In March 2019, I had the incredible opportunity of spending almost a month in the beautiful, North Indian city of Rishikesh, which rests peacefully at the foothills of the Himalayas and alongside the magnificent Ganges River. Just about a year before that I made the decision and booked my place at the World Peace Yoga School to study and complete a 200 hour yoga teacher training course. At the time of booking this training, I had only been to some classes at the gym and knew a few basic yoga postures. Other than that, I knew very little about yoga and the holistic lifestyle that it is, however, I wanted to know more. Why were people from all over the world suddenly interested in this ancient practice? There must be more to it than just being able to do some fancy poses, calm breathing and relaxing meditation exercises.
So, with the will to learn and know more about this (not so) new topic, I packed my bags and set off to the place where yoga originated: the Motherland, incredible India. Now, I have travelled alone on numerous occasions for work related purposes, so, that much was not new to me. However, this trip was the first time I encountered a severely delayed flight, which resulted in me missing my connecting flight and being stranded in Delhi for the night. But, this seemingly terrible situation was actually the beginning of my enlightening and life-changing journey.
In short, I ended up staying the night in Delhi with a wonderful, local family, whom I am still in contact with to the day, I caught the first flight to Rishikesh the next morning and made it to the World Peace Yoga School. Since the annual International Yoga Festival was in full swing at the time, the streets and stores of Rishikesh were filled with even more than the usual number of seasoned and new yogis alike. Everyone was in high spirits and emanating this amazing energy, which was almost tangible, electric, and very contagious. I felt completely ‘at home’ as soon as I arrived. The beautiful scenery, vibrant but serene atmosphere, colours, smells and thousand plus years of Yoga and spiritual tradition is impossible to replicate anywhere else in the world and is the perfect setting for a journey of self-transformation.
About the School
The World Peace Yoga School is a yoga ashram that provides a variety of teacher training courses, which are internationally certified with Yoga Alliance, including Hatha, Ashtanga and Kundalini Yoga. They have centres in Rishikesh as well as other locations such as Goa, Kerala, Bali and Lithuania, to name a few, and has become known as one of the best schools in which to further your knowledge of yoga. The Rishikesh branch is very conveniently located near Laxman Jhula, which is within walking distance of many shops and restaurants in the area as well as the holy Ganges.
In general, the month of March is one of the busiest months for the school due to the good weather (it’s not too cold, nor too hot), and also because it is when the International Yoga Festival happens. When I arrived at the school, I was shown to a basic, but neat and tidy room, which I would call mine for the rest of the month. After settling in and unpacking the essentials, it was time for lunch and to meet the rest of the budding yogis I would be training with.
Our class had a total of 20 people, who were representative of more than 10 countries across 6 continents. It was absolutely lovely to see people from all around the world coming together in India to learn about the practice of yoga, and I was extremely excited to get started.
About the Food
All meals were provided daily at the school and were 100% vegetarian and Sattvic. The food was generally simple and included dishes such as oats and fruits for breakfast, and rice, lentil and vegetable curries, salad, and sometimes paneer, idli or pasta, for lunch and dinner. If, for any reason, any of the students did not want to eat at the school, there were numerous restaurants around the area, which served continental food, that could be visited. So, there was never a time when anyone was hungry; a good thing considering the very full program we had during the training course.
About the Daily Routine
The 200 hour yoga teacher training course runs from the 2nd to the 28th of every month. The days are jam packed with lessons and classes, including theory and practical subjects, from Monday to Saturday, with a half day on Thursday, and a full rest day on Sunday. This is the timetable we followed for the duration of the course:
Even though the days were long, and the information overload was extreme, our group of yogis was constantly high on energy and dedicated to the learning process.
About the Subjects
So, as you can see, our subjects included: Hatha yoga, pranayama and shatkarma (breathing and cleansing techniques), yoga philosophy, yoga anatomy, Ashtanga yoga and body alignment, and meditation and mantra chanting. There was a certain level of overlap between all these topics and it was great to experience the way they were all inter-related in some way or the other, which emphasized how broad the topic of Yoga actaully is. In addition to those subjects, we also had the opportunity of getting an introduction to Ayurveda and learning about its close link to the yogic lifestyle.
