We are the Gardeners...(1)
During 9 Jun – 5 Jul, I was away Beijing for joining Teacher Training Level 2 with John & Lucy Scott again. This is my second yoga trip with John and Lucy and it’s tougher than the first one. My schedule for this time was very tight. I taught for the Ashtanga Teacher Training until 8 Jun and flew to Auckland in morning on 9 Jun, arrived Auckland in early morning of 10 and then took flight from Auckland to Nelson, arrived Nelson around 8 am. I had time for rest one day before the course started but I didn’t think it’s enough.
I stayed in the Fellworth House…the house is very big and beautiful....located on the hill that means we have to walk down from the house to the yoga shala in the early morning and walk up to the house in evening every day. Some day after intensive practice, during the way walk up to the hill, my hamstrings told me that …“Duangta this is too much for your hamstring….could you please find a new place which located on the flat and need not to walk up and down like this place.” But I like this house, it’s clean, peaceful and we can use the kitchen and free laundry. There are 4 yoga students stay in the house that means we can share yoga experience and for me I love to share with them.
I stayed in the Fellworth House…the house is very big and beautiful....located on the hill that means we have to walk down from the house to the yoga shala in the early morning and walk up to the house in evening every day. Some day after intensive practice, during the way walk up to the hill, my hamstrings told me that …“Duangta this is too much for your hamstring….could you please find a new place which located on the flat and need not to walk up and down like this place.” But I like this house, it’s clean, peaceful and we can use the kitchen and free laundry. There are 4 yoga students stay in the house that means we can share yoga experience and for me I love to share with them.
There are 13 students for this course. Ranko… very gentle man from Serbia, Roee.. very nice young guy and with a big heart from Israel, Helle… nice hand stand and arms balance from Norway… and me the smallest woman from Beijing….we stay together in the house and cooked for dinner every day Ranko like to cook pasta, Roee was master for very healthy salad……and….. they love my fried vegetable. The other 9 students are Jonathan and Vicky from NZ, Susie and Tammy from US, Margaret and Deena from UK, Annie from Hongkong, Felicity from Aus and Sari from Finland.
John separated the students into 4 groups. My group had to lead class on the first day of the course. I have to wake up around 5.00 am. and walked down from the house to yoga shala…it took about 15 minutes, very cold and dark. We need to arrive the shala at 5.30 am. for meditation with John. The practice class will be started at 6.00 am. John asked everyone did introduction about yoga before started the asana class. I talked about “yama - sama - awareness”, started from introduce Yama (self-control) to the practitioners. I asked everyone control their body and mind during the practice with counting and breathing; find “sama” in the breath in and out. And then let them moved with the breath and awareness, asked them aware about every movement during warm up the body and then come to “samasatitih” and again asked them find “sama” on gross body for samasatitih and subtle body for the “ujjayi breathing” then we went on to opening mantra……
Actually, the main focus of Level 2 is study the asana in more depth. And also focus more deeply on understanding the physical body and adjustment. Yoga philosophy is also the main topic for the afternoon class. We more study and talk about inside yoga and I love it. As I mentioned that during the course of teacher training level 1, John had planted the yoga seed into the heart of students. For me, during this course, I come back to John and it look like he wanted to make sure that everyone had a good take care the yoga seed and now the seed is become yoga sprout. And now is the time which everyone has to work as “Gardener”. The new yoga seed need to be shared and planted into the heart of the next generation. So the point is how to work as “Gardener”.