Jennifer Kong Student Story | 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Vancouver

Jennifer Kong Yoga Teacher Training VSOHA Jennifer Kong said she started implementing some small changes in her life after learning about Ayurveda in the 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at the Vancouver School of Healing Arts.

“It was a really transformative experience for me and for everybody in my class. Before I would stay up until 2am watching Netflix, get up at 7 or 7:30 and have just enough time to get the kids and myself ready for school. It was so hard to get up in the morning, my diet was very sporadic and I was having lots of coffee to get me through the day.”

The 200YTT, led by Yoga Program Director Rebekka Walker, introduced Jennifer to some new concepts including the subtle body, 5 koshas, Chinese Meridians, earth-based Shamanic systems and Ayurveda. “It opened my eyes. These traditions and systems are all interconnected and it all fits together in one big puzzle.”

Jennifer initially became interested in yoga as a way to exercise. “I discovered all these other benefits I wasn’t expecting, including a feeling of calmness in my mind, which kept me going back for more!”

Jennifer Kong Yoga Teacher She described enrolling in VSOHA’s Yoga Teacher Training as a spur-of-the-moment decision, one she hasn’t looked back on. “At first I was shocked at how immersive it was. It was a lot harder and so much more in depth than I thought it would be. I absolutely loved it!”

After doing an Ayurvedic test, she started implementing some structural and dietary changes based on the solar and lunar cycle, and the Ayurvedic system to see if it would make a difference. “I get up at 6am every day, mediate and drink hot water with turmeric, black pepper, ginger and lemon for breakfast to wake up my system. I feel better, lighter; a calmer and more grounded version of myself.”

Jennifer decided to continue her studies, jumping straight into the Advanced 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training which began at the end of February 2019. “The 200-hour is enough to get a feel for it, but the 300-hour goes so much deeper.”

Jennifer said she has noticed a shift in her perspective. “My general outlook on things is changing. Initially I wanted to study yoga for my own personal experience. I never thought I would want to teach. But the program gives you all the tools you need to feel confident with yourself as a teacher. You aren’t thrown into the deep end, you feel prepared.”

After finishing the 300-hour Program, Jennifer plans to move abroad and hopes to set up some wellness retreats. “I’m doing something I never thought I would be doing. It’s a little bit scary, but when you don’t stick to the narratives you’ve told yourself before and allow yourself to think outside the box you’ve created around yourself, it allows you to discover more about yourself.”