For the past 2 months, I've been going through a transformational journey. I was given the opportunity to attend a 200-hour registered yoga teacher training at a studio that I'm proud to call my "home studio" -- the Breathing Room located here in southern Maine. As someone who got to explore their body's capabilities through dance from a young age, yoga had a natural attraction for me. I first came to it for the postures -- the movements that bring flexibility, strength, and endurance. Over time, I slowly began to realize that that there was more to yoga than just the postures. It encompasses so much more of life -- more than I could ever conceptualize when I attended my first yoga class as a college student.
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| My fellow YTT friends, with Susan leading me through half-pigeon pose |
I came into the yoga teacher training with the expectation that I would just be learning more about the postures and alignment and how to teach a class. As someone who has already taught yoga classes to kids, teens, and adults, and as a teacher in general, I thought it would be easy.
I was totally wrong. It's been hard. It's also been the most amazing process that I have ever gone through -- it's been a journey that I could never have predicted. I have learned an abundance of information about myself and about what the word "yoga" embodies. I have realized that there is no limit to how deep the aspects of yoga goes. Every time I think I've reached a comfort zone in a posture, I discover that I am in fact able to go deeper. There's something really beautiful about that. I have been practicing yoga every day, and witnessing that beauty on a daily basis is an amazing constant to have as a part of my life.
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| YTT Friends with Larissa offering an assist to me in child's pose |
Today we had a workshop with Sue Jones and Alex Amorosi entitled "Authentic Power." We learned SO much about what it means to be US, what it feels like to embody your true and genuine self, to be self aware, and to bring that to a yoga class while you're teaching. As yoga teachers, and perhaps in life, we might find ourselves going through a script, wearing a mask, or not wanting to be seen. We might feel as though are real selves are lost somewhere deep within us. We might feel insecure about what we know and don't know. The solution is so simple, yet so hard to grasp and get down to: we already know all we need to know. We are already there, within ourselves, waiting to come out and be present. These are skills and concepts I never anticipated touching on in my yoga teacher training...just another surprise to how transformational this experience really is.
If you'd like to learn more about what the Breathing Room offers in their teacher trainings, check out this informational page.
To celebrate this experience, the folks at Tomuno have partnered up with me to giveaway a really fantastic yoga mat. I won this mat as a giveaway on Averie Cooks last month, and am so pleased with the mat and it's performance in my yoga practice. It doesn't smell funky. It provides a firm foundation with a non-slip surface and a stable yet cushiony support for my body. Perfect for those with carpal tunnel or knee injuries, these mats are extra thick (5 mm). Because these mats are made from natural rubber, they are not recommended for hot classes.
Would you like to win a Tomuno yoga mat? Just follow these steps:
1. Leave a comment telling me your favorite yoga pose AND a time when you feel your most authentic self
AND
2. Like Tomuno on Facebook
This giveaway will end Tuesday night at midnight EST, and I will announce the winner on Wednesday.
Namaste and Good Luck!
