My Yoga Teacher Training Journey

Eek- My First Blog Post!

Wow! There are so many firsts happening in the month of June. My first yoga class, my first blog post. I was reflecting on how I got here earlier and wanted to write a post specifically about that journey. If you're reading this, by now you know that I've decided to dive feet-first into the world of instructing yoga to others and sharing the benefits of a regular practice to anyone who cares to listen.

And by regular I mean as often as I can make time for my practice in this busy world. See, that's the beauty of yoga. It's not about rigidity or hitting the "perfect," Instagram-worthy pose. It's not about showing up to the mat with a militant approach to doing it the "right" way. Yoga is about showing up for yourself, listening to your body's needs and being in tune with your mind, body and breath. And that, my friends is what inspired be to become a yoga teacher.

Don't mind me, just documenting my first ever class here... 

I started my journey to becoming a yoga instructor in the winter of 2019. I signed up for a program online, ordered the textbooks, reached out to studios to attend classes... and then Covid hit. I remember the feeling of defeat, because the course I was taking at the time required weekly submissions of in-person classes that I had attended. These classes had to be signed off by an instructor to basically say, "Yeah, this person was here and attended a class." That certainly wasn't happening during a pandemic. So, I quit. 

Fast forward to 2021. I was in flight training for my job in the air national guard, and to say I was stressed would be an understatement! I would often pause my studying to do some intentional breathing or sun salutations. It was in those moments that I found peace. I felt the passion of sharing yoga with others calling to me again. Once I finished all of my qualification trainings with the guard, I signed up for Yoga Teacher Training. I decided to do my 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) through YogaRenew, and I'm so glad I did.

A 200 hour teacher training is a program that equips people with the foundational knowledge required to become a yoga teacher. You learn about anatomy, the history and philosophy of yoga, the asanas (poses) and ways to modify them, and how to structure a class. It's kind of like getting a degree a community college, with higher levels of yoga teacher training being the equivalent of a bachelor's or a master's. YogaRenew's program required in-class observations as well. I attended a local studio called Yoga & Co. for these, where I found an amazing community of people. I never really imagined the possibility of teaching there. I just loved the atmosphere, the owner, and the people in the classes. I knew in my heart that studio was the right fit for me to attend classes at and work on my practice.

A photo I took during one of my class observations at Yoga & Co. 

While I was finishing my training, the owner of Yoga & Co. and I had a candid conversation about life, our dogs and what yoga meant to us. It was then that she invited me to teach at her studio. It was like something out of a dream, to be asked to join this community right out of finishing my teacher training. I simply could not believe I was ready or that I was worthy enough to be a part of a studio so soon. But then I remembered something I heard in a podcast I had listened to the night before...  The universe does not provide you with opportunities that you aren't ready for. 

That mantra has been replaying in my head a lot, lately. The world of teaching yoga to others can be so busy. There are many different styles of yoga and lots of preconceived notions about what it looks like, or who it is for. But I firmly believe that I was granted this able body and this love for how yoga can provide grounding and clarity to others for a reason. Plus, the universe provided me with a beautiful place to start teaching and amazing friends and family to share it with. Why wouldn't I?

I taught my first class on June 14th. I'm on the schedule at Yoga & Co. for a few more classes in June, and we're putting the schedule for July together soon. Right now I am teaching beginner level flows, meant to be a gentle introduction to a yoga practice. Down the road I'd like to expand the classes that I offer and lead some classes tailored to athletes and gym rats like myself. But, that's for another day. The next step in my yoga journey, you could say... 

-Kay