Sometimes, You Have To Show Them How.

I have two instances this week where, while teaching, I had to show students how to do the postures.

The first time was when I was getting them into Standing Head to Knee. I showed them how to lock their knee.

"You push the knee back and THEN pull up on your quadriceps muscle. See how it pops up and away from my knee? This is a locked knee. Beware, it will unlock on you. So you must re-engage it in the posture."

Looking at the dialogue, it doesn't say this. But this is how you lock the knee. And I had two students thank me afterwards for showing them this... Because they didn't realize you had to do more than push the knee back to lock it out.

The second instance of me having to show them how to do a posture came yesterday during Triangle pose. The first set of Triangle was rough. Students not sitting low enough... Then when they went to rotate their arms, they were bending down to get their fingertips in between the big toe and second toe.

This is wrong. So I showed them in between the sets (which also gave them a nice break.)

"You sit all the way down, making an upside-down L with your right leg," I showed them. "This gets you down into the hip flexor. Knee should not go past your toes. If it is, move the straight leg out more, making a wider gap."

"Then, you windmill the arms," I showed them. "You move them at the same time. JUST move the arms. You do not bend your torso down."

"Then, you sit lower, stretching your right arm down in between the two toes and stretching your left arm up. You don't bend the torso. When you bend down, you lose the triangle gap that is created. And that gap is why the posture is called 'Triangle.'"

"The two arms should be on top of each other, stretching in opposite directions," I went on. "The two shoulders are stretching apart. You are twisting your torso back at the same time."

In the second set of the posture, there was noticeable improvement. And I had a number of students thank me after class for showing them that.

"I had no idea!" was the general sentiment.

The dialogue is great, and certainly the best tool in our arsenal. But sometimes you have to actually show them, in addition to relying on the dialogue. If you only recite dialogue, your students aren't necessarily going to grow. Some people are visual. And you can't always see how to properly do it in the classroom.

Also, I'm sorry... But Triangle is one of my favorite postures. And it makes me sad when people do it wrong because they've never been shown how to do it.

"Make It Your B*tch!"

Teaching has been fun. It's been a learning experience... But a fun one. I still have things to work on... Like making sure the class ends on time. But overall, my classes are high energy. They are killer. A good experience.

I'm not being conceited. I truly believe this. I can see it in my students' faces. They are pushing hard. I'm encouraging them to push hard. And I am doing it with a big smile on my face.

This makes a good class. Having big energy.

Today, I taught the noon and the 2pm classes. Both classes were high energy. Especially the noon one. I get really into the dialogue, and I am big on explaining the benefits of the postures as students are moving through them. And today, I got so energetic in Triangle posture that I found myself pushing the students hard in the set-up.

"Sit all the way down into your hip flexor! Bounce like a motorcycle ride! All the way down! Into the hip flexors! Get down lower! Make it your bitch!"

Oh yes. I said that. I told the students to make their hip flexors their "bitch."

Normally, I do not swear in class. Lots of teachers do, though. Bikram himself does as well. And believe it or not, when used in the right place, it can be very motivating.

I do not know why I got so carried away... But I really wanted the students to understand to get lower, not be afraid, and get down. Thus, "make it your bitch!"

Apologies to my students for swearing. You all did beautifully! And I appreciated that you laughed when I said this, rather than "tsk-ing" me.

Short List Of Reasons To Live: January 23, 2010.

One busy week ends... Another lays ahead of me. Here is my list of reasons to keep pressing on...

• Next weekend marks 10-years since meeting Human, my husband. A significant milestone!
• I have three Bikram classes to teach this week. And I am very much enjoying teaching.
• Only three weeks till my vacation away to Providenciales!
• The Husband has finally agreed to bring in an electrician to fix the four things broken in the house: the doorbell, a set of kitchen lights, a plug in the back garden and a set of dimmer lights on the third floor. (He was fighting me on the dimmer lights. "Do they need to be fixed?" Um, yes. They do.)
• Hoping to do some hiring at work this week. (Speaking of which... If you know of anyone who lives in the Toronto area... Has a degree in some type of journalism, marketing or business communications field... And is interested in working in the digital marketing filed... Contact me.)

Ten Years.

In a few days, it will be the 10-year anniversary of when I met Human, my husband. And it is such a romantic story...

I was living in NYC. I was drunk. I went bar hopping for my friend Steph's last weekend in NYC before going on sabbatical in Australia. We ended up at a bar in the village. The bar sucked. I wanted to leave. I was being cheeky and sassy. I somehow managed to meet my husband and refused an offer from him to go to dinner sometime. He gave me his business card and left it open to go out for coffee sometime if I was interested.

