day 13 yoga teacher training - tulum mexico

The day we've all been preparing for....

Testing day! I break the students into two groups of five. Yesterday they signed up for their 40 minute teaching slot. We begin at 6:30 a.m. and finish up with all of them around lunch time.

I observed five students and Sarah observed five students. I was completely floored at how great this group taught class. I sat, observed, listened, made notes on their evaluations. Each of the students brought a lil tear to my eyes at some point in their teaching. Oyyy, this is gonna get emotional for me.

All the stuents shared a reading of some sort at the end of class. One student/teacher shared a reading from her journal. Oh. My. Gosh. It was the sweetest, most beautiful, most poetic words. I listened with such joy, such pride, and such gratitude. It was such a tender moment for me. And all of her students.

There were four more teachers after her. They were all different and unique, yet similar in some ways. I felt like a proud parent observing them. They all took the information and made it their own. One of my hopes for this training.

Sarah had a group on the other side of the property, near the beach. In perfect form, the first teacher had his students turn towards the beach and watch the sun rise at the end of his class.

All of them did wonderfully. I wasn't sure how to base my expectations with this. Since it's my first time conducting the training in this intensive format. Lets just say it's working even better than I imagined.

But we've got more testing for the day. Right after lunch we start the written and oral tests. Sarah gets the group going with the written test and I go the Villa to conduct the oral portion. Students have assigned slots to come and do this portion.

It takes about two more hours to complete the oral tests and by this point everyone has also completed the written test. Sarah and I immeditely start grading the tests so that we can let everyone know their results.

In about two more hours we've completed this task. Wow, this is an intense day for all.

But so worth it, cause you know what we did as a group for the evening....

We did temalzcal! Sweat lodge! At Maya Tulum! With our fave shaman Fabian....

Nine of the ten students were able to participate. Plus Sarah and myself. We walked with jubilation down the beach. Leaving the anxieties of the test behind and ready to embrace this transformative group experience.

This is truly what it is. Transformative. Special. So very special. There was some hesitancy from some students. But all pulled through beautifully.

After this three hour experience we as a group are so much stronger. So much closer. I can't even begin to describe this temalzcal. And now students get it. They too say, "Now I get it. It's impossible to describe."

We also have the most perfect night for this. A full moon. I lie in the sand and gaze up at the night sky. The stars. They are so sparkly. Like all of us. Sarah lies next to me. We bask in giddy giddy joy.

After sweat lodge I'm wrapped in a large towel and sheet. They feel warm and comforting to my wet skin and hair. I get a glimpse of the full moon and the shimmery affect on the sea. I walk over, stand there in awe, taking everything in. All of it. It's a moment I'll never forget.

We take the 15 minute walk back to Cabanas La Luna on the beach. The flashlights aren't needed. The full moon guides us along perfectly.

A most perfect ending.
For a most perfect day.
For a most perfect group of people.