Yoga Teacher Training Archives - Samahita Retreat

Photo: Paul adds the finishing touch. This is a bit of a throwback as we rarely practice like this anymore. Guidance is offered subtly just as much, or more so, than any physical assist.

Over the years I’ve noticed how the style and level of assistance my teacher Paul has offered his students. The methods a teacher uses to do this can be explained in terms of gross, subtle and causal (or very subtle) in a similar way the different levels of awareness and personal practice evolve. Although all three levels are employed by experienced teachers from the outset I have noticed a marked shift over the years, of my teacher, towards a more subtle hands off approach. As with all things in yoga, we need to interact with our students on all levels wether physical, emotional or deeper states of awareness. It is also a matter of needs vs wants as we help in accordance with what is needed for development rather than what is merely desired. When teacher and student work together in this way what results is a unique, personalized path of growth and development.

Personal experience

My own story here starts from the days of developing an asana practice at Samahita that involved some really deep assists as postures were often sufficiently complex or challenging to require direct hands on help. It was also a means of working through emotional-physical states that would have proved difficult without assistance.

Of course for those of you who have practiced at Samahita over the last 15 + years may have experienced the same. Although, as a matter of general practice, we are taught to work on deeper subtle levels with the breath and mind as we also work with the body.

The journey of the student is comparable to that of the teacher, as our understanding develops so does the practice. As we explore all levels of experience and growth we find new ways to practice and express ourselves.

How the teachings unfold – From the external to the internal.

Your teacher walks over, takes a look at you, your body, its form, balance and expression. They make a judgment, maybe say few words of guidance or places their hands to make an adjustment or assist. You listen, feel it, adjust yourself or wait for the physical sensation, your awareness changes, your balance shifts and your body, your posture, assumes a new form.

Sitting, focused deeply on breath, the abdomen rises and falls, your hand occasionally lifts to touch the nose. The breath stops in a retention, you pause, wait lift the chin and continue breathing. Your teacher watches your body, the abdomen, the chest, your expression. The body still reveals strain or ease or comfort. The pattern of the breath it’s regularity, proportion and the balance of inhale, retention and exhale all reveal something about your state or comfort with the technique. In this case a simple touch or a few words will suffice.

Going deeper, contemplation, subtle, deep pranayama practice. Emptying the mind, internalizing awareness, observing prana. How do we see from the outside? In this state how is assistance given? In the case with traditional pranayama, the pulse is taken. The inner condition is read and measured subtly. Maybe a word or two, a nod, smile or just a look. And that’s it, they know, you know and the practice continues.

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1 Minute Yoga – Bakasana

Daniel Stringer — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 07:42:35 +0000

Bakasana, (crane pose or crow pose) takes a while to develop for many but here you can learn the key points in 1 minute with Daniel & GIll

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Emilia’s Centered Yoga Teacher Training Experience

Daniel Stringer — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 06:22:29 +0000

Everyone has their own unique experience on the Centered Yoga 200hr Teacher Training. Emilia talks about her challenges and growth during the May 2019 course. See more TT testimonials HERE

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Advanced Anatomy Training with Arielle Nash

Samahita Team — Mon, 15 Apr 2019 07:31:58 +0000

Video by Grey Bashew

Are you ready to take your Yoga Education to the next level? Arielle Nash introduces her 100 hour Advanced Anatomy Teacher Training for yoga teachers and movement specialists. This course forms part of the Centered Yoga 500 hour Yoga Teacher Training at Samahita Retreat,

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Introducing the Samahita Team: Gill Breetzke

Samahita Team — Mon, 15 Apr 2019 07:22:23 +0000

Gill was born in South Africa, and has lived abroad in the UK, Ireland and Asia. She began her international teaching career, working in Inner city London schools, supporting children from challenging backgrounds, then on to Dublin and Yangon. Koh Samui is now her home where she combines her love of yoga and music in this unique transformational place. She began her daily practice of yoga in 2004, training with Paul Dallaghan and Richard Freeman, and is Yoga Alliance (500RYT) and 1100 hour Centered Yoga Certified teacher. Samahita has always been a welcoming, transformative space for her and in early 2016 she was grateful to fully embrace this magical place and call it home.

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The post Introducing the Samahita Team: Gill Breetzke appeared first on Samahita Retreat.

Sonja Rzepski Remembers Centered Yoga 1999

Centered Yoga Team — Sun, 03 Mar 2019 09:27:46 +0000

When I think about the origin story of “Centered Yoga”, I remember a time in New York where yoga was not as widely practiced. I was making my way through university working as a trainer in Crunch Fitness gym before and after a long day of classes and it was one of my clients who I think saw how stressed I was and recommended I take Paul’s class. She kept reminding me and finally I gave it a go.

Little did I know I was dropping into a led Ashtanga practice. Even though I was a marathon runner and trainer it was one of the most challenging things I had ever done and at the same time I loved it. Paul directed me to practice with Eddie Stern, which I did. While practicing there I met Jutima too, a successful business entrepreneur and forward thinking yogi.

After a while I decided i wanted to deepen my knowledge of yoga and do a teacher training, so I recommended to Paul that he lead one. So he did. He enlisted an Iyengar teacher to help and I was the first and only student. We used Crunch fitness studio space and he would give me assignments to study at Sivananda Ashram upstate and other studios in NYC too.

