Stepping of the plane on 1st January 2014 I was met by my friend who took me back to my home for the next couple of weeks. I've lived in Sydney before, but nothing quite compares to the Bondi bustle! I planned to stay with close friends for the two weeks leading up to my teacher training course. Oh yes... I forgot to mention, I've returned to Aus to take heed of my heart advice to follow my dreams to train as a yoga teacher!
Bondi went by in a whirl, as time does when you're having a blast. Seeing friends, studying books, sampling coffee and practicing yoga was my main agenda. As usual, the hospitality I was shown by my friends and their families was nothing short of inspiring.
On February 2nd 2014 I began my training. The course was seven weeks intensive and my fellow trainees and I ate, slept and dreamed yoga (when we weren't teaching it, practicing it or learning more about it!). The usual daily agenda consisted of a 5am rise and walk into town where we took turns either attending a yoga class or applying what we'd learned in our class hours and teaching the school's 6am public classes. The rest of the morning was spent attending workshops, submitting homework and eating delicious food. The afternoon was again scheduled around workshops, coursework and another 4pm class to take turns teaching. The average day ended around 8/9pm after a post-dinner meditation class.This was an enlightening seven weeks to say the least! Not just in learning how and what to teach but what to believe and prioritise in life in general. The course's many spiritual classes encouraged me to look into myself and search for the answers to my nagging questions: Who am I and why am I here?
I completed and passed the course in March and stayed on to take up some teaching opportunities that arose after.
Attending this course, for me, was the window to a whole other world. Prior to this course, I had begun to explore my spirituality. Having attended yoga as a student frequently over the last few years and devoured books by Ram Dass, Deepak Chopra, Khalil Gibran, to name but a few splendid authors, I had begun a journey of inner exploration - which, I might add, was rather ironic as I had traveled thousands of miles to explore but a few inches within. Alas - the Universe has it's own agenda!
I lived in Byron for five months. I met some of the most inspiring people and learned more and more about myself. I explored dinner dates with myself, as well as seeing music live on my own, though never for long! I grew in confidence though learning, writing, sharing and teaching. I began to see for myself the benefit of travel and it's ability to get you to discover the self in fast-track.
As much as I had fallen in love with Byron Shire and it's majestic scenery; alluring waters; vibrant populous and renaissance undertones, I realised that my return to Australia for a second year was one of self-development and that I had to follow the rabbit to where I would best experience that growth. I completed a 10 day Vipassana retreat then shortly after, left for the red sands and Arnhem Lands of the Northen Territories.
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