Handprint
MANUAL
in the life of ... // A YOGA TEACHER
living vicariously through others is ok with us.
Elizabeth Marshall, owner of Bikarm Yoga College of India and one of the premier Bikram Yoga teachers in the Midwest, comes to the studio and watches her pupils transform their bodies through her craft. "I'm inspired watching people getting off of anti-depressants or fixing their knees or losing weight," she says.
In the morning, Marshall comes to the studio and practices with her teachers, providing feedback for the training she oversees. She then goes through the workout and poses with students, or teaches, where she stands aside and directs through the hour-and-a-half long workout. Marshall says she believes it's important that student learn to listen and complete the practice themselves.
As a teacher, she cares the program to the needs of each student, whether a dedicated athlete or a full-time coach potato. She says her role as a teacher is a facilitator, safely guiding the body through the rigorous workout. "It's humbling to everyone — watching weightlifters come in and not be able to hold a pose, then to see a 50-year-old woman holding rock steadily."
For 10 years, Marshall has been teaching Bikram Yoga, which is practiced at a minimum of 105 degrees Fahrenheit. She decided to start teaching this style of Yoga after meeting the
founder, Bikram Choudhury, in Los Angeles. To become a teacher she studied with Bikram for nine weeks, learning about anatomy, physiology and instruction for 16 to 20 hours a day. She mentored under another teacher for six months before setting on her own. Now she is the owner of the first Bikram Yoga studio in the Midwest and mentors four teachers from all over the world. There are two spin-off studios in Kansas City, Mo., and St. Louis.
At the end of the day, Marshall looks forward to returning the next morning. "I'm inspired to teach every day. I'm never bored. There's always something to learn," she says.
// BEN SULLIVAN
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get some culture // POTTERY PAINTING
Hot in here. Elizabeth Marshall teaches classes of Bikram Yoga, which features high temperatures.
it's not all about fast food and beer pong.
An afternoon creating hand-painted potter is the fraction of the cost of a KU art class, and there's no homework.
Sunfire Ceramics, 1002 New Hampshire St., offers a unique experience capable of unleashing anyone's inner artist with its array of ceramic garden art, home decor and kitchenware. The shop also offers fused glass, which involves cutting and arranging colored glass on a clear base and melting it into a design. Projects include sun catchers, magnets and carrings, to name a few.
Manager Sam Snyder says Sunfire offers projects for all ages, interests and price ranges. Ceramic projects start at $10, which includes $4 for paint, and fused glass projects start at $12. There is no time fee, so you can perfect your masterpiece, and even bring it back to finish later.
Ceramic painting is offered every day during store hours, which are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Fused glass is available on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
For a fun and artistically inspiring get-together, bring a bottle of wine, snacks and a group of friends to paint and get a discount for a group of 10 or more. More prices, projects
and information are available at www.sunfire-ceramics.com.
// EMILY JOHNSON
Molding creativity. Instead of taking an art class at the University, try creating your own mug, plate or ceramic accessory.
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