How my yoga journey began…
I had been to a few yoga classes in my early 20’s, had thought it was ‘alright’, but it didn’t hook me. If I was going to do a ‘workout’, I was going to spend my money on something high intensity that made me feel like I was burning calories and getting fit. Having grown up in the 90’s, that Barbie doll image of what a body should look like was probably lurking somewhere in my subconscious.
Fast forward a few years, I had gotten through college, come out into the working world mid recession, and then finally secured a permanent job after about 3 years of temporary rolling contracts. Now what? This is what I had been working towards for all my school and college years, and all of a sudden, I felt a little lost. It was the first time I didn’t have a very definite plan of what was next, and long story short I spiralled into a bout of anxiety about my life, the future, what I wanted, etc, etc. I had experienced anxiety at college about exams and placements, but by keeping my head down and powering through these challenges, I managed to somehow get through the anxieties as well. This time, it felt different – this was more of a crossroads in life, where the ball was in my court. What would make me happy? This played heavily on my mind, all of the time. That classic saying of comparison being the thief of joy felt very real at the time. I kept comparing elements of my life to others and wishing for more, completely ignoring what I already had (and I’m not just talking material things).
As I headed to my local (at the time) Tesco in Phibsborough to do my shop, I noticed a sign outside about a 6 week yoga course in Phibsborough gym. Something (gut instinct really) told me that this would be a good idea…
Monica, my lovely teacher, has no idea how much her classes helped me see the wood from the trees. In the midst of that cold and noisy gym, I gradually learned how to get out of my head and into my heart. Week after week, I learned to look inwards and to better manage my ego-based thoughts. Through breathwork and postures, I started to activate my parasympathetic nervous system (or switch on my relaxation response), and was able to centre myself in the here and now, and start to figure myself out a little better (a ‘work-in’ rather than a ‘work-out’). I discovered the attitude of gratitude and how important it is (evidence-based) in harvesting a happy mind. I began researching yoga at home, rolling out the mat in the tiny space between my bed and the wall and delving deep into my worries about the future. I was a keen attendee to Monica’s classes.
This positive affirmation was a regular in Monica’s class ❤
Phibsborough was up and coming. There were new cafes and salons opening up in places that had looked like they were about to crumble. What also opened was the Jyoti Yoga Shala. My antennas shot up.
I was initially intimidated by the thoughts of being surrounded by “hardcore yogis” in a yoga studio, so I continued my classes with Monica in the gym, until they came to a natural end. By this time, only about 6months into my now regular yoga practice, Jyoti Yoga Shala was advertising their teacher training. I was drawn in big time. Yoga had brought me back to myself, made me feel like me again, and had given me tools that I felt could bring me through so many of life’s challenges. I felt like these were tools everyone should know about and I felt compelled to know more and share the benefits of yoga with others. Before I knew it, I had met with Ashling (the Jyoti of the Shala), and found myself signing up for the 200 hour teacher training. This would consist of 5 weekends of training in the Shala, and 2 weeks in Rishikesh, India. And so it began, long weekends of classes learning the history of yoga, the philosophy it embodies, embracing meditation, understanding the postures, the breath, the mind-body connection, learning more about me, and meeting wonderful people along the way (the list could go on). And then there was India, a very special place indeed.
And I suppose, teacher training is a whole blog post of its own… stay tuned!
(An action shot during Teacher Training)