As I finish up my final blog post for my certification I
wanted to focus on gratitude. Gratitude for this entire process, for what I
have learned not only from the curriculum, but what I have learned from my
students, from my mat, and from myself. Yoga has and will continue to teach me
more about life than I could have ever initially imagined. I am grateful for
the emotional and tedious process this journey has been.
Through the process, I have learned to surrender to the
greatest teacher there is: my mat. There is an art to surrendering in yoga. To
be willing to listen to your body and what it needs and to be able to step onto
your mat and figure that out as you move through poses and postures. Through my
own personal practice I have been able to gain confidence in all aspects of
life, including teaching yoga.
I have learned to honor and learn from each one of my
students. Each individual in my classes brought new energy. Learning to honor
each one of them in their own unique way was a challenge at first but something
that I have learned to cherish as a teacher. I am grateful for them and their
willingness to be part of this journey with me. Learning to be more aware and in
tune with others and their needs has helped me on and off the mat.
I have learned to step outside of my comfort zone. I almost
felt as if I was being “called” to this role as teacher. It was something that
in the long run, I knew I would love doing, but scared to death initially. The
feelings that I felt before I taught my first class were that of fear and
doubt. Since then, I have found a new profound respect for myself and what I am
capable of.
I have learned to embrace and honor the emotions that are
released during yoga. I have learned to surrender to these feelings,
acknowledge them, and then let the ones that no longer serve me go and move
forward. It has most definitely been one of the most healing journeys of my
life.
And most importantly, I have learned the valuable life
lesson of when to push your self and when to surrender. Yoga, just like life,
is all about finding that balance; that balance between the yin and the yang
(these seemingly opposite and powerful forces of life). There are times in yoga
where you feel the energy to power through difficult poses, to push yourself to
your limits. At other times you are impressed to release and yield, relax, and
let go. There were times over the last year and a half where I had so much
motivation to finish this certification. I was accomplishing so much and was
determined to be finished in a matter of months. Then, to
my surprise I found out that I was pregnant with my second child. During the
pregnancy, and after the pregnancy, I had to learn to step back and focus on
other things. I had to surrender to the role of a mother of two babies under
the age of two. Eventually, when
it was a more appropriate time in my life, the certification process found its
place and I began to push through it again. Through yoga, I have found balance
in all aspects of my life, on and off the mat and have learned to honor the
life energy within myself.
Thank you all for following me on my journey.
Namaste