Coco

This training you could look at it like this; we've build this hard shell around us to protect us from the outside world, while at the same time there's this very lively fresh juice inside which everybody know we have, but can't quite reach it.
Then there's is this great yogi who knows how to reach the juice so you can drink it, his head is so hard that he can break the shell off for you if you allow him to. It might take some nine weeks and could be quite an intense experience, really all it takes is a little trust.

This week has been for many the hardest up till now, fatigue is kicking into a lot of people, and also the whole week was a bit out of track, starting with the return of Bikram and the news that his best friend Bisu (son of his guru) died that monday. Bisu had played a very important role in Bikram's life; they both did these 'fakirish' yogi shows together which we saw video's of this week (elephant walking over yogi, yogi on a nailbed run over by a motorcycle, yogi swallowing snake's and frogs, that kind of stuff ) He also joined him in his journey to Japan to get the attention on yoga over there. The best thing he could do in respect to his friend was to take a yogaclass with us, because if not for his friend he might have ended up somewhere totally different ('selling vegetables in the streets of Calcutta'). It turned out to be a dual-teacher class which was quite funny.

On wednesday a lot of mexican press had gathered in the hotel to do their stories on what's happening over here. Bikram gave about 15 interviews, in the evening there was a demontration in the hotel's lobby; for the occasion some yoga champions flew in to perform some more advanced hatha yoga
On thursday we were lectured by Jon Burros about the emotional body and how the streching in yoga has positive influence on the energy flow throughout the body. Basically his point of view was that there's a tissue which is connected throughout the whole body and it's parts, which functions as a passageway for energy. Whenever damage is done (physical or emotional) it can leave it's marks, memory in the tissue creating blockages in the energy flow. In life when lots of these injuries are not processed properly, the blockages can crate pain or injuries in the bodyparts where the tissue is connected to. This can have quite far reaching effects. One story was about a young girl who had had a heart transplant. She was given a heart by someone who was murdered; after the transplant the girl had visions of the murderer in her dreams, when reconstructing the image they actually managed to catch the murderer.

Posture clinics going good! I got some nice feedback this week. Furthermore Bikram's continued his lecturing on the filosophy of yoga, and the Indian model of a human's life path. All this accompanied by late night movies;, we're watching the Mahabarata (Indian mythology) Bikram doesn't blink an eye when he continues till 4.30 in the morning, everyone lying on the ground sleeping, He himself doesn't sleep for days in a row. For me i've ot reached that point yet, so bye for now!

btw. there are a lot of people keeping up a weblog for their folks back home, at this site a lot of them are listed http://www.yogabootcamp.blogspot.com/

All you need is a Yoga Truck

I haven't been able to post something the last two weeks because i had very little time to do so (learning dialog, anatomy test, a CPR test and 2 make-up classes on sundays) I'll just shortly list some of the things that have been going on here.

Two weeks ago we started with posture clinics (basically practicing how to teach; you perform your studied yoga-dialog, and get feedback from experienced teachers)
The whole group has been divided in to 16 seperate groups to speed up the process, also nice because the training became more dynamic; you get to know people better, perform your dialog, and do some yoga postures for others to deliver their dialog)
In the beginning it has been especially interesting to see how different people all have their individual way to react to the unpleasant situation of not knowing, or not recalling the dialog; laughing, crying, nervous tics, inner anger; you really get to see people; what kind of shell they've build around themselves, we all have have our ways.

As for me it's quite an experience to learn how to fill a room with my voice, projecting to a group of 30 people (in a commanding way), is not something i am used to do very much.
The feedback we get, is given by teachers who are teaching for quite some years. One of the reasons this particular training is so succesful, is because the previous trainees, now teachers, come back training to teach the new.
They "very much like to be in service" is what i hear from most of them. This alone just says enough, since most of them are here completely voluntairly. Some teachers stand out because of their great teaching, others bring their life's experience, telling their story and how the yoga changed their lives.
For example Charlie, a New York fireman, retired at September 10th 2001, lost numerous colleges, friends and neighbours the day after. This of course had an overwhelming impact on his life causing anger, confusion and depression. Doing the yoga and teacher training eventually allowed him to accept the situation and forgive the people who responsible. It's just one of the numerous stories on how the yoga is able to transform peoples lives.

