A brief history of my yoga journey
The first time I ever practiced yoga was in Ann Arbor, MI the summer after I graduated college in 2012. My friend had forwarded me a Groupon that got us 5 classes for $20—a crazy deal that was too good for a total beginner like me to pass up. We went to my first class and all I can remember was how much my neck hurt from craning it around trying to figure out what I was supposed to be doing. The teacher kept saying things like “let your heart bloom like a lotus flower” which made absolutely no sense to me. Needless to say, I let my 4 other classes go unused.
I didn’t try yoga again for four years. This time, a coworker took me to a Bikram yoga class (which I will henceforth refer to as 26 & 2) in Manhattan. She properly warned/prepared me that we would be practicing for 90 minutes in a room heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit, so I made sure I was very well hydrated upon arrival. Despite the intense conditions, everything about the class felt quite welcoming and accessible for beginners. The teacher gave ample, clear instructions and I always knew exactly what I should be doing, even though I’d never done it before. After practicing this style of yoga a few more times, I came to realize—and love—that the class was always exactly the same (a set sequence of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises), no matter the teacher. Plus, I felt great afterwards!
During my first 3 years of sporadically practicing 26 & 2, I also started exploring “regular” (aka vinyasa) yoga classes and studios via Classpass. But I never revisited a studio more than 2 or 3 times, and I even walked out in the middle of a Y7 class because I was totally lost and figured my time would be better served cooking dinner. (The teacher did that thing where they take you through a multi-pose flow and then say “ok, now repeat that on your own five more times.” If she wasn’t going to teach, I wasn’t going to stay.)
In the summer of 2019, I asked a friend if she could recommend any 26 & 2 studios in Brooklyn, and she told me about YO BK. My first class was great, and I lived close enough that I decided to sign up for their new student special (which at the time was something like $59 for a month of unlimited classes). Always one to maximize a deal—and not robust enough to practice 26 & 2 more than once or twice a week—I figured I should try their other classes, like Power Vinyasa, Yin, and even Pilates. And wouldn’t you know, I actually liked most of them! It seemed that no matter which class style I took or which teacher I had, the classes were truly “all level” and I always felt taken care of. Plus, a couple of the teachers even learned my name in those first few weeks—which was a pleasant shock after being accustomed to anonymity at every other workout studio I’d ever visited.
In February 2020, I joined YO BK for a 7-night surf, yoga, and pilates retreat in Nicaragua, despite knowing no one on the trip. (This would become the first of many fitness/educational retreats that I’d sign up for alone—which, by the way, is a great way to make friends as an adult.) More than just a stunning vacation, it was also my first time practicing with any consistency—in this case, 1-2x per day for 6 days. I was definitely the least experienced yogi on the trip, but I learned a lot, felt extremely included, and walked away with a newfound appreciation for consistent practice. Then, just three weeks after we returned from the retreat, the whole world shut down due to Covid-19. YO BK gracefully pivoted to offering classes online—and later, outdoors—and that’s ironically when my yoga practice really took off.
In 2022, after practicing yoga more consistently for two years—and going on another retreat in the Dominican Republic :)—I started to get curious about YO BK’s teacher training. Not because I had any plans to ever teach, but because I knew I’d be moving away at the end of the year, and I wanted to be able to continue my practice without having to rely on random studios/teachers that I didn’t enjoy. However, I couldn’t swing 3 months of weekend trainings all while selling and/or packing up my entire apartment, so I left NYC assuming I’d missed my chance forever.
UNTIL! At the beginning of 2024, YO BK announced it would be hosting a 3-week intensive 200-Hour Power Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training in July. I could only do it if I was able to secure free lodging for the month—and lo and behold, a friend needed summer cat-sitting!
Yoga Teacher Training (YTT)
I have a newfound respect for all fitness instructors, but especially yoga teachers. YTT was intense but fascinating. Seven other women and I were in the “yoga bubble” for 8-10 hours per day, 6 days a week, for 3 weeks. Every day began with mantra chanting and a 90-minute practice, followed by a posture clinic to thoroughly examine a selection of asanas. For each asana, we learned its purpose, directionality, modifications, and assists. (This part was huge! If you want to learn intentional and safe posture alignment, YTT is worth it just for that.) After our lunch break, we would either practice-teach the sequence we were learning or dive deep into topics such as yoga history and philosophy, pranayama, anatomy, Ayurveda, chakras, hands-on assists, language and cueing, playlists and creative sequencing, inclusivity and anti-racism, and even the business of yoga. We met with our mentors in the evening once or twice each week, and then also had some form of homework most nights.
