Wrapping up Yin TT #1

It's Sunday in Dubai, and today is the last of the first Yin Yoga TT. 


Our days are from 9 am -6 pm, so I haven't done a whole lot more than teach, eat and sleep. Sadly, the night before last I didn't do enough sleeping, finding myself unalterably awake at 2:30 am.  That's a tough hour to start the day. On top of the sleep deprivation, my tummy felt queasy, I felt a uneasy with a bit of a throaty rasp, none of which contributed to feeling "on" while teaching. Apparently a stomach bug has been going around, with a few of the students just getting over the yuck.  Nicole gave me a tincture from Singapore that one dabs on the soles of the feet and the back of the neck to recover more quickly from sickness. Ava gave me some Ashwaganda herbs. Elise gave me a lovely packet of ginger 'tea' from Thailand, all of which made my soul feel better. During the lunch break I was able to schedule a Shirodhara treatment, which is just about the best thing in the world! It's an Ayurvedic treatment in which you are first rubbed down with oil, and then a continuous stream of warm sesame oil is streamed across your forehead for 45 minutes or so. This soothes the frontal lobe of the brain and induces deep relaxation. I am a bit embarrassed to admit that I woke myself up a few times snoring! The hot oil then drips across your face and into your hair, which is very conditioning. The treatment is followed by some time in the steam room so that your pores open and the oil is absorbed into your skin. It's heaven, and definitely helped prepare me to make it through the rest of the day. 


36-hours of training in 4 days is pretty intense. I think the students are coming away with a solid base of understanding that they will be able to integrate, share and then build on. They're very receptive, and seem to be really enjoying the experience. 


Tonight, after the training, there is a small group of last year's Foundational TT meeting at the Belgian Beer Cafe at Madinot Jumeriah for some festivities. I'm excited to see the ones who haven't enrolled in the Yin training, and looking forward to a little socializing. 


As for Dubai itself, the weather that I've been 'outside' for has been lovely. Not too hot, not too dry. Strangely, though, while Ynske drove me home yesterday evening at around 6:30, the sun looked like a full moon. It was really bizarre to see the bright orange sun look like a pearl. Ysnke said it was 'dust,' Noura says it's sand. I'll try to take a photo, but I'm sure a more sophisticated camera would be needed to really do it justice. 


After today I have 3 days off IN A ROW! This rarely happens Stateside, so I'm just so looking forward to it. One of the students has offered me a guest pass to the beach hotel where she has a membership, which includes a pool, maybe some restaurants and a bar? I'm hoping to make it over to the Dubai mall to see the dancing fountain, and also possibly the Dubai aquarium, with a walk through tunnel through the water displaying stingrays and sharks above. The Atlantis Resort is close by, and they do have a day rate which Noura says it's way overpriced for what they offer. I think this is the place with an aquarium so large that hotel rooms are positioned so that the window looks into the aquarium ... for something like $3,000 a night. Um, yeah, obviously, I won't be staying there! 

"Let's Get This Training Started!"

