“What do you want to get out of this certification program?” That was the big question on the application for Yoga Shanti. “To become the best self I can be”. This is the answer that started my spiritual journey. What a New Yorker thing to say, we are always striving to be the best.
I applied in July 2015 for my first 200-hour yoga teacher training to start in the fall of 2015. Wednesday May 25th, I completed the training and received my certification to teach. On top of the 200 hours, I had to observe 5 classes, assist in public classes and pass a tough 3-4 hour anatomy exam before my graduation ceremony. Weekend trainings started in September 2015 and classes ended in March 2016. I spent my weekdays at my full time job. I had no idea what to expect for the graduation ceremony but I imagined it would be unique. Everyone was called up to receive the certification and got cleansed with sage, by yoga genius, Rodney Yee. Jenny Hudak, swirled some lavender around us, which added such a fun spin to the night and made us feel like we were officially accepted into the yoga community by our gurus.
Yoga is a never ending practice, yet a way to explore the surprises of life that lay deep within. Yoga has taught me there is so much more inside all of us that we ourselves don’t know. It is up to us if we choose to find it and go deeper. While I am a confident person, there are still more layers to keep peeling off. Going out of my comfort zone on and off the mat is what betters me each day. We are constantly losing and finding ourselves and yoga keeps us digging for more, yet keeps us grounded.
Yoga is about being present in the moment and connecting with your breath and body. Many people think the practice of yoga is physical, seeing it as a ‘work out’, but yoga is so much more…. It is also a ‘work in’. Student’s meet physical and mental challenges on their yoga mat but by looking inward, the challenges will work out and have a more positive outcome off the mat as well. Meditation practice is just as important as the physical aspect of yoga. Meditation plays a huge part of self awareness and our minds can be our strongest muscle.
I have always dipped my feet into many different things since I was young. I would try one thing and get bored and move on to the next (sadly, similarly to my dating life in NYC...laughs) I tried one flute lesson, a few piano lessons, dancing, I acted and sang for a while but never stuck with just one thing. It took me until I was 25 to find yoga and now, four years later I know that this will be a forever passion. The unknown does not always have to be scary. The journey of exploring makes it exciting and constantly new. It is up to us how much we want out of life and we contribute to our destiny. Yoga keeps the possibilities limitless and the life within each of us glowing from the inside out.
Yoga Shanti's Graduating Class of May 2016
Cheers to the Yogis
The Beautiful Practice Space
Holding Up the Certification
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