Eventually, In the Future

 

Juliana and the Boss himself. Love those Bengal tigers!

One of my favorite parts about this blog is that it's put me in touch with some amazing Bikram yogis, teachers and bloggers out there, including the lovely Juliana, also known as Dancing J, over at Keep It Locking!

Lately I can't stop thinking about those crazy nine weeks and how excited I am for them :)

I recently chatted with J on the phone about her amazing Teacher Training experience and her transition into teaching after the nine weeks. It was lovely catching up and getting the inside story from a talented Bikram teacher on how to prepare, get the best out of training, and live a balanced life afterward. Here are some bits from our convo! 

Also, see below for some of my favorite posts on Juliana's blog.

Sweet photo from J's Teacher Training.

Juliana is a graduate of MIT (Engineering) and UCSB (grad school engineering) turned Bikram yogi. She says, "I respect myself for changing paths. It's the best decision I've made. I don't actually know any Bikram yoga teachers who set out to teach. We are all accidental yogis!"


On finding the right balance post-TT:
Teaching and freelancing is nearly ideal. It's always a game of keeping your balls in the air and juggling it all, but it's totally worth it.


On benefits of being a yoga teacher:
The best part is seeing people change. Where I'm teaching now, it's fairly small, just me and the main teacher/owner. I see people change, sometimes really quickly, and it's fun to have that. I would definitely choose a smaller studio over a place where it's more like "assembly line" yoga. This way, it's really authentic and very spiritual.


On practicing and teaching:
Keeping up with my practice has never been so hard now that I'm a teacher. It's a pain in the ass to go back to the studio after you've already taught a class or two. And during Teacher Training, your practice gets so bad! Standing head to knee? Yeah, right.


On class sizes and applying the dialogue:
During smaller classes, I really learned how to teach. You have to give real corrections. Big evening classes are so easy. They give you a lot of energy. It's tricky once it gets bigger, though. You almost don't even see everyone. If you use some peoples' names, it gives the illusion that you see everyone!


Class size makes a huge difference. You don't teach the same class to a large group as you do to a small group.


Your training doesn't end when you finish Teacher Training. It's like, 'I can say the dialogue. Now what do I do with that?!'

Juliana in Triangle in front of The Bean in Chicago's Millenium Park. Beautiful!

On her experience at TT: 
Some things get exaggerated. It's insanity at the time, sure. But I remember thinking, 'This isn't that bad.' It's no worse than being in college. For all the bitching that people do, it's good to get your asses kicked.


I got tons out of it, but it's what you make of it. It's your choice. There's nothing stopping you from sleeping through lectures.

Learning the dialogue, I looked at it like poetry. I would break it down, look for repetitions, and pay attention to the order. I'd ask myself questions like: why is this phrase being repeated? Why do the pieces have to go there? On paper, nothing makes much sense, but when you're talking to a moving body, everything becomes clear.

Killer Standing Bow + ridiculous mountains = bliss.

Favorites from Keep it Locking:
A post on amazing classes.


Thoughts on preparing for Teacher Training.


"Every moment is the peak experience of your life," says Diane from Bikram's talented staff. Here are a few of Juliana's peak experiences.


The yogi hiker and how climbing mountains will transform your practice.

Thanks again, J, for your honesty. Keep up your awesome yoga!