Testimonials -

Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu,
Guru Devo Maheshwarahar
Guru Sakshat Parabrahama
Tasmae Shri, Guraveh Namaha

This verse is the first mantra I learnt at Yogapoint.
Although I liked hearing and reciting these words I didn't initially understand their importance or potency.

At the end of the first week, Gandhar Ji asked us if we had any questions or problems with the course. I said:

"Gandhar Ji, if I chant this mantra at the beginning of my classes back home, people will think I'm crazy! They'll think I'm some sort of religious nutter and wont come back to my class."

Gandhar thought about this for a moment and then patiently replied something along the lines of

"Just do whatever you think is right. If you don’t think your students will like it, then you don’t have to say it. Its up to you."

So ok: I thought: I DEFINITELY WONT DO IT THEN! Couple of rounds of Om will do nicely and then I can move on to the really important business of asana practice. (which is surely all that people come to class for?)
And that was that. I carried on chanting and enjoying the mantras in my own practice, not imagining for one moment I`d ever repeat them to a class of students.

Since returning to England, I have been fortunate to have been offered a few classes here and there, teaching at a really excellent local yoga school. I was initially very daunted by the prospect of teaching "for real."
I remembered the advice of Coco, another Yogapoint graduate: who said "just teach exactly as you were trained to do. Trust in the process of this tradition of Yog. You'll be surprised." So I did. Mantras and everything. (Even the sun prayers in Surya Namaskar.) At first, I did feel awkward and stupid, but the words themselves infused me with strength and this tiny trembling voice grew in confidence and resonance with each line. And guess what?……
They carted me off to the local lunatic asylum!
(No, Just kidding!)
People didn't think I was crazy at all.

In two classes students have come over at the end and said how much they enjoyed the chanting. I`ve had a lot of really encouraging feedback on the classes. These mantras are very powerful and are easily able to transcend boundaries of cultural or mental differences. Its as if the vibrations they create strike an ancient chord somewhere deep within our hearts and minds.

You can feel the benefit.

In the past few months, mantra yoga has become a vital and integral part of my own daily practice. In the swirling currents of this materialistic environment, these mantras act like a strong anchor: providing stability amidst choppy waters: one is "joined" to a solid seabed of peace that lies, unchanging, beneath the relentless waves of Maya.

With the benefit of hindsight, I now realise that it was unnecessary and disrespectful to challenge Gandhar Ji in that first week. Who was I to think I know what people will think or what they go to class for? Perhaps I was more worried about what people would think of me than of the practice itself. I was blinded by my ego and the limitations of my own cultural conditioning.

I hadn't counted on the awesome and sublime perfection of this wonderful Yog.

I have learnt many things at Yogapoint: not only about yoga, but also about myself. I feel truly grateful to all the wonderful staff and volunteers who work at the ashram.

I feel honoured and blessed to have learnt a style of yoga that is pure and that directly originates from a timeless source of Indian tradition.

Hari Om Tat Sat,

James Russell (England)

The teacher training program is one of the best experiences I've had -- physically, intellectually, and spiritually. Unlike its Westernized incarnations, the yoga taught at the gurukul is slow, steady, and comfortable, stimulating the body to penetrate the mind.

In addition, the course covers all aspects of yoga as a lifestyle and means of personal evolution, introducing information theoretical and practical in equal measure to prepare students for lifelong study and teaching. While we all encountered unexpected challenges on some level, the supportive staff and soulful essence of the ashram have made this journey life-changing.
Andy Chen, USA

"My experience at the ashram was an incredible and unique one. I have so many fond memories of the people I encountered there and the lessons that I learned. While I did find myself to be challenged by the environment and the intensity of the program, I was surrounded by such an amazing support group of people that I never felt abandoned or hopeless. I enjoyed the exclusivity of the area and the amazing food that we ate there. This place was such a haven in the midst of a chaotic world. There are currently a small group of people devoted to improving the guides and materials. It is wonderful that the people at the ashram are involved in the surrounding community and show interest in supporting the local people. While there are certainly adjustments that one must make while living on the ashram, I found my experience to be rewarding and peaceful. The people there are also commited to keeping tradition alive and keeping their program affordable; an honorable feat in today's society."

Megan Lipsett

I am very grateful to have attended the one month teacher training course at Yoga Vidya Gurukul in July and August of 2007. I acquired so much knowledge from the rigorous and well-rounded curriculum. Not only did I find the food at the ashram to be nurturing and wonderful, but the place itself. It's a wonderful community in an astounding location.

Sophie Herbert (USA)