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Welcome to the second edition of Anuttara YMTT (Yoga and Meditation Teacher Training) Featured Alumni! This is a platform to celebrate the unique talents, strengths and inner wisdom of our YMTT graduates. We are continuously inspired by our students and very excited to share what has come to fruition for them through their time in the Anuttara Teacher Trainings. This month we are thrilled to be featuring Melissa Shuker, a student who graduated from our 2018 YMTT.
A note from Artemis Facilitator and Founder of Anuttara Yoga.
"When Melissa came to the ashram in 2018, she came with some uncertainty about the direction her life should take. She had just moved to Canada, had just gotten married and wasn't sure what she wanted to do. She registered for the Training without necessarily wanting to become a teacher, but with a deep knowing that somehow this would provide her with the direction she needed.
Upon her arrival, we could sense her deep questioning of not only her life but life itself. Her earnest desire to find answers made Melissa a fantastic student! We were immediately struck by both her sweet nature and her unwavering faith that this is where she needed to be. As the training went on, we really watched her come into her own strength and face some really deep pain head-on. She took the things we were teaching and turned them into her own. She demonstrated a pearl of deep, natural wisdom and it began to bubble up and out of her.
When the training was over, Melissa was, of course, a very strong teacher at this point, but she had also received clarity around what it was that she felt her purpose was; she wanted to sing! Her strength and surety in this realization - and an unwavering trust in her heart and the messages that she had received from within - was absolutely awe-inspiring.
Throughout the training, she never tried to change herself to turn into what a yoga teacher "should" look like, but instead transformed into a bigger and brighter Melissa.
We are so excited to see her creativity flowing through some really good music, and living her true passion."
Name: Melissa Shuker / OCÉANE
Age: 30
Country: France/Australia
YMTT: Anuttara Ashram, BC, 2018
Where are you living? Canada
What projects are you currently involved in?
Music writing, costume making, meditation, yoga, and other spiritual practices
Have there been any significant moments or events since you graduated?
I have since released my debut single - the teacher training helped me align and understand better the purpose behind my passions. I have also had significant shifts happen in the way I experience life in general
Is there anything you’ve done since graduating that you are particularly proud of?
Taking significant steps towards the things I want to do most in life
Is there something that happened or that you learned during the training that helped bring you to where you are today?
Philosophy classes, the cacao ceremony, dynamic meditations, working with the inner child, the masks and Prem Baba's work and other psycho-spiritual
work helped uncovering, revealing and releasing old blockages and patterns - this lead to significant opening and life changes.
Was there a significant turning point in the training for you?
The cacao ceremony was a turning point for me as It helped me connect to a deeper layer of myself and understand my purpose better. I was able to perceive my essence and to get guidance from my inner child and elder-self.
Are there skills, techniques or aspects of the training that you use today that aid you in your daily life?
I find it hard to specifically pinpoint something as it has all become muscle memory and comes naturally. But generally, the ability to self-correct in yoga postures, to be present and aware in meditation and breathing. The ability to lead from presence.
What would you say to someone considering taking this training?
Wherever you want to go next, this will be an unforgettable experience that will help you grow in many areas of your life and you might witness and experience things you didn't even know existed. Whether you want to become a yoga teacher or not is actually irrelevant. You will also meet beautiful people who you will share very special moments with. I am still in contact with several people from the teacher training
