So it was about this time 2008-2010 ish that we added another dimension to BL….WORKSHOPS!! Reminder that we had already started our teacher training program back in 2003 but the individual sessions of the training were only available to those enrolled in the whole teacher training program. You see when I first started the teacher training program, I not only created it, got it approved for Yoga Alliance’s 200 RYT, but I also led each and every session. Needless to say, it was a whole lot of ME. Both in terms of the hours I was putting in, but also in just the limited exposure the trainees were getting to yoga. I started turning out a bunch of “Andrea clones” who all taught and spoke like me! You might think a whole team of “Andrea’s” might not be a bad thing (I can see Chris rolling her eyes here) BUT I recognized that there were other teachers on staff who had more expertise than I did it many of the areas. Adding them in to the teacher training line up and allowing them to share their wealth of knowledge in these areas really began to set BL’s teacher training program apart from surrounding programs. For example, some of you know that Ronda has a Ph.D in pshychology and has her own practice. She started leading a session at BL called Yoga for Anxiety and Depression. She also has extensive training in Meditation, Theming Yoga classes, Yoga Nidra, Chakras, Ayruveda, and Enneagram Personality typing….just to name a few. Margie went through my yoga teacher training program but is also a physical therapist. She knows way more than I do in the areas of anatomy so she now leads those more technical sessions of the training. I was able to tap into Steve’s extensive knowledge in therapeutic yoga for a workshop on the use of props. Jamie has lots of training in alignment, inversions, balance and binds and has so much experience teaching yoga that she is great at helping me fill in the blanks during her practicum sessions of our training. Not only was all of this great for our students, it allowed me more time to focus on my own area of expertise as a Registered Dietitian. I was able to cultivate Nutrition workshops that not only taught students how to successfully manager their weight but also taught them how yoga and nutrition integrates. One of my favorite workshops that I’ve offered is called Mood, Mind & Appetite. It delves into the many reasons we eat that have nothing to do with hunger. Students learn how yoga can be a very effective tool to re-connect with ourselves and to learn to pay attention to when we are actually hungry and full!!
So at this time, not only did we amp up the training but we started offering some of these sessions as stand alone workshops. This allowed those of you who were maybe interested in learning more about certain aspects of yoga or nutrition to enjoy individual workshops without making the full commitment to the whole teacher training.
In addition to offering these “educational workshops,” we started offering more experiential workshops; such as, Gong Immersion, Yoga Nidra, and Experiencing Savasana. These workshops offered us all an opportunity on a Friday night or a Sunday afternoon to relax and unwind. But my favorite category of workshops that we have added have been the ones where the primary objective is to simply get BL peeps together and have FUN!! We have offered Girls Nights doing Zumba in Prom dresses…Turn Up with Makeover reveals, Blends of P90x and Mini Vin, Yoga to Live Music, Line Dancing, Couples Polka Dancing…the list goes on and on!! Two of my favorites that have become yearly events are Partner Yoga and Yoga Rocks. Partner Yoga is now being offered twice a year. The day after Thanksgiving and around Valentine’s Day. You grab another body, who you are good with being very close to for an hour, and then you get a chance to mingle with other couples over a drink and some munchies right afterwards. It’s especially a good one to drag the hubbies to because they know they won’t be the only guy in the class and they are promised a beer at the end of the hour!! Yoga Rocks though is my all time favorite though. Andrea/Santa and my elves lead 40 plus bodies through a few yoga flows all set to Holiday music. Jamie has been my one staple elf…other elves come and go BUT it’s ALWAYS the first Friday of December and it’s ALWAYS a blast!!
So there you go…a little glimpse into the history of our workshops…a great supplement and added dimension to our class schedule and another reason to bring our BL community together!!
