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Wow! Only 2 weekends left! I'm finding myself starting to reflect on my time in this teacher training. When I started this journey I thought I had a fairly strong knowledge base in yoga, I also thought this was going to be my way back to my practice after a long absence due to my knee injury. It has turned out to be my way back for sure, but it has also taught me so much more about yoga and myself. I can't believe the amount of knowledge our 3 amazing instructors have given us in this amount of time. I'm sure I will be seeking yoga knowledge for the rest of my lifetime! I'm starting to look forward to my future. What style will I want to teach, and where? Who will be my next mentor? How can I incorporate this into my life? Things to ponder. Hopefully coming soon to a studio near you! Namaste K. 
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What another amazing weekend.! Lots of yoga including an Elements class with the wonderful sounds of Trevor Grant. A kids yoga class that included a spirited version of head and shoulders, knees and toes, (seriously thought Samantha was losing it for a minute). And the most amazing Yoga Nidra (Yoga Sleep) class. I was skeptical with this class at first, but after about 15 minutes, I slipped into euphoria. Also this weekend, we created our own Sankalpa or personal mantra. It was pretty powerful having to speak our truths out loud. Thankfully, this has become a very safe place with an amazing supportive family. It's hard to believe in one more month we will be finished. But as Samantha said today, we have created memories and friendships that will last a lifetime. Happy Easter everyone! See you in 2 weeks. And yes, Bunny Yoga is actually a thing! K.  So today I got to teach the warm up to the public for the first time, like a real yoga teacher!. Although there was a moment when panic set in, I was able to breathe through it and continued to speak. It felt great and I can’t wait to share yoga with others. What a great group of students I get to share this experience with. I think that we are forming life long friendships and really appreciate all their support, on and off my mat! Today we participated in 3 yoga classes, a Kundalini class, our Karma class and finished off the day with a Yin class. My body is so tired I think I'll probably need tomorrow to recover. Or at least that's what I'll tell myself when I sleep in and catch up on some TV. Restorative yoga...in bed...watching the Walking dead. That's a thing right? Namaste friends! K  I know sometimes the flow yoga style can be intimidating at first. It's a faster pace, typically moving one breath per movement. If one is unfamiliar with the sun salutation sequence or vinyassa we keep coming back to throughout the class, it can be discouraging. That's why I'm offering an introduction to flow yoga every Tuesday night in July. Here is what we will cover: July 5th: Intro to flow - A discussion on what this style is about, what to expect in a flow class, the benefits as well as the importance of breath. July 12th: Breakdown of the poses in Sun Salutation A (the main sequence in the flow class) with modifications - Part 1. July 19th: Breakdown of the poses in Sun Salutation A - Part 2. July 26th: Breakdown of other common poses found in a flow class. There is a flow class with me from 6:15 - 7:15pm after if you wish to stay. Just note, the flow class at Now 'n Zen is not free (unless you already have a membership). Visit their website for more info: www.nownzen.ca   A new 200-hour program has started with the Maritime Yoga College. That means the teachers in training will be leading yoga classes at Now ’n Zen Wellness Centre (17 Glen Stewart Drive in Stratford). Classes are open to the public and suitable for all levels. Classes take place Sundays 4-5pm until May 15th, 2016 (excluding March 27th) and are by donation (min. $5/class), The proceeds go to the PEI Reach Foundation: http://peireachfoundation.ca/ Come see us and spread the karma!   I'm so excited to be joined by Ayurvedic Health Educator, Marian Curran for this supportive cleanse at Now 'n Zen Wellness Centre in Stratford. Here's how the 5 days will break down:
