- Sep 14, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Sep 30, 2025
This is a Part 2 of a blog series about my illustration experience through my Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) here in Windhoek, Namibia. (Part 1 was a pre-YTT gratitude post to former teachers, and Part 3 is a series of illustrated notes for each week's curriculum.) In this post I'll share a bit about what it was like to be in the thick of the course, trying to draw and take notes through each lecture. And I'll show and tell about a very rudimentary card deck I detailed to flash-card study all the yoga asana poses.
...............
The YTT was hosted by Samudra Yoga School, owned and directed by Lara-Lyn Ahrens who is also the former studio owner of Yoga Shala Windhoek. She was flanked by several other yogis who joined the course to lead morning practice or deliver guest lectures along the way. The student group was made up of 7 women (including me) - each of us at various stages in our yoga journey.
The training opened with a white-clad ceremony and then bam - we went straight into an 8-hour schedule, 6 days a week for the month of September. Normally, I am cautious in new groups and prefer to sit to the side and observe - preferably with pencil and paper in hand. But this was an intimate group with interactive teaching - so there was no room to hide! Thankfully it was a lovely cohesive ambiance - a rare, beautiful thing to rest my soul in. And I managed to eke out some drawings...
Notebook doodles: (1) hatha yoga surya namaskar (2) bandhas, muscles, exercise, (3) inversion preparation, (4) setting up for dancer, (5) yin yoga sequence for melting © thesmarti
We were gifted well-crafted thick manuals for the coursework, and encouraged to write notes inside. So I dutifully wrote notes and cues in the manual, of course. But I also had my little notebook at the ready so I could sneak in drawings and sketches. Such a delightful challenge to capture things quickly!
Notebook doodles - (1) mudras, (2) interior of Yoga Shala, (3) and (4) posture/progression/regression, (5) prenatal yoga
© thesmarti
Samudra Yoga School is particularly dedicated to cultivating well-rounded teachers. As our head instructor, Lara-Lyn emphasized that we have a responsibility to present all the facets of yoga in our classes - pranayama (breathing exercises), asana (the poses), meditation, mudras (hand positions), mantras and more. The monthlong training course that she coordinated includes a little bit of everything. And it was certainly more than I remember learning in my previous YTT.
Photo of my yoga mat station, holding up a notebook with a drawing of Lara-Lyn teaching yin yoga © thesmarti
This was me in the back of the class, with manuals out - listening, drawing, trying to capture the wisdom from Lara-Lyn. And yes, we're decked out in blankets because a) that day was all about being in cold bodies relaxing in deep long poses in Yin Yoga and b) it was the winter season in Windhoek and pretty chilly!
...............
In week 2, I bought a deck of notecards and started to draw out the asanas (yoga poses) as a way to translate what I think I know in my head into something visual. At first I drew them all in pencil at first, but then gave in and did them all in pen so the contrast against the white background was stronger. I add a color code line on the edge. Sun salutations (yellow), standing poses (green), seated poses (aqua), prone poses (baby blue), kneeling poses (cerulean, supine poses (periwinkle), inverted poses (purple) and arm balance/backbends (pink).
Photo of my home desk with manual, timer, pencils while making my flash cards of asanas © thesmarti
Using a deck of cards was helpful as a visual learner for two reasons. First, because I have to really understand the concept to draw it well. It forces me to pay closer attention to the little things. Where does the foot go? Is the chin tucked? Etc. Second, I could spread the deck out side by side and see the whole collection all at once! So DEEPLY satisyfing. I don't know why but concepts somehow get muddled or scattered in my brain if they are separated by pages of texts. Or maybe I'm just one of those students who has to practically make their own thing just to integrate it into my brain.
[...] Â
Eh...just do what works.
