Hey Hey!

SO, after much longer than I had anticipated, I am back sharing part 2 of my personal yoga
journey with you! Upon writing this, I am so excited to share that I AM OFFICIALLY A
CERTIFIED YOGA TEACHER! As of September 28th, I received my certificate, making it all
~official official~!

Obviously, I wrote part 1 of this little passion post series waaaaaay back in June, so this has been
stretched out for just a bit longer than I had expected. That is part of the reason why I loved the
program I was in so much, because it was all move at your own pace. The program is structured
to be completed in an 8-week time frame. When I first started, I remember thinking “8 weeks is
SUCH a long time, I will be finished in no time,” and…I was slightly mistaken! All in all, it took
me about 3+ months to submit all my materials and receive my certificate.

In my part 1 post about my yoga journey, I highlighted how I got started doing yoga and what
led me to want to start my teacher training, and I talked a little bit about what I was learning in
the program. At the time, I was less than a month into my studies, so it was kind of easy to
briefly mention all I was learning. I started out learning about the ancient philosophies of yoga
and the Yoga Sutras, and went on to learn about anatomy and physiology, proper sequencing and
class structure, and the business of yoga.

As part of my course requirements, I had to watch 48 hours worth of additional lecture topics
from weekend zoom lectures. This was honestly one of my favorite parts of the training, despite
the time commitment. I liked to view these lectures as “yoga elective” because there were a
variety of different topics to choose from. There are many sister sciences to yoga and different
courses of study within the study of yoga, so there truly is a branch for every person to enjoy and
dive into. Before starting my training, I knew nothing about Ayurveda, or “The Science of Life,”
and now, I am amazed at how ayurvedic principles really do impact my life! Some other other
topics that I really enjoyed learning about were prenatal yoga, the chakras, and yin yoga!

Like I mentioned, I also learned the proper way to sequence a yoga class. Now, before I started
my training, I will admit, I did not think it was going to be as much of a mental and spiritual
journey as it was; I thought the journey would largely be a physical one. The journey absolutely
encompassed all of those things, and while the physical aspect of yoga teacher training is
demanding there was so much more to it. Although it isn’t everything, proper sequencing one
major part of yoga teacher training!

When you start sequencing a yoga class, having a theme to build the class around is really
helpful. This usually helps in deciding what kind of poses to incorporate, if you want to do a
flow class or a more gentle class, and the intensity of the class. I knew the bare bones of a yoga
class just from being a student for many years, but I had never thought about how to properly
sequence poses to protect the muscles, joints, and bones in the body! It was all extremely
fascinating to me. I had to create lots of different groups of poses for potential sequences, and
honestly, I loved doing it. To me, it was like piecing together a puzzle and I loved the challenge.
I also had to type out entire classes, both the sequence of poses and everything that I would say
as though I were actually leading a class. It was incredible to see just how many pages one class
could take up, since you’re leading and giving physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual cues all
in any given class!

I had to teach a few mini classes and one full-length class as part of my training practicum, and I
was sooo nervous to teach. I remember thinking when I would take yoga classes “I don’t know
how the instructors do the poses themselves, talks through even the toughest of poses, gives
positive reinforcement, and looks completely amazing and fit while doing it.” I am by no means
the perfect teacher, nor will I ever be, but after I taught my first class I felt a rush of
accomplishment a pride wash over me. I had done something I had questioned whether I could
do or not and it had gone smoothly! I still get some butterflies before I teach, only because I get
worried I’ll forget something, but for the most part teaching brings me such joy. My experience
as a yoga student certainly helped inform me in my training, and now my experience as a teacher
will continue to inform me as a student. Even though I am now a teacher, I will always be a
student- learning from my students, learning from other teachers, and continuing to broaden my
knowledge of the practice.

Right now, I am offering yoga classes via zoom here and there- where ever I can find the time in
my schedule! I love having the opportunity to connect through our breath, even if it is on zoom!
If you’re interested in taking class with me, feel free to reach out to me via social media/email so
I can get your email added to my email list!

I cannot thank my close friends and family enough for encouraging me to take this leap, for their
constant support while I completed the program, and for coming to my early classes (for real,
you’re so appreciated). Had it not been for Miss. Rona, I never would have been able to slow
down and take time to start a training program, let along see myself through to completion.
Sometimes good really does come out of the darkest places. I can’t wait to keep practicing,
teaching, and sharing my love for yoga with the world however I can!

Lots of love and light, right to you!