Learning to Breathe
Training as a yoga teacher in India exposed me to a diverse mix of like-minded people from all over the globe. Throughout the course we shared our experiences and talents with one another, enabling us to gain far more from the month than just a yoga teaching qualification. On the final week I was fortunate to experience an Activate Breathwork session, run by two of my classmates, Martin McNicholl and Elisangela Paes. Their mission is to change the world and empower people thr
I'm a Yoga Teacher!!
I’m so pleased to say that I qualified as a yoga teacher last week! And I have my 200 Hours RYS certificate to prove it! But what I’ve come to realise is that this is just the start of my yoga journey… My month with Chandra Yoga was incredibly demanding, with 12-hour days at yoga school plus philosophy assignments and class plans. Make no mistake in thinking that a 200-hour yoga teacher-training course is like a retreat: my month was rarely relaxing (except for shavasana- cor
The Dalai Lama's Home Town
If anyone tells you they are travelling to Dharamsala to see the Dalai Lama, they will be heading up to McLeod Ganj, (via a very steep and winding road!) Home to thousands of Tibetan refugees who have escaped the Chinese occupancy, it is the centre of the Tibetan exile world in India. The town’s colourful culture and long-standing passion for peace welcomes tourists with open arms, inviting them to embrace the kind and compassionate community spirit. A popular backpacking spo
Searching for Samadhi...
The focus of discussion in my yogic philosophy class is usually on samadhi: “a state of intense concentration achieved through meditation. In yoga this is regarded as the final stage, at which union with the divine is reached.” Samadhi is essentially the goal of yoga and is what serious pracitioners work towards: superconscious awareness. Yet even within Samadhi there are various levels, the highest of which is ‘Dharma Megha Samadhi’, which liberates the practitioner from al
Trekking to Triund
Triund is the crown jewel of Dharamsala. Set at 9325 ft (2,842 metres) above sea level, Triund offers breathtaking views of Kangra Valley on one side and the Dhauladhar Mountains on the other. It’s not the easiest attraction to reach, as the 9km trek from McLeod Ganj to Triund is a steep ascent of over 1,100 metres and typically takes 4 ½ hours. But it is well worth the effort. I unfortunately missed out on last week’s group hike due to illness, so I decided to go solo, setti
Shatkarma part 2: crying and digestive cleansing
Classes were cancelled yesterday for a full day of complete digestive cleansing (varisara dhauti), something I crudely called ‘shit day!’ This practice encourages bowel movement through the consumption of salty water. The participant has to drink 2 glasses of warm salty water (quickly) before performing 5 yoga postures, 8 times each. They then continue to drink more salt water and repeat the asana practice until an urgent dash to the toilet becomes necessary! This process of
Doing the Downward Dog
I'm surprised that it's taken me this long to talk about yoga asana- the physical postures and poses which lie at the heart of Western yoga. Whilst asana is still my favourite part of yoga, learning about its other components has been invaluable to my practice. Even though there are many physical benefits to practicing asana, these should never overshadow the mental and spiritual advantages. Otherwise we end up with a diluted form of yoga that is more concerned with flexibili
Dharamkot and Bhagsu Falls
Hidden in the Himachal Pradesh district of the Himalayas is the hippie village of Dharamkot, approximately 2km outside of McLeodGanj. Whilst the Dalai Lama’s hometown has its wealth of shops and attractions (blog post to follow), it can get quite hectic with the constant car horns and tourist parties. In complete contrast, Dharamkot is a traffic free zone, renowned for its laid-back, carefree vibe. After a busy week of teaching assessments we decided to take advantage of the
Yogic Cleansing Class
This morning I experienced yogic cleansing- or shatkarma- for the first time (which literally translates to ‘six actions’). The shatkarmas consist of six groups of purification practices that aim to create harmony in the body by balancing the three doshas: kapha (mucus); pitta (bile); and vala (wind). According to both ayurveda and hatha yoga, an imbalance in the doshas will result in illness, so practicing shatkarma is said to help to purify the body of toxins to ensure a sa
My Chakras are Sick :(
Sorry I haven’t blogged much in the last couple of days but unfortunately I’ve been quite unwell. I thought I might have strengthened my ‘Asian immunity’ after numerous trips to the continent, but India is a totally different ball game not to be underestimated! My intention isn’t to scare you away from this beautiful country but to help reduce your chances of getting sick! In hindsight I realise I should have been more careful, for example, not brushing my teeth with the tap
Ommmmmmm...
My biggest challenge on the yoga teacher training course was always going to be the morning meditation because a). I hate mornings and b). I am useless at sitting still. At home there’s no point talking to me until I’ve had my morning coffee because I can’t summon smiles or sentences before 8am, unless caffeine is involved. However at Chandra Yoga I am caffeine free and waking up at 5:30am for my first class of the day: Meditation, Mantras & Pranayama. As you can imagine, the
Opening Fire Ceremony
To celebrate the start of the course we all took part in an opening fire ceremony. The ritual (also known as a Homa) consists of mantras and offerings such as ghee, samagree (fragrant medicinal herbs) and grains which are thrown onto the fire. The practice has been used for thousands of years to help with physical and mental health. This is because the burning of offerings is said to remove toxins from atmosphere, as the fire converts them into a gaseous form, enabling them t
Namaste!
I've finally arrived at Chandra Yoga, following 26 hours of door-to-door travelling. After surviving on a cocktail of Gatorade and coffee, my tired traveller's body isn't feeling like a model 'temple'. Failing to commemorate the last mouthful of caffeine and chewing on the final ‘Fruitella’, I am surprised at my willingness to go cold turkey on these everyday addictions…I must be tired!! Yet in all honesty, I am really looking forward to a detox from Sauvignon Blanc/ Starbuck
The Freedom To Choose
A lot of things in life are out of our control. Death, disease, redundancy, difficult people... Whilst we may not be able to change certain circumstances we can control how we respond to the situation. As my yoga teacher, Lorraine Woods, would always say “why make more drama out of drama?” If you have ever been involved in a car accident then you will understand that it is quite dramatic in its own right. You don’t need to make more drama by shouting and swearing at the other
YOCO: The similarities between yoga and life coaching
Last week I made a start on my reading list for my yoga training. I’m currently reading a borrowed copy of Pantanjali’s* commentary on the Yoga Sutras, ‘Four Chapters on Freedom’. The copy is 3 years older than me and was printed in India, so it certainly turned a few heads on the tube! (Unfortunately, Pantanjali hasn’t published a kindle edition yet!) My initial reaction was I’ve read this before because whilst the Sanskrit translation can, at times, be quite wordy and compl
