"My life is now defined by Pre-Triguna and Post-Triguna"

It's almost a month and a half since I landed in India but it feels like a lifetime has passed me. As soon as the plane touched down I was overwhelmed with the feeling of coming home to a place I've never been before (John Denver quote). I've gotten this feeling before when arriving somewhere new. In India they call this 'Mai Ka', "the feeling of coming home, back to mother". I came to India craving a slower pace of life, a little more peace... and lower cost of living. After two amazing but expensive and fast-paced months in Europe, India was exactly what I needed.

I wanted to gain some kind of skill on this adventure. Something to take with me, like a tool. 200hr yoga teacher training called me. What better place to do it than the birthplace of yoga? Rishikesh sits on the Ganges river surrounded by mountains. It’s a is a small city by India’s standards, with a population of 323,000. There are hundreds of yoga teacher trainings available in Rishikesh but Triguna stood out to me. I remember reading a review that said "my life is now defined as pre-Triguna and post-Triguna". That was all I needed to see. I also loved that it's located outside of the noisy city center. 

Triguna is tucked away down dirt roads surrounded by trees and the entire property is inhabited by butterflies. I've never seen so many in one place. They'd land on us during yoga practice and while we ate lunch outside. Triguna is owned and run by long time friends Prakashji, Harryji, and Samadhi. They've each been dedicated to the practice of yoga, meditation and inner-work for decades. They put together the most incredible group of teachers to work with us. To my surprise I actually learned more about life than I did yoga, although it all ties in.

I was picked up from the airport and arrived to the ashram early morning. I met my incredible roommates: Francis from the Netherlands and Jojo from England, originally from South Africa. Minutes after meeting them I knew I made the right choice choosing a dorm over a private room. Every night felt like a sleepover and by the end of the month we were like sisters.

One of the first things I noticed is that there isn't a mirror in our room. I decided to log out of my social media for the month too, so this ended up being a complete cleanse of looking at myself from the outside, in. I wore no makeup and was completely unaware of how I looked everyday but I knew exactly how I felt, and I have never felt more beautiful. This was also a month without meat, coffee and alcohol. Fresh veggies and fruits everyday with homemade Indian dishes, and chai of course. My newest obsession.

I shared my time at Triguna with 24 amazing individuals from all over the world. Belgium, France, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Israel, South Africa, Ireland, England, Australia, Canada, United States and Argientina. Our ages ranged from 23 to 61. We were a group of doctors, professors, designers, programmers, film makers, entrapruneers, scuba instructors, business owners, teachers, investment bankers, environmentalists, and engineers. Where we came from really didn't matter though. By the end of the month we were a big, happy, yogi family.

Time was a weird thing here, the days were so full they felt long but the weeks flew by and at the end of it I felt like I had been at Triguna for years. Thursday-Tuesday we had classes throughout the day and meditation in the evening. This routine was the same everyday, which may seem repetitive but each day was so rich and exciting. There was so much to learn. Philisophy class was my favorite. Prakashji, our teacher, is working on his PhD in Yoga Philsophy. We dove into such a wide range of topics. From meaning of life, purpose, and love to ancient wisdoms and stories. It kind of felt like a yogi version of college. Here’s what a day would consist of: 

6:00 wake up, tea 

6:30 hatha yoga 

7:30 breath work 

8:00 mantras

8:45 breakfast and chai 

10:15 yoga philosophy 

11:15 alignment and adjustment 

1:00 lunch 

3:15 anatomy 

4:15 astanga yoga 

5:30 tea 

6:15 meditation 

7:30 dinner 

8:30 bedtime 

Wednesdays were our “holidays”. No classes, we could go into the city of Rishikesh if we wanted or just chill at the ashram. I went into Rishikesh every holiday, can't resist an adventure. Rishikesh is so magical I spent a week there after Triguna and have a seperate blog post in the works for it.

We got an extra day off to celebrate Diwali, the most celebrated holiday in India. I didn't plan to be in India for this celebration but I'm so glad it happened this way. Diwali is celebrated with enthuasim that's comparable to Christmas in the US. It's the celebration of light. The outside of homes and businesses are decorated with candles, LED lights and flowers. I didn't see a single building without some kind of light decoration. Bonfires and fireworks are also a huge piece in this celebration. We decorated our entire ashram, had a huge bonfire, set off fireworkds, sang and danced all night. This is my favorite Triguna memory.

At the end of month we had our final exams. We each taught a 45 minute yoga class to the rest of the group and took a written test. Everyone passed and we had a beautiful ceremony that turned into another dance party as we received our certificates. 

After a month in the world of Triguna I can say that I’m a better, healthier, more full-of-life version of myself with new life-long friendships. I guess I can teach yoga now too!

If you've made it this far I'll share some of the most important and simple lessons I learned in philisophy class with you:

You have to solve yourself before you can solve others. Compassion comes with

self-understanding.

Nature is wisdom.

Don't get caught up in creating a life purpose. Just flow. Listen to that voice inside you.

WANDER. Take risks. Listen to your heart and see where it takes you.

Feel your feelings. Sit with them. It'll pass.

Living moment to moment, here and now, is the only way to experience life in it's fullest form.

"Enjoy life like it's a holiday because it is"

At the moment...

Listening to: Shiva Dhyana Mahakatha

Reading: Patanjali Yoga Sutras Swami Vivekananda