How 100 Hours Impacted My Life
A lot of us have been getting creative for these past several months. We have discovered new hobbies and interests, and we have pushed ourselves outside of our comfort zones. While we spend more time inside, some of us have also spent more time looking inside ourselves. I, for one, have done a lot of introspection since the pandemic began. What is important in life? Where do I want my career path to go? How will I continue to evolve and find even more inner peace? Back in September, when we were about six months into this pandemic, these questions filled my mind month after month. It was at that time that I saw Chill Anywhere’s post about an upcoming 100-hour teacher training program. Immediately, I was intrigued.
The timing was perfect (as I’ve learned it often is if our eyes are open): I was needing something more fulfilling and challenging and inspiring. And here it was, right in front of me. Chill was offering a 12-week program that not only would enable me to become a certified meditation instructor, but the course also promised to deepen my meditation practice, as well.
Why I Jumped at the Opportunity
Feeling as if the Universe was offering me some guidance with this timely opportunity, I also was inspired to take the course based on what was happening in my own family. My 78-year-old mother was feeling anxious and sleepless after many unknown months of dealing with the pandemic, and my 16-year-old daughter and her friends were exhibiting stress and anxiety, as well. Here, I sat, knowing how much my own informal meditation practice was helping me to stay calm and present and knowing that it would be invaluable to them. With the thought of teaching now presenting itself to me, I had visions of my mom and my daughter being my first students.
So, without hesitation, I signed up for the course. I have always loved being a student, so I was looking forward to learning about meditation in depth. I received an email telling me about the course requirements, the schedule and the two books that were required. It all sounded manageable and interesting, and I couldn’t wait to get started.
Not What I Expected
I expected more calm; I expected to deepen my practice; I expected to walk away with confidence to guide others. I knew that the course was going to be fully remote, so I also wasn’t expecting to feel connected to the lessons in the way that I did. However, the teachers did a great job with making the classes warm and engaging. Even our in-class meditations through our devices felt meaningful and authentic. I had been hopeful that would be the case.
Yet there was so much more that I could not have anticipated. For me, this course was truly life changing. The readings alone were so impactful. But, add to that the exercises that we were assigned, the experts that we heard speak and the knowledge that our teachers shared: I (along with many other students) came away with an overwhelming sense of fulfillment. Truly, from the way I now wake up and spend my first one minute in bed each morning to the way I look at myself throughout the day in the mirror, I have been transformed by this course.
“The real meditation practice is how we live our lives from moment to moment to moment.” — Jon Kabat-Zinn
I am so grateful that I listened to my intuition and leapt at the opportunity to enroll in this training. I could have never imagined that my day-to-day life would be so impacted by this course. But, it was. I am forever changed. Whether I now go on to guide hundreds of students in meditation or whether I simply sit down for a meal with a new sense of awareness, Chill’s teacher training was invaluable to me.
Gift Yourself This Holiday Season
The next teacher training is right around the corner, soon after the start of the New Year. This course is truly a gift to yourself. And, even if you don’t use your certification to teach one day, you will also still impact many lives with your training. When you become more mindful, peaceful and aware, that energy envelops you: You can’t help but to then positively impact those around you.
—Amy Lee Kite
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