Amanda Potter-Laycock's Prezume Resume

All About Me 2015 -  Amanda Potter-Laycock's Prezume Resume
 

The Emotional Roller Coaster of Animal Rescue is an Awesome Ride.

I've never been one to promote myself or wax poetic about what I've achieved. Least of all, I rarely advertise my "giving back" in the dog rescue world. A few years ago Dustin and I felt that we needed to volunteer for a cause we really believed in. As a family with multiple interest and activities every other moment of the day it was hard to set aside free time to any organization. That's when the idea of fostering dogs came into play. Signing up as a foster home for doodles was exactly what we could offer, our way of giving back to the greater good without devoting too much of what little free time we had in our schedule. The love and affection we gave our own pack of Doods (at the time, only 2) could be shared with others lost or forgotten along their own journey without much more of our time than pulling a dog from a shelter could take.

What is slated to be a simple addition to our pack seems so easy and frankly is - ideally, but every dood is different and the twists and turns of animal rescue draws you into an emotionally charged state of "what the bleep am I doing?" It can all be madness and insanity until that moment when stars collide and a rescue dood is matched with their forever family and all the ups and downs you experienced with this dog comes sputtering out in smiles, tears and laughter. It's all genuine happiness for the next step in the dood's journey and your heart skips a beat. There's a moment of emptiness at first (typically coinciding with ugly crying), you are in fact losing a piece of yourself when that pup leaves your home but that emptiness is soon filled with joy for the possibilities in their new life and what their new family can offer that you couldn't. You also have a moment when the emptiness is filled with deep breaths and the peace of your life going back to your "norm".

I'm often asked "how do you do it?"- in regards to fostering dogs, "how do you not get attached and keep them all?" I question myself each and every time as to how I am doing it, it's not easy. It's emotionally draining and you become hyper sensitive of animals in need and how you helping other dogs affects your other fur family. It's hard not to get attached, letting go of that bond you've invested so much time building and the trust you struggled to achieve together is extremely hard and unforgiving emotionally. You constantly tell yourself, 'I'll keep my distance and not let myself fall for this one.' But if you are an animal lover in general you can't shut it off, the love spews out of you in buckets of tears when they go off to their new home without you. As far as keeping them all, I would love to if I knew that I couldn't and wouldn't spread myself too thin. With three of my own Doods, I realize adding a fourth temporarily is a lot and its hard at times but it is also not overly pressing on time and resources. It's doable (doodable). If we kept any more as our own I'm not sure we could continue the fostering journey and help more Doods in need. With four dogs in the house you can feel maxed out. It can be draining balancing the needs of my own crew with the sometimes special needs of our visiting furry friends. I am constantly grateful that I can continue doing so. I'm always thankful that I can foster, that I can open my home and heart to another dood in need and that my family is on board. For his part, Dustin is my rock that keeps me grounded and away from the ledge of crazy dog lady and I don't thank him enough for that. As for Kendall, she's a trooper for playing by the rules of "there's a new dog in the house" and you HAVE TO listen to me and she typically gets rewarded with love and cuddles. So back to the how do I not keep them all question, I am constantly reminding myself that if I did - I wouldn't have the room in my heart or home to help so many Doods along the way or my next Doodle in need.

Regardless of circumstance as to how they ended up with me, they each left their paw print on my heart. To all my rescued Doods, I still and always will keep you close to my heart. Ollie (Finn), Checkers, Mickey (Lucy), Max (Bert), Snicker (Muppet), Lloyd & Mona.

To IDOG, Jo, Lynda, Alana, Pat, Jenna and all those involved with the organization - thank you for helping Save the Doodles and for all your support along the way. It's an incredible journey and I'm so glad to be a part of this crazy roller coaster called animal rescue.

I Dibble, I Dabble, I Make Infographic!

The Solitary World of Social Technology

How many times have you been in a large crowd of people and turned to your smart phone as a refuge from a real life social experience? Perhaps it’s because I’m eternally introverted that I’ve noticed my natural tendency to look inward for an escape route from forced interaction has started creeping up in every person with a smart phone. As new media is created for us to enjoy a “social” experience (whatever the latest app or website happens to be for that day), we are becoming more isolated from reality and relationships than ever before.

