When I first stepped into the shala for my Yoga Teacher Training in Goa, I didn’t know what I was really walking into. I came with a suitcase full of stretchy clothes, a stiff lower back, and a mind even more rigid. I thought I was there to “level up” my practice — maybe learn some Sanskrit and finally master headstand. But what I got was something much deeper: a transformation that rewired the way I breathe, move, and even think.
Week 1: The Great Unraveling
The first few days were humbling. I thought I was “fit” until I met downward dog — held for what felt like an eternity — on sore arms and a trembling ego. Our teacher kept reminding us: “You are not here to perform. You are here to observe.”
Every muscle in my body protested. But slowly, something started to shift. I stopped fighting the discomfort. I started watching it. I began to notice how my mind raced, how impatient I was with silence, how often I judged myself for not being “good enough.”
That week, I cried in Savasana more than once — and I wasn’t the only one.
Week 2: Reconnecting
The anatomy lessons gave me a new respect for my body. I stopped seeing my tight hamstrings as a problem to fix and started seeing them as teachers.
We dove into yogic philosophy — the Yamas and Niyamas, Patanjali’s Sutras, ideas I had heard of but never understood. It was like being handed a new language — not just for yoga, but for life. Concepts like Ahimsa (non-violence) and Santosha (contentment) weren’t just Sanskrit terms anymore. They were tools for living.
I started waking up excited, not just for asana practice but for the stillness of meditation, for journaling after pranayama, for sitting with discomfort without needing to fix it.
Week 3: The Mirror
One evening, our philosophy teacher asked, “Who are you, really?”
At first, I wrote down things like: daughter, writer, yogi, friend. But the deeper I sat with it, the more I realized those were just roles. Yoga was asking me to go beyond the labels. To witness who I was beneath the noise.
During our silent walking meditation the next morning, I noticed everything: the softness of the sand, the weight of my steps, even the warmth in my chest. It felt like I was meeting myself for the first time. Not the version of me shaped by others’ expectations, but the real me — the observer, the presence behind it all.
Week 4: Rising
By the final week, the transformation was undeniable. I no longer needed music or coffee to get out of bed. My body felt stronger, yes, but my mind — it was lighter. Quieter. Kinder.
Teaching our first practicum class was terrifying and exhilarating. But as I guided students through Surya Namaskar, I realized: I wasn’t performing. I was holding space. Just like my teachers did for me.
💫 The Afterglow: Life Post-TTC
Leaving Goa felt like leaving a sacred bubble. But the practices stayed with me: the breath, the mindfulness, the awareness that transformation isn’t a one-time thing. It’s a daily choice.
Yoga Teacher Training didn’t just teach me how to teach yoga. It taught me how to live yoga. It didn’t change who I was — it helped me remember.
So if you’re thinking about taking the leap, my advice is this: come as you are. You don’t need to be flexible or spiritual or even certain. You just need to be willing. Yoga will do the rest.
