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FRYOG Om Mag advert 0418.indd 1 18/4/18 10:04

A

s a yoga teacher who has

studied a lot abroad, I am

often asked about yoga

intensives and whether you

should study teacher training

in one chunk on a beach in Goa, or at home

over a longer period of time. They both have

their benefits of which I am sure you are

aware of many.

Benefits of short intensives

n shorter training time

n intensity of practice

n immersion, the time away can offer a

very welcome space from the demands

of daily life and in that space, a depth of

understanding and practice can prevail

n sometimes cheaper

n sunshine & heat (!)

However, there are limitations to shorter

trainings too. I hope you will find the benefits

of my own experience helpful to add to

the mix.

The yoga school I attended ran its

programmes in intensive month-long courses.

I did the training in chunks: my first month in

Rishikesh was the first yoga I ever practiced

and I got hooked by the teachings there. That

month changed my life forever.

A few years later, when I worked as an

accountant, I had the luck to be offered

three months of leave before entering into

the next phase of my journey with my firm.

I jumped at the chance and headed back

to my original teacher. He had moved the

school to Thailand, so I studied on the

gorgeous beaches there. That was it for my

career as an accountant! I changed path

almost as soon as I returned home. I then

went back and forward to the school in

Thailand each year until I had completed

the hatha and kundalini programmes (26

months).

What was interesting about going in and

out of the school like that was being able

to take the teachings and then try to apply

them for a few months before heading

back for more intensive training. That was

great. Some of the other students there just

stayed in the ‘yoga bubble’ surrounded by

beaches and other young practitioners also

eating brown rice and discussing the latest

colonic advice. It was very easy to assume

you were making progress there, having

amazing meditations with hours of practice

each day and never losing your temper.

You see, when you remove yourself to

practice yoga intensively, a lot of change

can happen very quickly, and so it can bring

a sort of re-integration period when you

come home:

n Internal conflict at the vast differences in

ethos of the two places

n lack of community and support upon

your return

n lack of time to integrate the teachings

slowly so that they go deep into your being

n gradual melting away of the impact of

the training, and if you do not go away again

all the learnings may disappear completely

n lack of compatibility of the teachings

with real life (as a yoga teacher who has

not integrated the teachings with the

Western lifestyle you are not able to really

understand the demands of the life of a

working parent, and so inappropriate advice

on practices and depth may be given)

n and the most important one: you

separate yoga from life

So, although I highly recommend going away

and doing intensive periods of practice,

these should be integrated into the life you

lead. They should support your growth in all

the areas of your life, your work, your family

life, your studies, your place in society, as

well as your personal evolution.

I would consider that the benefits of

longer periods of training at home are:

n They can fit around your day-to-day life

(e.g. one weekend per month means no time

off work and not leaving your family and

loved ones for extensive periods)

n You will usually be learning from

teachers who are living and breathing their

yoga in the environment in which you live

and so the advice is more relevant

n As you start to live the yoga teachings,

you are supported through the changes

(which can be challenging) by your

colleagues and teachers

n You will become a member of a sanga

(spiritual community) which is close to your

home and can become your yoga network

for the rest of your life

n The pauses in study give time for

integration and digestion of the information,

so more is retained and embodied

n You will have a school you can continue

studying with beyond your training close by

n You can spread the cost over a longer

period of time

Ultimately the right choice will depend on

your needs and preferences and what your

intention is for your training. Whatever you

choose, good luck on your yoga path.

By Marit Akintewe of Seasonal Yoga

(seasonalyoga.net)