A team was formed and friendships were born. A journey into yoga. Goa, India.

Toward the start of 2022, I was asked if I wanted to do a yoga teacher training course. This had been something on the list for many years but the motivation was never great enough to justify the resources needing to be allocated. However, at this time when asked I simply said yes without too much thought. The pandemic was starting to wind down and my urge to escape the confines of the craziness that had engulfed Australia was peaking. A great excuse to head to India and Sthirya yoga.

I did have to check one thing first; the yoga industry as we know is producing some of the best docu-series on Netflix due to the personalities within it. I had no interest in finding a Guru or drinking sacred hot chocolate. Movement training for me up till this point had been a survival vehicle, having taken me through my turbulent teenage years, sculpted me during my twenties and provided an escape in my thirties; movement training had become as much a part of me as anything else. I had spent most of my life actively training and learning movement modalities, many of which were at the extreme end of fitness. Yet a change had occurred. In the last couple of years, I had gone from Ironman training to sourcing out silence and stillness. My training choices reflected this and I needed to make sense of what my body was telling me now; this is where a tagline on Stirya yoga's website lit a fire within that has only intensified since completing the course - 'Joy is our nature'. A tagline and sutra that unexpectedly resonated with something a little deeper than my interest in yoga. On reading this for the first time, a small somewhat innate smile found my face, and at that moment Yoga became something more than my understanding up till that point. How much more I was yet to realise.

Picture from final assessment. On this day as a group we were all physically exhausted yet we finished the day moving together. The pictured Asana (posture) is almost a cliche in the movement world - however, when understood is possibly one of the most potent postures for advantageous physical adaptation.

Joining the 200HR teacher training with Sthira yoga is an experience that I will do my best to adequately describe to those that may be interested. Some of you will not resonate with these words and some will, and that is ok. The aim of writing this is to provide anecdotal information about the experience immersing myself in yoga and to share the outcomes from completing a YTT course in Goa, India. 

*For those that are interested in a YTT, please use your discernment and feel into your decision to join Sthira Yoga School. 

Sthira Yoga is an experience that ultimately has initiated a ripple into what can be described as unexpected momentum. A surprising effect of being in this place with this team is the activation of something within, and on reflection, with the other course participants, it is as though this response is just parred for the course.  The movement, pranayama, mediations and nightly community dinners weave into a flow that leaves one in moments of cognitive ease.  

Much disciplined work is to be done, accompanied at the same time by simply enjoying oneself.  

Knowledge is delivered passionately, yet integration is the focus and genuinely demonstrated by the teachers and mentors. This team doesn’t need to try to motivate students, as they simply inspire through action, acceptance and true alignment with the content being presented.

Delivered, is a stimulating task load balanced with enough time to think things through, feel them out and focus on one's self throughout the process.  Reflection is encouraged, growth supported and challenge provided at just the right stimulus to inspire one to exhale and lean in a little further.   For those willing, the testing of one's comfort zone and subsequent self-evaluation provided ample opportunity to understand one's mind further. Aiding to understand ones self with greater clarity. A process that many of us have started, if you are reading this it's probable that your first steps have well and truly been made prior.

Yet, this self-discovery journey is long, and engaging in the process is truly full of gifts; gifts that come from within and those that come from others. Finding mentors that can support our process by providing wisdom, kindness and knowledge is one such gift, that can greatly influence our perspectives, self-awareness and self-acceptance. Great mentors and teachers understand their role as facilitators, not gurus.  

Ancient wisdom, tools for self-empowerment and freedom of response have been shared for thousands of years across cultures via oral tradition, imagery and more recently texts. Today we find some of these in bookshops, online pre-recorded courses and podcasts etc. And these can all help to provoke thought and inspire changes, sure. Yet a very real, and tangible ingredient in the journey of self-awareness is the connection with others. The exchange of self with others, the exchange of energy with others, the mirroring effect of those we spend time with. Those that are vigilant, and discerning, and try to observe through a lens of kindness, gain great insight into themselves and the nature of people. The true nature of people is another such gift when viewed from a place of Joy.  

Goa, The Sthira Yoga School, the teaching team and other students all contribute to facilitating a personal journey into yoga and provide an avenue where one can practice and develop empowered perspectives. It doesn’t take long to feel into this place. The routine tactfully guides one's mind, breath and body resulting in a satiating experience. 

It is not all easy. Even ease takes discipline. 

