There. I finally said it. Today, I am taking the first step to be certified as a yin yoga teacher.

From my first yoga class in 2006, this is where the universe is bringing me.

This was never in my life radar, to be honest. From the time I began this yoga blog in 2006, I’ve gotten numerous inquiries on this blog and via email asking where I taught, whether I could teach a class, could I be interviewed about yoga and what my teaching rates are. I found that funny because people thought that just because I had a yoga blog, I HAD TO BE a yoga teacher. NOT!

 

So why didn’t I take any teacher training?

Because I never felt the desire to. Sure, I loved yoga and loved practising but I never felt the inclination to get up before a class and teach. I just loved being the student. Let others do the teaching.

But in 2011 when I took my first yin yoga class with Dona, I think a seed was planted. And over the years, that seed has taken root and began to sprout. As I learned about its healing benefits, the meridian connection to organs and its relationship to Traditional Chinese Medicine concepts, I began to sit up and listen. When Victor started coming to teach yin yoga in 2012, I began taking notes. Suddenly, I found purpose in teaching.

(Read all about Victor Chng and his yin yoga philosophy here)

In 2012, as a number of my yoga friends were planning to travel to Singapore to take Victor’s teacher training, I too wanted to join in. However, a little voice inside strongly told me to hold back. I didn’t know why, but I listened to that voice. As it turned out, in the latter part of that year, my husband became very ill. I became a caregiver. And this medical journey would last a year and a half thereabouts.

I was disappointed, to be honest. Many things were put on hold. I asked Victor to come instead to Manila to hold teacher training because I knew traveling abroad was out of the question then. Of course, Victor just gave me that smile, with no promises. I knew it was too much to ask back then. Yin yoga was still very new in Manila. It was not yet even known outside the Metro. WHO would he teach?

But I kept holding out hope that one day, ONE DAY, Victor will finally deem it feasible to teach in Manila.

That day has come because this September, Victor will be coming back to Manila to hold his first Yin Yoga Teacher Training. Yay!!!

On hindsight, I now know that everything has a reason and a season. I was not meant to take teacher training in 2012; I had to go through that medical journey with my husband. And you know what? I am thankful I did. Somehow, once you have seen serious illness up close, you are forced to learn many things about wellness, nutrition and holistic therapies and truly appreciate good health. I would like to think that journey also taught me more compassion and sensitivity.

So here I am. Just 2 months away from September. Today, we began a 4-day yoga immersion workshop with Dona. And there are other workshops coming up in the following weeks like Lek’s anatomy class that will also help prepare our batch of aspiring yin yoga teachers.

I’m excited not just to learn from Dona, Victor and Lek. I’m excited to share my practice. I am sure my other classmates have their own stories that led them down this path. Whatever it is, it has made our paths cross. For that I am grateful. Wish me and my classmates luck as we begin a new journey! And as I posted on Instagram earlier….no turning back! 🙂