While our overarching homework assignment was to memorize the 60-minute power vinyasa sequence that we would ultimately teach, we were also assigned a few of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali to explain to the group. We selected our sutras from a hat, but really they chose us. Mine were all about consistent, devotional practice and non-attachment to outcomes, which are absolutely things I struggle with!
Teacher training was mentally and physically exhausting (but in a good way?) and on our one day off each week I slept for 12 hours straight. In addition to our 2-3 hours of daily asana practice, I was also biking 25 mins to and from the studio, which led me to develop some nerve weirdness in my leg due to extremely tight muscles. (I’m now fine thanks to $600 worth of acupuncture and foam rolling.) Exhaustion and ailment aside, the yoga bubble experience was actually quite magical thanks to my lovely co-bubble-dwellers. Even though there was little formal structure for getting to know one another beyond our initial intros, our time together in the trenches naturally forged a full-group friendship. Four months later, we’re still sharing resources and encouragement in our group chat.
Last but not least, this experience wouldn’t have been nearly as meaningful or transformative if it weren’t for our incredible/amazing/inspiring/brilliant/badass instructors: Kate Davies Durand (studio owner and RYT 200 hour), Sheri Celentano (E-RYT 500 hour), Brigid Judge (RYT 200 hour), and my beloved mentor, Camille Sallette (RYT 200 hour). If you’re ever in Brooklyn, I HIGHLY recommend you visit YO BK and take a class with any/all of them! Kate and her crew are the entire reason I—a former tinman—love and practice yoga at all, and I wouldn’t have done YTT with anyone else.
Actually Teaching
After completing 200 hours of training and passing both our written and practical final exams, we were required to teach a community class at YO BK. (We were also encouraged to create a playlist for our class, which is surprisingly much more difficult than it sounds.) Preparing to teach my first yoga class felt like I was learning lines for a one-person play that would also involve a ton of improv. During TT, we practiced teaching each other selected sections of the sequence, but teaching non-teachers the entire class top to bottom is a whole other ballgame. Luckily, a few pairs of friends graciously allowed me to guide them through the full sequence in the days leading up to my class, which helped me feel as prepared as I could have hoped to be.
My community class went great, and I discovered that the hardest part of teaching strangers is remembering everyone’s names in order to give verbal assists. [TBH, I even blanked on the names of some of the people I did know.]
Since my community class…
I’ve taught a few classes to family and friends.
I took a 25-hour weekend training on Ayurveda at the end of September to learn more about how to weave that into class sequencing as well as general living.
I’m in the process of forcing my mother to hire me as her private yoga instructor.
As a baby yoga teacher, I’m now looking for opportunities to teach regularly in LA this winter! Got any leads??
Non-Yoga, Belated Nomadic Updates
Thanks to YTT, I got to spend 6 weeks in Brooklyn during my unpopular-opinion favorite season: summer!
After that, I went back to the West Coast for 6 weeks, where my mom and I made some progress on her yard—exciting permaculture updates coming soon!
Then, I embarked on a 6-week jaunt through NYC (for the Ayurveda training), Portugal (for friendship and relaxation), Italy (for Climate Farm School, which I will write about soon), and Buffalo, NY (for additional friendship and relaxation). I recently returned to Los Angeles (just in time to vote, which proved futile), where I will stay put until the Spring Equinox at least. I’m feeling burnt out and untethered from all this travel and education, and I need some time to rest and digest it all.
While I can’t hardly wait to have a permanent home of my own someday, somewhere, I am doing my best to follow my sutras’ wisdom and practice patience, patiently practice, and detach myself from all desires and expectations. Easy, right?!
Talk to you again soon <3
Ahh this is exactly what I needed to hear 🥰 was thinking about doing yoga teacher training in the spring!
okaaay as a 'have never been able to understand if i am doing yoga right and it usually feels Off and i can't figure out why' cannot wait to take a class of yours!! no pressure...