Where in India can I practice yoga?

I often get asked by yoga students where to go in India to learn and practice yoga; and again and again I disappoint my own students and teachers by saying I have no idea.

Other than a close relationship with Shiva, my Ayurvedic doctor in Vancouver towards whom I have great reverence as well as deep gratitude for always helping me when my body needs guidance, I have no more connection with India. Most of the yoga ashrams in India have to do with worships and religious practices. Through my three decades of yoga and Zen practice I realized that the highest form of spiritual practice – which has to do with a direct experience – must move away from any religious aspects that always deal with a set of beliefs.

There are many levels of learning and experiencing the art and science of yoga. The simplest one and most common is through religions, as this is the easiest for the masses to take in. The highest one is practicing it beyond all concepts and perceptions. In the former you clutter your mind with more and more beliefs; in the latter you strip your mind of all you think you know until you have the space to enter existence with the utmost knowing instead of believing or understanding.

So if you are wandering in India and find a yoga ashram which is free of any spiritual nonsense – which means no religions, no worship, no dogmas (you must be a vegetarian to reach realization), no fanaticism (only by the grace of a guru you can realize), no moral codes (you must always say the truth if you want to reach nirvana) – please let me know and I will pass on the information to all the yogis who truly believe that once they step on the mother land of yoga, bliss will descend from the clear sky of India and unveil their highest conscience which somehow cannot be materialized in any other of the world’s continents ;-)

The other option is to be aware that even though realization is already within you and you can manifest it HERE and NOW, you can still go to India and enjoy a good curry dish.

With love and joy

shakti mhi

If you’d like to comment on or discuss this posting, we’ve created a forum topic for that purpose.

The most traditional and the best way of doing yoga teacher training is in a retreat setting. Living in an isolated space away from the madness of the city immensely enhances the experience of a disciplined yoga practice. Slowing down your pace and calming your mind away from the neurotic frequencies of city life allows you to explore your self in peace. Even if you have to return to the city after training you will have had 28 days to build a strong practice, discipline, and a lifestyle that will merge with your daily life even after the course is over. Experts say it takes 28 days to build a habit!

All of our teacher training retreats are located in beautiful natural settings. Being in nature creates a spontaneous release and cleansing followed by a great recharge and rejuvenation on the physical, mental and energy level. Because there is no need to commute back and forth, the days start with a powerful early morning personal practice (sadhana) that involves cleansing the body, yoga asanas and traditional yogic Pranayam practice (the art of breathing and mastering the energy in the body).

The powerful experience of teacher training in a retreat setting will remain with you for your whole life and will be a seed of inspiration that you can go back to energetically in times when you feel you are slipping away from your spiritual practice.

I encourage all of you that are about to make a decision about yoga training to put in the effort, energy and your powerful manifestation to experience yoga in the traditional yogic environment. This will be one of the greatest gifts you give yourself, and you deserve it.

Our upcoming teacher training retreats are:

• March 15 – April 11, 2010 Thailand
• April 26 – May 30, 2010 Bali
• June 26 – July 23, 2010 Italy

Namaste,
shakti

Below is an invitation I received from “Western Canadian Hatha Yoga Championship” along with my reply.

To Shakti Mhi
Prana Yoga Teacher College

I wanted to introduce you to the upcoming Western Canadian Hatha Yoga Championship, taking place this January 18th at Sportsplex, Capilano University. This event is being jointly organized by Bikrams Yoga College of Vancouver, Bikrams Metrotown and Simply Eventful Management.

As a supplier to yogis everywhere, we would be excited to welcome Prana Yoga Teacher College to the event. Though this is not the first Western Canadian Hatha Yoga Championship in Vancouver, it is the first with an exhibit portion – adding additional value to the attendees. We are inviting table-top exhibits to yoga-related, sustainable and health-related organizations – in the Sportsplex concourse. See the attached for many other benefits of sponsorship.

This championship will begin with an early morning yoga class, led by Senior Bikram’s yoga master and octogenarian Emmy Cleaves, which will attract hundreds of hatha yogis from the Lower Mainland. The competition has 4 categories – the winners and runners up of each category will be permitted entry to the International Hatha Yoga Championship in L.A. in February.

Overall, we anticipate over 800 attendees! This is the perfect opportunity to begin a partnership with the Western Canadian Hatha Yoga Championship! The goal is to grow the exhibit portion, include educational components and raise global awareness of the health benefits of yoga and clean living.

