How I Went From Barely Touching My Toes to Becoming a Certified Yoga Instructor
Yoga isn't about touching your toes but rather, what you learn on the way down. Here, I share that experience—reasons why I signed up for the yoga teacher training and what I learned from it.
For most of my life, I’ve always been someone who has barely been able to touch her toes. I used to dread PE classes where we were required to demonstrate our flexibility, feeling embarrassed and frustrated as my classmates gracefully folded forward while I struggled to reach my shins. Even as a former collegiate student-athlete, any activity that required even a modicum of flexibility always left me feeling intimidated and inadequate. For as long as I can remember, my hamstrings felt like taut rubber bands, refusing to give an inch.
But this past month, I completed my 200-hour certification to become a registered yoga teacher (RYT).
In this post, I’m excited to share my experience—reasons why I signed up for the yoga teacher training and what I learned from it.
Why I Enrolled in a Yoga Teacher Training
The Inclusive Nature of Yoga
I never foresaw myself getting into yoga. After having bounced around from different workouts, I had a hard time figuring out what would stick most with me, and which I felt like I belonged most to. I felt like an outsider in the gym scene, where the focus was on competition and physical strength. It wasn't until I tried yoga that I realized what I had been missing all along. Yoga was the first workout where I felt like I could truly be myself. The practice is built on a foundation of inclusivity, acceptance, and non-judgment.
One of the most beautiful things about yoga is that it is one of the few types of workouts where you can truly show up as you are. Yoga is a practice that embraces inclusivity, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. It doesn't matter if you're a seasoned athlete or a beginner, young or old, flexible or not. There is no judgment, competition, or pressure to perform at a certain level—yoga offers a range of modifications and variations that can be tailored to an individual's abilities and needs. Instead, yoga encourages you to listen to your body, honor your limitations, and focus on your own personal growth.
It's a practice that welcomes everyone with open arms, and that's why it's so special. Yoga is not just a workout, it's a community that uplifts and supports each other in their journey toward health and wellness.
The Transformative Holistic Approach of Yoga
One of my primary motivations for enrolling in a yoga teacher certification program was to deepen my own practice.
Yoga has gradually become a transformative practice in my life. It has brought me greater physical health, mental clarity, and emotional well-being, and I felt a growing desire to share the many benefits of yoga with others. Some of the big benefits of practicing yoga include:
Reduces stress and anxiety: Yoga encourages deep breathing and relaxation, which can help to calm the nervous system and reduce stress and anxiety levels. As my instructor would say, “when you control your breath, you control your mind, and when you control your mind, you control your life.”
Improves flexibility and mobility: Practicing yoga regularly can improve flexibility (the ability of a muscle or group of muscles to passively stretch to their full range of motion), mobility (the ability to actively move a joint through its full range of motion with control and stability), and balance, reducing the risk of injury and improving overall physical health.
Strengthens muscles: Many yoga poses require the use of body weight, which is a low-impact (less likely to cause joint pain or injury than high-impact exercises like running or jumping) way to build and tone muscles over time.
Promotes mindfulness: Yoga involves focusing on the present moment and being aware of your body and breath, which can help to cultivate mindfulness and reduce negative thoughts and feelings. Beyond this, it also promotes mindfulness in nutrition through mindful eating (paying attention to the body's hunger and fullness signals, savoring the flavors and textures of food, and eating with intention and awareness) to make better food choices and improve digestion.
Encourages self-care: As a cumulative result, yoga encourages self-care by promoting rest, relaxation, and self-reflection, helping individuals prioritize their own health and well-being. After all, “your body is the only place you have to live in” according to Jim Rohn.
Overall, yoga offers a holistic approach to healing that addresses the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of health and well-being. By integrating yoga into their daily routine, individuals can experience a greater sense of balance, peace, and vitality in their lives.
The Need for Heightened Cultural Sensitivity Around Yoga
While yoga has gained popularity in Western culture, I’ve been acutely aware of the cultural appropriation that has occurred within the yoga community. Before I began my training, I would often wonder “What does ‘Om’ even mean?” “Why do we chant it?” “Why do we say Namaste?”
I wanted to ensure that my own practice and teaching were rooted in an understanding and appreciation of yoga's cultural origins. Through the yoga teacher certification program, I gained a deeper understanding of the history and cultural context of yoga. I learned about the philosophical roots of yoga, including the eight limbs of yoga as described by Patanjali, and the influence of Hinduism and Buddhism on the practice of yoga.
Cultural appropriation can discount and harm communities—robbing and exploiting historically underrepresented groups of the credit they deserve—if not taken seriously and it’s important to honor the roots of yoga and respectfully avoid its appropriation.
P.S. “Om” (also spelled Aum) is a sacred sound of the universe, representing the essence of all that exists. It’s said to be the sound that happened after the Big Bang. It consists of three syllables: A, U, and M. Each syllable represents a different aspect of the universe: A represents the waking state, U represents the dream state, and M represents the deep sleep state. Together, the syllables represent the entirety of existence. When chanted, Om is believed to bring a sense of peace, clarity, and connectedness while also helping us focus our mind and deepen our spiritual awareness.
