This weekend was my eighth yoga weekend for my 300hr teacher training course. It was our last before our week-long retreat held in Bali in August; and then after that, we only have two more weekends before our evaluation weekend for certification! The time is really flying by.
My introverted nature dreads each of the weekends in having to make the 1.5 hour drive to Dubai, socialize all day whilst doing yoga, then drive 1.5 hours back and repeat for three days in a row. However, once I arrive and see the friends I have made, all that dread just washes away. One of my yogamates commented this weekend that she was glad to spend time with me outside of our training times (ie. during lunch) because she found that I do smile and laugh a lot, but I am always so stern and serious in class. This made me laugh because I know it is true. When I am being studious, I am very serious. Outside of that? Well, I think I’m fairly easygoing – though my husband might not agree! 😛
This weekend was a short two-day instead of the usual three-day, which was kind of nice as the focus was on relaxation for most of the weekend. We took some turns teaching to each other, aligning and assessing alignment for our future private lessons.
In the afternoon of the first day, we had a lesson on the Hindu gods and where some of the names of the poses came from. It was really fascinating to hear the stories as there is a lot of overlap with Asian mythologies, Western religions and cultures around the world. I realized I love these stories so much and the application to the poses is what makes it even more fun!
On our second afternoon, a beautiful soul named Zarine came to do a Gong Bath Meditation with us, which was absolutely amazing.
Using these bowls and instruments, Zarine took us on a guided meditation known as Gong Bath (bathed in the sounds of the gongs / bowls / chimes / etc.). It is based on the idea that life originated with sound and every vibration has an effect on our bodies, so using sounds we can heal our bodies. I am not quite sure about all of that or how it might actually work, but it is interesting nevertheless. The sounds that were created were absolutely beautiful.
The mediation itself was also quite powerful and revealing to each individual. I have become a very serious fan of meditation and its powers in calming the mind, changing our way of thinking and even bringing about our desires. Much like a prayer to the Lord can be answered, so can the visualizations of a meditative experience.
So, much was revealed to me yesterday; thus, it is time for me to start taking some actions towards manifesting it all!
~T 😀
