Yoga Teacher Training Diaries – by Iva Andelic
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I can say with certainty that the year 2016 has been the most important and successful year of my life. It’s been one of those periods where my life completely changed, both personally and professionally: I quit my previous job, got married, moved from Belgrade to London and last but definitely not the least I completed the Teacher Training course at Lumi Power Yoga and became a Yoga teacher, which I am very proud of.
I had the first contact with yoga several years ago when my sister introduced it to me. She has been a regular yoga practitioner for more than six years and she advised me to start doing yoga because of her very positive experience with it. She was sure I would have liked it from the first Asana and she was absolutely right. Not only did yoga help me feel better, but it has also changed my lifestyle, my habits and taught me how to deal with everyday challenges and problems.
When I moved to London, my first mission was to find a Yoga studio with experienced teachers, friendly staff and warm atmosphere. One day, during my afternoon walk, I found Lumi by pure chance and it had all I was looking for, if not more. From that point on, Lumi became an essential part of my everyday life. Enrolling in the Teacher Training was an obvious next step for me. When Elina and Ari invited me to an interview I felt very excited and I could say that my journey began that moment when I finished the conversation with them.
The first thing I liked about the course was the fact that in a relatively short period of time it transformed myself and other trainees in a way I would have never expected. At some point during the training I realized that everything we were being taught made sense and was aimed at creating great yoga teachers.
At the beginning of the Teacher Training course I committed to “speaking out” or becoming more confident with my spoken words during teaching. I also committed to not being afraid of people’s reactions and being proud of myself all the time. I am truly proud of embarking this journey, meeting amazing people and learning a lot of useful and interesting things that I will surely use throughout my life. However, I will not stop here because I would like to achieve more, experience more and learn more. During the training I promised myself to think well of myself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words, but in great deeds.
The Journey Into Power which I started in October has had an impact on both my body and my mind. I am trying to practice yoga almost every day and I can see that I am feeling great and that my body is healthy like never before. The Teacher Training was organized in a way that suited everyone. We played different games, did a lot of challenging exercises, practiced a lot, which all shaped us in a good and positive way. We all experienced some shifts in our lives, therefore I think this training is not just about yoga, it is a whole new life experience and transformation. Elina once told me “You are unstoppable” and I know I will definitely use that as my mantra throughout the whole life.
Practicing yoga and completing the Teacher Training course at Lumi certainly made my life better and I will try to use what it taught me in the future. While teaching, in the first place I am practicing how to be a good person and how to fill myself with happiness and positive feelings. At the same time, I want to be there for my loved ones, share great moments with them, help them if needed and pass my knowledge onto them. Also, I want to learn new things every day, be a student all the time, experience more positive shifts in my life, be surrounded by smart people and fully enjoy every moment. And I wish everyone the same. So if you are thinking about becoming a yoga teacher I highly recommend signing up for the next Teacher Training course at Lumi Power Yoga.
“The goal is near for those who are supremely vigorous and intense in practice.” –Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra 1.21