When I first signed up for the Radiant Hot Yoga teacher training I wanted to learn more about yoga and be a certified teacher.
I decided to stay in Newport Beach for a year before going off to college in NYC and see where this journey of yoga would take me. I never could imagine in my wildest dreams how much my life would change for the better throughout this program.
Those 8 weekends of teacher training were some of the best days of my life, and some of the hardest. What I loved about this training is that I felt so supported and encouraged, by Darlene and the teachers, but I also felt pushed and challenged. One thing about this teacher training which was so great for me is that when I wanted to have a melt down or just give up, everyone was there for me, but no one would let me. We, as a strong group of women, pushed each other to become the best versions of ourselves and were always ready to catch someone if they fell. But we always were taught to get back up and try again.
The first weekend of training we had to memorize how to get students into the first pose of class… 25 minutes into practicing many people began to feel stressed and feeling unworthy of being a teacher.
Every so often one of us would get upset and say “this is impossible!!” but Darlene wasn’t phased by this, she knew that we needed to hit these speed bumps in our training to find the strength within ourselves. Sure enough, by the final weekend every single woman that was in training led students through a whole class by themselves. Teaching my first class in the hot room at Radiant was one of the proudest moments of my whole life. I had never felt so empowered, fierce, and confident as I did the day that I graduated as a certified yoga instructor. One of the valuable lessons I learned throughout this program was to be authentic and have joy while I was teaching.
With a background as an actress I was always trained to put on a performance, and Radiant Hot Yoga Teacher Training showed me that I don’t need to “act” like a yoga teacher, but instead it taught me how to feel like one. Now when I teach class I speak from my heart and I feel now like I can truly change lives one student at a time. There were so many wonderful memories from the training, but one of my fondest recollections was the day that we learned about the different Chakras (or energetic points in the body). One of our instructors, Gabriel, wanted to show us how much our energy as humans is contagious so he brought in a device that lights up only when it is connected my two energetic sources. All the students sat around in a circle. We began to chant. At one point he had us hold each other’s hands…. The moment all of us connect hands, the device started lighting up and making noise. It was an incredible lesson that our energy is contagious and when you work as a group, miraculous things can happen. Now anytime I feel alone or am struggling before I teach a class, I go to a fellow teacher or loved one and hold their hand and I suddenly am ready to take on any obstacle life has to throw at me.
The Radiant Hot Yoga Teacher Training has given me the strength to allow myself to be vulnerable. It taught me to not fear what I don’t know or yet understand. Darlene and the other trainees helped me to find beauty in the world, and taught me this skills I need to pass on the miracles yoga brings to everyone in the community, on or off the mat. Lastly, I wanted to share my favorite chant that our wonderful teacher Juris talked about that I remind my self of everyday.
It is “Lokaha Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu”. It means “May all beings everywhere be happy and free!”
Thank you Darlene and all of my fellow teachers or the best experience of my life! Om shanti, shanti, shanti!!!!