I’m not totally against online social experiences; I’m actually an active participant. They’ve brought my long distance social circle closer to me and my introverted self is able to network with individuals I never imagined I’d interface with. For that reason, the technologies created to minimize distances, share life experiences and develop new relationships have been a blessing to my life. At the same time there’s always a sense that I am more alone and introverted than ever before. I feel cursed by the solitude. I’m always alone mentally and sometimes physically when I’m stalking my feeds. Taking one’s self out of a real-life moment and diving into the online world of “building” relationships is a solitary act.

I know you’ve done this too. You sit in the same room with a family member or friend and one or both of you is on your smart phone checking out the latest posts on Facebook. Instead of creating memorable moments, you are ironically enveloped in the post worthy moment of someone else's life, memorable or not. And if it happens to be the latter, you’ve probably internally berated them for posting some minuscule detail of their life that you never wanted to know. 

Every person with a technology driven life has at one point been so engrossed in a social application that they’ve been “checked out” of reality, letting life pass them by. Technology brings us closer together when long distance separates us, but when our physical separation is minimal I firmly believe that technology and social apps drive more space between us.

My case in multiple points: Work, Play & Food.

Work - Having an entire conversation via emails with a person in your office, both of you isolated in separate spaces with headphones drowning out the sounds of real life verbal conversation.

Play - Playing “Words with Friends” with your spouse while sitting in the same room together.  Without speaking, you finish an entire game while your high end Scrabble board game is tucked away in the cabinet beside you.

Food - My personal favorite; snapping a picture of a meal you are enjoying with friends and immediately posting to a social profile to document the amazing time you are sharing and…squirrel…another friend just posted a picture of a squirrel on their feed! Not important, not even interesting really but a quick open of Pandora’s Box and you’ve learned about new babies, bad karma and why do all my friend’s suddenly love giraffes so much? You’ve forgotten about the real-life experience you were supposed to be living just moments ago and you’ve now isolated yourself further away from the living breathing person sitting just a mere three feet away.

For all of these activities, technology has provided us amazing benefits to better our lives and fulfill our social nature as human beings. Let’s not allow these new tools, created to bring us together, to drive us further apart.

Dog likes Car

This sure as hell beats the Camry "Grounded to the Ground" Commercial. Kudos Vdub... I think Bert would do this on purpose.

Life Won't Let You Down

Suite 709: My latest obsession.

I'd like to introduce you to Suite 709. You can thank me later when this song is stuck in your head. Thank you Austin, Texas for this band and this song.

If you're feeling down this song will for sure, pick you up.

Just read the lyrics:

Well, you can get up,
When you're on the ground
Open for faith to turn it all around,
When things fall apart, the world will still turn
Stars fall, bridges burn, pick pick pick it up
You live. You learn.
Hope Life Wont Let You Down.
Hope Life Wont Let You Down.
No Life Wont Let You Down.
No Life Wont Let You Down.

If you can, you must.

Its been a long time out since my last post. Life has changed, I’ve changed, my daily routine has drastically changed. I am different.

Somehow putting your words out there feels more real than having a conversation. Your words are your reality and when they are typed up in an online forum then it feels more real and more permanent. You put your words out there for history to swallow up and spit back out in a feed, making an indelible mark on your life’s path. You can’t erase your words, you can’t erase the memories that your online words influence or generate. Your words become your history, your story, part of you.

Admittedly I have slacked off on writing and self reflection in general. The past six months have been a mental struggle. By choosing not to share my words in my blog, by taking a hiatus from writing down my thoughts I removed any possibility that my negative emotions and thoughts would become my reality. If you don’t say it, it can’t become real...right? Or by not saying anything I just drowned in my own solidarity and had no outlet to be me.

