The end is really the beginning ✨

How to even know where to begin trying to put into words how it feels to have come to the end of my training here in Paris with Evolation Yoga is so difficult.. this experience has been so completely life changing, it seems impossible to sum it up in words.
Its a feeling.. a deep feeling of honour, gratitude, overwhelming and all-encompassing love. 😌

I came here already very aware and open to this being a challenging experience, both emotionally and physically.. but I never dreamed such transformation was to happen.

From day one, when we began with the "Who am I?' exercise; each of us surrendered to the process and bravely revealed our deepest vulnerabilities, our hopes and fears.. and then together, over the weeks we have learnt to face our demons, look fear in the eye, overcome exhaustion in the name of dedication to our dreams.. we have learnt how to transform our weaknesses into our strengths. How to turn our darkness into our light.
Learning how to quieten the chatter that says; 'you can't do this', 'its too difficult', 'you're exhausted, its too much', etc etc and learning how to turn 'you can't' into YOU CAN.  Discovering that actually, when we can quieten the chatter, the monkey mind that will make up all sorts of stories to prevent you from simply being, when we can quieten that and connect more to our true self, our high S Self, the part of us that has no limitations, that doesn't care about exhaustion or the temporary sensations our physical body and mind will go through to achieve our hopes and dreams; our destinies.. Then we can really transcend.💫

THIS has been the most important part of our training... not just learning the dialogue and the asanas and the theory... Learning how to connect to our highest Self. This is where the magic lies. When we begin to listen more to our highest Self, the part of us that is all-knowing, the more we find peace. True inner peace.
This is something I had already begun to understand over the last few years through my recovery from my eating disorder, I understood how important it was to quieten the mind (at those times the imbalanced or 'sick' part of my mind) and focus more on our true self, the voice that always seeks peace and happiness. But before this training I had never had such a clear understanding of what this meant. I understood the theory of it, but I didn't understand how it can be applied to every aspect of our lives. Listening to Mark's lectures and having someone put into words all these things I have felt and written about here in this blog over the years was truly eye-opening. At last, its not just me!
Those first few lectures about big and little S self were for me, the best part of the training.. I would love to go back and listen again and again to exactly how clearly and confidently Mark describes this notion. To listen to someone talk with passion about the importance of connecting to our highest Self really drove home to me how important it is to me.
If I hadn't been able to learn how to do so,  how to quieten the mind and listen only to my true Self.. the part that seeks peace.. I wouldn't be here today. Every day now I passionately chase the things my soul desires, the things which bring me inner peace and where my Self can be still. Yoga has done this for me, through yoga I have found my peace, my stillness, my calm, my happiness.
This is why I choose yoga every day. When I don't practice I become more and more imbalanced, I allow more and more of the external world affect me.
I now understand just how important yoga and meditation has become to me and my inner peace. I feel so grateful to have discovered this path.

This is why, over this intense month, living in this 'yoga bubble'; although it has been physically and mentally VERY demanding.. It has been blissful.
It has been blissful because my highest Self knows this challenging time is here to serve me, to help me grow, to expand, to reach my highest potential. Through hardship we learn the greatest lessons.
It has been blissful because every day our only focus has been yoga... The beautiful transforming power of yoga. Not just the asanas (the physical practice) but the philosophy. Learning how to live through all the 8 limbs of yoga, what our purpose is, who we are, why we are here, what our karmic duty is.. we learn how to live a truly peaceful and happy life.

Once we can understand this we can pass this on to others. This is the whole reason I came to this training - to begin to be able to help other people find the peace I have discovered is possible within each of us.
I have been to the darkest corners of myself and have learnt, through yoga and meditation, that everyone is capable of returning, to finding the brightest, lightest parts of them Self.

I now deeply understand how I can do so. Its difficult to put into words, it is a simply a deep knowing. 💫

Through the posture mechanics and teaching clinics, the intense daily practice, the reading and studying of the Asana essentials and reading list I have gained amazing knowledge of the physical practice; the asanas and how to effectively teach them.. being part of a small group has been a huge advantage in this sense because we have each had a lot of one on one time with our teachers, and many opportunities to practice our teaching skills imprint of each other, receive feedback and make adjustments where necessary, and ask questions to help deepen our understanding. I know in other trainings this sort of one on one time is not possible, so for this I am really grateful.

These aspects combined have meant I feel completely ready to go home and begin teaching, to do what I have felt my duty here has been all along -To help others to reach the peace I know resides in each of us.  

So THANK YOU, Mark, Zefea, Christian, my classmates and everyone at Evolation... You have been the key to unlocking my true potential, you are all such beautiful souls and I cherish every moment we shared together here in Paris. I am so proud and excited to be part of such a wonderful collective.. My Evolation family, we say goodbye for now as we end this part of the journey, but really, this is just the beginning,
Namaste! 💜🕉💜




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A little perspective.

January 10th