Continuing our Real Talk series (I’ve shared photos from Thailand, LA and Costa Rica so far), which shares the stories behind various photos, I’m talkin’ teacher training again today. This photo was taken in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where we held our very first Namaslay® 200hr Yoga Teacher Training intensive (the next one will be in Santorini this spring!).
Shoot Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand
What it looks like: Everything all fine and dandy, big smiles all around, me in the middle with the biggest smile of them all.
What’s really happening here: So the smiles aren’t fake. Definitely not. This was the very last class of our yoga teacher training in Thailand. It was the very end of three extremely intense weeks of training, and all of us were emotionally and physically tired. But also extremely happy, excited, proud, relieved, enthusiastic about the future. People who have completed an intensive yoga teacher training will understand what I mean. I’d stayed up so late the night before trying to suss out what I wanted to convey in our last class together. I wanted to remind them of their own strengths. I wanted to remind them that we’ve fostered a beautifully supportive community over the past few weeks together, and I wanted them to know that no matter what, this community would continue to be there for them. I knew emotions would be really high so I wanted to have some sort of component where people would be able to look around the room and know they aren’t alone in what they’re feeling. I came up with the theme of supporting one another and community. I physically wanted them to feel like they had each other’s backs and full support, and so I designed a heart opening practice with some innovative hands-on manipulation from their peers. We did the whole thing in a circle, which is a really challenging way to teach, but gave them the opportunity to look across the room, make eye contact with someone and offer them a smile. We incorporated challenging poses like long holds of chair, and I had them put their arms around each other, find one person to look at across the room and say, ‘I believe in you,’ and other mantras throughout. It was so fun, so impactful and was a beautiful way to end the training.
These moments embody the reason I love my work so much, and Namaslay® YTT is full of reminders that when we come together in support of one another, the whole world benefits. Our next training is in Santorini, and if you’re looking for a network of support as you transition into a new career teaching yoga, I encourage you to apply here. If you have any questions about the training or curriculum, feel free to reach out in the comments or on Instagram at @namaslayytt.