Yoga Teacher Training: Halfway Point (Plus Swimming! and a Bulldog)

You guys, this week has been A LOT.

The most A LOT I've had in quite some time. In five days I worked 40 hours, went to eight yoga classes, and attended 11 hours of yoga teacher training. My real work has been busy and satisfying- I got a case approved to go before the Commission, drafted a press release, and finalized the draft of a different case memo. My yoga has been strong and powerful and sweaty and not nearly as sore or painful as I expected. And my teacher training - including 8 hours of anatomy lecture! - has been filling my brain and spilling out my ears, only to be scooped back up and squished in again. On Tuesday and Wednesday I left the house at 7 a.m. loaded down with bags and snacks and liquids and changes of clothes and pulled back in my driveway at 11:45 p.m. needing to repack and refill it all. I have had very little sleep and even less time with my family, but we've all made it and my training is halfway over with the longest, hardest week complete.

(me when my alarm goes off at 6:30 a.m.)

It feels amazing.

(yoga studio parking garage, 11:30 p.m.)

It's completely selfish and it's taking time away from the only place where time can be taken away- the hours I spent with James and the kids, and that sucks. But the kids are in climbing camp during the day and going to swimming practice (with Coach Dad!) at night and are doing just fine over the past four days I have basically been away. On Tuesday and Wednesday nights I got home near midnight, full of new anatomy knowledge and an urge to read all the google results on fascia, and dragged myself into a kitchen that was sparkling clean, checked in on kids who were sleeping peacefully, saw laundry that had been switched and folded and a life that had just generally been HANDLED and just felt... good. Good, thankful, dying to hug my fast-asleep hug. This is a thing I'm doing for me, something I've wanted to do for five years, and it's okay. My family is good. I do most of the things most of all the time and so, I tell myself when I doubt, this is okay. I miss James like crazy- he's already been asleep when I've come home each night, but we'll make it up and he's fine. He's the one who secretly saved up to give me this opportunity in the first place. We support each other in our dreams, in making our lives what we want them to be, and I'm halfway through a big dream of mine.

(snapshot of my car at the end of Wednesday)

The training itself is also amazing. I've learned so much- my yoga has already changed, my form fine-tuned, my adjustments more personalized, my knowledge about my own body- despite years as a competitive athlete and group fitness teacher- so much greater. Did you know my hips CAN'T square to the side wall in warrior 2? Did you know they don't need to? Did you know that when I try to make them do it anyway my knee wrenches way inward away from where they should be and it's OKAY because that's how my body is built. I've done approximately one million warrior 2's in my 5 years of yoga and I'm just now doing them right for me. And it's the same with so many other poses. On Thursday night when I sat my sweaty self on my mat for class 2 in a row after 3 days of doing 2 evening classes in a row right before lectures begin I thought, I should really feel more tired. This should feel overwhelming. I should NOT be excited about more yoga. But it feels GREAT. I held a forearm stand for the first time and my journal is full of exclamation points.

(teacher training dinner)

The actual training syllabus consists of 3 lectures a week for 3 hours each (or 4 hours each during anatomy) for 8 weeks. You must also take 60 yoga classes (55 vinyasa flows at CorePower, 2 class observations, and 3 outside classes) and journal each class and training. There's an extra weekend lecture sprinkled in there (chakras!) and outside reading, essays, and journaling are done throughout. It adds up to 200 hours and that's the certification I'll have when it's through (assuming I pass the written and practical testing, which I will, because studying yoga is my new favorite). Then I can teach yoga! And remain an enthusiastic, now better informed yoga student. 4 weeks to go!

But on the opposite of yoga and not spending time with family - I spent all of last week at a pool faraway cheering on my quartet of swimmers. James won everything and will be going to state in all of the things. The girls swam Saturday afternoon and did GREAT!

Little Cora Bunny dropped 2.5 seconds in her 25 free and improved 5 places to get 2nd and qualify for State! Our first five-year-old to go to state! She was SO excited.

She's sat and watched three years of state meets and now she gets to be competing! I can't wait.

She dropped time in her 25 back and 25 fly and very nearly qualified for state in backstroke too, jumping from 35th place to 7th! It was a great meet for her, and in between her fast swims, she made sure to stay on top of her hard work.

Clairebear also did great, dropping time and winning all THREE of her events! We'd joked that she could have a giant scoop of ice cream if she won an event, so apparently that was very motivating. She was so proud and it's so great to see her killing it in the pool- a place her brother tends to dominate the conversation.

On Sunday morning it was Landon's turn! He's aged up to longer events and bigger, stronger competitors and he had to step it up! He won his 50 Fly, got 2nd in his 100 Free, and 4th in his 100 IM and 50 Free. He was wiped out, but glad to have qualified for state in all four, even if maybe a little surprised he did get his usual set of golds. The competition is good for him.

We went out for an ice cream celebration for all and still had an hour before bed for games and reading.

It was a great way to close out an exciting weekend and prepare for a BUSY week ahead.

Maggie's barely been able to keep her eyes open, but she's here for us anyway.

Oh! Also this week- Landon turned 12! On Monday! We celebrated with all the traditions and I'll recap after his birthday pool party tomorrow afternoon. I really already forgot that even happened all of four days ago- seriously, what a week. Maggie's exhausted just hearing about it, but hopes you're having a great week too!