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!
A happy belated birthday to my teacher — Dharma Mittra, who turned 80 yrs old last month. I’m so excited that I will be able to see Dharma this week while I am in New York. I’ve been lucky enough to take 3 Teacher Training programs with Dharma over the past 8 yrs and have come to New York on several additional trips for intensive study.
Congratulations to my student, Niya! Niya just completed her post training requirements and is now an official Shiva Yoga teacher and graduate of our 200hr Shiva Yoga Teacher Training program. Niya is the owner of Baja Soul Yoga in Cabo San Lucas. Baja Soul Yoga hosted our program last year. We have another 200hr program coming up at Baja Soul Yoga this summer from July 15- August 16! I’m also excited to be collaborating with Jackie & Jodie Anderson at Kula Yoga in Port Orange, Florida, who will be hosting our Shiva Yoga 300hr Teacher Training program this fall!
Congratulations to Andrew Oliver — another recent graduate of our Shiva Yoga 200hr Teacher Training Program! Andrew recently completed and handed in all of his post training required assignments. Last year, Andrew completed his 200 contact hours in our training at Baja Soul Yoga in Cabo San Lucas. Andrew is currently teaching at Yoga Remedy’s Essential Wellness in Los Angeles. If you are in the Southbay, Torrance, Harbor City area I would highly recommend his classes. Great job, Andrew! Proud of you! Namaste.
Congratulations to my student, Ashlee! Ashlee completed her 200hr Teacher Training with me, at Baja Soul Yoga, in Cabo San Lucas last year. Ashlee recently completed her post training assignments and has now officially graduated and is eligible to register with Yoga Alliance. Great job, Ashlee! Proud of you. Excited to see you begin your teaching journey. Namaste!
Congratulations to this wonderful yogi — Kristin Hughes! Who just completed her required post teacher training work and has officially graduated as a Shiva Yoga teacher. You rocked it, Kristin! So proud of you.
Kristin completed training with me at Baja Soul Yoga in Cabo San Lucas last year. We have another 200hr teacher training coming up at Baja Soul Yoga this July 15- August 16. If you want to deepen your yoga practice, become a yoga teacher, or just make some big changes in your life this training could be for you. Check out the Teacher Training page of my website or go directly to bajasoulyoga.com to reserve your space. There is an early registration discount. Act now to save money and get the best price when you sign up.
Taking a moment to honor my student, and recent graduate of my Shiva Yoga 200hr Teacher Training program, Arisa Takasaki. Arisa is the first person to finish the post training required assignments, after completing training in August in Cabo San Lucas. She just recently joined Yoga Alliance as a registered yoga teacher at the 200hr Level. Congratulations, Arisa!
Most of us spend most of our time living in the lower chakras. Energy is constantly flowing down, through us, and out into the world. The first chakra is all about survival, the second chakra is all about pleasure, and the third chakra is all about power. I need to survive, I want to feel good, and I want to be in control. These three chakras are governed by the ego.
We started our Shiva Yoga 200hr Teacher Training this week at Baja Soul Yoga in Cabo San Lucas! We are off to a great start. This is a really nice group of trainees and future teachers. Here’s some highlights from our first day together. Our first class on Wednesday morning was a big hip opening Shiva Power class. It’s hot here in Cabo and this was a hot and sweaty morning. I had fun practicing with this group and taking them into the fire. Lots of fun variations and peak poses.
Sometimes we support others and sometimes they support us! Community is so important. Feeling the love and support from those on a similar path. Connecting with others who share our struggles. Celebrating our triumphs together. One of my favorite things about being a part of a yoga teacher training is the powerful bonds of friendship that form.
Yogis! One of the things I've been talking about in class this past week comes from classical yoga and the 8 limbed practice of astanga yoga, written down by Sage Patanjali around 2000 yrs ago.
Classical yoga gives us our description and systematic approach to concentration and meditation practices, leading us into a state of samadhi, a state in which the mind is quiet. When we say we are looking to "go inward" and "quiet the mind" in yoga, we are referring to classical yoga. When the mind is quiet, the classical yogis tell us, we are able to experience the most subtle aspect of who we are, the pure consciousness part of ourselves, the part of us that is beyond the body, mind, thoughts and ego.
Yogis! We’ve been talking a lot in class this past week about Vedanta Philosophy and Non-Dualism and the influence of this philosophy on our modern yoga culture.
Vedanta gives us the idea that we are ultimately connected to everything and everyone and any separation that exists between us is only an illusion that is only in our mind.
Classical Yoga philosophy tells us that in the stillness, when the mind is quiet, we have the opportunity to experience the pure Consciousness part of ourselves. This is what the yogi’s call Self-realization, the realization of the Self, the experience of the pure Consciousness part of our self.
We finished our second last weekend in my Shiva Yoga 200hr Teacher Training Program last night. I can't believe there's just one more weekend left. I'm so proud of all of the trainees. What a special group. Their level of understanding of yoga practice and yoga philosophy is getting pretty incredible and it's been so inspiring to watch them each grow so much this past year.
