[betshellhaas]

Sutra 1.33 In daily life we see people around who are happier than we are, people who are less happy. Some may be doing praiseworthy things and others causing problems. Whatever may be our usual attitude toward such people and their actions, if we can be pleased with others who are happier than ourselves, compassionate toward those who are unhappy, joyful with those doing praiseworthy things, and remain undisturbed by the errors of others, our mind will be very tranquil.

This sutra really hit home with me and my current phase of life. I am so blessed to be a massage therapist, my true passion and purpose in life. I feel grateful everyday that I get to do something I love. However, I am not quite full-time in my massage therapy job. I still do part-time work at a primary care physician office as a receptionist. This allows me to see the medical/health field from two very opposing positions, prevention and treatment. One thing I have learned from the medical center is that there are many people in this world that are older, grumpier and ultimately unhappy due to daily pain. By working in this environment I’ve noticed in myself a short tolerance for people who have taken their health for granted. I even found myself looking down on these people as if they were ignorant to how they got here. However, by beginning this yoga teacher training I am more and more realizing that I am creating this feeling within myself. They cannot make me feel anything, I do that. I have also learned to be more compassionate towards others because we never know someone’s story. This sutra teaches me to flow with life. Not allowing the interactions I have to be more than what they are. Letting the moment go when it passes. The more we remain undisturbed the happier we will be. Approach every situation and interaction with balance and compassion.

[betshellhaas]

I do consider my practice spiritual. I believe that is what kept me coming back to yoga before I knew the mental/spiritual benefits. I want my classes to be spiritual, to be a place for the exploration of spirituality. I can incorporate spirituality into my practice by allowing the movements to become a mediation. Also by focusing on the practice, staying in the moment with the movements and breath. When anyone asks me what spirituality means to me, my mind goes to a quote that has stuck with me. It states “Religion is belief in someone else’s experiences, spirituality is having your own experience”. I love this because I am not religious or a church goer but nature is my church, yoga is my church, meditation is my church. These are activities that give me that connection to the Divine. You can have a personal relationship or connection with Divine/God without needing the middle man of a church.

The last question is probably the hardest for me to answer. Seeing as how many people are religious and go to church and probably do not believe in many things I believe in. However, yoga is universal. It is not a religion and does not associate itself with any one in particular. For me, I would want my classes to be spiritual in a way that allows students to make that connection on their own. Meditation would be a big part of my classes. I would also express different ways to connect with the Divine on their own, such as walking in nature, taking your shoes off and walking barefoot, Reiki, stones/crystals, massage and coincidences/signs. I hope to give my students new ways to make this connection and show themselves that they can experience miracles all on their own.

[betshellhaas]

1. Instead of pointing out that a student is doing something wrong, I would suggest modifications to make it easier for them to do. I love when a teacher comes around and actually touches you to show you how to get into a pose. I think this would be a great option for someone who maybe has a harder time listening or understanding the cues.
2. I think it is very important to remind students to breathe, especially new students. I think it’s easy to forget about the breath because in most other exercises you do not concentrate on it. I would suggest a cue of “Allow the breath to control your movements” or “follow your breath”. This acknowledges the importance of the breath with the movements.
3. “To build strength we must stack joints. Allow your knee to come directly over your ankle” This would be a great one, as well, for a teacher to go around adjust anybody who may be pushing it too far.
4. “When you are on your mat, it is your time. Allow yourself to find fluidity, meditation and clarity through your practice. Your practice is different from everyone else’s.”

How I plan to create a supportive environment is to welcome everyone into the classroom myself. That connection between teacher and student is important for people who may be nervous about taking the class. I would make sure each student knows exactly what they need for the class and direct them to what they need to do. My body language is open and inviting. The atmosphere is quiet with music in the background. At some point, I truly believe you have to ‘trust the yoga’. Sometimes I think we can get caught up in our head as to whether or not we are giving our students exactly what they need at that time. However, yoga is powerful and brings clarity, meditation and positivity to each one of us, know that our students are receiving this too.

