Making yoga a part of your life
Integrating yoga teacher training learnings into your way of life. By June Mitchell
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“ I have the best job in the world,” I found myself saying to one of my young yoga teacher training students recently. They are in month eight of their 12-month course and, for me as their course director, to see where each one is, is both humbling and inspiring.
For all our Classical Yoga School students, the first six months are about facilitating each one to be clear about what yoga is and to enable them to develop their asana practice while absorbing the true depths of yoga philosophy and psychology into their everyday lives.
The first proper class I attended was in Perth with a lovely teacher called Rosemonde Morton. At the end of class, she asked for any questions so I piped up with: “This all sounds very selfish,” as in, very self-centred. In those days you weren’t supposed to be thinking of yourself, but this has hugely changed in the intervening years.
We now know how important it is to be self-aware although sometimes one wonders if things have maybe gone too far and that there could be some excess navel gazing!
However, with the invaluable understanding that knowing oneself, being clear and strong, mentally and emotionally – which is what the Yoga Sutras are teaching us – what magically happens is that this gentle clarity and strength flows freely from us like osmosis… and everyone benefits, not just us, but our families, our friends, our workmates and communities.
And all because we have taken the time to turn quietly inwards through our relaxed and meditative times, find our inner strength, know it and believe it and share it – without fanfare or being too pleased with ourselves; just because it has become our nature, our lives.
June Mitchell is course director at CYS Yoga Teacher Training (cysyogateachertraining.com)
Om Magazine
First published in November 2009, OM Yoga magazine has become the most popular yoga title in the UK. Available from all major supermarkets, independents and newsstands across the UK. Also available on all digital platforms.
