This is the time of year we all start contemplating our contribution to the world, right?  We start thinking about our blessings, our connections, and our gifts. The holiday season is practically an invitation to re-assess and re-engage.  Not to mention that it comes on the threshold of one year ending and another one beginning.  We start reflecting on where we are in the world and in life, and making plans align our desires with our efforts.  Currently, there seems to be a massive push toward getting out of the conventional box of "success" built by our baby-booming forefathers and huge shift toward Self Fulfillment and the pursuit of lasting joy. 

Some people are pursuing this by showing up on their Yoga mats and the end of a long day, or taking mini-meditation breaks at their desk to increase focus and productivity. But there is another group of people who are looking for more than simply the traditional 9-5. They are seeking more meaningful work, and prioritizing joy over achievement.  Everyday I work with people on this spectrum.  In my weekly Yoga and Meditation Classes, I encounter busy people who are making a choice to manage their stress through ancient physical and energetic practices.  In my Yoga Teacher Trainings, I see countless yogis who have had a glimpse of the possibility that joy feels different than success, and they want to learn how to make that their path.

Seeking a Yoga Teaching Certification is process of re-definition.  You may think you are starting a program that will teach you how to communicate safety and movement in Yoga asana (postures), but what you also get is something that many people don't expect.  You get an opportunity to put your life, your choices, and your actions under investigation.  You get to reveal you habit patterns and encounter your stories.  You get to look deeply into what is and isn't meaningful in your life, and discover that who you really are.  All of this exploration happens alongside learning the mechanics of asana and the breath, studying how to structure a yoga class wisely, and often deciphering some of the Classic texts of the practice.  Sounds amazing, right!?!

Well, it is amazing.  And excruciating.  It is fulfilling and gut wrenching.  It is beautiful and ugly.  And often it's all of these things at once.  Becoming a yoga instructor is like being thrown into a hurricane, sometimes its the deepest calm and peace that you can imagine, and sometimes it is total chaos.  The process of becoming a yoga instructor is about learning how to dance, weave, and surf it all.  And much to the frustration of many Western educated minds, it's not a liner process.  There are no bullet points for success, no number lists of steps.  The best Yoga Instructor Trainings are simply guidebooks on the path of your own discovery.  They inform you, point out fascinating landmarks and dangerous curves along the way, and then send you off to discover the power of this ancient practice for yourself. 

What do you get in return for all of this hard work?  You find your voice.  You experience the profound power of being present and truthful. You unearth your unique expression and relationship to the physical body and the breath.  You become inspired and, with practice, inspiring. You start to speak with the understanding that you longed to discover when you stepped onto the path.  You begin to embody the very things that you yearned to experience.  When you walk into a class, you recognize the faces of those people who are seeking a deeper meaning, who are on the threshold of pursuing joy, and you sing to their hearts.

If 2016 is your year to become a Yoga Teacher, let's get started. Click here to learn more about our 2016 Yoga Certification Programs.