8th - 31st August, 2022 (I finished in October because of my school schedule)
Introduction
Yoga Ananda Overview video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFGbdZ6GOiU
Introductions: https://www.yogaananda.net/th/200-hours-yoga-teacher-training-international-program-in-aug-2022-1st-day-8-aug-2022/
this is a retreat which I attended during the summer of 2022. I joined this course because I had a foundation in gymnastics and ice skating but could not continue due to my school work. I want to continue my passion through yoga and also explore more in the area of philosophy. From this course, I realised that I quite like anatomy and medical science because I believe in proof. I made so many friends, all in different stages of their lives: a person who is just starting their own business to a retired parent. I not only
learned asanas but also how to be a better person in life. Patanjali’s teachings showed me the link of religion and philosophy and daily life. I adored the hardship of actually becoming a teacher throughout my journey and I hope to continue more of these experiences.
Day 1: Meet and Greet!
Day 2: Sound healing
Day 3-7: Alignments and Asanas
Day 8: Birthday celebration (thank youu!!!)
Day 9: Meditation & breathing
Day 10 - Day out trip
Today was very tiring. I learned a lot about everyone during out car ride up. We changed into our swimsuits up there and then wore hill tribes clothes on top. We listened to instructions with another group of European tour group. Then we went to feed the elephants. I was quite scared when the elephant wrapped its trunk around me. I wonder howp they treat these elephants because they are technically rescues but then they are trained to do such things to tourists. Then we went to the mud bath and I didn’t want to get in fully but I liked walking on the mud. I was very scared when the Mahout tried to put mud on me and I was very stern with saying not to put mud on me. We then hiked down to a pond to get the elephants cleaned. The water was clean so I got in but the others were very happy spraying water everywhere. I saw how the baby elephant wanted to go back home. Then we hiked up to the place where we could have lunch and I was so scared to fall all the time so I never slipped but walked super slowly. We then went into the waterfall to do some yoga poses and take pictures. I was scared of the cave and could not meditate but could do a couple of yoga poses. I think I stretched my hip tendon when I did a wheel because I got pinch pains after. I tried to explain the poses in gymnastic terms so the others didn’t understand. We also did Neti and rubber cleaning but I could only do the water in one nostril and out the other but could not do the rubber rope. I saw another girl trying to copy us and I wondered if that’s what I had looked like back then when I was trying to copy others. I was very scared on the way back because we went uphill and I was very tired. We then went and spoke with some of the Karen hill tribe kids. I handed out doughnuts and there was 1 missing for 1 girl. The loudest girl should not have gotten it but Sha told me to give to her when I spoke. I should have kept my ground and just went around. We then went back and both teachers felt nauseous. K. Nok actually threw up. I fell asleep. I went to Flo’s house after to wait to get picked up. Echo came after at 6:30pm to Flo’s house as well and stayed 3 hours. Flo’s house is very Singaporean and very small. It is very cluttered but also organised and high-tech.
Final Day with the Group - 31st
We expressed our final sentiments to each other before parting... but it's not over! We had multiple meet ups after this and I made some of the greatest friends of all time in my life... I also had my second half of Yoga teacher training to finish off so that took up the remainder of the time.
Through meditation I found that I am always worrying about being in other people’s way instead of focusing on myself. My posture is also bad because I am unable to sit straight without falling. Through answering class questions, I found that I do have good questions but am sometimes also really scared to ask, signifying that I am not confident enough. I want to be more open and also more clear on my questions because I may have the best English but I am not the best at explaining my questions. Through my yoga poses, I realised that I am quite flexible but I have a layer of fat, not allowing me to engage my core, hence the reason why I cannot go down to even deeper or go up in handstands/ go down in Chaturanga. Through learning philosophy and the different branches, I realised that I quite like anatomy and medical science because I like things to be proven and I really like sound healing because it seems so calming (like a massage). I am also wondering if I might go into beauty/ medical clinics because that’s what relates to this. I also found that I like the aspect of city life and office work much more than nature. I think this is possibly because I have lived amongst nature for so long (basically all my life) and wish to change to be in city-centre. My big mistake this time was that I did not live in Hillside, which would have made my life much easier by just walking down and completing work.
Thank you for this amazing journey!!
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