How A Yoga Teacher Training Can Improve Your Practice
I have been practicing yoga for the past ten years and recently finished a yoga teacher training and I must say that I am so glad I did! Because I have been practicing yoga for so long, I thought that there was really no point in taking a yoga certification program because I am not looking to teach yoga professionally. But did you know there are such things as yoga immersion programs?
I first discovered yoga when I was eighteen years old when I was in a really bad place in my life. I was depressed, overweight, having a terrible time in school, my boyfriend just broke up with me, and well….you can hear the violin strings playing in the background. Yes, my life was on a downhill slope to loser land and a friend of mine introduced me to yoga. Honestly, I saw yoga as some hippie dippy thing where we were all going to chant and I thought I was going to have to do some weird ritual.
Suffice it to say I took my first yoga class and have been addicted ever since. After my first practice I decided to completely immerse myself in yoga and try every style out there. I tried hatha, ashtanga, Bikram, kundalini,anusara, you name it and I tried it. So after ten years of doing yoga, I really thought that I was at the peak of my game. I can hold any pose imaginable with grace and integrity and I even help some of my friends with their yoga practice.
But honestly I have no intention of becoming a yoga teacher professionally. I mean, I love yoga and all but I also enjoy the amount of money I make at my job. Teaching yoga does not afford me the lifestyle I want but it does afford me the health I want. Sort of ironic huh?
Well, I have seen lots of these yoga teacher training programs advertised in the studios I practice in and paid no attention since I am not looking to build a yoga career. However after speaking with a friend of mine who finished her yoga teacher training, she had told me how the program really took her practice to a whole other level. She was telling me how that by doing one of these programs it really helped her see yoga from a whole other perspective.
Well, I signed up and took my first teacher training program and am so glad I did. It really did teach me things about yoga I would have never learned from a yoga class. A yoga class is great for a consistent health regimen. But a yoga teacher training program really kicked my butt and took my practice to newer heights and I am so glad I did!
Comment
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Comment by Ellen Hur on August 4, 2011 at 7:02am -
You are so welcome! You are going to have an amazing time. The people there are so friendly and it really is just gorgeous. Practicing yoga there and taking my yoga teacher training was just bliss for me. Oh and def check out the Gilligan Islands! There is one island that has like 40 people max on it where you can walk around the entire thing in a couple of hours and you basically have the place to yourself. I like to pretend I was shipwrecked.
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Comment by Blooming Lotus Jewelry on August 3, 2011 at 8:04pm -
You ROCK! Thanks for the pointers!!! Bugs do LOVE my blood so i'll be sure to pack the good stuff!! Motorcyles...I can do without. Ubud...YES!!! Desa Sani...never heard of but YES again!! Dogs...LOVE :) It's going to be the best experience ever!!! ;)
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Comment by Ellen Hur on August 3, 2011 at 3:04pm
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Yeah, doing yoga and taking my yoga teacher training there was awesome. Just two things if you have never been:
Mosquitos - As much as I wish that the natural repellent would work...it doesn't. If you are prone to bites like I am, get real repellent.
Motorcycles - While it seems really fun at first, it is very dangerous. Lots of horror stories. Take a cab.
Ubud - Make sure you go and check out their art scene
Desa Sani - Great place!
Dogs - Hope you like em because they are everywhere!
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Comment by Blooming Lotus Jewelry on August 3, 2011 at 2:59pm
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A M A Z I N G !!!!! I am planning on going on the Ashley Albrand Yoga Retreat in Bali in April :D I cannot wait! Never been there. That's amazing you did it out there! WOW!!!
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Comment by Ellen Hur on August 3, 2011 at 2:58pm
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Bali : ) I know...poor me huh?
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Comment by Blooming Lotus Jewelry on August 3, 2011 at 2:42pm
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Ellen if you don't mind sharing...where did you do your YTT? NYC or northern NJ by any chance? :)
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Comment by Ellen Hur on August 3, 2011 at 2:26pm
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Yes I highly recommend it! The great thing about it is that it changes your perspective in your own yoga practice because in many ways, you then become your own teacher. As long as you know how to look outside yourself, then it helps tremendously. Just make sure you find a good one because they are not all the same and I have heard some negative stories from friends.
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Comment by Blooming Lotus Jewelry on August 3, 2011 at 7:46am
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You just made me more excited to eventually do my YTT :)
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