Saturday, July 11, 2009

Teacher Training

I had a most excellent trip to The Woodlands yesterday. I drove over during the late morning and aside from missing a turn which would have cut an hour off my drive, everything went well.

I arrived in the office in time to sit in on a meeting and enjoy a birthday ice cream cake. After the office day was done me, John and Christy went to Woodlands Yoga and did a great practice. I have been having some aches in my elbow and John spent a lot of time helping me refine and apply the shoulder principles to bring some relief to my elbow. It was great. I loved every moment of it- I learned a ton of refinements and fine tuning details and my elbow is 75% better from when I went. Crazy- who would have thought that handstand, pinca, down dog, urdhva danurasasana and scorpion would be elbow therapy? Well, of course, I knew that after all, our therapy formula is optimal alignment, in weight bearing positions with no pain. And truly, the handstand work and the 10 urdhva danurasanas did the most to clear it.

John is so brilliant with Yoga Therapy and I love the intensity he pours into it. What a blessing it was for me to get his help. After that we went to dinner and stayed up late looking through pictures of his early practice years in Iyengar Yoga and swapping fun stories. It was fantastic. Really, he was such a bad ass. Okay, he still is a total bad ass- just in a different way now.

Here is The Man at Command Center.


I drove home this morning and made it back in plenty of time for the Teacher Training. We spent the whole afternoon diving into the subject of observation, demonstration and verbal adjustments. It was great. The group was very receptive and open and it was a very enjoyable way to spend the afternoon. Like I wrote yesterday, this is some of my favorite subject matter in yoga teaching.

I was disappointed that so many people from our recent Teacher Training group were unable to make it this weekend for various reasons. Some people were sick, some had family situations and some were just MIA. I had been looking forward to reconnecting with everyone because it seems like we had been scattered to the wind since I left YogaYoga. But alas, the timing was not right yet for a reunion.

Anyway, its a mellow night at home and hopefully an early bed time. Oh, and episode of Star Trek which always relaxes me! Ah...Picard....

6 comments:

Leanne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Leanne said...

I have been busy taping myself teach and I would like to say thank you for all the great knowledge on languaging you passed on. I do not use passive language, I link, I do not say "that leg" I say "your leg" and I rarely need to touch my students to adjust them or wiggle my way through a crowded room to do so. "Smith- your stance is great- work your front leg a little more straight. Yes- that's it!" etc. I mean there is a billion other things I still need to refine but the tools you gave me allow me to work on deeper things. Thank you 'stina. Miss you sister xo

Josie Houpt said...

Looking forward to more teacher trainings with you! The more I go deeper with my teaching, the more I respect and come across new understandings of what you have relayed to me thus far. Maybe some future training dates up in Canada??? xoxo Josie :)

mark said...

so cool. Did he do the shins in thighs out thing on you arm?

Funny to see you this morning...I got pulled over bc I wasn't wearing a helmet(??) didn't know that was illegal. Anyway, I am going to defend myself in court against it! I can't wait!

Christina Sell said...

thanks you guys. Teacher Training is my love as far as teaching yoga. As much as I love teaching asana classes and workshops, teacher training is my favorite conversation to have.

And about the elbow therapy-nope, not shins in thighs out. I taught some of it in class this morning but next time we are together I will show you. As always, its the princples just MORE- more specific, more intense and with no room for error.

mark said...

Cool, can't wait. He didnt talk a whole lot about elbows in the therapy training, except some exercises mapping the shins in thighs out on the arm. Therapy is so cool. so cool.