Upcoming Programs January - February 2024

Dear Sanga, Like the rivers flowing in different paths but towards one ocean, there is only one destination for humanity. That is, to discover the tr

Dear Sanga, Like the rivers flowing in different paths but towards one ocean, there is only one destination for humanity. That is, to discover the truth of our existence and that everything, every being in this universe is deeply interconnected, interdependent. To reach this goal, Sage Patanjali says it is necessary to cleanse oneself (Tapas), study and self-reflect (Svadhyaya) and cultivate the attitude of surrender (Isvara Pranidhana), knowing that we are not in control of anything. Easier said than done, but we can always commit to begin this journey, yet again with renewed energy and perseverance: Atha Yoga Anusasanam! In the New Year, we bring you some immersive experiences through in-person study retreats and workshops while holding the online space active and vibrant! It doesn't matter where you live, you can connect, study, and work with us. As our community expands, we are hoping the essence of yoga can touch more and more people in this world. Please take a few minutes to look at our offerings for January and February 2024. The registration is still open for the in-person Yoga Sadhana in Bengaluru and the 2-week module of the Yoga Instructor Training Program in Chennai. This can be the starting point for your teacher training, in preparation to become a Vaidya as well as a refresher course for teachers and therapists seeking to reconnect and deepen your learning and teaching practice. Wishing you a joyful, peaceful new year ahead... Warmly, Saraswathi Yoga Sadhana 2024 Yoga Sadhana is an invitation to turn inward, get in touch with the intelligence within each of us, and to find answers that are deeply and personally meaningful. This in-person program will help you understand the power of yoga, engage with a vibrant Sanga, and take home rich learnings to apply in your daily living. Learn more about Yoga Sadhana Yoga Instructor Training Program 2024-25 YogaVahini is offering the Yoga Instructor Training Program for yoga aspirants wanting to learn yoga as a path to personal well-being and helping others. It calls for a strong desire to help oneself and others towards health, happiness, and harmony. The course begins with an in-person retreat over two weeks in Chennai and then continues online for a year. Learn more about YITP Yoga Therapy for Common Ailments In collaboration with the Heartfulness Foundation, YogaVahini Foundation is offering a specialised 3-month therapy course at SRCM Manapakkam Ashram, Chennai. If you have been struggling with common ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, neck, back pain, or other conditions and are willing to develop and sustain the habit of daily yoga practice to address these issues, this course is for you. Know more and sign up Online Masterclass Series with Shri Shubha YogaVahini brings to you a special masterclass series with Shri Shubha, the youngest daughter of Sri T Krishnamacharya. She learned yoga from her father for over 20 years and received special training in teaching yoga to pregnant women and children. Learn with Shri Shubha Tirumandiram Retreat The workshop will explore select mandirams (verses) on Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyanam and few more mandirams that will take our practice to a deeper, subtler level as we journey with the Prana towards clarity and inner silence, which is Yoga. Learn more and register Ayurveda (Level 1) 2024 We are happy to offer this course with Dr. Padmini Ranganathan for the third year in a row! It is for anyone who wants to learn the basics of ayurveda and integrate the learnings into their daily life for better health and wellbeing. Register here Holistic and Integrated Nutrition Training 2024 Over four months, Sandhya Gowtham, a trained nutritionist, will take you through the basics of nutrition, principles of Ayurveda, deficiencies and their impact on health, milk and wheat allergies, and therapeutic diets with case studies. Learn more and register Meditative Practices and Yogic Insights from the Bhagavad Gita You are invited to join Yoga Therapy Australia and Saraswathi Vasudevan for this four-session series, as we draw inspiration from the Bhagavad Gita. Saraswathi will lead us into an exploration of meditative and yogic practices from this ancient text — a journey worthwhile by itself but also one that could offer insights into the very purpose of our life. Learn more and register Yoga Abhyasa Yoga Abhyasa will help you make time for a daily yoga practice, despite the pressures of everyday life. Learning from an experienced teacher and practising with a like-minded group will inspire you to come back to the mat again and again. Join Yoga Abhyasa YogaVahini is a vibrant and growing community of Yoga practitioners, students, teachers, and therapists. We strive to provide an environment such that our personal learning flows into daily life seamlessly, manifesting as coherent and harmonised action. You are receiving this email because you were a part of our past programs or made an enquiry with us. To continue to receive future newsletters please unmark this email as promotion and move it to your primary inbox Read our privacy policy here, to unsubscribe click on the "Unsubscribe" button at the bottom of the email. ©2023 YogaVahini | Centre for Specialised Yoga Training, Therapy & Research, Ramaniyam Smriti Apartments, 1st floor, 21/3, Beach Road, Kalakshetra Colony, Besant Nagar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600090; Phone: +91-9884642456. 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Why a year for YITP?

 

The Yoga Instructor Training Program from YogaVahini is a 200-hour program spread over a year. But why a year, some aspirants ask us. Why not be done with it in a month or two, like most teacher training programs do?

Am putting down some reasons here, based on my YITP learning experience:

1. Yoga is a relationship, as defined by Sri TKV Desikachar. This relationship could be with our breath, body, our self, or the world. And as we know, relationships take time to build.

Our teacher Saraswathi Vasudevan would begin each class with a “meet your breath” practice. “Have you met your breath today?” she would ask us. “Have you said hello to your breath today?”

The breath is our prana sakha (friend of prana, the life force), she’d say. It is important to meet your breath everyday and become aware of it afresh.

Most days, I had to admit that I didn't know how my breath was. I was breathing, of course, but had no clue how I was breathing or what the quality of my breath was.

To even become aware of my breath, it has taken me a couple of years. And that’s just one component of the three elements that yoga seeks to bring together, the other two being body and mind. Am not even starting on those two today.

So, the question should actually be: why only a year?

For, once we start on this path, we realize that everyday we begin anew and reinforce our learnings. That it is a commitment for life. That you understand the word “calling” a little better now.

2. Yoga is Nava Sarira Samskara, meaning a new conditioning of the body.

We often struggle with old habits that do not serve, nourish, or empower us. How many times have you said to yourself, “This New Year am going to quit smoking/junk food/binge watching Netflix...” Only to struggle against the might of these habits or patterns and give up soon after.

But yoga asks us to build a new, positive samskara. Sow the seed of this practice, water it, look after it. One day, it will grow stronger and taller than the old samskaras that diminish you. You can then rest/heal in the cool shade of this new tree you helped grow.

This new samskara also takes time to build. Sometimes, you cannot build it alone. You need the help of a teacher in doing so.

That’s why a year (or more).

3. At YogaVahini, I understood that teaching is learning. A major component of YITP is internship, during which the trainees start teaching under the guidance and close monitoring of their mentors.

The trainees are required to complete the stipulated number of hours and document their observations and key learnings from each class. No excuses.

This, too, takes time. That’s why a year (or more).

It doesn't stop here, but suffice to say that yoga is Adhyatma Vidya – it is a praxis that helps you to journey towards our real Nature. And, therefore we are students for life.