"The Joyful Journey"
"The Joyful Journey." That's how the lead educator and owner of the yoga studio where I practice referred to the 200-hour teacher training I signed up for. And I was joyful when I handed in my application and signed the check. I was joyful and excited. This was something I thought about doing for a year or two, so it was a long time coming. But as the first day of training approached, I also became nervous.
It didn't take me long to realize I was completely out of my comfort zone, even though I had been practicing a few years. This was the first time I signed myself up for something without knowing the outcome. Of course the desired outcome, the goal, is to become a certified yoga teacher. But will I pass the test and become a teacher others can learn from and will want to practice with? I have no idea. There is no guaranteed outcome and yet I am doing this anyway? Me? The girl who never takes risks and every outcome is considered before I take on a new project or challenge? Talk about being outside your comfort zone!
Part of the discomfort is the realization that I am a student again for the first time in a long time. Oh, sure, I am a student when I step onto my mat in a formal yoga class. And I am student of life. (Aren't we all, whether we acknowledge it or not?) But I haven't been in a classroom, been in a setting where the work I am doing will be graded, in 16 years. That is a long time! I am not sure if I remember how to be a student. For so many years I have had the informal role of teacher as both a manager in my professional life and a mother in my personal one. Now I need to shut that part of the mind down for the next 200 hours. Can I do it?
To celebrate my new adventure, my husband Pete gave me some sticky tabs for my books, a pillow so I'll be comfortable during the long days of training, and an Alex & Ani ring and bracelet: Breath of Life. But the card! The card made me cry, because I could feel his love and support for me as I started this new path, a path that he and my son would end up walking with me, even though they wouldn't physically be attending the training. As long as we have loved ones, we are never truly alone and we never truly do anything alone. We always take them with us, and bring back what we learned and our experiences to them. And while he may not step onto a mat with me, clearly Pete hears me when I talk about my practice because the card that came with the bracelet was so fitting, so perfect.
Life | Meditation | Alignment
All living things breathe in some manner. When we inhale, we share the air. We connect with elements that have been in existence for thousands of years. Breath can be a prayer or a connection to the universe. To sigh is to release. To breathe deep is to be centered and grounded. Know your breath.
I am so lucky to have Pete's support. I couldn't do this without him!