Working From the Heart - My Journey with Yoga

Hi!  My name is Pamela Nelson.  I am a full- time mother and student and a yoga teacher.  My training is through the Iyengar system and I currently hold a Intermediate Junior II Iyengar Certification.

My journey is nothing amazing compared to many I hear about.  I'm a pretty average person, living a pretty average life and in some ways I think that's what for me makes it an important story to tell.  Even if it's just to myself. :)
I think often when stories don't have the made for movie drama it can makes us feel unworthy and unimportant, and we continue to tell ourselves this.

As I was thinking about what to share what really became relevant and why I decided to post this was the amount of effort that others - from my close family and friends to people that don't know me well - have gone to too help me get where I am today.  For this I have much gratitude.

When did my journey with yoga start? Not sure I can truly say but I do remember my mom going to classes for awhile and we had a Kareen Zebroff book that I still have.

I was into sports, aerobics, swimming and running through most of school and university.  I ran and cycled in a few races and stretched more because I was pretty tight from all the running.  I picked up my first yoga book when I started living up in a remote area as I felt I needed to get more flexible.  Being an hour from any city that might offer any type of fitness classes I turned to books and videos.  Although I didn't really know what Iyengar yoga was I was somehow drawn to the books and videos with those teachers.  Being young and growing up in the era no pain, no gain it was hard to initially grasp the depth yoga offered even though I knew I always felt better after.

Although I was doing some yoga, it wasn't until I had my first child that I realized yoga was giving me so much more than flexibility. 

My neighbor taught yoga classes and she asked me to assist her for some local classes.  It was scary!  When we moved to Christopher Lake I started teaching the classes here.  I would spend about 10 hours getting ready for a one hour class once a week!  I knew I wanted more training and I knew it needed to be longer than a weekend.  I kept seeing the ad for the training at JNS Yoga studio and honestly still not truly understanding what Iyengar yoga was.  I put it off for awhile until my husband said, if you don't do it now you never will. I was pregnant with our third child.  Really what was I thinking! 

 

Becoming a Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor is one of those things that if someone was to tell you how much work, time, money, travel, stress, time away, etc. it would be you probably would think it sounded like way to much work and not start at all.  But I have kids, so I understand all this..:)

This is my Introductory I and II Certification.

I spent about five years preparing for the assessment for this initial certification.  I took my teacher training in Saskatoon at JNS Yoga Studio with the wonderful teacher Jo-ann Sutherland.  I spent two years going back one weekend a month for the teacher training.  My son was just a baby and still nursing so my husband would come meet me at my lunch break so I could feed him. A weekend in Saskatoon meant a weekend for us all.  My mom helped with babysitting also during these times.
I spent many other weekends going back for workshops, extra classes and to monitor and assist in classes.  I also went for training in Victoria, Edmonton and Calgary in those first five years.
This first assessment also involves a written exam.
My first assessment was in Edmonton, Albert at the Family Yoga Centre.  I passed!  What a relief.

The assessment involves the assessors monitoring your personal practice during a timed 2 hour practice. Then over the next two days you must teach 6 poses to students while being marked.  You don't know what poses until 40 minutes before so you have to know your syllabus.

My next assessment was my Intermediate Junior I.

It also was in Edmonton.  There is often a few choices and you can be on a list from 1-3 years waiting for a spot to be assessed. The application for assessment is also a process in itself as you have to have your senior teachers sign for you that they feel you are ready for this assessment.  You also have to wait a year or so before you can go for your next assessment.
So I travelled over the next few years for training and to the Annual General Meetings that the Iyengar Association of Canada hosts every year.   I went to Saskatoon numerous times, Edmonton, Toronto, Victoria and India.


My next certification is my Intermediate Junior II.

I had to go to Toronto for this. During the years preparing I went to Edmonton quite a few times as you need a senior teacher to recommend you.  I went to India and studied at the Iyengar institute. I went to Vancouver and Victoria for training.  This assessment also required a written exam.  We are given a month to complete, with questions ranging from asana, pranayama, working with some injuries, pregnancies, etc.
I thankfully passed.  I was sick the few days before the assessment so really wasn't sure how I would do.

I am now preparing to go hopefully in the near future for my Intermediatie Junior III certification.  It has been harder to get away for training although I have gone to Edmonton, Montreal and Kelowna.
I am also hoping to go to India again next year but life does happen so it has been postponed from this year. 

I have taken classes and training from amazing teachers: Jo-ann Sutherland, Judith Mirus, Ingelise Nherlan, Devki Desai, Zubin Zarthoshtimanesh, Raya, Geeta Iyengar, Prashant Iyengar, Raslaxmi, Lois Steinberg, Carrie Owerko, Shirley Daventry French, Leslie Hogya, Ann Kilbertus, Louie Ettling, Mayhar Raz , Marlene Marwhinny, Krisna Zawaduk plus many more like the great teachers in my training whom I've learnt so much from too.

For each certification I put in many, many hours at home preparing, teaching in classes, etc.

So you can see this endeavor is not just mine.  My family is deeply involved and committed to helping me go and do what I need to do.  As well IYAC - Iyengar Yoga Association of Canada is committed to helping teachers get the certifications they need by training assessors and offering assessments.  Also the many dedicated training senior teachers that put in many extra hours to help us be prepared and are often assessors themselves.  This mean extra travel for them too and time away.

My dreams do include persuing higher levels of certification, going to India more regularly to learn from the Iyengars and maybe be a training teacher and assessor one day. 

But today you can see that I truly work from my heart to continue to pass along the teaching of yoga and I will continue to work from the heart as I know all of you are with me on this journey.  I feel grateful to you all and wanted to say share this on Thanksgiving weekend. Happy Thanksgiving.

Ultreya - Moving forward with Courage
Pamela Nelson
Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor