Week 9

I survived week nine and it's official - I am now a certified Bikram Yoga Instructor - or as Bikram would say, I have a license to kill in Bikram's Torture Chamber!

Wow! I seriously cannot believe I not only survived it, but also came out with some fairly positive feelings. To be honest, I wasn't ready to leave the 'yoga bubble.' I met some amazing friends that will last a lifetime and to think that I may not have had them in my life had I not gone to TT makes me cringe. The women I refer to as my 'yoga girls' are four of the most tremendous people I've ever met - they are so incredibly strong, talented, and beautiful beyond words. They kept me on my toes, making me laugh and bringing a smile to my face when I thought I simply could not make it anymore. The tremendous amount of inspiration that I received from these lovely ladies on a daily basis was incredible - heartfelt thanks. I love these girls more than words can ever express and I miss them each and every day.

Week nine resembled week one in many ways - busy, busy, busy! Lots of lectures and late night movies, which in turn equals very little sleep. Senioritis was rampant, or at least for me it was - very hard to stay motivated, but I powered through nonetheless... that certification was calling my name!

Bikram Yoga Teacher Training is now officially over and I am back home. I am satisfied now, right? Not quite... You know what they say - the grass is always greener on the other side... Would I relive TT? Absolutely not. Would I want TT to last longer than nine weeks? Of course not. Do I miss certain aspects of TT? Without a doubt, yes. I keep making references to inside jokes we had at TT, only to realize that no one laughs. I keep thinking I can walk downstairs to hang with my girls in the conjoining rooms, only to realize that I won't find any of those girls at my house.

Teacher training was not about teaching yoga for me, or even learning dialogue, it was about learning to love myself and find stillness (not the same as contentment, mind you) in life's everyday messes. I learned that the most important thing in my life is to take care of myself first and foremost, to not take anyone's bullshit (pardon my language), and to follow my instincts, because I really do know more than I think. I learned to stand tall, trust myself, give myself credit, and forget the naysayers. Most importantly, I learned that I am a force to be reckoned with - I have a power inside me that far exceeds my expectations.

I stayed strong and finished what I started and for that I am immensely proud of myself. TT is one of those experiences that words will never be able to adequately explain - no one can understand it unless you've been through it. It was hard, yes, but it was also incredibly rewarding.

Big thanks to everyone who supported me. So many people called, sent texts, emails, cards, packages - the amount of love that surrounded me at TT was overwhelming.

Check out a slideshow of my BYTT adventures!

Here are some of my favorite Bikram quotes/phrases throughout TT :

• "Your ass is in the grass!"
• "Just think of it..."
• "Is that a good one?"
• "Eat shit and die."
• "You born baby, you die baby."
• "After TT you are bullet-proof, fire-proof, wind-proof, sex-proof!"
• "Never too late, never too old, never too bad, and never too sick, to start from scratch once again."
• "Can you believe it?!"
• "Hi, guys! Did you miss me?"
• "Did I make my point?"
• "What is the most important thing in your life? ...YOUR life!"

... And my personal favorite ...

• "Excuse me for living!"

I'll leave you with some photos from graduation... Enjoy!