Unemployment is not fun-employment. Not having a job, not having any means to support my family is NOT for me. I struggled to be myself and be happy. To me happiness is contributing to the greater good of my family and feeling like I’ve made a difference. There was only so much yard work and home maintenance that I could take care of over the past six months to feel like I made a contribution. Happiness is Success. I suppose while my manicured front lawn was earning compliments I was a true success.  But where I’ve truly been for the past six months was in a writer’s block hole (pun intended) no where near my happiness.

I even let someone else steal my yoga from me. If you know me you know who. The block hole I was in also kept me out of the hot room with my eyes closed and barely breathing. The hardest part is admitting to the fact that I let that person take away my happiness without a fight. I avoided the hot room for fear of an awkward moment, for fear of the inevitable discomfort of being locked in the hot room for an hour and a half trying to focus on not thinking. The fear kept me away and I feel sad about that.

Funny enough, the topic of this post; if you can, you must - came out of the hot room during that time I was ridden with inexplicable fear. During wind removing pose I received the best piece of advice for life in general and an escape route out of my block hole. 'If you can reach your elbows, you must reach for your elbows. If you can, YOU MUST!' Since I started doing Bikram a year ago, I am no where near reaching my elbows and my regular teachers know this. Its fairly obvious that when I can barely clasp my hands together I’m a long way off from reaching my elbows, but I could try so I did try. In that sweat filled, stretching moment of internal reflection in the hot room, in that fleeting moment of eye opening positivity I realized that if I can then I must, no matter what. Disregarding time, money and effort - if I can, I must and I will. Whatever the goal, I will try. If I can try, I must try.

This is my new vision statement for my life; I can, I must.

My new found vision for how to be happy and succeed led me down the path of completing long forgotten tasks that I pushed aside thinking that I couldn’t, I didn’t have time so I shouldn’t. I turned my couldn’t, didn’t, shouldn’t into I should, I could and I did.  Painting, framing and picture hanging. It was three years coming but even a new job and a new schedule couldn’t stop me.

As we head towards fall and my anniversary of blogging I invite everyone to hold me accountable to my new vision statement. If I can write, I must write. I’m giving myself a few passes when I really don’t have time to sit down and write but the 5-6 month hiatus is a thing of the past I promise myself that I will reflect more regularly with my eyes open and breathing normal again.

I can, I must.

Bert's Twin Sister

Bert's Sister.

As long as you're moving in A direction...

As COO of Job Searchers Leander...I have lost my regularity with my blog. I have tried to maintain a schedule with my yoga-ing and balance that out with my job searching, applications and yard work. Its amazing how sucky daytime television is. After the first week of funemployment I am no longer intrigued with sitting down and having a lazy afternoon with the tube. It sucks. I'd rather be weeding. THAT is definitely something I never thought I'd say. Me a gardener....HAH! But since my job loss I have mowed the front lawn twice...raked copious amounts of leaves...planted in my newest garden bed and mulched all beds in front of the house. Balanced out with yoga every other day or so and I've been putting some sweat equity into my home. Big props go out to anyone that does manual labor day in - day out to pay the bills. I'm a week and a half out from raking leaves and I still have blisters healing. As with most, being unemployed has its ups and downs. Some mornings I wake up and its a fantastic day to get "that" call back or email and other days I just don't give a damn. I was in Afton's class on Tuesday afternoon and she said something in the middle of the floor series that has stuck with me this week, "as long as you are moving in A direction." It was meant in regards to yoga and postures, bending forward and backward but in the moment she said it, I reflected on my current life status. Most days I feel like I'm moving forward and that my next adventure in work life will be fantastic and I will grow exponentially and other days I feel like 'life sucks, how did I get here?' but in that moment in Yoga I realized that regardless of how I felt from day to day, I am moving in A direction. As long as I am moving in A direction and not just standing still, I'm growing as a person. I might apply for my "dream job" and get a rejection letter automated to me in 11 minutes flat but I didn't do nothing and I'm better for that. Regardless of your current plight or success in life as long as you're moving in A direction you're living. Two steps forward or two steps back, dance your way in A direction and LIVE!

Eyes Open
Breathing Normal
Dancing my way in My direction.

Two weeks notice...

Well...

