I just had a phenomenal opportunity to go through a 9 day yoga teacher training with some amazing spiritual people. I spent 9 days in Greensboro, NC getting in depth lessons on asanas, anatomy and physiology and spiritual development. This yoga teacher training was intense to say the least. I’m happy to announce that I survived and am now a RYT200 certified yoga teacher.
This training was a truly life changing experience for me. I went into the training expecting to learn how to teach some asanas and the benefits and precautions of the asanas. I came out of the training with so much more. I came out of the training feeling more deeply rooted in my spirituality. And I came out of the training with a family of 16 amazing brothers and sisters who I consider my family.
This group of 16 people lived together in a 3 bedroom basement rancher style house for 9 whole days. We started early in the morning at 5am and went until 9pm (some nights later). We cooked together, learned together, cleaned together, fasted together and grew together. Can you believe that in those 9 days of intense training we all got along perfectly? There was such a beautiful synergy among this group of people.
What did I learn?
I came away from my training with a deeper understanding of the lifestyle changes needed to deepen your meditation and yoga practice. I learned how to be a stronger leader, speaker and singer. My incredibly shy self even broke out of my comfort zone and lead our group in an acapella style kirtan. I have a strong anxiety around singing solo in front of a group of people. Leading our group through kirtan was a very big deal for me.
I also learned how to lead our group safely through asanas including using modifications and props as needed. As we lead a group of elderly people through yoga, I learned that it’s never too late to start a yoga practice. If you can breath, you can practice some form of yoga.
What is next for my journey?
Now that I am back home I plan to deepen my own yoga practice. I will continue to practice yoga and meditation daily. I plan to help guide my family through their yoga practice. We have an established meditation group that meets weekly. I will be incorporating yoga classes into these meetings.
I will also be looking for local yogi mentors. I want to start by assisting in some classes. After I am comfortable with assisting in studio classes I will get on a substitute list to start teaching my own classes.
I still have so much to learn. Finishing my yoga teacher training is just the beginning of my journey. Luckily there are lots of opportunities out there for teaching and continuing education. I just need to stay on top of my game, practice daily, learn daily and love deeply. Most importantly I just need to surrender to the universe and let life flow.
