Coffee Talk #148: Yoga Teacher Training Journey

It’s Tuesday! Grab your cup and let’s start chattin’.

If we were having coffee together this week, I’d tell you that I got to celebrate with some of my Next Generation Scholars students. Last spring, they got to participate in a photo shoot for our annual magazine, Way to Be. This week, I got to share the magazine with them. We recreated the cover photo for fun and I got them to sign a couple of copies – total celebs! Check out the 2019-2020 Way to Be Magazine. The magazine provides students with an exciting vision of life after high school, as well as information and tools that will help them reach their career goals. The print magazine will reach 65,000 middle and high school students in all 24 school districts in Maryland.

If we were having coffee together this week, I’d tell you that I’m finalizing a new challenge for the fall – Commit to Fit. It’s 6 weeks of daily workouts, meant to challenge you and help build strength, power, and endurance. Need motivation to fall into fitness? Need help getting dedicated and committed to workouts? This is for you! I’m so excited to offer this! Keep your eyes peeled here and on facebook for the announcement of the group.

If we were having coffee together this week, I’d tell you that I started my Yoga Teacher Training this weekend. For the next 7 months, I’ll be meeting with my YTT group for an intensive training weekend each month. In between our meetings, we’re required to show up on our mats 2-3x a week, which I plan to do by attending classes, workshops, and practicing the flow we’re learning in training.

What is Yoga Teacher Training? It’s a training course designed to help the participant dive deep into the methodology, practice, and philosophy of Yoga. By the end of the course, I will be able to safely create, hold space for, and lead a yoga class. That’s the simplest explanation.

My first weekend of YTT was like reading my favorite book. I’m so familiar with the connection to the breath, how my body moves, flows, the physical practice, and sharing space with individuals in a fitness and wellness setting. I’m excited to dive deeper into the philosophy and to practice in this small group with other like-minded individuals.

Why did I sign up for Yoga Teacher Training?

I’ve been practicing yoga for 10+ years. I found yoga in college, from a DVD in the common room of my dorm. I started practicing at home regularly around 2011. I really got into a regular practice in 2013 when I was training with a friend for a half marathon. She thought we should be stretching more, and it sounded like a good idea to me! I fell completely in love with the vinyasa style at Serenity, which is where I’m taking my training. While I always feel sweaty and strong after a class, I appreciate the work IN of yoga.

I started engaging in monthly instagram yoga challenges, which allowed me to broaden my knowledge of yoga styles and teachers. From these challenges, I worked up the courage to register for workshops with high-profile yogi teachers.

A few years ago, I wrote this post about getting started with yoga. I still believe all of these tips! In 2016, I created a separate instagram account, @ctownyogi, to follow all the monthly yoga challenges and to flex my yogi muscles and abilities. I loved having this space to grow and play.

I found Buti Yoga in 2017 and quickly become OBSESSED. It pulled my dance, zumba, HIIT, and jumping abilities into one class, and added elements of yoga. There’s more focus on flow, sequencing, and connection to the breath in this class format vs. any of the class formats I taught before it. I wanted to keep Buti for myself, as a personal practice, but the opportunity to teach at the studio I’d been attending came up, and I decided to GO for it, after attending an intensive certification weekend. I’m so freakin’ glad that I did – it’s my favorite format to offer.

I started getting more curious about the possibility of teaching yoga. I shared yoga everywhere – dropping poses in cool places, challenging clients to come to take a class at my favorite yoga studios, and more. I wrote this post about What Yoga Taught Me, beyond the physicality of the poses.

When the call for YTT 2020 came from the studio where I love to practice, I decided to go for it. Why not, right? I love learning and adding certifications, and this seems like the next best fit.

What’s my Goal with Yoga Teacher Training?

I have a few goals.

1. Learn and understand Yoga beyond the physical poses.
2. Receive my certification and prepare to teach classes.
3. Dive into 1:1 training with clients via Yoga.

I’m really excited about this new journey. In between our YTT sessions, we have daily requirements and lots of homework, beyond showing up on our mats. I’ve loved everything about it so far, and I can’t wait to keep going and learning! Follow my journey at @ctownyogi or the hashtag #fwagoestoytt.