but i cant even touch my toes
I enrolled into my first Yoga Teacher Training back in 2016, wondering if I would be considered a total fraud of an applicant.
"But I can’t even touch my toes."
That was an actual passing thought as I signed up for my first one in Goa, India. (Google told me Goa was a party destination in India, but it forgot to mention that it was also peak monsoon season—a much less enticing time to dance on the beach. But hey, at least flights were cheap!).
At the time, I couldn’t touch my toes, let alone stay in any variation of a seat without something to do for longer than 90 seconds.
So then, why did I sign up in the first place?
It was a gut decision rather than a brain one.
I had only taken a handful of classes (literally four yoga classes in my whole life), but I felt super curious and drawn to the breath and philosophy behind the poses, so I enrolled anyway.
I had that pull to enrol into Teacher Training, and maybe you have it too, Jenny?
Learning about the body while working with the “monkey mind” felt structured yet spiritual.
I didn’t classify myself as a spiritual person, but I was curious to know what would happen if I decided to change that.
One thing I was sure about in 2016, however, was that I was kind of just a little... lost.
I didn’t know what I wanted to do.
I didn’t know who I was beneath all the layers of what my friends, family and work colleagues expected from me.
And I had never really sat with “myself” before.
This changed after my first 200-hour Teacher Training experience.
I then returned again and again to continue learning and growing, not just as a teacher, but also in myself and in holding space for others.
And here we are now, all these years later, collaborating with some of the most passionate and experienced teachers in Sydney, and bringing their big and beautiful brains to our studio here in Western Sydney.
I LOVE it here. I love the people. I love the trees. I love that our studios play a crucial role in facilitating local growth and change.
And I promise you this: you don’t need to wake up at 4:30am every day to meditate, or even be able to touch your toes, to start teacher training.
What you do need, however, is an open mind and a willingness to apply yourself fully.
So if you’ve been feeling that same pull, here’s what’s coming up next:
200-Hour Reformer Pilates Teacher Training
Begins Saturday 25th October
Tuesdays 6:30–8:30pm live online + Saturdays 1–5:30pm in-person (Penrith)
Learn more & enrol →
200-Hour Vinyasa Teacher Training
Begins Monday 4th November
Tuesdays 6–9pm in-person (Penrith)
Thursdays 6–9pm live online via Zoom
Learn more & enrol →
50-Hour Yin & Meditation Teacher Training
Begins Friday 11th November
Friday evenings 6–9pm (with a holiday break)
Learn more & enrol →
Each of these trainings is a doorway into something bigger than just learning poses or exercises. They’re about curiosity, connection, and discovering who you are when you step into the seat of the student and the teacher.
So, does that sound like your vibe?
With gratitude,
Annika Saigi
(2016 version pictured below).
"I am not the traditional Instagram Yogi, and I feel that I would resonate more with people who don't find yoga easily accessible to them. Teacher training has been an incredible journey of self-discovery and being able to learn in such a safe space.
The teachers that are a part of this journey are all professionals in their field. They are willing to share a safe space, and they all acknowledge you. I couldn't recommend it any more. "
