06.11.2009 Lulu Teacher Training Begins

Hello my name is Nicholas Constantine Fontana-Sandoval.  I have started this blog to keep a record of Lulu Bandha's teacher training.  I've been so busy this past month or so that I realized (as I was getting out of my car, grabbing my mat and heading into class) I hadn't really taken any time to prepare myself for something I've put so much hope into!  So anxiety hit, I tried to clear my slate with some deep breaths and a few mula bandhas.  This evening Kira, Kelly, Joe, Wanda, Sarah, Uschi and I began our journey with a yin yoga practice and some dialogue about the path we are about to embark on for the next 10 days.   I thank Kira for allowing the space to just "land" in the studio, felt so good!  We began our practice with Yin Butterfly had to remember to relax and let my body release on its own, not force my head down to my heels.  Next I think most did Swan, I chose to do Eye-O-Needle against the wall.  I'm trying to be more accepting of support so the wall was great for that and Swan tends to twist my knees too much. Between sides we went into Child's Pose and the arch of my left foot started to cramp, don't know if the left being the foot I had on the wall was the reason but readjusted a few times and it went away.  Sphinx was next a favorite of mine, so easy yet so useful. Interesting work we did by positioning the feet closer together or further apart.  Seemed to me bringing the feet together runs the energy right up the lumbar spine where separating them brought the pressure to the sacrum.  Child's and then a spinal twist I chose a kind of extended hand to toe twist.  After the pose with legs straight noticed my left IT band is much tighter than the right. Couple of thigh to chest squeezes and happy babies and we were ready for savasana, which I welcomed(Bikram+Work= Tired).  Savasana brought back memories of the top of Half-Dome and the savasana I experienced there, my body being completely charged with new vibrant oxygen and all weariness melting into the granite beneath me.  After the practice we all shared a bit about why we were taking the training.  It was cool to learn about what had brought each of us to this point and hopefully we can reach far beyond our goals!