Know your limits

As I started doing yoga, I soon learned there were a lot of poses that did not come naturally to me: I was going to have to work on them. All my running has made me a lot less flexible in the last couple of years, and I have a few tender spots that I need to be more cautious about. In my training to become a teacher, we talked about knowing your own limits and the limits of your students. How will I know where my limits are? As we continued learning asanas and I worked with my own limits, a quote came to mind, one that I first saw in my grandparents' home as I was growing up.

It became very clear how I can approach a new aspect of yoga! Serenity to accept a limit that I have, courage to challenge those limits, and the kratu (or intelligence in action) to know how to proceed. When we were learning the stacked log pose, I was very sensitive to the fact that I had been recovering from some knee injuries from running, and gratefully kept my pose in a safe position; I would like to continue doing the active things I love pain-free! But at the same time, I would love to challenge my limits further and be able to hold a headstand, and that requires some courage.

Be creative and open to improvement, but be smart about it.

Thank you, summer evening

Last week during the teacher training, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with all of the new information I was getting in a very short period of time. It was awesome to be so immersed in yoga, in study and in practice but I had no time to digest and sort through what I had learned before I was presented with many more deep principles. One evening as I drove home, the sun was setting but Utah valley was still very light. I was hurrying, whether from hunger or fatigue, and changed lanes quickly to get ahead of slow cars, just absorbed in myself and where I was going. Wanting to make good use of the summer temperatures, I instinctively reached over and rolled my window down. Right then, the feeling in my car changed. The warm breeze brushed my hair across my face and refreshed me more than any AC could have. The hum of the traffic reminded me that there was more going on at this moment than me thinking about what I had just learned, how long I had left to drive, or what was in the fridge at home waiting for me to eat. All of my senses perked up and suddenly I was not on a burdensome commute anymore. I was on a leisurely drive that connected me to my surroundings and made me a happier person because of it.

In that moment, I realized what yoga can be for me, for now, as I am still learning what it can become: it is helping me to increase my awareness of myself, both in body and spirit, and how what my place is in the world around me. I am finding the beauty of breath, movement, stillness, power, and relaxation, and it has been an awesome journey so far. It can keep me from feeling stuffy and wrapped up in myself, connecting me to others and something outside of me, but improving physical, mental, and emotional capabilities. Yoga will mean a lot more to me as I continue to practice and teach, but that I am content with this for now! Increased awareness of self and surroundings. Who wouldn't want that?

My Story

Hi there!

My name is Andrea.

I am a soon-to-be 23 year old. I have blonde hair and blue eyes.

I love running, sewing, bargain shopping, cooking, and being in the sun.

I'm a Mormon. I believe in life after death, forgiveness, humility, service, and inspiration.

I love to laugh. I am always up for an adventure.

I am married to the most amazing guy on earth, Justin. I'm so lucky to have him as my best friend. He has green eyes, speaks Farsi, and runs really fast.

We have already started, but will continue to see the world together.

We run long distance races together, and will hopefully complete a marathon this August.

I take pictures of my feet. I'm not sure why, but it happens a lot.

I have lived in China and Thailand and owe a lot of who I am now to experiences I had in these wonderful places.

I love health. I graduated from BYU in 2012 with a Bachelor's degree in public health, with an emphasis on health promotion. I love my degree but it hasn't opened the doors I hoped it would as far as helping others be healthy and love the skin they're in.

I have not been able to find the perfect job yet, but the process of looking has gotten me here.

I am becoming a yoga teacher!

In trying to find health educator jobs, I found that many clinics offered either a prenatal or diabetes yoga course for patrons. Knowing the importance of physical activity and emotional support for these two groups, I was drawn to the idea of this area of health. I also found a job listing for a wellness coordinator that needed to be certified in yoga. Somehow this seemed to be my calling! A way for me to use my degree in a specific way and keep me learning. As excited as I was to graduate from college, it became very apparent my education was not over. A trail of bread crumbs brought me here, and here my journey begins. The interesting thing is that when it came down to it, the training at one studio fell through, I luckily saw a Bodhi Yoga booth at a birth conference I almost didn't make it to, I realized I had a friend featured on the website who I could run some questions by, and the timing worked out to take the teacher training exactly when I wanted to,

I realized I already owned a yoga mat. A bright pink one my mom had given me for Christmas too many years ago. Just beckoning me to jump on and start yoga!

So here I am. A student to yoga myself. Fairly inflexible due to many years of long distance training. Not a lot of upper body strength. Easily distracted. Scientific. Likely to fall over if I tried to balance in a dark room.

Patient. Insightful. Curious. Ready to learn.

This is how my story begins.