I don’t actually remember how long it took us to finish the 200 hours but at some point I think Paul thought I was ready and had me sub some of his classes while he went off to India to study. When he came back he did a second TT with I believe 6 students, which I decided to do so I had company and then the rest is kinda history. Samāhita is one of the leading Teacher Trainings in Asia and I might argue in the world.

I’ve recommended so many of my students from all corners of the earth to find it and many have gone on to start their own studios. It continues to inspire, grow and evolve. Thank you Jutima for your wise business vision and extraordinary work and Paul for continuing to elevate the field of yoga.

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Sonja Rzepski Remembers Centered Yoga 1999

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Yoga Sutras: Reflections from Experience on Teacher Training – Part Three

Centered Yoga Team — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 06:33:39 +0000

Yoga Sutras: Reflections from Experience on Teacher Training – Part Three

by Centered Yoga Team

Continuing the reflective theme from recent Centered Yoga Teacher Training 200 hour graduates and their thoughts and insights on the yoga sutras and its teaching, Irene reflects, thinks deep, and offers these thoughts:

“Prior to coming to Samahita, I had read the Yoga Sutras in two attempts. At first, I was intrigued by the Sutras but found them really difficult to understand and a bit dry. This changed when I started to read Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi, a fascinating book that brings alive yogic saints and the concepts of spiritual practices and miracles. Now, I picked up the Sutras again and could relate to them. I often found myself re-reading and cross referencing them with chapters in Yogananda’s autobiography. However, the yoga as I understood it from Yogananda and supported by the Sutras was a yoga merely focussing on meditation and mental processes. I was missing the yoga I knew, the asana’s, the discipline it brings to my day, the satisfaction, balance and lightness I feel after my Ashtanga practice.

“Paul’s teachings and the clear description of the Sutra’s key concepts in the manual have brought me a renewed understanding what the Sutra’s advocate. I understand now the dependency between the body and the mind and how yoga can be in fact a tool to unite body and mind and channel your energies. It was also deepened my understanding of life and how to deal with its continuous challenges, temptations and monotonies. How yoga comprises an internal work, on the physical and mental level, in dealing with oneself, discipline, concentration and practice, and an external work, the dealing with one’s direct environment and relations.

“I can find myself very well in the systematic description of the ‘web of life’ we find ourselves entangled in (Samyoga), our environment (prakriti), the working of the mind (citta) and how we deal with its modifications (citta vrittis), distractions and distortions (klesas). Also the holistic view of yoga (the 8 limbs) and the codes of conducts described for each ‘leg’ (eg the yama’s and niyama’s) and the practical approaches to yoga, such as continuous practice (abhyasa) and non-dependence (vairagya) and Kriya Yoga resonate with me. I identify to a lesser degree with the concept of ‘purusha’, the true self as a reincarnating vehicle of truth. I understand and agree that and how ‘purusha’ resides in one individual but feel less affection with the concept of the ‘reincarnating eternal purusha’. To me at this point the Samkhya concept almost turns into a religion as I believe that reincarnation is a belief and not a truth.

“In summary, the Sutra’s and Paul’s excellent teaching, have created a deep understanding of what yoga is to me and why I should do more of it, on all levels. It is also motivating me to study more and practice more. Thank you!”

Irene Visser, August 2018

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The post Yoga Sutras: Reflections from Experience on Teacher Training – Part Three appeared first on Samahita Retreat.

Yoga Sutras: Reflections from Experience on Teacher Training – Part Two

Centered Yoga Team — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 04:53:53 +0000

“The understanding of this has really helped me put things into perspective.
Having been anxious and holding onto previous experiences and jobs that haven’t gone as planned,
and having also struggled with finding self-worth as a full-time mum.”

Esther, one of the students on the August Education in Yoga, Teacher Training 200 hours program, expressed a very clear, honest and well understood grasp of the essence of Patanjali’s yoga sutra. We happily share it here:

“Yoga as defined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras refers to the experience of who you really are at the core, and not who you perceive yourself to be. This perception is distorted by the way our world and human nature works, with a tendency to be focused on the external. Hence, our aim should really be to look within ourselves. From this perspective, it can be said that this framework is applicable to all people anywhere in the world, regardless of race, religion, appearance, wealth, age, health or sex. It is this sense of inclusion and non-dogmatic approach which has really sparked my belief.

“We often define ourselves by the jobs we have, the people we associate with, the assets we own, our interests and hobbies. All of which are in fact impermanent. Our self worth becomes reliant on inherently external factors for which not only we have no control over, nor define who we really are. This sense of attachment to our distorted selves then causes us to pain, and we suffer its loss when it leaves us. The understanding of this has really helped me put things into perspective. Having been anxious and holding onto previous experiences and jobs that haven’t gone as planned, and having also struggled with finding self-worth as a full-time mum.

“The Yoga Sutras state that by looking in, through regular practice, self examination and devotion. To be able to look at things for what they really are and apply care in our daily lives. We can then decrease distortions of ourselves, find peace within, and become more centered. While I am aware this journey is not easy, because that is the nature of this world, I take away from this a set of tools that has given me more clarity and direction. I see it as my ‘Sthira’, my foundation, on which I can be ‘Sukha’, happy and free. For I know this journey can happen only purely within myself.”

Esther Yang

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