Sunday, April 24, 2011

Venice Beach








After a lazy start to the day my roommate and I headed to Venice Beach. We parked a few streets away and then walked up around the canals to get to the beach. It was such a lovely area, nice and peaceful - until we got to the beach that is.

The change in energy hit us like a tonne of bricks and it was just sensory overload. It doesn't look it in the picture but it was crowded, noisy and full of street vendors all looking for business. Very touristy and hard to get a true sense of what the area and local culture is like, though I'm guessing locals probably just don't go down there (much like Surfers Paradise at home which we rarely ever visit for the same reasons - too touristy and far more beautiful less crowded places to go).

We lasted maybe an hour amongst the hustle and bustle and then had had enough. If one week of living in the yoga bubble makes us feel like this I can't imagine what its going to be like after nine?

So now I'm making the most of the rest of our time off and just catching up on things and getting organised for the week ahead. I am SO glad I put the effort into learning dialogue before I came as it has taken the pressure off now and means I can cruise for a few weeks yet. Insert BIG smile here! :-)





Bikram's Bentley which was parked outside our hotel today. Who said you can't make money teaching yoga?

Notes from Emmy's Class

Finally have time to copy the notes that I quickly scribbled down after taking from Emmy's class. I learn't SO much in her class. I tried to remember it all, and would have loved to have been able to just sit there and take notes :-)

First thing was that she got up and announced that she wouldn't do the class saying the regular dialogue as she didn't want us practicing on auto-pilot and so that gave us such great focus. Something we should be able to do anyway, but it was amazing just the way she was able to talk about each posture.

- Standing bow: When you put your L arm up (in first set) to look at your fingertips in the mirror (tho dialogue says knee) as this will help get your head/ chin in line when you charge forward.

- Camel: When you first drop your head back, consciously take a few breaths to release your fear / angst.

- Fixed Firm: If you have trouble sitting back with your knees together, to start the posture standing on your knees with your knees together. Then sit down keeping your kness together. This will help you get into the posture correctly much quicker rather than having to wait for your knees to open. (Will have to ask someone who can't do this posture as I'm able to do it no trouble so can't comment on the diff it makes.)

- Locust: Single leg lift - to think about kicking your leg up like you do in standing bow so that you activte from your hip.

- Triangle: When you turn your foot to the side in the set up to keep your hips in the centre rather than letting your weight shift to the back leg. Something that I wasn't conscious of doing but think I was.

- Floor Bow: Knees together to start in set up.

She made a great comment in Locust that cracked me up. In the single leg lift peops must have had their leg moving around. She said, "why do you have your leg waving around? No-one is coming to help you! Keep your leg still". Baaahaaaahaaa. Maybe its the lack of sleep, but that really appealed to my sense of humour.

She also said that when you're practicing twice a day, that if you're easily flexible then to work hard in the A.M. class to gain strength and take it easy in the P.M. class. And that if strength was your positive then to take it easy in the A.M. and work harder in the P.M. as your body is more warmed up then and would give you better chance to improve your flexibility. Good tip.