Part of the Journey: Two HYS Alumni Reflect on Experiences

Yoga means union. Coming together of mind, body, and spirit. For my Seva Project, I volunteered my time at two separate events. One, the Breathe Yoga Festival, and the other, the Solarium Open House. Here I was part of a welcoming team, inviting those into the HYS tent to talk about yoga, enter a raffle, register for classes and see what Holistic Yoga School is all about. This was one of my first real experiences with Holistic Yoga School, and what a great way to learn the ins and outs. Being placed in a position as someone with all the information, I had to learn fast so I could be appropriately open and welcoming to those who were curious about what HYS stands for and what we do. It was really exciting to share yoga with people from different walks of life, from those who have experience to those just wanting to begin. I also gained a newfound respect and awe for the entire yoga community, especially all those affiliated with Holistic Yoga School. Never in my life have I ever felt so instantly safe and accepted by a group of people. The positive energy in their presence, as well as their never ending gratitude for everything and everyone, really let me know I made the right choice in choosing HYS for my yoga teacher training program. It was at these events that I really got to experience the true meaning of Yoga, by being surrounded by the community. From this I am able to build up a stable foundation on which to build my yogic lifestyle, and for these experiences, I am thankful.
-Stephanie Domingue

It had been almost a month since I volunteered at the Breathe Yoga Festival, and I still had not written a summary of my experience. I kept feeling it wasn’t quite time to do it. Then, during my teacher training, after opening the “North Hummingbird” direction of the Earth Medicine Wheel, I understood why I had waited. For after that ceremony, we each drew a card to help us focus on the “Hummingbird” journey. I chose the DRAGONFLY card. When I looked up the meaning of the Dragonfly, I learned that it symbolizes change and change in perspective of self-realization. A transformation card, bringing more lightness and joy into life, and being able to do it swiftly, gracefully, without obvious effort. It was after I read that meaning, that I remembered the plethora of dragonflies that greeted me as I entered the festival area at Breathe. There were well over 20 of them, and they were grand in size. I remember thinking to myself, “this is a really good sign!” I knew my journey at Holistic Yoga School was going to be an amazing experience, but to what depth, I had no clue.

So, without a lot of knowledge about the teachers or the school, I was guided in how to sign up new clients online, offer them the chance to enter a raffle, and educate them about the school and the classes offered. During slower times, I got to connect with a couple of the teachers and started getting to know them on a deeper level. After five hours with strangers, friends, and future teachers and classmates, I felt secure and ensured about my decision to go through HYS for my yoga teaching certification. And now, I can truly say that I am like the dragonflies that greeted me on that festival day. I have already felt transformed, and feel that I can weather whatever life throws at me with grace, lightness, and wisdom. Thank you HYS.

-Namaste-  Janel Matthias