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Hello friends! Today I’m excited to share with you that Dave and I are now 200 hour certified yoga instructors. At the end of July, we started the certification program at the Lotus Pond studio in Tampa. I wanted to join the program to learn to trust my body again after my surgeries, as well as to improve my strength and stamina, and to know myself better. It has been an amazing journey.
About the Lotus Pond
The Lotus Pond is a beautiful, peaceful oasis near Citrus Park that offers a wide variety of yoga, teacher trainings, meditation, workshops, retreats and more within a kind, welcoming community. They offer classes seven days a week, usually starting at 9am.
The Lotus Pond was founded by Val Spies, an E-RYT500 certified Kripalu yoga teacher and Chopra Health & Meditation teacher and Chopra Wellness Coach. It is currently co-owned by Katie Beene, an E-RYT500 YACEP instructor with over 2,500 hours of teaching experience. Alyssa Liadis is the other co-owner, RYT 200.
Other Yoga Instructors
One of my favorite instructors at the Lotus Pond is Meagan Lynn Pilawski, RYT 500. She is an attuned Chokopa Shamanic Reiki Master and holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Masters of Science in Medical Cannabis Science & Therapeutics from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.
I love the classes that she teaches, as well as her solstice ceremonies.
Our Yoga Teacher Training Instructors
The primary teachers for our program included Katie, Ryan, and Chris. We also had several other instructors who came in to share their expertise, including Manasa Kanithi and Larissa Hall Carlson, who were awesome.
Our Class
Our classmates went from strangers to a warm, kind community that I love. I’m so grateful for the shared experiences we have and I’m so proud of everyone!
Why White?
The entire class was required to wear white for our graduation ceremony to symbolize purity. The last time I wore all white like this was for my teenage baptism.
What I’m Wearing
I thought my BlackMilk Gothic Royal Shirt (LE, discontinued) would be perfect for graduation because it’s gorgeous with lots of delicate lace detail. I bought the Lively Ghosts White Apparition Skirt for my bottoms because I owned no white bottoms. The skirt has pockets, yay! For a tiny pop of color I wore my Betsey Johnson Midnight Garden Snake Collar (LE, discontinued).
Final Thoughts
Going through yoga teacher training at the Lotus Pond was life changing in so many ways. Primarily, it shifted my worldview even more to the left. I have more compassion towards individuals I don’t know who are trapped in the stories that they tell themselves.
I’m so grateful that Dave and I completed the yoga teacher training together, as well as for the community we are now a part of. I’m also grateful to our chosen family and loved ones who helped support us through this over the past year.
Doing yoga has helped me to become more confident in my body, as well as improved my health and mental well being. It’s definitely a permanent lifestyle change for me.
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