Living the Good Life

After quite some time, I have decided to fire up the old blog again. It may have seemed as if things fizzled out for the second half of my Bikram Teacher Training, the truth of it is is that after the halfway point I decided to be present and take in every last minute of the experience. Rajashree had said, on our very first day of orientation, that the best thing to do is just be. Take it all in, and don’t worry about documenting the details. Everything will be in your heart as a memory. As much as I loved the idea that I could detail my experience on here and share what I was doing with my friends and family back home, I felt like the time I was spending blogging was taking away from the time I had to take it all in. The second half of training was spent with the friends that truly made my Teacher Training experience what it was. Many people I met over the nine weeks in LA have now become lifelong friends who live across the globe. I am incredibly grateful to have met so many inspiring souls. I know without a doubt that the friendships and memories from Teacher Training will last a lifetime.

Now that I’m back home in Calgary, and have been teaching for about 8 months, I feel like it’s time for an update!

My first class was terrifying. Or at least leading up to it was. It’s funny when you’re doing something you truly believe in, and sharing something so important to you, that things just kind of work. To be completely honest my memory of my first class is a bit of a blur, and I’m sure it was far from perfect, but I survived, and my students survived. From that point on it has been such a great learning experience, about myself, the human body, and my inspiring yoga community. I’ve taught people of all ages, all walks of life, and all ability levels over the last 8 months, and am always inspired to see someone trying something new, or something they previously thought they weren't able to do. This yoga is so powerful in that way. At first you might feel like you can’t handle the heat, or you’re not flexible or co-ordinated enough, but if you choose not to believe (or even listen) to those thoughts in your mind and give it your honest effort, you just might surprise yourself. After a while when you make it through an entire class without leaving the room, or one day are able to do the full series without sitting out a posture, you realize how far you’ve come and just what you’re capable of – both in and outside of the hot room. Bikram calls this Self Realization.

Not long after I started this yoga, I knew that I wanted to become a Bikram Yoga instructor. Given the age limit of 21 to attend TT, I decided at the (too) young age of 17 to pursue higher education and wait it out. Little did I know that this age restriction was rather flexible – there were people not quite out of their teens at my training. I will never regret my choice to go to university; however it appears it has led me in a somewhat roundabout path. I got a degree in Health Information Science, knowing that I wanted to pursue a career in health in some form, and that in the midst of a faltering economy, a stable job in Health IT was probably a very smart choice. My schooling provided me with some amazing opportunities, namely the chance to spend a co-op semester in Germany, as well as at two other health authority jobs in Canada. With graduation right around the corner, I was able to secure a job with one of these previous co-op placements in Calgary. The people I worked with were great, and I learned a lot in my short time there. My time working in this field, however, taught me much more about myself. I realized that working in a corporate job in the conventional medicine field is not what I’m cut out for. My heart longed to be immersed in the world of yoga, health and nutrition, but as I had given my word to come back to work following teacher training, I returned to the job that I knew in my heart wasn’t right for me. After multiple stints with the flu, and other digestive related distresses, I realized that my body was trying to send me a message. Everything inside me was screaming to tell me to get out, but I was becoming very good at ignoring my gut, and it in turn responded by making me very ill.

It wasn’t long after making up my mind to pursue further education in holistic nutrition that I found a school that was a perfect fit for me. I stumbled upon the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and got shivers up my spine. This was the school I had been searching for. The curriculum was offered entirely online, and was tailored to be flexible for those working full time. As I had not yet committed to cutting my year-long contract short, I thought this was the perfect way to transition to this new and exciting field. I could spend my free time learning more about nutrition and healthy living – something I already spent my free time researching – and put my knowledge towards a career as a Holistic Health Coach! Not long after beginning the fundamental course work, with such a strong emphasis on career and the role it can play in your happiness and overall health, I knew I needed to leave my job.

It’s funny how things just work out. The day I decided what needed to be done, my studio owner told me she was looking for a full time teacher. What perfect timing! I still hadn’t fully committed to giving my notice at work, but even just entertaining the idea of giving that up to pursue my passion of teaching yoga was unbelievably freeing. Sure it would be a pay cut, and I’d lose my benefits and the stability of a career job, but I knew in my heart that it was right for me.

I have since given my notice, and am working toward my last day at my full time office job on August 9^th. I am so excited for what the future has in store for me. I feel I have really found my calling, combining yoga with holistic nutrition. I will have more time to allow me to immerse myself fully into my studies, which will prepare me to be successful as a coach for others on their path to health and wellness.  I will have a website up and running in the next few months, but for the time being I will be sharing my thoughts, experiences and recipes here for you all to enjoy!