Flydog Yoga Blog Teacher Training- Yes!

By: Bridget BaylinI never planned to teach yoga. I found yoga in my late twenties, before I had kids, before a lot of things that have happened in the last 15 years. It has been a stable, central force in my life during every one of those years. I think the hook for me was realizing that if I just showed up to class, whether I felt like it or not, I could calm my fluctuating mind, and that over time, with patience and dedication, I could accomplish all sorts of things that once seemed out of reach, both on and off of my yoga mat. There are really so many hooks for me though. I never get bored with yoga because my physical and mental needs are always changing. It balances me out as I shift from requiring strength and vitality to grounding, calming and softness. It has taught me lessons in both flexibility and steadfastness. All of these qualities can be found in the poses and philosophies behind yoga. Teacher training always appealed to me but I never had time. I was working. I had kids. I didn't have a set goal for what I wanted to do with a yoga certification. Then I had a really challenging year. I am at that middle part of my life (I guess that's why it's called "middle age") where you realize that if something is on your list for this lifetime, and the opportunity arises, you just take it. With incredible support from my family, I jumped into teacher training for power vinyasa with Eliza Whiteman at Fly Dog Yoga, whom I had never taken a class with. I didn't know any of my 15 classmates. As the first day approached, I wondered if the training would be filled with young yoga babes like the ones who dominate my Instagram feed. Would I be the only one who couldn't do a handstand? Was I too old for this?Over the 6 month training period (we went every few weekends for Friday night, Saturday and Sunday), I got to know and love Eliza and all of the other students. I never would have met them otherwise. I was exposed to many types of yoga and teachers that I never would have sought out on my own, and I learned a tremendous amount from all of them. I read books I had always "meant" to read, and books I would have never found on my own. My yoga practice, now 15 years along on a 42-year-old body, is slightly improved, though I'm not sure if I'll ever nail that handstand. But the best thing about teacher training for me was learning that I really did want to teach yoga. Teacher training gave me an amazing opportunity to tap into the voice inside myself that was ready to share my yoga practice and all that I've learned over the years with others. I have opened up my practice to include nuances of yoga I didn't understand or appreciate before I tried them. I have been teaching a few classes a week for two months now. I have no idea where I am going with it because I see so many opportunities and directions that interest me, that I can't quite decide where to go. At the same time, I'm staying grounded by just showing up to teach and learn. That's yoga, I guess. FlyDog Yoga Teacher Training 2014-15