7 Day Teacher Training Intensive

A lot has changed for me in the past 6 months. Beginning the year on that rooftop in Puerto Rico and then returning home to feel more lost than ever. On my return to London, I decided I needed to start challenging myself again. I’d lost my focus and therefore my motivation and my enthusiasm for life were lacking. And then I decided to train as a yoga teacher…

This decision is without a doubt one of the best I’ve ever made, because it has presented me with so many challenges and has encouraged me to be more than I thought I could be. Nothing is more rewarding than working hard for something you love and if this week away has taught me anything, it’s that yoga is the challenge my body and mind had been craving all that time.

Bulgaria is never somewhere I’d considered travelling to, but I am sure I’ll visit again. We were situated in the mountains near Veliko Tarnovo, up a dirt road on which we drove an ancient Royal Mail van to get to the town below. There were forests all around us which are apparently home to bears, wolves and wild boar – but don’t let that put you off!

Our morning practice began at 6am (waking at 5.30am is a new concept for me); and we started the day off by doing Jala Neti in the orchard. This involves pouring warm salty water through your nasal cavity in order to clear the sinuses and although I was reluctant to say the least, I ended the week quite enjoying it!

Jala Neti is a yogic technique to clean your sinuses. Neti is one of the six purification methods in Hatha Yoga. The sinus cavities can get clogged with impurities which may cause infections, inflammations and headaches. http://www.yogicwayoflife.com

We then had kriya practice before moving on to our asanas (physical postures) before breakfast. Each morning, we worked through the Primary Series and took turns in teaching the rest of the group. This greatly improved everyone’s confidence, as by the end of the week, we were used to standing at the front and addressing the class.

We took our meals at a small hotel in the village, and after breakfast would drive back up the mountain to continue our studies. This part of the day was usually dedicated to yoga philosophy or something more theoretical, as we’d just eaten. The discussions about yoga philosophy and the historical context of yoga were fascinating and I felt lucky to be to be taught by such knowledgable teachers. As with a lot of things, the more I learn, the more I want to learn; so my Amazon basket is now full with new yoga books!

After dinner at the hotel (around 6pm), we had private study time. This was our time to reflect on what we’d learnt that day and to work on our presentations or assessment classes for the end of the week. Everyone was very respectful of each other during this time, sensing when was a good time to socialise and when to leave you to your study. I was glad that we were a small group, as we bonded well over the week together and established a supportive and encouraging environment in which to learn.

Over the week, we discussed the idea of yoga as transformation and back in London I have been thinking a lot about this. Being away from the attractions and distractions of the city and our everyday lives, we were given the opportunity to transform both our physical practice and our attitudes going forward. I am determined to build on the momentum from last week and use this new focus and energy to go deeper in my personal practice.

Sightseeing in Sofia

By happy accident (booking the wrong flight); I was able to spend an extra day in Bulgaria, exploring the capital city of Sofia along with another trainee teacher from the course. Having no understanding of the language made navigating the city a bit of a challenge but we were lucky enough to find all the major landmarks and attractions. It was a gloriously warm day as we wandered around the city, taking advantage of having free wifi in the city parks to occasionally check our location.

Among other things, we saw Saint Alexander Nevski Church, Saint George Rotunda, The Ivan Vazov National Theatre and the Old Public Bath. Everyone we met was friendly and helpful when we asked for directions (obviously clueless tourists) and I had a wonderful time soaking up the culture of the city.