Day 5, by Kristy Alpert
If I’m honest with myself (and anyone reading this blog), I’d have to admit that when I first signed up for this training with Yandara, I was a bit nervous that I would get tired of doing nothing but practicing/studying/seeing/breathing yoga every day. Like most in my generation (or modern society for that matter), I like to dabble. I love my yoga practice, but I also like to do some cardio here and there, meditate on occasion, eat healthy, splurge, etc.
The beauty of Yandara’s program is that it is so much more than just practicing to become a great workout instructor; I’m learning all the aspects of yoga and how it affects the body, mind, and soul. Every session has been a complete surprise and totally different than the one before. Not only have we switched from flow to yin to tai chi fusion, but we’ve also done meditation sitting, standing, and walking along the beach. Our teacher workshops have ranged from teaching time, lectures/tips on owning a small business, while satsang practices have included everything from singing and mediation to watching inspirational movies, and even full on “bust it out” dance parties.
I feel like a broken record saying that this experience is like nothing I expected (and I expected it to be pretty amazing), but it has exceeded every single one of my expectations in every aspect. I thought I was going to be at risk of getting “yoga’d out,” but everything so far has only served to deepen my interest to learn more and better myself in body, mind, and soul. We’ll see if that keeps up in the next 11 days to come!
Packing tip of the day: Wristwatch. Since teacher trainees are encouraged not to use their phones or WiFi for the training, you’ll probably end up leaving your phone in your purse or bag during the day. If you don’t already wear one, it’s a good idea to get a wristwatch so you can make sure you’re on time for all the sessions and meals.
