Standing at the Trailhead of Winter

My journey to becoming a yoga teacher continues. I completed Level 2 training this past weekend, and I walked away feeling surer than ever that I'm on the right path. My favorite part of the 20 hours of instruction was the discussion of the Yamas and Niyamas. Though it was just a small part of the training, the delving into the philosophy behind yoga offered up much to think about. Now I am reading more about the Yamas and Niyamas from a variety of texts, and I am thinking about them often as I move through my days. Yamas: restraints. Do no harm. Be truthful. Don't take what isn't yours to take. Keep life simple. Let go of the stuff. Niyamas: observances. Live a pure life. Be content. Be disciplined. Never stop learning. Live with an open heart. Both encourage the self to keep an eye on the self, monitoring behavior, adjusting, working to become a better version of the self. When we were asked which Yama we needed to work on most, I knew instantly which one it was f...

For a long time, since my college days way (waaaaayyyyy) back when, I've dabbled on and off with yoga. I have always felt a pull to become more informed about the yoga practice, and I've always wanted to make moving through yoga postures a regular part of my day to day routine. I never took the steps to do either, though, allowing other things to seem more important. After completing the cross-country cycling trip last summer, I finally opened myself up to the idea of fully allowing yoga to take a more prominent position within my life. To start my journey, I went through a program offered at a local studio, learning some basic postures, language, and theory. With each class, I grew more convinced I had found that something I'd been yearning for: a place to look inward and check for areas that need a bit of nurturing, and be supported by others who are doing the very same thing. Before the program finished, I signed up for the next level, hoping to have the opportunity t...