Chelsea Curtin, RYT 500, is a glowing yoga teacher from Santa Cruz, California, who is passionate about bringing yoga to youth and teens. In 2013, Chelsea was awarded one of the Yoga Alliance Foundation's two Gift of Yoga Scholarships, which funded her advanced yoga teacher training at a RYS 300. Since registering as a RYT in 2010, Chelsea has worked with handicapped yoga students, children and teenagers.
We recently caught up with Chelsea to see how her RYS 300 training experience went and where her yoga journey is taking her now.
Yoga Alliance®: What was the most memorable part of your training, Chelsea?
Chelsea Curtin: The most memorable thing about my training was being able to meet and learn from yogis from all different parts of the globe. My fellow students became the best teachers I have ever had. Each person brought different life experiences, physical limitations, backgrounds and teaching styles, and I have so much to gain from them because of this.
YA: Out of the lessons you learned in training, what helps you the most today?
CC: Sequence building. Through this training, I realized the importance of creating well-designed sequences. How you move from one posture to the next is so important for understanding how energy will move in your students. By designing sequences to have a specific end goal and using different postures to get there, it gives me a better idea of where I want to take people and makes me a better leader. The tools I learned about designing sequences help me on and off the mat and challenge me to think about designing my actions to create the output of energy I want for my life.
YA: What did winning our scholarship mean to you?
CC: This scholarship was such a gift. I would not have been able to afford the training on my own. This training has opened several doors already, helping me build connections in my community, and I know it will continue to benefit me for many years to come.
YA: Any other thoughts from your training that you'd like to share?
CC: Teacher training challenged every part of who I am. It helped me build new physical and mental awareness, strength and understanding. It helped me recognize patterns of holding within my body and mind and gave me tools to free up energy in my body and life.
YA:What's next for you on your yoga journey?
CC: I will definitely continue to teach yoga. Teaching yoga is a part of who I am. I love to share the gift of yoga with as many people as I can. One of my focuses is working with youth and teenagers. Learning the foundations of body-mind awareness at an early age can carry young people through the rest of their lives. Yoga can give kids and teens tools to navigate their changing bodies, understanding their emotions and find strength, balance and flexibility both inside and out.
Thanks for all that you do to share yoga and its benefits with those around you, Chelsea! We are excited to see what the future holds for you and the rest of our scholarship winners.