First Day of Yogi School

Yay! Today was the 1st day of Yogi School. I’m taking the 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training (RYT 200) through the The Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and I couldn’t be more excited (or nervous…doing something like this is TOTALLY out of my comfort zone).

First Impressions:

• The Space: The Institute for Integrative Health (where all of the classes are held) is pretty awesome. High ceilings, hardwood floors, exposed brick walls…it’s totally what a Yoga studio is supposed to look like. It was so easy to get comfortable (mentally) in this environment…it’s a totally Zen and modern space. It’s only about a mile-and-a-half from my place in Federal Hill so I walked. I’ll probably ride my bike next class.
• Fellow Students: There are about 20 of us…22 to be exact. A great mix of younger and older adults like myself (I’m 48 and there are a few that are older than me). A culturally diverse group, too. I’m one of two men in the group. Everyone seems very nice and happy/grateful to be here. Good vibes. Looking forward to being in the same room with this beautiful group of like-minded people every week.
• The Teachers: Bonnie Tarantino and Nancy McPartland both have super-positive energy and made us all feel safe and welcomed. Their compassion and love really shines through in their teaching and I know they’ll both be great mentors. They clearly walk-the-walk and live their truth. #authentic

Topics Covered:

• Program Overview: The first part of class was the usual meet n’ greet and getting to know each other kind of stuff. We then went over expectations and requirements, etc. got the financial details out of the way, and then dove head-first into the material….no screwing around, we got right down to business.
• Yummies: Lol, that’s what we’re known as (our group). Short for: Yoga University Maryland (YUM).
• Sun Salutation A (Surya Namaskar): Dove right in to Sun Salutations, both beginner and traditional. First Nancy taught, then we each took turns teaching the class.
• Sankalpa: From Wikipedia, “Sankalpa (Sanskrit: संकल्प) means conception or idea or notion formed in the heart or mind, solemn vow or determination to perform, desire, definite intention, volition or will. In practical terms, the word, Sankalpa, means the one-pointed resolve to do or achieve; and both psychologically and philosophically, it is the first practical step by which the sensitivity and potentiality of the mind is increased; it is known as the capacity to harness the will-power and the tool to focus and harmonise the complex body-mind apparatus.” All this to say, all we want is already within us, all there is to know, we already know, we just have to let the Universe know our intentions. Sankalpa is a call to awakening and a practice of resolve. Bonnie and Nancy taught us all a beautiful lesson and presided over a beautiful ceremony…felt like a rite of passage. UPDATE: I’ve shared one of my intentions.)
• Patanjali’s 8 Limb Path: Of course we covered a bit of Patanjali and the Yoga Sutras, because, well…he’s da man, that’s why. 🙂