Life is definitely different now. Two weeks post job-loss I have come to terms with my current situation and am ready to proudly state in an online forum that I am in fact unemployed. Its pretty much a shock to anyone's system to change your routine so drastically after 4 plus years at the same company. I understand the reason's behind my layoff and I know that its not due to my own competence as an employee. It probably took the past two weeks to get over that fact. Layoffs happen and life goes on. So to all my friends and family. More importantly in the Austin, TX area I have a new job title now...job hunter. Actively looking for a marketing position and hopefully I will find the perfect job for me. I'm looking forward to new beginnings and moving on. Luckily my blog, my yoga practice and my new motto in life to always move forward with my eyes open and breathing normal is what has gotten me through this major life event unfazed and with a positive attitude and purpose. I love my family and with their support I can be successful and find my dream job and what I'm meant to do. One of my last posts before "job-loss" was about being introverted. I refuse to be anything but myself and find the exact right position for me to do next. I will continue my current venture of finding my dream job by following a new guideline (see Ted talk below): My happiness will lead to my success, not vice versa as is engrained in our society mindset.




Eyes Open. Breathing Normal.  Happiness brings Success.

I don't care about your politics...

Invisible Children has started a movement to bring to light a situation in the world that many people didn't know about or care about a week ago. Within my generation and the younger set we are "considered the ADD generation, [and we are] enamored with a half-hour-long video." To make us sit and watch and learn about a cause we never had any intention of feeling something about is inspiring. I'm not sure where it will go or what will actually happen with making Joseph Kony famous in 2012 but we are powerful. There's something to be said with strength in numbers. Put your politics aside. Watch the video and FEEL something...

KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

Introvert, Extrovert - Seek Your Solitude

So my husband knows me. Better than I know my own self. He hit the nail on the head with this one. I'm just like Susan Cain.




If you know me, you'll understand how I operate and how I function the best. I am the introvert much like she describes herself and after watching the video I am proud to function the way I do. Dustin is an extrovert and together in our crazy imbalanced personalities and hobbies we balance each other out perfectly. Neither of us are perfect and neither of us are on the edge of the spectrum of introvert vs extrovert. Neither of us is a true ambivert but together we balance. We communicate, we laugh, we cry, we work hard, we comfort, we plan...we find solitude. We also...thanks to Dustin's hobby...collect suitcases. Suitcases to repurpose, suitcases to use for their intended purpose and suitcases to decorate our house...my perfect place for seeking introspection and solitude, my comfort zone for deep and passionate thought. Other than the hot room where I can be introverted in a room full of people, my cuddler end of the couch and my 4 legged company is my place to be me, my happy and proudly introverted self. So , whats in your suitcase?

Leap Day, Celebrating Number 1

Happy 1st Anniversary Dustin!

Milestone Monday

Lots of happenings.
Monday marked class 50 out of 60 in the 60 day challenge.
Monday I took the 6am class with Jackie.
Monday was my niece Scout's fourth birthday.
Monday was the day after Sunday when I took my mom and Kendall to yoga with me.
Monday was the beginning of the week that my parents are in Austin visiting.
Monday was the day before my birthday, TODAY.
TODAY I took the 6am yoga class with Jackie and the class sang Happy Birthday to me during tree pose.
Just found this article: Belly Flop, Amazing Underwater Dog Photography
Which led me to this Photographer: Seth Casteel
Which in turn led me to this new cause: Second Chance Photos
Which makes me smile...THIS BIG.

My Toes are Numb...

I guess that means I need to get into the hot room for some Bikram love.

The most important thing in your life...

