Summer of last year, I heard about this yoga teacher training that was going on at the studio.  I was all about it but the price really discouraged me- not because it wouldn’t be worth it.. but because we had just bought a house and the timing didn’t seem right.  But really, when would the timing ever be right?  There’s always something else to pay for.. something else to worry about… but I wasn’t going to let the doubts stop me this time.  I jumped in- fears and all- and started the Backwards Yoga teacher training program in October of 2017.  This is not your average weekend training… but 200 hours over the period of 6 months.  Its been many weekends spent with a small group of yogis that are just as passionate as I am for bringing yoga to the lives of others.

As a group I don’t know if we could have any more differences.  We all bring something unique to the table through our jobs, points in life, relationships, experiences, passions, diets, and reasons for entering the YTT program.  Yet we have taken the sometimes dry material of positioning the anatomy of a human.. and made it come to life through laughter, tears, and literally changing lives along the way.

Since being diagnosed with Spondylolisthesis, I’ve known yoga needed to be a big part of my life forever so I wasn’t full of pain from my lower back.  I’ve always had a passion for teaching people, so teaching yoga seemed like a natural part of that, although its a bit nerve-racking to hear your own voice for an hour at a time.  Being a part of such an amazing group of people who I know truly have my back has been life-changing.  Everyone in my teacher training program I didn’t know well to begin with- practiced yoga with but that was about it… and now I would consider them very dear friends.

There’s something about yoga that changes you outside of becoming more “flexible”.  You learn how to let go in other aspects of life too, becoming a more calm person no matter the situation.  I feel more in control even when things are out of my control now.. because I know I am in charge of my thoughts and how I feel.  Exploring the philosophies and knowing where yoga comes from has been fascinating.  Being able to explore different topics like pre-natal yoga, aerial yoga, Ashtanga yoga, sequencing for different ailments, modifications for different bodies, etc. has been amazing.  Being within this group I feel motivated to keep up with my practice, pay attention to what’s going on, and be on top of our classes/homework/etc.  Outside of learning to teach yoga, this has taught me more about myself than probably any other thing I’ve been through in life.

Although its been more intensive at times than earning my bachelor’s degree.. it has truly been so rewarding and FUN.  We’ve had so many cool people teach us their specialties in yoga, and we’ve built our own teacher palettes with what we enjoy learning about as well.  If any of you are considering doing the YTT program (I believe another one is coming up in the fall) PLEASE talk to me or anybody else from our group if you need any encouragement or have questions.  It has been beyond amazing and whether you intend to teach or not, its something you should really consider doing!

Namaste, Angela

So, I’ve been doing the whole teacher training thing since October.  Of course we’ve taken turns “teaching” to each other and I perform enough that I’m past the whole “my voice sounds weird” stage of public speaking and now I’m more concerned about the content falling out of my mouth.  Tuesday night I taught my first official class.. as in people paid good money to be here type class.  I was super nervous- at first I thought no one would come, then a whole bunch of people showed up, then I had five brand new yogis, then I felt like running out of the studio!  But for real.. it was amazing.

Most everything I had written on my notes I either forgot or didn’t apply to the people that were in the room.. I wasn’t going to throw them into half moon during their first class!  Plus my mom and dad came.. they were already “concerned” about the 105 degree room… let alone trying any pose that was too intimidating.  We all got through it together and much like when I’m taking a class- my favorite part was feeling the energy in the room become new again.

There were 12 of us in there including me and its amazing to think of all the life experiences that we shared and had unique to each one of us.  We all have different bodies, different needs, different pasts, and wanted to get something different out of class.  I think that will continue to be one of the most difficult parts of teaching- giving so many different people enough of what they need that they feel fulfillment from coming to my class.  By the end we were all sweating- but not dying- which is always a good balance to find.  We breathed together in child’s pose and it really felt like we were all one.  Sounds a bit far-fetched, but this is yoga after-all.