“Namaste” translates to “the light within me sees and honors the light within you.” Yogis say “Namaste” to acknowledge the inner light or divine spark that exists within each person, and they honor that light in themselves and others. It is a way of recognizing the interconnectedness of all beings and the unity of the universe.
The Desire to Share the Benefits of Yoga and My Knowledge with Others
Ultimately, I was motivated to become a yoga teacher because I wanted to share the many benefits of yoga with others. I believe that yoga has the power to transform lives and promote physical health, mental clarity, and emotional well-being. Through the yoga teacher certification program, I gained the knowledge and skills necessary to share yoga with others in a safe, inclusive, and effective way.
I learned how to modify poses to accommodate different levels of experience and physical abilities, as well as how to provide effective adjustments and assist students in achieving proper alignment. I also learned how to develop a well-rounded yoga class, including effective sequencing, music, and the use of props.
What I’ve Learned From My Yoga Teacher Training: Practically & Philosophically
Yoga isn’t just about getting into challenging Instagrammable poses (asanas)—in fact, the most powerful pose of yoga is Shavasana, the very last pose where you’re laying flat on your back with your eyes closed.
The ultimate goal of yoga is to “quiet the mind”. We practice the poses/the asanas are just one way to achieve that goal.
Practically: What I learned to apply ON the mat
1. Holding the seat of the teacher is hard!
Kudos to teachers—yoga instructors and really, any physical trainers. Yoga instructors have to be knowledgeable about form and cues, anatomy, philosophy, and public speaking. There is a lot of liability involved with being a yoga teacher when it comes to the safety of your students, which is why it’s so important to have the proper training to make well-informed decisions about the space you create for your students.
Beyond this, being an instructor requires a great deal of personal discipline and commitment. In order to be effective, a teacher must not only maintain their own personal practice but also continue to learn and grow as a practitioner and educators.
2. A good yoga teacher is someone you can practice with your eyes closed.
Throughout my training, many friends and family have asked me “what makes a good yoga instructor?” A skilled yoga teacher can guide you verbally through your yoga practice without the need for constant visual cues or adjustments. So, if you need to look at the instructor or others around you, you probably didn’t get a thorough enough cue.
This is because a good yoga teacher has the ability to create a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment where students feel comfortable enough to let go of their ego and focus on their breath and body sensations. When a yoga teacher is able to create this type of inclusive environment, students can more easily turn inward and connect with their own intuition and wisdom.
This allows them to deepen their practice and cultivate a more profound sense of awareness and self-discovery. The ability to practice with your eyes closed is ultimately a sign of a strong teacher-student relationship. With this level of connection, students can fully surrender to the practice and trust in their teacher to guide them safely through it.
3. Breathwork is vastly underrated.
Breathwork, also known as pranayama, is considered a fundamental aspect of yoga practice. In yoga, breath is seen as the bridge between the physical body and the mind. Through conscious control of the breath, we can regulate our nervous system and bring about a sense of calm and focus.
Pranayama is said to help clear the nadis (energy channels) in the body and increase the flow of prana (life force energy) throughout the body. This can have a profound effect on our physical, mental, and emotional well-being, while also cultivating mindfulness and bringing awareness to our thoughts and emotions. By focusing on the breath, we can quiet the mind and become more present in the moment. This can lead to a deeper connection with ourselves and the world around us.
Breathwork is a powerful tool in yoga because it allows us to tap into the body-mind connection and bring about a greater sense of balance and harmony in our lives. As mentioned, as my instructor would often say, “when you control your breath, you control your mind, and when you control your mind, you control your life.”
Philosophically: What I learned to apply OFF the mat
As my instructor would often say, “we don’t practice yoga to get better at yoga. We practice yoga to get better at living life.” Here are some of the things I’m grateful to have learned:
1. How you do one thing is how you do everything.
The mindset and attitude we bring to our yoga practice can extend beyond the mat and into other areas of our lives. The same can be said with anything we pour our energies into.
If we approach a specific realm of our lives with dedication, focus, and openness, we are more likely to carry those qualities into others like our relationships, work, and personal endeavors.
Conversely, if we approach that realm with resistance, distraction, or negativity, those patterns may arise in other areas of our lives.
Yoga is not just a physical practice, but a way of cultivating mindfulness, self-awareness, and a sense of presence in all aspects of our lives.
As my instructor would say, “what you resist will persist, and what you embrace, you move through with grace.”
2. You can’t show others compassion until you are compassionate toward yourself.
It's easy to get caught up in the daily grind and forget to take care of ourselves, but we must prioritize our well-being to show up fully for others. Just like on an airplane, we're instructed to put on our own oxygen masks first before assisting others. This holds true in all aspects of life. Whether it's in our personal or professional relationships, we must ensure that we're giving from a place of abundance, rather than depletion.
Yogic philosophy emphasizes cultivating love and compassion towards ourselves and others— in yoga, these aren’t just emotions but also powerful energies that connect us to the universe and all living beings.
