Ideas I Had Throughout My First Weekend of Yoga Trainer Coaching

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“I’ve arrived,” I feel as I settle my butt onto my bolster for the primary night of my 200-hour yoga trainer coaching (YTT).

I’m right here to research, excavate, and educate myself. Additionally, to study extra about yoga. A YTT is an undeniably bodily enterprise, so though my private targets are extra religious, there will even be a better sense of energy and mobility thrown in for good measure.

As I absorb introductions, conceptual phrases, anatomical notes, historical knowledge made fashionable, I’m buzzing with gratitude on the likelihood to soak up this information inside this distinctive container. Appropriately, my thoughts is way from the quiet place that yoga encourages.

Ideas I Had Throughout My First Weekend of YTT

My interior world appears to be on my facet—for essentially the most half, that’s. My racing ideas go one thing like this:

1. That is it—the second that I lastly dive absolutely into my religious follow.

I flip by means of The Coronary heart of Yoga by T. Ok. V. Desikachar, struck by the way in which the Yoga Sutra addresses the identical points as each self-help guide I’ve ever learn however with such swish simplicity. My religious journey has ebbed and flowed since I used to be a teen. Now, I’m prepared for a tsunami within the hopes that, post-storm, I can be free to sip from this ocean of perception at my leisure.

2. I do know nothing about my physique.

Like, completely nothing.

Okay, this isn’t solely true, however at this second, it feels prefer it. I by no means performed sports activities. I paid minimal consideration in P.E. and any required biology. Certain, I really like yoga, I’m an enormous hiker, I even get pleasure from operating. However I’ve minimal consciousness and comprehension of what’s occurring with me on an anatomical degree.

The cognitive dissonance that I’ve loved up till this level was for my consolation. As our YTT chief factors to muscular tissues, bones, and joints, I nod whereas internally recoiling. I want my meatsuit summary, thanks.

But when I need to dwell a protracted and wholesome life, I have to launch this inclination. My physique isn’t a hypothetical, it’s right here on Earth and it’s my automobile. I can’t handle it with out understanding it.

3. These ladies are cool as hell.

Even when this whole coaching consisted solely of hanging out with this group and chatting about life, I’d nonetheless profit immensely.

4. Warrior I is exhausting.

Contemplating that it’s technically the primary within the Warrior collection, Warrior I is extremely difficult. It’s not a pose I can pop up into or exit rapidly, particularly towards the start of follow—I want a few beats to angle my foot and hips and truly sink into the popular alignment.

Actually, I suggest that this pose be renamed Awkward Warrior, so we will all share figuring out smiles each time we take it.

I transfer my again foot to the prescribed 45-degree angle and all of it feels incorrect. Widening my stance in order that my ft are hip distance aside (reasonably than on a tightrope) helps, as does a again foot positioned nearer to 60 levels.

In comparison with Awkward Warrior, Warrior II is a cushty breeze.

5. I don’t know if I like scorching yoga.

This can be a enjoyable and engaging truth, significantly as I’m doing my YTT at a heated studio.

Traditionally talking, one in every of my favourite elements of yoga is the psychological shift I bear throughout a extremely good class. Totally attuned to respiration and discovering myself in stream with my physique, I can forgo grosser realities and get nearer to one thing divine.

This doesn’t occur for me in scorching yoga. Or it hasn’t occurred but.

The physicality of the follow is incredible—I’m paying far more consideration to my alignment and staying sturdy in my physique all through. However the meditative escape I search is saved at bay by the rivulets of sweat operating down my face and physique.

A brand new problem: study to entry my desired state whereas feeling icky and sticky.

6. Geez, I nonetheless have bother with authority!

A right away pressure ricochets by means of my physique when I’m informed what to do. When a flight attendant tells me I can’t use the restroom on a airplane, I’ve to fight my pure inclination to hop up and strut down the aisle, simply to display my free will. (I’m conscious that this isn’t one in every of my higher qualities.)

Even so, my interior 16-year-old is aghast at and and the entire kindly offered and really affordable guidelines round timeliness and homework and displays. I believed that I had mastered this irrational facet of my character, however I assume it has been a very long time since I’ve been in an academic setting.

I’m additionally a triple Aquarius. So.

7. I want extra yoga garments. And a towel. And a bag strap.

My athletic wardrobe, like my health routine, has at all times been fairly skinny. I’m extra of a tattered-sports-bra-and-pilled-leggings lady than an Alo ambassador.

The uptick in follow and the added sweat issue imply that my assortment of yoga items is about to develop. Plus, if I’m trustworthy, I need to really feel cute. It’s exhausting sufficient attempting to stay comfy inside my physique whereas pushing its limits and realigning a few of its less-than-beneficial pure tendencies. I ought to at the very least be capable of admire my outfit whereas I wobble in Half Moon Pose.

Gear that I’ve by no means thought-about is immediately making sense. I go away class and use a paper towel to dab off my face, figuring out the time has come for a towel. And the Tumaz bag strap that’s within the mail is certain to make schlepping my long-loved Manduka mat round city a better feat.

8. Not so positive about the entire instructing factor.

Not like many who pursue a YTT certification, my objective is to not train. The thought of instructing has at all times sounded good—significantly throughout dryer bouts of my former life as a contract author—however the extra I study, the much less certified I really feel.

This is likely to be as a result of…

9. I’m not ok at yoga to be doing this…

…and everybody can undoubtedly inform.

Or I really feel like everybody can inform. In actuality, I’m nearly sure that nobody is paying all that a lot consideration to me. If I can actually let that actuality in, that can be one in every of my greatest wins.

10. I’m happy with myself.

Nonetheless, I’m doing my finest to commend myself for stepping thus far out of my consolation zone. That’s what life is about, proper? Discovering your edge after which pushing, gently, till it isn’t an edge anymore—it’s a horizon. And I’m so excited to be on this journey.