How a certificate changed my life… & my mind

(If you missed part 1 of this story, make sure to read that here!)

A few weeks ago, I came across a journal entry dated March 18th, 2018.


Yesterday, Blaine and I signed up to take a 300-hour YTT in India! Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we’ll be immersed in all things yoga. I’m nervous but excited.


I texted a photo of the entry to Blaine, and she replied, “This is such a sweet memory! I remember sitting on the couch at Yoga Hive Colorado talking about this and saying YES!”


It was a core memory for both of us.


What I didn’t know at the time was that saying yes would change the entire trajectory of my life. That trip didn’t just “immerse me in all things yoga” — it initiated me into the Himalayan Kriya Yoga lineage.

And yet, if I’m honest, my initial motivation for signing up wasn’t spiritual at all. It was rooted in personal growth, self-discovery and… achievement.


Below: Graduation day in India, 2018

As the owner of multiple yoga studios, with thousands of teaching hours and plenty of certificates already under my belt, I believed that becoming an E-RYT 500 — the highest designation on Yoga Alliance — was the natural next step. The top of the yoga achievement pyramid. (The ultimate gold star!)


That’s the way we’re conditioned to think as Western yogis in 2025. We love sequences and systems. We’re taught to “do it right.” From our earliest school years, we chase diplomas, degrees, certifications — all those shiny badges that say to the world: I did a thing. Look at me.


Don’t get me wrong: educational structures (Yoga Alliance included) serve a purpose. They provide accountability, consistency, and a shared language for students and teachers alike.


But here’s the truth that I know in my bones: Even with boundaries in place, anyone can teach yoga. You can earn a certificate over a long weekend, call yourself a “Yoga Teacher,” or pivot into “Breathwork Facilitator” or “Meditation Instructor.” Titles are limitless — and so is our capacity to chase them.
​

Below: Blaine and I, in India 2018

After all these years of being “immersed in all things yoga,” here’s what I know for sure: All those certificates and titles lead me back to some version of the same familiar moment. I’m on a metaphorical meditation cushion at 12:45 AM, debating whether to fudge the time to keep an 85-day streak alive.


And in that moment, I face a choice: To achieve. Or to learn. My answer makes all the difference.


In the Himalayan Kriya tradition, we’re reminded again and again: real learning begins when achievement ends. In fact, that simple truth is what sparked the name The Yoga We Need — a space for remembering that yoga isn’t about doing more, but about coming home to ourselves. (See you live tomorrow?)


Stay tuned Sunday for the final story in my mini-trilogy on the yogic path.

In light,
​Mollie