Kate | Portugal 200hr YTT Testimonial
I’ve been off and on practicing yoga for the past 15 years, and I’ve never really had a consistent practice. It’s something I’ve turned to during times of greater stress, sadness, and uncertainty. When all is going well, I usually turn away from the practice, filling my time with other things. The past two years have probably been the hardest of my life so far. I recently lost my mom and have been swimming through the waters of grief since then. Slowly after that, I began to engage with yoga more regularly and started to toy with the idea of someday taking a teacher training course.
I looked into many options, from longer-term programs that were more local and spanned six months, to immersive trainings in locations all over the world. When I learned about the School of Yoga Institute, I found myself pausing on the website, feeling curious about the word mystical. I’ve always considered myself a spiritual person, with my own practices and rituals that connect me to what that word means to me. I hadn’t yet found a training program that centered the mystical, and that was part of what drew me to SYI.
I chose SYI for a couple of reasons. Mainly, I was drawn to how the course was organized around the Peruvian medicine wheel. I knew I wanted an experience that would take me deeper into spiritual connection and my inner journey. I also knew that if I took a longer six-month course, there would probably be an element of distraction present in my experience. While there are many pros to that type of training, I had never before given myself the opportunity to disconnect from the rhythms and patterns of my life at home. I had never gone on a trip for self-discovery, and my inner knowing kept nudging me toward investing in an experience like this, based on where I was in my life.
The training was more than I could have expected in terms of growth and opening. Being led by Mindi and Nadine through the journey of the medicine wheel was beyond what I could have imagined. The container they held for us was infused with wisdom, devotion, creativity, joy, and safety, which allowed me to fully immerse myself in the present moment and surrender to the journey. Beyond learning the asana practice, I feel like I experienced such a deep heart opening that my inner landscape has been forever changed.
I made connections that went far beyond the surface level and helped me feel seen, heard, and cared for. I was able to transmute deep emotions that I don’t think I would have been able to access in my normal day-to-day life. Overall, this experience helped me feel more confident and trust my inner knowing more deeply. It opened me up to following my heart and living day to day with more intention and trust.
At first, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to start teaching. I was approaching the training as a way to deepen my personal practice and couldn’t really visualize myself in a teaching role. However, by the end of the training, I had changed my mind. I was able to see and experience what teaching as myself could look like. It felt wonderful to lead others through meditation, pranayama, and asana practice. I would now like to begin teaching as I integrate back into my daily life. I see teaching as a beautiful gift to offer other humans.
Learning this type of yoga helped me process and grow through a very difficult time in my life. It taught me about the safety and wisdom of my own body. I would love to share this type of practice with others, helping them come back into their bodies and trust the wisdom they already have inside.
On a personal level, this training helped me finally become grounded in my own daily practice. I have to admit that at first I was afraid to step into an environment without coffee (haha), where I would wake up before sunrise every day, be surrounded by unfamiliar landscapes and people, and be in a country on the other side of the globe. My mind came up with hundreds of reasons why this was too scary, saying things like, “Who do you think you are doing this training at a time like this?”
Looking back now, I realize it was my heart that led me forward, into the unknown, trusting that I was safe. The experience showed me that I am actually a morning person and that I don’t need caffeine in the way I thought I did. To this day, after the training, I still haven’t had any coffee, and I’ve noticed what a meaningful shift that alone has created. Since returning, I’ve been able to start my days the same way I did during the training, with meditation and movement. This routine feels nourishing and grounding to my nervous system, and I’m deeply grateful to be able to weave it into my everyday life.
Each night during the training, I looked forward to our evening satsang. Every evening offered something unique and beautiful to share together before heading off to bed, and those moments are some of my favorite memories from the experience. I also brought my film camera with me, the same camera I’ve had since I was 18. It has traveled with me all over the world, and it felt especially meaningful to have it with me in Portugal, not knowing what the photos would look like until I returned. I’m so pleased with how they turned out, not only because they are physical memories I’ll have forever, but because they truly capture the mystical beauty of the experience.
The sunrises and sunsets we witnessed each day in the shala remain some of the most peaceful moments I’ve ever experienced. I’m deeply grateful for this training and for the people I met along the way. Thank you for offering such a transformative container to learn, grow, and be held with such care and wisdom. Forever grateful.
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