Wait... That's not romantic. That's bitchiness!

This is how it is, people. When you least expect something, it happens. A week later, after I had called him to go out for coffee, we had our first date. We grabbed Starbucks and walked around Grand Central Terminal for a few hours.

I had almost forgotten that it has been 10 years, till I found myself walking around Grand Central Terminal this morning before leaving NYC. That's when I saw this...

Squash court?

On the first date, The Husband and I watched this same squash event for a while.

I can't believe that was 10 years ago.

It Has Been "Work..."

Happy Blog-iversary to me!!!

Well, technically, the FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of On Common Ground is next Tuesday, the 25th.

Did you absorb that, people? FIVE YEARS! I have been doing this thing for FIVE YEARS. With the exceptions of being married and Bikram yoga, I've never done ANYTHING for five years straight.

So, as recognition for my "work" on this blog, I rewarded myself with a little gift. I am in NYC for business today, and I stopped off during my lunch break at Barney's to pick something up. What I wanted wasn't there. So I went to Bergdorf Goodman and found it.

The Balenciaga Giant Work bag.

No... It's not the color I wanted. I wanted a bright color, not white. But NO ONE has them. It was tough enough to find it with the giant stud hardware. But, when I thought about it, I realized, "I don't have any black bags!"

Seriously. I don't. Purple... Green... Black cherry... Steel grey... Chocolate brown... Vermilion... But no black.

This is how great this bag is: I can fit everything I brought with me in my carry-on (which, grated, isn't much) into the bag. EVERYTHING!

This is my new travel bag.

Learning To Pee In The Tall Grass.

Almost five years later, and I feel a need to repost what this saying means...

"If you want to run with the big dogs, you got to learn to pee in the tall grass."

Back when I was a resident assistant in university, one of the leaders of Residence Life used to say that to us. It sounds funny. It sounds gross. But it is a saying that helps keep things in perspective for me.

It basically means, "If you want to be big, you can't be afraid to think big or act big."

So often people think small, but wish they could achieve big. It's fear that holds them back. You can't be afraid to try.

When I think about how many times I almost settled for small, because I was afraid, I shudder. I certainly wouldn't be where I am today if I gave into fear.

You succeed. You fail. Whatever. What matters is that you tried to pee in the tall grass.

Older Students Fare Better Than The Young Ones.

My yoga teaching career is coming up on two months old next week. This is exciting I will have about 22 classes under my belt... Which isn't bad for someone who only teaches twice a week and carries a full time corporate job.

But one thing I have noticed since teaching is this: The older the student is, the more determined they are to do the class.

Nothing against younger people at all. But a Bikram yoga class knocks everyone off of their ass the first time they do it. And the second time. And the third. And the 100th.

It is amazing how the same 26 postures and two breathing exercises never gets old and is always a challenge. That is because there is so much more going on in the room than just you moving your body and doing the poses.

Bikram yoga is a mind game, people. Your mind messes with you. You have mirrors all around you. You have no choice but to stare at yourself. It is hot. Sweat, toxins and memories pour out of your body and brain. You have to accept that it is going to be a real challenge even before you walk through the doors to lay down your mat.

And from what I have seen, the older the person is, the easier it is for them to accept this.

I have had two students walk out of class since starting teaching. That is it. They were newbies. They were, quite frankly, not in touch with what to expect. I explained to each of them, "It will be hot. You will need water. You will need to tie your hair back. Just sit down if you get overwhelmed."

Only one brought in water. Both had their hair down. (One didn't bother pulling any of it back!) Both left the room a few times. Both were young. Early 20s.

I encouraged them to stay the first time. Implored them the second time. The third time, I just ignored them. My focus was to keep with the rest of the class... And not waste time with people who didn't want to work on themselves.

But after that class, I started to pay attention to the other students who struggle in class. Who gives up easily and just sits down? Who lies down early on? Who drinks water repeatedly? Who gets back into poses when they fall out? Who comes up afterwards and thanks me for encouraging them?

The younger ones struggle more. The ego in some of them hasn't been told to back the hell off yet. The older students (and by this, I don't actually mean "old." I mean my age - early 30s - and above) can take the challenge that is being presented to them. They know they will have to work hard to change their bodies. Their minds have accepted this.

And once you accept this, it makes things easier to process in the class.