This post is just to provide a high level overview of the topics that were covered during my time studying in India, however, in following posts, I will discuss each topic in detail so that the knowledge and complete understanding can be transferred. As we progress through the topics, if there are any areas where more explanation is required, or if there are other areas of interest that I have not covered, please let me know in the comments or by sending a suggestion and I will be more than happy to share it with you.
Hatha Yoga
- Surya Namaskar (Sun salutation)
- Chandra Namaskar (Moon salutation)
- Hatha yoga asanas (postures) and alignment
- Developing a class sequence and teaching Hatha yoga
Pranayama (Power of Breathing)
- Introduction of Pranayama,
- Benefits of pranayama
- General guidelines Clavicular, Thorocic and Diaphragmatic Breathing (Yogic Breathing)
- Ujjayi breath
- Bhastrika
- Kapalbhati
- Nadi Sodhana
- Bhramari
- Surya Bhedi & Chandra Bhedi
- Sheetali & Sheetkari
- Sitting postures for pranayama
Shatkarma (Yoga Cleansing)
- Neti (nasal passage cleansing)
- Dhauti (cleaning of the digestive tract)
- Nauli (abdominal massage)
- Basti (colon cleansing)
- Kapalbhati (cleansing breathing exercise)
- Trataka (steady gazing)
Mudras (Yoga gestures and attitudes) and Bandhas (Energy locks)
Yoga philosophy
- Introduction to Yoga
- Classical Meanings and Definitions of Yoga
- History of Yoga
- Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
- Types of yoga
- Eight limbs of yoga
- Yamas and Niyamas (Ethics of yoga)
- Philosophy of Asana
- Concentration and its power
- The Universe
- 4 aspects of mind
- How to control the mind
- Samadhi and the goal of yoga
- Introduction to Bhagavad Gita
- Chakras
- Kundalini
Yoga Anatomy
- Digestive System
- Respiratory System
- Nervous System
- Nadis
- Chakras
- Guidelines in studying Asana anatomy
- Muscular System
- Skeletal System
- Muscle functions and joint movements
Ayurveda
Ashtanga/Vinyasa Flow Yoga Postures (Asana)
- Surya Namaskar A
- Surya Namaskar B
- Full Primary Series
Dhyana (Meditation)
- Introduction to Meditation
- Breathing Awareness Meditation
- Om / Mantra Meditation
- Trataka
- Dynamic meditation
- Tips for developing concertation
- Silence Practice
- Ajapa japa
- Antar mouna
Mantra Chanting
Yoga Nidra
- Basic Relaxation
- Tension Relaxation
- Full Body Relaxation
Teaching Practice
- Demonstration
- Alignment
- Instructions
Teaching Methodology
- Positive & conscious communication
- Friendship and trust
- Time management
- Qualities of a teacher
- Principles of demonstrating, observation, assisting, correcting
- Use of voice in class
- Mental & emotional preparation for teaching
- Class preparation
- Step by step class structure planning.
The Final Test
After weeks of intense theory and practical yoga lectures and training, our minds and bodies were put to the test, literally, to see if we were able to remember, integrate, perform and teach all the different aspects of yoga that we had learnt. The assessments included 3 tests (a written, a practical and a teaching exam) as well as the continuous assessment of our attendance, performance during classes, and behaviour during classes.
“With great power comes great responsibility.”
Only once we had passed these assessments, were we presented with our certificates to verify our newly earned qualifications. Even though that was a great and rewarding way to end the month of hard work and dedication, we acknowledged the immense responsibility that came with the title, and that we had only just begun our journey as yoga instructors.
Being a Yoga Teacher
Since I returned home, I have been so excited to share the wealth of information I had gained in those few weeks. In addition to teaching the physical aspects and benefits, I also always emphasize the very important, but sometimes neglected, mental and spiritual aspects of Yoga because these are actually able to bring about much greater benefits than the physical practice alone.
So, even though I continue my day job of being an engineer, I teach yoga during lunch breaks and in the evenings to anyone who is interested in learning and practicing it. I have also been very clear and set about not putting a price on these classes and sessions, because I never want that to come in the way of someone learning about this truly amazing and beneficial practice.
I hope to reach many more people by posting about the various topics in more detail on Satvic Lifestyle, and I can’t wait to be a part of introducing you to Yoga and seeing how it changes your life in all dimensions for the better.
Sending out peace, good energy and great amounts of love, always.
Bye for now…