The one month ashtanga teacher training in November was INTENSE. But amazing. The whole program was strategically designed to bring your entire body and mind into a balanced state by incorporating 3 hours of asana practice a day, 1 hour of pranayama, meditation, 30 minutes of chanting, and 1 hour of yoga philosophy. Even by having the exact same schedule with consistent meal times every single day does wonders for both the mind and the systems of the body. The first few weeks were especially physically and mentally taxing. In addition to 2-a day asana practices and having to concentrate in classes from 5:30am – 7:30pm, you are sitting on the floor all day. You don’t realize how hard it is at first, but by the end of the first week your body is aching. The “ache” seems to travel throughout the body up until about the third week, and only then do you experience the ease, comfort and grounding effects of sitting on the floor. Just by sitting cross legged on the floor alone is a huge hip opener, helps improve posture, and helps improve digestion. It is so primal and you realize how far we have come from our bodies’ natural way of being.
Sundays we had off and I spent them in my favorite way: lazy mornings sleeping in and reading in bed, then heading out to a yoga café to chill, eat, drink coffee…and study! So much studying. Every free hour or spare moment was spent studying (which is why I haven’t had time to blog!). We had to memorize all this Sanskrit terminology for yoga philosophy and asanas, plus anatomy, and 3 long sequences by heart. The total written exam was a 2 ½ test, with the last 5 pages being entirely hand-written answers. We also had a “practical” physical examination.
For the first time in a long time I felt extremely challenged in my yoga practice – I felt like a beginner all over again. I was experiencing some of the same challenging thoughts that I did when I first started practicing – comparing myself to others, wanting to get into the deepest variation of the pose, impatience, judging myself. It was good though, to catch myself going down that path. Not only did it mean I was learning new things, but since I have been doing yoga for some time now, and I have seen the progress that can be made through consistent and diligent practice, I was able to talk myself out of the negative chatter and remind myself the importance of PATIENCE, on and off the mat. You might practice a posture for years and not get it, but then one day, your body will effortlessly float into place and there you will be, hanging upside down in a hand stand (adho mukha vrksasana). Our teacher also emphasized the importance of HAVING FUN with your practice and “playing” on your mat. When you play, you become light. When you become light, you can fly 🙂
The city of Mysore was a great change of pace compared to Mumbai. Mumbai is a very busy populated city, super crowded streets, crazy traffic patterns, and obviously lots of pockets of poverty. Mysore is a wealthier “suburbial” area. Nice houses, larger lots of land, more spread out, less crowded, way more grass and greenery, local cafes and eateries, and LOTS OF YOGA – a very popular yoga destination. In general the vibes were super chill, relaxed, laid back. The weather was SPECTACULAR. Chilly nights and mornings and warm, sunny days. The air felt very crisp, and clean (compared to Mumbai). It is their winter season, and the best time of year here.
Highlights of the month to follow in my next post!!
India Vibrations 