     Day 2 in Dubai was day 1 for the first Yin Yoga Training. The class is full with 20 students, hailing from all over the world. I even learned of a 'new' place ... "Seychelles," apparently near Maldives, which is where one of the students is from. We've also got representatives from Malaysia, Jordan, Beirut, France, Ireland, Sweden, Germany, the UK, Australia ... I am perpetually awed and inspired by the power of Yoga to cross cultural barriers and unite people in the heart. 
     Most of the participants have only a minor relationship with Yin Yoga, so teaching them is also introducing them. A few have already experienced profound releases of stored emotions, and most of them were absolutely beaming after our first group practice together. I continue to be grateful for the hard work Paul Grilley has done spreading the good Yin Yoga word, as I meet more and more acceptance of the validity of yin yoga and the reality of anatomical difference. For years Paul was like a little salmon swimming upstream, with his ideas continuously rejected by 'conventional wisdom.' In the short 8 years that I've been teaching Yin Yoga, I personally feel so much more acceptance about the practice, that I no longer feel like I need to make each class a 90-minute info-mercial extolling the benefits of passive postures sustained for 5 minute intervals. 
     One of the students is a long-time Iyengar yoga student, and so the 'lazy' approach is very challenging for her to sink into. I admire her willingness to maintain an open and curious mind as she validates her own experience through the laboratory of her own practice. I suspect that, as a mother of two small children, she will find deep respite and replenishment in the practice of yin yoga, which has the power to build energy and smooth out its pathway. 
     Training is from 9-6, so it is literally the entire day. We only take an hour lunch break, with another 15 min break in the afternoon, so it is full on. Noura and I got dinner in the Dubai Marina Mall, sitting out on the deck to enjoy our salads on mini-couches at the table. I was slumped over by the end, with very little to say. She was extremely perceptive and accommodating, getting me home straight away. 
     This morning I'm up at 5 am, sipping on French press coffee after my hot lemon water. My yoga mat is right next to the computer, so after this post I will sink into some Yin Yoga, followed by some vinyasa and meditation. 

     Four of the students from last year's foundational training are in this yin training, and we are trying to gather the rest of the group for a meal and a few beverages, perhaps Sunday night. There is definitely a feeling of cOMing hOMe being here, which brings me such joy. Dubai for me is not about nightlife or shopping, but instead about working hard and sharing yoga which, I must admit, are so fulfilling and rewarding to me. If I'm to be honest, however, I do need to admit that on this trip I do hope to do at least a little shopping, too! 

Dubai in April

     Time is such a funny thing. I left Dubai in December and so much has happened since then, yet it seems like I never left. Or at least like it was just yesterday. 
     The time it takes to get here isn't all that funny. Paul dropped me off at the airport hours early, mostly because the place we were going to get some dinner was closed, and we didn't want to risk getting there too late. I've decided that early is good, as I could take my time moving items from carry on to checked baggage (which was surprisingly underweight!), and didn't have to wait at all to get through security. I was randomly stopped to have my bags searched, which didn't bother me at all. The woman who checked me said there's no such thing as too early at the airport. Being 'alone' at an airport bar is much easier (for me) than being alone at a neighborhood bar; it's easy to strike up conversation, and I'm always so curious about other people's lives, their jobs, etc. Politics, not so much. 
    The flight was drastically undersold, so I got my own little aisle heading to Heathrow, and a window seat next to an empty seat to Dubai. I slept a lot, and am now a huge fan of the 2 1/2 hours to walk around and browse in the shops, rather than direct from Atlanta. 
     It took 40 minutes to get through passport control; they're now digitally photographing everyone. We waited so long that by the time I got to baggage claim, my suitcase was upright and waiting for me. Passing through the duty-free on the way out I picked up a few somethings to sip on in the evening. There are no liquor stores here, so I picked up a bottle of Noura's favorite (Amaretto), and some liquors to enjoy (Cointreau, Ricard, and Patron Coffee). I suspect the bulk of these beverages will be staying in Claire's apartment, which should be a nice parting gift. 
     I'm staying in the neighborhood called The Greens, as before, but in a different apartment. There is a pool and a little gym, and I have a small balcony overlooking a palm-tree lined road. The grocery store is a 10 minute walk, as is a Caribou Coffee, and a Starbucks, among other 'chains.' 
     After lunch with Noura, I practiced Yin Yoga on my little balcony, and then sat for 30 minutes. Not a bad start, although I am seriously 'lagged.' A good night's sleep tonight will top it all off, and the first training begins tomorrow at 9 am. Both Yin Yoga trainings are sold out at 20 students, with at least 3 on a waiting list. I'm very much looking forward to the experience. 
     Heading off for some dinner with Claire and Noura - sushi, ordered in. I'm thankful that they will keep me up for at least another 2 hours, and then hopefully, I'll be on local time. 
     That's it for now. Hopefully I'll have more insightful and informative musings to share as the weeks progress. 
     Shine On!