Camel Pose, You've Got Me Feelin' Emotions

This topic has been coming up in recent yoga-related conversations, so I thought I might blog about it!  But first, a training preparation update:

Training Update

I am now FIVE classes behind in my challenge.  I KNOW.  Yesterday I skipped the 8:15pm class so I could work on my dialogue for Posture Clinic (Did I mention that Juicy and Steve23 meet with us every Tuesday night at 10pm to help with dialogue?  Despite the fact that Juicy is two months away from poppin' out a baby?  They are awesome.  Note to self: write "Yogis Who Inspire Me" post).  Here's what a typical Tuesday night looks like:

Me in my kitchen at 8pm:  "In other words, two shoulders should be in one line.  Kicking and stretching should be equal, simultaneous, 50/50. If you lose the balance, you're not kicking hard enough." (etc, finish dialogue strong and close to verbatim) (spontaneous, enthusiastic applause from roommates)

 Me on the podium at 10:30pm:  "In other words, two shoulders should be in one line.  Um...Stretch your - no.  ...Leg up...?" (string of expletives unsuitable for blog content) (etc, dialogue trails off disappointingly)

I'm thinking it might be time for me to stand on my couch when I practice?  Something about getting up on that podium in front of teachers and yogis makes the dialogue shudder and hide away in some inaccessible part of my brain.  But it's going to be okay!  Because a) As Steve23 pointed out, I know (roughly) almost a quarter of the dialogue and we haven't even officially started training yet.  I'm ahead of the game!  and b) As Kelly pointed out, if I start freaking out now, I'm NEVER going to make it through training.  And she is right.  So I shall stay positive, and keep going to yoga, and if I don't have my dialogue note-perfect by April 17th, that's okay, and if I don't finish my 30 day challenge and miss out on my next 30-day challenge Yoga Rockstar t-shirt (*sniffle*) that's okay too.  

Meanwhile, I'm selling off all my stuff (sold my yard sale piano for twice what I paid for it!  awesome!), frantically meeting deadlines and investing in long-term planning at Big Brothers Big Sisters so everything is smooth sailing when I leave, adding to my Google Tasks list as often as I cross things off...oh, and giving brief thought to my 30th birthday.  Butter, anyone?

Moving on (briefly) to the topic at hand...

Camel Pose is the one that gets you every time.  We spend our whole lives sheltering our heart and chest: slumping over the keyboard at work, crossing our arms over our stomach, hunching over as we hurry through the cold air.  So when you finally open that area up, yoga's got you feelin' emotions (you should listen to the Mariah Carey link above as you read this post.  It's a damn good song.  That's right, I'm not ashamed of my love for Mariah Carey ballads).  Teachers will tell you that it's normal to feel not only dizzy or naeusous after that pose, but also angry, sad, even euphoric.  Both Kelly and I have burst into tears after camel (again, no shame).  Basically, whatever emotions I'm dealing with outside the yoga room, they come out after camel.  Someone's being a jerk? Camel will make me furious.  Friend going through a hard time?  Camel will make me cry.  Had an awesome day?  I'll come out of camel beaming.  

But it's great - because you get it out of your system...or even just recognize it, acknowledge it, and move on.  

Interesting sidenote: One of my yoga friends mentioned that it's not camel that brings out her emotions, but the next pose, rabbit (photo below).  She thinks that it's focusing inward that makes her sad/mad/happy, not pushing it outward.  Fascinating stuff!  Anyone else have a yoga emotions story to share?

 

I had to throw in another rabbit photo.  How cute is he!?

That's about all I have to say about that, other than continued thanks for support and buying of cookies.  I'll leave you with a quote from the Bikram Yoga Teacher Training Facebook Group that was posted today by FFBYTT Julian (the Facebook Group has become my Procrastination Tool of Choice):

One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life. ~ Chinese Proverb

P.S.  Did you watch the Yoga Asana Championships last week?!  Epic.  I spent my whole Sunday afternoon lying on my couch snacking on chocolate and watching the live stream video.  Sort of like when you watch the Olympics at a bar.  And FFBYTT Lisa and I most certainly did not send breathless text messages back and forth during the men's finals (she was watching live in LA, not lying on her couch eating chocolate) because we are MATURE, PROFESSIONAL YOGIS.  And Joseph is a hottie (and has an INCREDIBLE story to tell).