My oils in my Life

So I have resulted in carrying oils in my purse, and this weekend could have used more. We went to the BYU football game, beautiful day, but a bit more sunny than I was prepared for. I was thinking it would be cold, so I did not think of sunblock. My whole family got a bit burned. I wanted my lavender oil. The one major oil that I usually keep with me I did not have.

Lavender helps heal burns, it would have kept the sting off of the sun burn for the kids. So that is the next oil to go in my bag.

I also got nausea on the drive back from Utah, happily I had peppermint in my bag- which was my saving grace during my assessment.

Before my Utah trip I got a cold, so I used my thieves spray and my RC to get rid of my cold ASAP. It always amazes me how quickly I can get over a cold when I pair the two up. Thieves cuts through the mucus in my throat, and RC clears up the sinuses.

Those are my essentials. I keep them close to me and make sure my husband has a set with him as well. I also joked and teased my husband as we drove by Mona Utah that we needed to stop by and get some Lavender for the kids and take a tour of their distillery. Maybe if we were not on such a time crunch.... next Utah trip we will visit the Young Living Farm.

I passed my Assessment!!!

After 5 years of teaching and studying I had my assessment this weekend. Brandon and I dropped Daniel off at school at the other kids at my sister's house for part at the day and then they spend the weekend at Grandma and Grandpa's.

Happily I got to the LA Iyengar Institute early and was able to relax and have time to stretch a little before everything started. That was when I noticed I was getting a headache. Happily I had some peppermint on me.

Our assessors arrived, and the assessor in training, was a teacher I met when I was in Ohio. It was such a wonderful experience to see a friendly face, even though I knew she was not assessing me. We went over what the next 5 hours would be and how the next day teaching would go, 6 hours total.

By now my headache still had not gone away, so in pranayama I added a headwrap to help with the headache, it helped but my head was getting worse. Then the written portion of the exam, I only needed to get 70% to pass. Not much to report other than more peppermint went on my head, I am sure the room smelled WONDERFUL by now.

In between each portion we had a break and I kept praying that the headache would take a turn for the better. Then we came to the final portion of the evening, the demonstration, about 15 mintues into it my headache turned into a full blown migraine. After every pose I am praying and trying to not throw up. But I was able to complete every pose. Until the end when I had to leave to attempt to throw up. Happily I made it back in time to finish that pose and just about die in Savasana as I prayed my thanks that I survived. I struggled downstairs to the car and prayed I would make it to the hotel.... I almost did. And that was my night.

The next day I taught nice and early, the 1st one, 9am. Surprisingly, and happily one of my fellow Yoga Space teachers came to help out. It was wonderful to have a friendly face. I was not too worried about this portion of the assessment, as Carolyn Belko has been teaching us how to do this for the last 3 years. However, in my nerves I did forget to teach a pose to the left- so I taught the pose 3 times to make up for that and teach to the left, mention how pregnant women sit in a pose, and had to constantly slow down and speed up the class to make sure that I could end on my 40 minute mark. During my class the assessor interrupted me at one point to say I was at 20 minutes, I was actually annoyed because I was doing such a decent job of ignoring them. I enjoyed my little class and I think they did too. Outside my little mishaps I felt I taught a good class.

Then the waiting game started. We were told we would get an email after everyone taught, the last person taught at 6pm. So I was thinking maybe 7-8ish???? So we rested- Brandon was really sick. We went to the Getty Museum, and I decided to make my living room blanket inspired by Van Gogh's Irises. Then we went to dinner, as I still really had not had much to each since I threw everything up the day before, and finally back to the hotel to watch the BYU game. Which... we will not mention. I finally gave up on an email and went to bed.

At 1:15 Brandon woke me, he couldn't sleep due to being sick, and told me to look at my phone. At 11:15, I received an email from my Lead Assessor, congratualating me on becoming a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher. So we celebrated the next day with Tres Leches on Temple grounds.

I am finally a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher! I am so excited to be able to put Iyengar next to my name. I guess I can laugh about that migraine and my teaching faux pas now.

Power house- Top Center Thigh

There are so many important points in poses that must be learned for a pose to be done correctly. But once a person is aligned in a pose and can focus on the actions of the asana, there is one that has brought more strength and has improved my practice that I have found carries to a large portion of other asanas in the first years learning yoga.

The top center thigh. The meatiest, centeriest, part of your thigh- typically right where your middle finger hits. When you learn to press that part of your thigh back to the bone you gain power in your legs that carries into other poses.