Please find more information at www.bikramyogabc.com.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,
Annette McCunn

And my response:

Dear Annette McCunn

When I got your email I had to read it few times to be sure that it is actually not a joke.

How can “hatha yogis” And “championship” be beside each other in one sentence, let alone in one room?

I guess the winner will be the biggest fool that believes the discipline of hatha yoga is for the purpose of showing off.

Hatha yoga competition is the equivalent of organizing a strip show for nuns.

You are asking me to sponsor spreading ignorance to ignorants and leading people astray. That is the easiest thing I ever been asked as a spiritual teacher – but unfortunately that is not my “thing”.

shakti mhi

What do you think about this? Discuss this subject in the dedicated topic on our forum.

A question from a reader:

Hello!

Since a couple of years I have been practicing kundalini yoga: I started practicing with a lots of joy when we moved to Vancouver four years ago. Currently I live in Germany, where I’ve had a complete different kundalini yoga experience. I am very interested in the roots of this kind of yoga, but although I’ve read a lot about it, I have not been able to find anything that resembles this kind of fast paced yoga with lots of repetitive movements as taught by yogi Bhajan. Although there are a lot of interesting writings on rising the kundalini (for example from Swami Sivananda etc), exercises as taught by yogi Bhajan are nowhere to be found.

I would like to learn more about kundalini yoga, but to be honest, the big emphasis that lays on the character of yogi Bhajan makes me hesitate to really commit to my practices in a way I would like to. In Vancouver the yoga students did not (have to) dress in white or wear a turban, something that seems more of a religious matter to me , and I would like to separate that from my yoga practice. Of course I am not saying that he might not have been a great teacher and guru to many, it’s just not my thing. It made me wonder more and more who this person actually was, and what tradition did he come from, etc. Research on his personality made my doubts only grow.

I am hoping to find a teacher that teaches this great kind of active yoga, and but within a different setting from what I tried to describe above. I’ve tried asthanga, hatha and luna yoga, but these types of yoga never brought me what I experienced during my kundalini classes. Do you know any teachers that teach kundalini, but don’t come from the yogi Bhajan tradition? Or have you heard of any literature about this yoga tradition?

I am not very sure if I could explain myself well, so please let me know if I haven’t been clear!

Thank you so much for your time and effort.

I am looking forward to your reply.

Warm regards,

M.

Dear M,

Well your request is very simple. You are looking for the kundalini yoga style (fast repetitive movement) without the cult and worshiping aspect of this style. I do think it will be a difficult thing to find a kundalini style yoga-teacher that won’t relate to yogi Bhajan as it is usually comes as one package (but you never know). So unfortunately I can not help you with this matter.

What is important for me, as a teacher, is to make sure that the kundalini aspect is clear to you, as from your letter, I am not certain that it is.

Kundalini is a philosophy and a practice that is embedded in the foundation of all yoga practices that rise from the tantric path. Although the Kundalini organization chose this name for their style, it does not mean that they are the only ones that deal with kundalini. So, if what you are looking for is the fast paced style, you must keep searching until you find (or don’t find) the suitable kundalini teacher for you. But if your interest is in the kundalini practice you may want to remain open to other teachings as long as they carry the true spirit of yoga and not the modern trendy yoga. Each asana (yoga posture) is designed to calm the restless mind and nervous system for the purpose of conducting a state of inner and outside stillness, where meditation can take place. It is in this stillness that we start to separate ourselves from our mind and body by becoming the ultimate observer. In the tradition of yoga, you enter the asana and then remain still in it, watching your breath and expanding your consciousness.

Namaste
shakti

If you’d like to comment on this or discuss it, please visit the forum topic dedicated to this.

NOTE: The following response was received from “M” after my posting above.

Dear shakti,

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my email! I am really grateful and your reply was very helpful.

Trying to find out where the exercises from Yogi Bhajan stem from, I read about the general concept of rising the kundalini also. The more I read, the more things made me wonder: did this Sikh yoga tradition called ‘kundalini yoga’ really exist before Yogi B? Did this fast repetitive yoga style really exist, or did he just blend some poses and breathing techniques together and called it ‘kundalini yoga’?Who was this person actually?

