A couple of weeks ago, I spent a weekend in Asheville, NC at the Asheville Yoga Center doing a restorative yoga teacher training.

I am a long time vinyasa practitioner; I love fast paced flow and the energy of a vinyasa practice. For that reason, that’s what I did my teacher training in, and inevitably, what I now teach. Prior to getting my teacher training, I imagined myself teaching hard, fast vinyasa flow because that is how I prefer to practice.

During my YTT, I learned the importance of the breath and proper alignment, and I began to to realize that I actually didn’t want to teach hard and fast flow classes. I realized that I wanted to focus on proper alignment and breathing. Although I have not lost sight of that in my current teaching,  completing a YTT on restorative yoga has reminded of the importance of relaxation and restoration.

I learned so much over the weekend, but my 3 golden nuggets (ie. key takeaways) from the weekend are the following:

1. The breath. I practice a lot of yoga, and I am aware of my breath. Probably more aware than the average person. Being slightly better than average does not make me a pro though, and I have been gently reminded the importance of breathing. It has been said that 1 hour of full body breathing is better than 1 year of asana practice, and for me that is a gentle reminder to consistently make my breath a priority in my life.
2. Going inwards is important for settling the mind. I had become disconnected with how externally motivated a vinyasa flow class can be. There is a lot happening and a lot of people to distract from your own practice. In restorative, there is a lot of time spent with your eyes closed, focusing on your breath. When we close our eyes, we can settle into ourselves and dig deep within. This is one area of my life that constantly gets pushed to the back burner, and I have been gently reminded to make it a priority. To make myself a priority.
3. We all need to slow down. Yes, that includes me. We spend so much time chugging coffee and rushing from one place to another, we are hardly living a peaceful and mindful life. Even when we dedicate an hour or so to yoga, we are thinking about the day that has passed and / or the day ahead of us. We are barely there. Restorative yoga is a gentle reminder of how good it feels to just slow down for a little while.

If you live a fast paced, high energy life and yoga practice like myself, perhaps this will also be a gentle reminder to you to slow down and focus inward, and of course, to always remember to breathe.
If you are interested in learning more about my restorative YTT, please send me an email at info@mbomyoga.com!