Our next Annual Online Yoga Teacher Training begins soon. It’s truly an honour to guide our Trainees through 16 weeks of life transformational classes, lessons and sessions. In the moments where there is time to reflect on the personal journey of each Trainee, the grandness of this practice really hits home.
To see our Trainees start by setting a personal intention for their journey, to then watch (and be part of) this intention that comes to life is such a privilege.
Like Michelle, who joined us in 2023 for our very first cohort. In Week 1 of training we asked Michelle, what is your intention? What would you like to welcome in for this training? She said…
“My intention for this Yoga Teacher Teacher Training is self acceptance and confidence. Acceptance of myself, my practice, as I am today, and the confidence to believe that I can do new things without needing to be ‘perfect’.”
Michelle was already well on her way to embracing self acceptance having been a MerryBody Member for years, but Michelle had felt the inkling, the curiosity to dive deeper into the practice of self acceptance and also the practice of Yoga.
One key difference with our Yoga Teacher Training is that (just like MerryBody) it is built with self acceptance front of mind. In every class, every meditation, every moment, self acceptance is there.
So it’s as if, without you even trying, your self acceptance becomes stronger and more solidified. Not just that, creating a training that is embedded with self acceptance, means that we create a learning environment that feels safe and non-judgemental. Yes, you’ll step outside your comfort zone but you’ll feel completely supported in the process.
For us, the previous Trainings we signed up to have not been like this. We have felt scared, judged and sick to our stomachs with fear that we weren’t going to get things ‘exactly perfect’. So we knew when building our training, we wanted to create a welcoming, safe and enjoyable environment.
The thing is… when learning something new, aren’t we all meant to be beginners? Why do we sometimes feel we need to know everything before we actually jump in or give something a try? If you keep that kind of mindset strong then you’ll never do anything new again!
Michelle went on to say…
“Throughout my journey with MerryBody, I have enjoyed working on these self accepting thoughts and I think it is time to really step into that acceptance of my practice and embrace exactly where I am in my Yoga journey.”
We check in with each Trainee personally every week during the 16 weeks and of course as a group during our Weekly Live Coaching Sessions. We’ve mentioned it before but this isn’t an online training where you sign up and you have zero support. As your Trainers, we are with you every step of the way, guiding and supporting you. During those weeks we are able to see lessons and AHA! moments unfolding left, right and centre for our Trainees.
For Michelle, there was a single phrase that changed everything.
A single phrase that was shared, then repeated again and again during the training.
“This single phrase I learned in Yoga Teacher Training, completely changed my outlook. I can remember hearing it, the words striking into my mind like a thunderbolt; searing into my consciousness.” explains Michelle.
And that one single phrase, just 7 short words was…
When do we show ourselves compassion? Always.
As Michelle describes, this phrase is “so simple, so pure, so releasing. I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I was suddenly aware of just how frustrated and critical I had been to myself.”
Just before the Training, Michelle had injured her ankle, so this phrase really came at the perfect time for her. It helped her move through the frustration of her injury and instead focus on the things she could do, rather than the things she couldn’t. The thing is, this lesson doesn’t just help when you’re injured, it helps in all aspects of life.
“I continued to trust in the process, focusing on what I could do instead of what I could not, and I can see now that this was the key to my acceptance and self belief. I also had amazing encouragement and support from my trainers; Emma and Carla.”
These 7 short words will now stay with Michelle forever and she mentioned to us that she continues to repeat them daily.
“I continue to repeat this phrase at different times during the days, and weeks of my life and it has become one of the best mantras for my overall positivity and self care. I promise to continue to show myself compassion, always.”
For Michelle, she has now discovered another lifelong passion that she will continue to dive into and lean onto. Hear from Michelle and the enthusiasm she has from this new found passion! When we spoke to her here she only had a few more assessments to go to reach certification! Now that Michelle is fully certified, she’s been looking for a community space in her local area where she can teach Yoga! Not only that, she has brought Yoga into her workplace! Teaching classes to her colleagues during the lunch break. There’s only one word for this: amazing.
“I know I have developed a deeper respect for all the different layers of Yoga and I am so grateful for this training. I know I will continue to dive in and be forever changed for the better. It’s a continual passion; one I will seek with a curious mind and respect for its depths of wisdom.”
Thank you to Michelle for sharing your intention and your journey with us. We cannot wait to keep watching you shine bright.
If you’d like to learn more about our Online Yoga Teacher Training, you can read more here. The next cohort will begin soon and we only run these once a year!
Always merrymaking,
Emma + Carla