26&2 (Bikram) Teacher Training - Marbella, Spain - May 2022

I discovered Bikram Yoga in Tokyo in 2013. A colleague of mine told me, "I went to this yoga class. It was horrible, extremely hot, they do not allow you to drink water when you want…" and I was like, "wow, I want to try this out!". I fell in love with Bikram Yoga from my first class. I just loved it - the heat, the discipline, the postures, the energy, the community, everything.

Since then, I have been practicing Bikram Yoga regularly, doing 30 days challenges, attending all possible Bikram yoga events/workshops, and also whenever I am traveling worldwide, I always go to the closest Bikram studio to take a class.

I have been dreaming of doing the teacher training for a while and finally I did!! I took part in the 26&2 teacher training program led by Esak Garcia in May 2022.

I started the preparation for the teacher training in November 2021 by completing the practical challenge 44 classes in 28 days - my body and mind changed completely. So far I have done seven 30 days challenges through the years, practicing one class per day, but this never had such a huge impact on myself, maybe because I have practicing anyway 5-6 classes per week so this was not a big difference for me. The real game changer for me was this challenge of practicing double classes for four weeks. This made me stronger, being able to control more my breath in class, regardless of the heat, circumstances, as long as I control my breath, I can control my postures as well. This journey made me also reduce alcohol consumption drastically, it was just my body talking to me in terms of nutrition and what's best for me. This moment in my life I really felt and realized the meaning of that it's not about the outcome but about the journey. Of course I felt good once I completed the 28days but I have never felt happier and more fulfilled than during all those 28 days,not at the end when when achieved but through the whole journey.

Then, I started to learn the dialogue by heart (one should learn it before going to the teacher training, video record each posture, send it to their mentor ad the mentor send their feedback). I spent hours and hours and weekends learning the dialogue. It is not easy xD But with all the support I managed it - I was also practicing teaching online with a buddy student, my mentor Jasmine has been amazing providing me feedback. I finished studying the dialogue one month prior the teacher training which gave me a whole months just to repeat the whole dialogue over and over again, this really helped me tremendously!

And then it comes May 1 - time for our teacher training in Marbella, Spain. Passionate yogis from all over the world came to this place to learn and become yoga teachers. Three weeks of training - 2 classes of practice each day, posture cliniques, anatomy classes, voice exercise sessions, teaching on a rotation basis....it's been a journey with ups and downs, and I love it. All the moments from the wow excitement teaching my first class to the moments omg what I am doing here, I am not good enough....always listening what brought me here, why I wanted to do that and never gave up on me, just trust the process, all is coming. Teaching my first class was a bit exhausting talking for 90min, actually 105min as I overran with 15min, my voice was hurting. But then by time I taught my 3rd class, I had so much fun and really enjoyed it :) It is so many thing in a class you need to pay attention -dialogue, heat, students, time, having fun ....xD but with practice all is coming indeed, just patience, hard work and a little bit of humor :)

What I really liked about the training is that they let you just go and teach for real, in front of public students - this really helps, you are in a real situation teaching a real class, no cheating sheet, just you and the students!! Best approach to learn how to do it.

On top, it's been a great pleasure to take the classes led by Esak Garcia. He has the incredible ability to take over your mind and so you are completely into the dialogue, the practice, fully present. Some teachers get 100% of me, others get 30%. Well Esak gets 110% out of me.

Only three weeks but what a ride it was and this was just the beginning!!

I came back home in Munich and started immediately to teach at our bikram yoga studio in Munich. It's such an amazing feeling to step on the podium and teach in this studio as it feels like home and the students like family.

Now I am living my dream, my passion - traveling the world and teaching in different studios, sharing my love for Bikram yoga with students all over the world, getting experience as a teacher, meeting new people, and learning ….as Bikram says, "Do your duty and enjoy your life"!

Completing this 26&2 (bikram) yoga teacher training has been the best decision I have ever made in my life. This changed my life completely. Now life makes sense. Living my life with purpose. Feeling grateful and blessed. Happy.

city#1, country#1 Marbella, Spain

city#2, country#2 Munich, Germany