Yoga is a life-long process of growth and self-discovery
Written by Caitlin Lindsey, Dec 2022
I always thought yoga was too slow. I grew up doing gymnastics, dance, kickboxing, and capoeira so when someone suggested I try yoga, I think I probably said something like ‘that’s boring and just stretching.’
But fast forward a few years, I was recovering from an injury and my physical therapist suggested I give yoga a try. So, I found myself in a vinyasa yoga class, holding warrior 2 for what seemed like an eternity – with sweat dripping down my face and my legs shaking. It was then I realized that yoga was the opposite of boring and much more than just stretching. But what kept me coming back was more than just the physical benefits. For the first time in long time, I felt truly connected to myself. I started to notice and appreciate smaller details in day-to-day life and felt more in touch with the world around me.
Since that first class, yoga has been something that has been steadily and consistently growing in my life. It wasn’t fast or rushed – it grew organically and over time. I went to one class a week to start, but I realized how good yoga made me feel that I wanted more. So, one class per week became two, and then two became three. I eventually came to a point where I still really enjoyed studio classes, but I still wanted more. I wanted to go deeper into the practice and learn more about myself. I knew it was time to enroll in a 200-hour teacher training program.
In addition to learning about yoga and how to teach, the best thing I took away from my 200-hour YTT is my ( almost :-) ) daily practice. Yoga is a life-long process of growth and self-discovery. And we keep learning and exploring every time we are on the mat. My daily practice keeps me curious, grounded, and in touch with myself. It also allows me to teach from what I know so I can better serve my students.
As I join the yoga teacher training team and begin to lead the next generation of yogis on their path of becoming teachers, I know that my daily practice will become even more important. The responsibility I feel to guide students through their yoga journey, and to support and mentor students is by far the biggest responsibility I will face in own yoga teacher journey to date. I know that my daily practice will keep me honest and grounded, keep me in touch with myself and others around me, and allow me to teach and guide students from a place of knowledge, education, and my own deeper understanding.
Yoga has become such an integrated part of who I am today that I can’t imagine my life without it. I am grateful I took that first yoga class all those years ago, which was the first step of my yoga journey which eventually become my passion, my career, and my daily way of life.
Caitlin will be joining our core teacher training team with the Yoga Moves Vinyasa Teacher Training starting January 2023.
She is a certified 500 hour Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance, bringing influences from her teachers Paul Dallaghan, Arielle Nash, and Jason Crandell as well as Stephanie Snyder, Annie Carpenter, Hilary Brown, Jessica Stickler, Hari-kirtana das, and Sri O.P. Tiwari. Learn more about Caitlin here.