Five years ago, when I was living in Germany, I used to get up early in the morning, go workout, and then come home and park myself at the dining room table to create content for the blog. I started it partly because I was bored, and partly because I’d graduated Yoga Teacher Training and felt like I might be able to help bring yoga front and center to people who might not otherwise have access to it. I never really dreamed it would take me out of my dining room chair, but here we are.
Numerous workshops all over the world, retreats in far off lands, festivals in Germany and the Middle East - it’s been a whirlwind, for sure, so it was only natural, I guess, that I try my hand at the next step - leading my own Yoga Teacher Training program. This upcoming program in Santorini in April will be our third training, and I am feeling excited, empowered, and ready to rock and roll. I thought I’d share five things I’m really looking forward to:
The Personal Growth: I’ve found that nearly everyone who attends our trainings opens up to the possibility of growth. And growth isn’t always easy. Growth is often what happens when you get way outside your comfort zone, allow yourself to be vulnerable, and allow for breakthroughs. I have seen people come to our trainings as one person and leave as a completely new, updated version of themselves. It’s been an incredibly inspiring thing to see because I know these newer version people feel empowered and capable of helping others and they’re going to go out there and do so much good in the world.
Challenging Myself: While I’ve hosted two other trainings before, no training is ever the same due to the participants, the venue, and the time we have together. Each training brings its own set of challenges, and each one takes me way out of my comfort zone, where I hope to inevitably grow. But just as I mentioned earlier, growth comes when we allow for the ups and downs and the breakthroughs. The difference in this case, rather than being in the trainees’ shoes, is that I prefer to have my breakdowns (er, breakthroughs) in private, just because I feel like my role needs to be strong and stable in front of the group.
Deepening My Working Relationships: I feel so lucky to have a great circle of yoga teacher friends who are not only talented, smart, and exceptional teachers, but they’ve also become friends over the years. Working long hours in such a close environment strengthens our connection in a way that just makes me so happy. It’s a much welcomed change to my normal day to day life, where I am generally working alone in my office, talking only to Buckles, my ten year old Siberian Husky.
Helping The Local Economy: Greece isn’t in a great economic space right now, but bringing our group certainly helps. I’ve hosted a handful of retreats at this particular venue, so the managers and I know each other, and I know this training will help the local economy, especially because we are starting a few weeks before they’re technically in season.
If you feel like being spontaneous, feel free to apply now to be a part of our Santorini training! But if that’s not doable right now, we have another coming up in Tennessee this summer!