Last week's friday we were set free from the tight scedule we run here (of yoga, lectures and posture clinics) At the end of class we were treated with "All you need is love" from the beatles, Just image 300 people, getting to their maximal physical, mental, emotional level and beyond, hearing that song after they are told they have a whole free night! An amazing atmosphere which really gave me a sence unity and a smell of where this whole thing is headed.

The week following supposed to be the week were the yoga truck was going to hit us, just at the moment you think you could cross the street easily... It was a hard week indeed, although not exceptionally harder then the previous weeks. We especially went through a lot of posture clinics, finishing triangle pose on friday which is quite fast compared to previous trainings. One amazing teacher (Jim from San Diego) arrived this week and taught / lectured us about Bikram, Yoga and being a yoga teacher, which was really inspiring to listen to.

Today (monday 5/5) Bikram arrived back in Acapulco after his 2 weeks travelling to LA, Hawaii and Japan. After this mornings class Craig announced that Bishnu Gosh's son, Bikram's good friend, died today. Although because of this we get the day off, everyone just left yogaroom with a rather sad expression on their face.

It's amazing how fast the weeks go by; due to the busy scedule they just seem to fly by like days. There's actually no time at all to stop and even think what's going on, creating a rather pleasant "forward" mode of focussing straight ahead, keep forgetting and eventually only living in the present moment, there's just no other way here.
Staying in this hotel for 2 months gives us the immediate status of a "Platinum Presidents Club Member", which is pretty cool and gives all kinds of extras. It's funny to have this luxourious resort as the background for the intense teacher training; on fridays a lot of people arrive here for their holliday and on mondays, a lot of them leave again, going back home. This whole hotel industry just seems to be running alongside with our little more permanent stay.

Tormorrow the training will resume again and with Bikram being back, i expect it's going to be an intense, late night- week again, i'd better take my chance an do some studying on this free day to stay ahead in posture clincins. Below a mexican road, Sarah (world champion 2nd place) doing something with her right leg, and our heavenly balcony view.

Having something doesn't mean anything if you don't know how to use it

Bikram started his lectures this week about Idian Mythology, Yoga, Life, Love, and Self-Realisation; handing out our flight scudule for the upcoming weeks. Converted to image, it looked a little something like this...

Since this is the inside core of the Piramid we're in, with room number 810 (make it 108) i'd say we're in pretty good alignment here ;D
He told us about the difference between the Eastern and Western world, Especially India; having nothing material but everything as spiritual beings vs. The Western world; Living in great material wealth but a poor spiritual life.
"Having something doesn't mean anything if you don't know how to use it" relates to this many opportunities and material wealth people in the Western world are blessed with, and at the same time have no clue how to live a fullfilling life, in harmony with spirit. In other words "How are you going to start a Cadillac with a Toyota key?"
Yoga is the answer, As Bikram received the mission from his guru Bishnu Gosh, to help people realize a state of union (yoga) in their lives and heal their bodies trough the form of Hatha Yoga (physical exercise), so are we handed down part of this mission to heal others in becoming Yoga teachers.

But first we have to heal ourselves... This week Ruben got sick on sunday having a stomach infection, then on monday i catched a cold which lasted the whole week. This' supposed to be pretty normal during training, every week has it's own character (complete with all sorts of physical, emotional and mental disturbances) As the physical and mental body is heated and challenged, all the stuff you've stored, holding back your energy, now has the opportunity to release itself. At itself a beautiful proces, but challengng indeed from time to time.

Emmy, Bikram's senior (82) teacher had the privilege to challenge us from monday till friday,
and in the end it turned out the privilege was all ours to receive her teachings. She's an amazing woman, surviving two concentration camps during the 2e World War, having loads of wisdom about body and mind and pain, you just have to have a lot of respect fo her. In her lectures and classes you could really feel all this knowlegde, not as pure knowledge but as knowlegde obtained by own experience, which is always most interesting to hear. And by the way her legs look like those of a 14 year old, i heard some women say the other day.

Yesterday evening we went to Acapulco city to have some dinner with all the Dutch people here, The original 6 people group has extended to 8 since there's Manon who lives in Australia and Gwendoline from Swiss. The total 300- group is getting closer every day, which is nice to experience, everyone's going trough a similar proces which automatically creates the opportunity to make contact very easy.

"Welcome on board"

First week of training basically meant getting on board of this 9 week yoga journey.
Now as wonderful and luxureous the hotel and it's surroundings may be, "getting on board" in this context equals dropping all your inconvenient and energy-absorbing luggage; such as tears, vomit and diarrea... It was a tough week for most of the people. And as you can see in the selfportret below; it's not avacation !

