Revised Yoga Scholarship Essay

I cannot express in words the intensity I feel when I think about becoming a yoga teacher. I am frustrated with my inability as a writer and wish there was a better way for me to show you what yoga means to me. Every time I am on the mat, yoga returns me to the awareness that I inherently have everything I need. The empowerment and joy that I feel when standing strong in Warrior II, or the glow of energy that radiates from my hearts center in Urdhva Dhanurasana, and the grace and humility child's pose can bring, is what I want to share with others. If I could show you a pose, If I could stand before you in Trikonasana, energy exploding from all five points of my body, I would be able to demonstrate to you the light that bends itself though all my cells and layers expanding through my aura and out into the world. This is what I want to share as a teacher, the loving, powerful, healing energy that can be generated, by our bodies, through Asana. I believe that if we are fully at peace with ourselves we can bring peace to the world, and yoga is the only path I have found that leads to this truth.

Throughout my life, I have always felt that I was searching for something greater. I searched for this through sixteen years of dance and movement, an avid interest in hiking, kayaking and a strong connection with mother earth. I continued my search though my undergraduate studies while pursuing a degree in fine art. Throughout college I constantly felt the need to work with my hands, to help others, and to heal others, which lead me to discover Reiki and to research other modalities of energy and body work. I hit a crossroads shortly after when I was working in a corporate setting, a job that led me to much frustration and thankfully, exploration. It was then, that I returned to the mat.

I was blessed to be accepted into a work-trade position at my local yoga studio, a gift that I will always be grateful for. I want to share my experience now by becoming a yoga teacher. I know that the world will benefit from having one more encouraging yogi teaching others. It is here, on the mat, where I become my truest self. Namaste.