first week in a training – learning to let go
looking back at week one
We have reached the end of the first week of Evolation Training here in Melbourne, and the sun is shining! For me this week has been about learning to let go and ALLOW MYSELF to simply eat sleep and breathe yoga and not worry about my kids back at home in New Zealand missing Mummy. 3 more weeks and I will be back with them and back amongst the chaos, so this really is a golden time to be appreciated and savoured. As Mums, and often as humans, we are not used to putting ourselves first. In the real (unreal?) world ‘Selfish’ is a bad word, whereas here we are learning the importance of putting on our own oxygen masks first. I have been choosing consciously when I will turn the data on and briefly check in with home, instead of automatically reaching for my phone every time we break. As someone who usually has to charge up their iPhone 2-3 times a day, I was shocked to return to the apartment at dinner-time on Friday and discover my phone still had 90% battery. How much of our lives are wasted being elsewhere instead of in the now? How many minutes a day spent choosing the appropriate emoticon? How much of our lives do we fritter voyeuristically stalking somebody else’s? Every moment is precious. Do these gadgets really make our lives easier, or do they complicate them beyond belief?
Another thing I am trying to throw in the bottom of my yoga bag, under this morning’s wet towel is “the whip”. I have a few fresh wounds this week, from messing up my Asana Essentials in Teaching Clinic, from sitting out a Standing Bow, from not having the right answer to the question at the right time. Why do I judge myself so critically? Especially when my course mates and teachers have been nothing but supportive, encouraging and kind. We could learn a lot about how to treat ourselves from how we treat each other.
learning to let go of everything
So there are my thoughts at the end of week one. Let go of the Mummy Guilt. Let go of the iphone. Let go of the Self Fladulation! I have also let go of coffee, but I’m not ready to talk about it !!
At the top, there is a photo of the 6 of us learning our lines by the lake and breaking into spontaneous Asana …..
Pictured from left to right: Sonja Garurasana / K-Kat Dandayamana Dhanurasana / Emmanuelle Tadasana / James Utkatasana / Sara Dandayamana Dhanurasana / and C-Cat Trikonasana
Emmanuelle Gomez
Emmanuelle is from Dunedin, New Zealand. When she is not in the hot room she enjoys music, sunshine and spending time with her 4 beautiful children. She is writing about her yoga teacher training experience while in the 250 hour yoga teacher training Melbourne.