Something I Learned in Bali YTT by Sarah Rose Buckley

*Editor's note: This was written by one of our Lift teachers, Sarah Rose Buckley, just after she returned to us from her 300 hour yoga teacher training (an advanced certification) in Bali.

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My 200 hour YTT was Iyengar-based, so after graduation I had only been teaching yin and restorative for the last three years. When I decided to go for a power vinyasa training I did it very intentionally for the sheer purpose of growth. The training and the material had its flaws, as everything in life do, but the amount of community and kula we had, it was enough; we had each others backs. And now being home, I am taking time to really reflect on what I learned. 

Prior to my 300 hour training, I never planned my classes before teaching them, I would go in, be me, and people would love it. I would literally cue songs while teaching. So coming out of my 300, I have a rich passion to class plan, and to seamlessly incorporate the Sanskrit into class so students are gaining awareness of the most basic asana names. We learn with our bodies as well as our minds.

This training has me inspired to have more concrete class themes. I am even inspired to plan a class series where we focus on one thing for the entirety of the series, letting each weeks class continue to grow and build on the others. Before, I would wing it- truly I would go into a class and whatever I was feeling would just organically unfold. I still think that's a truly beautiful thing, but this training has made me really want to level up my teaching. In a way, its like “okay, yes you’re a great yin and restorative teacher, but where is the expansion?” This training allowed me to find my expansion, and I think it will be really beautiful. 

I know deep down inside of me is this really kick ass teacher, and maybe some would say they have met her. And I have met parts of her, but there is so much work to be done, so much more self discovery. I think that's what drew me to the whole yin and restore scene. It gave me a real chance to check in and up on myself. Sometimes it can be an hour of bliss and some days it can be the longest damn hour you’ve known. But you just know you have to keep showing up to your mat because great work is being done. 

So to sum it up, Bali YTT gave me the community I was craving in Australia all year. It's inspired me to plan classes and class series. My Sanskrit is on fire right now and I can’t wait to share it. Bali YTT ultimately opened another door to become another level of yoga teacher, and I'm grateful to be able to share it at Lift.