What began as a course in learning the essentials of how to put together a Yoga class and the tools that are needed, instead brought up many processes that both myself and my fellow students felt overwhelmed with what we were getting ourselves into. I don’t think we envisaged that we would be both teachers and a support network during our time here at the Adhiroha Yoga Academy.

What was a typical day for us?

Alarm: 04:40 – Wake up and sing songs to my roomie Brian as I took a shower and got changed.

Arrive at the Yoga Shala – 05:20 – Here I would sit and meditate for 20mins but towards the end of the course I was exhausted and I would actually sleep, but I gave the impression that I meditated.

Pranayama class – 05:45 with Anant ji. This man had one of the most beautiful singing voices I had ever heard. One time when he sang an opening mantra at the start of the class I felt the gush of tears flowing down my face. He made a simple course like breath work feel like we were embarking on a journey into the depths of our soul.

Ashtanga class – 07:15 with Pratap ji – This man is the most graceful and zen person that I have ever laid eyes on. He moves so stealth like and he always came to class with a composed energy that was a model of efficiency. Not only did I learn the rhythms of Ashtanga, but I learnt more about how one handles ones energy and composure as a teacher simply through observation.

Breakfast: 09:00 – 09:45 (After one week I began to beg for coffee from my fellow students to combat my lethargy)

09:45 – 11:15 Anatomy with Anant ji – A challenging class to say the least. Here was the study of bones, tissues, joints and tendons and their range of movement. I got answers to how arthritis had effected my range of movement as well as the ways we could combat both overextension as well as stiffness. These classes, though challenging, were vital in understanding how to comprehend body awareness and care to ourselves and others.

11:30 – 13:00 Adjustment, Alignment and Methodology with Dheeraj ji

Putting into practice the theory we learnt from the previous class, here we would volunteer to be on the mat and give each other tips in regards to improving our own postures under the guidance of our teacher Dee, who came from a professional sporting background. The course taught us about respecting our bodies, asking questions regarding the history of injury and most importantly, being aware how our lifestyle creates certain restrictions and barriers in our quest for improvement.

13:00 – 14:45 – Lunch always consisting of vegetarian meals and a chance to read over notes from the previous classes. Most of the time we chose to give the mind a break from the rigors of class.

14:45 – 15:15 – Yoga Philosophy with Jaggi ji

The Indian Jesus. This man had us in stitches as he combined the teachings of the vedas, Patanjali, Bhagavad Gita with his own life adventures. He had us in raptures as he described his experiments from walking around Rishikesh in a Burkha so that he could relate better to how women are treated, to him crying like a baby when he found himself stuck in a glacier up in the Himalayas looking for a Guru. There were always good discussions amongst us after his classes.

He really wanted us to dig deep and devote ourselves to the practice, not just from an intellectual level, but to be almost like devotion from the heart. It took us as a class some time to be at ease with this. With his soft and deliberate voice, reminding us to just be at peace with whatever came up in our consciousness, we all went under a transformation where there were tears of both joy and sadness.

Ritchie on Rajat ji (meditation teacher)

15:30 – 18:00 Hatha Yoga with Deepali ji

What began as a real fear in participating in this class, turned into love and respect for the practice (and my teacher) by the end. I really struggled at the start because my body was so stiff and sore. Deepali ji, who was the lone female teacher at our school, at first didn’t care for my wise cracks during class. It wasn’t until I asked her for help regarding my back pain that I witnessed her care and love that she gave for all her students including me. I just needed to show her some male vulnerability, instead of trying to laugh it off, for us to connect. Her classes were run like a tight ship and she expected us to give 110%. Respect!

18:15 – 19:00 Meditation with Rajat ji

This was probably the class that I had the highest expectations of myself in. However, sitting crosslegged on a wooden block as Rajat ji took us through eleven different meditation practices made me aware of how frail my consciousness (and concentration) is. He really wanted us to dig deep and devote ourselves to the practice, not just from an intellectual level, but to be almost like devotion from the heart. It took us as a class some time to be at ease with this. With his soft and deliberate voice, reminding us to just be at peace with whatever came up in our consciousness, we all went under a transformation where there were tears of both joy and sadness. I think this class helped us bond as a group because of these profound and personal revelations.