Saturday Spotlight: Want to become a Bikram yoga teacher?

Dear Britomart yogis,

Have you ever listened to your teachers in class (you know, those generally annoying people who talk at you telling you to ‘lock your knee’, ‘be still’, ‘breathe through your nose’? ;-)) and thought to yourself I could do that!? 

Has Bikram yoga had a significant impact on your life? Do you find yourself wanting to practise more and more often? Has your health improved since you started? Have your old injuries miraculously disappeared? Do you find yourself craving different foods and making better nutrition choices? Do you have greater clarity of mind?

Do you feel ready for the challenge of 9 weeks intense training? Two classes a day? Late nights? Posture clinics listening to endless dialogue reciting? 300+ sweaty bodies raising the humidity to an unbearable level? The temperature getting so high that the fire alarm goes off (yes, this happened.) and then the water sprinklers come on (yes, this also happened on my training. Twice!)? :-)

If you're still keen after reading the above then allow me to deliver the good (the GREAT!) news... The next teacher training will take place in Thailand, in Phuket, on the beach, at the Sentido Graceland Khao Lak Resort and Spa which just happens to look like this:

Sentido Graceland 1

and this:

Sentido Graceland 2

and this (sigh!):

Sentido Graceland 3

Sold yet?! ;-)

The Spring TT begins on April 19th and runs until June 20th. Some of our Britomart yogis have already signed up and are getting geared up for what will definitely be a truly unforgettable experience, and hopefully an amazingly positive one too.

Going to Bikram TT was the best decision I have ever made. It's not all plain sailing, but you learn to love the struggles you encounter because they allow you to grow so much. You meet some pretty amazing people and share the rollercoaster ride together. Some of them will become friends for life.

When you step up to the podium for your first classes you will quickly realise just how much of a privilege teaching is. To witness transformations, to help students realise their own strength and power, to encourage their self-acceptance, to see their struggles overcome, to watch students fall in love with themselves in the mirror.

That is the true beauty of this job, and I hope I will do it forever! :-)

For more information on TT click here to access the official Bikram yoga website: http://www.bikramyoga.com/TeacherTraining/AboutTeacherTraining.php. En better, just come and talk to any of your teachers before or after class. We would love to share our own experiences of TT with you!

See you on your mats!

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Monday Motivations

bikram-yoga

The importance of looking after yourself with injuries is perhaps one of the most useful tools we can have in this lifetime because let’s face it – we all get injured sometimes and yet we all have to keep going to work or being parents or friends, and it is not always easy to do the right thing for our bodies, no matter how much the desire or willpower is.

Having an injury doesn't always have to be as obvious as a cast on the leg or visible inflammation of the tendons. Our bodies store things; they have a memory just like our mind does, and they can easily get out of alignment from years of wrong posture and abuse to the body – just like the mind can get out of balance from years of unbalanced thinking.

One does not have to be an athlete or body-builder to be in danger of working the body out of its alignment and physical balance. Things like sitting forward for long periods at your desk, carrying kids and handbags; these can all have negative effects on the body and without consistent Yoga, the body starts to remember and believe everything ‘bad’ it is being told. It is only natural!

When you go to Yoga your body starts to re-align and re-format itself; it starts to learn again how to be at its strongest, most supple, most balanced and most effortlessly functioning. This is why it can often freak out a little bit. It takes time and persistence to change the memory of your body. You’re almost literally starting from scratch again – and it’s not always easy! But what is ever truly worth-while that is easy?

People can experience a transition in their body, a transition that many Yogi’s understand and feel as the awakening of their true potential. However sometimes this transition can put people off; they feel disheartened and confused. When people’s bodies start rewriting themselves it sometimes causes them to stop their practice because their body is changing and they don’t know how or why.

If you have ever doubted yourself and your Yoga practice know that when you feel your body changing or feeling something different -  it is changing to a new, better functioning body, with a memory that is healthy and strong. It’s not always easy, but easy is not the way to achieving anything worthwhile. So do not be put off before your body gets its chance to improve.

The body is the most valuable thing we have and it is never too late or too difficult to transform it into its rightful place of well-being, regardless of its tumultuous history. We have to look at the whole picture to really understand the intimacies that make it up to be a whole. This is why it is so important to keep coming to Yoga - focus on one part of your body and you won't be looking after the rest of yourself, nor will the rest of yourself be looking after you!

The importance of the rest of your body being strong and functioning properly is that it will better support your healing process. Having an injury in one place shouldn’t mean neglecting the rest of your body.

Rather than giving up because of a single thing and allowing the rest of your whole body and mind to cave in and resign – give yourself another shot. Keep trying, keep pushing through the transformation stage of your body and its memory. As soon as you make it through, you will have a better relationship with your body and mind than ever before. You will have learned how to keep the whole picture in constant view, and what a wonderful picture it is <3

Book your next class here: www.bikramyogabritomart.co.nz

Namaste

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