I cannot believe it has already been three months since returning from my four week Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) in India! In case you were wondering why I decided to pursue my certification, let alone in India, give this article a read. It might even give you a solid idea to help make your decision to become certified as well!

Why Would A Nurse Get Certified to Teach Yoga?

I started my own yoga practice about eight years ago after “retiring” from playing competitive ice hockey. I had lost all sense of exercising for myself, and yoga helped me reconnect with my body, mind, and spirit. Yoga has done so much for me personally, and there is more evidence now than ever supporting it’s incredible benefits for overall health.

As a future Family Nurse Practitioner, I have a deep commitment to bring holistic care to my western practice. Unfortunately if you want to do this, outside training in yoga, breathwork, reiki, essential oils, etc, is (not always but usually) through education and certification on your own. Getting yoga certified has been on my radar for a while to further understand the mind-body connection and eventually bring yoga to patients and the community in a primary care setting.

Now that I have my certification, I am hoping to teach part-time to gain experience. Things however are really going to pick up this fall as I start my doctoral program and will still be working as an RN, so we’ll see if I can find the balance!

Why India?

I do not think anyone needs to justify traveling, but here is why I decided to do my YTT in India:

India is the birthplace of yoga, what better way to learn than to go straight to the source?
From a practical standpoint, an intensive month program worked better for my schedule. The training came as I was moving back to Chicago from North Carolina and switching jobs, so truly there was no better time!
YTT in India is actually CHEAPER than doing it in the States. My flight, food, accommodations, the training itself, everything total cost less than $3,000 which is the cost for just the training at home. This is also about the same price it has cost me to stand up in a few weddings I have been in...so it was beyond justified in my mind.
I love to travel. Instead of asking “why would you travel to do this?”, I ask, “why wouldn’t you travel to do this?”. India was now my third solo trip to Asia, so fortunately I felt confident in the challenge (to learn more about why I solo travel click here).

What Was it Like?

Let me start by saying my experience in India was not a romanticized montage from “Eat, Pray, Love”. It was not glamorous in any way (well, aside from the many breathtaking views). In short it was humbling, challenging, and perspective shifting- but, in the end, everything I could have asked for and more.

I did my yoga training with Himalayan Yoga Bliss in Darjeeling, a town near the India/Nepal border neighboring the stunning Himalayas. There is something incredibly grounding about being near the mountains, and the views from the Shala did not disappoint (obviously).

Schedule

Most days went like this:

4.30AM Wake up and get ready.
5.30-6.30 Meditation (sometimes walking meditation) Satsang, chanting
7.00-9.00 Asana (pose) Practice
9.00-10.30 Breakfast & Break
10.30-11.30 Asana Workshop
11.30-12.30 Teaching Techniques
12.30-1.00PM Karma Yoga AKA, help clean the school
1.00PM-3.00PM Lunch & Break. Enough time here where we would go to a nearby cafe for masala tea, try to connect to wifi (if we could), and go over material.
3.00PM-4.00PM Yoga Philosophy
4.00PM-4.30PM Tea Break
4.30PM-6.00PM Asana Practice
6.00PM-7.00PM Dinner
7.00PM Headed back to the rooms to “study” and relax, but we usually fell asleep by 8.30PM to get enough sleep for our 4:30AM wake up call to do it all over again.

During our month we had four days off total, which was great to explore Darjeeling and the nearby area. Rain and exhaustion however played a big role on our days off, so most students stayed in to relax, study, and prepare for teaching our own classes. India, as a whole, has so much to offer and I wish I could have stayed longer! I must also note that the food was incredible- all traditional vegetarian Indian cuisine, handmade by our lovely cook next door. We ate at a long table as a group, in silence for every meal.

Now, let me humbly note that I do pride myself in being pretty comfortable “roughing it”...I have backpacked, camped, slept on airport floors and taken overnight buses and trains in multiple developing countries. My standards are pretty low while traveling and I’m not one to complain or chase the five star ratings on TripAdvisor. I do also think being a nurse- working 12 hour shifts overnight dealing with blood, vomit and emotions helps in this department, but I will say this month was as I mentioned… challenging.

Accommodations were very modest. I basically was given a bed almost as hard as sleeping on the ground, and a “shower” with cold water that was really just a faucet that you needed to squat under and immediately squeejie the pooling water through a hole in the wall. All this while still freezing cold from the ice water you attempted to splash on yourself during that so called shower. Not to mention you are waking up before the crack of dawn and practicing yoga for 3-4 hours a day. I was a sweaty, hot mess for a month and quite frankly realized not caring was the best way to go. To further paint the picture, I mean no makeup, oily hair in a top-knot, wearing the same clothes for days, type of mess.

On top of all that, I also had the pleasure of spending many of our breaks taking fellow students to the medical clinic, hospital, and pharmacy in town as almost every student at some point got traveler’s diarrhea or a nasty cold (I somehow managed to stay completely healthy the entire month). The experience working with India’s healthcare system could be an entire post of it’s own, so I think it’s safe to say everyone was relieved to have a nurse on the trip! This is further validation that being a nurse comes in handy when you least expect it. We wear many hats, but we are always happy to use our experience and expertise when needed. I was thankful to be present to help my friends and it was also enlightening along the way.

Yes, I even administered IV antibiotics to a fellow student

The days were long and each came with physical, mental, and emotional challenges.

The conditions and poverty in India are beyond heartbreaking. There are plenty of sick and homeless people in town, stray dogs running everywhere, and garbage is burned in the open streets. Instead of reading inspiring quotes about gratitude, we were reminded of it’s true meaning every hour of every day. Despite these somewhat culture-shocking conditions, the hospitality, kindness, generosity and sense of community in India was incredibly heart-warming. It’s easy to fall in love with India and it’s people.

With twenty students from all over the world, (I was one of three Americans) I not only learned about Indian culture, but I experienced this journey with people from all walks of life. Through exploring the traditional philosophy and living the practice, I was able to challenge my thoughts on what yoga really is. Yoga is not about just building strength, detoxifying the body, or hitting Instagram worthy poses that the western world markets and buys into. Yoga is about being kind, open, vulnerable, and realizing you aren’t perfect. There were moments of frustration, insecurity and doubt, but we all found equal moments of fulfillment, grounding, and joy.

There was no hiding and no filters. The experience was beautiful, real, and raw.

Did my month in India “change” me as a person?

Yes, but I believe every trip changes you if you are open and willing. I did not come back spiritually enlightened or “completed”. I don’t think anyone going on this journey should expect that.

Do I recommend doing YTT?

Yes. Absolutely yes. Whether you plan on teaching or not, YTT will deepen your practice physically and spiritually if you are open to the process.

Do I recommend YTT in India?”

F*CK Yes. I would say F*CK yes to traveling anywhere, anytime. Just be aware- do your research ahead of time and be realistic about your needs. If you are a tad high-maintenance- i.e you need a soft bed with comfy pillows and a regular warm shower, this is probably not for you. However, if you are ready to put yourself out of your comfort zone, experience another culture, challenge yourself and truly immerse in the experience, GO!

Have you done YTT abroad or thinking about it for the future? I would love to hear about your journey in yoga, healthcare or YTT! Leave a comment below of find me on social media.

XO,

Jac