By prioritizing our own self-care, we cultivate the inner resources needed to offer genuine and authentic support to those around us. And when we show compassion towards ourselves, we also become more aware and attuned to the needs of those around us. We begin to see the struggles and challenges that others are facing and can offer them support and love from a place of understanding. Compassion is contagious, and when we show ourselves kindness and love, we inspire others to do the same. This creates a ripple effect of positive energy and love in the world.
Only then can we truly be of service to others and make a positive impact in their lives. As my instructor has said, “you can’t fill others’ cups until yours is full.”
3. See the big picture.
Yoga reminds us of how vast the world is in relation to our own lives. From a cosmic perspective, it reminds me a lot of Carl Sagan’s words in Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space.
We are all interconnected—all beings and the importance of unity and compassion. The Earth is our shared home, and each person who has ever lived has left their mark on it. A big part of yoga philosophy emphasizes the need to recognize that our actions carry their own energies and have an impact on not only ourselves but on everyone and everything around us.
Through practicing yoga and mindfulness, we can cultivate a deeper understanding of our place in the world and strive towards creating a more peaceful and harmonious existence. Practicing yoga has been a powerful reminder to approach the world with empathy, humility, and respect. Just as we are part of the universe, so are all other beings and living things. By recognizing the vastness of the world, the fragility of our home planet, and our own small place within it, we can approach life with a sense of gratitude, curiosity, and wonder.
4. The world is big but so are you.
We are part of a vast universe, but we also possess an immense inner universe within ourselves. Through the practice of yoga, we can tap into our own inner strength and connect with the world around us on a deeper level.
In yoga, we often focus on the concept of oneness (AKA samadhi, the 8th “limb” and the ultimate goal of yoga) and interconnectedness. While the world may seem big and overwhelming, we are all part of the same web of life. Through our practice, we can cultivate a sense of unity with all beings and recognize our own power and potential to make a positive impact in the world.
5. You create the world you think you deserve.
The world we experience is a reflection of our thoughts, words, and actions. Our internal world creates our external reality. If we want to live in a world filled with love, peace, and happiness, we must first cultivate those qualities within ourselves. Through our practice of yoga, we can learn to quiet the mind and connect with our true essence, which is pure love and light. As we connect with this inner essence, we radiate it out into the world and attract experiences that match our vibration.
Ultimately, we create the world we think we deserve by aligning our thoughts, words, and actions with our intentions. If we want to see a change in the world, we must first be the change we wish to see—yes, similar to the words of Gandhi.
My instructor has often profoundly said in our lessons “if you want things you’ve never had, you need to do things you’ve never done. If you want more, you need to be more… if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.”
By doing so, we not only improve our own lives but also positively impact the lives of those around us. It all starts with us, and the power to create a better world lies within each and every one of us.
6. The journey is the reward. Embrace it with presence and focus.
Embracing the journey is a key component of yoga practice. It's easy to get caught up in the end result, whether it's finally mastering a challenging pose or achieving a particular level of flexibility—like touching our toes!
However, when we focus solely on the destination, we can easily become frustrated, discouraged, or even injured. By embracing the journey and focusing on the present moment, we can truly enjoy the process of learning and growing through our practice.
One way to stay present during yoga practice is to cultivate the concept of drishti, or focused gaze. There are two types of drishti: external and internal. External drishti (bahya drishti) involves focusing the eyes on a particular point in the physical world, such as a spot on the floor or a specific part of the body. This helps to create a sense of stability and focus during challenging poses. Internal drishti (antar drishti), on the other hand, involves directing the gaze inward, focusing on the breath, the sensations in the body, or even the state of mind. This type of drishti helps to cultivate inner awareness and mindfulness.
By embracing the journey and focusing on the present moment, we can develop a deeper connection with ourselves and our practice. We can learn to appreciate the small victories and setbacks, the moments of growth and transformation.
Ultimately, yoga is not just about achieving physical goals or mastering challenging poses, but about cultivating a deeper sense of awareness, presence, and self-acceptance. When we embrace the journey, we can fully experience the transformative power of yoga in our lives.
“Yoga isn’t about touching our toes, it’s about what we learn on the way down.”—Judith Lasater
Thank you to My Instructor and Fellow Students
I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to pursue my 200-hour yoga teacher certification under the guidance of Yogi Maha Bodhi. I signed up for this training at Embody Through Yoga with the hope of learning more about the cultural and spiritual significance of yoga to further the intentionality of my own day-to-day practice but I feel fortunate to have received so much more beyond that. Maha is a deeply knowledgeable and experienced teacher who is passionate about sharing the benefits of yoga with others. She has taught me so much about the practice of yoga, as well as about the importance of mindfulness and compassion in all aspects of life.
I am also grateful for the women I completed the training with Alexia, Jennifer, Sara, and Tina. Together, we formed a tight-knit community of yogis who supported and encouraged each other throughout the journey. I feel so honored to have shared this learning and growing experience with you. Namaste 💜
