A YTT Journey
Ever wondered what actually happens on a yoga teacher training? Maybe you are looking to explore one but want to know more. Below our Karma Yogi Liz shares her experiences…
After spending two months in Spain walking the Camino de Santiago, I felt the time had come to further deepen my knowledge and skills in yoga. Although I have been a practitioner for many years and attended various yoga retreats, there was still something missing in my personal yoga practice. This is what had initially drawn me to yoga teacher training — an intensive and immersive experience with life-changing results for my yoga. And that was indeed the outcome, and much more.
Leaving the bustling and humid city of Valencia for Palma, Mallorca, my excitement was mixed anticipation; I was longing for a reset, to live in an ashram-based environment around like-minded people; to be surrounded by mountains and lush greenery; with a feeling of returning home. The teachers and students, all from different backgrounds, were warm and friendly, and I learned to let go of my expectations and stay open to the experience, and to take each hour of each day as it came.
Despite the buzzing mosquitos, I had a restful night’s sleep. My daily routine was filledwith yoga and teaching for twelve hours a day, every day, excepts Sundays. The multi-style 200-hour course lasted for three weeks. The intensity of daily yoga enabled me to immerse myself and my awareness fully into the practice of self-discovery and learning.
A broad scope of yoga was taught throughout the course, with specific teachers for meditation, philosophy, anatomy, Hatha, vinyasa, Ashtanga and yin yoga. Having a background in healthcare, it was pleasing to already have a good level of knowledge in these areas.
Morning practice always started with 45 minutes of meditation, breath-work and mantra — a gentle wake-up and grounding for the rest of the day. This was then followed by a short break before ninety-minutes of vinyasa yoga until 11am. Our Vinyasa teacher shared many approaches to this style of yoga, from tai-chi, free flowing movement, and focused alignment work on specific areas of the body. Brunch was always served at 11am — a delicious and healthy range of vegan and Ayurvedic food.
Asana clinics ran from midday until 2pm, focusing on alignment and variations in standing, seated, and balancing postures, including hip-openers, back-bends, twists and inversions. Anatomy classes followed, taught by a very experienced physiotherapist, a fun and lively character, who made the classes upbeat and light.
After this, some kind of sugary delight always awaited us at our tea-break at 3pm, and gave the group an hour to rest and reflect in the bright Spanish sunshine. Ninety-minute Hatha or yin classes were taught for the remainder of the afternoon, and despite the slower aspect to these types of yoga, the classes were nonetheless just as challenging. Hatha focused on the importance of alignment and breathing to ease tension and enable relaxation, whereas yin yoga focused on ‘finding the edge’ and holding postures deeper and for longer. Despite the asana classes being physically and mentally demanding, a gradual shift was taking place. And not forgetting mediation and philosophy classes that we had each evening.
At the end of the last week — and to meet the standards of the Yoga Alliance — I took two crucial exams: teaching an hour-long yoga class to fellow students, examined by our teachers; and an anatomy and yoga philosophy exam. When the final day arrived, I was overcome with a deep sense of pride and achievement on receiving my certificate and completing the training. And so, with this New Year, my thoughts are now focused towards fulfilling my ambitions, and becoming a yoga teacher.
- Liz Witts