Noel Duan

    28 Sep 2011

    As the icing on the cake, I found out today that Columbia will be funding my summer of research in Paris, which is exciting because even after the spring semester is over, I will still be spending three more months in Europe and I won’t be paying from my own pocket. I feel extremely lucky that I get to spend an extra summer doing academic research in Europe, and I truly intend to turn this into something that will ultimately become my senior thesis. I go to yoga a lot, no matter how much homework I have, because I’m so tired of making excuses for myself. I think I’ve changed for the better since I began doing yoga daily. There are a lot of exterior things in this world that could make me a hateful person, but instead I’ve found an inner peace and forgiveness that cannot be shaken. I’m making it a goal to become a certified yoga teacher by graduation (I’ll fund the training myself…somehow), because I want to someday teach yoga to domestic violence victims, especially battered women. I don’t think yoga substitutes for religion or therapy or is an excuse to be passive, but I do think it’s a reminder to be kind to yourself. Almost every morning, I run a 5k, which isn’t much (about 3.11 miles), but all these little things have helped me take control of myself. I’m not quite sure about who I want to be, but I’m quite sure about who I don’t want to be.

    As the icing on the cake, I found out today that Columbia will be funding my summer of research in Paris, which is exciting because even after the spring semester is over, I will still be spending three more months in Europe and I won’t be paying from my own pocket. I feel extremely lucky that I get to spend an extra summer doing academic research in Europe, and I truly intend to turn this into something that will ultimately become my senior thesis.

    I go to yoga a lot, no matter how much homework I have, because I’m so tired of making excuses for myself. I think I’ve changed for the better since I began doing yoga daily. There are a lot of exterior things in this world that could make me a hateful person, but instead I’ve found an inner peace and forgiveness that cannot be shaken. I’m making it a goal to become a certified yoga teacher by graduation (I’ll fund the training myself…somehow), because I want to someday teach yoga to domestic violence victims, especially battered women. I don’t think yoga substitutes for religion or therapy or is an excuse to be passive, but I do think it’s a reminder to be kind to yourself.

    Almost every morning, I run a 5k, which isn’t much (about 3.11 miles), but all these little things have helped me take control of myself. I’m not quite sure about who I want to be, but I’m quite sure about who I don’t want to be.

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    1. leoona said: good for you! I wish that I had made sure to make time for myself during college! I only learned this lesson after graduating.
    2. eggpoacher reblogged this from noelduan
    3. septembertwelfth reblogged this from noelduan
    4. lettertonowhere said: that’s awesome! i got my yoga teacher certification in 2009 and it was a great journey. good luck with everything! you have so many amazing plans for yourself.
    5. noelduan posted this