full of fascinating information. We studied different vocabulary terms, some in English and some in Sanskrit. We touched on the concept of the three Doshas, Vatta, Pitta and Kapha. We talked about anatomy, scientists, mystics, reality, illusion, consciousness, the mind-body connection, time and space. You know, the simple stuff. We talked about the conscious and subconscious minds. The ego. We talked about meditation, contemplation, focused attention. We laughed, discussed, even meditated. In our last exercise of the evening, we unrolled construction-paper over our yoga mats, then dipped our feet and hands in multi-colored paint. With dripping, slippery, painted feet, we did various standing poses, leaving colorful prints on the paper. Then we studied the markings in detail, noting imperfections, pressure points and other different observations and insights into the foundation of the poses.
After the 8 hour whirlwind I crash-land in bed, storing some energy for round two. I feel like I'm in my element. I'm a sponge, and I'm going to soak up everything I can.
Teachers: Mark Laham, Louise Sattler, Todd Lavictoire
Studio: Greco
I'm going to be a yoga teacher. Someday. But today, that journey has officially begun. Over the next ten weeks, every second weekend I'll be making my way through the first eighty-hour segment of Mark, Louise and Todd's teacher training program. Instantly, I feel like I'm in the right place. The first day unfolded naturally, starting with some ice-breakers and introductions. The first day of school always comes with a funny feeling. Surrounded by intriguing strangers not knowing what to expect, I'm back in the 3rd grade, the new kid in elementary school. The three teachers take turns introducing themselves and describing the overall structure of the course. Before I know it, eight hours seem to vanish, and I'm back outside starting my car. My head is still spinning. We went more in-depth then I've been so far, breaking down different aspects and dissecting the Universe of yoga, bit by bit. Even then we only scratched the surface of what's to come. We touched on some things that were familiar to me, some that were brand new. We began the study of Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga. Described as the path to self-healing and self-actualization, Ayurveda provides the insight for each individual to create a way of life in harmony with the world of nature and our higher self. Both yoga and Ayurveda are part of one system of Vedic knowledge, a philosophy which states that the Universe is One Self, and that the key to cosmic knowledge lies within our own hearts and minds. Did I just go over your heads? Bear with me. It's a new world with new terrain, and I've only just set-off on my travels.
The day continued on, full of fascinating information. We studied different vocabulary terms, some in English and some in Sanskrit. We touched on the concept of the three Doshas, Vatta, Pitta and Kapha. We talked about anatomy, scientists, mystics, reality, illusion, consciousness, the mind-body connection, time and space. You know, the simple stuff. We talked about the conscious and subconscious minds. The ego. We talked about meditation, contemplation, focused attention. We laughed, discussed, even meditated. In our last exercise of the evening, we unrolled construction-paper over our yoga mats, then dipped our feet and hands in multi-colored paint. With dripping, slippery, painted feet, we did various standing poses, leaving colorful prints on the paper. Then we studied the markings in detail, noting imperfections, pressure points and other different observations and insights into the foundation of the poses.
After the 8 hour whirlwind I crash-land in bed, storing some energy for round two. I feel like I'm in my element. I'm a sponge, and I'm going to soak up everything I can.
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