Interview: Janine O'Donnell

Janine runs the local juice bar on Koh Tao as well as teaching yoga. Lets hear what great advice she has for you in this series of interviews about how to become a yoga teacher !

Why did you decide to take your (first) yoga teacher training course? Did you always know you would teach?

I decided to take my yoga teacher training to help deepen my own individual practice and compliment my health coaching training. I wrote a blog post here about it:

When I signed up I was pretty sure that I wanted to teach classes as well as my clients. I had always wanted to teach some sort of group exercise class and I had always thought it would be a spinning class, but once I started practicing yoga I immediately knew this was what I had been searching for. When I was participating in triathlons I was in a club that held a yoga for triathletes class and it was because of these classes that I realized I could combine my love for multisport activities as well as yoga and a new spark in my passion for yoga was ignited!

What advice would you give to those choosing their course?

You have to find a program that suits you. It is best if you find a style of yoga that you prefer and then find a program in a location that works for you. When deciding on your course you also have to think about what length of study you prefer. When I was doing my research for which course I was going to pick I kept going back and forth over if I wanted to do it over a month, couple months or six months. The duration is an important part in your decision process because it can impact how you process the information you are being taught. For me I had been practicing on and off for a while and then recently started practicing more regularly so I felt that I needed a longer training so I could deepen my practice while going through the course.

What’s the biggest / most important thing you learnt during your yoga teacher training course?

The most important thing I learned during my yoga teacher training is what yoga really is. Unlike many other forms of exercise, yoga asks that when we move our bodies we observe sensation, feeling and thought as it arises and begin a process of self-inquiry. Not only is it important to practice on the mat it is also important to practice yoga off the mat. At the beginning of the course I didn’t understand this. Once I started realizing how to practice yoga in the everyday world and apply what I was learning in my training (such as the yamas and niyamas) I was breathing easier at red lights, not getting so frustrated at work and becoming inquisitive about who I am and what is my purpose. It was during my training when I decided to purchase Living Juices and I truly believe that this opportunity came to me at such an amazing time in my life and the stars all aligned so well. I was going through a major transition in my life and this training showed me how to tap into my inner resources to gain insight into a new way of being and doing what serves me best. I chose to give up my corporate job and life so I could run a juice bar and teach yoga half way around the world. People continuously ask me how I made this decision, they could never do it themselves, but I believe if you trust yourself and love yourself enough to do what is best for you, you too could make a bold change in your life. Coming to know your purpose is one of the greatest discoveries of self-inquiry. This training provided me with the time and space to look more deeply into my purpose and make a change.

What advice would you give to someone teaching their first class?

The best advice I would give to someone that is teaching their first class would be to be sure to do the required reading before the course, have deep knowledge of the style/type that is being practiced, come prepared with some cues for each pose that you have picked up from your teachers, review some anatomy books to learn the parts of the body that you will use when cuing your students. These were all important parts of my training and something’s that I wish I had prepared myself for before taking my training.

Which is your favourite asana, which asana do you find challenging, and on which are you currently working?

My favourite asana always changes, but at the moment it is half moon to full moon because I love the way it opens up your heart and hips. A pose that I find challenge is any arm balance such as crow or side crow. Finding the balance and stability was a challenge for me for a very long time, but with a lot of practice I was able to find the balance with my breath and body. I have been working on all types of inversions lately such as headstand, now that I have been able to find this pose I am now working on a wide-legged forward bend going into tripod then headstand.

Qualifications

200hr Integrative Yoga Teacher Training at Mind the Mat

15 hour Yoga Therapeutic Course

Health Coach Certification

Connect with Janine

Blog

Juice Bar

You might also find Janine on the schedule to teach yoga, here, check the schedule.

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