JOURNEY #1
by: Sara Graham, 889 Yogi and 889 Living Yoga Program Graduate, 2013. You can find Sara on twitter and instagram @thetravelpresse Photo Credit: Zoe Bridgman
When I enrolled in the Living Yoga 200-hour Teacher Training Program (LYP) I did not do so thinking that I would actually teach yoga. The intention was to “deepen my own practice”, full stop.
In hindsight, this was a completely selfish approach. I had no idea how much I was going to learn about the mind/body connection, and that I’d actually want (and actually need) to share it through teaching yoga.
Making a commitment to LYP allowed me to not only strengthen my physical practice, but increased my understanding of the philosophy behind yoga and its ties to Ayurveda. Classes in the latter had a profound effect on my wellbeing and the sessions with Matthew Remski were an ideal extension of the personal growth work I had invested in prior to starting LYP in September 2012.
The full course was a miraculous mix of vinyasa intensives with Simon Park, restorative yoga and Sanskrit with Marla Joy, as well as anatomy and the business side of yoga - who better to learn from than Christine Russell, 889 c-founder and Nicky Poole?
I very much appreciated the group environment, in addition to the one-on-one time we were all allotted with our teachers and designated mentors.
The entire program was perfectly planned to create an optimal atmosphere for enhancing physical and mental awareness. And I’d be remiss not to note that one of the greatest gains were the friendships that came out of LYP.
I will be forever grateful for the knowledge base I was able to access, and the confidence building I was able to achieve through 889. Truly priceless.
I am proud to say I taught my very first class in Guatemala, while there for a writers’ workshop. Here is a photo! I now teach one session a week at ARC Productions.
Namaste,
Sara
JOURNEY #2
by: Cheryl Hung, 889 Yogi + 889 Living Yoga Program Graduate 2013
LYP was the most challenging and rewarding 6 months of my life.
It was full of “aha moments”, aching muscles, laughter with fantastic women, tears of frustration and joyful (!) transformation, and 200% pure yoga fun.
I signed up hoping that I’d deepen my practice and perhaps learn something new about yoga. It was more than I had bargained for. I took my practice to a different level and learned tons of new ‘stuff’ about yoga, but more importantly, I learned about myself. This program doesn’t only teach you how to be ON the mat, it’s about how to live it OFF the mat.
What sets LYP apart from other teacher-training programs is the roster of quality teachers we had…who actually cared about our journey and progress. Whenever I walked into 889 and saw one of them, they would always greet me and ask how it was going. I never felt alone or unsupported with my mentors close by and an entire class of friends to chat with!
LYP has changed the way I approach yoga and how I live my life. It opened up the door to a lifetime of learning and friendship, and it’s a wonderful path to be on. And the great thing is, this is just the beginning.
Cheryl Hung
