Project 300 Hours: Yoga Teacher Training and Paying It Forward

Dear Friends:

I am taking a new path in my life and working towards becoming a yoga teacher. This decision came easily to me. After losing my job to redundancy December of 2011, I vowed to myself that I will fill my life only with things that I love. Yoga in general has given me so much peace and strength and has truly changed my life. Jivamukti Yoga, the path of yoga I have chosen to take, has both empowered and healed me, and I fell in love with the practice within the first 10 minutes of my first Jivamukti Yoga class. The thought of becoming a yoga teacher seemed intimidating at first, and the thought of becoming a Jivamukti Yoga teacher seemed completely unrealistic and out of the question at that time. That is, until I realized that it is only I that have been limiting myself; until I realized that I have to work on these feelings of insecurity that I do not deserve what I truly want.

Today, 30 days before the Jivamukti Yoga Teacher Training starts, I am practicing the courage to ask the universe- and to ask you-  to help make my dream come true. At the same time, my objective to become a Jivamukti Yoga teacher also isn\'t just about me. The one most important thing that drew me to Jivamukti Yoga is its emphasis on non-violence. And I intend to carry out this principle in practice
through Jivamukti Yoga. I am calling this Project 300 Hours.

This is how it will work. The training program consists of 300 hours, and I pledge to give back at least 300 hours of yoga teaching, preparation, or community service in this lifetime. One idea is to teach Jivamukti Yoga to those who normally have no access to it, such as domestic violence victims, prisoners, or young adults from low-income families. Another idea is to teach donation-based classes where proceeds will go to Unicef or other non-profit organizations working to alleviate suffering in the world. Of course, my personal emotions around the cause of animal cruelty would also motivate me to use the proceeds to fund animal rescue organizations and promote a non-violent lifestyle.

If I spend 90 minutes every other week doing this, I will be completing the 300 hours in little more than 8 years. The time could be a lot shorter if at one point, I am able to do it full-time by volunteering through organizations such as Africa Yoga Project or Off the Mat and Into the World. Regardless of how the 300 hours are distributed, this is a pledge I take seriously. And I will be sending email updates to keep you in the loop, and I am certainly open to conversations on how best to go about this.

Now, what are the costs? For me to complete the Jivamukti Yoga Teacher Training program this April- May 2012, I would have to spend over
$10,000. Below is the breakdown of the major expenses.

Tuition:                  $6650
Housing:                $3068
Plane Ticket:          $1470

Omega Institute, the community where the Jivamukti Yoga Teacher Training program will be held, has already granted me the maximum scholarship amount of $1000 based on my intentions and financial need. I am putting in $5000 to cover part of the costs including  other incidentals such as books, materials, transportation costs etc. I now humbly ask for your consideration to help me raise the funds needed to complete the course and support Project 300 Hours. Any amount would be appreciated, and it would be great if you can let me know on or before April 18, 2012 so I can properly thank you and include you in my mailing list for Project 300 Hours updates.

If you believe that there is some good in this project, please help me
by making your cash donation out to my paypal account [email redacted]. Or if you live in the Philippines, you may make a direct deposit to BPI bank to save on any finance charges. Details are:

Bank- Bank of Philippine Islands (BPI)

Account Type- Checking

Account Name- Nancy Siy

Account Number- 3210002978

Alternatively, you may get in touch with me if you have additional questions, if you prefer to donate in kind through air miles or other forms, or if you prefer to meet in person.

In yoga, we often say Namaste, which when translated means: The beauty and light in me honors the beauty and light in you. I truly believe each and every one of us has that light shining inside, regardless of our outside circumstances and regardless of what we have been through. And if we are able to shed away all those layers of fear, anger, resentment, then we can reconnect to that light, and we find peace. And when we find inner peace, we contribute to world peace in our own way.

Thank you for reading my message, and I thank you in advance for your support.

Namaste,
Nancy