Why PURE Teacher Training from a Teacher Trainee!
Why PURE?
by PURE Teacher & PYI Graduate Martha Thomas
Mic Check, 1..2..3!
PURE has always provided the highest quality teachers and spaces. It was a no brainer that their yoga training would be amazing. The 30 day intensive was just that. There was a schedule for each day that includes yoga practice, posture clinics, and lectures. The curriculum address everything from the history of yoga, anatomy, scientific research behind hot yoga, and everything in between. The teachers care deeply about the yoga, their topics, but also you. I feel like the training rounded out my personal practice and my ‘why’. I was also prepared to walk into a studio and provide a complete yoga class.
The intensive is well, intense. I pushed myself physically, mentally, and spiritually. I look back at it and I’m so proud of what I did! It was a supportive environment, we all leaned on each other and the teachers.
Trainees in Hands to Feet Pose
Whether you want to teach hot yoga or if you would just like a deep dive into your own practice, it’s an amazing experience. When I first thought about going to the training, I had a lot of what if’s and struggled with justifying the time and money spent on myself. Mardy looked at me and said “if you want it, you will make it happen. The small stuff will fall into place.” And I did! I Never looked back.
I love teaching yoga. It’s always something I look forward to. But I feel like I approach other aspects of my life a little different. I feel like I move forward with more empathy than in the past. I tend to pause and reflect before reacting. I do think the training help me shift my mindset.
Hanging out in the courtyard after class!
My advice:
Practice the dialogue any time you can. Stuck in traffic, taking a shower, boring meeting? Work on the dialogue! Do a little every day. Don’t forget to go back and review the postures you’ve already memorized. There will be minimal time for memorizing during the intensive. Get through cobra before then!!
Run through your dialogue with a friend or family member. Do it under pressure. Have them DO the posture.
Figure out electrolytes. Use June to really figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. Even if you don’t typically need it, you’ll need it to do two classes a day in the summer in Texas. I used electrolyte pills.
Have food- lots of food. Don’t stick with a diet. Eat what your body craves. We ate lots of candy during those late night lectures. I also had frozen dinners around, since there is not much time to meal prep. Curbside groceries are your friend.
Use your time off to spend time with your loved ones and memorize dialogue. Our dinner breaks were spent running through dialogue in the courtyard at the studio.
Martha with her family and teachers on graduation day!