The fast repetitive movements and poses ‘as taught by yogi Bhajan’ (which seemed to be so beneficial to me) that I learned, I have not yet found in other works about kundalini yoga.When I look at the exercises in Swami Sivananda’s book for example, they more resemble the hatha style asanas and pranayamas in order to rise the kundalini. I am not particularly interested in trying to rise my kundalini. So what I am looking are the roots of this yoga style, where you actually don’t hold a pose but repeat certain simple movements while controlling the breath. Or perhaps there any other similar styles that I could try? Because, for me personally, it is in the movement where I can find my stillness ;-).

All in all, your answer already helped me one big step forward: I have been looking for a Kundalini teacher (not trained by H3O) for two years now, without any success, and I think your answer made me that perhaps it’s time for me to move on and try other styles of yoga again!

Warm regards,
M

i am very interested in yoga. In fact, I am representing yoga in a contest i am entering. In looking through your website, there was a lot of unique clothing in the pictures.. I was hoping that you would be able to provide any advice to me as to where i could buy clothing like that shown on your site. I don’t feel that lululemon and other clothing companies really show the cultural and historical components of yoga, which is what i am hoping to represent in this contest.

I greatly appreciate any help you could provide,
Thank you so much for your time,
S

Please see below shakti’s response in red

The traditional attire of the yogis is their state of consciousness.

Namaste
shakti mhi

Hello Shakti!.. i’m pleased that you recovered in such a good way!.

I’ve been doing sadhana since i finished the TT, and everyday i enjoy more the benefits of the pranayama practise. I’ve experienced many things when doing pranayama, sometimes when i hold the breath i feel like i’m going to faint but at the same time i like the feeling!, and right after that is like a deep silence comes, which i enjoyed even more!.. is that feeling ‘normal’?..

Please see below shakti’s response in red

Dear Fernando

If you like the way it feels and you enjoy the deep silence, it can only be good for you, as long as you do not faint. Fainting in Pranayama is an indication of crossing your limit, doing so, can happen only when you practice with a force. If we force the practice it means we let the mind take over the practice as only the mind forces. Pranayama must be done effortlessly otherwise instead of creating and expanding the energy, you consume it.

Namaste
shakti

Dear Shakti,

I did your TTC in Thailand in 2006 and enjoyed it more than words can say. I now want to do more teacher training but cannot come to Canada for 1-2 months to do your level 2 because of work. There is a very good Satyananda yoga centre near where I live and I have applied to do a two year teacher training course with them starting late this year. I have no doubt about the authenticity of the course or the teachers, they are wonderful and teach from the heart. However, my only reservation is that I don’t love the Satyananda style as much as I love the prana yoga style. But many of the most important elements are there for me. I don’t like the fact that the classes don’t flow.
Having said that, I think this may be the best quality teacher training in Ireland. Should I go ahead and do it, trying to ignore the aspect of flow and bring my own style to it afterwards? I’m confused. What do you think?

Peace and Love,
Karen

Please see below shakti’s response in red

Hi Karen
It is nice to hear from you.

Level 1 deals mainly with the asanas and methods, and tools to teach them. Level 2 is supposed to expand the teacher’s knowledge on other aspects of yoga. If the course deals mainly in teaching the asanas, it is not necessary for you to do it as it will be redundant, especially if you are not fond of their style. But if the asanas are a small component of the course and your intuition tells you that the teaching is deep, valuable and clean of new age nonsense, go for it.

I hope this is helpful to you.

Namaste
shakti

Dear shakti,
I have just moved to a smaller town and the teaching opportunities here are MINIMAL. There is a yoga studio in town but their classes now are not that full as it is. During these few years while I am here (I’ve moved to go back to university) should I be concerned that I won’t be teaching as often as I was before? My instincts tell me that it will pass and that it will all unfold as it is supposed to… and I’m ok with that. I just thought that I would turn to my teacher for some guidance in case there is something I am not thinking of.

I hope this finds you well. I love the new hair cut!

With love,
Joanne

shakti’s response is below in red.

Dear Joanne,
Do not waste your time by assuming what is coming or by being concerned as a result of comparing your future that is not in existence yet, or with what occurred in the past that is not in existence any more.
Assumptions and concerns are what freezes us from being creative and authentic, as you already set the tone in your mind for how things should unfold in reality.

Do what ever needs to be done.

Teaching one class is like teaching the whole word.

Be creative and come from the right intention, quality and love, versus quantity.

