I am super excited to share that this week I was accepted into this summer's yoga teacher training with Breathe for Change! I am thrilled to have been selected to participate in this program and looking forward to being a part of the amazing B4C community.
Here is a little bit about the training...
I will be participating in a 200 hour certification training that will take place in Madison from mid-June - early July. Our work will focus on transformation of self, teaching, and community as well as refreshing the self to prepare for new beginnings. In addition to learning about anatomy, social-emotional development, connecting yoga and mindfulness practices to curriculum and classroom community building we will practice teaching yoga to children and families every day. The training will be intense, but I really enjoy immersive learning experiences and am looking forward to being in the flow and learning a lot.
This week while in class at my local yoga studio I realized that after the summer, I will be able to teach classes! It was an exciting and scary realization. I worry that my practice isn't as advanced as it should be, but I also remind myself that it is a journey and you can only be where you are. While I have some anxiousness about the training, I am trying to focus on it as an opportunity to go deeper into my own practice of yoga and extend that into my practice of teaching.
I thought I would share a little bit from my application to B4C as I really enjoyed writing it:
Why are you inspired to participate in Breathe For Change’s 200-hour yoga teacher training for educators?
I believe that I can change the world. I believe that I change the world every day through the interactions I have with each student, teacher, and community member that I come into contact with. I believe that my school - designed to create empowered learning experiences for all students - is changing the world. I am inspired to participate in Breathe For Change because we share in this belief that we can change the world and understand the possibility and responsibility of changing the world through education. I believe that practices that allow individuals to listen to themselves and others and understand their connectivity to one another and their planet are the only way to bring about change on an individual or community level. As a life-long learner, I am inspired by the prospect of new skills and knowledge and an ongoing community focused on growth and transformation.
How would you describe yourself as an educator? What makes you special?
I am an educational leader and a positive deviant.* I focus first on relationships: being myself and making positive connections with all learners. I invest in and care deeply about the success of my students and my school community. I set high expectations and empower learners to meet and exceed them. I strive to cultivate a safe space that honors and supports each individual. I take risks and trust the process. I am comfortable with being uncomfortable. I can see the big picture and the tiny details; I can see the right now needs and challenges while keeping my intention in line with our mission and vision. I know that teaching students to live a good life is more important than any other content in my classroom. I bring passion, kindness, gratitude, humor, intelligence and creativity to any learning experience. As an educator, I am forever a learner.
*Note - I want to credit my Greater Madison Writing Project friends and colleagues for coining this fantastic term.
From your perspective, how does teaching wellness connect to social justice?
For students, having the skills, knowledge and abilities to cultivate and maintain a healthy and well lifestyle is not only a human right, but is key to a healthy society wherein all people can thrive. Teaching wellness practices in public schools provides access to information and exercises that are often only available to those with the privilege, time and resources. Additionally, in our school we work not only to educate our students, but to serve as a resource to other educational innovators and to use our work as a model for education reform. In this regard, our mission is one of social justice. Teaching wellness practices to educators supports them in being their healthiest and best selves thereby allowing them to better execute the important work of local teaching and regional/national/global educational change.
I am still - and probably will be for a while - waiting to hear about my application to the Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminar. So, don't hold your breath, but do keep those fingers crossed. Hopefully this is positive momentum that will just keep rollin'.
Thanks for reading!
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