I spent weeks upon weeks thinking about what to write in this first post: Do I want to inspire people to start a new yoga practice? Do I want to talk about how mindfulness is an essential part of modern life? Do I want to talk about how chaturanga pushups can (and should) be modified to make them safe for more populations? Yes, yes, and yes. I have an endless list of things I want to talk about, from physical to spiritual and more. But I'm not going to talk about anything on my list today - I'm going to tell you who I am.
My name is Amanda Fernandes, and I am a Yoga Alliance RYT-200. I came to yoga about four (4) years ago, and to be honest, I don't really know why. I had always been interested in yoga, and I had taken classes at my gyms here or there, but I never really fell in love. When I came to yoga, I had been doing a lot of weightlifting, and I was a true gym rat. I found a Groupon for a pack of 15 classes at a studio relatively close to my home, and signed up for vinyasa. I don't know what it was this time, but I absolutely fell in love. Teachers started to recognize me at the studio as I began practicing more and more regularly, and about two (2) years into my regular practice, something crazy happened: The world shut down.
COVID-19 rocked my world. I was now working from home, and my studio, which had turned into my comfort space, was closed. Online classes were offered, but it was not the same space. As different businesses and companies started making policy changes, the yoga world was no different. Yoga Alliance announced that online Yoga Teacher Trainings (YTTs) were now valid, since it wasn't safe for us to meet in person. After some serious consideration and discussion with my husband, I signed up for my first 200 hour YTT online, and completed it in September of 2020.
After completing my first teacher training, I didn't do much with it at first aside from deepen my personal practice. Eventually, I started teaching classes online here and there to get used to the idea of teaching, but I didn't know if I was ever going to fully transition into the role of a teacher.
Now, in 2022, I'm close to completing a second 200 hour YTT (this one is hot 26&2 style, instead of vinyasa). My practice is stronger than ever, and I have my eyes set on going to school for
yoga therapy and teaching yoga. I've realized that yoga is my truest passion, and I feel most fulfilled when I share that gift with others. I hope this can space can be an avenue to help me share valuable information, thoughts, and opinions about yoga and mindfulness. Thank you for reading! Namaste.