"The Most Important Thing In Your Life Is Your Life." - Bikram Choudhury
Take care of yourself. In whatever physical activity gets and keeps your heart pumping. Be kind to yourself. The most important thing in your life is your life.
I had a great Valentine's day with Dustin on Tuesday. It was probably our first real date night on a Valentine's since we met. Best part of the show was probably hearing Bob Schneider and the Orchestra and Tosca string quartet play Unforgettable. It was truly unforgettable, loved it!
Last night in yoga I was inspired by Kathy. She is amazing. She's the current Texas Asana Champion and is moving on to Nationals in March. She shared her experience with us and it was totally inspirational. Bikram Yoga brought her back from depression and anxiety. She mentioned the Bikram quote I mentioned earlier and it was a great reminder that doing the 60 challenge is the exact right thing to do for myself for the time being and participating in Bikram Yoga for the rest of my life is a definite reality. I signed up for the Advanced class for next weekend and it was a reality check. Joining USA Yoga as an "athlete" is surreal. It means I can participate in Advanced class but it brings the idea of competing in the future to the forefront of my mind. Maybe I could do it in the future. I know my number one cheerleader would be Kendall. She was uber excited by the idea of "competing" with yoga, especially when she saw Kathy demonstrate her rock star moves. We'll see what happens.



Pure Challenge Inspiration from Today's Newsletter:
The posture you dread the most is the one you need the most! Give your least favorite posture some more love and you'll dread it less! I guess here's to me in Camel today in Lisa's class! Maybe today will be a triple camel day, it always seems to work out that way...no cheesecake class for me...

Color Run, Corneal Edema & Life in Fast Forward

So its been a while. I got caught up in life, day to day, work, you know how it goes. You look up and its been almost three weeks since you stopped to think about writing down your life in your words.

Since my last entry I’ve completed 19 Bikram yoga classes, 90 minutes a day for 19 days. I’ve surpassed the midway point of the 60 day challenge and I’m over two thirds of my way to the end. Friday afternoon I celebrated my 40th day in a row with a Party Time at the Cedar Park studio with all my fellow yogis. It was amazing to actually meet and speak with some of the yoga students that I often recognize in classes with me but never get a chance to talk to. I met Kaylene who’s a high school art teacher that works in Killeen but lives in Round Rock and still makes it to as many classes as she can and pulls doubles on most weekends to keep up with the Challenge pace. There truly are some incredible stories and inspirations at Pure Bikram, especially Pure Bikram Cedar Park. The Smiling Happy Faces at the Cedar Park studio are as much an inspiration for all the teachers at Pure as they are to us students. After we snacked on Chuy’s nachos we gathered in the studio and listened to different students and teachers speak about their inspirations and why they do Bikram yoga. At the end of the talk we saw a demonstration by Kathy, Jeff and Sarah who are all Texas Yoga Champions from this season and are soon to be heading to New York to compete in the National Championships. The people I practice yoga with are truly amazing and all the inspiration I need to continue walking through the door each and every day throughout the challenge and beyond that. Why stop what your doing when its providing amazing benefits; mind, body and soul. A long time ago Dustin mentioned to me that yoga is like my religion, its my church when I walk into Pure Bikram. The whole mind body connection, 90 minute open eyed meditation, sweating my ass off - it puts me at ease, calms my mind and brings fresh oxygen back into each and every cell in my body.

I dragged Kendall with me to the party at the studio on Friday night and it was neat to see her experience the studio and actually listen to everyone speaking about yoga. She really wanted me to speak about my experience and share why I came in to Pure but I was enjoying finding the inspiration from others. She also recognized a fellow yogi as a classmate’s mother. We were sitting listening to people talk about yoga and she kept saying ‘I think that’s Parker’s mom.’ Turns out it was and she was just as confused since she had met Kendall’s mom before and here was this little girl that looked like Kendall hanging out with Amanda. Its a small world for sure.

In other events over the past few weeks, last Saturday we did the Color Run and it was a muddy and colorful mess. We had a great time. Actually did the mud trudge with Dustin, Kendall, myself and Mandy. It was an adventure that none of us especially Kendall will ever forget and if the Color Run returns to Austin we will for sure participate again, Mud and all.

