Article 2: Tiara
It’s the end of week 2 and I am amazed at the wealth of information that we have covered during this short period of time. Not only have we been working hard to build up our stamina, build strength and increase our flexibility, but we also learned Sanskrit words and broken down yoga poses step by step. During theory we discussed Pranayama’s, Dosha’s, Kriyas and more. I have always been interested in these topics and I am so happy that we are covering all aspects of Yoga, from its roots to all its branches. The wealth of knowledge that is being shared with us is overwhelming in the best way! After some challenging phases in my life, I am grateful to have explored the benefits of meditation and I have practiced meditation for some years now. Some days I would meditate for just 5 minutes and some days for over 30 minutes. Either way, I would always feel a big difference in my mood and this would be reflected into my entire day. When washing my hands, for example, I would mindfully practice to really feel the sensation of water running on my hands as opposed to being caught up in a thread of thought and passively washing my hands. I have learnt to not identify with my thoughts and simply be the observer. There are of course times when life gets busy and in this fast paced society, I find that a guided meditation helps to ground me. I am so happy that meditation is included in the YTT at Yoga Mandala. Every morning we start with Ujjayi breathing and meditation, which helps to relax my body and brings me to the present moment. Then, the hard work starts! I don’t think that I have worked out or sweat this much in years! Our teacher Jessica knows exactly at which moment she can push us harder and when to show us some mercy. Her years of experience in yoga but also as a teacher are clearly reflected in her lessons every day. I am feeling a lot more balanced as I walk and a lot stronger too. I am starting to feel muscle groups being activated that probably haven’t been activated in years! The muscle aches are real, but these are only growing pains. Let’s see what the upcoming 3 weeks have in store. Tiara 200HR YTT May’21 Weekday