Posted by Rima Thierry, Zobha Grace of Giving Scholarship Recipient
“Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.” – Basho, “Narrow Road to the Interior”
With my first week of Pure Yoga Teacher Training under my belt, I feel more grateful than ever to be on this amazing journey to becoming a yoga teacher. We began our first day of class as many classes often begin, with introductions. It was inspirational to hear what brought many of the students to yoga- “yoga saved my life” someone said. Another student described how her practice has helped her cope with her debilitating disease, and how she was hoping to ultimately teach yoga to other people with this disease. As each person spoke it became clear that I was surrounded by remarkable classmates and teachers who shared one common thread, their love and dedication to yoga.
As the evening progressed we were asked to consider and create two lists; the first was a list of things that were holding us back in our life, and the second was a list of our “intentions” for our teacher training. After narrowing our lists down to one or two words, we each lit a candle and stated what we were letting go of and what our intention was for the next 10 weeks. It was through this exercise that I determined I was letting go of my fear, and approaching my practice and my life with courage, selflessness, and compassion.
The rest of our weekend was just as inspiring. We delved into yoga philosophy, began breaking down asanas, and even started teaching. Each day has been filled with several “ah-hah” moments, and I am quickly realizing just how much I have to learn. While I am only one week into my ten week journey I can already tell that my practice is blossoming, and my inner teacher is beginning to emerge. Very exciting!!
Om shanti
