A Healthy Holiday Treat

This week has not only been an advanced teacher training for me, (on a different aspect this time called prenatal yoga), this has also become a healthy retreat for both Angel and I. While here, we love the fact that we awake to the view of the beach everyday, we love that by walking it only takes 15 seconds to get to the retreat center and the beach. And best of all, we look forward to waking up to a delicious and sattvic buffet for brunch, dinner and even dessert!


Having to take this "add-on" course, just made me relive my Greenpath yoga teacher training experience all over again. With the same outline, it was so easy to get comfortable right away.


So, for a week, my day starts out at 7am everyday for meditation and pranayama. Then from 8 to 10am, a mysore class with other fellow ashtangis (who are here for other reasons), follow. Then I eat, swim in a salt water pool or the beach, and get to chill with hubby for 3 lovely hours. Then, starting from 2 until 4pm, my classmates and I start our prenatal lecture with Sonja. Then, from 4 to 6pm, our course practical. And 6pm onwards, swim, eat and chill all over again. This has been our schedule for the whole week. How good is that? :)


While my darling Angel lets me be in my quest to learn, he too has been maximizing his stay. To regenerate himself and wash away all the negative build-up, he has taken on relaxing his mind through long walks on the beach. And on his own, practices some deep breathing and meditation. Not only that, I am so proud he gave the effort to join yoga restorative classes, and even prouder for avoiding meat for the whole duration of his stay! I know that things will go back to normal once we leave this place, but at least he was able to detox in some way and breathe in new life once again before the 2nd half of his golfing season starts.
Go hubby! :)

Ahh, the bliss of it all here in Yoga Thailand. I am so grateful and thankful for this amazing opportunity. Not only do I feel blessed to be taught by Sonja Rzepski, our wonderful guru, she has also become our friend and mentor. Meeting new, and international friends is also another boon to be thankful for. And because there is only 7 of us in the class, there is much more of a personal connection involved.

How one week just flies. Our training has now come to an end. To finish with a bang, we designed our blueprint for a class, followed by a written exam (which we all aced) and a mini graduation on the beach! :)



Learning and at the same time restoring. This certainly was a holistic treat for the both of us. Healing from the inside out gave us a renewed sense of inspiration to keep on improving on our physical, emotional, and spiritual well being. This yoga retreat has somehow also restored our impaired view of many things, and has given us some sort of inner clarity with ourselves. In a way, we are reminded all over again on our journey towards self-awareness, love and acceptance. And most of all, this has recharged our batteries to take on once again the challenges of the chaotic world.

For Angel and I who have somehow turned into health conscious travelers, we will try our best to always make it a point in our lives to continue with our wellness adventure. This has taught us that it really is best to take some time out, and breathe, and make life anew.


I am grateful for all things around me and most of all I am forever thankful to my beloved husband and his eternal support of me in all the things I do. This blog is for you. I love you! Your patience and kindness never cease to overwhelm me.

An Unending Journey

After having gone through a yoga teacher training last 2009 that took place in the beautiful island of Boracay, I am finally able to put my education into something that is constructive and gratifying.

I was just recently given the opportunity to join a yoga association of teachers and students who share one thing in common: their love for practice! But this time, I have been asked to become a part of their "teachers' pool" now. Don't get me wrong, I will forever be a student of yoga. I just feel honored to have been given the opportunity to help spread yoga and its awakening to those who seek to try it. And, I am only happy to travel this new path together with my fellow teachers and students.

As an apprentice for now, I started observing and assisting just last Monday. I have to say that it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. As a student, I am being adjusted by my teacher during a mysore class and during a led class, we follow the teacher. How hard could it be, right? All I needed to do was to remember how the teachers "fixed" me in Mysore, and in a Led class, to just say what they usually say. Wrong! Even if it were just watching, it was an entirely different experience! Before, I had never really noticed much the person beside me. That's what yoga does. It helps heighten your focus and turns your senses inward. But being on the other shoe, going around and observing everyone was quite a refreshing change. I was also learning as I was watching my fellow yogis in action. It amazed me to see how unique each and every one of my classmates were on a pose and in their practice. The structure and sequence in an Ashtanga class are all the same but how it was performed by every one in the room was entirely different. In mysore, having had to adjust their different bodies and to be able to be on that same "wave length" with them at the same time was the biggest challenge of all! All I could say is, kudos to all the yoga teachers around the world! Now I know that it is not that easy to surrender to this kind of demand. Phew! This calling sure does take a lot out of you!

As a new yoga teacher, little by little I am finding myself becoming more aware now of every students body type and their needs. To meet them halfway, I guess you just have to open yourself up more to their needs and accept that you can only do so much to assist them in their journey...

As a seasoned practitioner myself, I find that another major thing considered in a teacher is gaining a students' trust. I know that this does not come easy and is developed in time. But I know that one day, with the help of my great teachers, I will overcome all these obstacles of shyness and self-consciousness (when you tentatively adjust a student in their pose) and finally have that sureness in myself. Lastly, aside from finding that confidence and intuition for each student and where they are in their practice, as a teacher, it is also my responsibility to bring in an active and positive energy into the room. And from that energy, it helps a great deal to put it out there -- an approachable vibe to the class. Not only does this make the students enthusiastic to learn, it continuously keeps them inspired and coming back for more.

I'm actually excited! I know that this will all be great! I look forward to welcoming the teaching challenges of everyday and charging it all to experience. And I know that one day I am certain that I will get the hang of it and be good at what I am most passionate about-- yoga, and being an instructor of it.

The knowledge I gained from my teacher training exposure is certainly a beautiful blessing. I lovingly thank my mentors and all my tt classmates for making this experience the start of my unending journey. As a student, I hope to never cease to learn, and as a teacher, I offer my services to those willing to learn.

OM
Gate, gate paragate, parasamgate, bodhisvaha!!