I have spent the past 2 months in India (then another 3 weeks in Thailand), completing the Advanced 500hrs Yoga Teacher Training Course at the Atri Yoga Centre in Rishikesh.
Now as someone who has attended say 5 Yoga sessions and 3 of those being Hot Bikram Yoga in the past 2 years, what brought me to the idea of wanting to teach?
Well, due to my spiritual re-awakening, life has changed dramatically and I was unsure in which direction to take in order to find out more information about the various routes & people of a similar mindset out there available to me...
As a person who has had visions during their meditations, I thought this might be a direction to go in and as much as I had been invited to DMT sessions back home, something wasn't feeling right for me to attend and I am quite particular to listening to my instinct and inner-self right now, so when I looked into which course to attend, it felt right and after contacting around 6 schools, it was after communication with a kind soul called Harish, which assured me I was on the right path.
I'd like to call myself a seasoned traveller, as someone who has had the bug for quite a while, but nothing prepared me for when I first arrived at Delhi airport- it was a complete assault on the senses- the noise, smells, the dense and polluted fog-like filled air and the sticky, dry heat -this was somewhere I've never been before!
Anyho, once I arrived at Dehradun, which was somewhat calmer and slightly more quieter, I got into a taxi which took me into Rishikesh.
Cows and Monkeys roamed the streets freely- I thought I was seeing things due to jet-lag at first ha! Little did I know, this was a beautiful everyday occurrence in India.
Cows and Monkeys roamed the streets freely- I thought I was seeing things due to jet-lag at first ha! Little did I know, this was a beautiful everyday occurrence in India.
Life in India and very special and unique side of it too.
On entry to the guesthouse, it was very basic and dirty in parts, but I thought to myself "this is a part of Karmic Yoga and will be my home for 2 months, so I'll have to get used to it." With that, I went out and brought some cleaning products and started scrubbing away.
A couple of days later another course mate joined me and within the next 3 days the 2 of us had become 11 classmates in total.
Now for me- being a people person- this was one of the best parts for me. People are my passion and I often like to do nothing better than sit and people watch, as beings, I find us fascinating.
It was great to be in such a diverse class, with people from all age groups- which truly goes to show- YOGA IS FOR EVERYONE! 😆
A typical day in the life of the course started with meditation at 6am Monday - Saturday. Followed by nasal cleansing with a netti pot, then into Om Shanti prayer, practising Pranayama (breathing techniques) & Ashtanga sequence. Breakfast followed by some disgestion time before Philosophy & Alignment classes commenced. Lunch & a chance to revise or catch some rays/rest, then Anatomy & Physiology followed by Hatha class with the brilliant Deepika into the evening.
As someone who had never previously attended classes in these styles of yoga before & teaches cardio, I can say I truly loved them- Ashtanga especially!!
I am grateful to what Hatha gave me too as it's more strength based & I feel physically stronger for it.
I am grateful to what Hatha gave me too as it's more strength based & I feel physically stronger for it.
The third time I attempted Shirshasana (headstand) against the wall.
Being the curviest in the group, I was determined to keep my focus within to perform asanas to the best of my abilities.Over the 2 months, we encouraged & supported one another & I was blessed to have made some beautifully genuine connections whilst I was there.
And no way would I say it was easier than I thought, we all felt our muscles ache, butt pain (between holding asanas and the stair climbing!), sweated buckets and -in parts- cried tears of laughter, frustration, relief and happiness.
Month 2 saw a lady come to join us on the 300hrs course ad 3 ladies and a gent come to begin their 200hrs course - parts of the practical training was joint with ours.
I was sad to see some of the previous crew go, but soon began to enjoy the new injection of energy and love which surrounded us. I also became closer with the gals and guys who were remaining on the course.
We learnt more about asanas, pranayamas, further philosophy, yoga nidra, kundalini rising techniques and yoga therapies - all of which I found highly fascinating, there is no end to the knowledge of yoga - which I adore!!
We visited & were blessed at temples, meditated in caves, bathed in the Holy River Ganga, explored the area & pulled asanas in some spectacular scenery. 😍
Through meditation we learnt how to focus the mind on being still in order to receive peace of mind & gain further knowledge of ourselves from within.
Unbeknownst to me, I didn't realise how much yoga can both keep illness at bay, along with curing many common diseases. Something the Western world doesn't seem to have taken back...could it be because if more people knew how to cure themselves for free through the practice of yoga and correct breathing and eating habits it would do the pharmaceutical companies out of pocket (the largest profitable economy on the planet), along with helping people to live longer, more happier lives...now who would want that huh?? 😉😂😂
The beauty of Yoga compared to other types of fitness that I both discovered and taught is, when performed correctly, it cannot damage the body, increases strength, gives resistance to illness and we don't have to get it perfect each time...which teaches us about the beauty of life, that it isn't perfect and there's no pressure to get it right, just to be the best we can be each time we positions ourselves onto an asana.
We learn to release the ego and know it does not belong to us, it's merely a part of the conditioning that we have all been taught.
It is a practice, which means the practice is where we develop on what we have learnt, then create shapes , transform and control our bodies into stunning positions of stillness...it encourages us to be completely in the present and we're able to focus within.
In a world currently with increasing stress levels, it is the perfect antidote to induce a state of calm.
I now practice Yoga regularly can bend and twist my body further than I have done before.
Yoga is a beautiful art-form I never expected to fall in love with, but I have...deeply...along with making genuine friendships with many of the wonderful souls I got the pleasure of meeting- you girls and guys know who you are, thank you for supporting me and know that I love you!! 😙😙😙
If anyone is looking into completing the 200, 300 or 500 hour courses in Rishikesh, then Atri Yoga Centre is place you should give serious consideration too.
I have always been determined and fearless...I guess this experience has enforced within me that anything is possible and the World truly is my Oyster and I look forward to discovering what else the Universe's energies have in store for me along with feeling and know I can achieve anything I want to if I put my mind to it and SO CAN YOU!! 💚☉💃
Namasté you beautiful souls,
Sunshine Xx
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