Yoga Teacher Training in India - Week 4
We have made it through one month of our yoga teacher training in India. I feel so close with all of my fellow students, we all release a lot this week and the energy feels much lighter now. I personally have shifted a lot since being here and am back in a space of feeling grateful and present for each moment in India. Rishikesh is a holy city and is fully vegetarian. I am a vegetarian and it is nice to know that there is not any meat being prepared anywhere here. It is like a different world, a world that is connected to nature. Living in oneness with nature keeps things real. Sometimes I look around and see the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains and see a monkey and think wow, here I am, in Rishikesh. It is so surreal!
If you visit India take advantage of all the amazing ayurvedic products you can buy here for so cheap and definitely get yourself some treatments! I had the most amazing massage yesterday where they pour oil on your third eye and it felt like magical nectar of the divine was calming and soothing my mind.
If you visit India take advantage of all the amazing ayurvedic products you can buy here for so cheap and definitely get yourself some treatments! I had the most amazing massage yesterday where they pour oil on your third eye and it felt like magical nectar of the divine was calming and soothing my mind.
A big theme for me this week was seeing that we are all human, even our spiritual or yoga teachers are human too. Sometimes teachers can get under your skin or trigger you to release. When that is happening you are given the chance to look in the mirror and ask, what is this person showing me about myself? I also feel much more compassion and a sense of unity with everyone here.
In theory class this week we talked a lot about different things that block us from our enlightenment. We also went into Yama and Niyama- Yama and Niyama are the ethical principles from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, first and second of the eight limbs of yoga. During our discussion of the chakras, we were told that they are the transformers of energy. I know that many people are interested in chakras- energy centers. Here are the seven chakras below:
In theory class this week we talked a lot about different things that block us from our enlightenment. We also went into Yama and Niyama- Yama and Niyama are the ethical principles from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, first and second of the eight limbs of yoga. During our discussion of the chakras, we were told that they are the transformers of energy. I know that many people are interested in chakras- energy centers. Here are the seven chakras below:
- 7th Chakra – Sahasrara means 1000 petalled lotus. This center is at the top of the head and is often called the crown chakra. It represents universal consciousness. When the female kundalini Shakti energy rises to this point, it unites with the male Shiva energy, and a state of liberating samadhi is attained.
- 6th Chakra- Ajna is symbolized by a lotus with two petals, and corresponds to the colors violet, indigo or deep blue.
This center is in the third eye- in between the eyebrows. It represents individual consciousness and intuition, the knowing that that Guru or master is within you.
- 5th Chakra- Vishuddhi is depicted as a silver crescent within a white circle, with 16 light or pale blue or turquoise petals. It represents space.
This center is in the throat and represents the purified expression. Beauty is through expression.
- 4th Chakra- Anahata is symbolized by a circular flower with twelve green petals called the heart-mind. It represents air.
This center is in the heart and represents emotion & creation. Do not fall in love- rise in love. Once you have hit this chakra you love forever.
- 3rd Chakra- Manipura is symbolized by a downward pointing triangle with ten petals, along with the color yellow. It represents fire.
This center is in the navel and represents will and vitality. It governs expansiveness, spirituality, and growth.
- 2nd Chakra- Swadhisthana is symbolized by a white lotus within which is a crescent moon with six orange petals. It represents water.
This center is in the sacrum and is the sum of all experiences and personality traits, basic emotional needs and pleasure.
This Chakra holds the door of the fear of the "unknown" closed.
- 1st Chakra- Muladhara or root chakra is symbolized by a lotus with four petals and the color red. It represents earth.
This center is located at the base of the spine and is responsible for earth survival: food, sex, sleep, fear.
In our Ashtanga Vinyasa class with Jeet, we practiced Mysore style the first two days of the week. We were able to practice portions of the Ashtanga sequence of asanas at our own pace without instruction. Later in the week, we continued our teaching practice. Next week we teach a workshop to everyone in the 300 hour yoga teacher training as well as a yoga class to the new arrivals for the 200 hour yoga teacher training.
Two weeks left in Rishikesh! Namaste.
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