At one point, I taped the deck up on the wall in the Yoga Shala to share with my fellow students as a way to keep track of all the poses we were learning. Since some students were quite new to yoga, I thought it might be helpful for everyone to see the poses and compare them. Because sometimes there are poses that are super similar but just slightly different. (Talking to you Samasthiti, Tadasana, Pranamasana.) In the end, I drew nearly 100 poses in my deck of cards! Here's a sampling of how they turned out:
Forgive the punching holes in the top left corner - so silly of me - I cut some letters off the titles! It's Ardha Chandrasana for those of you who are in suspense.
Ah, this is so embarrassing but fun to explain - I confess it took drawing cat and cow pose to realize which one is which! Cow is with back in an arch extension so that the tummy curves down to the mat so I doodled in udders - hehehe! Cat is tucking in navel to spine and rounded arch of the back in flexion like the rounded spine of a scared cat.
Just a note - I drew these cards to model basic elements of the pose, it's devoid of all kinds of details of safety/intention/purpose of alignment. Photos would probably be better. And of course, modifications and guidance from a more advanced yoga practitioner are always helpful for the specificities of each individual student, their body and/or particular injuries.
Also, if I do the deck of cards again, I would definitely include the drishti (gaze). Since I was focused more on the body, I made the silhouette shapes of the body more important. But the drishti line would be helpful as another layer of accuracy to the full pose. This would probably help me remember where to look so I can also gain that extra bit of strength in my neck and eye muscles. Full gains, my friends!
Eventually, the deck came in handy for the teaching assessments in the afternoon. I would lay out the cards and then play with the order, rearrange and test out transitions to learn how to make a yoga sequences. It was helpful to see my "class flows" come together via the cards. And it helped me remember some alignment cues while I was practicing to teach. Quite a hack for the visual learners out there.
For actual assessments I was allowed to have some flash cards. At first, I took advantage of this and wrote everything out. Newbie mistake. Eventually, I learned to rewrite the flows out in a shorter script by the end but still not short enough. I'll get there eventually I'm sure. What I do know is that figuring out and memorizing new flows is ROUGH! But I was encouraged by other yoga teachers that it just takes time and practice to build that skill.
At the end of the course, I challenged myself to design 20 classes before the end of the year. So I bound a thin notebook and I have been writing out the themes, flows, mudras and mantras to practice making and giving classes. I'm sure this process will evolve, but this is just how I'm starting out. If you have any great suggestions, I'm so curious how other teachers do it!
...............
During my first yoga teacher training, I didn't have the skill to draw, so I don't remember having anything more than a couple of bizarre stories from my experience. (It was an overall meh adventure.) By the time I did my Rocket YTT, I had enough coordination and time to doodle all kinds of body flow wisdom and fellow practitioners. And boy did that come in handy for this YTT at Samudra Yoga School! Each pencil line, each pen scribble, helping the brain to connect it altogether.
Cheers to drawing my way through YTT,
smarti
- Aug 14, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 30, 2025
There are many inspiring things that refill my cup - yoga is an important one of them. I'm dedicating this blog post to my previous yoga experience, and the preparation for an upcoming Yoga Teacher Training to refresh my knowledge. As an illustrator, drawing is a natural way to capture what I'm learning and so I'm using my drawings to fold yoga deeper into my memory.
...............
A Yoga Teacher Training course is typically a 200hr month long training to explore the philosophy, practice and refinements to become a yoga teacher. I completed a YTT back in 2013 but to be frank, I've forgotten a lot of the information and I never did it to become a teacher. So I found a course here locally in Windhoek, and booked myself in to get back to the basics. This is a chance to delve back in, meet other like-minded yogis and start building some teaching skills.
One of the requirements in preparation for this course YTT course was to complete 20 hours of yoga classes with other teachers. So of course, I loved the challenge and it became a fantastic opportunity to do yoga on my travels through Spain and then in Cape Town on my way home to Namibia. I printed and bound a little A5 Yoga Journal booklet and brought it with me on my travels to document it all.