This place, can be dirty, and noise and distractions are as real as the humid air that weighs on one's lungs as the sun finds its zenith, yet a calmness is present if you just take a moment to notice. Time here seems to rest itself on a sliding scale of importance, as though time is as only as important as the individual makes it.  

With such a statement I may appear obscene, a nuisance even. To say such things can be slightly abrasive. Or maybe a stimulant to re-evaluate one's perspective but certainly not a requirement. With this being said, the group I studied within created a collective rhythm, a beat that moved us together. The collaborative efforts allowed each individual a greater experience with the course materials, movement training and self-analysis. The group lifted each other up when challenges weighed a little too heavy for individuals. Support, understanding and non-judgmental attitudes developed a collective strength as each member at times expressed vulnerability. An unspoken mutual understanding was met during the early days of the course and demonstrated for the remainder by each other's actions, practice and commitment. A team was formed and friendships were born. 

Bold Statements. 

To write this, I’ve paused many times to think things through further, as clarity has been required before communication. This process brought me to a relieving perspective. I no longer am fixated on a world that needs to change, or that needs to improve. My point of focus has shifted and as a result, I see my values clearer and understand how I can now navigate such a world with less ache and more heart. I understand better how to live from the heart and experience a very real presence in life. A presence easiest understood by the household phrase ‘you get what you give.’ Possibly better expressed by the following words “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” Leviticus 19:18. This is a bold statement that is very tough to make peace with, for those of us that have or have had very real challenges in life. But for a moment try not to let any internal conflicts devalue its message. Try not to let the semantics reduce the potency of such a statement. In efforts to create a less triggering statement let me say this; Express Joy to our neighbours and experience Joy in ourselves. This a provocative statement that I found to need much consideration. 

Joy, I’ve come to experience is a physical force as real as our heartbeat and desire to breathe. Possibly the very real trigger that sparks life into our cells and continues to drive us. It is innate and is available to everyone. It is not a reward that is earned. It is not just for the ‘good’ people. It is not given. It is completely available to each of us. This is a big statement and may feel to some like a very large leap. However, every long distance is covered by achieving smaller steps. In this case, the distance is understanding, the tools are our steps and the process becomes joyful.

Tools for adaptation.

The movement practice of Yoga Asana is only 25% of the equation in the yoga sphere however is a valuable tool for physiological and psychological adaptations. This opportunity is very present as each asana is performed. The opportunity is to embody empowering values through physical experiential learning. We learn the power of the breath on our mind, nervous system, and tissue. We learn that the mind moves us or restricts our movements. We learn that movement unlocks our body's ability to communicate with us if we learn its language, and we learn that with discipline and practice, we can achieve what we once thought unachievable. 

Pranayama yoga develops our control of the breath and in turn the mind. This helps us train our naturally inquisitive, and active minds to focus on what we choose. Focus gives the brain and body a potent cocktail of hormones and actions that support adaptation and understanding. Gaining a little more influence over our thoughts is a rewarding experience even in the earliest stages of developing this skill we can feel an internal movement and belief start to grow.  

A concept from Yogic philosophy is Ahimsa, a value found in The Yamas sutras. A practice of Non-violence, not limited to others or just actions. The words we speak and our internal dialogue regarding ourselves can be unintentionally violent by their negative nature. The practice of understanding and giving the benefit of the doubt here is a powerful tool when reflecting on ourselves and others. Habitual thought patterns, emotions and actions can be unconscious and dis-empowering to ourselves and further passed on to those we spend time with. Practising empowering deliberate thoughts is a potent tool for establishing new supportive habitual behaviour on and off the mat. Yoga Asana moves us to feel through action, leaving us feeling refreshed, clear and lighter. Leaving our thoughts refreshed and lighter. An opportunity for new perspectives to develop.

Throughout this course, I have found many moments of Joy, when in passed days I would have experienced uncomfortableness, uneasiness and default frustration. This deep change has happened subtly almost under my nose and leaves me with a strong belief and confidence that I have the will, discipline and capacity to choose how I engage with life and how I feel within it. I sit here at the footsteps of the shala writing, reflecting, and looking ahead with enthusiasm. The course is over and the journey feels as though I am still only in the beginning stages. As I head into the alpine Himalayas carrying my possessions on my back for the next couple of months, I’m confident I’ll handle the arduous challenges ahead, as for now, I have a new valued tool kit in my heart, mind and quiver.  

For those of you that have read this far, well done. If you take one thing from the above, it could be these next four powerful words - Joy is our nature.

One for the fridge.

Namaste 

LRS