I studied with Tribe Yoga in Rishikesh, India and it opened up my mind to a world of possibilities. The things I learned not only made my yoga practice more complete & satisfying, but also changed the way I approach & think about virtually everything that I do or say. Where there used to be stress, there is now contentment. Where there used to be perplexing situations or uneasy emotions, there is now acceptance. Regrets from the past and anticipation about the future were soothed as I listened to my teachers speak about yogic philosophies with open ears & an open mind and I began to truly live in the present moment. It is my desire to share these life-changing philosophies with anyone who is willing to listen to me speak about them as I lead them through asanas, pranayama & meditation.

Since I left India, I’ve been teaching karma yoga in the USA & Mexico, donating all contributions to the Cambodian Landmine Museum. While visiting Phnom Penh in 2010, I was overcome with emotion as I experienced the joy & kindness of the Cambodian people. Their land has been ravaged by war & continues to be a dangerous place to live because of the 5 million landmines that are still hidden, injuring & killing people every day. Aki Ra, the founder of CLM, works tirelessly to de-landmine the countryside so that Cambodia can once again be a safe place to live.

There’s an infinite amount of knowledge to attain; while I have been reading everything that I can get my hands on for the past year in order to learn more, I believe that the teachers from Tribe Yoga can teach me at a rapid pace and truly guide my journey. I hope to attend the 500 hour Tribe Yoga teacher training in Austria next year.

I have been asked to answer who my favorite yoga teacher is. I have no simple name to answer this question; I will try to explain to you why each teacher I have ever taken a yoga class from has been my “favorite” in a sense. With an open, accepting mind, as yoga has taught me to have, I have learned something from every teacher. I learned consistency from the 101 year old teacher who has practiced daily since age 17.

I’ve learned from teachers what TO say, because they said something that resonated with me; I’ve also learned what NOT to say, because they said something that I found abrasive. I value all of those lessons. Accepting people for whomever they are and for whatever they have to offer is just one of the many lessons yoga has taught me & how it has positively influenced my life. My goal is to continue to learn these valuable lessons, apply them to the way I live my own life & pass them on to anyone I’m lucky enough to be able to teach.

2012 Yoga Scholarship Essay

By: Katherine Charlier

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