We became to meet Bikram a bit during the yogaclasses and posture clinics, (everyone had to diliver the first half-moon posture in front of him and 300 others)
In class he's a true yogamaster, sending energy out to 300 people at bulletspeed with such a strong intention you think he's talking to you personally, add with that the enery from the rest of the yogi's and you have a very tough class, which took most people some days to get ajusted to.
During the posture clinics, he shows more of himself as a storyteller, guru, wise man, funny man, entertainer, he can be uniquely funny and quite upset at the same time, a moment later he gives so much love through beautiful singing to an insecure person, like a hurricane always telling you the truth, non sugar-coated.
Also he knows quite alot of people; "Last 100 years who entertained the world?, Hollywood, Guess who entertains Hollywood? Bikram!" - Although this is a known fact i was still surprised to hear he spend some time with Elvis Presley in this very hotel we're staying in, guru of George Harrison, thought yoga to president Nixon etc etc. The stories are endless.

On wednesday it was my turn to diliver the dialog. After i had finished he made me do it again, together with this really expressive girl from New York, making a duet; At the end this didn't work out that well but was quite funny to watch for others. He especially told the girl not marry cause she coulnd't listen...

Below some pictures from the place where i'm staying, it really is a paradise, temperature is of a degree to wear a thin shirt day and night. "The hotel is so luxureous, when you shit your pants at night they come and clean it up while you're sleeping, so you wouldn't notice"
In the morning from 10.00 till 12.00 there's free buffet which has everything you could want for on it, including unlimited fruit/vegetable juice acces. Although Bikram repeatedly states the BEST food to be NO food, for now i've chosen to go by more with what Craig is saying; "Eat twice as much as you think you can eat", I might even gain some weight these two months ;D

So unfortunately this is only supposed to be the introduction week, next week Emmy (Bikram's most senior teacher, 82 years old) will be here killing us, plus the heater is going to go up...
For now Bikam said, he's in a good mood and is being easy on us, i guess we'll find out next week.
Monday the train starts rolling again, alarm at 7.30, class at 8.30, lunch from 10.00 till 12.00, lecture, posture clinics from 12.30 to 16.00, 17.00 class, 21.00 lecture up till, whenever Bikram feels like; 12.00/1.00/2.00 - monday till friday, one class on saterday and we're off for the weekend to enjoy ourselves here, which is no poblem !
I've met a lot new people which, they tell us, are going to be my new international yogafamily-friends, really nice all that except for the fact that most people can't pronounce my name that well, Shud? Steward? Then i tell them Sure with D in the end, o Steward with SJ instead of ST, x 300.


Kasper sipping his water

Orientation

Today we arrived at the most luxueous Fairmont Princess where the training is being helt.
The hotel is so lux that you almost feel guilty concentrating on other things then, the five swimming pools, 4 restaurants, spa centre, wonderful ocean beach and two gigantic gulf fields, but we're here for the yoga of course, Orientation Day

Rajashree, Bikram's wife, introduced herself today and talked about the history of the training, and the fact that the training has reached a new level being at this most beautiful place, She is a wonderful person, given the message to care about all living beings, the earth we inhabit especially right here right now. Also she will be there tomorrow when Bikram introduces himself, just to smoothen people's opinion about him when meeting with him for the first time.

Craig, the director of the training, pointed out today, we're going to recieve the ancient healing technique of hatha yoga straight from the source, which sounds pretty good !
He also mentioned that it was his honour to help us challenge (read kill) ourselves the comes 9 weeks, comparing the proces to the peeling of an onion, He liked this metafor because of the tears that would show up during the proces, ... of joy ... he quickly joked after .

As for Bikram, today we had a first peak at the yogastudio, specially build here for the Bikram Teacher Training, big posters stated "Bikram Yoga Teacher Training, Acapulco 2008 - Hotter then ever!", this quote with a flamed background looked funny and dangerous at the same time.
And as we enterered the building we felt this quotation becoming reality right away, but the guy who showed us told us the heater was not on at that point ;D

So everything is set'up to do bikram yoga in this cheap hostel where we´re staying,
some speakers connected to an ipod playing bikram. and it looks a bit like this ...
Yesterday also Huub arrived and today we met up with Marjan also
joining the training,
Tonight we planned a dinner with all of us celebrating the Dutch invasion, and then finally tomorrow will be the beginning of the training so that´ll pretty exciting