It's the journey, not the destination.

So, it's been about 3 weeks since our yoga graduation and it's been an absolute whirl-wind! Our final lecture and asana intensive were exactly that...intense.

We took our final test and then we each had to teach a 20 minute portion of a class. Of course, I taught prenatal. I felt so incredibly prepared going into this teaching and even though I was nervous I had complete confidence and knew that my fellow yogis were rooting for me. I noticed during my class that when I relaxed and stopped looking at my notes I was the most at ease. Since then, while teaching I still use my notes as a reference but barely even glance at them.

Everyone in our group did so incredible and we were all so proud of each other!! Stella & Tobi really gave us the tools and the teachings we needed in order to succeed and I'm so grateful to them for that. I remember the first meeting we all had when we went over the curriculum. I looked at the agenda for the "final" and saw that we had to teach that 20 minute class and could not see it happening. I doubted myself from day one, but because of our group, I was fully prepared and totally stoked to be able to teach.

Our graduation was bitter sweet. We all met at Tobi's house and had a lovely little (actually, not so little) potluck. We hung out, listened to music, talked, and laughed. At the end of the night we received our tests back, as well as our certificates. Before leaving we circled up and said some final words. It was really emotional and again, bitter sweet. For 3 months, I've had these people in my lives and I knew that I wouldn't get to see them consistently each week anymore. We all grew so close, but were now going our separate ways.

Since then many of us have gotten teaching jobs...including myself. I got a job working for Yoga Buddies (www.yogabuddies.net) teaching kids yoga at after-school programs. Danay, the owner is an amazing woman who is so passionate about her cause. I'll begin teaching soon at my alma-mater, Naples Elementary and will soon be teaching at other schools in the Long Beach area. I'm so incredibly excited to venture on this new journey.

In addition to teaching kids yoga, I also have the honor to continue teaching prenatal. My cousin Cathy is prego and I've started doing private sessions with her at her house. She's currently on disability because of ongoing headaches, so I'm hoping yoga will help her relax and unwind during this time off. I'm also trying to get a Christian yoga class off the ground within the next few weeks and my fellow graduate Rachel and I are looking to start a yoga ministry, which I'm really pumped about. I have a few other potential private clients and can't wait until I have a steady schedule of classes and private sessions.

I really can't believe I'm a yoga teacher. Each time the words come out of my mouth, they still seem foreign. But I am! I'm a yoga teacher!! I have the honor and the privilege to guide people in their spiritual and physical yoga practice. How freaking cool is that? God is truly amazing to have given me the time, the money, and the dedication to embark on this journey... and the coolest part is: it's not even close to being over!!