Last week, Kirsty, one of our MerryBody Yoga Teacher Training graduates taught her very first Yoga class. Not only was it a Yoga class, Kirsty created an amazing event where she combined a beautiful morning Yoga flow, followed by a beautiful group breakfast!
This made us feel beyond proud. To watch Kirsty blossom into the Yoga Teacher she always dreamt of being. We wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate Kirsty but also, share a little more on Kirsty’s inspiring journey from being a Paramedic, to following her bliss of becoming a Yoga Teacher.
It’s amazing the diverse group of humans that join a Yoga Teacher Training. They all come from different paths, have lead different lives, yet somehow, end up in the same training program. The community that is created during a Yoga Teacher Training is so special because of this. From paramedics, like Kirsty, to school teachers, to psychologists, to business managers, to CEOs, to full-time Mums, to carers, to students! The practice of Yoga welcomes all. But we believe there is a key denominator of each Trainee. That being, the desire to understand yourself, your place in the world and how you can bring more good to the community around you and abroad.
When we asked Kirsty why she jumped into this Yoga Teacher Training, her story took us on a ‘follow your bliss‘, heroine’s journey.
“My journey with Yoga began well back in my teenage years. I’ve always adored how Yoga turns a light on inside me and I’ve always wanted to be able to share that amazing gift with others. When I was 24, I lived in India and had enrolled in a course to do my Yoga Teacher Training in Mysore. However, a shift in the universe occurred, the timing wasn’t right, as l found myself back in Australia studying to be a paramedic instead. 15 years on, that light still burnt bright and I finally had the space and courage to follow it and embark on my Yoga Teacher Training with MerryBody.”
Kirsty’s story gave us the good kind of tingles! An idea, an inkling, that was planted 15 years prior was starting to sprout with Kirsty’s courageous decision to follow her bliss! Listen to the story here…
One big reason for jumping into the training, was that Kirsty didn’t want to have any regrets. She wanted to look back on her life and know that she said “YES” to the opportunities in front of her and “YES” to the things that light her up. She continued to tell us…
“I have loved my career, but it has left me feeling burnout. So, I decided to embark on my Yoga Teacher Training because l don’t want to have any regrets. I want peace, I want to feel comfortable in my own skin, I want to be happy and have contentment and acceptance for the way things are. Also, I would love to have the honour of being able to go forward after completion of this course and create a little space of nurturing for others to share Yoga.”
I (Carla) remember when Emma and I quit our full time government desk jobs to embark on ‘project merrymakers’ there was a loud and clear voice that asked isn’t there supposed to be more to life? In fact, we were driving on our way to work, stopped at a red light and I can clearly remember Emma saying those words out loud to me.
It was a resounding YES from me, YES! Surely there is meant to be more to life than going to a job that I hate every day and counting down the minutes, hours, days, weeks (aka life).
Kirsty felt the same. But what we love about Kirsty’s journey, is that the Yoga Teacher Training has provided tools and philosophy to help guide her with this questioning. Rather than just wondering isn’t there more to life? Kirsty is using the practice of Yoga to question this and receiving and finding answers within her practice. This is truly so exciting. The reason this happens often with a Yoga practice is because Yoga helps you become more present. It helps to quiet the racing mind. It helps you realise what truly matters in your life and creates the confidence to let go of the things that don’t.
Kirsty explains…
“Slowing the patterns of my mind, I can get an understanding of who I am and who I am truly meant to be. I’ve learned to observe and be aware of my thoughts, my body, my feelings. I have always had a sense of feeling I was meant to be doing something else, however I ignored it, because I followed another desire. But now I sit, and l hear what my truth tells me, and it tells me to follow my path forward with my Yoga journey.”
With everything we do here inside MerryBody, self acceptance, self confidence and joy are what forms the backbone. We create classes and courses with the intention to teach you how to be a Yoga Teacher but perhaps more importantly, to show you how to live a life with acceptance, confidence and joy.
Not only is this a life changing practice but it makes the process of learning so much more enjoyable and less daunting. Often when learning new skills, we can feel judged for our ability but we believe encouragement and belief creates a much more thriving environment. After all, you’re learning something NEW, you’re not supposed to be an expert just yet! Kirsty felt this too…
“Throughout this course I first thought that it was going to be impossible, and that l had “done” Yoga. I was not seeing myself as a beginner to learn. My ego was over shadowing, but the more l started to understand that it is a process that can’t be rushed, and that l needed to be patient and disciplined, so much opened up to me. Things l never thought were possible.”
Kirsty had a big shift with her own practice of self acceptance and is now promising to take these lessons and pass them on to her students (which is our greatest pleasure to see!)…
“This journey through Yoga Teacher Training and in particular, self acceptance has been such a life changing journey for me personally. The growth and confidence that I have created through challenging myself within this course has been nothing short of a miracle. I promise to always remember the hardship that I endured and give others the same empathy, but also to give others the gift of self acceptance. I want them to know with determination and by simply showing up daily they too can feel that change.”
We are so proud of Kirsty for following her bliss. It was such a privilege and honour to guide Kirsty through the 200 Hour Online Yoga Teacher Training.
We cannot wait to see what happens next for Kirsty, this is truly just the beginning! With plans to open up her own Yoga space, Kirsty really is on the path of following her bliss!
If you’ve been thinking about completing your 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training, our next cohort begins very soon! To learn more about the training, head here. Or, you can always reach out to us through email or social media, we are more than happy to answer any questions!
Always merrymaking,
Carla (and Emma)