Three years ago I was sitting on a cliff in Goa, watching waves, listening to eagles, wondering what I was doing with my life. I made a list of things I considered to be really positive and realised that yoga was right up there. I’d been practising for a couple of years and come to appreciate the focus and containment that comes with getting onto the mat. It seemed like an obvious time to take things further.
I researched teacher training courses and decided that a month in India or Thailand wasn’t what I was looking for. I wanted to develop and deepen my practice over time. triyoga’s two year course, with the high number of teaching hours and regular weekend workshops, looked interesting.
The teachers on the upcoming course were Catherine Annis and Kate Ellis, who teach Scaravelli inspired yoga. I was pretty unsure initially, as my practice had been very focused on ‘hard’ practices like Ashtanga and Jivamukti and I was worried I wouldn’t feel physically challenged enough. A couple of classes quickly put that impression to bed. Scaravelli yoga is awesome. It’s basically yoga for nerds. It is slow, but I work harder and with more focus than ever before, and it’s brought a new perspective to the other practices that I still do. The enthusiasm, love and knowledge that Catherine and Kate have for what they teach is inspiring and infectious, and it’s been a privilege to learn from them. My bedside table is piled high with books on movement and anatomy, most of which I have actually read. For fun! I understand and appreciate my body for the first time in my life, and I have learnt how to help others to do the same. I am so grateful for this.
Carlos’ philosophy and meditation classes also provided an unexpected opportunity to stop and think about who I am and how I relate and react to others and how I want to be. I feel calmer, more patient and better equipped to cope with whatever life has to throw at me (I now also have a committed and regular meditation practice).
Taking the course has been one of the best decisions I’ve made. It’s been so much fun! You will be expected to work hard, and dig deep, but you will also be supported every step of the way by the teachers, the teaching assistants (who are starting out as teachers themselves, and have had really invaluable advice about how to set up) and by your fellow course mates. I’ve met so many incredible teachers, made some amazing friends and become part of a community that I know will be a real source of joy and support in the years to come. I’ve also been teaching regularly for almost a year (with the support and encouragement of the teachers and teaching assistants) and as a result have raised loads of money for Mind and CALM. I honestly can’t recommend it enough.
Laura-Maya is currently a student on the TT15 triyoga Teacher Training Programme with Catherine Annis and Kate Ellis. She teaches Scaravelli inspired yoga to barristers on Wednesday evenings.
The deadline for applications for the next intake with Kate Ellis and Catherine Annis is on Friday 13th May with the course commencing from June 2016. Apply now.
