Yogamatters’ very own Candice Roberts from the Product Development team recently travelled to India to do her 900 hour Teacher training at the world renowned Yoga Institute in Mumbai. We have loved hearing her incredible stories in the office, and wanted to give you all a chance to hear about her time at the school as well. We sat down for a chat about her whole experience:
Can you tell us a little bit about when, how and why you started your own yoga journey?
I started my yoga journey in earnest about 6 years ago – however there is photographic evidence of me doing Simhasana (Lion’s Breath) topless when I was about 8 years old!
I came to yoga like so many others – at a time in my life when I was feeling very stressed at work. I was running on empty, working in a job where I had a lot of responsibility but little control – an anxiety-inducing state! So I started to attend regular yoga classes and I couldn’t believe the effect the practice had on my mental state. I would arrive to class anxious from the day’s events and then leave feeling in control and OK. I was hooked and from there, started to attend more classes and then retreats until I decided that I wanted to complete my Teacher Training.
As the ebb and flow of life would have it, a few days after I had signed up to my TTC, I developed pain in my shoulder – which turned out to be Osteoarthritis. After months of hoping and praying that I would get better, I eventually had to take the decision to forego the training. I was devastated. So instead of travelling to Goa for my TTC, I went to an Ayurvedic hospital in Kerala. This turned out to be an experience in itself!
It wasn’t until 2017, when I came across an authentic yoga school in Northern Thailand (Wise Living Yoga Academy) that I decided to give teacher training another thought. I went to visit the founders and was so drawn to their energy that I basically signed up on the spot. Best decision I’ve ever made!
The training you have just been on was a deep immersion. What made you decide to do another teacher training course?
During my first TTC, I started to understand how deep yoga went and that studying yoga was going to be a life’s work. There’s only so much you can learn in 200 hours – and even then, only parts of it stick with you. I really wanted to be in an environment where I could live and breathe yoga for a longer period of time. As I’m not in a position to move to India, I was looking for longer courses that would really deepen my knowledge and embed yoga deeply into my life.
For many people, choosing which yoga school to attend is such a difficult decision. My first teachers came from The Yoga Institute in India – they spoke so favourably of the school and they themselves were such wonderful teachers that it felt like a natural progression for me to go there.
Studying at the Yoga Institute is a “bucket list” item for many yogis Tell us about your experience at the school?
There are no words to describe my experience in India!
The school itself is set amongst the hustle and bustle of Mumbai – no ‘secluded Ashram in the Himalayas’ setting! And whilst this won’t appeal to everyone, I found it helpful as it gave the opportunity to practise what I was learning daily in a real-life setting. When I returned to London, I was surprised at how quiet and slow it was compared to Mumbai! Unbelievable!
The energy inside The Yoga Institute is so powerful. The family and the teachers who run the school are there for you and you really feel that. You can tell the school is motivated by one thing only and that’s sharing the knowledge of yoga. They are completely altruistic in their approach and that is so refreshing!
It’s also a place where the contribution of women to yoga is really celebrated. The founder’s wife Sita Devi studied deeply the effect of yoga on women’s health, conducted a huge amount of research and wrote the highly regarded book Yoga for Women. The current guru, Hansaji Yogendra is also female and her warmth is felt through the campus.
What does a regular day at the teacher training look like?
We had classes 6 days a week, with Sundays off. A regular day would look something like this…
5.30-5.45am: Wake up
6:00am: Self Practice/warm up
6.30am: Asana/Pranayama Class
7.30am: Kriyas
8.00am: Breakfast/Shower
9.00am: Discourse with our Guru Hansaji
9.30am: Study/Library time
11am: Asana Class
12.30pm: Lunch
1.15pm-6pm: Classes – Ancient Scriptures (Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Hatha Yoga Pradipika), Bhagavad Gita, Teaching Practice, Public Speaking, Anatomy, Yoga Therapy, Yogic Diet and Health, Meditation, Asana Deep Dive, Samkhya, Swadyaha (self study) etc.
6pm: Asana Class
7pm: Final class for the day
8pm: Dinner
10pm: Lights out
What is your favourite memory from your time in India?
There are so many that it’s really hard to pick one. In fact, part of our practice was to write 10 Gratitude points each evening so I literally have hundreds of favourite memories.
I have some big hitters, but I actually think that my fondest memories are sitting outside on the floor of the gazebo surrounded by the flowers and trees eating lunch or dinner & chatting with my classmates. Those are the times that I miss the most.
The Yoga Institute ran the first ever public yoga class on December 25, 1918. I was there in December 2018 which meant I could experience the 100 year celebrations, a 3-day festival held in the city. Each night at the festival, there were Indian bands performing so dancing to live music with my classmates under the Mumbai moon would have to be another highlight! I think I’m a Bhakti Yogi at heart!
Can you share your top three lessons from your time studying at The Yoga Institute?
The concept of impermanence was a big a-ha moment: that life and our experiences of life are forever changing. Everything will be going along wonderfully one moment and then the next, it won’t be. And that this is OK, this is life. I’m trying not to be too affected by what’s happening around me otherwise I’ll forever feel like a piece of driftwood on the sea, ebbing and flowing to a rhythm I can’t control.
An important mind-set shift for me is that now I try to accept the challenges in my life rather than avoid or battle against them as I have done in the past. It’s with feelings of acceptance and the understanding that I’m getting exactly what I need in this moment to grow and learn that I try to do this. Thinking that, for whatever reason, this event or circumstance is here to teach me something.
And thirdly, that discipline & dedication are your best friends. Without them, the journey can’t begin…
What advice would you give to anyone considering a Teacher Training Course in India?
Go! It’s an amazing experience and one that has the capacity to change your outlook on life and your priorities for the better!
For a rich and well-rounded experience, going to an authentic school is important. For me, an authentic school is one that teaches (or at least introduces the student) to the vast topic that is Yoga – so, one that doesn’t focus solely or heavily on yoga asana. Asking questions such as, ‘will you learn about the history of yoga’, ‘the philosophies’, ‘the Paths of Yoga’, ‘will you study the scriptures (Yoga Sutra’s of Patanjali)’ etc will help to determine this.
A recommendation from a Yogi that you resonate with is great too!
