A New Beginning: Choosing Love instead of Fear

I have big news this week! And honestly, I'm both excited and completely scared out of my mind about this news.

As many of you know, about eight months ago, I started Yoga Teacher Training at CorePower Yoga (CPY). I went into teacher training with every intention of deepening my practice and with a goal of continuing to cultivate my love of yoga.

On the first day of Teacher Training (TT), we started introducing ourselves to one another and I distinctly remember telling my fellow TT yogis that I had no intention of ever teaching. As I said it out loud, I knew I was both lying to myself and to those around me. I always knew that I would love the opportunity to teach yoga and to become more ingrained in my yoga community as both a student and as a teacher but I could never envision myself as the "teacher."

I was holding myself back because I doubted my abilities and my strength. When it comes down to it, I just didn't think I was good enough. I wasn't the yogi who could do the chin stand or the handstand in the front of the classroom and I wasn't the yogi who could bend herself into the most complex postures. In fact, I couldn't even do the "beginner inversion" that is taught in CorePower Yoga's C1 class (their foundational yoga class for beginning yogis) when I first started my TT journey.

However, as I continued going through TT, I realized that because I wasn't the best yogi in the room, I was able to bring a new perspective to my teaching. I had to pay extremely close attention to the muscle engagements and the body positioning that would help me find safe alignment and expression of each pose. This "weakness" has ended being a strength as it forces me to break down poses and postures in a way that can help all types of students understand how to move into and hold their postures.

And now, fast forward to a few weeks ago and when I found myself auditioning to become a CPY teacher. After teacher training, I felt much stronger in my practice. I had a stronger understanding of the postures, of proper alignment and of anatomy, and a clearer connection to the philosophy and more mindful aspects of yoga. But even still, if you asked me if I felt 100% prepared to be a yoga teacher, I would be lying if I had said yes.

Heading into the CPY Yoga Teacher Auditions, I made the conscious decision to choose my love of yoga and my love of teaching over my fear. I decided to trust my breath, my body, and my mind, as I went through the audition process.

It turns out, that by trusting myself and by choosing my love for yoga over fear, I opened myself up to a new opportunity. While this new opportunity is just as scary as it is exciting,

I am overjoyed to announce that I will be joining the incredible teaching community at CorePower Yoga

For my first month, I will be focused on heart-opening poses. These poses can often make us feel vulnerable because we are truly opening ourselves and our bodies up to the world.

However, these poses also give us the opportunity to become more receptive to love, both self-love and compassion.

I believe heart openers are the perfect poses to help me begin my journey as a CPY teacher, because they will help me continue my journey of choosing love over fear. My goal as a teacher is to help my fellow yogis find courage and self-love in their practice so that they too can work towards choosing love over fear.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to share my love of yoga with you all both here on the Balance Blog and on my mat at CorePower Yoga.

Come flow with me if you are located in the Dallas Metroplex:

• 6am on Mondays at CorePower Yoga Preston Forest

• 6am on Wednesdays at CorePower Yoga Henderson

See you on the mat!