Becoming a Yoga Teacher at 55!

I've practiced yoga for approximately 15 years now.  I has always been such a peaceful time in my day, especially during some rough times.  Like the teenage years of my children, for example.  Dim the lights, burn a little incense, turn on some soft music and then it's just me and my mat.  Having been in the teaching profession for not only the junior high and elementary grades but also having taught private piano lessons, I had often thought about training to become a yoga instructor.  Last year I had my chance at that.  And I took it!

I had no idea what I was getting myself into whenever I signed up for a 200 hour yoga teacher training course.  Oh, I knew we would have to engage in the actual physical part of the practice and, of course, I questioned whether I would have to do anything extreme because let's face it...I'm not really into anything extreme.  I also knew that the training would be in a hot studio environment which I used to practice in all the time.  But then came that dang menopause and I was hot enough without being in a room that was 100 degrees.  I much more enjoyed the room temperature studio and didn't mind power yoga at all.  But to get those 200 hours surely I could do it.

Often times I wonder, "WHAT THE HECK WAS I THINKING?!"  The entirety of my yoga training I thought that.  I knew that I would be the oldest student in the room but that really made no difference to me because I think I can do anything (sometimes foolishly...) and experience counts for something, doesn't it?  Well, I'll let you in on a little secret:  Yoga training is not easy.  And not only the physical part but there were sessions of inquiry where you really had to dig deep into yourself and sometimes that sort of thing is more painful than the physical aspect.  There were also very long days (lots of 12 hour ones) where we practice taught and learned about the anatomy of the human body, read numerous books and had to write a paper in the end.  And on top of all that, my mother had her fall and began her decline during that period of time.  Those 200 hours did not come easy and for me it was very stressful at times.

I wanted to quit so many times but it's just not in me to quit.  And now, I'm so happy that I didn't.  Because I really do love teaching yoga; bringing something to someone else's life.  It has also helped me to cope a little with the loss of my mother.  I haven't gotten out very much since she passed away but the one thing that I did do was to take on one weekly yoga class to teach.  It has been good for me on a number of levels.  So, although yoga training was quite a challenge for me, I am happy that I hung in there and completed it!  Namaste...

During yoga training you get so close with the ones you train with and these gals will always hold such a special place in my heart.