Everyone is different. Nothing is easy. If it is easy, why do it? That's not why you come to class.

Some students have mastered that lesson before they get through the door. Their class challenge lies elsewhere in their body. Other students - yes, usually the young ones - have to learn this first before they change their body.

"What Happens When You Die?"

Oh dear... Please don't think for a second that this is a "morbid" post of some kind. It is not.

I work in digital marketing. And part of the reason I am good at my job is because I have a natural curiosity that makes me ask many questions and press many buttons. I started off this evening researching one thing... Which segued into another thing... Which led to something else... Which eventually ended with me Googling "What Happens When You Die?"

I wanted to see what people out there on the Internet had to say about this topic. Because I was quite certain I was only a few clicks away from pure awesome craziness.

And hell if I wasn't dead on with my assessment!

Within two clicks, I came across this page...

Click on this link to see it for yourself. It's not spam. It's pure seizure-inducing awesomeness.

My favorite part are the angels with the light sabers... And the song.

"It's A Sexual Playground"?

Maybe I am the odd one out. But all throughout training, I rarely thought about sex. In fact, here are thoughts that frequently through my mind:

• I am so tired.
• Not another fucking late-night 4-hour movie, please!
• Did he really just say, "When you go against nature, you get ...?"
• I am so hungry.
• I feel so bloated.
• OMG... Your name is spelled "Sharon." Pronounce it fucking "Share-on!" Not "Shaw-ron!"
• I am so tired.
• Get your fucking feet off my mat and out of my face!

Yes... I was an angry yogi. And very much taking things personally at training. But out of the mush that my brain became of the nine weeks of Bikram Yoga Teacher Training, I never once saw the place as a hot bed of sexual activity.

So, this evening I picked up the February issue of Details magazine and read the article about teacher training...

First... I don't see teacher training as a cult. It's a necessary evil. It's what you need to do in order to teach this type of yoga. And I do believe passionately in this yoga... It's sequence. It's poses. The heat.

So maybe I am subscribing to that part of the cult. But would I call myself a "Bikram fanatic" and willing to do whatever for the man?

No.

While I truly believe in the yoga that Bikram and his guru created, I don't see Bikram as my spiritual guru or someone I would want to spend time with personally. He is my yoga teacher. My yoga guru. And if he tells me to teach a pose a certain way, or to say dialogue a certain way... I do it. He knows best.

But the article claims that people are at teacher training to hook up in addition to becoming certified. And that they are going around screwing like bunnies. And, more disturbingly, some of them are there to get it on with Bikram himself.

All of this is true... But not to the degree the article states. Yes, people do hook up at training. But I only heard of a few people. The article makes it sound like there were orgies. And yes, I have heard the rumors that Bikram sleeps with female students... But I never knew anyone who did it.

In short, I would really hate for someone to read this article and think this is what teacher training is like. I don't want men thinking it is a place to go and land "easy scores." I don't want women to think that they have to fear being preyed on... Or that if they aren't down with sex they will be left out socially while there.

Now, I realize this is Details magazine. It is not exactly a legitimate source of entertainment news. I have written for magazines myself. I know, as a writer, you have to put a "sexy spin" on your pitch in order to get something greenlit for spec and then published.

"They had to write that article," The Husband said. "Other wise it wouldn't have been published."

Teacher training is hard work. It is exhausting. Emotions run rampant. For me, none of them were sexual emotions. But again, maybe I am the odd one out.

Bikram Yoga Teacher Training: A Horny Good Time?

While at teacher training, I often feared catching some kind of disease from my fellow trainees. However, my idea of possible diseases I could catch included:

• Pink eye: From people rubbing their fingers on the practice room carpet after touching their infected eyes, and then me coming in contact with it and wiping the sweat from my eyes.
• Fungus: Same as above. People had various fungi on their hands and feet. I thought for sure I would catch it in the petri dish of a carpet in the room.
• Colds, Sore Throats: You're always in confined spaces, between the practice tent, lecture tent and posture clinic rooms.

But never in my wildest imagination would I have ever feared catching an STD of some kind. Though, before I start a rumor, let me clarify that this is not what that is about... But when I hear a rumor like this, I have to wonder if any STDs did get passed around at teacher training.

This is an article featured in the February issue of Details magazine. And according to it... Teacher training was a hotbed of hook-ups.

Seriously? I mean, I expected there were hook-ups "here and there." But who had the time? Who had the energy? I mean... There were two practices a day. And double-posture clinics. And 43 pages of dialogue to memorize. And late-night lectures. And 4-hour Hrithik Roshan movies. And only five hours of sleep most nights.

