Supposed to be about busting myths of yoga teacher training…. then the puppies came
I sat down today to write you an email about busting the myths of Yoga Teacher Training. That’s what my marketing strategist suggested. You know the ones: You have to be young to be a yoga teacher, You need to be flexible or look a certain way, It’s all about memorising Sanskrit poses and scripts, and saying the ‘right’ thing.
But instead, this is a story about how becoming a yoga guide has given me tools in life to be able to support Toto over the weekend through labour and birth.
On Saturday morning, I sat with Toto in early labour, meditated, drank tea… everything was going smoothly. We were expecting 4 puppies it’s what the vet confirmed by X-ray a few weeks earlier.
At 1:34 pm, the first was born Spot, 385g. Toto was quite shocked and didn’t chew down the umbilical cord, so with a quick phone call my son Harrison was on his way with dental floss. We tied it off, cut the umbilical, no fuss, no panic.
At 2:50 pm, Lulu arrived, a little bigger at 406g. My other son Sio was there this time. Same situation, and now with another set of hands, we tied the umbilical, cut it, and put Lulu and Spot with Toto.
At 3:45 pm, Georgy Boy One Sock arrived, 375g, and this time Toto knew what she was doing. We just sat back and watched the miracle of nature.
Then, after a long few hours, at 6:25 pm number 4, Moo Moo girl arrived, 400g. Toto calmed and was tired after the labouring, but was still unsettled into the night.
After going to sleep on the lounge next to them around 12:30am and checking on them regularly, some time before 4:20 am she had had another puppy, a girl…Angel, 417g. Now five! She was cold and not breathing. I picked her up in a towel and rubbed her to warm her. I ran upstairs to wake my son and daughter-in-law Ali. She came down and we tried warming and CPR for 20 minutes. No luck.
On Sunday morning, Toto tried and tried to birth another puppy- Boots, It was around 8 am, and he was stuck feet first and not in the sac. In that moment, I had a choice….
Because of the years I’ve spent embodying natural movement, nervous system regulation and taking care of myself, I was able to guide and support Toto and lend a hand when needed. (The same way we share guiding at Marou Home and in our YTT)
Instead of freezing or rushing, or stressing. I moved with ease, assessed the situation, and responded. Within the next 30 seconds, I supported her to get the puppy out. By this time the whole family was also there.
He was the biggest, weighing 445g. We tried CPR, but he had likely died inside some time before he was born.
And although it isn’t the miracle story of revival, it’s very much the real life.
So why am I telling you all this? well- not every story ends with a perfect outcome, but this is life, and it reminded me that the skills we practise on the mat are the same ones that help us meet challenges off the mat.
I’m not saying Yoga Teacher Training turns you into an animal midwife, but it does train you to:
• Live a balance life so when the challenges arise you are coming from a grounded nervous system.
• Shorten the time you spend in stress response, creating less stored stress in the body.
• Embody presence so you can respond to challenges with clarity and ease.
And those skills? They don’t just save you stress. They can save you money, relationships, energy even trips to the vet!
So yes, YTT can, and does deepen your yoga practice.
Yes, it can help you guide others.
But more importantly, it’s training for life, for the challenges and moments you can’t predict but need to meet with steadiness and presence.
Our next 200hr Yoga Teacher Training at Marou Home runs October to March. Yes a 6 month container with unlimited class membership included. If you feel called early bird CODE; YTTEARLY can get you $400 off finishes 31st August. Payment Plans Available
Whether or not you ever want to ‘teach’ yoga, it’s an invitation to build the kind of resilience, awareness, and calm that supports you in everything. In the mean time puppy cuddles and the joy of the miracle of life.
See you at Marou,
Hannah
Founder of Marou Home.
P.S. If you want to know the real myth about YTT, it’s that it’s only for people who want to teach. Truth is, it’s for anyone who wants to live with more presence, adaptability, and joy.