I remember my very first yoga class - I was working in an office job and once a week a yoga teacher came in to give a lesson during lunchtime. I remember how much I struggled; sweat pouring out of me, tight hamstrings screaming, and a dawning realization that my body strength was nonexistent... But, I was hooked! I just knew that I had to go back to the next class, and I felt like I was floating for the rest of the day. And the teacher was so incredible - her adjustments really helped me understand where my body should be in each asana.
Fast forward 3 years later and my love for yoga has grown and grown, and I have completed a 200 hour teacher training course (TTC). Now I can look back and see the many ways in which it has transformed my asana practice. Here are just some of them:
- I have learned how to adjust myself during practice : In learning about the correct alignment for each asana, and how to adjust others, I am now much more aware of where I should be working towards in each asana. Now, during the 5 breaths I spend in each pose, I'm not waiting for a teacher to adjust me - instead I can adjust myself. I'm consciously moving my body towards better alignment with each inhale and exhale.
- My practice is safer: Learning about how to safely modify practice for beginners and different body types has made me reflect on my own practice and see that sometimes I was really damaging my body. Now my aim is not to improve my strength and flexibility as quickly as possible, but to safely work at my body's pace.
- My motivation to practice has never been better: There have been some periods in my life where the thought of rolling out my mat every morning seems stressful and unattainable. However, after consistently practicing everyday with a group of likeminded people and feeling the benefits in my mind and body, I've never been more excited to practice in the mornings.
- I have learned to have patience with myself: After such an intense months training, I can look back and see that there really are some days when taking it easy is better. I have learned that I can't push myself to new limits and asanas everyday and that's fine. The most important thing is to show up on my mat and put in the effort that I can, and the rest will follow. Of course, there are days when I want to push myself, and that's fine too; the important thing is that now I'm working in harmony with my body.
- I realised how little I know about yoga: After taking the teacher training course I feel like I have a deeper understanding of my practice. But with yoga, the more I learn, the more I realise I have so much more to learn! It is a truly humbling experience to realise how little you understand.
I am so grateful for all of the support I received during my teacher training from the incredible teachers and students I was surrounded with, and can't believe how much change I have felt in myself. For those people who are unsure if they wish to teach, but still wish to immerse themselves in their practice more, I would definitely recommend looking into taking a TTC as an option!