Vicki - Level 2
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How long have you been practising yoga? How did you get into it? What is your personal story?
I began practicing yoga 9 years ago when I first moved to New Zealand from the UK. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was the start of some big lifestyle changes for me, moving away from the very materially-driven London lifestyle towards a life where nature, spirituality and holistic healthy living are much more my priorities. I started off doing yoga in a gym, but over time became much more drawn to the meditative aspects of |
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the practice. My gym membership has long since expired but my yoga practice has grown and grown!
How did the course benefit you?
Level 2 training took me much deeper into working with the mind. I’ve been a practicing Clinical Psychologist for the past 13 years so I’ve always been fascinated by different ways of working with things like anxieties and negative thoughts. I find the two disciplines complement each other really well and yoga practices are starting to weave more and more into the client work I do with people struggling with issues like anxiety and depression.
Did it affect on you psychologically/emotionally/spiritually/intellectually?
There were some big shifts for me last year, which I think are largely a result of the yoga. This included learning to take my own thought patterns much less seriously and be more accepting of whatever life brings rather than being so attached to certain outcomes/experiences and rejecting of other ones. This is a subtle shift but very freeing and leaves me feeling much more contented in life. I also found that through practices like chanting and kirtan my voice has literally become stronger and I’m speaking up for myself much more in lots of areas of my life, including expressing anger more clearly and directly!
Do you see the world differently now?
I think I have a more spiritual outlook on life, which gives me a different perspectives on struggles I go through in my life. Since finishing level 2 I’ve been reading everything I can get my hands on about yogic philosophy, it feels like an exciting journey to be on and I’m hungry to learn more and go even deeper.
How is Level 2 different from Level 1?
I actually enjoyed Level 2 much more than level 1. A large component of Level 1 was about learning how to teach, and along with that came all the anxiety of standing in front of my fellow class members trying to instruct postures coherently, plus a huge volume of information about postures, anatomy etc. In level 2 there was less focus (and less anxiety) about the teaching part, and much more of a focus on studying yogic philosophy, which I loved, and diving deeper into meditation practices.
Does what you learnt on Level 2 affect how you teach now?
Absolutely. I feel much more grounded in yogic philosophy and I think this comes through in how I teach and my understanding of why I’m teaching what I’m teaching. There are so many different layers to the practice of yoga and I think I’m beginning to include more of that depth in my classes.
What would you say to people thinking about doing Level 2?
Be prepared for all sorts of issues in your life to surface, I think lots of us found that yoga training can be an emotional rollercoaster, but it is absolutely worth the ride. I’m pretty certain you won’t regret it, and my experience was that I came out of the other side feeling physically and emotionally stronger.
How did the course benefit you?
Level 2 training took me much deeper into working with the mind. I’ve been a practicing Clinical Psychologist for the past 13 years so I’ve always been fascinated by different ways of working with things like anxieties and negative thoughts. I find the two disciplines complement each other really well and yoga practices are starting to weave more and more into the client work I do with people struggling with issues like anxiety and depression.
Did it affect on you psychologically/emotionally/spiritually/intellectually?
There were some big shifts for me last year, which I think are largely a result of the yoga. This included learning to take my own thought patterns much less seriously and be more accepting of whatever life brings rather than being so attached to certain outcomes/experiences and rejecting of other ones. This is a subtle shift but very freeing and leaves me feeling much more contented in life. I also found that through practices like chanting and kirtan my voice has literally become stronger and I’m speaking up for myself much more in lots of areas of my life, including expressing anger more clearly and directly!
Do you see the world differently now?
I think I have a more spiritual outlook on life, which gives me a different perspectives on struggles I go through in my life. Since finishing level 2 I’ve been reading everything I can get my hands on about yogic philosophy, it feels like an exciting journey to be on and I’m hungry to learn more and go even deeper.
How is Level 2 different from Level 1?
I actually enjoyed Level 2 much more than level 1. A large component of Level 1 was about learning how to teach, and along with that came all the anxiety of standing in front of my fellow class members trying to instruct postures coherently, plus a huge volume of information about postures, anatomy etc. In level 2 there was less focus (and less anxiety) about the teaching part, and much more of a focus on studying yogic philosophy, which I loved, and diving deeper into meditation practices.
Does what you learnt on Level 2 affect how you teach now?
Absolutely. I feel much more grounded in yogic philosophy and I think this comes through in how I teach and my understanding of why I’m teaching what I’m teaching. There are so many different layers to the practice of yoga and I think I’m beginning to include more of that depth in my classes.
What would you say to people thinking about doing Level 2?
Be prepared for all sorts of issues in your life to surface, I think lots of us found that yoga training can be an emotional rollercoaster, but it is absolutely worth the ride. I’m pretty certain you won’t regret it, and my experience was that I came out of the other side feeling physically and emotionally stronger.
