Accept where you are.
Accept where you are in the pose. Accept where you are in your practice. Accept where you are. This is probably the most important lesson I've learnt during week one of Yoga Teacher Training - both for my practice and for life - accept where you are and go from there. You are where you are so make the most of it and be present in the moment.
I haven't posted on my blog in a while - I've been distracted by life, work and big life decisions - but under my new mantra that's okay: it is what it is and I accept where I am. However that doesn't mean that I'm not going to pick it up again and make some progress, as the next lesson I've learnt out here also echoes that sentiment - keep going, keep practicing, keep asking questions and you will improve. Again these lessons can most definitely also be applied to life more generally.
So why have I come half way round the world to Goa, India to train to teach yoga? It's a question that I could spend a whole day writing about, but the simplest answer is that yoga helped me to realise that I deserved to be happy, that I could be happy, and that I was in control of my own happiness. Once I realised this I made some huge and difficult life decisions and have been happier than I could only have dreamed of being not so long ago. It's because of this gift that I want to teach yoga. I want to share this knowledge and strength with others so that they too can be in control of their own happiness.
Enough of the soppy stuff (for now!). My reasons for doing the course in Goa are that a) it's the spiritual home of yoga b) it's a really good price and quality of teaching, and c) it's as good an excuse as any to come to India! The school I'm studying at is the Kranti Yoga School in Patnem beach, Goa, and the course I'm doing is a 200 hour Ashtanga yoga teacher training course (YTTC). It's pretty intensive - 200 hours of yoga and learning within 4 weeks - but it is the perfect location and opportunity to fully immerse yourself in the yogic way of life! My accommodation is literally right on the beach - at night I can hear the ocean from my bed and when I step outside my front door there is sand between my toes - it is total bliss. The food is also amazing - we're all on an Ayurvedic diet which is too complicated to even explain in a whole post, but it's basically purely vegetarian and really delicious (I'm not usually a veggie but I'm not missing meat at all out here!).
Despite the idyllic location the course itself is challenging. We do 3 hours of yoga and breathing techniques before breakfast! I think this week the idea was to push us to our limit to make us see how strong we are and how much we can learn in such a short space of time. It is physically tiring, but already I feel like I've adapted to the physical challenges and rhythm out here - but it's also emotionally tiring and that's what I think I'm going to struggle with most. Embarking on a YTTC is not for the faint hearted - you are forced to face your emotions and experiences, to accept them, and to let them go. You must spend a large amount of time in your own mind, constantly checking in with yourself and challenging yourself to be better.
And that's where your fellow students come in. They are the emotional support that you need to get through the course. I've been so blessed this week and have met some incredible fellow yogis - some of whom I can already tell will be friends for life. Everyone at YTTC is open and ready to let go of whatever might be holding them back - and trust me, we've all come with our baggage and emotional crap. And that's okay. You accept where you are and go from there.
So that's a whistle stop tour of my YTTC week one, but I just wanted to share it as I think it'll be a really interesting journey - one which I hope I can use when I get home to benefit my friends, family and anyone else who wants to try yoga.
Two final lessons I've learnt this week that I want to share with you all is that you are stronger than you think you are and that light can come out of darkness. There are a particular few friends have experienced a lot of pain this week and may need this message more than others right now - hopefully you can read this. Light will come come out of the darkness. Just keep smiling and sharing the love.
I'm writing this from my iPad and am struggling to upload pictures to accompany the post, but if you want to see what I've been up to then check out my Instagram: lucyvictoriajackson
If you have any questions about yoga, India, life please just ask :)
Namaste y'all!
Love Lucy x
Accept where you are in the pose. Accept where you are in your practice. Accept where you are. This is probably the most important lesson I've learnt during week one of Yoga Teacher Training - both for my practice and for life - accept where you are and go from there. You are where you are so make the most of it and be present in the moment.
I haven't posted on my blog in a while - I've been distracted by life, work and big life decisions - but under my new mantra that's okay: it is what it is and I accept where I am. However that doesn't mean that I'm not going to pick it up again and make some progress, as the next lesson I've learnt out here also echoes that sentiment - keep going, keep practicing, keep asking questions and you will improve. Again these lessons can most definitely also be applied to life more generally.
So why have I come half way round the world to Goa, India to train to teach yoga? It's a question that I could spend a whole day writing about, but the simplest answer is that yoga helped me to realise that I deserved to be happy, that I could be happy, and that I was in control of my own happiness. Once I realised this I made some huge and difficult life decisions and have been happier than I could only have dreamed of being not so long ago. It's because of this gift that I want to teach yoga. I want to share this knowledge and strength with others so that they too can be in control of their own happiness.
Enough of the soppy stuff (for now!). My reasons for doing the course in Goa are that a) it's the spiritual home of yoga b) it's a really good price and quality of teaching, and c) it's as good an excuse as any to come to India! The school I'm studying at is the Kranti Yoga School in Patnem beach, Goa, and the course I'm doing is a 200 hour Ashtanga yoga teacher training course (YTTC). It's pretty intensive - 200 hours of yoga and learning within 4 weeks - but it is the perfect location and opportunity to fully immerse yourself in the yogic way of life! My accommodation is literally right on the beach - at night I can hear the ocean from my bed and when I step outside my front door there is sand between my toes - it is total bliss. The food is also amazing - we're all on an Ayurvedic diet which is too complicated to even explain in a whole post, but it's basically purely vegetarian and really delicious (I'm not usually a veggie but I'm not missing meat at all out here!).
Despite the idyllic location the course itself is challenging. We do 3 hours of yoga and breathing techniques before breakfast! I think this week the idea was to push us to our limit to make us see how strong we are and how much we can learn in such a short space of time. It is physically tiring, but already I feel like I've adapted to the physical challenges and rhythm out here - but it's also emotionally tiring and that's what I think I'm going to struggle with most. Embarking on a YTTC is not for the faint hearted - you are forced to face your emotions and experiences, to accept them, and to let them go. You must spend a large amount of time in your own mind, constantly checking in with yourself and challenging yourself to be better.
And that's where your fellow students come in. They are the emotional support that you need to get through the course. I've been so blessed this week and have met some incredible fellow yogis - some of whom I can already tell will be friends for life. Everyone at YTTC is open and ready to let go of whatever might be holding them back - and trust me, we've all come with our baggage and emotional crap. And that's okay. You accept where you are and go from there.
So that's a whistle stop tour of my YTTC week one, but I just wanted to share it as I think it'll be a really interesting journey - one which I hope I can use when I get home to benefit my friends, family and anyone else who wants to try yoga.
Two final lessons I've learnt this week that I want to share with you all is that you are stronger than you think you are and that light can come out of darkness. There are a particular few friends have experienced a lot of pain this week and may need this message more than others right now - hopefully you can read this. Light will come come out of the darkness. Just keep smiling and sharing the love.
I'm writing this from my iPad and am struggling to upload pictures to accompany the post, but if you want to see what I've been up to then check out my Instagram: lucyvictoriajackson
If you have any questions about yoga, India, life please just ask :)
Namaste y'all!
Love Lucy x
Good luck with the training - it sounds intense but I am quite envious. Upping my yoga practice is definitely high on my list for 2015 as it makes me feel so much better. x
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your luck Lily - it really means a lot! It is pretty intense, but is also the most incredible experience, feeling so blessed. Really great to hear that you're upping your yoga practice for 2015 - I hope you enjoy your yoga journey! Let me know if you ever need a teacher when I'm home ;) Love Lucy x
Delete