People had time to hook-up during all of that? Seriously?

I must pick up this issue.

Short List Of Reasons To Live: January 16, 2010.

Oops! I completely forgot to post this segment last week! Shows you how busy I have been... Though, no excuse!

Well, this weekend was mostly relaxing, and I remembered to do this segment. So here are this week's Short List of Reasons to Live:

• My back muscles are starting to tighten up. Makes me look forward to the gym.
• Big Love starts back up tonight. That is one thing I am going to look forward to every week.
• My FIVE YEAR Blog Anniversary is the week after next. So this week, I am going to be buying myself a lovely anniversary gift. (But I won't tell you what it is yet!)
• I go to NYC this week for a business trip... And though it is a quick trip, I am excited. (Plus, I hope procure my anniversary gift there.)
• Only four weeks till I go away on vacation with The Husband. Four. Weeks.

Romantic Goth Look.

I am obsessed with make-up tutorials on YouTube. I think this is because I am just now getting around to discovering how to have fun with make-up. For the past 20 years, I have been wearing make-up in a way that mostly gives me a natural look.

I tend to shy away from bright colors on my eyes. I am even shy when it comes to wearing red lipstick, which should look striking against my pale skin. But I am too afraid to try. But, like I mentioned, I am now starting to get more into make-up and can even be seen wearing dark eye shadow and eyeliner.

How saucy of me!

But, despite having this adventurous side with cosmetics... I have no technique. None. No game. That's why I am thankful for Michelle Phan's YouTube channel.

One of her latest videos, the Tim Burton Look, is one look I plan to try soon. Check it out...

January: Tis' The Season To Try Being A Yogi.

It's January... People are all about trying new things to get their fitness and health "on." And good for them! I love the start of the new year because it makes it easier to vision possibilities.

Last year I started my 101-Day Bikram Yoga Challenge on January 1st. And I was able to keep the momentum going through day 101. Completion felt great. I felt accomplished. The hardest part each day was just getting to the room.

I think a lot of people are starting to realize this too. Because the classes at Bikram Yoga Bloor have been packed lately. Especially the 6pm classes.

We had 60 people in class last night. SIXTY!!!! The studio only holds 60! We had to encourage people to come back for the 8pm. And they did! People are serious about their yoga.

We were all packed mat-to-mat in the yoga room. But with Bikram yoga, you don't need much space... Only the width and length of your mat. So people had plenty of room to do their thing. And the room got really "juicy" because the humidity was so high with all the bodies in there. It was brilliant. And awesome.

So much energy in one place makes for an amazing practice.

I have already preregistered for the 6pm class tonight. The studio where I mostly practice and teach at has online sign-in. And trust me, it is worth it to take the time to reserve your space.

You don't want to get bust your bum getting to the studio in the middle of a snowstorm to find out it is already sold out. So preregister!

Winter Scenes.

As I was leaving the house at 8:30 this morning, to go to the studio to teach, I snapped this photo of the group of townhouses I live in.

Winter is here!

Lacking Shopping Adventure.

This post will get me into trouble. I acknowledge this. I accept this.

Now here we go...

"Shopping in Toronto is boring."

I said this to The Husband recently. And his response was, "But this is the biggest city in Canada! How can it be boring?"

"Well," I said, "where should I begin?"

Now, I know I am likely to be highly jaded. Spending nine years in NYC and Boston has spoiled me. I had proper designer boutiques, a wealth of department stores, kitshy independent shops with distinct visions and a proper denim store. (May the last one rest in peace.)

Every few weekends I would go to an early yoga class, go to brunch and then go "shopping." I could find whatever I was craving. I had plenty to see. I would visit shops every other week, buy nothing until months later when I had made up my mind what I really wanted. It was relaxing. It made shopping fun.

Shopping in Toronto is not fun for me. I actually dread going to the shops. Nothing is new. Merchandise doesn't change over much here. And for the chain stores that are from the States, I can't bring myself to shop in them. I just think, "With the Canadian dollar being so strong, I would be stupid to buy this here. I should just visit this store when I am in the States next week and pick it up there. It will be cheaper."

I will admit that I have only ventured to a few handful of areas downtown to visit boutiques there. But the one thing I will say that at the department stores (all two of them) the buyers are a little frigid. Especially in the handbag section. It's all conservative colors and trendy pieces. Does anyone really want to carry the same. exact piece as the next person? Where is the variety? Where is the color?

