Guest Post: Jamie Fitzgerald's Yoga Journey

Yoga Teacher Training came to me purely unexpectedly and by total accident.  It was about 6 months prior to my 50th birthday when I became curious about yoga.  I had always wanted to try it, so I talked my neighbor into going to a class with me.  It was not what I had expected at all and my curiosity kept growing.  I continued to go to class about 20 miles away from our home when I overheard the substitute teacher say she was opening a new studio of her own very close to my home.  I was thrilled!  So, for the next 3 months I took as many classes as I could – the curiosity became more of an obsession so to speak.  I just couldn’t get enough.  I always thought yoga was for “flexible people” and all these other things, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.  Just as I was really starting to get the hang of yoga and some of the basic moves and terminology, our teacher informed us that she was moving!  I was devastated!  What was I going to do and where was I going to go?  She had just completed the teacher training in 2016-2017 at Open Way Yoga – she asked me if I had ever gone to a class there…. I told her that I had not.  She encouraged me to attend a class and suggested that I get into the Teacher Training!  I thought she was crazy!  How was I supposed to do that when I was so new to yoga to start with!  I began checking out this place “Open Way Yoga” and found out that they were just getting ready to start another Teacher Training and that there a few spaces left.  I literally had no time to even think about it – so I sent an email saying I was interested and the next thing I knew – I was signed up ready to go!  What was I thinking!!!!  I can’t do this – what if I’m the oldest person in the class?  I thought “Sun Salutation” was a Beach Boys lyric!  I convinced myself that I made a huge mistake but there was no turning back.  My husband and kids encouraged me to go on with the training and that’s exactly what I did!  This spring I completed the Teacher Training and have not one single regret!  I had no idea of the philosophy, physiology and spiritual teachings that go hand in hand with Yoga – all which have been a huge part of my life and passion!  To sum up my yoga experience thus far: It has been by far a life changing move for me – yoga feels like “home”.

-Jamie Fitzgerald