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FOOD AND FITNESS WITH
SHIGEKO
by Shigeko Leveque
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Graduation - There is always a mountain to climb
There is always a mountain to climb. Well, I guess I
climbed another mountain.
I graduated from a Yoga School on June 13th. It is a 200
hours Yoga Teacher Training program, and the
certification is nationally recognized. The whole thing
started last year. To be enrolled in the program, I had
to submit my application, which took a long time to work
on. I had to ask myself if I could fully commit to the
program because it is not only weekend training; it’s a
four month long intense program and it demands a
tremendous amount of time. Why do I want to do this? Am
I trying to prove something to someone? How many
sacrifices in my daily life do I need to make? I asked
myself over and over and my heart said ‘Go ahead, try’,
so I listened.
First, it seemed like it was a never ending journey. I
could not see the top of the mountain at all. The
teachers showed us the ways, but we had to find our own
way. I held frustration, struggles, expectations,
comparison and egos and they clouded my mind; that was
why I could not see the path to the top.
We spent a lot of time on learning philosophy and the
mystical side of Yoga, Asanas (external movements),
breathing work, mantras and meditation. They were not
easy topics to learn. Every time I was at training I had
to be fully present.
Gradually, some sort of shift happened during the
process. I started feeling that it’s okay to let go of
things if I work hard enough. I didn’t need to hold on
so much. I tried to do my best each day. It was
acceptance; I accepted not-so-perfect-myself and I was
relieved. I don’t remember when, but I started seeing
the path to the top of the mountain and it looked very
peaceful and beautiful.
On the very first day of training, we had to write a
short essay of what we wanted to learn from our
training. “What is your intention for this training?” We
all put the piece of paper in the pot and closed it. I
wasn’t sure if we are going to reopen it, but at the
very last ceremony, we did. To be honest, I totally
forgot about the paper…but my intention was “Learn to
let go of the things”. That was my final goal and I
think I made it there. I noticed that I felt like it was
not so important anymore when I got there because I
enjoyed and learned so much on the way to the top of the
mountain.
Once again, there is always a mountain to climb –
perhaps it’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.
Lastly, I would like to thank all my wonderful teachers.
In fact, “Thank you” is not enough words at all. I
learned a lot from all of you and I hope that Denver’s
only donation base Yoga Teacher Training, Axis Yoga will
keep growing!
Here is the information of Axis Yoga.
http://axisyoga.net/
Here are some pictures of our final practicum!
Peace,
Shigeko Leveque
Past Articles
June
May
April
March
Februrary
January
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Shigeko Leveque
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Shigeko was born and raised in Japan and moved to
Colorado in 2000.
Her passion is teaching. She teaches Martial Arts (Tae Kwon Do,
Kenpo and Kickboxing), Tai-Chi and Yoga on a daily basis.
She believes that it is extremely important to stay connected to
your heart. And all the exercises she does is a bridge between
the body and mind.
Shigeko and her mother are both nutritionists. So, of course,
the food is a big part of her and her family's lives. She loves
to explore any kind of new food.
As she learned about nutrition, she realized how important it is
to eat the "right food". To her, eating should not only "taste
good", it should be "good for your health".
She also enjoys photography, drawing, cooking, reading and
taking care of her little cairn terrier, Ben. Shigeko loves to
meet new people, and is drawn to other food and exercise
enthusiasts
She updates her life on her blog everyday @
http://kickpop.exblog.jp/ Sorry, it's in Japanese, but you
can still enjoy the pictures! |
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