By Rachel Samuels

This was a great question that put me on the spot at an open evening earlier in the year. I couldn’t think in the moment, as it’s something I hadn’t previously considered. The answer I gave at the time was on a practical level, such as being organised, read material in advance, etc.  After some time to reflect, here are my thoughts in answer to that question.

Know that you are enough! Do not question whether you should be there or whether you made the right choice. There could be many reasons why you feel this way such as your age, size, your yoga experience/knowledge or the amount of teaching you've done. Know that you’ve been accepted on to the course and have met the criteria! Even though you may have completely different life and yoga experiences to your fellow trainees, know you are all there for the same reason - to learn and deepen your own practice, knowledge, experience and teaching. This training is all about sharing knowledge, evidence and experience, and your confidence will grow as this happens.

Trust the process. There is so much information to learn. Sometimes it can feel quite overwhelming. But Laura shares her knowledge, experience and teaching in such as an accessible way, with an injection of fun and humour along the way!  The course is ingeniously designed with an emphasis on experiential learning, along with consideration of different learning styles and gradual layering up of information. It almost feels like you’ve been learning by osmosis. Questions and open dialogue are actively encouraged to aid understanding. By the end of the course you will be pleasantly surprised how much you have learned.

Be curious! You’ll be taken on an incredible journey throughout the course, learn new things about yourself, recognise old habits and random stuff may arise. In the words of Rumi’s poem, The Guest House – “welcome and entertain them all”. Embrace the experience with whatever comes up for you. Find what works for you. Journaling throughout the course can help, as well as reaching out to your fellow trainees and tutors.  LGY cultivate a kind and friendly community that stay connected and supportive long after the course has finished.

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