I started my Anusara Immersion in January of 2011. The Anusara immersion was one weekend a month for 6 months and made up the first 100 hours of my 200 hour certification. It was the first time I had done any form of yogic education outside of a regular studio asana session. I hadn’t done education of any sort since I graduated from Cosmetology school in 2000.
I was definitely scared and showed up the first night with a million butterflies in my stomach and eyes wide. I got settled into my space and began to learn.
Adhikara: Studentship, competency, qualifications of a student…. Our openness to receive teachings.
Here is a great video of Sianna Sherman explaning Adhikara:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmmKN8AT6U8
Our teachers Ali Certain and Ronna Rochelle likened it to the spicyness of salsa, and declared that because we had chosen to take on this immersion that our salsas were quite spicy. I wasn’t so sure about that at this time as I felt like this was me sticking my toe in to test the waters, but as the weekends continued, I felt my need to learn more grow.
These Immersion weekends were an intense barrage of foreign concepts…. Tattvas, Malas, differences in yogic philosophies and history, anatomy, sanskrit, the spirals, and the Universal Principles of alignment were all hitting a brick wall those first few weekends. We were warned though, that it was when we stepped away from the classroom was when we would start absorbing it. Slowly, but surely my unpracticed brain started to take everything in and on this blog I would love to start breaking down these learnings and let them sink further. It was at this point that I realized that the tantric philophy/yoga that I was studying in the classroom could be applied to my life, my parenting, and my relationships with people. I was in love and so happy. I met many beautiful people and learned many beautiful things. By the end of the six months, I was in tears leaving, not knowing when or how my education would continue. I was confident at this point of the spicyness of my salsa.
I started the Immersion thinking that I was testing the waters, and finished it knowing that it was a new beginning. Knowing that I would not be working in the salon much longer. Knowing that I wanted to teach and eventually be a doula. I wasn’t sure how I could become an Anusara Inspired teacher while adding Blooma’s prenatal yoga into it, but I was sure that I could make it work. I also knew that I needed to keep my Kaphic ball rolling or I would lose momentum. So I signed up for a John Friend weekend workshop in Des Moines. I also signed up for Anusara Teacher Training with the Kirk’s in Arizona.
I was on my way and I knew that I was on the right path. It was good to know.
I need to continue this next week as it is time for me to take my daughter on a spring break adventure to the book store, but it feels good to get this journey out there.
Namaste!
Yoga Mama in Minneapolis 