As my taxi pulls out of the driveway, my heart seems firmly lodged in my mouth. I swallow the lump and try to breathe through the strong emotions building up. I survey my surroundings. I am led to a hut painted the sunniest shade of yellow with a thatched palm leaf roof. I put down my bag, collapse on my bed and start to cry. Years of dreaming finally are being realised. Today I start my Yoga Teacher Training course.
I knew before I even started practicing yoga that it was going to change my life. Less than two years ago I stepped foot on a mat for the very first time. Through the practice of yoga and meditation, I quickly realised that I was able to self-heal and find peacefulness. I dreamed of coming to India to study and understand deeper the practice and myself.
Fast forward to the present, and I am here at the Oceanic Yoga School in Goa, Southern India. I have not been this nervous since the day I started high school!
I receive a very warm greeting and am shown to my “home” for the next month. I unpack and explore my surroundings. I can see the beach from my room, hear the sound of the waves at night, and watch the palm trees sway in the tropical heat. Instantly I feel at ease. This is the right place.
=Q=
The work commences at six-thirty the next morning with a two-hour asana practice. I am put through my paces and fear that the month ahead will not be easy. On each inhale and exhale I try to look inside and focus on the inner workings of my body, to feel the power of my limbs.
At breakfast we meet our fellow yoga devotees. We agree we all want to improve our personal practice, to understand yoga as a whole and to, hopefully one day, share the Beauty of yoga with others. There are six students in total, the perfect number for pairing up, one on one instruction and, importantly, not too many names to remember!
Oh, except the Sanskrit names, there are hundreds of them! We spend our free hours trying to learn them all.
The following week seems to be a blur of anatomy, philosophy, pranayama (breathing techniques), teaching skills, adjustment and alignment classes. We live, breath and even dream about yoga. We start and end each day with asana practice.
By the fifth day I am confident with my practice and the improvements that I am making. I work on my hip-openers, chest-openers and core strength in my free time.
On the sixth morning, though, I seem to be falling apart. I struggle through the morning asanas and daily classes. By the evening as I am working though my asanas with a new-found friend I end up in tears.
I let the waterworks flow. Crying is always purifying: an emotion needing to come up. I have to identify the stresses and release that the pressure I am putting on myself to be ‘perfect’ in my practice, the amount of physical exercise, the change of environment and the distance from my loved ones are all factors.
That night I set the resolution to be kinder in my practice from now on. I am learning so much every day about myself, the universe, our souls and life. With all of this upheaval and transformation I remind myself to take time, to be grateful and to complete each day at at time with mindfulness and an open heart as I delve deeper into the practice of yoga.
To be continued…
