My 200hr Story by Melissa Wojcik

I have been doing Yoga for almost 10 years and I love it.  I am diagnosed as depressed so this is something I can do that I feel is good for myself but is good for the people around me because I can see things with a little clearer mind and take time to notice my feelings before reacting.  I feel more confident and have more energy after an hour long practice. I am also more present which can help because I have two young kids, a Husband, a dog and we live on the opposite side of the country from most of my family. 

I started taking classes at DYA a few years ago and Deanna told me about the 200hr training program suggesting I think about doing it, that some people take the training to enhance their yogic practice. It was very tempting but the money and time that I would invest into this endeavor and was completely freaking me out. I feel like every decision I make has an effect on my family and to invest this time and money into something that is for my personal benefit was crazy.  What I didn’t know then was that the investment I made in myself more than paid off for me and my relationship with my family. 

I could not get the idea of the 200hr out of my mind for about 6 months and I got advice from a slew of people (yoga teachers, psychologists, friends and family).  The consensus was supportive and that I take the training to enhance my practice.  The stars were lining up and there was a class offered at the end of February of 2020.  It’s a perfect time to pass the seasonal blues and have something meaningful to work on.  

My class of 5 and I started our training wide eyed and nervous for what was to come. We all had our own life experiences to bring to this class but somehow in this new situation, we felt naive.  The training set an empowering tone where we agreed to “remember the Nike swoosh and ‘Just Do It!’” That turned into our group mantra as we navigated discussions, asana, pranayama, homework and more.  

After about a month of training together, the world went into lockdown for COVID 19.   We started in a physical space together and had to transfer our training to online work and video calls.  Deanna,  Ally and Tami had to swiftly transfer our lessons and meetings to Zoom.  Lesson plans had to be altered and  life plans had to be altered. In some ways the work was harder for all of us but this crazy experience helped us study harder to make a little more sense of how we can let this all affect us. We addressed fears by “Inviting Mara to Tea”. We learned firsthand the lessons in Sthira and Sukha (The ability to be grounded and steady but also to move comfortably). We leaned on studies of impermanence and used our Yamas and Niyamas (Yoga’s ethical practice) to look at ourselves in love and devotion to persevere.* 

The world was changing in ways that we could not all wrap our thoughts around but what we did have to help us was our DYA community.  This training and this community helped lift me up when I needed and kept me grounded when I felt like our circumstances were pulling at my heartstrings.

Through this all, Deanna and the DYA staff and family created a consistently challenging yet nurturing space where each teacher made themselves available to us as mentors and potential colleagues.  The DYA staff and guest teachers are like puzzle pieces that represent so many different points of view but come together to present a beautiful picture for all of us students to appreciate.  Upon looking back at the big picture, I could see the knowledge and care that Deanna, Tami and Ally put into each hour of learning.  

The experiences I gained in 200 hours was more than enhancing my practice. I made it through a typically sad time that was made harder with a pandemic and social injustice swirling around me. In that storm, I had a little clarity to take things as they come, to reach out and help others and to receive love and help as well. Because of their inspiration, I fell in love with teaching and wanting to do as much for my community as I can.  I love and appreciate all that this studio has given me and am so excited to continue to learn from them. 

*If you want to know more about these references, I definitely suggest you taking 200hr Training

See an interview with Melissa and Deanna on the love of yoga here: