Yogafit Level 1 Training...As A Fat Girl Part 1

Hello, I'm Sue. I weigh 300 pounds and I am training to be a yoga instructor.

Earlier this February, I participated in and helped host a Yogafit Level 1 training in my hometown. I've practiced yoga with varying degrees of intensity and commitment for more than five years. Two years ago, I began teaching water aerobics with a local group exercise program. My supervisor, Whitney, is amazing. She's so encouraging and welcoming of all body types. Classes range from pilates and yoga to HIIT and Cycle/Spin classes and she's all about encouraging people to try something new. She recruited me for water aerobics and later encouraged me to begin teaching dance cardio (like Zumba but with more pop and less latin music).

All along, she has encouraged me to think about training to teach yoga. My favorite yoga teacher, Diana, has also been incredibly encouraging and supportive about the possibility of teaching. I finally found the courage to jump in. 

Y'all. It was scary. And nerve-racking. 

But I am so glad I did it. 

credit: Yogafit.com

Yogafit Level 1 training is a two day intensive that's usually over a weekend. We started early morning and went till about five each day. My training group was uncharacteristically small, eight of us total, but our reasons for taking the training were quite diverse. 

Unsurprisingly, I was the only plus size person in the class.

Leading up to the training, I was nervous. I had never done a training like this before, and I was concerned about how much movement there would be throughout the weekend. I hadn't been able to find a really detailed breakdown of the training. I just didn't want to embarrass myself or the organization I was representing. I didn't want to feel alien, like I didn't belong. I wanted to be able to hang both days.

I should have remembered this was a yoga training. A very basic yoga teacher training.

As we are continually reminded throughout our practice, I just needed to show up on my mat and do what was comfortable for my body. The training was designed to get me comfortable with the basics- talking about it, doing it, and ultimately teaching it. I didn't have to be a yoga superstar or even be able to touch my toes.

My trainer, Traci, was so calm. I know her calm approach helped me climb down from my anxiety cloud. She was very matter of fact and encouraging at the same time. She's done this training many times and knew how to guide all of us as a group to a place of confidence in demonstrating and teaching by the second day. She was understanding about some of my physical limitations and made zero of a big deal about hang-ups.

By the end of the first master class, I was far more confident about not just physically making it through the weekend, but confident about my ability to absorb the higher level instruction on very basic anatomy and teaching.

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