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