Kathleen | Costa Rica 200hr YTT Testimonial
It’s hard to know where to start describing the experience of an SYI Yoga Teacher Training because so much of it transcends description. I entered this space craving connection to myself. I wanted a deeper understanding of the space I felt within after practicing yoga. I knew the 200 hour training I was signing up for was going to be a journey of reconnecting with the quieter softer parts of myself that needed space to grow. While I was worried about sharing a room with people I did not know, my roommates and I quickly became friends who shared space graciously.
I was so pleasantly surprised by the lifelong friendships I made in the course and it truly felt like a gathering of kindred spirits united in shared purpose. SYI provided a well curated protected space and so many unexpected opportunities for change and growth. The amazing group of people that shared this training space were both expansive and grounding. I felt as though I was around friends I had known long before. We were all there searching for growth built through challenge and reflection and the experience of being around like minded humans walking the same path as you is quite indiscribable. The instructors were kind and well studied, while also maintaining a down to earth relatability that made them easy to share space with. There were also plenty of opportunities to dive deeper within if you wished and we observed silent mornings until the end of breakfast, something we decided on communally, which provided the opportunity for all of us to delve into our personal practice on a regular cadence. I really enjoyed the depth of practice I experienced while observing silence as did many of the other students.
The morning meditations and asanas were some of my favorite times in the program. The shala in Costa Rica overlooks the jungle and the ocean and it is a breathtaking place to practice yoga. Through a three hour practice we connected our bodies and dove deeply into our spirits. We practiced the flows we then taught which provided everyone first hand experience with the yoga they were learning to teach. This allowed for an easy flow to the course and the materials. The teachers were well practiced and well informed on how to adapt the practice to fit everyone’s individual needs. These practices often included music and chanting the quality of which I was blown away by. Walking up to the shala while hearing the drone of a harmonium in the distance was quite the surprise delight. There were a lot of wonderful musical components woven throughout the course that really enhanced the depth of the experience.
After a delicious vegan breakfast full of fruit and local cuisine the days then continued with three hour spiritual lessons that dove deeply into many aspects of the darma. I loved how the classes encouraged participation while never demanding it. These lessons were being taught by people who lived their teachings so it was easy to learn both by information and observation. I have never been in a classroom with so many eager students with deep thoughtful questions and I felt as though we were expertly guided through the philosophical explorations of yoga.
We would then break for lunch and self study. Some of us would walk to the beach and dip in the ocean during this time which were some of my favorite memories. When we returned from our break we had a three hour asana lab where we deep dove into the asana poses and how to properly instruct students through them. We were always given throughout examples of the poses and many different options for adjustments and cues. We started teaching on the first day which really helped to develop a teaching brain throughout the course. These asana labs were very hands-on and a lot of care was given to helping ourselves and others protect our bodies while practicing, which I found really caring and well informed. I also appreciated how we visited information multiple times to make sure it was well understood. While we moved through a lot of material the depth of the teaching felt exceptional. I felt like I left with a large information base to jump off of.
We would then head to a yummy dinner full of balancing sattvic food and have a little more self study time before the evening satsang or sacred circle. The activities within this circle varied and from drum meditations to yin practices to dance circles. I was always very much looking forward to this part of the evening as it was indeed sacred. The teachers were blessed with many gifts and shared them joyfully and from the heart. The evening satsang seemed to always provide that last element of the day to truly integrate the lessons we were experiencing and I find myself really treasuring what I experienced in this practice.
The rhythm of life an SYI training provides is very balanced and profound. Each and every one of us reconnected with parts of ourselves that were lost and waiting to be rediscovered. The teachers are very professional while approachable and maintain good boundaries while holding space for the emotional and spiritual growth of the students.
One of my favorite off day memories was when me, our instructor Jedd and a few other students rented surf boards in the local town of Montezuma. After finishing our personal practices we walked down to Playa Grande, a beautiful private beach 20 minutes from town to catch some waves. We had the most wonderful time with the beach completely to ourselves except for some local monkeys to keep us company. We then enjoyed some amazing breakfast burritos full of plantains as we sat in the afterglow of surfing on the warm blue ocean backed up by Costa Rican jungle.
This program facilitates connection and growth in a way that is special and the soft space they provide is the perfect platform for anyone craving more of these things.
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