You said you are going to university. University is already a great opportunity for teaching. You have endless students that need yoga. You may need to educate them about the power of yoga. Do it step by step. Maybe you can offer in one of the many university events an open class introducing yoga. Maybe you can write in the university news letter about yoga. Offer classes to the staff members. Place posters on the boards. Enhance the yoga benefits for students: increasing concentration, relaxing the nervous system, helps to sleep better etc. Create one evening where people can come and meditate together. Become the yoga expert for your university. The sky is the limit.

Start teaching one class and the rest will roll on its own.

Love shakti

The 10 Commandments of Finding the Right Yoga Teacher Training

1 ) Find a Spiritual Teacher

Avoid taking training from teachers that emphasize their teaching on the physical aspects of yoga only. It is important to have a teacher who can give you a full understanding of the spiritual (as opposed to religious) aspect of yoga. The teacher should not be a scholar who knows his/her information from reading books and taking workshops. The teacher’s teaching must arise from direct experience. Such a teacher will be able to deal with all of the spiritual concerns that the student may have with no hesitation.

2 ) Make Sure to Experience Direct Transmission

Do not settle for teacher training run by novice teachers who show the teachings of their master from a DVD. Do not settle for the said “master” to only occasionally appear in the course. Every student in the course needs to have direct contact and experience with the spiritual teacher, as the transmission of the knowledge and wisdom often happens on the energy level.

3 ) Bigger is Not Better

Often you see teacher training with 60 to 200 students in a course.

In an intense 200h course, as a result of the intense practice, students often go through physical, mental, emotional and spiritual crisis and may face multiple challenges. As a result of being in a large impersonal course, the student and their needs get lost in the crowd.

4 ) Avoid Religions, Cults and Worship

Avoid trainings with even a hint of worshipping the spiritual teacher. Yoga practice is a process to transform the novice to become a free master and not to become a sheep, following without knowing.

5 ) Practical Teaching

Make sure there is plenty of actual hands-on teaching experience for you during the course so you don’t end up with theoretical knowledge but are unprepared to actually teach. Knowing the asanas (yoga postures) inside and out won’t make you know how to teach them. Yoga teacher training is not a yoga boot camp of doing the asanas all day. You need to learn communication, the psychology of the mind, body language, how to correct by using hands-on techniques, and how to give mental and energetic support to your students in the future.

6 ) Yoga is Not Gymnastics

Remember that 90% of your students out there are beginners! Most of the people in the West are dealing with physical limitations and health conditions. Avoid vigorous acrobatic styles of yoga. Choose a style of yoga that can walk beginners safely into the practice. Otherwise you will join the endless number of yoga instructors who make the students feel (after their first class) that they are not flexible enough to practice yoga.

7 ) Restrictive Yoga Facilities

Avoid styles that constrict you and your students to a specific teaching facility environment (hot rooms or facilities with too many yoga gadgets). The essence of yoga practice is to be able to conduct it in any place and any time. Your students should be able to take the teaching you convey and practice on their own anywhere without dependency on a facility.

8 ) New-Age Yoga

Be careful of flakiness and new-age nonsense.

Knowledge of energy and the chakras is powerful, but there is much more to the yoga practice than just the chakras.

9 ) Connection With the Teacher After Course is Done

Make sure that the teacher will be available to you to answer questions after the course has ended and to guide you in your first steps of your teaching if needed. You should be able to find spiritual support from your teacher outside the course as your practice must continue after your certification.

10 ) The Power of Transformation

Let your heart, not only your mind and wallet, be involved in the search for the right teacher and teaching. Avoid being influenced by trends and burgeons. The teacher is the vehicle for the teaching that may resonate in you forever.

True teachers will expand your capacity to receive wisdom that arises from beyond your programmed mind.

Namaste,
shakti mhi

Dear shakti & Daniel,

Keiki and I will be moving back to Hong Kong at the end of April, and we would like to say thank you to you both, for all that you’ve taught and shared with us during our teacher trainings.

In the last few months, we have enjoyed teaching yoga here in Vancouver, loved it, and know that and we will continue our journey both as a teacher and as a student, after moving to Hong Kong.

We are deeply indebted to you both, our inspirational teachers, and look forward to attending your classes and workshops again in the nearest future.

Please continue sharing this wonderful knowledge and continue inspiring others like you have did for us.

Wishing you (and all Prana staff) our Best Wishes,

Ann & Keiki
April 2008