Journey Through Yoga
My journey into yoga began with a conversation, one that sparked my interest and eventually ongoing practice of yoga. At the time I was attending the local community college and after talking with a friend I decided to look into taking a class. In my search for a class I discovered a well established instructor by the name of Vicki Johnson. She encouraged me to take classes at the local community college where she taught and I was currently attending, the price was affordable and the class structure ideal for a beginner. It was perfect except I was in the process of transferring to the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) to start my next phase of college life.
It was at UTD that my interest became a reality. One of my instructors informed her class that the Women’s Center, one of the colleges many organizations, was offering a yoga session and she strongly encouraged it, telling us how wonderful she thought yoga was. I sought out the Women’s Center, learned the class series was affordable and my current schedule would accommodate the two additional class each week. Right then, I signed up, paid for the class and thus began my journey into yoga.
At my first class I had an “ah ha” moment. Walking up the instructor was there to meet and greet each of us and the moment she introduced herself as Vicki Johnson I knew I was exactly where I was suppose to be. I truly believe the encounter was divinely inspired and a true gift from God! I love Vicki and she continues to be a great inspiration and teacher in my life.
From that very first class my love and experience of yoga has only grown! I began the Fall of 1998 and in May of 2000 I graduated with honors from UTD with a Bachelor or Arts in Psychology. From there I went on the Massage School, graduated in January of 2001 and began to practice massage. In the Spring of 2001 I began my teacher training with Namaste International, now Namaste USA (at the time I started Vicki assisted the teacher training, now she helps to run it). That same summer I started teaching at our local community college (now Collin College) where my interest first developed. I have a 500 hour Certification with Yoga Alliance. I have studied extensively with Karen Prior and I am certified with Mamaste Yoga to teach prenatal yoga (since 2003). I will soon have a certification with Yoga Alliance in Prenatal Yoga, something new being offered this coming year, 2010.
I have studied many years and with many teachers. My love of yoga grows as I learn more about myself and the world around me. Yoga means union or connection and that is what the practice has done for me. Yoga has help to transform me into a better person, more aware of myself, my environment and others. Yoga has deepened my spiritual connection to my creator and it has strengthened my relationship with Jesus Christ. Yoga has been a source of physical, emotional and mental comfort and it has given me tools to use when life is stressful, overwhelming and painful. The practice of yoga is intended to ease physical, emotional and mental suffering. I can honestly say that is what yoga does for me and that is what I hope to share with others.
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Your class is the first class I have taken for yoga, the experience is new to me therefore my understanding to my body is also fairly new to me. Sometimes when I am stress with the overwhelming of school assignment I will relaxed myself with the practice of yoga. When practicing yoga my body and my mind comes to their united agreement and understanding, after yoga practice my body and mind is more concentrated and everything seem to me have slow down.
i have always been an active person. i have a love for being fit, with that i am all about trying new things. when i started my first year at collin college, i wanted to try new things. i took a couple classes that i would have never considered at first. i was talking with a friend and they had mentioned yoga to me. I had always thought yoga would be an interesting class to take, so i signed up immetialey, I really have gotten into yoga, and after this class i would love to continue taking yoga, it has really helped me.
My sister introduced me to yoga a few years ago and i have enjoyed practicing ever since. However, i feel like i never have the time and find it hard to motivate myself to do it on my own. i love participating in guided practice and have loved your class. schedule permitting, i would love to continue taking yoga classes as the semesters go on. once i get my career started and no longer have to balance classes and work, perhaps i can branch out to other places that offer pilates as well as yoga.
I’ve always had an interest in yoga. When I signed up I came into it without much expectations. I can honestly say I look forward to class every week. I’m not enthusiastic about many things nor participate in anything but yoga is something I love and take serious and look forward to advancing in. You’re a great instructor with a great voice! Obrigado por tudo!
I have always been an active person and have never really been able to calm down or focus on just one thing to relax myself. Even taking this class i feel like i didn’t give it a chance, i always choose work over the class purely because when i did go it was close to tourture for me to just lay there and listen to my breath when i could accomplish much more i felt if i did homework or worked instead. I did come one time to the class and maybe i woke up on the right side of the bed or something but i really enjoyed that class, i was able to relax and afterwards my body felt like it did after a gymnastics class, very loose and relaxed. After that class i was not able to connect that way again and im not sure why however i was able to that one time and i believe it really helped me that day and it has really motivated me to try to just breathe everyday and relax a little. Little late for the class however but you live and learn and i now realize that even though i was in panic attack mode during most of the classes the one class that helped me relax has taught me alot about yoga and how relaxation really improves your life, if you can make yourself forget everything else and just focus on relaxing that is.
At the beginning of the semester I thought it was just going to be a cardio class like the rest of the physical education classes I took during the past year in school. However during the first couple of weeks I realized that this is more than a physical education class, that it actually brought stress relief to my life, showing me that there is a new world of relaxation. It funny how you can take classes during college and randomly take a class and it change your whole perspective on life. My spiritual connection hasnt been as strong as it is right now and i feel that I can relax a couple times a week just to realize that everything can wait on me just for a little bit. Thank you for teaching this class, it has brought great pleasure to my life.
That’s so weird, a student of mine experienced the exact same thing! Like you go to meet a friend to do one thing, yet a whole other thing might be unfolding as we speak! Life works in mysterious ways
I can tell how much you like Yoga, when you teach its so obvious. When you see people working, you can tell if thats what there dream was or not, when people do what they love for a living, it adds this determination to there step, a bounce in there walk, and a sparkle in there eyes even on the bad days. I hope one day I can be as lucky. Thank you for teaching this class..
My journey through yoga hasn’t been that long but so far but it’s really helped my in my first semester in college. I started the class because it sounded like it would really help my rheumatoid arthritis problem. The streching is really helpful I feel a lot less tense after class. Cortney’s beginner class really helped my to start to enjoy yoga. I find myself using her breathing techniques with the three-part breath throughout my day. I definatly want to continue classes at Collin College and hopefully continue my journey through yoga.
This class was my first experience with yoga. I really was not too sure what to expect but I knew it was something that could enrich my life. Although I’ve only experienced this semesters worth of yoga I feel like it has already impact my life a great deal. The Friday before this semester started my parents filed for divorce therefore my life has been crazy and stressful ever since. This class has helped me think about my everyday struggles differently and gives me a way to deal with my stress. If yoga could change my life and body within these last few months I cant even imagine that healing it can do for me for the future as I choose to continue my practice.
I practiced stretching all gowing up in various martial arts and I am grateful for the skill it has brought me. What really got me into yoga was when I learned the breathing techniques and relaxation. It has helped med tremendously with the stress of school and just life in general. I find myself using the breathing techniques just walking from class to class.