What the hell am I doing here?

This was the first question I was asked on the first day of the Tattvaa Yoga Teacher Training School in Rishikesh. It resonated very much with me and raised other questions within me:
Who am I? Am I the corporate executive who just quit the job, a mother, a daughter, or a partner?
These were the questions dwelling on my mind at the beginning of the course, which we were encouraged to explore during the program.
I chose yoga teacher training because I wanted to do it some time ago and never found the time. Now that I have the time, this was the first thing I scheduled on my calendar. Through extensive research and intuition, I chose Tattvaa Yogashala, Rishikesh, India, and it turned out it was one of the best decisions in my life.
When I came to Rishikesh, I wanted to put some distance from my current life events and time to reflect. I wanted clarity of mind and helped with the major transformation in my life. I found six wonderful teachers and yogis whose lives were dedicated to us – the students.
The rigorous, disciplined boot camp schedule with asana classes starting at 6:30 am and meditation at 9 pm didn’t allow much time for thinking. We were constantly reminded to be in the moment – ‘if you eat– you eat. If you sleep – you sleep. That’s what a yogi does,’ Kamalji, the founder of Tattvaa Yogashala, used to say. He also mentioned that Nike’s slogan ‘Just Do It doesn’t apply to yoga. We must be mindful and aware of the mind, body, and breath in all we do.
So between struggling at asana practice and getting dizzy at pranayama, I found my favorite subjects – Yoga Philosophy and Yog Nidra. The yoga philosophy taught by Swamiji and Sunilji was close to home. It dealt with questions of humanity, and I have been trying to understand:

What is happiness? What is the mind? How to still the monkey mind?

Thru lively stories, references to Kung Fu Panda movies, and Yoga Sutras texts, I was captivated by the world of yoga. There I came to understand that Ashtanga stands for ‘Eight limbs of Yoga,’ which correspond to eight steps to achieve enlightenment. Asanas, what most of the Western world knows of, are only one of the eight steps to attain the final goal. I was relieved when I understood that I was not doomed if I could not wrap my legs around my head or do other postures. Actually, all the asanas, meditation, and pranayama have the end goal of stilling the mind and eventually transcending the mind. It is all about practice and awareness of NOW. After day 4, when I wanted to quit and made a pact with my mind that I would go with the flow and give my best, I started to enjoy the morning practice and celebrated every small achievement and extra inch I could stretch. One other thing that was emphasized during the month-long program was to ‘mind our own business,’ as Sunilji used to say. In other words, yoga is about self-awareness and internal discovery. It is an excellent reminder as, in reality, we are mostly externally oriented and focused on what others are saying or doing.

To Conclude

To wrap up my words, I want to tell people that Tattava Yogashala in Rishikesh has given me a chance to think about my life. I’ve learned that real thinking comes when the mind is quiet. Also, I was reminded that all things come according to their own time and order. No need to worry – the right things will arrive at the right time. So, for now, I am enjoying my break, exploring new ways to enrich my life and those around me. I am passionate about inspiring and motivating people and helping them to reach their highest potential. With the Tattvaa TTC, I received the toolkit for rediscovering myself, my awesomeness, and my appreciation for the Universe’s life and force. I look forward to returning and spending more time in this oasis of spirituality where chants, ashrams, and bells transcend time and space. I highly recommend joining Tattavaa Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh to people looking for an amazing change in their life.