Seventeen years ago, I made one of the best decisions of my life.

I decided to become a yoga teacher.

I had been practising yoga for six years. Yoga had become a life-line for me as a young mother of two toddlers. Yoga helped me to feel more calm, more grounded, and it helped me to feel stronger in my body. I still had tough days as a young mother, but I had the coping skills to feel up to the challenges. It was such a transformational shift for my personal life that I knew I needed to share the teachings of yoga with others.

At that time there were no trainings in my local area, so I chose to drive to Woodstock, NY for yoga teacher training. It was a six hour round trip drive every single weekend for six months. In addition to all the driving and being in class, I had reading, written homework, and practice teaching. In so many ways it was like being in college all over again! But I was completely committed to the training program and I had the loving support at home to devote time to the training.

When I look back, I can see that Yoga Teacher Training changed my life in these four amazing ways:

I enhanced my understanding of Yoga

Most people first come to yoga for physical reasons–they want to improve their back health, they want to get more flexible, or perhaps they want to learn some relaxation techniques. Sometimes in yoga classes you get little glimpses of yoga philosophy, but most classes still focus on the physical components of yoga. During Yoga training I learned all about the non-physical yoga teachings and the history of yoga in India. I learned about different schools of yoga philosophy, Ayurveda, yoga energetics, and so much more. These teachings helped me to understand that yoga feels so different than a mere exercise class because there was so much more going on than physical movement.

I learned that yoga is a path to personal growth and spirituality. Yoga teaches us to follow simple ethical principles and to examine and question our thoughts. Through movement exploration we begin to understand more about our own bodies, and we learn to inquire into our habit patterns and determine if they are useful or harmful. As yoga teachers, we deepen our study of these practices and we help others come to this inquiry. As a teacher I am always thinking about these teachings and how they apply to my day-to-day life.

I learned about basic anatomy

Yes, yoga is so much more than a physical movement exercise. But it is still so fascinating to learn about anatomy! Learning anatomy does help you to better understand how certain postures affect your body, and how to better adapt your practice to suit the needs of your individual body. As an art major, I took almost no science courses in college. But in yoga teacher training, I felt that my brain latched onto studying anatomy and science. I got to learn about movement terminology, muscles, bones, joints, organs, and the respiratory and nervous systems. I realised this was exercise for my brain to study these new things. And in yoga training, anatomy is practical and applicable, not theoretical. I was able to apply the anatomy I was learning to my practice, so it made so much sense! Now I just love getting nerdy with anatomy!

It brought my own practice to the next level

I had this epiphany one day in training: as a teacher I had a responsibility to commit to my personal practice and really live these teachings. Not only was I learning so much more about yoga, but I was practising postures and pranayama (yogic breathing)  on a more regular basis, and it was making a big difference in my body, mind, and emotions. I was meditating more and I made a more concerted effort to practise pranayama every day. I was embodying the teachings, and in that way I could more effectively teach about what I was learning, and I was seeing real changes!

I Became a Teacher

When I was in first grade, I remember thinking that I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up. For a long time, I thought that meant I wanted to be a school art teacher. It took me a long time to really realise that I could be a teacher and not be in a public school. When I embraced being a yoga teacher, I realised it was my true calling. I thrive as a yoga teacher. Teaching helps me to be a better person as I help others. I feel that in my first years as a yoga teacher, I became a better person all around. I love helping people feel good about being in their bodies. I love when people tell me how yoga has helped them heal long time health problems, or to just find a little more peace and calm in their days. As a yoga teacher, I feel I am a walking representation of how to live a yogic lifestyle, and I take that responsibility seriously. I continue to study yoga,and I think about the teachings of yoga just about every day.

I believe that yoga is one of the most important gifts we have in the world. Being a yoga teacher helps me to be a better person and when I share these teachings, I know they help others be better people too. In that way, the benefits of yoga are exponentially reaching out into the world.

Do you want to learn to teach???

If you have a regular asana practice, dabble in meditation, and want to know more about this life-changing practice, yoga training can be an amazing opportunity to bring incredible transformation to your life. I see it happen year after year! I am honoured to have trained over 100 yoga teachers. Each time I witness students turn a daily asana routine into a meaningful spiritual practice that deeply impacts their overall quality of life.

If you are curious to bring these changes into your own life, contact me to learn more about the next yoga teacher training.

“Yoga is often referred to as a moving meditation. In yoga, one goes deeply inward, connecting with the Divine while simultaneously moving the body in a beneficial and life-enhancing way. One does not force the pose or fall asleep. It is awake, reverent attention.”― Donna Goddard, The Love of Being Loving