Meet Monica, a recent YTT Graduate that took her first yoga class at CPY and will soon be teaching as a RYT.
I fell in love with yoga after the very first time I did a full class at Carolina Power Yoga. Prior, I had done a little bit of yoga here and there with the help of online videos and books. Yet, doing classes at CPY allowed me to really understand Vinyasa yoga and it really called out to me. I soon knew I wanted to become a yoga teacher and when the opportunity presented itself, I registered for the yoga teacher training program and I am very glad that I did!
The first week of my training was the hardest, by far. I was not used to doing up to four classes a day yet this was a yoga immersion and it truly was. My body was feeling sorer than ever, but I took it as a positive change that my body needed and continued on with my training. I remember telling myself you are strong, you are healthy, you can do this, and I did!
Trainees we encouraged to maintain a vegetarian diet throughout our teacher training experience. I figured I would try it since I had been vegetarian for 6 months when I was a teenager without a problem and it seemed like a good time to clean up my diet. It has been 2 and half months since then and I am still a happy vegetarian and I am so thankful that the opportunity was presented to me and I took it. I love having a clean diet and understanding what I am putting in my body so that I can deepen that connection with my body, especially while I am practicing yoga.
We also watched great informative movies during the teacher training on the yogic lifestyle, different styles of yoga, anatomy and yoga. I really enjoyed watching the movies especially after doing 3 classes a day. However, after the first week we stopped watching movies and dug into the books and the manual.
One of the books we read was called “The Four Agreements” and it is an amazing read! The agreements are: Be impeccable with your word, don’t take anything personally, don’t make any assumptions, and always do your best. We followed these agreements as best as we could throughout our training and it allowed us to be happier, more compassionate and loving with ourselves and with each other. I still apply these four agreements to my everyday life even today, and I am grateful to have been introduced to them during my teacher training!
During the second week we made a visit to the animal shelter to pet the kitties and walk the dogs to gain good karma. This was one of my favorite things we did during our training. We shared love and compassion with the animals and it made us feel great to give them attention and love. I am going to start volunteering at my local animal center soon to give back to the animals because of this experience!
The last two weeks of my training I felt my body becoming the strongest it has ever been before. I noticed my skin started looking healthier and that it had a natural glow to it, even my hair looked shinier. I had gained a lot of strength in my legs, upper body, torso, arms, shoulders, and many other places. I started feeling stronger, more confident, and all around happier with myself and my body. It is amazing how yoga changes your body and your life.
I did a few practice classes with my friends before my final and it allowed me to feel confident when I did my teaching demo. My friends are very happy for me and proud of me for finishing this teacher training program. They support me and are inspired by me and want to attend my classes. This makes me feel amazing because that is why I wanted to teach yoga in the first place; so that I could inspire others to become healthier, stronger, more energetic, and so that they could connect with their body mind and spirit, in the same way that I have by practicing yoga.
