Saturday, October 8, 2011

Day 2 - Yoga Teacher Training

At 11pm, I fall, literally, into bed after my first weeknight yoga teacher training class.  Last Saturday I was spent by the end of class; and I had started fresh in the morning.  Tonight's class started at 5:30pm, and I had been up since 5:30am and had a full work day.  My body feels wiped out.  I can barely type.  My turn to teach the series we were learning that night was at 9:50 pm.  I am normally asleep by this hour. I felt guilty for being so tired, and that my fellow classmates had to suffer through my sleepy teaching series.  I was so exhausted, I could barely stand at the front of the room, much less command it, sound energetic, or even think clearly.  I did not do well. But, I did it.

Did I eat enough food today? No.  Did I drink enough water today? No. I try to avoid caffeine most of the time, but I am wondering if I should reconsider that. Part of our training is doing different yoga classes, as well as learning how to teach. I took a new yoga class for me today, Prana Flow just before training.  I didn't know what to expect, which was a good thing, or I would have been aprehensive. It was harder than I thought, hotter than I anticipated, and more strenuous than I expected.  I was wiped out after the class and ready to go home and go to bed.  And I had 4 hours of yoga training class ahead of me.  Coffee anyone?  As I am sitting in bed writing this, my dog is sprawled on the futon couch in our bedroom. He looks like I feel - dog tired.

Normally yoga energizes me.  Normal is 60-90 minutes of yoga.  5 hours of yoga is whole 'nother deal.  I can't even remember the last time by body felt this empty, weak, spent.  Maybe after a long weekend in college?  Clearly I need to be doing something differently.  I am 4 days in and barely functioning!

I begin to question my decision. What have I done?  What have I gotten myself into?  Am I too old for this?  If I am going to be this exhausted every day, how I am going to do class, learn, and expect to work and take care of my family?

I wake up the next morning sore, really sore.  Hamstrings, ouch.  Shoulders, chest and triceps, ouch.  Dozens of sun salutations will do that.  I am clearly dehydrated, and realizing I did not eat enough calories the day before, and am so tired I feel like I am in some sort of trance.  I remain this way all day.  This is not good.  After a full day of work and parent teacher conferences, I can barely complete a sentence. I vow to drink more water, take my vitamins, eat more frequently and more protein and calories and spread my practice and training out a bit for a few days until I break through this inital wall.  I am used to working out.  I work out at least 3 days a week lifting weights, attending yoga, doing cardio, hiking, something  I thought I was in decent shape......not.  Again, I wonder, am I too old for this? No is the first word that comes to mind.

The first hot yoga class I ever took was 13 years ago from a woman in her 50s.  She looked like she was 35, and was in spectacular physical shape.  I remember being in awe of her body and presence.  I can do this, I told myself.  I CAN DO THIS!

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