I want to make you sweat...

Sweat 'til you can't sweat no more
And if you cry out
I'm gonna push it some mo-o-ore.

Ahh the classic from the 80s, UB40. 

:D:D

Today that was my goal, to make people sweat. To make them push more, kick more, pull more and stretch more. Today was my first time to give a Bikram yoga class. Well yesterday evening Astrid was so nice to volunteer as well, so we turned on the heating in the living room and I gave her a quick class finishing at midnight. 

Today was a small class, around 8 people. It was a morning class, so not that many people. Evening class can have 35 people.
My teacher Sameer told me, that he is quite tired, so he rather go back to his room to sleep. Anyway I might be more confident in the room without him. Ok, there might be some truth to it, let it be like that. Last pointers and I enter the room. 

I closed the door behind myself, greeted my students, stepped up on the podium and thought "Fuck!". I will really have to do this. I'm really going to give a class. And so I start speaking. First mistake during the second set of the first breathing exercise. Oh well... lets keep it going. How can I turn my voice more confident? Lips are drying, mouth is drying...I have forgot my water bottle. The room is 40 degrees and I have no water and I have to keep on talking... Actually I should be teaching, but i think it the beginning its more speaking, saying the dialogue ("Teach, don't repeat the dialogue" as one of the experienced students told me after the class. Ouch! But well deserved remark and I will get better...one would hope so).

Class goes further. From one posture to the next. There was one exercise I got completely lost what is right, what is left...I cant even remember how I handled that... but then after that it was ok again. Finally, 55min from the start of the class, there is a 2 minute break. I could get out of the class and go and get my waterbottle.

Sameer was standing outside the door "You forgot your water, didnt you". He said he has been listening outside the classroom, Im doing ok. Just keep it up. Ok, I enter the room again. Easier part left now, just half an hour. Wind removing pose, spine strengthening series. I saw I was running out of time a little bit. But then if you only have 8 people and you tell them to turn around and sit on the mat in Japanes style, but nobody has done it yet, you cant really go further yet...I add some motivational speech. Great. Almost over, almost over. Keep the instructions flowing. It's done. It's over. I thank everyone for their great class, namaste, and escape the room my head held high.Deeeeep exchale.

Sameer was there, straight behind the door. He confirmed again that i did well for the first time. He had to leave now to give a yoga class in the European Commission, so I could not get further feedback on my class just yet. I know it was not great, but I'm proud that I managed to get through it and did not get discouraged.I want to get to be a good teacher.

Next week I have 3 classes, unless Sameer will tell me, "Ene, listen, thanks, but....would you mind continuing your yoga practice as a student in the back row, thanks!"

Couple of students thanked me for the class though. One said I was killing him and this is music to a teacher's ears.

Banana chips

I felt a bit weak as I ran over Place Lux to catch a bus 38 to Avenue Louiza where I go for my yoga practice. So I thought I better get a small bite before entering the strenuous 90 minutes practice. I stepped into the little shop on the way to see what they have got. They had quite a wide selection of nuts, dried bananas and that sort of trail mix. I had taken a scoop of banana chips of some 100g, put them in a bag and on the scale and tried to figure out how get the price tag. Shop assistant came to help me out and suggested that I can put other type of trail mix in the same bag. After he heard that this is all I planned to have, he said immediately, that I can just have it.
- "Oh, then just take it!"
- "Really? But.."
- "Yes, yes, just take it. It's a gift. You know, you are new customer..."
He went on asking me where I am from and welcomed me to Belgium. He was from Morocco himself so I welcomed him to Belgium as well.