Yoga

The next challenge

I’ve finally found a moment that feels right for crafting a few words to share. Life has been very busy, and I feel like I’m just now coming down off my last Yoga Teacher Training workshop. Every day’s been long – except for today! Today, even though it was a deadline day at work, I felt like I’d pretty much completed what needed to be done. There was no need to rush anything else at the last minute. So, what did I do? I got to pamper myself with an extra hour of yoga. It felt good arriving at work as if I’d just played nine holes of golf – relaxed and stress free!

With that in mind, I’m ready to start officially start sharing my yoga experiences. To help me with that, I now get to use the RYT200 designation from 8 Limbs. Check this out:

8limbsCropped

The only designation that I’ve ever had for my name was Mr. And, well, that’s reserved for old people. 🙂  Oh, and what really makes it official is finding my name through the Yoga Alliance site. Just add in my name!

When I signed up for that training program, I had no idea how much work it would be. Before I got started, I had hours and hours of spare time to burn. With that time, I’d taken a liking to researching and blogging. But, as you can already see, that time vanished and blogging was put on hold.

Hopefully, I’ll now be able to find a bit more time to blog. More importantly, I’m hoping to be able to do research on the things that I’m really passionate about. I there is time left over, I’ll share what I can… 

 There are two pictures that I’d really like to share from the last YTT workshop.

Class of 2013

The workshop would not have been the same if I didn’t get to spend it with such a wonderful group of people! Generally, when you get 30+ people together for a week you always get a bad apple. Well, not this time!

Look at all the smiles. Every one you see is genuine.

I’d like to give some special thanks.

Bill – Thanks again. You’re willingness to open your house for the study group might not seem like a big deal, but I don’t think I could have learned the material without your light-natured help. Sometimes, it’s the little things in life that make such a big difference, so, thanks. … Realy.

Emily – Thanks for helping me stay grounded. I can feel that yoga will be really good for you. I’m excited and encouraged how you’ve already embraced the lifestyle. You’re warm smile is pure, genuine and comforting. I’m sincerely looking forward to being able to work with you in the near future. I have a feeling our paths will cross again and that thought warms me already!

Jami – You were a rock of strength for me throughout the entire program. You’re words have always been grounding and strengthening. You smiled at the right time and never held back. It’s clear that you have the sparkle of life for it shows in your eyes. Big things are coming your way… I can feel it.

Duni – You’ve been a great surprise for me. I treasure the enthusiasm you expressed and how you embraced the emotional connections we all shared during the retreat. It’s like, even though all these people are strange, you gained confidence and a sense of feeling like you’ve arrived home. That’s how I feel. You’ve helped me feel that!

As much as I would like to spend all night blogging, there are just too many good things to say about the group! You all warmed my heart and I’ll forever be able to relive that feeling by simply looking at that group picture.

And the retreat setting?

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Emily took this picture, at least that’s what she said. I’m not sure though because it rained cats and dogs for the first four days we were there. I’d expect that you’d still be able to see the puddles and all the muddy footprints! But there was one day, the last one, where we got just a bit of sun. It really did look like this, but only for a few moments. Can you feel it?

So, what is the next challenge?  Well, in one of our last lectures we were asked to right down goals for the coming months. I’m willing to share two of them here and now.

  • Start sharing the joy of yoga with others. That involves teaching Asana, meditation, pranayama and Yogic lifestyle tips. I would expect that this will mean I’ll find a way to teach a regular class. The idea here is that I need to learn how to actually teach yoga.
  • Continue speaking the truth. One of the fundamental principles of yoga is Satya (being truthful and honest). I’ve committed to taking this a step further and actually saying the things that are on my mind as long as they are rooted in the honest truth. So far, I’ve absolutely loved this practice. I’ve found that others love being a part of it.  🙂

I’ll keep everyone informed as to my progress on these goals for they seem completely doable.

Well, times up. See you next time!

Reflecting

Hi everyone. It’s actually kind of funny writing ‘Hi Everyone’, but I guess it’s literally true with a post on the web! Today feels like a great day to share.

I’m sure that everyone has brief periods of time in their life everything seems to come together – all at the same time – leaving no extra time for the things that you did and loved yesterday. Well, the last five months have been like that for me.

My time has been split between working full time, attending Yoga Teacher Training and being a husband, father and grandpa all at the same time. I’ve had both daughters in the house at the same time while also taking in my daughters good high school friend. I’ve had my truck totaled (no one hurt) and purchased a new car. I’ve juggled the holiday season and even managed to find time to gather a Christmas tree this year! It’s been crazy and nonstop.

The time that I had to blog, research (search the web) and play – doing yoga – all seemed to get pushed aside and set on hold the day I started Yoga Teacher Training.

It was hard adapting to the change. What was hard was losing that extra time that I spent blogging. What I’ve loved doing for so long, I simply didn’t have time for. That independent research and self discovery all got forced aside in order to explore someone else’s program. Even though ideas came to me and I wanted to craft something for the blog, there was always something more pressing that needed my attention.

Today, things are changing again.

Today, I took my final exam in the Teacher Training program.

Today, I completed my last class hours of sequencing.

Today, I am revisiting my blog! Yeah!

I would like to reflect upon some of my experiences during teacher training.

First off, the strongest memory that I have came during my first sequencing class. I’ve been practicing Yoga for years and naturally perform the moves – as a student – but when faced with that first sequencing class, I was a deer in the headlights. No, actually, it was worse. Not only did I draw a blank, but it shattered the image that I had of myself as a teacher. You know that image that’s similar to the image you’d create when you practice asking someone out or practice interviewing for a job. The scenarios that I’d created for myself, visualized, rehearsed and replayed to perfection in my head were clawed out, heaped on the floor and touched for everyone to see.

Fortunately (or maybe sadly, or with sympathy), I was not the only one. What I was feeling, I sensed, was being felt by just about everyone in the room. I was not the only one having that experience! It was a very traumatic experience that I’m sure will not be forgotten any time soon.

The best part about this experience is that I now realize that without that type of feeling, you never really develop the proper respect for the yoga instructor. The Yoga instructor puts herself/himself in a vulnerable position with every class. The vulnerability requires tools for support. That vulnerability must be based on strength.

Now that I’ve completed the basic training, I can see that the act of teaching yoga requires that you be – open – in that state of vulnerability or the yoga is just robotic. Being open requires a combination of humility and selflessness. Being open requires that you accept your own imperfections in life. Being open requires a non-judgmental attitude. Being open means you’re going to have to be sensitive – possibly even get hurt.

The second thing that really stood out today – in the closing circle – was that there are a lot of people willing to be vulnerable. The emotions (and words) shared by others that went through the same program come from an internal location that I can truly identify with. As I felt their words, I knew what they felt even if we can’t intellectually share the experience.

It was really unspoken, but it’s now my experience that the tools needed to teach yoga involve removing the personal defenses and letting the soul shine through. You have to simply step on stage. It’s like asking someone out. You have to understand that rejections come, but you can’t harden to them. In time, the love that you have and share will found and cherished by the right group of students.

Another way of looking this is that I’ve already failed and it didn’t kill me! The tools that I’ve learned should help me be able to set a good foundation and make forward progress. I don’t see failure as such a tragic thing any longer. It’s ok. Life’s ok. Things are going to work out just fine.

Even though tomorrow, I’ll be back at work doing the same old same old, I will treasure this new experience and find a way to get this experience to grow and bloom.

Have a great day!