Author: Â Jess Moore – Winter 2017 Teacher Training Grad, PYC Gtown Teacher & Yogi
On the eve of another 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training, I wanted to share some reflections on my teacher training experience. The program will challenge you in ways you could never expect, with that in mind, here are five ways to maximize your teacher training experience:
Stay Present
I was very nonchalant in my expectations of teacher training, after all, I had done 40 Days to Personal Revolution (twice), so I deemed myself pretty much an expert at sharing. I think I nearly got whiplash the first day of teacher training. I hatched a plan to sneak out of the program. Â Move, maybe to Vancouver, devise another identity and forget the whole idea of a yoga teacher training -it was only then I remembered a friend had been my ride (no exaggeration). Â Stay present, all is well.
Push Yourself to Connect
This community shines so bright when it comes to generating community. Â Iâm telling you, the love in a 200 Hour Teacher Training is fierce. You will find your TT Family and love them hard (there will likely be talk of matching tattoos, coordinating outfits and all boundaries of ridiculousness). Â A homebase is great, but also push yourself to connect someone new at breaks or meals.Â
The Sneaky Thing About Sharing
If any any point you say to yourself âI donât really have a good story to share, Iâll catch the next oneâ, I encourage you automatically stick your hand up. Â There are a lot of next ones, until there isnât, so donât miss the opportunity in front of you. Â We share from the present, so donât sweat all the details or measuring of whether itâs good enough.
Memorize the JIP Early
I was about halfway through the program before I could confidently get to the grounding series of the flow. Â At that point, I realized that I was leaving the memorizing incomplete as an excuse to not get as big as possible in my teaching. Â It gave me something to fall back on, and helped keep me in my comfort zone. In reality, if my brain has the capacity to remember every Kardashian sister and all the characters in the periphery, the JIP should be no problem. Memorizing the Journey into Power sequence is an access to more freedom in the program. Â Â Think about the JIP as an instrument itself, and the 200 Hour Teacher Training program teaches how to play that instrument wholeheartedly.
The Program Works
Itâs as simple as that. Â Each person has their own path through the training, so it can be easy to fall into comparison. Â Why am I not having highly individual and meaningful personal insights on a predetermined timeline?! Â Chill. The program works and extends way beyond your training period, knowing that the program works, relax and know that magic is coming your way.
To the Summer 2018 Yoga Teacher Training Intensive class, Iâm wishing you all the best. Â Enjoy your time at program and see you on the other side!
1.SPACE
This program is challenging because it asks you to get real with about who youâve been and who you want to be in the future. Â Through inquiry, meditation and asana (yoga practice), you be able to create space between your thoughts and will tune in to your innermost compass and be in the experience of creating something new for yourself.
2.NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR BODY
You will gain new insights into your yoga practice as you study the anatomy of yoga, learn the fundamentals of the Journey into Power. Your practice and understanding of your own body will be transformed as you understand the mechanics of movement and how to find your fullest expression.Â
3. REMEMBER HOW TO PLAY
One of the greatest gifts of this program is that it will reunite you with play. Â Maybe youâve been taking yourself too seriously for too long, in this 200 hour yoga teacher training program you will reconnect with what it feels like for explore with curiosity, put your heart into trying new things and encouraging others to play as well.
4.COMMUNITY
Youâll meet your Yoga Family. Â Â These will be the people to cheer you on without question, just like youâll learn to be the loudest one in the room cheering for them. Â They will give of themselves generously and you will too. You will learn to love, celebrate and share fiercely. Do not be surprised when one of you suggests matching tattoos.
5.SURPRISE
Am I really teaching a yoga class right now? Â Am I really doing a handstand right now? Am I really sharing in front of the group right now? Am I really moving past by bullshit? Â Am I really up to something bigger than myself? YES.
Author: Roman Tataryn, Power Yoga Canada Teacher & PYC Etobicoke Yogi
Hi, Roman here, where do I start? My life before yoga was very much grey, filled with work and parties, and that was all I cared for. On top of that, about half a year before joining the Power Yoga Canada Etobicoke studio, my family-life started to collapse resulting in a breakup with my significant other. Common experience or not, I took it very close to heart. I thought of myself as failure of a man and husband, and slowly began sinking towards bottom. The depression that I was hiding from everybody, drinking problems, weight gain and health issues started to show up in my life. It all seemed like a never-ending nightmare until a rainy Tuesday, March 22nd. I had neglected my health and when people suggested yoga, I made the excuse that âyoga is not for me, yoga is for girlsâ.
I walked into Power Yoga Canada Etobicoke and my opinion changed after only one hour of a really sweaty class lead by Susan. I was stunned by how great I felt after class, so I started to practice 4-5 times a week, and signed up for 40 Days to Personal Revolution. Slowly but surely, I started to see results; I started feeling stronger, confident, losing weight at the same time. One of the most important things that started to happen was that I started to love the life I was living at the moment.
A magical thing then happened when I went on a trip to Iceland. I was sitting on a rock on the seashore, listening to the waves crashing (it was like meditating, but better) and the thought that I should take the 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training came into my head. Shortly after, I took my first steps towards my goal; I took my Assisting Intensive Training and Teacher Training quickly after.
As I am writing this, I realize that a little more than two years have passed since I started this journey. Was there a grand change in my physical body? The answer to that is YES, but that’s not all. The most important change was how I was able to shift my perspective from material things that used to matter the most to me, to the things that actually make me happy. The practice itself brings awareness to the whole body, to what surrounds you, it shows you how to live in the present moment on the mat and how to bring it with you into the real world.
What I found in this studio was a second family. I found people that support each other and make a stand for one another. Our studio gets together to celebrate happy moments like theyâre their own, as well as supporting people in the challenges they are facing. I was able to meet some of the most amazing people and they have become my very close and precious friends. I could never say thank enough to Susan and John for creating such an amazing community that literally draws people in. I am very grateful for the opportunity to share my story with all of PYC. I hope that my story can help any student realize their potential. Change is scary, and I know it but, with a little curiosity we are capable of things that we never thought we could do. With utmost love and gratitude, Namaste.
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