We're also going to a vegetarian restaurant for lunch, and I'm debating having a latte at Starbucks. If I got sugar-free and decaf espresso it wouldn't really be a cheat, would it? Another fun event we're looking into for Friday night is some kind of big DJ party in Lagonissi. Since we can't drink alcohol, we're going to take bottles of water and pretend we're ravers.
Not drinking alcohol? Cheating with a Starbucks latte? You might wonder who is writing this post. Yes, I assure you it's me. However, we're strongly encouraged to eat an entirely vegetarian diet with no alcohol, no sugar, and no stimulants (caffeine), while we complete our yoga teacher training. By day 10, we will have fully detoxed. I think I've started detoxing already as I hurt everywhere and I have a headache. Take Advil? No, just power through that detox Devon.
Speaking of hurting everywhere, that could also be from the four hours of asanas today. Every morning, Michelle adds new poses and variations to our practice and this morning was more challenging than previous days. It also seemed to be hotter in the studio and I sweated like a stuck pig. However, I felt that I had a really solid practice this morning and am already making progress. My friend L and I are the queens of the bolsters over in our corner as both of us have sucky hip and hamstring flexibility. The number of bolsters surrounding us is a bit embarrassing (but that is an un-yogi-like thought). Our second asana practice today was with a new teacher, Marita. Her style is very different from Michelle's, but I really enjoyed Marita as well. I was enjoying her less after we worked through every joint in the body for two hours. Really.
Marita: Keep holding your arms out in front of you. Now that we've worked the shoulders, the elbows, the wrists, and the fingers, how do your arms feel? Lighter?
Me (in my head): Like I want to put them down. The only way they'd feel better was if I were holding a glass of wine with them. Can we PLEASE do savasana now?
Marita: We've worked through every joint in our body now. How does your body feel? Like you've just had a massage? Energized?
Me (in my head): My body wants supper and a hot bath. It aches everywhere. Oh, and a glass of wine.
So all whining aside, it was another amazing day. We spent a lot of time in our morning theory class learning how to do locks or in Sanskrit, "bandhas". Basically locks are used to redirect the flow of energy within the body for the purpose of spiritual awakening and other therapeutic effects. There are three places we can lock in our body: throat, abdomen, and perineum (yes, down THERE). So we learned the theory behind each lock, then sat on the floor in a circle and practiced each lock, gradually building until we could do all three locks at once. It was a bit awkward sitting in a circle and clenching our perineum muscles while looking at each other! But I feel like we know each other so much better now!
Additionally, I had a great morning meditation with Aussie A on the roof today, and drew a fantastic card that was really meaningful.
The meals continue to be fabulous, my teachers are inspiring, and I love the people I'm with. So stiffness, soreness, detoxing, and perineum-squeezing aside, it was another great day in the life of an aspiring yogi.
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