Snowed out.

Snow it did. I was lucky in that I got in the first half of last nights should have been double, but I was a bit of an idiot in getting there, the roads were more slippery than I would have admitted to Nate. (Apparently admitting that to the internet at large is not a problem. Makes sense.). On Thursday nights there is a Level 2 class at 5:45 in the upstairs studio, which ends at 7, which is when the inversion class begins in the downstairs studio. With Nate having been gone from early Monday through late Thursday nights most weeks for the past few months, I've been treating myself to a sitter and both yoga classes on Thursday nights. Its a great way to end my week of solo parenting and head into the beginning of the weekend. Usually on my way of the inversion class out Sue and I talk for about an hour and she throws me some curve ball for the following mornings teaching......such as "start them standing" or "get in two balance poses in the first 20 minutes" etc etc. It is AWESOME as I would never challenge myself in that way and its adding a ton of variety and new options to my bag of tricks. Its also making me feel more confident in what I can come up with with little notice ~ being told this at 9 PM and having to teach it at 10:30 am means little time to stress, simply time to get to work and figure out what I can do to keep everyone interested and engaged. Its great.

Anyway, due to the snow I only got Danielle's Level 2 class in (Danielle is a level 1 teacher. Her level 2 class is a level 1 class. Its nice....but level 1) and then got to return home through the heavy snow in time to hunker down in front of the fireplace for several chapters of James and the Giant Peach with the kids. We ended up getting about 7 inches and the temps are FRIGID (10?) today, so the kids school was cancelled. Whenever that happens our studio closes and the gym goes to a very abbreviated schedule~  instead of offering their usual 30 or so classes in a given morning they may offer about 7. One of those is yoga at 11. Traditionally that is the time that the same teacher, Linda, teaches a beginner class called "Foundations of Yoga", so today was a strange mix of beginners as well as people missing their power vinyasa flow class who just wanted some yoga, ANY yoga, and that was their only option. It was great to witness how the teacher incorporated the beginners while adding options on (usually keeping the beginners in step back standing postures, 1st or second warrior back to the top of their mat) while encouraging people who chose to do so to move through vinyasas freely at their own pace. Its a little unusual as generally in a class everyone is doing more or less the same thing at the same time, and it can be slightly distracting, but it does work in a pinch.

I'm hitting up the yoga happy hour 5:30 vinyasa flow class tonight before we take the kids out to dinner for a little family time before I have school this weekend (post funeral) and they go up to Stroudsburg with Nate. They are starting Ski lessons this Sunday~ perfect timing after this lovely snow! I'm sad I wont be able to witness this first day of it but I'm excited for them to learn something new and look forward to sharing a new family hobby as Nate and I both grew up skiing and love it. I'm very selfishly looking forward to coming home from class on Saturday night to an empty house........I have some studying and paper writing I want to do ~ I finished my Kripalu paper yesterday and would like to write my Rodney Yee and Erich Schiffmann papers tomorrow night. Essentially, I want to be all ready to hand in everything the moment I'm done my practicum. I want my certification.

That said, Sue told me yesterday that I ought to go start looking for yoga teaching jobs, or to at least get on sub lists. A new, GIGANTIC LA Fitness just opened nearby, and she thinks that it would be the perfect place for me to begin. They don't pay well (perfect as money is not in any way my objective in doing this) and it would allow me to get the experience that I so need in a place where there may not be many other experienced teachers (experienced teachers not being willing to work for the $19/hour or whatever they pay, nor willing to deal with the corporate BS that comes with working for....well.....a corporation.) None of that bothers me, and truly I see myself working in a gym setting for some time. Its where I am probably going to be most comfortable right now.

Anyway. Music. Anyone who takes yoga classes have any favorites you listen to? Sue throws a ton of contemporary music (like, hip hop and pop) into her power yoga and inversion classes, and I love it. She has the best, BEST songs for shavasana, ever. Other teachers at my gym do likewise in power flow classes. I love kundalini chant/meditation type music, and recently did a standing yoga class (like  Bikram but not in a hot studio) to piano music......I think I liked it.

Anyway....any favorites????