A 200Hr Grad Shares Her Experience

By Hannah Lasiter, California

I attended CYS in the summer of 2014 for the 200-hour teacher training. I believe there are inherent qualities about the CYS experience that everyone can relate to. The circle itself represents a universal tie to one another, a sort of “unbreaking” of the link we all have as fellow human beings.

Before attending CYS, I considered myself one of many who didn’t possess the “yoga gene”. In the classes I participated in, I thought that teachers were supposed to ignore you and let you fend for yourself. Most of the time, I felt a sense of shame that I couldn’t successfully do revolving triangle. I thought that to be a good yoga student one had to spring from the womb doing down dogs. I thought it was just natural selection keeping me from viewing myself as a “good” student.

CYS taught me that there should be equality, reverence, and understanding within a classroom. It’s okay that your hips are more closed. It’s your body, be sensitive. Just because I wasn’t able to touch my toes during certain postures didn’t mean I wasn’t practicing correctly. Just because I wasn’t able to do a handstand didn’t mean I wasn’t a good student, or teacher, for that matter. I was taught instead to speak in action rather than culturally influenced trends. Teaching in action not only benefits my students to this day, but also benefits myself as a teacher, student, and person. Take action, surrender, be sensitive.

CYS doesn’t crank out factory-made yoga teachers. CYS doesn’t try and fit you in a mold of what a good teacher should be like. Instead, the instructors at CYS act as guides. You’re already you, and memorizing esoteric vocabulary won’t make you a better teacher. You’re already you, and you should be proud.

I recommend anyone interested in hard work, personal exploration, and interest in a healthy lifestyle to attend CYS for a class, workshop, or intensive. And while the work is by no means easy, the benefits you will undoubtedly gain will only strengthen your relationship with yourself. Learning is achieved through guidance. Guidance from those who care, from those you love, and most importantly: guidance from yourself.

If you’d like to learn more about our 200hr Yoga Teacher Training Program, click here.