Tonight is the official start to my 200-hour Yoga Alliance certified training! I wanted to take a minute to write about my thoughts going into the training because I think it will be fun for me to look back on this post and remember what I was thinking at the start and how my perspective changed.
I think more than anything.. I’m nervous. Not necessarily a bad nervous, but more like an excited nervous. I have no idea what to expect and I just have this weird feeling that I’m standing on the edge of something great. These next nine weeks are going to be hard. They’re going to push me out of my comfort zone in ways I never thought imaginable. They’re going to be challenging: physically, mentally, emotionally. But I hope that in the end it will all be worth it.
This particular training is for eight weekends (one weekend off in February), Friday 6-9:30pm, Saturday 9:30am-8pm and Sunday 9am-4pm. The commitment is going to be tough. I’m already in photography school for 40+ hours a week and then to add 25-hours of yoga training is going to be A LOT to say the least. I know there will be moments when I’m going to ask myself what I was thinking when I signed up, and to that I will tell myself, just keep going.
I hope to come out of this training with more confidence in myself and my yoga practice. I hope I learn some new poses, get stronger and advance my practice. I hope I find a little peace in my head that never shuts off. I hope I make new friends. Lastly, I hope I figure out what makes me unique as a yoga teacher and what my teaching style is.
Putting yoga to the side for a minute, these next nine weeks are also going to be particularly challenging for me personally as I wrap up photography school and start to focus on “what next?” again. We all know how awesome I am with that question (ha). In the next couple of months, close friends and my boyfriend will also be hearing back from graduate schools and deciding where they’ll be come September. These decisions will obviously effect me greatly and yet, I have no control in the outcomes. All I can do is trust the pieces fall together as they are supposed to.
I’m not getting overwhelmed by these things, or even really thinking about them at all right now, but they are in the back of my mind as I go into yoga training and I can’t help but feel all the extra yoga might help get me through some of my anxiety.
I plan to do recaps of training every Monday so if you want to follow along on my journey, be sure to tune in then! Have a great weekend everybody 
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow, that is a crazy intense schedule!! I know you can do it, though! I can’t wait to follow along and see how this process goes for you.
I didn’t realize photography school was a year long – I thought it was longer! You definitely have lots of unknowns ahead of you, but I know you’ll handle it well!!
Yep, I’ll be done in mid-May. This was one of the main selling points for this particular program haha. I’m glad I went this route because I’m already ready to get back out into the working world!
Caroline, I’m so excited for you!! While these next few weeks might be tough, I know you will be up for the challenge, and you will probably learn a lot about yourself in this short time. Good luck and I so look forward to reading all about it!
That schedule looks INTENSE! Wow. Best of luck during the journey, and I’m excited to follow along with you.
Good for you! That’s great, I know you will ove it
That schedule will be extremely intense. Make sure you take care of yourself over the next several months! Can’t wait to hear more about the teacher training!
If you find peace in a head that never shuts off, please enlighten me. Even yoga has never been able to do that for me.
You know what does though? Wine. Just sayin’
I was hoping to start yoga teacher training this year but the schedule doesn’t jive right now. It’s intense but so worth it. Hopefully I’ll be able to swing it maybe later in the year or in 2014. Best of luck! You’re going to do great!
Glad to read that your first weekend went well. Have a blast doing this.
Hello! I’m at work browsing your blog from my new iphone 4! Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look forward to all your posts! Carry on the fantastic work!