Week 2. Reena (2/6)
Week 1 is over and here we are at week 2. Got to experience our first teaching experience today and I would say it really feels very different from being the one practicing on the mat. Teaching brought yoga to another perspective. From the teacher’s point of view it looks and feel really different. Rather than just being so focused on your own practice and awareness of your own bodily states, when you’re the one giving out the instructions, it really boils down to what you can pour unto those at the receiving end of your instructions. Maybe that’s why it felt so scary. The fear of saying the wrong things or just coming out not as smoothly as you thought it would be in front of others. But I’ll get better from here, I hope. To learn to be better everyday. We also finished 3 standing sequences and I must say that there are so many new things I learned from them. Not just the poses itself, but how to get into it, to stay at it, to breathe through it, to get out of it, and the feeling i get out of it. Really feels a lot different from just knowing about it through regular practices outside of YTT. That is amazing. From today’s lesson on the 8 limbs of yoga, what I got out of it the most was the part on not comparing ourselves to others. We are all unique individuals with our own strengths, and that we should see ourselves the way just as we are. I must say that I always tend to compare myself to others, wondering why I cannot be as good or as competent as others. Today’s lesson reminded me of how comparison is the thief of joy. It steals our joy, it is ultimately causing violent to ourselves. I want to try to appreciate myself more, for the things I get to do, for the things I can do, rather than to fault myself for my weaknesses. And I hope the same for all of you too. Butterflies can’t see their wings. They can’t see how truly beautiful they are. Humans are like this too. Reena
Day 1. Reena (1/6)
Apprehensive, doubtful, scared. Yet at the same time really excited at what would come along and how I can conquer my demons one day at a time, one asana at a time. Years ago, this was all just a dream, a pretty distant one I’d say. Never thought I’d be one who’d love doing yoga – much different from the usual endless runnings and marathons. Perhaps something changed along the way, which led me to my way here today. Is this the right way, or would this just be me being all ambitious with myself again? I’m not sure, and I don’t want to be. For now, I just want to live in the moment, and what comes shall come, what goes, I will be brave enough to let it go. After all, yoga is more than just asanas right? As to why I joined YTT, it is really more than just wanting to teach, I want to learn – more about the whole new world of yoga and all the magic that it brings, about being aware of myself, and more in touch with my feelings. My mind was and is pretty much all over the place today. Especially with finals that ended only at night yesterday and with barely any sleep last night. Day 1 of YTT, felt like awhile since I was attended any yoga lessons because these days I’ve just been using Youtube videos as my practice. And it feels good to be able to be back on the mat again! Class started out with Ujjayi breathing – felt like the most refreshing and mindful thing I did all semester, which was really one of the most useful breathing techniques I learnt. Probably the only one. And it amazes me how such little acts can make great differences in our bodies. From promoting mental clarity, focus and all its soothing effects. We then proceeded with the flow. Missing out one day of lesson sure felt like a huge gap from my peers! Surya Namaskar – what I’ve been doing for so many years finally has a meaning attached to it today – honouring the sun. Learning sanskrits felt like a whole new language all over again! And god knows I love learning new languages, but this is really another level. Certain asanas still seems very unreachable as of now, and also trying Uddiyana Bandha today was really really tough! My core feels really weak and I really want to strengthen it. Not just for the sake of being able to hold asanas, but also to build up myself as a person, to be rooted in things I love and enjoy doing, to be strong and not easily defeated. I want to be locked, grounded in my dreams and passion. To never falter when things gets inevitably tiring. Just putting it here as a reminder to never give up and keep going. It’s not about getting there all at once, but slowly, with much awareness, one breath at a time. Nonetheless, being able to practice yoga feels like home again, and I truly look forward to see and feel how much more my body can do, to grow, to learn, to love what I’m doing more than ever. Importantly, I would hope to be able to enlarge the capacity of my heart to be patient, to contain more than just myself. I want to be able to be more mindful of my surroundings, and the internal voice within, to let thoughts come, and let them go rather than holding onto unnecessary things. I want to be less afraid. Like Jessica mentioned this afternoon, that people hate facing their demons. I want to face them without fears, and to conquer them. Be it asanas or worries and doubts of ever being able to teach a yoga class – I hope to triumph over them all. Hard pressed on every side but never crushed:) Reena
Yokiyan 2019年2月中文周末班
经过了大半年的瑜伽练习，终于下定决心来上一个更加专业的瑜伽导师课程。今早带着激动的心情，上完了第一天的课程，简单谈谈课后体会！课程呼吸打坐起始，专业精准的分解动作，从最基础的瑜伽拜日式开始，多位导师认真的指导，确实让我发现了自己很多的问题。课堂气氛轻松幽默诙谐，很快的一天课程就结束了。比较紧张的就是课后功课，原本时间排的满满的我，简直不要太疯狂。只能说兴趣和家庭都想要兼顾的女人，真心不容易！又要顾及到家人的感受，整个周末遗弃他们，又想满足自己的兴趣爱好，这取舍之间第一天就给了我一个迟到的功课，结束收官，今后的三个月只能说我要更加努力才行！
My Yoga Journey – Week 1
After transferring to Singapore last year with my company, my dream of working in this Asian metropolis, and then flying on the weekends to the beaches of Phuket or eating my way through Hanoi was rudely awakened by a new reality. A reality of working 14 hour workdays hunched over a desk, eyes glazed staring at numbers on my computer screen. After having one too many calls at 1 am with my New York friends on their lunch break, I decided that I could either be unhappy and complain or take control of my life and do something about it. So I quit. But I wasn’t ready to end my journey here in Singapore just yet. What now? I’ve never loved being in Finance. But I went to school for it, built a career around it, and spent the past almost 10 years building my experience and perfecting my craft to succeed in it. I always envied people who were doing things that they were so passionate about. I told myself if I ever had a clean slate to start over, I would. Or at the very least, try to do something I could really love and enjoy. Yoga teacher training has long been on my bucket list and now I was finally in a position to make that happen. So I held my breath and signed up for the 200 hour YTT course at IHA yoga. I was partly excited, partly nervous, and partly thinking, is this crazy? I’m a risk adverse person! I don’t like public speaking! I’m terrified of inversions! On my first day, I was so nervous and had no idea what to expect. It felt like I was starting my first day at a new school. After what seemed like 100 chaturangas during the morning practice and then awkwardly trying to read and speak Sanskrit in the afternoon theory, it was safe to say I left there feeling just a little overwhelmed. I came home and savasana’d on the couch for two hours. On Day 2, I managed to force my tired arms into a crow pose for three seconds. Albeit it was a pretty ugly crow, I still DID it. It was an encouraging three second reminder that this is something that I CAN do. Reflecting back on my first complete week, I could not have prepared myself for how demanding this would be, both physically and mentally. I can tell it’s going to be a long journey ahead, but a good one. I’m still super scared but I’m excited to trust the process and see where it will take me. Namaste. Lillian Cheng (200 Hour YTTC September Weekday)
