Confessions of a Pretzel Wannabe

I like yoga. Actually I love yoga but sometimes I don't remember I love it until *after* the session...I've been doing it on and off since I was 16, and while at college more 'on' which was great. Free yoga club and I got to take a course on Yoga for Musician that actually counted towards was credits for graduation...I loved it.

And now in Brisbane I find myself doing lots of it again. Yesterday, as my birthday present from the DB, I attended YogaFest in Brisbane and it was BRILLIANT!! An entire day of yoga sessions, talks, stalls, chai lattees and sitting out in the sun chatting to other Yoga heads. I'm a little stiff today after 4 yoga sessions in one day (I may have gone a little overboard but there were just so many new styles to try out) but I haven't felt as content about something I've done in a long time, really whole and happy and like I did something worthwhile and meaningful...yes, I feel like it is something very meaningful, purposeful in my life.

I'm particularly interested in doing my teacher training while in Australia and hopefully becoming an accredited yoga instructor. I love the idea of having a skill that I could take with me on my travels, that would better my yoga practice and allow me to share something that I enjoy so much.

I find it something that really complements my own religious beliefs too. I'm a Baha'i and have been taught to pray and meditate as a way to communicate with God/Great Creator/Universe. I find my meditation practice really deepens when I'm practicing yoga in my life, and that I feel more centred and able to handle what life throws at me.

It is interesting as I have often wondered if my religion and the Yogic path are compatible elements in my life. I *feel* no conflict between them, but technically they are different religions and I wonder if, as an instructor, you are expected to be a follower of that body of teachings alone...hmm, maybe it doesn't matter in any big way, and I feel fine about it in myself, so that's the main thing, but I know for myself I hate to only take on the surface elements of something. We're very good at that in the Western world, taking the yoga for it's physical benefits and discarding the rest of it because it doesn't suit or we couldn't be bothered. I would like to be a little more wholehearted in my approach.

Anyway I think the next thing to make it onto the 'To Do' list will be getting my Yoga instructor qualifications. I need to save up the money first, and the DB has voiced some concerns about my committment to this (if it's just a passing fad sort of thing...and if the qualification would actually be something I would use in the end...valid points I suppose, but not really the initial support I was looking for). For now I am looking into seriously and, like most things in my life, if it's meant to be things will start falling into place.