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Wendy Gilland, RYT 
“Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself
that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really
becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I
can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have
it at the beginning.”
~ Gandhi
To be brief, my journey into Yoga came after the recommendation of my doctor as
a way to help with my symptoms of multiple sclerosis. At first, Lamont and I
tried a few Yoga videos, and I bought a couple of books at Sam’s – you know,
the basic Yoga for Idiot’s kind of thing. We enjoyed attempting these together
at home, but had no clue what safe alignment was and found it really
challenging to simultaneously watch this perfectly proportioned contortionist
on the TV while trying to recreate that pose on our living room floor. More
laughter than mindfulness was taking place here!
Then, in late July 2004, I walked into a Yoga studio for the first time. I felt
a connection with my body that had been missing and knew that Yoga would be a
part of my life forever. I totally immersed myself into Yoga, taking as many
classes as I could and beginning a dedicated home practice. I began reading
Moving into Stillness by Erich Schiffmann and The Tree of Yoga by B.K.S.
Iyengar and every Yoga magazine I could get my hands on.
The reconnection of mind, body, and spirit began relatively early, and I found
that my symptoms, although not completely gone, were so much more manageable.
When I was practicing asanas (the physical poses of Yoga) and pranayama
(focused breathing), I was focusing on what was “working” in my body rather
than the pain, numbness, tingling, or other uncomfortable sensations I was
living with for so many years. My energy level went up and my posture began to
improve. My family began commenting that I was looking “younger”. Activities
that I had enjoyed but limited or gave up because of my symptoms, like hiking
and gardening, were now a part of my life again. It was a tremendous blessing
to find Yoga.
In order to explore Yoga more fully, I began Stephanie Keach’s Yoga Teacher
Training in Asheville, NC in November of 2005. This was a defining moment in my
life. Through this program, I found that I grew spiritually and emotionally in
ways I never dreamed before. The instructors were gifted and incredibly
knowledgeable, and the other students in the program were so inspiring.
As part of our training, we are required to teach classes in our communities.
Although it was never my intention to become a Yoga teacher, I found at my very
first class, that this was truly my path in life. It is so fulfilling to feel
that you are helping people reconnect with their bodies and begin healing. It
is truly a blessing for me to have this opportunity.
When asked to describe my “style” of teaching, I would have to say that it is
from the heart. Truly before each and every class, I prayerfully ask for
guidance and direction and the class flows from there. My intention is always
to provide what I feel each student needs from a practice, while also relying
on them to listen intently to their own bodies for guidance along the way.
Wendy Gilliland has been certified through the nine-month
230-Hour Teacher Training Program at the Asheville Yoga Center (AYC). Wendy is a Registered Yoga
Teacher (RYT) through the Yoga Alliance a member of the Yoga Society of
Nashville and a member of the International Association of Yoga
Therapists.
Wendy has completed over 1800 hours of instruction (Some of the class styles
she has taught include: Level 1 and Level 2 Vinyasa Flow, Therapeutic Yoga,
Gentle/Restorative Yoga, Beginner’s Yoga, Kid’s Yoga and Private Classes. In
addition, she designed and taught a Foundations of Yoga 1 and 2 six week yoga
intensive, and several Beginner Yoga Workshops.)
In the summer of 2007, Wendy began the AYC 500-Hour Yoga Alliance Advanced
Studies Teacher Training and Certification. She has studied with Erich
Schiffmann,
Paul Grilley, and Mary Kay West.
In 2008, Wendy earned her e-RYT designation with the Yoga Alliance indicating
an experienced teacher with over 1,000 hours of teaching experience.
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