I found the question below in my yoga teacher training book and decided to tackle it. Because my entry ended up focusing on MS I have chosen to copy it here.
1) Why are you attending this training?
Ever since my first power yoga class with Dave Porter three Mays ago I have loved yoga. My deep passion for the practice soon led me to a desire to become an instructor. I wanted to train last summer but I got married, went on my honeymoon and worked a lot. In retrospect, I don’t really think I was ready until now. I have always had a strong Hatha practice, but I struggled with Pranayama and meditation.
Then, in March 2008, I broke my sternum and could hardly practice. This was followed by a vacation and a prolonged illness. Through all of these obstacles, I kept thinking, “I am being tested.” I had this feeling that training would not be an easy thing for me but that it would force a great deal of personal growth out of me. I was ready for the challenge!
On April 23rd I learned that I had two lesions on my brain and I was diagnosed with MS. The first thing my husband asked the doctor was, “Can she still train to be a yoga teacher.” The doctor said I could and I calmed down almost immediately.
My troubles did not end there though. I spent almost another month feeling very ill with vertigo, numbness, insomnia, cognitive failings, difficulty moving my body etc… Then, one night things changed.
I was lying awake in the middle of the night. I was afraid to move or sleep because the nausea and vertigo I was experiencing was so intense. Finally, I turned onto my stomach. I thought I was going to hurl, the pain in my shoulders and neck was awful. I wanted to cry but instead I took a deep Ujjayi breath (in yoga this means breathing in and out through the nose in deep calming breathes). I felt something in my neck release. I tried another breath. Something else released. I kept breathing deeply and telling myself I was going to be ok. I moved into position after position on the bed, breathing into each spot until the vertigo passed. When it had faded I continued to breathe while I massaged my whole body top to toe and took tiny drops of “Bach’s Rescue Remedy.” At the end of two hours I believe I had “healed” myself and started the remission process for my flare up.
When the "healing" was over I was not even sure what had happened. Did I channel my “teachers” and they helped me? Did the prayers of others save me? Did my selfless prayers for others save me? Did I have the healing power inside of me all along? I am not sure that I will ever know or if it matters. When I got up on the morning of May 10th for my student’s high school graduation, I felt much better and I was steady enough to walk down onto the floor in a gown and watch my students graduate. I cried about ten times during the graduation because I was so overwhelmed with gratitude for the gift of life and health that I had just received. Everything was beautiful. Everyone was beautiful. I was so grateful to have another chance at life.
That night of healing was like a yoga master class. I felt as though I had completed those 200 hours of training before me in one night. Actually attending the training now seemed the natural next step...
1) Why are you attending this training?
Ever since my first power yoga class with Dave Porter three Mays ago I have loved yoga. My deep passion for the practice soon led me to a desire to become an instructor. I wanted to train last summer but I got married, went on my honeymoon and worked a lot. In retrospect, I don’t really think I was ready until now. I have always had a strong Hatha practice, but I struggled with Pranayama and meditation.
Then, in March 2008, I broke my sternum and could hardly practice. This was followed by a vacation and a prolonged illness. Through all of these obstacles, I kept thinking, “I am being tested.” I had this feeling that training would not be an easy thing for me but that it would force a great deal of personal growth out of me. I was ready for the challenge!
On April 23rd I learned that I had two lesions on my brain and I was diagnosed with MS. The first thing my husband asked the doctor was, “Can she still train to be a yoga teacher.” The doctor said I could and I calmed down almost immediately.
My troubles did not end there though. I spent almost another month feeling very ill with vertigo, numbness, insomnia, cognitive failings, difficulty moving my body etc… Then, one night things changed.
I was lying awake in the middle of the night. I was afraid to move or sleep because the nausea and vertigo I was experiencing was so intense. Finally, I turned onto my stomach. I thought I was going to hurl, the pain in my shoulders and neck was awful. I wanted to cry but instead I took a deep Ujjayi breath (in yoga this means breathing in and out through the nose in deep calming breathes). I felt something in my neck release. I tried another breath. Something else released. I kept breathing deeply and telling myself I was going to be ok. I moved into position after position on the bed, breathing into each spot until the vertigo passed. When it had faded I continued to breathe while I massaged my whole body top to toe and took tiny drops of “Bach’s Rescue Remedy.” At the end of two hours I believe I had “healed” myself and started the remission process for my flare up.
When the "healing" was over I was not even sure what had happened. Did I channel my “teachers” and they helped me? Did the prayers of others save me? Did my selfless prayers for others save me? Did I have the healing power inside of me all along? I am not sure that I will ever know or if it matters. When I got up on the morning of May 10th for my student’s high school graduation, I felt much better and I was steady enough to walk down onto the floor in a gown and watch my students graduate. I cried about ten times during the graduation because I was so overwhelmed with gratitude for the gift of life and health that I had just received. Everything was beautiful. Everyone was beautiful. I was so grateful to have another chance at life.
That night of healing was like a yoga master class. I felt as though I had completed those 200 hours of training before me in one night. Actually attending the training now seemed the natural next step...