500 hour yoga teacher certification: colombia

wow, what a whirlwind five weeks completing my 300 hour advanced yoga teacher training, to gain my full 500 hour yoga teacher certification.

back in 2018, I completed my 200 hour yoga teacher training in India and learnt SO much. at the time, I never anticipated I would formally teach classes, but rather I saw this as an opportunity to grow my own yoga and meditation practice while gaining further understanding and education. it was an incredible course based on Ashtanga and Hatha yoga and I grew immensely during that time of my life.

after my training and travelling throughout India, I moved to Indonesia and began teaching at the ecolodge I was helping manage. I was leading one or two classes a day for three months and while I truly enjoyed sharing my yoga practice, I struggled as a beginner yoga teacher. however like anything, the more we practice, the better we become. since that time, I did in fact begin to teach on and off in studios, while travelling, for friends, during running trips and most recently hosted my first yoga retreat in Dominica. overall, I’ve dove deeper into my personal practice as my love for yoga and knowledge of how healing it was for my body, mind and spirit was evident. all this to say, right from the beginning, I knew I would continue educating myself further and work towards my 500 hour yoga teacher certification.

originally, I had hoped to return to India for my training, but covid restrictions made it difficult to go so far. fast forward to 2021, I wasn’t going to let covid continue dictating whether I could get my certification or not. I started browsing online and found a course at the perfect time in Colombia. I had been wanting to visit Colombia for years and after researching the instructors and course further, I signed up feeling so much excitement and alignment. so at the beginning of march, I moved into a little cabana nestled between the fruit trees along the ocean’s edge in Palomino, Colombia and began the intensive five-week course with a beautiful group of fifteen other students from across the globe. together, we embarked on the journey towards our advanced 500 hour yoga certification and could have never known what an intense and expansive time we would be heading into.

our days were jam-packed, immersive and filled with so much joy. our typical daily schedule looked like this:

5:00-5:15 am - wake up, cold shower, and solo beach walk. I began waking up earlier and earlier, never needing an alarm clock, and always looking forward to my long sunrise walk along the ocean. I could have slept in until at least 6:00 am, but the earlier mornings felt so good!

6:30 am - 8:00 am - morning yoga practice. a strong morning practice with our lead instructor Sunny was always my favourite and the perfect way to kick off our big day ahead.

8:00 - 9:00 - meditation and pranayama. after our yoga practice we transitioned into breathwork and meditation. we learnt so many techniques to harness the power of our breath and mind, regulate our nervous system, create heat in our bodies, calm the chatter of the mind, and come into a meditative and ever-present state.

9:00 - 9:45 am - breakfast (give me all of the tropical fruits and Colombian coffee please!)

9:45 - 12:45 pm - class time usually in philosophy, anatomy, teaching methodologies, the business of yoga, group work and more. we learnt SO much and every class was incredibly collaborative, engaging and enjoyable. this was taught by either our lead teacher from Thailand, Sunny, or our incredible support instructors Katie and Carolina!

1:00 - 2:45 pm - more classes of philosophy, pranayama, mantras, yoga lifestyle and more.

2:45 - 4:00 pm - afternoon break. time for a light snack, walk along the beach, quick nap or a few work emails.

4:00 - 6:30 pm -advanced teaching studies and asana lab. another yoga practice and physically demanding class while we learn new poses, adjustments and sequences. we also tried various styles of yoga: Ashtanga, Iyengar, acro, Sattva, Yoga Nidra, and more.

6:30 pm - dinner with the group. a nice big meal and relaxing with everyone over good conversation, warming vegetable soups, salads, and hearty plant-based meals.

7:30 pm - finished for the day, which also meant heading to bed to read a bit before quickly falling asleep and doing it all over again the next day.

this was our daily schedule six days a week for five weeks straight. the course was very intensive and exhaustion is an understatement, but the passion and dedication behind everything we did was evident. our teachers and everyone in the entire group gave so much and our days were fuelled with so much joy and alignment. towards the last week of our course, we also needed to teach several 60-90 minute vinyasa and hatha based classes for our practicum, complete several assignments, and write our final yoga exam.

I came to this course to expand my knowledge and expertise as a yoga teacher and I truly feel much more confident in how I show up as an instructor and fell so much more in love with teaching. however, what I didn’t anticipate was the immense healing and self-understanding that would take place during such an intense course.

each day I was given the opportunity to be challenged, face difficulties, and gracefully forced to take things head-on both through the course and personally. at times it felt like too much, but ultimately, it was all a part of the experience I was meant to have while being there. and I couldn’t be more grateful for all parts of my experience. during the course, our entire group overcame collective and personal challenges and grew immensely. we also took part in various ceremonies and events with incredible healers and teachers that, personally speaking, allowed me to peel back layers and blockages, open my heart and expanded my capacity to love a trillion times over.

to say my journey towards this 500 hour yoga certification was transformative is an understatement. but also, rather then saying this one course changed me forever, I believe it’s all a continued evolution and journey of growth every person continues to embark on in life.

every decision we make in life opens us to up further versions and evolutions of ourselves. how we chose to spend each moment and new day affects us so deeply, whether we are aware of it or not. and while that can certainly feel overwhelming, it can also be remarkably empowering.

so whether it’s embarking on a yoga teacher training or new course, choosing to move or stay where you are, stepping into a new relationship or ending another, staying consistent in your job, showing up for your family and friends, deciding to join therapy or what you choose to fuel your body with. every decision you make, big or small is a part of your story, your experiences, your healing and your evolution as a person.

I’m so overwhelmed with gratitude for these last five weeks and all that came along with the experience. gaining further knowledge and education of yoga to now share with others in a meaningful way, falling more in love with teaching than ever before, and going deeper into my own practice. creating deep, loving friendships with beautiful people from all across the globe. learning from our amazing yoga teachers - Sunny, Katie and Carolina. intense periods of healing and growth that I didn’t think I had the capacity to handle. a ridiculous amount of joy and laughter, so many tears, struggle and exhaustion, deep healing and feelings of indescribable bliss.

while this course was to complete my advanced 500 hour teaching certification, a piece of paper and stamp of approval in the yoga world will never be able to summarize the expansion that took place during these five weeks. and for that, I’m forever grateful.

xoxo.