Everyone searches for his or her passion. They say once you find your passion, you can choose a career path that will make work not feel like work. I’ve found my passion and it’s yoga. Yoga has changed my life. It has been an active factor in my commitment to sobriety, health and spirituality. I can think of no other path as fulfilling as helping others see how yoga can change their lives too.

I could never choose a favorite teacher. I have practiced with so many beautiful souls and each of them has had something different to offer that made them just as special as the next. Terry Lacy at Central Street Yoga in Bangor, Maine was the first teacher that I felt a strong connection to. I fell in love with yoga after practicing with Terry. Terry has a very kind heart and a wonderful sense of humor. In his class we are always trying something new, and he always leaves time at the end of class to play with inversions or partner poses. He always starts the class by asking if there is anything anyone wants to work on and thus he crafts the class based on what his students need. Heidi MacVane at Greener Postures in South Portland, Maine is another teacher who has been very influential on my journey. Heidi teaches a Vinyasa Flow class and has a wonderful ability to get her students into the flow of movement and breathe. She works us hard so our endorphins really pump while also smoothly integrating spiritual guidance throughout the class. She has a beautiful energy, radiating compassion, love and light.

I have chosen the one-month intensive Vinyasa Flow course at Anamaya Resort in Costa Rica. Vinyasa flow is the style I would like to teach and this seems to be the only training that is geared specifically towards that style. The space is beautiful, the teachers seem wonderful and the course is perfect. I considered other courses that would cover a broader range of styles so that I could have a more diverse learning experience, but I came to conclude that, especially since it’s only one month, it would be best to gain a deep understanding of the style I can really see myself teaching.

My dream is to own my own heated yoga studio and juice bar. I want to create a space where people can open up and allow them selves to be the beautiful being that they truly are. I want to create a space for people to connect with their higher selves, a place where people can develop a personal, unique understanding of their spirit within. I want to show people the beauty in connecting with the flow of the universe. I want guide people in experiencing the oneness of connecting the mind, body and spirit and come to an understanding of how important it is to our spiritual and mental health to have a healthy body. It is very important to me to offer many work-study opportunities and classes that are donation based, as much as a person can afford. I would also like to use these donation classes as a way for new teachers to get work and practice. I am also interested in creating donation-based classes centered around twelve-step recovery for those suffering from alcoholism and addiction.

I hope to develop a unique teaching style that will promote flexibility, muscle strength and cardiovascular health as well as promote personal growth and healing. I am confident that my purpose in life is to help others find peace, appreciation and happiness in their lives and I would like to do this through yoga.

2012 Yoga Scholarship Essay

By: Alexa Ward

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