should I drink water in a hot yoga class?

yoga teacher training day 7

Monday. We were all pretty tired today, even though we had yesterday off… maybe that was the problem. we lost a little of our momentum! But as far as remembering goes, we actually did really well collectively. Today was Standing Bow Pulling Pose.

We are also diving in to anatomy, learning the skeletal system and how it affects mobility. We covered how the bones are linked with ligament and cartilage, and how our “fuzzy” connective tissue plays a big part in range of motion, very interesting!

yoga teacher training day 8

Tuesday. The most interesting topic for me today was the great water debate, which we discussed after posture mechanics. To drink or not to drink, that was the question. There seem to be two schools of thought, one that you must drink as you exercise to remain hydrated throughout any exercise, and one that you must abstain from drinking water during the 90 minutes to get the most out of your savasanas and limit unnecessary movement during class.

So, I gave it a try. This was a VERY big deal for me, as I cart a 40 oz water bottle in to class every single time! I have often worried that my 40 oz may not be enough during particularly challenging or hot classes!! Believe me, I was skeptical as to whether I would survive the class without water, and I took my bottle in, promising myself if it got too hard, I could still have a sip… or a gulp lol.

And… drumroll please… I DID IT! My very first non-water class! A personal victory as far as attachment goes, although I am definitely making up for lost water drinking now! I kept promising myself that if I got to the next sequence or posture without a water break, I could still take one if I needed it. I got to Rabbit Pose and almost caved… and then I thought how silly it would be to get to Rabbit Pose and then not make it to the end of the class. I did the last Savasana and then had my water. I will admit, I had a teensy bit of a headache about 20min after class which seemed to dissipate after I resumed my water.

Now, this is the important part: I was properly hydrated before class, which I strongly suggest if you decide to give it a go yourself, this is not to be attempted by beginners or by anyone who has not properly hydrated for the previous 24 hours before class. I also suggest bringing your water bottle and seeing how it goes, no need to leave it behind, you never know how you may be feeling. I should also say that I am not planning to do every class without my water bottle, I just wanted to see if I could do it, and how I would feel. It gave me the chance to observe my habit of grabbing for it, knowing that it was at least partially, if not fully in my mind. It also gave me a much greater range of motion for some of the poses, like rabbit, when I would usually have a belly full of water!

It’s really not about going without water, it’s about our attachments to our habits in class. It’s about the wiping sweat, it’s about the straightening out of the towel, it’s about rubbing our noses, fixing our hair and fussing with our outfits. It’s about concentration, focus and letting go. A moving meditation without distraction. 90 minutes dedicated all to your Self.

Start with the little ones and go from there. Try a whole class without wiping away the sweat and see how you feel… a little personal victory!

yoga teacher training day 9

Day 9 seemed so easy, we only had one hot class! Funny that the bar has been raised so… one class used to seem like work, now it’s a breeze compared to two a day… I wonder if we will all think that two is easy by the end of the month?

We have continued on with Anatomy, covering the muscles of the body and working through the nervous system. Torrey has a way of making it fun and interesting so that we all stay connected to what she is teaching, which is awesome!

We presented Balancing Stick, Tuladandasana. After throwing balls at each other, presenting silently and presenting using sound but not words, we pretty much aced the postures… learning that when you are dealing with a 10 second pose, time is of the essence, you simply cannot leave someone in this posture!!!

notes from my own blog page: finding the authentic me in yoga teacher training

Here is an excerpt from my blog www.archangeloracle.com today, looking at the way we view ourselves:

I am part way through evolation Hot Yoga teacher Training and let me tell you, it helps your perception of your own beauty to stand in front of a mirror 3+ hrs a day looking at yourself; somewhat scantily clad and sweating buckets. I actually had quite an aversion to looking closely at myself in the mirror from the neck down, really it was more of a hair and makeup thing. I couldn’t really get past the major changes two kids had made on a body that I have never really appreciated or fully accepted due to it’s extra bits of padding here and there, a few varicose veins and some stuff that isn’t quite where I would like it to be, you know, some gravitational issues. But, much to my surprise, my perception is changing.

I can look in the mirror, and see…. ME, like the real me, not just the “I wish I had a better body, wish I was thinner and younger and my legs were longer” me, but the actual, unique and authentic me. It’s not about ego; in fact, it’s kind of the reverse. It’s just a simple acceptance. It’s a decision to take in the whole package, inside and out, and starting from a right now perspective.

Consider it….. What if… this is it? What if… I accepted this healthy, not perfect, but strong and capable body; starting right now. What if I didn’t have to wait til I lost 10 or 20 lbs to be… happy, peaceful, joyful, in harmony. What if I just decided that it was OK to start now. What if, during the class, just as it got challenging, I caught my own eye and sent a little extra love and encouragement instead of only looking for what needs improvement. What if I teach my kids to see themselves this way too? From the inside out? What if we all teach our kids to see themselves this way, despite the media’s silly ideals of synthetic and unattainable beauty? What if we did the best we have, which what we’ve got, where we are right now? I realize that not everyone reading this is going to be in perfect health, but some self love and acceptance could help to kick start your healing process; it definitely cannot hurt. 

yoga teacher training day 10

As for Day 10, the highlight of our day was definitely after presenting Trikinasana, when we did a group OM chanting for 3 minutes. It was really amazing. Lifted and grounded the energy of the group simultaneously and we have to say a special thank you to Maria for that, as she lead us through such an amazing and transcending experience.

Dee Guns

Dee is a Mom, hairstylist, blogger (www.archangeloracle.com), jewelry creator and crystal collector. She experimented with various yoga styles until falling in love with hot yoga about 3 years ago. She has always wanted to become a yoga teacher, and the Evolation course in her hometown of Victoria, BC, was the perfect opportunity to do so. She is putting all her other passions on hold for the duration of the course and loving what she is learning, of the physical and mental aspects of yoga. Dee is also planning to take her level one and two Reiki, and work with crystals for healing. She has an affinity for Angels, crystals, Mother Earth and all her creatures. Her mission is to help people raise their vibration through self awareness and higher consciousness, tapping in to their innate healing capabilities; helping them to heal themselves and also the Earth.