Posts Tagged Yoga Teacher Training

Yoga mama

We started our week with a 5-elements asana class on the beach Sunday

Yoga at sunrise

Yoga at sunrise

 morning just as the sun was coming up. I had never heard of 5-elements asana before- it has a Tai Chi feel to it and you focus more on the energetic body than the physical and play with the different qualities of the elements (earth, water…).  It was just beautiful and an amazing way to start the day.

 We also learned about candle gazing this week- meditation using a candle flame. Making sure the

My lovely flower candles

My lovely flower candles

 candle flame is very still, you gaze into the candle as long as you can, then when you feel you need to blink, you close the eyes and meditate on the images that might appear- repeating for about 10 minutes. A very calming yet powerful technique.

 It was great to have this weekend off. Friday night we went over to the other beach to get a room so that we

Yes please

Yes please

 could get some sleep because at the Sanctuary there is a bar that bumps techno music till 9am. We did get woken up in the middle of the night by the loudest (and closest) thunder I’ve ever heard. Sounded like a bomb going off- pretty crazy. The next morning we were on the beach by 8:30 soaking up the sun, eating and playing beach volleyball. Really nice to have some time off and really enjoy our surroundings.  On the way to lunch we had to walk over this rickety bridge- definitely a lesson in trust and surrender. The planks are loose and wide apart in some places- I went to hold on to one of the hand rails and it just crumpled below into the water. Yikes.

Questionable safety standards

Questionable safety standards

 

This morning we slept in till 7:30 (yee-ha!) and then went to a pilates class. I thought it was supposed to be yoga, so it was a bit unexpected, but made me think of my sis and Jen. Hi-ya ladies!

 I just booked my ticket to Chiang Mai. I’ve decided not to do the Thai

Can you see the snake?

Mr. Snake

 massage course because it cuts into my free travel time and it would be a lot to go from the teacher training, to massage training to the orphanage. I plan to do some cooking classes, get lots of massages, go on a trek and see some elephants!

Love,
Liza

Tags: , ,

Finished our first week of training

Woo-wee, uploading and posting pictures takes FOREVER! Internet is a little overpriced here at the Sanctuary as well. But, I will do it for the love of my people! (that’s you)

Our yoga shala

Our yoga shala

We just finished 18 hours of anatomy (sitting on the floor the whole way through- I think my back is the strongest it has ever been), so it was nice to get into asanas to be able to move around during class. Corrections and adjustments were fun to practice on each other. I’m doing the most meditation I’ve ever done and its wonderful but also makes me realize how much work there is to do! How the mind likes to wander…

I feel like Snow White around here- frogs in the kitchen, a bat hanging over my bed (one again, so happy about my mosquito net), spider skeletons, roosters, lizards in our house that hang in the rafters and drop the seeds of the fruit they’re eating onto our floors.  One of the local dogs (we named her Bella) like to hang with us in class. Oh and kitties, kitties everywhere.

Down dog over dog

Down dog over dog

Learning assists & corrections

Learning assists & corrections

We’re excited to have some time off this weekend to check out the neighboring island of Koh Tao. We hear the snorkeling is great and I hope to get a massage and study for our anatomy test on the beach…

One of the women doing the training brought her 8 month old, Jack. It’s interesting to see that the local men love babies and waiters will just come up to you at dinner and scoop him up and cuddle and coo at him.

Sending love,

Mr. Jack

Mr. Jack

Errands in Had Rin w/ Marisa & Jenna

Errands in Had Rin w/ Marisa & Jenna

Our transportation
Our transportation

Tags: , ,

I made it!

Saying goodbye

Saying goodbye

The flights over were quite nice- I had the entire row to myself from Seattle to Tokyo so that I could lay down. Food, drinks, movies and reading- it’s like a little vacation in itself. The uninturruped Ambien sleep was a treat as well…

I intended to meet up with a woman from my teacher training at the Bangkok airport but we couldn’t find eachother so I took a cab to our hostel to meet there. My non-English speaking cab driver wanted to drop me on the street when he couldn’t find exactly where the hostel was so we had to work through that being it was 1:30 in the morning and all. Our hostel was super cute and clean.

The next morning we walked around the city for a little shopping and eating snacks from the street vendors. A little afternoon nap was in order as well. In the evening we met up with Beau, a Thai woman who lived in Colorado for a while who knew my friend Lorell, for a wonderful authentic family style Thai dinner. She was so sweet and happy to tell us all we needed to know about Bangkok. I hope to meet up with her again when my sister arrives.

On the beach just before sunrise

On the beach just before sunrise

The next morning we caught a flight to Koh Samui, then a ferry to Koh Phagnan (Had Rin beach), then a little boat over to Had Tien beach where the Sanctuary is. It is so unbelieveably beautiful here, I almost can’t believe I’m really here.

So far the yoga training has been great. The 29 women doing the training are all lovely; we practice in a studio overlooking the forrest; amazing vegetarian food, smoothies and fresh juices at the main resturant; teal ocean water the

Shopping in Bangkok

Shopping in Bangkok

temperature of bath water with the softest, whitest sand- just incredible.

Im on a lunch break right now and there is so much more I want to add- sorry for the hurried post, but I’ve got to go!

PS- I just had a fresh blueberry, strawberry, peanutbutter and flaxseed shake for lunch.

Welcome to The Sancutary

Welcome to The Sancutary

Tags: , ,

So the countdown begins!

Wow- 10 days till my departure. Only a few days ago did it really hit me that I’m actually going on this trip. My heart is gracious for this opportunity and I’m starting to feel downright giddy about what’s ahead.

Here’s the *loose* itinerary:

September 28th
26 hours of coach travel (ouch!)
2 days in Bangkok at the Suk 11 Hostel

October
Koh Phagnan, Thailand
Yoga Teacher Training through Santosha Yoga at The Sanctuary

Early November
Chiang Mai, Thailand- Thai massage, cooking classes, Himalaya trekking, yoga…
Siem Reap, Cambodia- Angkor Wat ruins

Mid- November
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
2 weeks with a local host family and volunteering at an orphanage through ABV

Early December
Vietnam

Mid- December
Back to Bangkok to meet my sis at the airport! I’ll be quite the little tour guide at that point (she hopes).

And then home just in time for Christmas (you’re welcome mom). The flights home should be fun! I splurged for business class from Tokyo to Seattle. 3 extra inches -that’s luxury folks. 

Hope you join me along the way. The world is our oyster…

Tags: , , , , , , ,