First learn the action in these poses, that we covered earlier in the blog

• Tadasana
• Utthita Trikonasana
• Utthita Parsvakonasana
• Virabhadrasana 2
• Parvottantasana
• Prasarita Padottanasana

By learning this action in the standing poses and doing them daily, for at least 4 months you will have the strength to do

• Adho Mukha Svanasana- Downward dog pose
• Urdhva Prasarita Padasana- upward extended foot pose
• Dandasana- staff pose
• Paripurna Navasana- complete boat pose
• Upavistha Konasana- seated angle pose
• Salamba Sarvangasana- Supported whole body pose
• Halasana- plow pose

Daily practice builds stability in the poses. The knowledge can be transferred from one pose to another and when it is combined with essential points of each individual pose it will help provide alignment and strength in the structure in the asana. 

Traveling yoga studio and back East

What to do when you travel across the country for a month and assessment is 2 months away? Take a travel yoga mat, 3 nice thick Mexican blankets- can't skimp on those (4 is standard but I can make due with 3), a traditional 6 ft Iyengar belt and order an inflatable bolster to meet you there. I ran out of room for a yoga brick. But it works.

Now if only my daughter would let me do yoga every night. Last few nights she wanted to cuddle, I think she is having trouble breathing, allergies or croup, but how can I turn down cuddling- so my yoga last few nights were spent snuggling with my sweet daughter and making sure that she is alright.

balance regained

When Daniel was little I first got the courage to do Sirsasana in the middle of the room. I did it triumphantly a few times, then I fell. I was too much in the head, and not enough in the pose. When I fell, I fell on some of Daniel's toys and hurt my back. It took a while to recover. That was back in 2012/2013. Now 4-5 years later, as a much different Yoga student and teacher I have again been able to do that pose in the middle of the room, and Daniel has taken pictures of me getting into the pose.

It is fun seeing what yoga looks like from my son's point of view, imperfect is what comes to mind. But as Geeta Iyengar, in Yoga: a Gem for Women, says "Motherhood is woman's ordained duty. It is not merely a physical state, but a divine state." There Yoga and my faith have no separation. In 1935 the 1st Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints stated, "Motherhood is near to divinity, it is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels."

So as I look at yoga and see my milestones begin to grow. I am grateful to have my children document and photobomb my pictures.

Going Up!

I submitted my application for Iyengar Assessment. This has been a goal of mine since I understood what Iyengar Yoga means. I started teaching in 2013, when I was basically a baby in yoga. I made mistakes, taught from what little knowledge I could gleam from my Iyengar books, and my teachers, and knew that I needed more.

I set a goal to become a certified Iyengar Teacher by 2017. In the Iyengar system you have to be practicing only the Iyengar method for at least 3 years, and committed to teaching only the Iyengar method. You must either:
  a. graduate from a certified 2-3 year Iyengar Teacher Training program, or have accumulated
  b. have 90 hours of teacher education from a Certified Iyengar Teacher and 90 hours of mentor ship with a Certified Iyengar Teacher
  c. 180 hours of mentor ship with a Certified Iyengar mentor.

mentoring includes:
- attending classes
- observing classes
- assisting classes
- supervised teaching
- email and phone contact
- supervised practice
- apprenticeship

I chose a 2 year teacher training program, which turned into 3 years between surgery and a baby.  After having my baby I was expecting to need a full year of recovery to get my body ready for assessment, but my body surprised me and jumped back. It said "I am ready" and I got permission from my Senior Teacher, Carolyn Belko, to go up for assessment this year.

I have submitted my application and am just waiting to hear if I will be assess in September or November, in LA or Palm Desert. I am excited and can't wait.

My assessment will take place over 2 days. I will be assessed on Yoga Philosophy, Pranayama, my own Yoga Asana practice, and Teaching. Senior Teachers from around the US will make up the assessment board and they will choose if I get to become a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher.

While I wait for that day, I get to count down the days to show my peers and teachers what I mom of 3, who has been through 2 surgeries can do, and how I have benefited from the method of Iyengar Yoga. Bring it on!

Children's Yoga

I teach my children yoga through modeling. I let them see me practice, hear I am going to yoga, see where I practice and practice with me. We have yoga games. I have kid yoga books. There are Iyengar books for teaching children. Basically you teach the body and later the mind.

As a child you don't worry about form. Think about playing as a child. Handstands, back bends, arm balances, rolling  your feet backwards over your head. All of that is yoga. The poses are not strange new creations, but for many instinctual part of growing up. We teach the fun of yoga. Keep it quick paced, light-hearted. Only make corrections when there is a immediate dire need- bent arm or leg, leave it. I make it a habit to never correct, as it ruins the magic of the pose for children. A child wants to be in the pose more than adults do. So let them get in the pose and experience it.

In the Iyengar system children can start yoga at the age of 8. That is when instruction in poses begins. In the US we like to start much younger, but we start with a model/ mirror, parent/child relationship. Toddler yoga is a way to bond to mom- and run around creating awesome trains.

 My favorite children yoga book is by Bobby Clennell "Watch me do Yoga" and it describes how I hope one day yoga will be integrated so easily into my daily life with my kids.