After each class, I drew a pose or muscle, and scribbled out a couple of notes. Sometimes I highlighted the sanskrit names, or noted alignment signs. And I always had each teacher sign to confirm I completed a class with them. Sad to say, I lost this little booklet. But not before I could turn it in for credit - so it served it's purpose very well! And thankfully, I saved these two photos to share here.
The classes I did along my travels were wildly different experiences. First, it's always a bit of a hunt to find yoga studios in Spain. Most of them I found via google maps or via instagram. Then, I had to pre-book a lot of the classes directly with the teachers via whatsapp! No anonymous drop-ins until I got to Madrid. I crammed my yoga outfit in my backpack as we toured around and made a plan every day to leave my tourist activity with plenty of time to arrive at each shala to settle in before the class. To be honest, it was a bit exhausting to fit it all in, but also uniquely charming to see all the different locations for these yoga studios - second floor village shalas, back garden spaces, big boxy studios, and pokey little community centers!
More interesting to me was that each teacher sets a particular tone and delivery for yoga - so that the asana practice really does feel different every single time. (Caveat: this might be due to the many existing different style of yoga. e.g. hatha with long holds, vinyasa with breathing emphasized, or yin with cold slow fascia release, etc.) But I also find that each teacher brings their own personality to the presentation of the yoga. Serious. Playful. Curious. Inspiring. A teacher has the capacity to shape a yoga practice into something very unique. And each of the teachers I met along the way were generous and kind to me, answering questions and giving advice. Here's the main takeaways I took from each of their classes:
caridad fernandez @maxinebeimel @karlsten.yoga mimi thurgood
Thank you to each of you for sharing the practice with me. It's was heartwarming to feel a kinship with others who also geek out over yoga. I gotta say although I really do love my personal practice at home - it was also a nice change to be with other students, to follow different rhythms, and to remember the wide variety of yoga that exists.
...............
Writing this post made me reflect back on the many yoga experiences I've had along the way. Every place I've lived has given me an opportunity to study in different studios, with different styles of yoga, and with different teachers. Each of them have shaped my personal growth. So indulge me while I list my previous teachers and thank them for being pivotal to me on my yoga journey:
Thank you to my intro teacher, unknown, @winterparkyoga. I came to you on a whim as a burned out and under-slept college coed working 3 jobs. I entered the candlelit studio oblivious and proceeded to spend an entire hour furiously looking around and trying to keep up. At the end of the class in savasana, I awoke from a deep sleep as you knelt by my head to massage the nape of my neck with lavender oil. I came out of class with a strange high - totally blissed out and very confused about what the heck just happened.
Thank you to my iyengar teacher, uknown, @centralyogastudio. I was studying abroad at University of Technology Sydney and I had no idea what Iyengar meant but you were the closest studio to my dorm. So I bought a membership package and started coming to classes on the regular. I smirked every time you were pouty about alignment and posture and brought out new toys and props for poses. I only connected the dots after 6 months of muscle memory when suddenly my personal practice took on a whole new level of power.
Thank you to my jivamukti teacher, unknown, lost studio near george V metro. I loved how you laced each class with personal anecdotes and inspirational quotes throughout the practice. It helped me simultaneously get out of my head and into my body and feel something deeper than just movement. Every class felt like magic and I always left class with a buzzy happiness that kept me afloat amidst rainy days in paris.
Thank you to my rocket intro teacher Peter @pringsverdyoga who hosted a Rocket Yoga class every week around the corner from our apartment in Copenhagen. The playful challenge of Rocket was richly satisfying to both me and my partner. In particular, I was floored by your humble honesty about your own personal growth. After a year in your classes, I decided to ambitiously jump into a Rocket YTT. A hearty thank you for not dissuading me from trying.
To my rocket teacher training host Lita @litasattva for receiving me in Lisbon alongside all of the other teachers for the Rocket YTT. You model a very inclusive and holistic experience of yoga. You shine with a naturally open, approachable and welcoming soul. I'm grateful for your presence then and continued advice since.