Don’t ever mess with your eyesight. On Tuesday morning I woke up with severe pain, swelling and discomfort in my right eye. Upon a Dustin review of what my eye looked like after prying it open, ‘your eye is 3 times the size it should be’ we headed to the emergency room. According to the ER doctor I had a Corneal abrasion. A large enough scratch that both Dustin and the doctor could see it with out any special lights. I got some medicine and a pirate patch, set up a follow up appointment with my eye doctor and rested that afternoon. On Friday afternoon I had my appointment with Dr West and was extremely surprised to find out that I actually had a Corneal Edema aka Ulcer. Before Friday I never knew you could have an ulcer on your eyeball but now I’m living proof. My contacts are the culprit in this ulcer of the eyeball and apparently if the ulcer doesn’t heal completely a dry eye and eyelid can exacerbate it again. Its glasses for me until at least Tuesday but I’m definitely more aware of my eye health now then ever. If I hadn’t taken my contacts out on Monday night it could have been ten times worse than it actually was on Tuesday morning. And yes I did do yoga on Tuesday evening, eye patch and all. It was a little difficult to balance during the balancing series of postures but I successfully completed a pirate-like Bikram yoga practice.  Nothing like an added challenge to my 60 day challenge.

Why is it Important?

Just to start off, took Bikram last night with Afton and it was a fantastic class again. Set my mat up near Stacy and we ended up laughing our asses off about the teenage kid we both wanted to punch in the middle of class on Sunday. See previous post for the story. We also both remembered, apparently we had a mental block on it for good reason, dude spit on his towel during one of the postures. Next time we see him in class which will probably be on Sunday again we're moving our setup as far away from him as possible, he was a total distraction and took away from our practice that day.
It's been an interesting few days in life just simply reading the news. A lot happening around the world, around MY world. Perceptions, distractions, media taking abstract stories and making them mean something to me. Let me first say that I'm not a Penn Stater. however I did grow up in State College so in fact Joe Paterno's life meant something to me and the community I was raised. He was not my grandfather, a family member, a professor of mine, a family friend, anyone that I associated with throughout my life in State College but the man he was and what he did for my small hometown MEANT something to me. I was posed the question "Who cares? Why is it important? Its this today and something else tomorrow..." Yes you are right, its a blip on the radar of the media. Tomorrow something else will happen and it will be perceived as important to care about that too. My grandfather recently passed away and he was important - to me. Not to a throng of people waiting to view his casket for hours but I would have stood for hours to say goodbye to any great man that influenced my life in some way. Paying our respects I believe its called. You do so with disregard to time and money, its important to you its important to them. If they were important and did great things that influenced your life in some way, it is important.
Unintentionally, yesterday I wore a Penn State sweatshirt and I saw lots of images online from the public viewing held for JoePa. He was important to a lot of people. You may not give two blinks to who he was as a man or what he did for a community but I felt something. A month ago I lost my last living grandfather, I felt something much different. I attended the funeral, I grieved with my family over a life of a great man who did great things who influenced our lives for the better, he was important and paying my respects to my grandfather was important. At that time I realized the lessons I learned from him, what he taught me throughout my life that I never really understood until he was gone, I am a better person and a stepmother with unconditional love to give because he taught me what that meant.
Joe wasn't my grandfather but he influenced the place and the people I grew up around. He was a great man who didn't have the ego he of all people deserved. He gave back, he was a role model in more than one way, he was an inspiration of what one person can build in a lifetime of working hard. He of all people had some fantastic stories to tell of his life, his achievements, failures and regrets - regardless of the end result the story would have been fantastic to hear from his perspective. Why is his life and his passing important to my life- my here and now? In some way I want to emulate his achievements and his life. We all do. I want to build something up, better a community and stay the same person I was when I started. I want to tell those stories to my grandkids and be one ounce of the amazing and humble person that he was to sooo many people. You never realize how important or influential someone or something is to you until its no longer there. Joe Paterno meant something to many.
Of all the people that I thought about yesterday when I saw the pictures of the people standing in line to pay their respects to Joe - my Penn State friends, my parents, my family, my town there was one person I knew if given the chance would have stood in line for hours - Lowell. Penn State meant the world to him and Joe Paterno was part of that world, I may have broken just the slightest piece of Grandpa's heart when I defected to Virginia Tech instead of staying home as a Nittany Lion. He would buy Peachy Paterno ice cream just because even though Butter Pecan was his real favorite. If Lowell was alive today he would have been in those pictures at the public viewing. He would have paid his respects to a Penn State colleague, Joe Paterno meant something to him. I laughed yesterday when I thought about this because Lowell passed away five years ago. He may not have been able to stand in line on the Penn State campus yesterday to honor JoePa's life but he sure was standing in line waiting to shake Joe's hand at the pearly gates.
Why is Joe important to me? Deep down WE ARE...all a little bit or at least hope to be a fraction of the great person he was....JOEPA.

