Yoga Teacher Training - Week One
I was hoping to write my reflections after the first weekend of YTT before now, but soon after the first weekend, we took a trip to Minnesota, and then as soon as we came back, it was the July fourth holiday. I have also been trying to tick off items from our summer bucket list before my son goes back to school in a week and a half, so here we are. Better late than never I suppose.
The first weekend of YTT was refreshing and overwhelming and energizing and tiring and illuminating all at the same time. Along with ten other students, I learned a sliver of the history and philosophy of yoga and started to learn basic anatomy. We broke down three poses and practiced teaching them to each other. We had discussions about what made a good yoga teacher and what makes for good cuing. At the end of every day, I was tired and filled to the brim.
One thing that really surprised me after the weekend was over was that there were times when I felt emotional during our practices together. When we were moving and breathing together, I was struck by just how special it is to be in a room full of people again, sharing our energy and gifts. This time last year, it was really hard to imagine being able to come back to a yoga studio, and it was just a few months ago that we didn't know if we would have to start the program with masks on or not. Yet, thanks to the vaccine, here we are, moving and breathing together, and it's a gift.
When we left the weekend, our homework was to practice the classical sun salute and to be able to teach one round of it when we go back in July. We can also teach a variation of the sun salutation after we teach the classical version. So, almost every morning, I have been practicing classical sun salutes and then building a vinyasa flow following the salutes. When our teacher first shared the classical sun salute, I was a little resistant because it's slightly different than the sun salutation that I'm used to, and some might say that it's not as challenging as the sun salutation that's taught in most flow classes. However, if a practitioner is truly flowing with the breath, it's plenty challenging! I always find that my heart rate is up and I have worked up a light sweat just from doing five sun salutes at the beginning of my practice.
This is just the beginning, and it's only going to keep getting better. As I write this reflection, we're only a week away from coming back together for another weekend of YTT, and I find myself just as excited as I was for the first weekend. I'm ready to learn more philosophy and history and anatomy and to practice and breath together. I'm ready to feel tired and invigorated again all at once.
