Congratulations to the Haipoo Yoga Trainees!

I remember seeing an inspirational video tribute to my teacher Dharma a few years ago for the first time. Dharma says at some point, in the video that, “teaching yoga is the greatest job in the world.” I think everyone who has had the experience of teaching yoga and helping someone to grow and deepen their practice feels this same way. It’s incredible!

My favorite things to teach are teacher training programs. Spending a whole month with the same group of students. Practicing together, studying together, growing together. I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to lead these programs. This is where we can go really deep and the transformation is amazing. The students who leave these programs are literally different people than when they arrived. It’s not easy. It’s challenging. It’s intense. That’s what it’s supposed to be. Your stuff is going to come to the surface. You’re going to be exhausted. You’re going to get emotional. Most days I am exhausted too. The training demands that I am even more focused than the students, and giving even more energy. The energy you put out teaching is at least double that of simply taking a class or being a student in a program. But the results are incredible. It’s worth it. The students grow! I grow! We are all changed by the experience. Teaching yoga IS the greatest job in the world!

I was talking about holding space and about creating community at our closing ceremony on the last day of our training. We all know we need food, and water, and sleep to survive. But in order to thrive, we also need to be seen, we need to be heard, we need to feel connected, and we need to know that we belong. We need a community. I’m grateful to all my students for showing up and letting me share these teachings. You give me the opportunity to be seen, and heard, to feel connected, and to know that I belong. We are walking on this path together. And it’s an incredible journey! Namaste.