Why India?

 

Why Goa?

 

 

COURAGE

LETTING GO

TRANSFORMATION

SPIRITUAL LESSONS

EMBRACING CHANGE

SEEING THE BIGGER PICTURE

TRUST

LOVE

PLAY

 

This is how I’d sum up the time I’ve spent in India. These words describe the experiences I’ve had while traveling through this amazing country during multiple trips since 2006, and now, twelve years later, I continue to travel there as much as possible. The stories I’ve gathered and the lessons I’ve learned in India have shaped me.

 

 

In order to truly understand the spiritual practices we gain through yoga, I believe every student of yoga should experience India. When I considered an ideal environment to create an immersive experience, the birthplace of yoga was the first place that came to mind. Nothing compares.

 

Are you seeking to deepen your yoga practice through a teacher training? Perhaps there’s something you’re ready to release?

 

Yoga can be the perfect anchor to help one let go of what is not serving you. It’s an opportunity to embrace the unknown.

 

Change begins with the trust, courage and willingness to experience something completely different and out of your comfort zone. 

 

 

 

Life in India can be unpredictable. Over the years, the more I traveled to India, the more I began to rely on my own intuition. From one adventure to the next, I was forced to get quiet, tune in and build trust with my inner knowing. Inevitably, attachment would begin to melt away. Soon, becoming present in India happened as soon as I stepped off of the plane.

 

Atha Yoga Anushasanam: “Now the study of yoga begins”

 

Yoga teaches us to fully embrace each moment and be present.  When I lead trainings in cities, I often find that I’m competing with several distractions. It’s difficult for most students to focus when there is so much going on around us, making it a challenge to go deep. While we can create a container during a training day, as soon as we leave that safe space, the container dissolves.

On the other hand, when I teach at a secluded retreat center, life slows down. I rarely look at a clock. My desire to escape and plug into the internet fades. Guiding students into a deep practice at a retreat center is easier and well received. By creating a safe space and protecting the container, we can focus and let go, ultimately unraveling deeper layers then if we were in a city setting. 

 

 

 

Yogas citta vrtti nirodha: “Yoga is the stilling of the modifications of the mind”

 

This is when our thoughts slow down and our mind becomes anchored in the present moment.  When this happens, we become hypersensitive to our surroundings… every smell, every color, every connection we make with others. It becomes easier to take in another person’s true essence and make a deep connection by seeing their soul through their eyes.  I have witnessed this in the people of India. They are more settled and better at just being than the people I come across at home. There is a consistent sense of peace and connectivity amongst the familiar chaos thanks to their innate ability to let go of what comes next. It is through this practice of learning to surrender that brings on a deeper sense of spirituality.

 

 

Tada drastuh svarupe avasthanam: “Then the seer (soul) dwells in his own true nature”

 

With a simple smile and eye contact, an authentic connection is made. This is what keeps me coming back to India. 

 

When you witness true contentment on the face of another human with no possessions, you’re reminded of how much you actually have. That deeper sense of gratitude immediately fills my heart. And soon, I begin to allow myself to let go of all the stuff I think I need. The more I am able to let go, the more I enjoy life as it is right now.

 

Each time I arrive in India I let go, as tears flow down my face, my sense of joy increases. That’s when I know that my soul is connecting to Mother India. I am learning to take a deep breath, to come home again to myself and open my eyes to the world around me.

 

 

When I thought about where to lead my next training, it was a no-brainer. I am incredibly grateful to be holding my 200-Hour Yoga Alliance Teacher Training in Goa, India, this November. I want to offer students the experience of practicing and studying yoga in a country rich with deep spirituality.

 

Join me. A heart-opening experience is inevitable... 

 

 

THE TEACHINGS

 

Each morning we will practice two to three hours of asana and meditation. Our practice will be followed by a traditional Indian style brunch and some rest.  

 

In the afternoons, we will study:

 

• The benefits and purpose of each yoga posture
• How to give safe adjustments
• Understand how each pose should work on the individual
• Philosophy
• The subtle body
• How to develop a pranayama practice
• Anatomy
• How our bodies work inside and out

 

THE VALUE

 

By the end of this training you will be able to prepare a safe and effective sequence to teach a short class. You’ll receive fifty hours of online work as well as twenty hours of yoga practice and lecture.

 

THE DIFFERENCE

 

I have been leading teacher trainings around the world for well over a decade and have created a format that has proven to work best for people with busy schedules. What makes this training different than most is that I will be available to mentor you on your next step as you integrate everything you learn in Goa.

 

I am passionate about bringing people to India and am very excited to be offering this training. My two favorite things: yoga and travel all in one amazing place!

 

 

For more information and to register, visit: http://www.internationalyoga.com/retreats/the-elements-of-flow