Maggie's 200 Hour YTT

Hello world! My name is Maggie Salem. I am a middle and high school choir and drama teacher looking to start my 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training at Yoga East Healing Arts Studio in Cape Girardeau, MO in January of 2020.  The cost of tuition for the YTT 200 program is $2350 and goes toward 200 contact hours in which I will learn the eight limbs of yoga, anatomy and physiology, meditation, poses and pose language, building a class, marketing, ethics, and business. $150 will go towards supplemental reading materials and personal yoga supplies. My goal after completing my training is to start a Yoga Club in my school district to bring the practice of yoga and mindfulness to the next generation and to teach body positive yoga classes in my community that are accessible and fat-friendly. I truly believe that it is important to bring yoga and mindfulness to as many people as possible. I also think that society has made it difficult for people of size, people of limited ability, and people in low-income communities to have access to yoga and mindfulness. I see an opportunity to help bridge the gap. If you believe in the positive impact of yoga and mindfulness and want to see the practice grow, please consider supporting my dream of completing my RYT 200 so I can do my part.  I began regularly taking yoga classes at Yoga East Healing Arts Studio in the fall of 2017. I started simply because I felt some changes in my body. I was not able to move as easily as I had when I was younger. My intention was just to increase my range of motion and decrease pain from being on my feet all day at school. I did not know that it was going to change my entire outlook on life. When I started doing yoga, I was having a bit of an identity crisis. It is difficult to put into words how yoga transformed me. The practice of yoga and mindfulness meditation taught me how to identify what I really want, how to set boundaries, and to be my authentic self. If it can do that for me, I feel the need to give back to the world by teaching these skills.  Before starting at Yoga East, I had only taken one yoga class. I had the biggest body of all the students in that class and some of the movements were awkward and uncomfortable for me. I felt defeated. It seemed like yoga was not made for bodies like mine. I was discouraged and didn’t want to try it again because I didn’t know about modifications and props that could help me. The teachers at Yoga East made me feel comfortable and at ease. They showed me ways to make poses work for my body without making me feel less worthy or less able than the other students. I learned about props like yoga blocks and straps that allowed me to get into poses that I wouldn’t be able to do otherwise. I felt included. I want to bring that feeling of inclusion to more people with bigger bodies. So many of my plus size friends think that they can’t do yoga because of their size. I want to lead by example and show that yoga can be for everybody AND for every BODY. As I said earlier, I teach middle and high school. Last year I focused on being a more mindful teacher. I still have a long way to go, but I have brought my mindfulness practice into my interactions with students. I try to listen and respond rather than react emotionally to the actions of my students. This school year, I have begun transferring that skill to my students by having “Mindful Mondays.” We will spend the first few minutes of class in dimmed lighting, sitting comfortably either on the floor or in chairs, listening to calm nature sounds, and following a guided meditation. I have already seen a difference in the way students interact with me, how they process their emotions, how they understand the consequences of their actions, and how they slow down to make more mindful choices. The students have been able to see these benefits themselves as well. Below are a few testimonials from some of my students (to remain anonymous).  Ms. Salem taught me mindfulness and...      "....it really helps me control my anger and stay focused the whole day. It helps me before a basketball game. Trust me, it really helps."      "...it helps me to not fight people and it calms me down when I'm mad"      "...it helps when my head hurts and it relaxes my bones. It starts my Mondays off really good."      "...it helps me because I can control myself and my anger when I get mad or I'm having a stressful day."      "...I can focus on getting along with others and being calm. Ms. Salem is a great person. This is the reason she deserves to be a yoga teacher and get her yoga certification to bring it to our school and teach us."      "...I learned that I can control my actions towards others and I love doing it because it calms me down."      "...it helps me because I do not react as fast to others."      "...it gets me to not just snap out."      "...it helps me because I'm quiet and it helps me not get mad or say anything when people make fun or ask me why I'm so quiet." I would love to expand this practice to many more students than just the ones that I see in my classes. The Yoga Club would be open to any student (and teacher!) who has the desire to practice mindfulness and yoga. I truly believe that this opportunity would aid the culture of our school. I would love to see a school where the students can understand their emotions, their choices, and learn how to move through their day with the tools they learn in Yoga Club. With your help, I can make all of these dreams come true. If I am able to fund it, I will begin coursework for my 200 Hour YTT at Yoga East in January of 2020 complete it in July 2020. Yoga East is my yoga home, my sangha, and completing my YTT there with the teachers who continue to help me learn how to move through life, would not only mean the world to me, but would in turn mean so much to my future students. Please consider making whatever donation you can to help support my dream.