Jessica | Portugal 200hr YTT Testimonial

I knew for years that becoming a yoga teacher would one day be part of my path. I also knew that the school I chose would greatly influence the kind of teacher I would become. Not all yoga teacher trainings are created equal, and I felt strongly about choosing a program that went beyond the asana. I wanted a training that would honor the roots, history, and philosophy of yoga.

That’s why I chose School Yoga Institute (SYI). I had the school on my radar for a while, waiting for the timing to feel right. The call to join the Portugal July 2025 training became so strong that it couldn’t be ignored. I didn’t know exactly what I was stepping into, I only knew that it was the next step in my path. And when I arrived at the Quinta Marugo retreat center, it became immediately clear that I was exactly where I needed to be. 

We came together as a group of strangers, all from different phases of life, and quickly formed the most loving, supportive container. Over the next 21 days, we moved through the four cycles of the Shamanic Medicine Wheel, and each cycle taught me something profound about myself and about life. The experience was transformational on a level I couldn’t have anticipated.

We began in the Serpent Cycle, which guided me inward and helped me identify what I needed to let go of. I became aware of patterns, thoughts, and behaviors that were no longer serving me. I could see what was holding me back, and began to understand how to move in the direction I truly wanted to go.

The serpent reminded me to stay grounded and trust the innate wisdom of my body. For years, I have struggled with feeling fully connected to my physical self. Through meditation, journaling, and the supportive presence of our facilitators and their teachings, I started to honor my inner experience more deeply. I could feel myself returning home to my body.

Next came the Jaguar Cycle, where I was invited to face my shadows, the parts of myself I had been hiding from. Instead of fearing these aspects of myself, I began meeting them with curiosity and compassion. With the jaguar’s strength and presence, I faced the darkness not as something necessarily to overcome, but as something to understand and allow space for.

This cycle helped me tap into my intuition and trust it as divine guidance. In listening to my inner knowing, I began to see how much wisdom had always been within me. Trusting my intuition meant trusting spirit, trusting the universe, and trusting myself.

In the Hummingbird Cycle, I began to feel a new sense of joy, even amidst the challenges. I learned that joy doesn’t always have to be loud, it can be quiet, simple, and rooted in gratitude. I learned to take small moments to find gratitude for even the littlest things. To say thank you to life, to my body, to the breath.

Hummingbird also helped me reconnect with my creativity. I allowed myself to express, to play, and to soften. This cycle reminded me that all of my experiences, both painful and beautiful, are valid parts of my journey. Every step of my path is an opportunity for further healing and growth.