Makena | Costa Rica 200hr YTT Testimonial
Before getting to YTT, I was feeling all the nerves and had no idea what I was getting into. I knew going back to Costa Rica was going to heal me and getting my yoga teacher certification was going to be another milestone. What I didn’t know it was going to be was that it was going to get me closer to my truth, my self and being content with my own wellbeing. This training brought me some of my closest friends and seeing how close we all got so quick was so magical. When you think of going to a new place with strangers, it seems daunting but sometimes you meet those people and feel like a part of yourself has healed.
I felt my anxiety instantly subside when I landed at Indigo. The people there were so welcoming and immediately felt comforted. There is just something so special about this place, the way time slows down without asking for permission and your body remembering what home feels like. Not running away, just finally becoming and growing in the space you belong.
There were days when my body felt exhausted, when my mind resisted slowing down, when I wanted to skip the stillness and jump ahead but that’s when discipline began reminding me why I came here. The 30 minutes of meditation everyday was very hard to do in the beginning, especially with the sounds of nature but as the days went on, I could feel the difference in my nervous system already. I wasn’t fidgeting because I was just present. The thoughts of doubt were still kind of creeping but I just let them come and go.
Then came the silence through breakfast which I at first was laughing at again because I wasn’t used to it. You’re telling me I couldn’t talk to these new people and get to know them right away? But again I began to love it, starting with meditation in the darkness and then easing our way through breakfast in nature. I started becoming more aware of myself and how I was feeling. My intention for the training was grace. To let myself release this expectation of perfection, to trust the process. Because I knew my potential and what lit my fire.
Beginning with the Serpent Cycle, I think this was such an amazing way to go into the training. Our daily journal reflections talking about what we are still holding onto and what steps we have to consciously take to let what no longer serves us be released. It was really cool to see how to channel each of these cycles and especially with the Serpent cycle, to shed off the version of us that no longer serves to become transformed into a powerhouse.
I really enjoyed learning about the Peruvian Medicine wheel during this cycle and just understanding even more how our bodies react in each cycle and what the healing process looks like at each stage. It was like a spark fully ignited at the end of this cycle as we had a beautiful letting go ceremony. Full of vulnerability, relief and self love, I was ready for this next chapter. I loved going to the ocean for the ceremony and just being by the water and telling myself out loud to let go was the most rewarding. That’s when I knew I was right where I was supposed to be.
A huge shoutout to the teachers as well, Janani and Javi were the perfect duo- the mothers I didn’t know I needed. They are full of so much wisdom, light, knowledge, and so much love. You could ask such a short question and they would blow your mind in an instant with explaining yoga and the mind in so much depth.
Then came the food and limited caffeine, more things that my daily routine wasn’t used to. I knew before that I should start weaning off caffeine and that scared me because coffee is literally my brand but this made sense. In order to find stillness in myself, this had to be regulated. I still got some coffee during my days off because as someone who dreams of having her own coffee shop in Costa Rica, I could not not try the coffee shops in the area. The vegetarian diet was very nourishing and I found myself thinking more clearly. I really liked our lesson on the 3 gunas- Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. I definitely like my rajas lifestyle and could use more of a sattvic diet. My body was healing from fight or flight and eating whole foods helped me through my yoga practices.
And that’s when yoga taught me the most. It showed me how often I equate rest with laziness, stillness with stagnation, and productivity with worth. I wasn’t seeing myself clearly because I didn’t like being still. I loved always being on the go but I came to this for myself and for my healing. To also guide others in peace but also empowerment.
How has my practice changed post YTT? I feel more in tune with myself and with the world around me. Despite leaving what I call my future home because it was so sad leaving again, I feel more confident in myself. I feel that I can share my gift of ambition and love through not only asana but being able to create a beautiful space for my people as well. I grew to love intention setting even more and making sure my days were aligning to that intention. The support from my sisters and the love we all grew for each other was also so unmatched.
Getting my yoga teacher certification was an achievement yes but it brought a new level of self discovery. The one where I can finally say I am my own best friend and I don’t feel any anxious way about it.
No one but these girls will understand how life changing this was. How your dream can be a reality everyday when you put yourself and your needs first. Sometimes our desires are linked to these attachments that imitate the mind. Not all attachments are meant to be forever and that was one of my big takeaways from the Yoga Sutras. If I get the opportunity to lead a retreat or training one day, I would not hesitate one bit. This place and the people have changed my life for the better. Also Costa Rica, I love you so much and cannot wait to move there.
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