Up until recently, I had never given much thought to Newton’s third law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This statement was repeated to us multiple times during the course of our training, and thinking about it in detail made me realise that indeed every action we take has an effect that ripples outwards, sometimes in ways that we may never know.

On the yoga mat, Newton’s third law can be applied in terms of channelling the strength and energy to move the body in the opposite direction of gravity. For example, when we stand or sit without consciousness, our body is relaxed, and it slumps and collapses into itself. However, the action of consciously pressing our hands or feet firmly onto the mat will produce an immediate “equal or opposite reaction” of helping us root more firmly into the ground, thereby enabling us to stretch and rise up a little taller. The more energy or strength we expend in pushing against the ground, the easier it will be to lift the body in the opposite direction.

This concept can be applied in life off the mat as well: if we make a more conscious effort to be kind and compassionate, without anticipating anything in return, we will in turn receive an increase in capacity to perform more acts of kindness and compassion, which will help transform our lives to become extra extraordinary. The energy from which we give is not finite; the more you give, the more you have. Likewise, the more gratitude we express or feel for the good things we have in life, the Universe will respond by delivering to us more of the things for which we are grateful.

As week 4 of our yoga teacher training draws to a close, I am grateful for the knowledge and wisdom I have gained from Master Sree, for the friendship and camaraderie of my fellow trainees, and for the freedom and time to embark on this journey.

ST

A quick search on Google will reveal many ways in which one can use crystals to enhance their yoga practice. There is also plenty of information available online about how crystals are associated with the different chakras, and how crystals can help promote physical, emotional and spiritual healing. While there isn’t (or at least I think there isn’t) any scientific evidence to support the notion that crystals can harness energy, I have always felt drawn to crystals, and started collecting them a long time ago, way before I started practicing yoga. They initially served as decorative pieces, but I subsequently started using them in my meditation practice.

Having formed in the earth’s surface thousands or millions of years ago, crystals are commonly thought of as a means to help us connect with the energy of the universe. Here are some of my favorite pieces. On the extreme bottom left is a piece of Palo Santo wood, which is also used to cleanse my crystals of any unwanted negative energy after meditation.

I normally do not research the properties of any particular crystal before purchasing it; I will buy it if I feel a connection. Without realising it, I somehow collected more pieces of amethyst crystals than other types – the properties of amethysts are to aid healing and bring about intense spiritual growth and self-discovery, so perhaps my inner sub-conscious thought it was the type of energy I could utilise?

It’s easy to meditate with a crystal. Just sit or lay on the mat with a stone in your palms, focus on the breath, and visualize/feel the energy spreading from your palms to the rest of your body. When you are ready, gently blink a few times and open your eyes, then cleanse the crystal properly (there are many ways of doing this!).

It’s interesting because each crystal vibes with each person differently, so when picking up a stone, trust your intuition in telling you what your soul needs.

ST

Time flies and we’re on the final lag of the YTT course. It has certainly been a fruitful yet trying journey, one of pushing physical and also mental boundaries.

Those who know me know I’ve got an immense fear of heights and also confined spaces. With that, of course, brings about limitations to certain physical postures that have been impossible for me to do, even with regular practice. Yes, the dreaded sirsasana(headstand). It’s a posture that comes easier to some than others but for me it’s like getting a fish to walk on land. There really is no reason why I would not be able to perform the posture, other than the great fear of falling, which is involuntary and crippling. The fear is real.

I’m very proud to announce that I’ve achieved the impossible (for me at least) and did my first headstand over the weekend in the third week of the course. It’s the ‘I want to stand on top of the mountain and shout, I did it, kind of proud’. The sentiment that with the correct technique, focus and trust in oneself, personal bests and how the impossible can be achieved is not lost on me.

That to me, basically sums up YTT and its’ application to daily life for me. The theoretical aspect of yoga and looking inward on very tough questions like identity, with the practice of Pranayama and Asanas, gives insight and teaches life lessons that might not have been possible to achieve any other way. For me at least.

