Yoga Journeys: Cultural/Spiritual Tours in India
Tibetans refer to India as the ‘Land of the Sublime Ones.’ The entire country is a sacred landscape, a vast body cosmos where certain areas are believed to have sources of divine power. Whether they’re hidden in high Himalayan mountain passes, the relics of a saint, in the divine plan of Dravidian architecture in Tamil Nadu, or the eyes of a wandering sadhu, ancient places mentioned in the yoga texts as far back as the Rig Veda, still exist today. These are places of great legends that have been worshiped for centuries, by pilgrims who come to be purified and closer to the divine. In the Hindu world, these power places are called tirthas, meaning ford or crossing, in which you can cross over, from ordinary reality to other dimensions. In his book, Travels through Sacred India, Roger Housden describes a sacred place as “one that is graced with the presence of unconditional being; where the unfettered domain of the gods makes itself known in the finite world.”
India’s rich spiritual legacy has inspired us to create a series of Yoga Journeys, or cultural/spiritual tours in India, as part of our Advanced Yoga Teacher Training. These Continuing Education courses are certified by Yoga Alliance for 100 hours each. They focus on two major philosophical schools of classical Indian thought - the worlds of Shiva and Buddha - and, specifically, where they intersect with the Tantric world that laid down the fertile soil for Hatha Yoga to emerge. Depending on your interest, you can delve into Shiva’s realm in Tamil Nadu or Benares, or follow the Buddhist trail to Dharamsala or Leh. These tours will take you through magnificent landscapes that will ignite your imagination. We will study yoga and yogic philosophy ‘on location,’ surrounded by spiritual art, sculpture, architecture, temples and monasteries, to gain a deeper understanding of its purpose. We will observe ancient rituals and contemporary practices, smell the burning camphor and incense, hear the chanting and mantras, spin prayer wheels, encounter devas and deities, and sit in the presence of spiritual masters - rinpoches, lamas, yogis and sadhus. This descent into the ancient world of yatra, mudra, pranayama, meditation, darshan, devotion and true knowledge will give you texture in your yoga teaching and your life.
Yoga philosophy can be challenging even for the brightest adept. Personally, it’s only because of my extensive travels through India, that finally, a few yogic concepts have taken root. After climbing to Hanuman temple in Hampi and surveying his monkey kingdom, I’ll never forget who Hanuman is or the epic tale of the Ramayana. Shiva, Vishnu, and the pantheon of Hindu gods, have come to life for me in stone carvings. Hand-painted Buddhist murals in remote Himalayan monastery, dating back 800 years, helped me to recognise different Buddhas and have more insight into the dharma. I felt purified walking around the Holy Mountain, Arunachala. Sri Ramana Maharishi’s cave (where he meditated in silence for 16 years) left me with a deep calm-abiding serenity. Spinning prayer wheels with Tibetans and walking the Kora (ritual circuit) in Dharamsala had a similar affect on my mind. Chanting OM MANE PADME HUM got me to the top of a 5000 m pass in Ladhak. Seeing the compassionate eyes of an old Rinpoche was a heart-opening experience. These meetings and crossing are out there, but what’s important is that we you why you’re doing it, that you actually have the experience, so you can discern its true value.
The entire journey will be an act of devotion; a yoga practice, a sadhana. When you walk into a temple, you’ll understand that its sophisticated design is actually a metaphor of the spiritual journey, one in which you move towards the center of your own being. The journey from the towering Gopurams, through the outer courtyards to the inner sanctum is one of ‘interiorisation,’ a passage from the physical level of existence, thru the subtle realms of being, to the bliss body of the inner sanctum, where you come face to face with the Deity. Darshan. It’s the act of ‘seeing and being seen.’ This is the essence of the experience we would like you to have, one that result through preparation and a deeper understanding of who is the Deity really is. Is it God, Self, purusha, or pure awareness of the Dharmakaya? Are they all the same? What does it really mean. You’ll have the opportunity to make your own psychological/spiritual crossing, from this world of mundane reality towards your own inner sanctum, under the expert guidance of our teachers.
Yoga Journeys are open to all serious students of yoga (practitioners, scholars and artists) and, especially, yoga students participating in the Advanced Yoga Teacher training course. (* See note below.) Teachers will be either Buddhist or Shaivite scholars, both with a tantric practice of many years. Asana/pranayama/meditation will be taught in the mornings. Afternoons will include a guided philosophy tour of ancient temples/monasteries/sacred places, as well as teachings with local Rinpoches and Swamijis. We will endeavor to meditate wherever possible, and the teachings will focus on the tantric system of the subtle energy body and the inner limbs of pratyahara/dharana/dhyana. Pre-requisite reading is required.
A selection of upcoming YOGA JOURNEYS: Coming Soon.
* (Yoga Journeys are part of our Continuing Education Program and are certified by Yoga Alliance for 100 hours each. To be accepted on the 500 Yoga Teacher Training, you need to be a graduate of any 200-hour YTT recognized by Yoga Alliance. 200 hours of the Advanced Yoga Teacher Training will take place at Satsanga Retreat in Goa. To complete the 300-hour training, you can choose any Yoga Journey, at your convenience.