What the hell am I getting myself into? I’ve been doing yoga for a while now, but I am by no means an expert. I’m not even naturally flexible. What if they kick me out on the first day because I can’t do the splits? I also can’t do a proper headstand; the last time I tried I nearly broke my neck. What if I don’t like the other people in the class? Or worse, what if they don’t like me?
These were the thoughts that ran through my head over and over as my cab driver traversed the ever winding single-lane roads on our three-hour drive up the coast of northeastern Bali. Don’t get me wrong, I was excited. But the closer my location on Google Maps got to the hotel, the more uneasy I became.
In October of 2022, I took a 200-hour immersive yoga teacher training course in Bali, Indonesia – a mecca for yoga and spirituality. For three and a half weeks, my classmates and I delved into the depths of yoga far beyond what is taught at Saturday morning Vinyasa. One thing is certain: Yoga teacher training is NOT a vacation. While I came out of it as relaxed and clear-minded as I would after a vacation, the road to getting there was very different. Our days were as equally rewarding as they were sweaty. Everyone took on the yogic lifestyle: there was no smoking or drinking, and all of the meals provided were vegetarian. This is my daily account:
Eat, sleep, yoga, repeat. The day began promptly at 6:00 a.m. when we woke up to the blazing hot sun rising over the Indian Ocean. The temperature instantly jumped to 80 degrees and we began two hours of Pranayama breathing and Vinyasa flow. An hour for breakfast followed. We then reconvened for Yoga alignment where we learned the mechanics, muscle actions, and variations of different poses. The morning ended with Yin: restorative yoga consisting of easy, relaxing stretches.
Our lunch break, which was also our free time, lasted two hours. Some days we would go snorkeling as a group, swimming alongside entire schools of fish, mesmerized by the brilliant colors. Other days were spent in the pool, soaking up the sun and taking in the postcard-worthy views of the beach, obstructed only by palm trees and tropical flowers.
In the afternoon, our Yoga philosophy session covered the spiritual side of yoga. Learning about Karma, Dharma, and the eight limbs of Yoga often led to long and insightful group discussions about our purpose in life. These conversations were made even more interesting by my classmates’ unique backgrounds, as we collectively represented four continents and ten countries.
We then went into the hardest part of the day: Ashtanga. I am in no way exaggerating when I say that the sweatiest I have ever been in my entire life was during those hour-and-a-half sessions. Not only was it 85 degrees and very humid, but between the poses, time spent holding each pose, and number of repetitions, this was definitely the most physically demanding yoga. One thing is certain: It absolutely was a workout, and everyone was in better shape by the end.
Our last class of the day was meditation. Of all the places in the world to meditate, a secluded beach in Bali is top tier. Accompanied by the sound of crashing waves, we learned about and practiced many different types of mediation. I would be lying if I said I never fell asleep during class (that means it’s working though, right?).
Meditation ended at 6:30, and we had the rest of the evening to ourselves. Some nights we had “homework” which wasn’t turned in or graded, but was solely for the purpose of helping us learn. Other nights were spent watching the sunset over Mt. Agung or swimming in the moonlight. We practiced yoga six days a week and Sundays were our days off. We had the opportunity to relax or explore the island; the school made it easy for us by organizing optional tours.
A lot of people opt to do their yoga teacher training online as it is often easier and cheaper, but I highly recommend going the in-person route. One major benefit is the hands-on instruction and personalized coaching. On my first day of class, I learned that despite years of yoga practice, my form was improper, even in the most basic poses such as downward dog or a chatterunga push up. Throughout the course, our instructor worked with each of us to improve our alignment, strength, and flexibility. This was invaluable and not something I could have figured out or corrected by watching videos on my own. Another perk to being in person was the ability to collaborate with my classmates and learn acro-yoga, do partner stretches, and help each other perfect new poses.
One of the best things that came from my training course was the community. We started as 13 strangers, and by the end, we had created a network of friends from all over the world who share the same passion for yoga. We created an environment where it was okay to fail as long as we tried. At night, we engaged in in-depth conversations about how to lead a fulfilling life. For the last week of the program, we became the instructors; our final project was to create and lead our own Vinyasa, Yin, and meditation class.
My 200-hour yoga teacher training course was an amazing experience. I learned so much about yoga while strengthening my mind, body, and spirit connection. I came away from this course in the best physical shape of my life. I will be forever grateful that I took the leap, especially in Bali of all places (and I got to live out my Eat Pray Love dreams).
