I signed up for Yoga Teacher Training in 2012 - on a cold, snowy December afternoon in Chicago, IL. Walking home, I barely noticed the chill, I was floating. At the time, I was a full-time graduate student and I worked full-time as an intern at a Marketing/PR agency. My schedule was filled to the max; yet, I felt this pull to sign up. I experienced a bit of dissonance as the start-date approached, but something in my heart told me I was making the right decision.
It’s hard to articulate my Yoga Teacher Training experience. However, I often paradoxically describe it as an experience that did not truly begin until it ended. Yes, I learned a lot about how to teach physical yoga poses and I was pushed outside of my comfort-zone. I also learned about the 8-Limb Path, made friends, and had unparalleled moments of self-realization. Nevertheless, the experience I had during my first 200 HR Yoga Teacher Training was simply the seed of my true transformation.
If you would have told me that then - that my Yoga Teacher Training was only the beginning - I would have never believed you. I felt a profound shift after my program ended. Teaching my first public yoga class was pure bliss. And, as time went on, things continued to both unfold and unravel in ways I could have never imagined.
Almost immediately, unforeseen opportunities opportunities unfolded. One of my professors knew I was a yoga teacher and he introduced me to a man starting a “yoga business”. Long story short, I was hired to be the part-time marketing coordinator at a yoga start-up and the founder of the company mentored me and taught me innumerable skills that I would eventually use to earn a real living. Shortly after, I was hired to be the part-time assistant manager of the yoga studio where I did my Yoga Teacher Training.
It was completely surreal - not even a year after I completed my yoga teacher training, I received 100% of my income from YOGA. Between teaching classes, marketing, and managing, I hustled, but I absolutely loved every minute of it.
As things unfolded positively for me professionally, things slowly began to personally unravel. My Yoga Teacher Training introduced me to a new way of living that was not conducive to negative, limiting beliefs. As my lifestyle changed, my core-beliefs changed, my relationships evolved, and my vision for my future expanded far beyond what I ever thought possible. At times the growth was painful, but on the other side, I transformed into a strong woman full of resilience and intuition.
The life I have today surpasses what I imagined for myself and I truly believe all of the good fortune and growth I have experienced is a direct result of me taking the leap and signing up for Yoga Teacher Training. It was like the domino effect - my actions told the Universe I was ready to be bold and the Universe has continued to respond! I know it’s cliche, but the program changed my life. And today, I have the pleasure of leading Yoga Teacher Training at Trilogy Sanctuary in San Diego. I love passing along what I have learned about yoga; but, more than anything I love helping the next generation of teachers and practitioners plant the seed that will inevitably start a journey beyond their wildest dreams.
A graduate from the Fall 2018 Trilogy Sanctuary Yoga Teacher Training in La Jolla anonymously said:
“The Trilogy YTT was a life changing experience for me. It exceeded my expectations and the community we built going through it together is something I will always be grateful for. I would do it all over again if I could!”
Whether you are considering Yoga Teacher Training now or in the future, here is what I can share from my experience as both a participant and a lead: expect the unexpected and get ready for your life to seismically shift - things will unfold and unravel better than if you planned them yourself.
Post by Julia Sparkman
YTT Lead Trilogy Sanctuary
San Diego, California