I mean, I am a woman who lives in shades of melancholy black and grey... But I prefer to have wacky and colorful accessories. If something is going to stand out with my personal style, it's the accessories. The rest of me is blank (or black) canvas.

But in order to properly accessorize, I need shops. A variety of them. All with different things. Not the same things.

I told The Husband tonight that I was going to save up my money, and twice a year go to New York or Boston and go shopping for a few days. I get a lot of vacation time. Would be a good use of time, yes?

I will give mad props though to the restaurant scene here, though. With the exception of lacking a proper Mexican food place, it's pretty damn good.

Next Target Designer Collaboration Is With...

Calypso St. Barth.

YAY!!!!!!

I love following when designers to collaborations with affordable chains, like H&M and Target. However, if the stuff is good, I never get a chance to scoop something up. And if it is bad, I just don't want to bother.

But I have high hopes for this collaboration. High hopes! I love Calypso! It was one of my favorite stores in Boston.

There aren't any pictures of the collection yet, but here are some of my favorite things from the main line...

Tunics... Poufs to sit on... Feathery pillows... Looking at this stuff makes me want find a beach house in some exotic location, and just hang around looking fabulous all day in the Sun.

Lots Of Toxins In The Solar Plexus.

Since returning from Bikram Yoga Teacher Training, I have been having kick-ass classes. Not just when I am teaching, but also when taking.

My practice sucked hard core at training. But as soon as I got home, it all came back. And it's been lovely. Until tonight...

I had one of the toughest classes ever.

EVER!

Not because the room was hot. I was in the hottest spot in the room, which had 46 people in it and was packed. The temperature was awesome. My balance was awesome. I wasn't dizzy.

My back bends were rocking. Things were good. Except for...

Any forward bends and and the spine series. They all made me feel like I was going to puke.

The moment any pressure was put on my abdomen, I would feel tension move up my stomach and into the space below my ribcage. Then I would feel it in my chest. Then coming up my throat.

It was so bad, I couldn't even lie flat on my stomach. I had to move one leg out to the side, bent, just to get pressure off my stomach.

This is something I like to analyze in my own practice... When you are having problems with certain body parts while practicing, it maybe an imbalance in your chakras.

• Having lower back pain, trouble trusting people or depression? Maybe it's your Root chakra.
• Low libido, urinary tract infection or sciatica? You need to do Eagle pose STAT and work into your Sacral chakra.
• Stomach, gallbladder, liver or power problems? These are stored in your Solar Plexus chakra.

And this is the area I am having trouble in lately. In class tonight... And out of class in my life. And that is one of the things I love best about Bikram yoga: It brings things up to the surface.

You are sweating you balls (figuratively, for me) off, not even thinking much about your your day... Only about how you want to scream at the teacher to get you the hell out of Floor Bow... But you still have everything going on in your life being brought into your practice. It resides in your body and comes out once you start moving you body and moving energy in and out your body.

Bikram yoga is very cleansing. Even though all it may look like to an outsider is that you are dirtying up your towel and mat... And making huge puddles on the floor.

Tonight, my practice reflected that I have a lot going on in my Solar Plexus. And it sucked.

I have a few things to figure out. But I hope this gets worked out of my body soon. Otherwise, practice is going to suck.

Short List Of Reasons To Live: January 2, 2010.

Happy new year!

This past week dragged. I hate "staycations." I wish I had traveled somewhere instead of staying home. But no regrets... As I will be doing plenty of travel this year.

• Going back to the office. Lots to do, now that the new year has begun.
• I start my regular schedule of teaching Thursday evening sat 8pm and Saturday mornings at 9:30am at Bikram Yoga Toronto. Add it to your schedule!!! Come sweat with me!
• Fashion Week is only six weeks away. EEK!
• My vacation to Provo is only six weeks away. EEK!
• After a year and a half of living in Canada, I finally have a proper credit history. The bank finally increased my credit card limit! I can now actually afford to shop the way I like to shop without fear of hitting my limit. Mazel tov to me!

(Yes, I am drinking a glass of Veuve to celebrate this achievement!)

Now, back to getting organized and into the new year.

Balenciaga Makes Luggage???

Well, damn!

Maybe this is a sign I am due for some serious travel?

Yes, indeed.... My favorite Spaniard makes luggage. And isn't it gorgeous?

Since I only ever carry-on, this is exactly what I need. Though, the human ribcage I bought two years ago is holding up quite well still.