Reflections on the last 10 years after Yoga Teacher training
A Decade of Growth and Transformation
Lessons Learned and Wisdom Gained
10yrs on and I am still teaching yoga and loving the journey. I can’t imagine life without it. Becoming a teacher has to be one of the most enriching and fulfilling things I have ever done.
Yoga has empowered me to look inwards, while empowering and inspiring me to live life on my terms, while being at peace with my choices and my own path. This life I have chosen has allowed me to live a life of freedom.
I still get butterflies in my stomach and that sense of uncomfortableness everytime I’m about to enter the yoga room. That's a sign that I’m on track and that I am FULLY ALIVE.
To be honest, I was so scared of signing up for training, it felt like a huge investment for me at that point in my life. I had no job and no idea of what I was doing, but what I did know is that I loved yoga and the way it made me feel.
Like they say: “If nothing moves, nothing changes”
So, fast forward a few months later I bought a one-way ticket to the USA and opened myself up to whatever life had waiting for me.
I completed my first teacher training with evolation yoga in Buffalo, New York not long after my 30th birthday. The training was intense, more than I could ever have imagined and although I went through tough moments, it was worth every minute. I learnt so much on so many levels. I learnt to trust the process of life, tap into my inner world and to understand who I am.
After completing training I spent two years traveling the world with a backpack studying and teaching yoga on different continents and in various evolation studios – USA, Australia and Asia. I studied Thai massage in Australia and Indonesia which led me into deeper self-inquiry. I trained in meditation in Sierra Nevada, California and spent time in a Buddhist monastery in Thailand- in silence, one of the most challenging things I have ever done in my life yet probably the most enriching. During this part of my journey I learnt more about myself, which helped to nourish me both emotionally, physically and mentally.
I eventually made my way back to Madrid, Spain where I have been teaching ever since and as I am approaching my 40th birthday I begin to reflect upon the last decade and how far I have come on my journey.
After 10yrs as a trained yoga teacher here are some of the things I’ve learnt along the way:
Teach people how to empower and inspire themselves
Understanding as a teacher it is not about you, it’s about your students. You are a guide to help inspire and empower others along their journey. I always remind myself to leave my ego at the door every time I enter the yoga room.
More Myself
The path of teaching has taught me how to become more of myself. We live in a world where we are constantly being told we are not enough on so many levels and we are continuously striving to be someone else. The more I lean into the practices yoga has taught me the more I feel I am living a life that is authentic to me.
Beyond the posture
When I first began yoga it was all about asana, the body, and how well I could do the posture. As I have evolved as a teacher and a human being I realised how the asanas are just vehicles to a deeper knowing of ourselves , they allow us to recognize who we are on a spiritual level.
Learning to live from the heart
Over the years of teaching I have understood what it means to lead from the heart. The practise of yoga and teaching softens the heart and opens you up to parts of yourself that you never knew existed while connecting you to a place deep within you.
Everything is a mirror
Yoga is a mirror and so is everything we do in life. I have heard many teachers say “the way you do yoga is the way you do everything”. I found this concept hard to get my head around at first, however the more I teach and practise, I see how true this statement is. If you want to know who you are then you must look at what you do.
“Yoga is a mirror, to look at ourselves from within.” B.K.S. Iyengar
If you are about to embark on your yoga teacher training journey here are some tips:
Embrace the discomfort of transformation, there is a whole new world waiting for you on the other side.
Let go of how you think things should be
Be open to whatever comes up
Trust you are exactly where you need to be
Be grateful for the whole experience. All your “stuff” will come up in training, know that it is totally normal and part of the process. Lean into gratitude.
Yoga teacher training really is just the beginning of a lifetime journey of self discovery and teaching yoga is a huge blessing. Investing in yourself and your personal development is a gift that keeps on giving.
I am eternally grateful for this path and for that one conversation with evolation that day that literally changed my life forever. Thank you!
“Trust the process, believe in yourself, know that there is magic everywhere”
Lou Stokes shares her story after graduating from Evolation yoga 10 years ago
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