I remember the day when I picked up my Yoga Teacher Training Certificate. What a day! If I could fly, I would be a Condor, bird, flying happily above Machu Picchu, Peru; I would land on the top of the mountain and flutter with my wings, lift my head up and smile. Yes, I did it!

My Yoga journey started many years ago and this Certificate is one of the many blissful moments that I will have. My fellow Yoga Teacher Helen Simeon expressed my feelings in exact way: "I was not that happy when I did my Masters as I am with this Certificate!”. 
So do I Helen… so do I…

I thank my teachers, amazing, beautiful people – Kathryn Beet, Patricia White, Fiona Walker, Darcie Clark, Karusia Wroblewski and Hali Schwartz.




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It was Saturday, February 14th, one of these cold winter mornings in Toronto, when almost everyone wants to stay in bed, under the warm duvet and sleep until noon. However, 25 Yoga enthusiasts had gathered in Yogaspace studio - the first of 200 hours of Yoga Teacher Training just began.

We were all sitting on our mats. Our attention was focused on Kathryn Beet - she had that special energy and she moved – like an elegant dancer … Kathryn told us a story about Yoga, its roots and history.

That first day we have been given a small task –within 10 minutes we had to write ‘why we are here’ and ‘why we want to be Yoga teachers’.  
For me – it was an easy task. I knew why I was there.
After this was done, we folded a paper and put in an envelope with our address on it – and that was to be mailed back to us after graduation.

Here is what I wrote:

“I am not sure if people can fully understand the fact that Yoga is – calling for me! It sounds pompous I know, but this is exactly what I feel.

There are many reasons why people do Yoga.
As for me – Yoga was prescribed by my family DR after I lost my beloved man and soon after my mother and sank into the depths of unspeakable grief. At first I refused that idea, knowing that I cannot sit still and do some ‘pretzels’(How arrogant!) but, God or Divine Energy or whatever we choose to name It, had another plans for me.

First I started with Pilates – and – loved it. Then I tried kick boxing and real boxing and liked it but not enough to commit. I started Yoga at Community center. Initially it was just fun. My body loved everything we did during Yoga and Pilates classes and I've always been somewhat refreshed and full of energy after.
Slowly, all those feelings started to gain depth. I stopped trying ‘to get a pose’ and I stopped comparing myself with others. I moved with ease instead with force.

I’ve got strength in my core and some flexibility in my whole body, however I realized that yoga is not about flexibility or showing my muscles; it’s not about impressing people, or being the best, it’s not about achieving a ‘perfect’ pose – it’s about feeling that I have inside me, about easing myself on mat, breathing, listening to my body and moving from asana to asana with deep concentration. Result: my hectic mind become quiet, my body stretched and relaxed.

Still, I was novice. I loved Yoga and I wanted to explore more; I wanted to go further, to understand more, to learn more… and I applied for Yoga Teacher Training at Yogaspace, Toronto. That was the best decision I made in last 10 years and one of the best in my whole life.
Maya T.