Day 9, by Kristy Alpert
In the travel world, there’s a phenomenon known as the third day slump. There’s no rhyme or reason to it, but it always works out that on business trips or extended holidays, around day three the energy begins to wane. By day four, everything is back to normal (exciting, energetic, etc.), but it’s just a matter of getting through the slump.
Apparently in yoga teacher training world, it’s the ninth day that the serious slumpage sets in. In the same way long distance runners have a tendency to “hit a wall” on their journey to the finish line, apparently yoga teacher trainees “hit the floor” at some point in their journey … and today was definitely that day for most people.
However, unlike in a business meeting or a run where you have to “power through” or “suck it up” to get past the slump, the beauty of getting tired during yoga training is that the practice itself is actually the best medicine for overcoming any feelings of sluggishness.
Today was the day when caffeine and chocolate cravings hit most of the trainees, while the carnivores among us dreamed of burgers and steaks over our lunch of veggie spring rolls and leafy green salads. We lounged on pillows instead of sitting up for lectures, and we walked noticeably slower to and from the hut. There was no ill will and no bickering; just a general sense that the ninth day slump was upon us all.
And that’s when a beautiful thing occurred.
After a seriously sluggish day, we wrapped up the evening with a restorative yoga class with Los Angeles yoga instructor Aaron Reed. He was invited to join us in Bali for a few days to shed light on the art of teaching restorative and yin yoga, and his late night class gave us all some much needed restoration where every one of us left feeling revitalized and renewed.
That’s the beauty of yoga though, right? I know that I for one am now ready to face day 10, and I am convinced even more about why I am here and why I want to help others achieve the same sense of strength, durability, and revitalization in their own lives.
Big thanks to Aaron Reed for helping us overcome our slump!
Packing tip of the day: Essential oils. As part of the training, we practice guiding the group into savasana. A few smart people in the group traveled with a few essential oils (lavender, rosemary, etc.), and have been able to practice with them during these sessions, making for some amazing moments on the mat.
