An Exploration of Self Through Community: Yoga Teacher Training at Shakti by Zainub Ali

Zainub (she/her) teaching yoga during her teacher training program at Shakti. Fall 2020.

I remember being about halfway through my college journey and sitting back to evaluate what I had accomplished and what I felt was missing from my experience. I was and still am quite involved on campus. I knew that I was slowly ticking away at the boxes I was supposed to be checking off – following a very clear and charted academic and professional path but I wanted to play a more active role in all of that. It was in these reflections and considerations that I remembered my relationship with yoga and my time with Shakti after senior year of high school. Amid the all-encompassing need to acclimate to college life, my engagement with Shakti had diminished but I craved renewal and community. After a phone call with Ruby and Emily, I felt like this was the first endeavor I wanted to actually pursue for myself. I held onto a desire to positively contribute back to a community of supportive, empathetic, and mindful Athenians, and this training was an opportunity to actualize that desire.

I decided to pursue Shakti’s yoga teacher training because I wanted to enhance my understanding and relationship with myself - both spiritually and physically. I wanted to learn the tools necessary for mindful leadership - leadership that is non-hierarchical, patient, grounded, and relational. I gained access to tools that offered exactly those qualities and skills. One of the greatest lessons I learned during teacher training has to do with communication and the impact of essential language. Ruby worked with each of us to embrace declarative statements about growth, action, and personal well-being that cut out all of the unnecessary stuff - literally all of it. Suddenly, I found myself articulating complex emotions and thoughts with single words and statements that directly addressed my needs and direction. Harnessing the sentiments that feel and are critical to enhancing the experience of others can be challenging but it is a much more intentional way to communicate with people actually in my space.

During teacher training, our cohort got close in an intentional and respectful way, which I valued. I didn’t know anyone in my cohort before the training but by the end of our training, I felt an individual connection with each trainee. We had cultivated a shared experience based on mutual respect, care, authenticity, and accountability. There are not many spaces that cultivate genuine personal and community empowerment in such a lasting manner. I gained a sense of bodily and spiritual awareness that has carried over into my friendships, relationships, and academic and professional life. I have always struggled with confidence and self-appreciation but through exploration of the yoga methodology and group discussion, I was able to step into my power in a very tangible way. The support of the cohort and Shakti team was present at each step. Plus, it was so wonderful to be equipped with texts and resources that I will always be able to access to better my personal practice and efforts as a teacher.

If you’re considering teacher training, I warmly invite you to be a “yes” for this adventure. This opportunity is a true gateway into an experience that will offer expansion and motivation for you to step into something bigger for yourself and your community. Ruby and the rest of the teacher training team work wholeheartedly to create a trusting, safe, and engaging space for learning and unlearning through education, conversation, movement, meditation, reflection, and so much more. As Shakti always champions, you are ready for this experience now. There are no prerequisites. You will be welcomed with an open mind and heart. I encourage you to lean into that little voice telling you that this is something you want to pursue. There will be moments that will allow you to learn more about yourself, your inner and outer being, and what it means to enter the fitness and well-being space with revolutionary thought and acceptance for others and yourself. You deserve this experience, and I hope you choose to embrace it.

Zainub Ali (she/her)