And then of course, my gratitude to David C. Kyle @davidckyle who authored the Rocket Vinyasa Foundations to share the original Rocket sequences of Ashtanga that Larry Schultz arranged. It was illuminating to train under your guidance during the Rocket YTT. Thank you for all the moments you let me doodle and literally draw out your wisdom into panel comics. Thanks for letting me be mischievous!
...............
Finally, a thank you to all that have come before to share their knowledge - yoga is what it is because it has been handed down for thousands of years. So many hands, so many hearts.
I'm grateful to each of you,
smarti
- Jul 14, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 10
Gratitude journaling is such a well known practice. But for me, the concept never really stuck until I read a book last year called The Tools by psychologist extraordinaire Phil Stutz. That book turned me onto a meditation practice of gratitude that helped me cement the practice. And then I turned it into an illustrated series capturing my life. I called the series gratituesday.
You might know about the book The Tools already, but if you don't - it's about a psychologists breakthrough with patients when he shared visualized meditations. His technique is completely different to mainstream psych and a joyous pivot from mechanations of talk therapy. It follows the theory that you just have to act your way into being.
The Tools is already showcased on a website where Phil Stutz along with his protege Barry Michels are sharing the background of the project and the audio files for the visualizations. Since they are part meditations, it's sometimes easier to click the audio and close your eyes and imagine it for yourself rather than read it. If that's something that interests you, the one I'm exploring in this post is called Grateful Flow.
Grateful Flow is about accessing the experiential state of gratitude. A simple gratitude journal is one way to connect our fortunes in the smallest ways to our sense of wonder and appreciation for the world we live in. Phil Stutz takes it to the next level where we don't even have words and we practice just basking in the feeling of gratitude.
We are supposed to imagine a list of things we are grateful for, naming them one by one, and then eventually move from the tangible to intangible and concentrate on the feeling of gratitude. Like a warmth inside the body flowing outward from your heart. Grateful Flow. Then you will feel a higher source of infinite giving all around us, and bask in the abundance.
I like using this tool when I get overwhelmed, tired or stressed. It has become so useful to me and my daily habits that I tracked my gratitude list, and then illustrated them in a series I named gratituesday - because I post it on Tuesdays.
Gratituesday allowed me to commemorate my progress in the gratitude practice. A small title, the date and then three things that went on during the week that made my list. Its made me more aware of the wonderful things happening, and to appreciate the moments as they come.
I illustrate everything from food I ate, things I did, things I saw. I try to make sure I'm not illustrating from one category too often. But being mortal, it tends to be the things I can touch, taste, see, hear. It's made me pay attention to things, and encouraged friends to share their own gratitude lists.
Because it's in my weekly scheduled IG posts, I feel accountable to keep up the practice. As a result, I spend a lot more time at the begining of the week writing doing what things are coming up that I'm looking forward to experiencing. And then of course, at the end of the week, I spend time drawing out the things that actually happened. So I get the gratitude practice before, during and after.
I really try to make sure the things I capture are small. There are times when epic things happen, but more often than not it's just the daily happenings. A small sighting of a bug. A nice meal or snack. A sunrise, sunset. Sometimes it's just the slow moments - because those are really nice in this fast-paced world.
Gratituesday has helped me celebrate all kinds of things. And I like the attitude it cultivates in me. I'm more interested in these small moments - planned or unplanned. I also like how it encourages me to prioritize self-care too, scheduling in things that help me fill up my cup.
I used to be quite cynical and still am (diplo analaytical skills never quite shut off) so I would ruminate on things and get lost in unfinished arguments I would have with characters in my head. Ironic now since I don't need those skills as much in the art arena. So, this gratitude practice has definitely allowed me to let go a little, shift my attention, slow down and feel instead of think. If this is something that might resonate with you, then I definitely recommend giving it a whirl.
cheers to finding the gratitude practice that fills you up,
smarti
