Learning how to teach yoga was never something I had set out to do as I grew deeper and deeper into my own practice. I was definitely curious about the training and one day I decided to embark on that journey.
The Journey of a yoga teacher is definitely different for all of us, at least that has been my experience. To me it has been a profound learning experience, not only of yoga as a whole, but also about myself. Each day I learn that yoga is so much more than becoming flexible or been able to do this or that pose. I feel that Yoga is a state of being, an awareness.
In 2017 I did my 200 hour teacher training with a great teacher from Costa Rica that trained a group of us in Medellin, Colombia. I learned in depth about the philosophy of yoga, yoga asanas, pranayama breathing, about mantras and mudras , how to assist when teaching and the essentials of the teaching process.
After becoming a 200 hour yoga teacher I was able to teach in a yoga studio in Medellin as a sub during a holiday period. I also got to teach in Fiji while I was doing a long service retreat and was given the opportunity to guide a few of the residents of the Island I was in through a Hatha Yoga routine for a few months. Both of these teaching experiences really helped me to feel the joy of sharing the passion I have for yoga to others and although it was the beginning, it was a great gift.
In September of 2019 I again embarked on this journey by taking on a 300 hour teacher training in the US. The studio where I take yoga classes has been an amazing and fun place to learn and deepen my practice of yoga. When I saw their teaching program I got inspired to sign up and give myself another chance to further my teaching experience. I loved how the trainees would sit on a class and observe the teachers and take notes and how they would have projects and workshops to present. I really felt that was an aspect of my journey that was missing – I needed practice in a circumstance where I felt I could learn to be more confident and demonstrate what I have learned.
Since the start of this 300 hour teacher training I have learned so much more about yoga. Intentions, awareness, compassion, discipline, meditation, pranayama practices, Reiki, Tai massage, assisting others and so much more. With all this knowledge and practice I have gained a lot of confidence and trust in myself.
As of this writing, I feel I have grown a lot in my own understanding of who I am, what I can achieve and how much I have learned. In three more months I will have completed the core of the training and by then I hope to share with others what I have learned through this process with full confidence and joy.
If you have any comments or questions, feel free to reach out to me using the comments section below and stay tuned for a wonderful and fun yoga retreat I am organizing at a beautiful resort in Medellin, Colombia.
Namaste.