Love-hate relationship with the daily drills… -Jess, RYT200
It’s a love-hate relationship with the daily drills and it sure did open my body up in a refreshing way! My course mates and Jess makes the whole process fun. While we groan and moan together in unison, we say ‘Thank you teacher’ and mean it! Jess knows the in and outs of body alignment so well its rather shocking sometimes what she can do to your body! For example I could never do a twisted bind before and someone told me some people just cannot achieve it because of short limbs. Im short limbed so i gave up. Jess showed me the impossible! It makes a difference to have someone who not only has knowledge of yoga poses but also an eye to understand different body structures adjust your postures. That is my take away from Jess most days of the training. I learn that what may work for one person may not for another. And it makes a lot of sense after seeing Jess adjust different body types. Jess 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course
I stopped yoga for about a year before YTT because… -Jess, RYT200
Yoga & religion was always a struggle for me. I stopped yoga for about a year before YTT because close friends and family questioned the sport enough for me to decide to take a break. However during this break, I was not happy doing other sports like running or gym work. I did not even know i was unhappy actually. So one day I decided to sign up for a YTT. I thought i should give Yoga one last chance by learning about it in-depth before deciding if i want to give it up entirely or continue with it. I went for a class shortly after signing up and it was Sara’s sunday class. I was surprised at how much i missed it. Through Jess’s explanation of Yoga and its origins in both the physical and spiritual aspects, it’s clearer to me now. I do not associate Yoga to any sort of religion but i also understand that some teachers or yoga schools do so. Just like a lot of things in life people can manipulate, in my personal opinion, Yoga can perhaps be one of the most manipulated sport/activity across yoga schools world wide. Jess 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course
Yoga to me will always be a sport that helps the body and mind… -Jess, RYT200
Yoga to me will always be a sport that helps the body and mind. Maybe because personally, it gives me a peace and focus like no other. Through attending this YTT, i found out many things about myself i never knew or even suspected of before. Jess could point out the misalignments of my body that has been stagnant since forever and I am very grateful for that because at least now, i can try to correct my posture the best i can. No one wants to have a poor body posture but because of our individual lifestyles, i realised the ‘damage’ we might have done to our bodies could just stick with us forever! With that being said, I am really thankful to Jess for her ‘chiropractic’ eye. Through our ‘warrior’ days with Jess going through the poses and drills I noticed a quiet warrior armed with her phone camera scooting around the studio. What would we do without Alexis?! Our moments of ‘achievements’ and ‘bloopers’ would never have been captured in the most artistic manner! Thank you for standing by us, I really appreciate the photos you have taken, and the time you have taken to beautify us! Alexis was also the first person I spoke to during my inquiry about the YTT and she was very patient in explaining whatever i needed to know. I am sure she had to repeat herself 1001 times to 1001 people. It came to me that you did not need a large team with many people to make a business work, but a ‘strong’ team with a few dedicated people would suffice. Jess 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course
Prior to attending the YTT… -Jess, RYT200
Prior to attending the YTT, i thought YTT was a whole lot of sweat, aching body and tears. Well it was close, except that my course mates made it funny, Jess is hilarious, which helped a big deal. And there was very genuine communication among everyone. Which is something i really appreciate and treasure. I actually look forward to the classes everyday. This is very rare because of the lifestyle I have grown so comfortable to, I didn’t expect myself to breeze through the week and look forward to attending class after class. I truly appreciate and salute Jess’s dedication to her craft and through her explanation of the sport, I felt like I understood Yoga more than before and this was a level i never experienced throughout my entire yoga-journey. I am a christian, and so is my family. Hence this understanding of Yoga and the ‘yoga way of life’ is very important to me. How it entwines with religion or not has been my struggle for a long time. This is one of my main purpose of attending a YTT. In God’s time I will have answers for people around me. Jess 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course
I walked into the studio on day 1 with an open heart & mind…
I walked into the studio on day 1 with an open heart & mind. I knew my purpose for signing up for this YTT after years of deliberation and was happy my journey has began. It took me a long time to commit to this because of 1001 reasons. One of which is my lack of discipline to commit my everyday and time to a course. Jessica, the lead trainer welcomed everyone with such enthusiasm and energy it was infectious. I knew what i signed up for, and despite my uncertainties, i was at ease very quickly. Jess clearly explained the lesson plans and flows from the beginning, and I also understood her direction very well. In the new few days, I saw Jess as not only a Yoga teacher, but a chiropractor & orthopaedic altogether! I knew i had come to the right YTT. Jess 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course
The ‘high’ of floating up -Tannie, RYT200
I didn’t think inversions was something in my lifetime. Hands and head on the mat, and instead of just kick the life out of you to go up, we were taught to isolate and control the different parts of our body, and part by part, with a little rolling, pulling in, tucking and untucking, we can have our legs above our head with control and balance. There are many aspects of my life which I act o yet do not think and reflect upon the process. Its similar to me attempting an inversion, i felt uncertain and nervous at first, try to just kick up but the lack of knowledge and practice either makes me not wanna try, or do it recklessly which puts me at a risk of hurting myself and others. At week four of my YTT, when I approach a headstand, i go through the instructions in my head, taking one step at the time, brain sending instructions to my body, heart giving me the strength to go forward, i managed to lift my legs up slowly and with control, I feel elegant and graceful. I finally know the sensation of lightness and what it means to float up. My teacher has always been reminding us that the beauty is in the process, and I finally understand what she means. I feel this sense of ‘high’ as I float up. The moment between feet on mat and feet above head, it’s surreal! I want to do it again, and feel it again. Now I understand why inversions can be so fun. Tannie 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course
