A Yogi’s Journey: Feeling Empowered
Our latest TT Alumni feature highlights two passionate Yogis – Lyz Scott, Clovis, CA & Cindy Fifield, San Diego. Both are graduates of our 200-Hour Teacher Training and we love following their journey as Yogis, humans & teachers! Follow them on IG @lyzscott and @cindyfifi
Lyz Scott RYT200 is a photographer, Yoga instructor, wife and mother of 2 sweet boys based in Clovis, CA. She attended Prana’s 200hr Teacher Training in the summer of 2017 and can be found teaching at Old Town Yoga in Clovis as well as at a local Cross Fit Gym. Lyz has also been teaching in-store community Yoga classes at lululemon in Fresno, CA. IG @lyzscott, www.happinessinfocusphotography.com
Why did you decide to get certified as a Yoga teacher and how has it impacted your life?
My goal was to improve my own practice and grow personally. I also wanted to be able to bring Yoga on a deeper level to my husband and two boys and potentially teach in my hometown of Clovis, California. Taking the Teacher Training, I knew that I would have to face some of my biggest fears – like failure, talking in front of large groups, and remembering sequences.
After the training, my knowledge of Yoga, both the asanas as well as personal and spiritual side of Yoga has grown so much. I can tell a difference in my life in how I show up as a parent, a friend and as a spouse, and that’s really gratifying. I also immediately got a job teaching at my local home studio and have enjoyed the continual growth and challenge Yoga is constantly bringing.
On a personal level, how has Yoga impacted your life in general?
I find myself slow-er to speak, more patient, my breath is stronger and my belief in myself deeper.
What are you doing now with your Yoga and what is you plan for the future?
I’m teaching yoga at a studio about 5x per week. I have had three other organizations ask to have me as well. My plan for the future is to have a dedicated space in my house where I can deepen my practice and continue to grow. I want my boys to explore and enjoy Yoga. I plan to become the best teacher I can be and hope to inspire many Yogis along the way.
Cindy Fifield RYT200 is a graduate of San Diego State University and got certified as a Yoga teacher through PRANA’s 200hr Teacher Training. She is currently enrolled in the Professional 300-Hour Teacher Training at Prana Yoga Center and will be a certified RYT500 teacher in April 2018. Cindy teaches at a gym in Chula Vista, CA and has been substitute teaching for some of her favorite teachers at Prana.
What inspired you to become a Yoga teacher?
After stepping into my first Yoga class in my freshman year of college, I knew right after the first savasana that I was hooked for life. I practiced Yoga on my own for three years and upon graduation, I decided it was time to deepen my Yoga journey. I wanted to deepen my practice both physically and spiritually, and I knew I wanted to teach and guide others into their Yogic journeys. I’m fascinated with the human body and bio-mechanics and wanted to grow my knowledge of both Yoga and the human body. After careful online research, Prana Yoga Center took the spotlight with raving reviews and love for their Yoga studio and family. A family I knew I wanted to be a part of.
How was your experience in the teacher training?
During the Teacher Training (I attended the Summer Intensive in 2016), we ate, slept, and breathed Yoga. It was “Yoga 24/7” and it made me immensely happy and grateful for the experience I was undergoing. My body was sore almost every day, but from the soreness and exhaustion, I quickly realized my true love and devotion for Yoga and how I wanted to keep it that way for as long as I lived. The training is dense with knowledge about asana alignment, safety and contraindications of every pose, how to teach and sequence effectively, Yoga philosophy and its roots, and so much more. On top of that, you’ll gain an amazing Yoga family from both students and teachers in the program who you can always turn to in life.
What has changed for you since diving deep into Yoga as a student and teacher?
Yoga has helped me become mindful and present in life. I make smarter choices in regards to my health and everyday decision-making. It has made me realize how short life is and to cherish every moment we share with our loved ones. It can be as simple as keeping the phone away from the dinner table or tuning into your breath on the mat during a challenging Vinyasa flow – or even as challenging as letting go of a difficult relationship.
Where do you see your Yoga journey taking you?
I have taught Yoga for Athletes at a strength and conditioning facility where my knowledge of human anatomy, exercise science and Yoga flourished. My dream job is to be a contracted yoga teacher for professional, collegiate or high school athletics departments, around the US or even the world.
Prana’s 200hr Yoga Teacher Training is offered 3 times per year and taught by an expert faculty of passionate Yogis, incl. Prana founder Gerhard Gessner E-RYT, Sara Deakin E-RYT500, Shauna MacKay E-RYT, C-IYAT, Dr. Alison McLean PT, E-RYT, Vicki Abrams, IBCLC, CBE, and special guest teacher & Yoga Sutra scholar and Yoga Therapist, L.A.-based Robert Birnberg. Learn more
200-Hour TT programs for 2018:
- January 26 – April, 2018
- June 2018 – Summer Intensive
- September – November 2018
“I attended the Prana’s Summer Intensive Training in 2014 so I could learn and be certified with the intention to share my knowledge of and love for Yoga. Prana is my Yoga home, my original root where I started Yoga. Yoga is now an integral part of my life and its benefits serve me off the mat as much as on. I am passionate about making a mindful and healthy Yoga practice available in areas where it is scarce. I currently offer community classes and donation-based classes, volunteer and pay-what-you-can classes in Chicago and the Chicagoland area. For me, Yoga is about connecting with the breath, the root of our being. It is being conscious, meaningful and learning to balance life in every sense of the word. It is an individual and universal practice, while it is also great, euphoric workout.”