#fiercegraceyoga

Temperatures rising (all I can hear now is R-Kelly) people are starting to pop off! (made up street term for angry folk)  Shouting and swearing! Emotions are live and tears are falling! People are exhausted! Day 10 with the FG family was colourful. I think its time to start whispering in a couple peoples ears ..#al-pacinostyle!

Great start to the day looking at the history of Hinduism. Just finished my homework on this topic. I really enjoyed the session and it reminded me of a lot of things I'd already read up on when at Uni and taught me a lot too.

The speech therapy lesson yesterday gave us all much to work on but also helped us with our breathing and our pronunciation of words. I am still pronouncing stretch without sounding "tc" I think .. When I say the word in front of Guru Pernetta it sounds messed up :)

Had good practice today and enjoyed the Master Class. We were given corrections to improve our technique and ensure we are executing all movement correctly and safely.

Early finish 7pm - I just finished recording more postures to listen to on the way in tomorrow. The sound of my own voice is funny to listen to.

I feel so young and free I can’t explain in brief how I enjoyed the day so much. My guru unlocked a knot a mixture of emotion in me, getting me to breathe circular and focus more on my Banda! Just when I thought I’d stopped crying :) …

Anyway that was at the end of the day.. Let me rewind…8am Fierce Grace North posture clinic, to start my Afro! Black origin Afro haïr type natural. Love my hair but it’s gonna get sweated out and frizz up and turn to rock if I don’t twist or plait it down! Can’t do my own plaits well so Omae (another trainee) did the two French plaits and had a good fight with my thick hair .. Girl done well! Hair held it down #happyafro

A “getting to know you exercise” was first on the list (at this stage I’m thinking this is fun) was guru Emma Croft (EC) lead with guru Karen Bellfield (KB). The challenge was to get used to speaking into the mic! I was picked to speak first :) ..acted a bit shy for decorum as everyone was nervous, spoke like a cool cookie, confident clear voice, good dynamics, eye contact with each trainee at some point during my talk… Felt good :) natural to me as I love my voice loud through speakers as all of my friends who come to my annual b-day party will tell you. Well my hands and armpits started sweating after the fact so actually I was nervous I must have just thought of the fact that I want to get a job with my guru so girl just did perfect!

I am shy at times and when everyone started shouting over each other and talking loud giving their answers I retreated and observed and listened. As soon as I disagree my big ole northern accent comes out the loudest, #ohhhnooo and Im chatting away. We looked at the standing posture in the most detail and practiced it. Toilet break. After posture clinic we did class with Guru EC and she killed us #fuckedusup and taught an excellent class, I’ve not sweated like that before 👀 woop!

Lunch time and I take a few ladies to the @earlybirdcafe next to Chalk Farm station. Order two poached eggs and I sat where #mysteve (myworld) would usually sit and eat salmon and scrambled eggs. We talked about how skinny we’re all gonna be at the end of the course and also the fact that we all need a bigger bag than we had today.

We made our way to primrose hill studio, where the Lovely Patrice, Anaise and Callum were there to great us. Can I take this opportunity to say these guys (manager and receptionists) are amazing. Patrice has witnessed the start of my journey and always does all she can to support me, advise me and listen and she isn’t even one of the teachers! When Patrice is around shit runs smooth and practitioners have their best attitude cap on! Yes, much love for these guys💜

So after milling around and others finishing lunch we go into the second posture clinic with gurus Michele Pernetta (MP), EC and KB. We went through so much: different asanas and discussing different theories.

Straight into 5pm Fierce Grace class with MP. Wow that class broke me or maybe MP broke me or maybe I was already broken and I just did some serious fixing … I’m still not sure but yeh :) most of us sweated out at least a litre! Room was jam-packed. She is a GREAT teacher and leader, I totally get her! This course is excellent and I’m blessed to be in it! Worked hard for it but I had to thank her when I left today. I wanted to hug her but that’s just too much for my shy side. I’m just at a place in my life journey where I’m constantly planning 2-3yrs ahead and I will like a fool worry about plans that have not even begun! I aspire to be like her one day soon! But this woman’s knowledge is a lifetime - 25yrs - and also her dad was a meditation teacher so you get the picture. 💜FGTT.

Homework: make drawings and notes on our index cards of the first four asanas and learn the words to use when delivering the asanas.

15-2-14: Tomorrow we have our orientation meeting at the Primrose Hill Studio London UK. We’ll get to meet the team and get some paperwork, introduction, expectations, etc. Monday the course starts 💝 SUPER EXCITED!

Thursday came the email with all instructions 1st wk timetable meeting time for Sundays orientation and the dialogue up to awkward pose variation!

Before this month and really since 2010 I’ve worked towards healing myself through hot yoga. I have had two hip operations: one in 2009 to smooth the cartilage in my left socket, and the other more recent in 2012 to remove a cyst from my tibia bone. Both key hole thank God and as I’m pretty fit and healthy I had two weeks on crutches and 3 months of careful walking… then month four I was back in the hot room 1-2 days per week starting to fix myself :).

Over the past twelve months I have had regular consistent practice; my personal goals I set my self 60 day challenge 108 day challenge which finished on 112 ;) I wanted to really learn to use my breath and understand the technique behind all the asanas; breath can do with more work; technique I got 100 percent and this is a big deal for me. When I initially started hot yoga practice I would rush through postures pushing my flexibility and ignore good alingnment. This meant I had to undo bad practice to make good of where I was at :).

Now I am so much stronger and happier. Yoga saved me from a downward spiral in grief after my Dad passed away 2011. It healed my arthritic hips and kissed away the pain. The people around me, the things I eat, my job, how happy I constantly am - all changed for the better! I knew instantly I wanted to give back to others through yoga as I could see how this stubborn girl had changed in many vibrant ways.

So I’ve attended class at least 4, mostly 6 times a week for one year. These classes were Bikram yoga. Since November 2013 Fierce Grace was launched: a new series of yoga by Michele Pernetta the UK yoga guru (one of my gurus) and specialist in a lot especially hot yoga!

More yoga books have been bought: some for the course essential reads. This intense reading had me in Specsavers last week and today I picked up my glasses. Another change for the better, that I had better learn to embrace sharp-ish lol