For nearly a decade now, I have been practising yoga. I still remember the very first day like it was yesterday. The feelings of peace, calm, centeredness and deep connection kept me coming back for more. Yoga has been a vital part of my life for many reasons.
I know that my purpose is to help others. I am so passionate about health, wellness and spirituality and have been taking small steps towards getting on my path. Due to a few circumstances, I have felt a bit stuck and haven’t been able to get as far as I’d like to be by now. The thought of teacher training always appealed to me but I always found excuses, and there was never the “right time.”
Recently, during an evening vinyassa class, my intuition kicked in and I heard the call loud and clear to become a yoga teacher. My practice was so beautiful that night and as soon as I got home, I researched yoga teacher trainings. I contacted Janine, and sure enough, her teacher training was beginning in just a few months. The stars aligned and I finally dove in. My heart fluttered with excitement.
Yet, it was interesting to observe my mind over the coming months. Even though I knew in my heart and soul that this was the right decision, my mind battled with it. Feelings of fear and discomfort kept coming up:
Now is the wrong time, your full-time job will not support this. It will make things more difficult than they already are.
You are not flexible enough (Now, I have been practising long enough to know that this doesn’t matter, but my mind played on it anyway)
You are already time-poor. You can’t juggle this too.
You don’t have enough support.
And the biggest one due to health issues: What if your body doesn’t cooperate?
Then, as if I were to be tested even more, the option to apply for permanent residency came up. Something that I have been working towards for 9 years. And this left me with a choice: yoga teacher training or expression of interest for permanent residency.
My mind was battling and I nearly gave in to throw in the towel. After some reflection and meditation, I realised what the common theme was: Fear, and stepping out of my comfort zone. My mind was terrified of transformation and working towards peace. It was terrified of me moving beyond it and exploring my true self. As for my comfort zone, I have been stuck for a while but I grew content with it. And while I want, and need, permanent residency, there was no guarantee and it is also one of the reasons I’ve been so stuck and prevented from pursuing my purpose.
So, I made the final decision and commitment to embark on the journey of the 200-hour yoga teacher training with Janine and it has already been the best decision I have ever made. I have formed beautiful friendships, connected with others, and have gathered a support network of likeminded people, all looking to share the amazing path of yoga.
After training began, a few other students expressed how they almost backed out due to fear and other personal reasons. I found that fascinating. I am proud of us for listening to our souls and hearts and going against the grain of the mind. We are so much more than what our minds have us believe.
The mind can offer so much resistance, and this is a lesson that it is necessary to have awareness of that. We need to trust our intuition and our hearts. Otherwise, if we succumb to fear and other stories the mind is spinning for all of the reasons we shouldn’t do something, then we wouldn’t be able to have incredible experiences, nourish our souls and live with authenticity.
If it is the right journey to take, you’ll know it deep within your bones. It may never be the right time for the mind or your circumstances, but your heart and soul will guide you on what you need to do. If you hear the call to do something great, all you need to do is trust.
I am so glad to have participated in the Yoga Teacher Training with Janine. This is the start of a brand new chapter in my life, and I am so excited to see where it leads!
