Meet Me On The Mat: My Yoga Teacher Training Experience (So Far)
Hey guys!
It’s been a bit since I’ve blogged (I know, I know… that’s been typical these past few months… sorry!) , so I wanted to share a little more about one of the things that’s a main focus in my life right now—my yoga teacher training experience at One Down Dog in Los Angeles. 🙂
As you know, I’ve been practicing regularly at ODD for about three years now (which is crazy, and awesome!), so it was the perfect next step for me to sign up for the training and further my knowledge of yoga overall (and eventually get to teach).
I started the course on Jan. 31 and it runs until June 9, meeting every other Thursday evening, and Saturday and Sunday (full days).
I decided this was the best training for me because not only is it taught through ODD (my home away from home), it works well with my full-time work schedule and also brings so much variety when it comes to yoga styles, instructors, readings and learnings. Although I would have LOVED to have taken an intensive course (one that you complete in a couple weeks by attending full-time—and maybe even somewhere super exotic or unique), I just didn’t have the schedule that’d allow for that.
In case you’re curious, in order to graduate with a yoga teacher certificate this June from ODD, I’m required to attend all the training days, take at least three yoga classes a week, shadow ten classes as an “observer”, take at least one class taught by each of the course instructors (6), read and write a book report, present a final project about a passion I have, and keep up with the readings and homework that’s due weekly. Phew! Yes, it’s a lot and I won’t lie… I am going to be BU-SY between this and my fast-paced day job, but I feel this is going to be so good for me and offer so much more to my life.
I almost feel like I’m back in school (which I love, because I’ve always enjoyed school/educational environments). 😂 I have a full backpack, I’m meeting new friends I probably never would have met otherwise, I’m taking notes and reading, and I’m coming home with a full brain that’s absorbing all this new, exciting information.
Weekend 1 was a whirlwind. I’m still sort of coming down off of the high of it. I basically wasn’t home much at all this weekend, just for a quick dinner and sleep. 😁
Between Thursday night and last night, I’ve just been sitting with all these new learnings (and spots of soreness haha)!
Here’s a little sneak of what I learned during Week 1:
– Yoga Philosophy (history, darshanas, branches of yoga)
-What IS yoga? And, how do we define it ourselves?
-What is “Sadhana” and how to incorporate it into your daily life.
-How to flow on your own for 30 minutes.
-What I’m going to get out of this experience.
-Mantra meditations like “So hum” which means “I am that” or “I am that, which is.”
-How yoga is not only a present practice but how it prepares us for “what’s to come.”
-The pose “Tadasana” and how it serves as the basis of our asana practice.
-How to give simple cues for Tadasna as an instructor.
-The Yoga Sutras (chapters 1 & 2) and what they mean.
-The 8 Limbs of Yoga (including the yamas and niyamas)
Also during the first week, we practiced two very different and challenging yoga flows on the mat—the Day 2 one was more chill (and lovely with the sound of the rain as the backdrop), and the Day 3 practice was more rooted in anatomy and stretches against the wall. Both were killer and this morning, I am surely feeling it (in a good way).
I’ve already met some really incredible people there. Everyone is so unique and passionate about yoga, which is awesome. There are 21 of us in all—all with different backgrounds, yoga experiences, jobs, and outlooks. I can already tell that this group is going to bond like no other. Like I said, it feels like school. You just gradually get a little closer to those who are studying alongside you and taking the same journey.
My goals through this course are not only to learn a ton more about yoga but eventually, to teach (though that kind of terrifies me too 🙀). I just feel like I would get so much out of teaching something that I love, and everything about yoga (the asana practice, the meditation, the mindfulness, the discipline) has spoken to me since the time that I first stepped on the mat.
READ: More On How I Found Yoga
I gotta say, I already love this training so much, and getting to know some pretty amazing instructors in brand new ways. There’s SO much to learn and I’m just barely scraping the surface of it.
If you’ve ever completed your yoga teacher training, I’d love to hear from you. And if you’re thinking about signing up someday, let’s chat too! I’m happy to share more of my journey in the weeks and months ahead.
READ: What To Expect Out Of Your First Yoga Class
Thanks for joining this ride with me!
Have a great week friends,
Ari
P.S. I’ll totally let you know once I’m teaching and you can come take a class… but it will be a lil bit. 😉
