I had been practicing Okido Yoga for some years already when I decided to start the teacher training program. So, I felt quite confident about what to expect: I would learn a lot of yoga poses with the focus on how to do them correctly and how to teach them to others, and I would get a lot of tips and tricks and learn about the pitfalls...

But the teacher training program is much more than that. Of course I learned a lot of new exercises, with background information. I also learned how important it is to breathe well and have a good, aligned posture. But the most important thing that I learned is to become the teacher of my own life and work with my own life-force. I learned to train my body, but also my mind and my consciousness. I learned to "work", but also to relax, step back and look at what I am doing, why I am doing things and what their influences are.

Another aspect we've been working on is food. Not only during the half-fasting weeks, but every weekend seminar or longer retreat is an opportunity to experience what the effect of food on my body and life-force is.

The teacher training has a lot of different aspects: living in a dojo with its own routine (but often with a surprise!), food, chanting, pledges, meditation, nature walks, stretching, jogging, walking, survival, purification exercises, kyoka-ho... These are all parts of the program, which is a training for life.

This training is helping me to cope with obstacles that I come across and to be thankful for all that is happening around me. My body became more flexible, but my mind has been triggered even more to adapt itself to many unexpected (and sometimes unwanted) situations. Sometimes I felt resistant when certain things were asked of us (students), because I didn't understand why... But putting aside negative thoughts or feelings, space showed up for beautiful things that I wouldn't have accepted at first. I learned that resistance is often a waste of energy; being flexible and adapting myself to the situation gives me much more space and power.

I felt proud when I received my first certificate last summer. During the last three years, I learned that I don't have to be perfect, that adapting is better than resisting, and many more things... For the fourth year I will continue this study. But even after that, I know I will have to go on working on these aspects as this is lifetime study.