Yoga is very different in India from what most people in the world know. In the rest of the world, people consider yoga more as a form of exercise than as a spiritual discipline. As a result, most people who come to India for their yoga teacher training course are usually in for a great shock. They cannot align what they have known and seen about yoga to what they are about to get here. Worse, because they come to India with certain pre-conceived notions and biases, they usually end up having a bad experience. The key to preventing this is to not come with an idea. Leave all opinions and expectations behind and be open to anything that comes your way. Take it all as an experience and not as what you deserve. This is especially true for yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, India, and here’s why.
Rishikesh is the yoga capital of not just India but the world. It is the birthplace of yoga. The yoga practiced here has no other goal than what it originally was – spiritual ascension. There are no worldly goals attached like weight loss or metabolism enhancement. Those are by-products of the practice, not the causes. Even though nowadays, most of the yoga courses in Rishikesh have become more in line with world standards due to global demand, it is still its own thing. You can still count on a yoga TTC in Rishikesh to give you the original yoga experience. Of course, yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, India, is not for everyone. Many people are unable to adjust to the very different ways and practices here. But if you are able to take it in your stride, yoga in Rishikesh is a one-of-a-kind experience.
Why Yoga Teacher Training In Rishikesh India is Different
We will not waste time here trying to preach about how yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, India is better than others. What we will do is tell you exactly the reasons why it is not what you are accustomed to elsewhere in the world or even India. Read on to find out more.
Nature of the Course
If you have taken a yoga course elsewhere in the world, this difference will be stark to you. You’ll be more accustomed to learning exactly as the syllabus of Yoga Alliance sets down what is to be taught. But no matter how harsh and shocking it sounds, the Yoga Alliance is a foreign organization. They may know what needs to be taught in yoga, but they are sadly deficient in their knowledge of yoga itself. Yoga is a vast discipline, consisting of a lot more than just the physical poses. There are mental, emotional, habitual, and spiritual aspects of yoga that they mostly miss. But yoga schools in Rishikesh don’t. So be ready to learn a whole new, never-seen-before side of yoga when you come to Rishikesh.
Living Facilities
Another shock that many students receive when they come to Rishikesh yoga teacher training centers is the living conditions. Rishikesh schools are mostly ashrams and they are strict about students living by the yogic principle of simplicity and frugality. In most places, there will not be foam mattress beds, ACs, TVs, or any of the luxuries you will get at, say a five-star yoga retreat. If these things matter to you, you will probably have a hard time adjusting to life and yoga in Rishikesh. Another aspect of yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, India you might take time to adjust to is the food. You will get either vegan or vegetarian meals, extremely simple and light, and following ethnic cuisine.
Teaching Style
Forget binders of neatly organized study material. Forget DVDs for lectures and practice. Definitely forget taking page after page of lecture notes. That is not how the yogis of Rishikesh teach yoga. Traditionally, yoga is a lesson transmitted from teacher to pupil via hearing and retained via memory. The yoga teachers of Rishikesh have no plan or intention to change that. The very Western style of taking notes and memorizing after class does not help you learn for real. It tests your memory, not your understanding of the subject matter. It is up to you to glean your lesson from the teachings, understand what you need to, and note it down.
Alignment to Syllabus
Of course, it is also obvious by now that the Yoga Alliance syllabus is not going to restrict what the gurus of Rishikesh teach. Yoga is a vast topic and the Yoga Alliance syllabus only scratches the surface. The Rishikesh teachers, on the other hand, have authentic knowledge passed down generations, to give to you. Expect much more than what you signed up for, often things that you have never even heard of.
Professional Guidance Focus
Yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, India focuses far more on the spiritual aspects of yoga than the physical ones. Western and western-based schools will mostly be all about the asanas, breathing techniques, mudras, and all that. But, you will be learning differently in Rishikesh. Meditation, discipline, and self-examination will be a huge part of it. Yoga is about spiritual self-discovery and union with the Universe. If you come to the birthplace of yoga to learn, you cannot expect to miss that very part.
Should You Get Yoga Teacher Training In Rishikesh India
It is hard to pass a judgment when we do not know the personal experiences and preferences of each individual. But we will tell you this. If you are not someone who likes pushing your boundaries and stepping outside your comfort zone, this isn’t for you. Only go for yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, India if you are open to new things. Only choose it if you are flexible, accommodating, and low-maintenance. Otherwise, you will have a hard time and it will unjustly colour your experience.
Best Yoga Teacher Training In Rishikesh India
There is no hard-and-fast rule to decide which is the best yoga school in Rishikesh. It is less about the where and more about the what. If you want to go to a school for international-grade yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, India but also want that authentic experience, Ilina Yoga is perfect for you.