I showed up at LAX at 7:30 a.m. and caught a shuttle through the winding roads in the Bel Air hills to the most beautiful property I have ever laid eyes on. I argued with the shuttle driver a bit ("Seriously, it's supposed to be a yoga studio, not a mansion") but he insisted this is the address I have written on the note in my hand. As the shuttle drives away, I panic. I was certain I was going to end up in jail for trespassing at the Aaron Spelling estate, which would make for a pretty funny story later but a really crappy way to begin a five-day yoga training. I walked toward the gardener (yes, really!) and politely asked him if this could possibly be the Yoga Ed studio. He pointed toward a window where I could see a group of women sitting in a circle on the floor. This was a far more familiar sight so I tentatively open the door. This was the beginning of my five-day initiation into the world of teaching—actually teaching yoga.

As you know, I've been "teaching" yoga to teenagers for a while now. But until my training last week, I've thought of teaching as calling out pose names, offering modifications, and making sure everyone stays safe. Don't get me wrong, this is a perfectly good approach to teaching most classes, but it's not always enough. Through the Yoga Ed program I've realized how much more compelling and fun yoga can really be through incorporating music, dance, laughter, community, discussion, visual aids, and even games. This covers all of my bases so that no matter what kind of learner my students are, I'll have a way to reach them, and bring them into their bodies. And the best part of it all, is that they won't even realize they're working they'll be so engaged.

Teaching this way is so much fun I don't think I'll ever be able to go back to the boring, old way of thinking about it again.