It’s been 6 years since I had the opportunity to visit Bali for the first time. 6 years since I was introduced to a side of me that had been hidden for most of my life. This July I got to journey back to the island that guided me towards my truth all those years ago, Yoga. This time to dive into my 300hr YTT with Zuna Yoga.
The setting, Canggu. The scents, rice and incense, frangipanis and mosquito repellent! The intention, to learn, grow, challenge myself, and lean into my practice more. The outcome, a 500hr YTT Grad! One month of 6am practices, philosophy lectures, meditation guidance, anatomy, teaching to my fellow students, personal growth and stillness. Happiness is oozing from my pores, my soul feels so full, shining so bright! I’m not going to deny it was challenging, but in the best kind of way, the kind that pushes you out your comfort zone that you may have drifted slightly into, pushing you towards every bit of who you really are, polishing your light to shine a little brighter.
Week one was a blur, finding our feet, figuring everything out, remembering everyone’s names - all 31 of them! Connecting with everyone over delicious vegan/vegetarian meals and fresh juices, tending to sore muscles and adjusting to a new routine and time zone. The space was new but the common ground that is Yoga was not, you could sense the vibrational love we all shared for the space we created on our mats each day.
Week two definitely felt more in the groove, adjusted to our surroundings. My eyes felt wide, eager. My mind felt full, expanding with knowledge. The Zuna practice was becoming familiar and self strength was high. Some personal sorrows were unfortunate that week, so although my passion was high, my heart was also full of sadness. Through unbelievable support from my fellow Yogis I was able to remain strong, directing set intentions, wishes off shooting stars and overwhelming love to those who I knew needed to be wrapped in comfort at that time. It is possible to quite literally be on the opposite side of the globe but to direct focus and feelings to someone else and for them to feel it strongly. I felt a lot of switches flicked in that week, moments of breaking through the unsteadiness of breath that caught at Anahata, something that still is being practiced to release. And my meditation sensations had become intense in each session. The week of the Lunar Eclipse, as I remember it by, was a week of break through both in my practice and in my personal development.
Week three, Grit Week, we started teaching more that week, both a restorative yoga class and a beginners class. It was a fun week for me personally, I had to really break my habit of writing entire essays when sequencing and instead bringing it down to just stick men and basic bullet points. Stick men...not as easy as you think! I found a lot of laughter in Grit Week, everyone had really settled in and honest sides appeared, instead of taking this week as a challenge I decided to observe and take each unsteady moment as a moment to improve. The teaching was fun and familiar, it’s been a while since I taught and like hopping back on a bicycle I found so much joy in guiding a class, finding my voice in restorative teaching and enjoying the bliss that is leading a beginner class!
The final week, energies shifted greatly in our last week, we also led 2.5 - 3hr master classes in our assigned groups. Throughout each week and the new groups or individuals I worked with really was a learning experience, the difference in personalities in a group that large is understandably huge, it was a time to see it as a situation that can occur in our real lives. Growth, that’s what happens when you surface post challenge. Practices became twice a day which I absolutely loved, that’s the Pitta side of me loving more than one active practice daily, my room mate and I shared that in common and brought that shared happiness into our homey bubble at the end of each day. It was a bittersweet last day, everyone’s spirits were high and happiness was flowing like a steady river, the sadness of all the “see you laters” but the absolute magic that was our last day still makes my heart so immensely happy.
One month, it dusted off everything that had been built up within, I feel an intensely deep connection inside. I left “the real world” and as I head back towards my life again I feel so extremely different, so much at peace, so much stillness. Such a better understanding of myself, my goals, my path ahead. Stronger, blissfully happy, blessed to have had the opportunity to meet everyone I did along my journey. Expanded with knowledge, and a sense of grace and stability. I am me.
I learned that life is in the moments between action. We are in a constant state of refinement, if you’re not growing you’re not living. And most of all we all learned that attitude really is everything, where the mind goes energy flows! I cannot thank Zuna Yoga enough, it’s teachers and assistants for guiding me through this new and exciting next chapter as I begin to implement my yogic journey into my world in a whole new way with a whole new take on life.
Be present, master your toolbox and most importantly breathe.
Namaste xx