Yoga Championships!

Well, it's official! I just registered for the 2013 North Carolina Yoga Championships for November 13th.  This will be my 3rd time competing demonstrating. Yes, I will get myself up on a stage, alone and demonstrate 7 VERY difficult yoga postures. In a leotard. And I'm 38 years old.

I don't expect to win a spot to nationals. I don't even expect to get into the top 3. Not yet, anyways. Maybe when I'm 50? I have a million excuses not to compete: I'm still nursing a knee and foot injury, I need to lose 5 pounds, I just moved here, I'm not ready yet, I still need to improve x, y, z.

Why on earth would I do this to myself, especially in a leotard?  I hope to inspire other 30-40 somethings with the simplicity and beauty of the yoga. The value and importance it has in my life. That they too, can improve the standing bow posture with patience, breathing and a lot of hard work.

I am just picking on standing bow, because it is almost everyone's favorite posture to monitor progress. Plus it just looks so damn cool. I recently compared a picture of my standing bow form about 3.5 years ago before I went to teacher training and one from last week after class. I was amazed at the progress I had made. I am literally changing the shape of the way my muscles, ligaments and tendons stretch across my bones.

Balance in Bikram - The Guilt Trip

I am not very good at balance when it comes to my Bikram Yoga practice. Because I love it so much, It becomes all consuming. It is something I struggle. I want to take a yoga class every day, even twice a day if possible!  I want to eat, sleep, talk Bikram Yoga. My husband says it's annoying, yes- but there are worse things I could be addicted to.

I tend to teach 8-10 classes a week, and sometimes 3 of those classes are in ONE single day. That's up to 4.5 hours in 105+ degree room at 40-50 % humidity. Talking. Talking loudly, that is, for 90 minutes. Despite the seemingly few number of classes I teach, my number qualifies me as a "full-time" Bikram teacher. It's a huge time commitment since I am required to be at the studio 30-45 minutes before and after each class not including commute time to/from each studio. I currently divide my time between 2 studios that about 10 miles apart. 

The teaching in itself would be fine, but in order to remain a good teacher, one must have a solid practice. 

There is the issue of hydration. And of course, TIME. I am married and mom to a 13 year old dog and a cat. No children. Sometimes I have to make the decision:  will the laundry get done or will I do my yoga? ; pay bills or yoga?; mop my floors or yoga? lunch w/  non-yoga friends or yoga THEN lunch with yoga friends? blog or yoga?  As you can see,  I haven't had a blog entry in about 2 years so it's quite obvious where I've been spending my time.

Bikram Yoga brings all of your issues out- and I feel like mine are on open display like a piece of art in a psych ward. Yes, my yoga practice has improved since practicing every single day, sometimes twice a day, but

what am I doing this for? And at what expense? Am I better off than if I would have a 3-4 times a week practice? Are my relationships suffering?

Here's the thing- I feel SUPER guilty if I skip a day. Maybe its the Catholic School guilt. My mind starts to race:  “Why are you not doing yoga?” “You should be doing yoga.” “You could have been doing yoga now.” 

I started to fend this guilt off by taking non-Bikram classes. Something completely opposite. Opposite Kim- like opposite George from Seinfeld but slightly cuter :-). I started with Vinyasa flow on Tuesday night and I feel so renewed and inspired from that class - even 3 days later. I learned how to do forearm stands and even attempted my very first handstand!!! 

To be continued......