This week, we are sharing a video diary from Emily Tsay, Grace of Giving Scholarship winner, from her first 2 weeks of yoga teacher training. Zobha awarded the Grace of Giving Scholarship to Emily Tsay to study in the Pure Yoga Teacher Training at Equinox in Summer 2011. Over the next several weeks, Emily will be sharing her experiences with us.
We are now accepting applications for candidates in the Pure Yoga Teacher Training program this Fall at any participating Equinox or Pure Yoga through August 5, 2011. To apply, go here:
Zobha awards the Grace of Giving Scholarship to Emily Tsay, based in Los Angeles, CA to study in the Pure Yoga Teacher Training at Equinox in Summer 2011. We are incredibly grateful to introduce Emily. Here she shares her passion for yoga and aspirations to provide yoga to under-served communities.
Posted by Emily Tsay.
On What Grace Means To You
I think grace is something that we continuously develop throughout our lives. It comes from developing confidence, being in-tune with the love for oneself and the love for others, and maintaining a mindset of self-efficacy. When these components are in harmony with each other, grace will naturally emanate from our spirit.
On Finding Yoga
When I was younger, yoga helped me build confidence, since it is so empowering and strengthening to the spirit. Yoga has always been an important and influential part of my life. Becoming a yoga teacher will help me to share this passion with others.
On Emily’s Involvement with non-profit organizations
I love empowering people to be “agents of change” in their lives, to develop self-esteem, self- efficacy, and demonstrating they have the tools to achieve their goals. Teaching has been an outlet for this desire to instill change, to love, to create, to empower.
It has invigorated me so much that I spent a summer in Tanzania teaching at a school for orphans. As a pre-med student, I was aware of the need for health education in Africa. I taught orphans about disease transmission and prevention.
In September 2011, I will be moving to Taipei, Taiwan to work with a non-profit organization to help the Taiwanese Indigenous People (TIP), who have long been a marginalized group in Taiwan society.
Since yoga has been a panacea for physical, spiritual, and mental health in my life, this has always been something I have wanted to share with other people. When I go to Taiwan next year, I would like to provide free yoga classes for the Taiwanese Indigenous People, to share yoga as a tool to counteract some of their stressors in their life.
On Receiving Grace of Giving Scholarship
I am super excited about receiving the Zobha Grace of Giving Scholarship!!! It has been a dream of mine to share my passion for yoga, and I am so thankful to Zobha for helping me realize this dream. I also feel honored to be part of the Zobha community. I admire all the work the Zobha Foundation has done in bringing yoga to under-resourced communities. I’m glad I can be an extension of Zobha’s mission when I share the benefits of yoga with the Taiwanese Indigenous People.
Stay connected with Emily on her teacher training journey as we share her experiences at Pure Yoga Teacher Training at Equinox in Los Angeles on the Zobha Blog.
Zobha Founder and CEO, Jamie Hanna, was profoundly influenced by her own yoga teacher training and continues to be inspired by the many talented individuals who choose to make teaching yoga a career. The Grace of Giving Scholarship is a part of our broader effort to give back to the yoga community and make yoga accessible to all.
Hear what Jamie has to say about her vision and what the Grace of Giving Scholarship means to her.
Rima Thierry based in Los Angeles, CA has been awarded the Grace of Giving Scholarship to study in the Pure Teacher Training at Equinox in Fall 2010. We are incredibly grateful to introduce Rima. Here she shares her life experiences through her video and touching essay:
On Finding Yoga
“I often tell my friends and family that I figure out my life on my yoga mat. For some reason, just unrolling my mat – the sound of it unsticking, the smell of my yoga studio – helps me come to my breath and realize that everything is as it should be. I hold my practice close to my heart, and feel most myself when in my yoga clothes, barefoot, on my mat, with beads of sweat dripping down my nose. It is hard for me to choose a favorite asana, because as I’m sure many yogis experience, my body craves different poses depending on the day. One of the asanas that connects me most to my inner grace is King Dancer Pose, or Natarajasana. Natarajasana allows me to feel tall and graceful, and with my chest expanded and my heart open I find that it creates an amazing amount of space for my breath. At the same time, being a balancing pose, King Dancer demands an immense amount of focus. As it is often the case with balancing poses, the pose allows me to truly assess the condition of my mind and my body on that particular day. Natarajasana will always check me if I am pushing too hard, or thinking about what to cook for dinner during my practice. It demands me to slow my practice down, and soak in all the goodness yoga has to offer. In King Dancer I am long and graceful, and my heart is open the world and all its opportunities.”
On Rima’s Involvement with Medical Relief Work
“I have been involved in medical relief work for the last five years, coordinating treatment for sick children who cannot afford and/or do not have access to health care. I am planning on incorporate my yoga training in my volunteer/ not-for-profit work and using my teacher training to bring yoga to people that may not otherwise have access to it, or may not seek it out themselves. I am especially interested in providing sick children and their caregivers the tools to overcome their challenges through the mindfulness and wellness practices grounded in yoga.”
On Receiving Grace of Giving Scholarship
“I am incredibly honored and grateful to have received the Zobha Grace of Giving Scholarship. My yoga practice means so much to me, and I am excited to finally be able to pass the gift of yoga on to others. I hope to approach my teacher training as I approach my practice- with patience and non-judgment, a quiet mind, and an open heart.”
Stay connected with Rima on her teacher training journey as we share her experiences at Pure Yoga Teacher Training at Equinox in Los Angeles, CA.