Sunday, March 20th - 8am - 4pm: We'll start with a morning yoga practice and meditation with Samantha. That will be followed by detoxifying tea and an introduction to the science of Ayurveda, a 5000-year old natural healing system from India with Marian. Discover your dosha (Ayurvedic constitution) and learn about food, yoga and other lifestyle choices most suited for you. We'll break for a mindful lunch, which will consist of an Ayurvedic meal suitable for all doshas. This meal is called kitchari and features beans, rice and specific spices for toning the digestive system. In the afternoon, you will be supplied with Ayurvedic cleansing tools including a neti pot, tongue scrapper, massage oil and eye wash and shown how to use them. You are now ready for the next 4 days of the cleanse. Monday, March 21st - Thursday, March 24th - 6am - 8am: We'll start every morning of the cleanse with a detoxifying yoga class followed by breakfast eaten mindfully together. You will leave with your kitchari for the day, the meal consumed on the cleanse. Taking part in a cleanse has never been easier! And yes, we eat FOOD on this cleanse! Included in the Cleanse: - Taxes - Lunch Sunday and all meals for the 4 day cleanse (Monday - Thursday) - Detoxifying tea for the duration of the cleanse - The Ayurvedic cleansing tools (neti pot, tongue scrapper & massage oil) - Yoga classes - The knowledge and tools to be able to conduct another cleanse on your own in the future This course is open to the public as well as for 200-hour Yoga Alliance certified instructors. For those yoga instructors working towards their next certification with MYC, this course counts for 20 hours towards the 300-hour program or continuing education credits with the Yoga Alliance. Register here: http://www.maritimeyoga.com/store/p11/_Ayurvedic_Spring_Cleanse.html We are very excited to be holding another Yogathon for charity. This is a part of the teachers-in-training final exam if you will, teaching a full one hour class to their friends, family, fellow students and the public. This session, we're raising funds for the Anderson House of PEI http://www.fvps.ca/ Hope you can come join us!   Please enjoy this entry from our guest blogger, Derrick. He is currently taking yoga teacher training with the Maritime Yoga College.
Week 12 - April 12th: During our past weekend of teacher training we came to the last pose in our manual that we are taught to teach, savasana. The English translation of savasana is corpse pose. Savasana is generally done at the end of a class and it allows for the practice to be integrated and for deep relaxation to happen. Some say that it is when you relax that you enter savasana, but it is certainly true that when you lay down in savasana you do begin to relax. Savasana is stillness; as you drift deeper into stillness and relaxation you go into a sleep-like state where the subtle systems of the body are rejuvenated. You will find that savasana is often referred to as the most difficult pose and here is my theory as to why. The stillness of savasana allows for thoughts and emotions to rise to the surface of our conscious-awareness. These thoughts and emotions may be completely random, perhaps stimulated by the movement of the practice, or they may be the thoughts and emotions that have been suppressed and submerged, for any number of reasons. In the time-crunched modern society we share there is often little time for relaxation and stillness, and we often find our day full of activity and lacking in rest. When we move from task to task at high speeds we often miss the subtle activity of our thoughts, emotions, and intuition. The wisdom of our body speaks softly at first, but as it is ignored it will ‘speak’ louder and it will manifest thoughts and emotions into physical symptoms. At the root of much illness and dis-ease is stress, and psychic or emotional stress can be addressed before it manifests in physical symptoms, but we have to be open and able to listen. Such deep and active listening is at the core of any yoga practice. At the beginning of most classes you do breathing exercises to link the mind and the body in the present moment and actively scan the body - using the breath - to identify any sensations. Throughout the practice we work towards maintaining this mind-body connection and cultivate mindfulness that we carry into the rest of our lives. The time we have spent in our Yoga-Teacher-Training program has allowed us to practice deep and active listening with our bodies, and as in many relationships the more we invest the more that is returned. We have been listening to our body ‘talk’ through the asanas, in our food diaries, and in meditative states - such as savasana. The wealth of knowledge our bodies contain would flood the largest of libraries. Take time to listen, and you will learn. |
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Samantha Sambrooke
Director of Teacher Training for the Maritime Yoga College and Registered Holistic Nutritionist. Categories
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