Why YTT?

“OMG! It was amazing!”

“It was awesome!”

“It changed my life!”

When 200 HR YTT programs started popping up everywhere, I was curious. I attended information sessions and I asked people who had already completed the course to give me their assessment and opinions. Across the board, I got answers like “OMG! It was amazing!” “It was awesome!” And “It changed my life!”

Well, hanging out with Santa’s reindeer when I was 4 years old was “amazing”. Climbing Mt. Fuji was “awesome”. And becoming a mother “changed my life”, so these answers were not enough for me. I still wondered, why might I want to pursue Yoga Teacher Training?

Though I put it off for a couple of years, I remained interested and curious.

Then I went to work and live in the United Arab Emirates. I lived about an hour and a half outside of Dubai, and I worked another hour farther out in the boondocks. Fishing and animal husbandry (along with military work) were the careers of my associates, and camels and donkeys were the stray animals along the road. It was far from Muncie, Indiana (and my comfort zone), and far from any yoga community.

Before I went to the UAE, Yoga had become an important part of my life. My practice and the shared yoga energy in the communities where I connected were “amazing” and I could feel my life changing. Then I went to the UAE, and I missed my yoga community. Thanks to YouTube and a reliable internet connection, I continued to practice yoga in my living room. While that was good discipline development, I still missed my yoga community.

Again, I sought out Yoga Teacher Training opportunities and found one in Dubai that would be taking place during my summer vacation. My reasoning and readiness for YTT was based on the need for community in my yoga practice. I was not looking to become a yoga teacher, and I was not particularly looking for any sort of major life change other than to create a community of yogis where I lived.

What I got, however, was information (mind stimulation) that provoked a new perspective on myself (self-inquiry) that aroused a greater-than-me awareness (spiritual development). I developed mindfulness; and found inner peace. I became physically stronger and more flexible (body care/body love), and found myself making healthier choices that impacted my body. I explored philosophies of yoga and found clarity in my faith.

The anatomy portions of the training were “AH-HA!” moments that dramatically improved both my own yoga practice and my understanding of personal physical limitations. Those moments of clarity changed the way I walk, sleep, and stand when off the mat.

The portions of the training that gave light to the holistic approach to life in which yoga is rooted were endorsements for my deep-seated suppositions about life.

The structure of yogic belief systems gave structure to my life in ways I hadn’t even known I was longing for. The 8 limbs of yoga, for example, became the roadmap for the evolution of my days.

None of those things were advertised or promised as a part of the training. And yet, as I experienced the life-changing insights gained during my training, I understood the generic exclamation: “YTT changed my life!”

Yes, the training was “awesome”, not because the teacher was so awesome (though she was), but because the personal experience inspired awe in me toward this everyday thing we do: life.

Yes, the training was “amazing”, not because the material was some profound ancient secret (though the ancient wisdom was/is, indeed, profound), but because the material resonated with me in a very real and practical way.

Yes, the training “changed my life”, not because I made a major career change or dramatically adapted healthy habits (though both of those things continue to be evolving in my life), but because of the subtle ways in which I have found myself, and therefore express myself in the world.

Why YTT?
Your answers will be different from mine, of course. The one thing I am sure of, is that your answers will empower YOU in ways you never imagined before.  

If you are at all interested in YTT, I believe that interest is a calling from your higher self to venture into yourself and find your home on earth.

I’m happy to share more with you and answer any questions you might have. Please feel free to reach out to me through Lotus Wellness Center.

Why YTT?

I’m looking forward to seeing how you might answer this question!