Finding a Sense of Home

Jenna Giardino Student Story

Jenna Giardino came to the school from Winnipeg, Manitoba as a scholarship student in the 200 hour Immersion Yoga Teacher Training. Before taking the 200 hour program Jenna had been practising Moksha yoga for three years. Moksha is a form of yoga that branched off of Bikram and follows a set sequence of postures in a heated room.

“I started realising that my alignment sucked. I was basically hurting myself all the time by dumping into poses. You’re so much more open in a hot room. You can go deeper into poses but you can hurt yourself if you’re not in the correct alignment. I still love the Moksha series and I love moksha itself but it’s not very alignment based.”

Jenna said she was looking for a program that offered biomechanics with proper alignment, great philosophy, methodology, and covered chanting and chakras.

“The 200 program offered everything I wanted; to dig in deep and start understanding some of the biomechanics of doing yoga for a life long practice. I wanted to feel good in my body instead of hurting myself.”

Jenna was one of 12 students in her class, many of whom came from different parts of British Columbia, Canada, the USA and the UK.

“In the first class our instructor Lila had us get into a circle and share our Sankalpa. It was so empowering to have all 12 of us women just exist without a filter and become vulnerable, in a good way.”

A Sankalpa is a Sanskrit word for a notion, vow or intention that can be used to determine what you want to take out of a teaching program, yoga practice or every day life.

“It was beautiful to see all of us share that on the first day. It set up the dynamic for the six weeks and we all really became a group of sisters and shared a sense of home. We empowered one another and I’m so thankful for that.”

After graduating, Jenna dived straight into the 300 hour Advanced Program, a decision she said she would never question.

“As soon as we started the 300, something just clicked and I really started to understand everything in depth. I’m having mini-epiphanies every day. It’s amazing to finally have that connection and to understand myself more even in three weeks.”

After completing the 300 program, Jenna plans to start teaching with the goal of being able to travel the world with her yoga experience and inspire other people with it.

“I’m just going to take it day by day. I don’t want to rush into it and lose my authenticity. I want to carry my message with me, that home is always going to be wherever you are in yourself. You can be anywhere in the world and you are home as long as you are content with yourself.”