Back from my level 3 certification with YogaFit and I am so excited to teach my class this Friday! Level 3 was by far my favorite training; I feel like I had a lot of "aha" moments where I was able to make connections between concepts that were a little murky before. The training was 20 hours of instruction, reading, writing, discussion, alignment practice and of course yoga itself. My favorite part was discussing the chakras of the body and how they are each associated with a moral principle. This is so neat- this is where the mind joins the body in the practice of yoga. Let me give a little insight into my rant- "chakras" otherwise known as energy centers in the spine are activated by the practice of yoga. Movements that help keep the spine active and keep nerve bundles from becoming blocked. For example, the first chakra is at the base of the spine and is the "root center" of our bodies. ( A lot of times, you will hear yoga teachers refer to feeling grounded in the moment-- this is a subtle reference to the first chakra). These chakras also have moral principles that are associated with them so that when an individual activates the chakra through physical movement, they can also bring an awareness to a moral principle that will help them become a better person. In the case of chakra 1, the principle is "acceptance". --> hence the connection between mind and body!

There is no way to reiterate 20 hours worth of illuminating knowledge, but it sufficeth me to say that I feel refreshed and optimistic about incorporating new ideas into my friday morning class :)

There is a beauty in yoga that I hope everyone who wishes to adopt a habitual practice will come to find. Yoga teaches us how to become our best selves. It helps us to find peace in our daily lives and it teaches us to accept ourselves just the way we are in any given moment in time. There is no competition, there is no judgement or expectation. There is just "being"; being in the moment, being in our bodies, being who we are, and realizing who we ultimately can be; one breath, one pose, one moment at a time.

namaste :)