“Yoga Begins Now” (or Atha Yoga-anuśāsanam) is the first lesson of the ancient text of the Sutras, which is an important text in yoga training. It is written in Sanskrit (hence the funny words to describe it).

Today is the day though. After making the decision to pursue yoga training in July, it finally here.

My morning begins with traveling to Dordogne, France on a train, which passes through the French wine country populated with neat rows of wine growing with ancient, whitewashed stone buildings in the backdrop. The change in setting from the bustling city overwhelms with me with anticipation and excitement. It’s not unlike how I felt before big basketball games – it is time to do the damn thing. The wait is over. Let’s go!!

Paul, who owns the grounds the retreat is on with his wife Abigail, picks me up to shuttle to the retreat. They bought the property in the early 2000s as an alternative to their life in London. The French countryside is much different than the Indiana countryside where I grew up – way, way more rolling hills.

I arrived earlier than the other students, so Paul gave me a tour of the property before meeting my teachers, Aurelie & Lea. Abigail prepared a delicious lunch for us which we ate on the terrace and the sometimes awkward process of getting to know each other began.

Truthfully, part of me is nervous – I don’t know quite yet to expect, and it has been such a long time since I’ve been in student mode. But… the hiking adventure prepared me well to lean into the unknown. Growth happens when there is challenge, and I am here for it!

The last of the three other students arrived shortly after 5 pm, and the group of us headed into the forest area to begin the welcoming ceremony and a restorative yoga practice before dinner. I am the only non-French student, which made me also the only person to speak English as my native language. The training would be held almost entirely in English, and the fellow students instantly gained my respect for taking an intensive training in an entirely foreign language. Their grasp on English ranged from very good (one lived in Australia for three years) and still learning (another hadn’t practiced extensively since high school). Nonetheless, we began to shake off the awkwardness that is present when a new group of people meet.

I love this part in creating a team – how does a group of people go from total strangers to teammates willing to share intimate details with each other? – and I am fascinated to see our group dynamic grow.

Our meals are entirely vegetarian and dinner was as tasty as lunch. We stayed around the dinner table talking into the later evening before calling it a night to get some rest before our first full day of training. Here goes nothing.