OM yoga Laboratory in Tokyo
March 17th, 2010So much going on all at once. Some groups were still practicing for teaching their final class and some were working on their sutra presentations and some did teach. It’s all happening all at once in this room — it is the OM yoga laboratory!
Arts and crafts and yoga and sutras...the Bodhisattvas are busy at work.
Kumi says to Yukari -- Let's keep moving!
Smile team is rehearsing.
Nadeshko team practices their teaching and hands-on work.
Kumi is an accupunturist and she is helping out Chama's toe.
Now it is time for yoga. Kyoko begins Socrates team's class wearing her OM yoga t-shirt since she is a little bit nervous.
Here is Yo in her OM yoga t-shirt, teaching us how to use blocks in Danurasana.
This is it -- a very interesting and effective way to use blocks and belts for partner work in Danurasana.
At the end of a long but very good day of OM yoga TT, I asked Chama and Kazumi if they would join me for dinner the next night to celebrate the graduation. They saluted and said, Yes, Teacher!
Coming up to the finish line….
March 16th, 2010Today is graduation day! But here are some pictures of the last two days. The 5 study groups, or teams as the Japanese students like to call them, all have to teach a class. We’ve had four classes from the teams of: Smile, Socrates, Nadeshko and Honeymoon. They’ve done such a good job! I am thrilled to see how much they have learned, how hard they have worked and how much strength and clarity has arisen in their practices.
This is Kanae, one of my trusty translators. She had to translate the students' classes to me as they were teaching and, of course, it is much more difficult to go from Japanese to English. Thank you, Kanae, Anu and Yuko for smoothing commnications.
Tamao, doing a sirsasana variation due to her surfing neck injury. She looks like an angel here.Everybody else working on going from Sirsasana A to B to C to B to A.
SMILE team: Rei, Tamao, Chigusa, Maya and Fumiko. They are so happy that they went first and now they are finished
Nadeshko team practicing teaching Sirsasana prep.
Kazumi doing her own version of Sirsasana prep -- she is such a character!
Chama practicing teaching Surya Namaskar with his team, Honeymoon.
Adjusting Seated Forward Bends
March 14th, 2010First, morning asana class with some fun backbending!
Ardha Dhanurasana has a baby with Ardha Bhekasana.
Hideyo is helping Maya to ground her sitting bones by drawing her outer hip creases down and back. This is a good adjustment for people like Maya who are very flexible in forward bending.
Rei adjusting Fumiko in Janu Sirsasana. And they are both wearing their very kowie -- cute -- OM yoga t-shirts!
Chizuka gives a nice adjustment to the birthday girl, Yuki.
OM yoga students becoming Teachers in Japan
March 13th, 2010
Chisato is studying her notes. All the students write down EVERYTHING after they take class from me. Sequencing, instructions, etc.
Chigusa and Yuki help Yo do a drop back.
Chisato and Miyo help Miho do a drop back.
Chika represents her study group in teaching while Yuki and others do hands-on adjustments.
Here I am with two of my translators, Yuko and Anu, in Starbucks! It is almost exactly like the Starbucks in the US except the wraps are root vegetables w/ chicken and only half as big.
It’s a secret!
March 12th, 2010Yesterday we worked on Supta Virasana — how to do it, how to teach it and especially how to make it workable for the many people who find it next to impossible. Yukiko told me — via Kanae, my translator — that her husband could not do that pose at all. I said, “Sure, he can. Let me show you how. Let’s pretend that you are your husband and I will set you up in the pose.” I asked her, “what is your husband’s name?” She said, “It’s a secret.” Whoa — first of all, she spoke in English and that was a surprise! But, then, it’s a secret? We all laughed so hard, including Yukiko. Why is it a secret? Is he famous? Does he have a weird name? She wouldn’t say; would only laugh and laugh. So I decided her husband’s name would be Mickey Mouse and she liked that.
How does that feel, Yukiko? Ahhh....it feels great.
To paraphrase Chogyam Trungpa Rimpoche, Even Supta Virasana is workable -- with lots of blocks!
OM yoga Weekend Meditation Intensive Grads
March 11th, 2010David sent me this picture from the end of the last weekend’s first meditation intensive at OM yoga. I was already on a plane to Japan so he sent it to me today via ichat. Yes — it is scary to meditate for a whole weekend but here they all are — just fine and still standing. This is step one toward our upcoming OM yoga Meditation Instructor Training which will be announced shortly. Stay tuned.
Thank you, David, for leading this wonderful weekend.
Turning Upside Down in Tokyo
March 11th, 2010Yesterday we learned how to teach and adjust Adho Mukha Svanasana, Pinca Mayurasana, Salamba Sarvangasana and Halasana.
This is one method for teaching beginners the feeling of handstand without even turning upside. They learn how to connect arms and legs and reach in two directions. Creating imprints.
We have lift-off!
OM yoga TT Tokyo - Day 3
March 10th, 2010Joe taught asana class again this morning. I feel sore in a way that is not normal for me. Lots of sensation in my joints. It must be jet lag. Yoga is good, for sure.
Kazumi saved the tt study group pictures from last September and put them back up on the wall again along with the daily schedule.
The schedule is asana 9:30-11:15, break, 11:30-13:00 training, 13:00-14:30 lunch, 14:30-16:00 training, break, 16:15-18:00 training. I think. That way of writing time gets me so mixed up.
Working on the full version of parvritta parsvakonasana.
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana!
Joe demonstrates Parsva Bakasana and then we all did. Some people remembered how I taught them to use a block and that was helpful.
Joe demonstrates a shoulder opening exercise to prepare for pinca mayurasana.
How convenient that this dance studio we are using has a ballet barre for us to rest our arms on and help us open our shoulders.
No problem if the ballet barre is too high -- we can stand on our trusty blocks!
After the class I had a meeting in this room with Kazumi and Yuko, who will be my translator tomorrow.
Then I went for a walk in Roppongi and saw this sign which I like a lot.
Gelek Rimpoche in NYC this weekend
March 10th, 2010|
FEARLESS COMPASSION Friday, March 12, 7 - 9 PM Challenging times demand clarity grounded in genuine compassion. Tibetan Buddhist master Gelek Rimpoche will address how to develop genuine and fearless compassion in order to engage our lives more fully and responsibly. Suggested donation: $20 |
OM yoga TT - Tokyo, Part 2
March 9th, 2010This morning Kazumi took Joe and me to the dance studio where the second half of the OM yoga 200 hour teacher training course is being held. Joe is teaching the first three days of this ten day session with asana class from 9:30-11:15 followed by anatomy until 6pm.
Here is Chama, owner of Tokyo-yoga.
This is Joe with Anu, his translator for the day.
This is Kazumi -- manager of Tokyo-Yoga. She works so hard to make everything happen just right.
Chama in Cat Pose. Do you know how to say this pose in Sanskrit?
Virabbhadrasana 2.
Joe demonstrates Sirsasana.
The Japanese teacher training students are very good at paying attention.
I asked Joe to teach this Sirsasana variation for Tamao who has a neck injury from surfing.
Joe demonstrates how to use a blanket in Salamba Sarvangasana.
Here is the "Shyndi mark" -- many of the students asked me to sign their mats and make my drawing there, too.
Outside the studio is a bench next to this sign which says, "You may smoke here."
This shrine was on the corner. Kazumi said this deity will help your cough go away.