[betshellhaas]

Pain that has not yet come is avoidable. As a student, I am understanding this Sutra as a form of positive thinking. All disease, illness and pain originates in our aura and if we dwell on that thought or idea too long, we manifest it. I am on a path to recognize my negative thought patterns and change them into positive ones. Negative thought patterns can be so deeply ingrained in us that it can be a very long process to undo. However, with consistency, determination and yoga it can be done.
As a teacher, I want my students to be aware of this. Some students may already be dealing with a pain they have had for years. I want them to know they do not have to deal with it the rest of their lives. I truly believe yoga (and massage) can help individuals to live a pain-free life, whether their path is managing it or preventing it. Not only are we addressing this from a physical standpoint but also from a mental one. Pain can be mental and so by practicing yoga we are allowing the mind to focus on something else. Allowing the mind to take a break and clear could be the answer to an individual’s pain.
As a human, society embeds in us that we need to focus on the negative situations, thought patterns and pain. It is so hard to step away from that negativity because we see it everywhere. It is easy to watch TV instead of doing yoga. It is easy to complain about the pain instead of doing something about it. It is easy to think negatively about yourself but do nothing to change it. This is where yoga comes in. When you are not sure what to do to make you feel better, do yoga. When you feel that pain coming in and you think should I go to yoga today? YES! I have recognized in my own body that when I experience acute pain, fatigue or sadness and I show up to yoga, I feel so much better. It has actually relieved me of acute back pain!
My intention is for myself to live pain-free and to let others know they can live that way too.

[betshellhaas]

The Yamas and Niyamas is an awesome book. I found myself connecting to almost every Yama and Niyama. I was also pleasantly surprised that they applied many of the Yamas and Niyamas to relatable, everyday interactions and situations.

Satya: Truthfulness was the one I connected to the most. Real vs. Nice really hit home with me in that real is from a deep knowing inside and nice is ‘people pleasing’. Real is unplanned, organic and fluid and it comes from our inner essence. We approach each moment from this realness with a sense of spontaneity. I loved this description of realness because I found myself looking within on my own interactions. I found that I am a nice person, I want to please people and I want to belong. However, I am also struggling with this. Right now, I am on a path of self-study, growing my business and getting my ducks in a row. My friends are the opposite. They are still partying, staying up late and working jobs they do not really care for. In this struggle I have found a separation or maybe just different interests between us. However, there is a deep realness to these friends that even if we are moving on different paths, we can always call on one another to be there in a moment of need. That is real friendship. I am also realizing that my need to belong to the group is diminishing for the purpose of inner growth. I am applying Satya to my everyday life by being accepting of my friends and their journeys at this time. I am allowing myself the inner growth it desires by not feeling the need to belong, knowing everything happens for a reason. I am going to arrive at each situation and interaction with a sense of spontaneity and realness, permitting my deep inner knowledge and essence to come to the forefront. I plan to reread this book many times over and continue to apply the Yamas and Niyamas to my life.

[betshellhaas]

“Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.” I fell in love with this quote when I first heard it. I view it in relation to my own yoga journey. In the beginning, I was taking yoga because my mother was a yoga instructor and I did it for the exercise. As I began to keep up with yoga I started realizing that yoga is much more than the physical practice. The journey was opening up to me and as I stayed with yoga I began working ‘through the self’. I started to understand more things about myself, my body and my way of living. What I wanted to continue with and new habits I wanted to start forming. I have been and still am ‘tweaking’ my life to what I ultimately want it to be like. Yoga is a huge part of that. ‘To the self’ signifies the realization of the self, the true self. Opening up and receiving that from a place of acceptance, love and gratitude. What a beautiful process!

[betshellhaas]

I initially got into yoga through my mother being a yoga instructor. She offers different types of classes weekly which allowed me to get more familiar with other styles. One type of yoga I’m particularly drawn to is Yin for its deep stretching. I am tight in my hips and yin helps to relieve that. I have also tried power yoga which I love for its strength and endurance building. I have never been drawn to heated yoga classes. I do not care to be over heated in general so I’ve always avoided those types of classes. However, since we are required to try different types of classes in different studios I have decided to try one of these heated classes. Another type I’m interested in learning more about is Kundalini yoga. I have a broad idea of what it is but would love to try a class to deepen that understanding.
A heated, face paced class that is not connected to the breath I do not believe would be considered yoga. I have always thought the connection with breath and movement was what made yoga, yoga. Connecting with your breath in relation to your movements brings about an awareness of consciousness. Being present in the moment. I do believe yoga can be without movement though. I have been told that yoga used to be meditation. That sitting still with your breath and focusing on it was considered yoga and the actual movements came much later. However, it has evolved into more of an exercise than meditation in our society today.

[betshellhaas]

A good yoga teacher inspires you to do your best. Not push you past your limit, but encourage you to listen to your body and do what is best for you at that time. A good yoga teacher creates an inclusive, accepting atmosphere for all students. Despite a student’s level, a good teacher gives options to allow you to take your practice deeper or to stay where you’re comfortable. They are also educated and knowledgeable of poses, form, and cues to help you find the feel of the pose. Reminding you that it is not whether you can do the pose perfectly but that you feel good in the pose. I believe a teacher is someone who leads by example and teaches what they know.

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