Just show up -Tannie, RYT200
Today i opened my eyes and felt a deep sense of dread. I got annoyed with my little girl last night because she woke me up in the middle of the night as one side of her nostril was blocked. it’s been almost five years, I’m still not used to broken sleep. She needed help, and I couldn’t treat her with grace, long story short, i woke up feeling awful, thinking to myself, i’m not cut out for this, any of this. Why the crap am I doing YTT200? maybe i should just stay home. maybe i should just give up. Yet a part of me dragged myself out of bed, amidst screaming kids, i got them changed and got myself ready, managed to take the crowded MRT to the studio. All the while thinking, ‘Oh man, I can’t do this.’ As I climbed up the stairs, and looked into the studio, rays of warm sunlight coming through the arch windows, the grumpiness I felt melted away a little. One by one, I was greeted with a beam, shiny white teeth, kind warm faces, and i feel myself being lifted by these beautiful souls. Is it possible to have duo personalities? I feel myself come alive. I’m usually a grumpy mom, but when i’m in the studio with my YTT mates and teacher, I find myself a different person, i’m lighter, I laugh more, I feel like i can be myself. The energy in my YTT community is amazing, everyone is so kind, so open and encouraging. We laugh at one another but there is no malice, we take ourselves lightly. we shed tears, we give one another space and bring tissues when needed. There is so much love. And on that note, i proceeded to attempt a headstand, felt the sensation of floating, and eventually ended the class with mermaid pose, a pose I really wanted to do but been struggling all these weeks! The encouragement, gentleness and energy I have received from my teacher, and my fellow YTT mates(who are so different from one another), are incredulous. I got to thinking, how truly wonderful the world would be if these are the kind of relationships we have with everyone. It would be some kind of paradise. Tannie 200HR Yoga Teacher Training Course
The sounds of yoga -Tannie, RYT200
Music usually have an effect on us, certain tunes come on and we feel something move within us. it makes us want to jump, doze off, cry etc. I’ve learnt that the frequency and vibrations in sounds activates certain parts of our body. When people chant in yoga, it’s actually the repetition of a certain sound to wake a certain part of your body. I’ve always thought it is religious! No wonder music makes us feel, because scientifically, the combination of the different frequencies and vibrations creates a certain rhythm and that ‘activates’ certain parts of our body. My wonderful teacher, Jessica, talked about singing bowls and very graciously took hers out and played for us. Aesthetically, it’s as pretty as can be, made of crystal and crystal produces the truest sound. The way she held the mallet, the delicate movements, slow and luring, the mallet went around the bowl and very gently, the bowl emitted these haunting sounds. It was like a dance, I was enchanted. I wasn’t affected by the sounds but some of my YTT mates felt tightness in the chest, and some felt a headache came on. I was fascinated. I read somewhere that silence helps us think and music helps us feel. Perhaps a pretty great class would be one with silence, sounds, and movements combined. Mind, heart and body, all in one Tannie 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course
Ribs -Tannie, RYT200
Ah. Ribs. I never imagined it will be a word i hear often in yoga. BBQ Baby back ribs, honey spare ribs, bak kut teh, hit me with it anytime of the day. Pull in your ribs, Expand and contract your ribs, tuck your ribs in, my mind goes blank. How do I bring in my ribs? I have never met my ribs before. Are my ribs in now? I think they are, but no they are not. Oh ribs, how I hate you, but only because I don’t know you, and I oh so need you, I want to love you. Without you, i can’t do any poses properly, without you, i definitely won’t be able to progress to more challenging poses. I’m going to try to get to know you. I’m going to place my palms gently on you, feel you expand and contract, register the sensation, and try to remember the sensation of moving you. It is going to take some time, I’ve been alerted to your existence and importance, i acknowledge you and i will get to know you. Tannie 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course
My strengths and weaknesses -Tannie, RYT200
We were asked to talk about our strengths and weaknesses today. My first thought was, crap! i’m weak all over, inside out. where do I even begin? My body is weak, there are so many postures I’m struggling with due to the lack of muscles and training. My mind is weak, I lack determination to keep pushing. My heart is weak, thoughts of giving up have surfaced one too many times. Every so often, I looked around at my fellow YTT mates trying a pose over and over again, eyes turning red and patches of perspiration stained their clothes, I sit on my mat, done after a few tries, I may once in awhile push myself to attempt a couple times, then I allow myself to think of how lazy I am, wondering why am I not as motivated as the rest of them? Why am I so weak? I continue to just sit there, observing everyone, allowing these thoughts to consume me , and not doing anything. When it came to my turn to speak, hearing about others’ frequent exchanges with frustration, I said my weakness is I’m weak everywhere and I’m not frustrated. My lack of frustration may indicate my lack of determination, focus, and motivation. How am I ever going to progress, perhaps one day find myself capable enough to teach? One of the most determined hardworking person I know in class, who also happened to be right next mat to me for this course, spoke up and said my presence brought her calm. what!!? What I deemed as laziness and lack of determination, brought calm & comfort to someone else’s frustration, reminded the next person to slow down. Hmm. I can’t believe it, my heart ache slightly. Thank you, you tall slender beautiful soul. This shift in perspective opened up my eyes. I need to learn to use different words. My strengths are I’m able to be gentle with myself, i’m able to go easy on myself. I may not be working the hardest, but i’m working bit by bit at a time. I do not need to kick up to the wall, but i can do bunny hops with one leg up, and i’m going to keep on practicing. I’m late, and I’m slow. but hey, this is not a race. Tannie 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Course
