B L O G

One day I was trying to memorize Asana names in Sanskrit.   ‘Tadasana, mountain pose’ ‘Trikonasana, triagle pose’ Easy peasy. I know this.   ‘Badda Utthita Parsvakonasana, extended side angle pose’ ‘Svarga Dvidasana, bird of paradise’ Ummm, let’s see…. I wonder what comes after these complicated ones.   ‘Bharadvajasana 1, seated spinal twist..’ Bara..bara…it sounds like bara-chirashi.   ‘Ardha Bheka Sarvangasana, half frog side shoulder stand’  Ummm, okay…enough for today. Let’s have a break. It’s time to prepare dinner.   Then, I said to my husband: ‘I think I’m gonna make pasta Amatriciana for dinner.    He replied me: ‘Pasta Amatriciana? What is that pose?’   Reiko 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course Weekday’22

Yoga is a popular workout. Many people see and do yoga as a pure physical exercise (Asana practice). Yoga theory like 8 limbs is not as commonly known as physical practice.     It was my Yoga instructor friend who told me about Yama and Niyama for the first time. It was before this YTT course.   What was interesting to me was that Asana is the 3rd limb after Yama and Niyama.It is telling us to set a right mindset before you proceed to Asana. The idea of Yama and Niyama are a good reminder of how to live everyday. It guides me in some ways. Yoga is full of wisdom. Reiko 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course Weekday’22

Asana practice is one of the main YTT contents. It is not easy to make a right body alignment, to develop strength, to get rid of bad habits, to find a balance and to stay focused during Asana. I believe it is normal to feel some frustrations during 5 weeks of intensive Asana practice. You may feel that your progress is slow despite a lot of effort. If your friends are feeling frustrated as progress is not as per his/her expectation, what would you say to him or her? I’d say ‘Rest first. Take slow steps.’ So did I to me. My yoga journey will continue. What am I rushing for? Take slow steps. Just focus now and enjoy today’s practice. Reiko 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course Weekday’22

As we head into our last week of YTT, I feel that I have become much more observant not just in the studio but also outside of the studio. I’m embracing this increased sensitivity to my own body as well as to the people and environment around me – and I’m hoping that this continues even as we graduate from the YTT. One of the things that I’ve become more observant about is posture. Whether it is lying in bed, sitting at the dinner table, or standing on the train – I am frequently reminded of the impact that our day-to-day posture has on our bodies. After all, we spend so much more time outside the studio than in class. With this awareness, I find that I catch myself more often – self-reminding to retract my shoulder blades to prevent hunching, tucking my tailbone to avoid lower back arching, and trying to engage my root as much as possible. I’ve also begun observing the posture of my friends and family in relation to what we learnt in class. Everything is interconnected, with certain unconscious habits resulting in certain issues. Only by being made aware of these habits are we able to actively work towards change and improvement. Of course, being conscious of the issue and cognizant of the change that is needed is only the first step. Consistency remains the key, and it will always be an ongoing work in progress for us all throughout different stages. What is important is not so much the outcome, but the perspective of the journey towards the outcome that we desire.   Laura 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course Weekday’22

Slightly more than midway through the YTT, we began learning more about sequencing a class. Never had I had as much appreciation and respect for yoga teachers who can waltz into class and pull a sequence out of their heads on the spot! I realized that there are so many competing considerations that come into play in sequencing a class. Sequencing well definitely requires much more thoughtfulness than I had previously imagined. My key takeaways: ● The sequence should broadly cover all the main chakras, working upwards from the feet to the head. This means that postures roughly follow the order of standing, seated, prone, supine and invert. ● In a Vinyasa class, postures should flow naturally into one another without too much alternation of direction. For example, alternating between postures that require lengthening vs. compression of hips. ● Consideration of counter-postures especially after working a specific body part / chakra to help balance out and reset ● Defining and building up the sequence based on a specific class theme / peak pose ● Familiarity with multiple regressions and progressions for each pose Sequencing requires us not just to have a library of asanas in our heads, but also the flexibility to pick and choose the most relevant poses that can serve the intention / theme of the class. Once there is a theoretical sequence in mind, it is also crucial to be able to visualize the flow of the full sequence. This allows for adjustments to be made in the sequence, potentially swapping out certain poses for better ones as a constant work in progress. Whilst practicing the asanas help improve physical mobility, sequencing a class trains mental agility. Ultimately, there is no one perfect sequence, and this is also where there is potential for creative interpretations and innovation. Laura 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course Weekday’22

One of the biggest takeaways from this YTT is an appreciation for our individual bodies, and how each and every one of us is built differently. On Day 1 of Week 1, we started off the practice by learning about our individual bodies and what we needed to be aware of. Ganglion cysts, hyperextended joints, hunched backs, and the arches of our feet just to list a few. Throughout the entire 5 weeks, we also covered how each individual might face a different issue with the asanas due to body structure. This is something that I had previously had little exposure to, having practiced yoga in larger class-sizes where the instructors may not have been able to cater to everyone the same way. Developing an awareness of natural body structure and formulated habits has definitely allowed me to deepen my own practice and to also become a better instructor. By observing my own body, as well as my classmates’, I hope to be able to better connect with myself and my body! Laura 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course Weekday’22

In Week 1, we learnt about pranayama, or ‘life force’. A powerful two words. Over the next couple of weeks, we would learn several active as well as inactive breathing techniques. The first day we began with 5 minutes of ujjayi breathing, or ‘ocean’s breathe’. Sounded easy, but I struggled to clear my head and to remain comfortable in an easy, seated position. My only thoughts were ‘when is this 5 minutes going to end?!’ and ‘what should i eat for lunch?!’. As the mornings went by, we spent more and more time on pranayama. What surprised me the most was how fast it took to grow comfortable with the breathing exercises. Even though the actual duration spent increased every day, I no longer felt that it was that long. I also found the guided visualizations during the practice helped me significantly. It was also interesting for me to observe how my classmates also had different experiences with pranayama – easier for some, and more difficult for others. Crucially, at the end of pranayama each morning, I observed myself to be able to begin the rest of the practice in a more conscious state – both in clarity of mind as well as clarity of physical senses. Laura 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course Weekday’22