After handling that first class and hearing that everyone enjoyed it- I feel ready for anything.  I don’t think I’ll be afraid to ask “any requests?” like I need to keep my eyes glued to my notes.  I hope to keep expanding my knowledge so that when someone has something specific- like say a piriformis muscle that’s acting up… I feel confident on building a sequence to help them.  Even if that means figuring it out on the fly.  That being said, come try it out with me folks!  I’ll be teaching every Monday 6:30-7:30pm, Tuesdays 7:00-8:00pm, and rotating through some other times as well (like this Friday 5:30-6:15am).  I also need some teaching hours outside of the studio for my teacher training (8 more to be exact) so I’ll be accepting some small group sessions given to you in your home for FREE!  Feel free to talk to me at the studio or message me through Facebook if you’d be interested in having me teach an hour for you and friends all for free- we can work on anything you need!

Namaste, Angela

I have to tell you guys I was a little nervous going into my first Turbokick class the other night at Backwards.  I didn’t know the instructor and I also didn’t know what “turbokick” entailed.  Walking into the studio it was FILLED with energy and a bunch of women who also didn’t know what they were doing… *sigh of relief*.  Our instructor Jess walked in who was all smiles and had so much energy- we were ready.  The class started with some pop music and basic punches, hits, and kicks… there were some skiing arms movements, running man move, and jumping jacks for good measure.

There’s not much I can say about the class other than it was totally out of my comfort zone and it rocked!  I didn’t know what I was doing but it was just as much fun (and a workout!) fumbling through as it was if I was a seasoned vet.  We’ve got some more of Jess’ classes coming up at the studio- like Buti Yoga (like tribal dance… it sounds amazing) and I can’t wait to let her take me from my safe comfort zone again!  Its a huge change from the calm of a yoga class, but sometimes you’ve got to let your wild side take over- where better to do that on a Friday night than Backwards Yoga?!

Namaste, Angela

Well folks, its January 3rd and I’ve been accomplishing my “New Year’s Resolution” for a whopping 48 hours now.  I’m not usually one to post ahead of time what my goals are… maybe an internal fear of not being able to reach it, or maybe I don’t like admitting where I’ve been slipping up for a while… but here it is, I’m trying the Whole 30 for the month of January.

Whoa, let me rephrase, I’m DOING the Whole 30 for the WHOLE month of January.  No dairy, no legumes, no sugar, no alcohol… none of the fun stuff really.  This for me has little to do with “diet” but rather getting away from a huge problem I have with identifying myself by things I’m attached to.

How many of us wake up and “need” coffee?  Maybe we “need” a drink after work?  “Need” ranch on our salad?  “Need” cheese to survive?  I know I have fallen into these categories… and after spending some time reading about the Yoga Sutras (would HIGHLY recommend for all you yogis!) they mentioned this “vairagya”.  At first it seemed like some kind of pill you take, but turns out its actually the ability to stop identifying with our thoughts and see ourselves for who we really are.  Our body exists in the material world, but our soul goes far beyond what we can see and possess.  I want to feel what its like to be in control of what I eat.  I know that sounds silly- but if someone offers me a trip to Whitey’s… I will go, skip yoga, and pay for it!

Now I’m all about balance in life (being a yogi and all) but I’ve realized just how unbalanced my life has become.  Food for me has become a prison, I don’t know what to eat, what makes my body feels good, or even to try new things because I’m so concerned with eating right when I’m hungry.

This 30 day challenge I hope to learn what to eat, how it makes my body feel, any intolerances I might have to certain foods, the ability to control my cravings, and overall to get closer to the idea of vairagya.  I don’t want to be known as the ice cream addict… I want to be known for how kind and helpful I can be.  I want to build those traits and not spend my time, energy, and money off of quick treats that give me a false sense of self.  Any of this sound familiar?  Feel free to shoot me a message through my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/angelameyer23) if you’d be interested in trying to join me for your own Whole 30 or let me know your thoughts on this post!

Namaste, Angela