Clinical support specialist for an orthopaedic robotic surgery, Seana had already completed a YTT before she joined Yogafurie. Read the story of her Bristol Yoga Teacher Training here.
What was it about Yoga that made you want to learn more?
I actually took an online yoga teacher training course during lockdown in 2020 and have loved practicing for some years now but found although the online course was great for settling my mind during those first lockdown months I found the prospect of teaching a class with no actual contact with a teacher to be very daunting. I had lead some online classes for the running club I am part of but was keen to take another 200hours in person to ensure I fully understand the anatomy of the poses I would be teaching and the importance of injury management in yoga practice. The philosophical side of yoga is also hugely important to me and so to be part of a group that can explain difficult concepts in their own ways to help my understanding was another part of the course I was keen to engage in.
Did you aim to teach afterwards or was this a journey to deepen your knowledge about Yoga?
Yes I am very keen to continue teaching yoga after the course! I have taken up teaching two in person classes during the week following on from the confidence taking part in the course has given me and I am keen to continue with this next year. Being part of a yoga community through the teacher training course has been a huge confidence boost and having a supportive network around me with my yogafurie family has been instrumental in being able to continue with this.
How did you feel the moment that you signed up to the course?
I felt nervous and maybe a little bit unsure of how it would pan out!?! A year seemed like a very long commitment and my life with work had been extremely hectic up until this point with me taking on hospital lists at weekends regularly and travelling around Europe to support surgery. Signing up to the course felt like the first thing I had done for myself in a very long time and it was a choice I had made for myself which was very exciting.
How did you feel on your first day? What was the experience of your first weekend with us?
I was really nervous wondering what the rest of the group would be like and doubting if I had done the right thing. However, within moments of meeting our group and starting our practise I knew I had done the right thing.
How did you feel on your last day of the course?
I’ve not completed my very last day just yet but the last day I took part in was the last time I would see my teacher training group (my sangha) before I headed out to do a half iron man triathlon! Id signed up to it just in may this year and have learnt to swim specifically to take part so was hugely nervous but it was something my sangha group gave me huge support for! They have been there throughout my training and cheered me on when I thought I wasn’t good enough. Some of the group have completed similar challenges so were a great source of advice and inspiration as well as support. The last day I was in teacher training with them was tough as there is a lot of content to get through on the course but also very interesting. Every weekend we are pushed to do things that are slightly out of our comfort zone which has been incredible for my confidence over the year as everyone is always so supportive and positive about how things go. It’s been instrumental in showing me how capable we all are of learning new things later in life.
What is your favourite learning that you will take away with you? Do you have any new / unique areas of interest since the course?
My favourite learning so far to take away from teacher training is that we are all still capable of learning. I had already taken an online 200hours course and yet have learnt so much with Yogafurie. It is a super in depth course and it feels like although there is no way of knowing everything there is to know about yoga, this course is a solid foundation in a very diverse topic. This confidence in my ability to learn helped hugely in having the confidence to learn to swim and has affected many areas of my life this year alone.
Do you teach Yoga now? How do you enjoy the experience of teaching Yoga?
Yes I am currently teaching just two classes a week alongside my job with surgical robotics and although it is a small start I absolutely love it! It enables me to keep creative by planning and leading classes whilst still having time to practice myself and keeping my fulltime job which I have been able to find a much better work life balance within. Teaching yoga is very different from practicing! Although it was nerve racking at first to stand infront of a class and lead them through a flow I have created myself it has been hugely rewarding and is something I definitely want to continue learning about and getting better at! It feels like you are always learning!
What is different about your life now than when you started the course?
My life now couldn’t be more different from when I started the course! When I started the course the sole focus of my life was built around my full time job which despite being something I love had become all encompassing. By taking on the teacher training course I feel this was the first step in creating a life that I have chosen for myself. I’ve even found a new hobby that I love in triathlon training which pairs perfectly with yoga to keep me injury free and calm throughout difficult times. I think the balance that yoga and the teacher training course has brought into my life has also been paramount in enabling me to have (what can feel like) so many plates spinning without it all coming crashing down with stress.
What was your favourite thing about the Yoga Teacher Training course with Yogafurie Academy?
My favourite thing about the teacher training course has been learning about the subtle body and yoga philosophy. In my day to day life I spend a lot of time talking about and looking at human anatomy and so to see this explained through yogic philosophy and in a way that makes sense intuitively has been fascinating. I’m keen to continue learning about this aspect of yoga which is surprising as I thought the main focus of interest for me would be physical yoga practice and learning modifications for teaching of a safe practice
Yoga teacher trainees on their last weekend of training at Yogafurie. September 2019.
Is there anything else you would like to offer up as a reflection on this journey?
I guess the key take away from the course has been the ability to find balance and start to create a life around me that I have chosen as opposed to a life that I stumbled into mindlessly (something it often felt like before when everything was extremely chaotic!) the ability to potentially offer some time and space for people who are able to attend the classes I am teaching is hugely important to me as I feel this was the first step in a journey that has been so entirely beneficial to me.
If you are interested in going for it, we are always keen to having a chat and answering any questions you might have. Book a call with Ed, our Yoga Teacher Training lead here.
Discover how you can start your beautiful Yoga Journey here with Yogafurie Academy 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Bristol.
You can easily check out our teaching style. Join us online for Yoga classes here or book in for a Hot Yoga class.