This journey has definitely been worthwhile and I’ve gained immensely from it. I achieved what I wanted and so much more. The alignment of both physical and mental state of being is a work in progress and something I think will benefit a lot of people. That yoga is more than Asanas & postures. Now that would be something I hope I can share with more people, either through teaching yoga or in some other way. Yoga is here to stay, for me.

The connotation of a multi-tasking ninja is no doubt associated with; mothers, an amazing superhuman form who does a multitude of tasks on a 24/7 basis. Whilst definitely not on the same level as a mom, being a female, I take pride in being able to multi-task on a small scale, relatively well. Yes, I’ve gone out and said it, I think us females are better at multi-tasking and in details than our fellow male counterparts. Don’t get me wrong, I think males can get things done well, but just one thing at a time.

The class was exposed to teaching aspect this week, a real exciting yet daunting task. How hard can teaching be right… I’ve gone for my fair share of yoga classes, a few times a week actually and never gave much thought to what teaching really entails.

I joined YTT course for the simple fact that I like the physical aspect of yoga and want a deeper understanding of, not just the asanas, but what yoga really is. I did not except the course to be easy but never thought that teaching could be so challenging.

The class was tasked with teaching sun salutation and the application of posture alignment for it. Doesn’t sound like much on paper, in fact it appears rather fun, but NO. There are so many factors coming into play at the same time; from remembering the sequence of the postures, whether you need to breathe in or out for the postures to paying attention to the students’ postures and making the relevant adjustments… It was mind boggling… Another challenge is the finesse that comes with conducting the class, for instance, alignment of a student’s posture whilst the rest are all holding the pose and absolutely cursing you in their heads. Do not even get me started on having to remember the correct technique to adjusting the postures. Poooffffttt, the bubble that my multi-tasking skills are at a satisfactory level has just burst. Similarly, the stereotypical idea that multi-tasking ninjas are usually females. Look at the number of male teachers out there, who are exceptional at what they do.

To say that I’ve got a newfound respect for yoga teachers and the amount of work involved in teaching is an understatement. Of course, teaching is an art and a skillset that would get better with time and practice. I’m looking forward to honing my skills in that respect, to evolve from a duckling to a multi-tasking swan.

On deeper thought, it is my view that the art of yoga teaching and also yoga teachers on the whole are more like multi-tasking swans than ninjas. Poised, graceful and focused on the surface, but so much more work is going on beneath the surface.

As our YTT has come down to the final week, I can foresee with my yogic powers (that I have harnessed over the past 3 weeks :-)) that graduating from YTT with the certificate on Friday will be a truly bittersweet moment, and that for a long time, I will miss the whole experience in this month of July. 

YTT, or rather yoga itself, has gifted me many things, the best one of all is this feeling that I’ve reawakened another part of myself that has been sleeping dormant deep deep inside for a very long time. YTT is just another temporary human experience, the physical practices and drills, the theory and philosophy classes, even the people :-(. But the one thing that YTT gifts you, is this newfound positive empowerment that is sure to last a long time. Throughout this month-long yogic journey, it feels like I found a long-lost friend, like a friend I’ve lost while growing up, but is a friend who will stay with me (for as long as I practise yoga hahaha). Maybe this ‘friend’ is my natural self, my inner self, and 3 weeks of intense yoga practices has brought me closer to who I was, before I became someone I’m not. 

Though I’m sad that YTT will soon come to an end and I will definitely miss this whole experience, I’m thankful for this deep-delving inward journey with all its wonderful treasures and lessons. After YTT, the best thing that I can do next is to help others, even in the smallest ways, to take a step closer to their natural self by teaching yoga to those around me, while doing my best to live up to the Yamas & Niyamas and keeping up my own practise. 

Honestly, because of YTT, July has been the best month of the year thus far. 

After that, YTT 300? Hmmm… seriously considering…