It is official  I am now a certified yoga teacher. Yesterday was exams, a fire pudja to seal the deal and then of course dinner and drinks. So glad that it is all over as it has been a tough experience emotionally and physically but I am so happy with my progress and the people on the course were just great. Of course I  feel this is just the beginning of deepening the asana practice and hopefully I will be more confident to teach at some point soon. In fact we met a lass from Finland who has just finished a 6 week long hatha yoga teacher training in Rishikesh for a portion of the price and with a lot more one on one training from the teachers. So I think this may be also good to do before leaving India. Since I have been learning all about the different styles it seems that Hatha, rather Astanga yoga may be a lot better for us folks over 40 yoga.

Anyway yesterday the exams were not that bad, but the course teacher did play the lets stress out the student and of course changed the questions around from what they said they would do. Anyway we all looked pretty cool in our whites at the fire ceremony  but it was a shame that it was not explained as just doing a religious ceremony for the sake of show is a bit weird and freaked some people out while others went along blindly have a spiritual Indian experience. I enjoyed it for what it was, a show for the westerners and some good joo joo for them to keep on making the big bucks. Now could I be sounding just a wee bit cynical?

It must be tough for them to create a yoga training that stays true to the ancient yoga tradition and the philosophy while catering to westerners, some of whom have never been to India and have never studied yoga philosophy before. Everyone brings there expectations to the program and of course web site have the ability to make it all look so perfect and inviting. In short, while I have deepened my own practice and am grateful to the asana teacher for that, I would not recommend Sampoorna Yoga  as a teacher training program. I would also say that the owner is more interested in flirting with the girls, having facials, riding  his motorbike and posing on a white horse on the beach. In general he enjoys generating lots of money without being present to assist the students with their asana practice.While the philosophy was good to learn the teacher had the ability to take a fascinating subject and just kill it with his antiquated teaching style, manner of talking down to people and never allowing questions,

Anyway today is the last day at the beach and off to Delhi and on to McLeod Ganj tomorrow.