Anamaya YTT student Tarynne Mingione writes about her experience becoming a yoga teacher:
It was my second quarter of college that pushed me into the yoga studio. I was high-strung and helplessly exhausted when I was told I needed to find my way onto a yoga mat to reboot. I took the advice and gave myself permission to take an hour break from my overstuffed day to try out my first yoga class. Lying in corpse pose with my eyes open, my gaze inattentively danced across the ceiling before focusing on the clock and embarrassingly realizing I lasted only three minutes before hitting my patience threshold. Ignorantly I thought, ‘Really, how do you yogis have time to come into class and just lay around learning how to breathe?’ I decided I didn’t have time for this and would instead focus on ‘ujjayi’ while running on the treadmill and studying for class.
An hour later, peaceful yogis gracefully poured out of the warm studio wearing tranquil smiles. I curiously watched them and found myself quickly regretting not giving yoga a fair chance. I promised myself I would do so when I could again make the time. That opportunity wasn’t created until over a year later. Again, completely wiped out from a full academic schedule and two jobs to cover tuition, I was desperate to find something besides Starbucks to fuel my fire. On this particular day I had decided to commit to the entirety of the class, and since I can’t imagine ever cheating myself a few seconds on the mat. I fell in love with yoga on the mat that day. It was exactly what I needed at that moment, and has continued to be in every imaginable situation since.
For the next five years, yoga played a central role in my life. The studio was the place I would go when I was happy, defeated, indecisive, or celebrating. I was amused at how simple principles learned on the mat could be directly applied in the real world. I dabbled around in many studios and learned from a variety of teachers. I realized wherever I went, I wanted to take yoga with me. I wanted to spread the joy that can be discovered through yoga, so decided to do a 200 hour yoga teacher training with Jackie Chiodo in Costa Rica in May 2012 at Anamaya Resort.
My excitement, enthusiasm and appreciation for yoga was completely renewed and heightened during this monthlong training. I witnessed the true power of yoga that brought 26 young women on very different paths all to one common purpose. To discover the full potential of yoga, on and off the mat.
What I love most about teaching is how much you can learn about yourself through teaching. The journey is entertaining, surprising and rewarding. I love having the opportunity to offer up whatever I have available to support an individuals situation, whether its reassurance, patience, confidence, an extra nudge to take them to the next level, or simply providing them with a safe and non-judgmental place to explore the physical and spiritual pockets of yoga.
Easily my favorite thing about teaching a class is the challenge of teaching one class to a number of individuals whom are undoubtedly all in very different places and all bringing something different onto the mat. I truly love being in a position that verbally gives a person permission to let go, relax, even if just for this hour, and embrace all that their body and mind does for them. Permission to forget absolutely everything else, and focus on one person, themselves. We all need to hear that occasionally, and yoga just so happens to be the avenue that I’ve discovered is most fitting to fulfill a role that allows me to do that for others.
Article by Tarynne L. Mingione RD, RYT 200
