#yogastory: what do you expect of a yoga teacher training?
I’m embarking on the DC/MD training August 2015 — am I excited? There’s not quite a word that accurately captures my feelings… Elated? Maybe — Eager? Yes. — Exploding with joy? Absolutely. One of the questions on the teacher training application for evolation is the following: What do you expect of a yoga teacher training?
what do I expect of a yoga teacher training?
On my home studio door and many other studios I have seen the words: “No Ego, No Expectations”. That’s my approach to my upcoming yoga teacher training with evolation. Truthfully, I am going in with an open heart, pliable mind and receptive physical body to the actual experience in totality. I want to be able to connect with others who share a love for the practice of yoga and all of the benefits that come along in the process. To be able to practice with, teach to, engage with, share meals amongst, and share space alongside a group of individuals for an immersion will be incredible, to say the least. To take that one step further, being able to create dialogue and learning from others will truly be invaluable. I hope to celebrate the achievement of teacher training but I would like to learn more about myself in the process—in other words, the certification at the end is the icing on top, but the experience throughout will take the cake [ p.s. is there cake? ]. I hope to bond with other teachers and connect and maintain contact with them as a network of friends. I hope to refine my teaching style and hone in on skills that are both the tangible, technical skills as well as intangible “soft” skills. What I hope most of all is that I can be authentic, transparent, genuine with others and bring my positivity and share that zest with others.
I expect to leave it open
Having a sunny disposition and an optimistic outlook will help me feel at ease in preparation for training. I know that I will get the butterflies-in-my-stomach feeling as training nears: I welcome this! I read somewhere that you can reassign feelings of anxiety for excitement [read: positive psychology]. The two are usually similar in physiological processes (increased heart rate, sweaty palms, that “thrill”-like feeling). If a person is anxious about something, they normally tend to gravitate toward the endless list of things that can go wrong. In contrast, those who reframe the anxiety and tell themselves that is excitement, a person will tend to think of all of the things that can go right! Much of disappointment is produced by expectations unmet. That being said, the less expectations, the less of the comparison to “what I pictured” versus “what actually happened”: which means overall less disparity between the two. I am excited for training and for all of the learning & opportunity to unfold in front of my eyes and within my heart. Open mind, open heart.
Keala Mason
Keala Mason lives in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She teaches at three local studios and travels through a national organization to teach group fitness instructors how to teach various formats of exercise. Currently Keala teaches hot yoga, vinyasa yoga, TRX, barre & anything that requires movement! She has her master’s from James Madison University in Kinesiology and continues to teach at the university.