I want to be a Yogi...

Sunday Funday in the hot room and the lessons learned are always inspiring.
#1 - Not everyone is cut out for the hot room - mentally.
#2 - Everyone is cut out for the hot room - mentally.
#3 - Its all mental.
First thing is first, it was hot, it was humid and it was crowded. Perhaps due to the humidity outside, the humidity in the hot room seemed ten fold the norm. Before class I was chatting with Stacy another 60-in-60 Challenger and I was sweating sitting on my mat and towel before any of the postures began. It was sticky hot.
To address number one; lots of newbies in the hotroom with lots of challengers - I know this because Edy did a poll before class started. During the standing series one gentleman (a newbie) stood up and walked to the door. Before Edy could stop him he was out the door - he said that he couldn't breath. Not everyone is cut out for the hot room - mentally. As Edy explained to us later and as I've heard many times before in the hot room, the difficulty breathing part is actually worse if you go out of the hot room into the cold. Its better to stay in the room and lay down if necessary just don't leave. Our newbie could have made it through the class but he mentally was out the door.
Another factor in my own practice was the annoying teenage boy in the row just behind me, right next to Stacy. I hope he didnt bother her too much but he was irritating the hell out of me during every single posture in the standing series. If you want to be a yogi then act like it. I know you might be new(er) to this yoga, you are trying this out with your buddy next to you who is brand new today but you are acting like a jackass baby boy that needs his momma to cut the crust off his bread and has been handed everything he's ever wanted in life on a silver platter. Not in the hot room my friend, you do it for yourself so get over yourself and check out of your ego. Bikram is all mental and you are ruining my practice today! Ok...now that I'm done ranting - he was obnoxious and I had wished he walked out of the room, I wouldnt have to focus quite so hard on my own two eyes in the mirror. My new friend didn't commit to the do each posture to the best of his ability and instead of bowing out and sitting down or standing still in between postures he provided extra movements to showcase his "I can't believe i'm doing this again" feelings to his friend.  As you can tell I was not impressed.
We moved to the floor series of postures so I no longer had to fume over my ego-tantrum yogi poser neighbor and I could bask in the deliciousness of all my favorite postures. :) Enter person #2 to stand up and try to escape the hot room. Edy coaxed the woman to sit back down on the towel and rest. She couldn't breath and wanted out.  Insert earlier story about the hot room vs. cooler lobby area and breathing. Edy asked the woman her name, Sheila. Next obvious question, "Is today your first day?" - "No, it's my 21st day." Turns out Sheila started Bikram and started right in on the 60 day challenge with the rest of us crazies. During the next savasana we all heard Edy, "Sheila, what are you doing I thought you were resting and you are already over there doing the postures again?" The best line I have heard in the hot room ever which is my new inspiration for when I feel like I can't catch my breathe and I just want to flee the room came rapid fire from Sheila, "But, I want to be a Yogi!" Enter lots of applause and laughter in the middle of savasana.
You are Sheila, you are a Yogi. You are proof of #2, everyone is cut out for the hot room - mentally.
In the end, #3 its all mental. You can work yourself up or you can work yourself out of anything. You can mentally assault a not-even-trying in the hot room-er or you can put all your mental energy into your own two eyes in the mirror and get deeper into your own practice. You can be a yogi and keep trying or you can be a human and fall out. The second Sheila turned around and took a moment on her mat instead of leaving the room she became a Yogi. In Bikram and in life - when you fall out, get right back in!

Thoughts to Live By

"My thing was play as hard as you can, don't be stupid, pay attention to details and have enough guts in the clutch." ~Joe Paterno
"This is who we are. And no one can take us from us." ~ Sue Paterno