While I plan on doing many things in
life; I am currently approaching all with idea that I will do all,
but first will do what comes directly in my path. As a result of this
I found myself in India, and then in North India in a place called
Rishikesh, and then of all places at a yoga teacher training school,
or as I like to call it; ‘Yogiversity’. I am doing a four week
course with the aim that I would be at best a fully realised yogi at
the end or at the very least will have the abilities to teach yoga,
despite not really being overly desperate to do so before. Now, I’m
only a few days away from completing the course and we have an
‘exam’, part of which is to write a blog piece on our experiences
and put it up on the internet. Naturally I found this quite strange;
and rejected the idea of being told I had to do a write-up piece
saying how positive my experience was. My first reaction was a simple
‘Get to fuck’, and I decided I would see how much Indians had
mastered sarcasm , with my first draft mirroring this, but I have
since seen that although there is some justification behind a
rejection of the request, a certain amount of egotism certainly
played a role in my response. I have since edited it, and below is my
final draft
My time at as an apprentice Yogi,
by William Home
The setting was to be Rishikesh,
India, the vessel was to be Shiva Yoga Peeth, the experience was to
be life changing. This was to be me listening to my inner voice,
trusting in the universe, in myself, and flowing into something so
easily that the decision wasn’t to be a decision at all.
My experience of yoga in India is
limited, but despite only ever going to one place previously I had
firmly established in my mind that the ‘Indian Style’ of
something actually originating in India; perhaps wasn’t for me.
Shiva Yoga Peeth has shown me otherwise. Yoga it turns out is much
more than stretching, see through leggings and camel toe; it is a
life choice, a way of being.
 |
| Swami Subhirinanda |
Through our Swamiji we learnt how
to master the physical aspects of the practice, while being
introduced to the Pranayamic breathing; something which turns out to
be more beneficial that being able to touch your toes or look
enlightened. I now know how to warm or cool my body at will, while
curing all bodily ailments whenever the urge takes me. Would that not
just be reason enough to come to India itself, let alone Rishikesh
and the Shiva Yoga Peeth Teaching Training Course.
With our bodies trained and
angelic, it was then time for our minds, and in true Indian style we
had teaching which as a westerner you just had to sit back and enjoy
for what it was. We had anatomy classes at one hundred miles an hour,
and philosophy classes at one mile an hour. Our philosophy class
always involved a cuddly chuckle from the lovliest and surprisingly
informative Yogiji, who incidentally you can find on both Facebook
and Youtube. Modern India constantly raises a smile.
 |
| Yogiji demonstating his mastery of the Yogic arts |
My time at Shiva Yoga Peeth was
certainly one I shall never forget. I found myself with twenty-three
equally minded people, all women bar myself and another guy, happy to
just go with the natural process of the ashram, and regardless of
what came in their path, they questioned nothing and embraced all.
Such amazing freedom and spirit to embrace India for what it is, I
can but only sit in awe of these women.
The place isn’t perfect, but
it’s India, and if you come with fixed western eyes to anything out
here you will only suffer. I feel I have learnt enough these last
four weeks to be leaving with a solid grounding in traditional Hatha
Yoga, to take it on from here with an excitement for the future. For
me though; the biggest complement I can give is that quite simply; I
have enjoyed myself, and is that not what life should be all about.
 |
| Getting Yogic |
I think there is time for one
last “Om Shanti Shanti Shanti”, and can I get an “Om Yeah”
for Shiva Yoga Peeth Teacher Training School.
