200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Review by Shannon Maraghy
One of the Best Experiences of My Life
It’s been a month since I finished a life-changing 200-hour yoga teacher training at Samatva Yogalaya, so I’ve had some time to integrate the experience into my “real life.” I am so grateful to Krishna, all the staff and the other participants. It’s actually hard for me to find the words to express how much the experience meant to me and how it keeps unfolding for me. Since the training ended, I’ve been teaching small yoga/meditation sessions once a week in order to keep on developing as a teacher. That’s how empowering a program it is.
I went to Samatva Yogalaya to deepen my asana practice and explore the possibility of becoming a yoga teacher, but what I found was much more profound: inner strength, contentment and peace--and I didn’t know that I’d been looking for those things exactly. But the dincharya (daily routine) was so grounding--up at 6 a.m., herbal tea, neti pot, pranayama, asana, breakfast, yoga philosophy, self study of yoga scriptures, lunch, anatomy/physiology, more asana, dinner, meditation, lights out at 9. It was REALLY good for my soul. It actually made me into a morning person. And since the program has ended, I have continued independently with much of what I learned. The yogic routine has built me a strong foundation for emotional stability, mental clarity and personal power/vision/creativity.
Also, I learned SO much--from each of the different classes. Krishna is among the best asana teachers I’ve had the pleasure to learn from (and I’ve been taking yoga classes off and on for over 15 years.) He is super knowledgeable and knows exactly how to adjust students in each pose to let you get maximum benefit. Plus, small class sizes meant that each student got a lot of attention and correction. I also learned an incredible amount from the classroom sessions and from reading yoga scriptures, as well as from the experiences of researching and giving a presentation (I chose the topic of ayurveda), as well as teaching an asana class in the final week.
What else? The pranayama was powerful--a beautiful way to greet the day, wake up and energize. And I swear my complexion glows now from daily kapalbhati. The chanting was charming. I still chant every day, and now I’m so interested in Sanskrit. The food was hygienic (not something that you should take for granted in India) and really yummy and varied. We got fresh fruit and salad every day, as well as many mouth-watering dishes seasoned with fresh herbs. (I’m vegan and they always made sure to tell me if a dish had dairy in it and provide a dairy-free option, which was so considerate.) The bonding with the other students was unforgettable. But most of all, Krishna and his wife Sangeeta are true practitioners of yoga. They emphasize that yoga is not just something that is done on a mat. Rather, it is a 24-hour-a-day lifestyle. And their words are not hollow. They live it. The humility and authenticity that they display had a powerful effect on me. They inspired me to want to practice as well as I could, learn as much as possible, and keep on living it even after the program ended. Plus, they welcomed us like family. I felt their care and respect and returned it. It was indeed a very special environment to get to live in for one month. I really hope to be able to return to do the 300-hour with them…
I found this program because, luckily for me, a friend had gone through it and recommended it. I was really glad because I found it hard to find an actual, good school in India just by looking online. A lot of other schools reviews looked fake; there are a lot of schools that have sprung up to cash in on the yoga trend and make money without offering authentic, high-quality training. I am so very glad to have found Samatva Yogalaya. The experience was so wonderful. It was just what I needed. I would recommend the program to anyone—those who want to deepen their practice, start teaching or deepen their teaching. Namaste.
