300-hour yoga teacher training
Hello and welcome back! In this blog post I will be sharing my experience during my 300-hour yoga teacher training I recently took in Rishikesh, India.
Let’s start from the beginning. What made me want to do this and why did I decide to go all the way across the world to take this training? Well, first, the reason why I decided I was ready for another yoga teacher training is because I had a deep calling inside my soul where I felt ready to dive deeper into my own yoga sadhana (practice). In particular, I wanted to learn more about the philosophy behind what we call “yoga” and I also felt ready to learn more about the anatomy of the body when it comes to proper alignment in yoga asanas (poses). After teaching at a yoga studio for a year and a half, I felt like I was becoming a bit stagnant not only during the classes I was teaching but also in my own private practice. I felt like I was starting to lack creativity and passion for what I was teaching/practicing on my mat. This is a feeling I am very familiar with and in the past, it has meant that I am ready to step into a new challenge and a higher version of myself. I felt ready to step out of my comfort zone and felt called to go all the way to India because this is the birthplace of yoga & meditation. The Motherland.
At first I felt overwhelmed by the amount of options I had as far as choosing a school for my teacher training. After checking out a few places in Rishikesh, I was recommended Yogkulam by a friend of mine that did her YTT there, so I decided to pick this school. Best decision ever. I had amazing teachers/masters, met beautiful people there, and had the most magical experience. I got to learn from teachers that felt genuinely passionate about sharing their knowledge & culture with the rest of us. This course lasted a total of 4 weeks. What I learned there I am still trying to process to this day. It was more than just a yoga teacher training, it was a deep dive into my own life journey and my spiritual awakening. Going into this course I already felt a strong connection with my spirituality and my yoga sadhana. However, I got to learn so much about the Eastern views on yoga and on this path we are all walking, called Life. I learned that the ultimate goal is for us all to reach a state of “liberation,” or as it is referred to in Hinduism, MOKSHA.
I have always said that my ultimate goal in life is to feel freedom. In every aspect. Freedom in life, freedom of choice, freedom in love, financial freedom, etc… So when I started learning more about Eastern philosophy, I instantly felt a deep connection with their views. To this day, I am still trying to process everything before I can start sharing more about these teachings and also on my personal transformation. Once that time comes, there will be an entire blog dedicated just for this, I promise.
So back to the teacher training itself. The schedule was very strict, beginning from 6am and ending at 8pm. This is what our schedule looked like;
6am- first asana class (Hatha yoga) 7:30am- Pranayama (Breathwork) 9am- breakfast (all meals were vegan/vegetarian) 10am- Philosophy (my favorite class) 11am- Yoga Chikitsa (yoga therapy) 12pm- Yoga Methodology 1pm- lunch 2pm- break 3pm- Alignment and Adjustments 4pm- Ashtanga 6pm- meditation 7pm- silent dinner
It was intense for sure. But after week 1, my body and mind got used to it and I actually enjoyed waking up at 5am every morning and having structure and discipline in my day.
I was a little nervous about starting the course because I wasn’t sure what to expect from a 300-hour yoga teacher training compared to the 200-hour YTT I took in Bali 2 years prior. I wasn’t sure how prepared I was for it so that also made me feel a little anxious. I was going to be sharing a room with one other person during the 4 weeks so that also had me feeling a bit uneasy. I remember praying that no matter how the course went, that I at least had a sweet and cool roommate, because it was most likely going to be the person with whom I spent most of my time with. Believe me when I tell you that my prayers were not only answered, but I was gifted with the most incredible roommate I could’ve ever dreamed of. ♡♡♡♡ Her name is Chiara and she is my Italian soul sister that I have always wanted in my life. From the moment she knocked on our bedroom door, I saw her standing there and we immediately gave each other the tightest hug as if our souls had already met before in another lifetime and they had been waiting this entire time to reconnect with each other. We instantly became best friends and everyone else thought we were either sisters or that we already knew each other before getting there because of how strong our chemistry was. This is how powerful our bond was (and still is to this moment)!! I tell her every chance I get, that she WAS my experience there in Rishikesh. I was meant to share that moment with her as my roommate and the teacher training would not have been the same without her there.
Besides the beautiful humans I got to meet during my YTT, this experience taught me so much about myself. It taught me how brave I truly am. I signed up for a teacher training across the other side of the world, far away from my family and loved ones, in a country that I had never been to before, on my own, on a budget, and knowing absolutely no one out there. It taught me that I am more resilient than I ever give myself credit for. It taught me that I can adapt to new places and new situations without needing to have full control and simply trust in the Universe and its power to guide and protect me throughout my journey. The lessons learned will forever travel with me and I will cherish these life lessons like the true treasure they are.
If you have a deep calling in your soul, for whatever it is, my best advice is to FOLLOW YOUR INTUITION. That is your inner voice speaking to you. The best thing that could happen is that you learn something new about yourself and that already is such a gift.
Trust in the Universe and be open to all possibilities. Thank you for reading. Sending you love and light always. NAMASTE
