My experience at Samahita Retreat, by Ludmilla Dervey
Before coming to Thailand for the Centered Yoga 200 hour yoga teacher training in Samahita Retreat, my relationship to yoga was very inconsistent and superficial. I knew yoga was good for me, but I was not disciplined enough to have a regular practice in my hectic life and I was mainly focusing on getting some asanas done.
I had signed in for that teacher training because I wanted to improve my practice and learn more about that ancestral philosophy, but my stay in Samahita Retreat was way beyond my expectations!
The great variety of classes (mantras, meditation, pranayama, philosophy, etc.) and the highly experienced teachers helped me realize how holistic yoga is. The anatomy course had a huge impact on me. It reminded me that I had been totally neglecting and ignoring my body. I was practicing yoga, but I did not know anything about the way my body was working and how I should take care of it. This class showed me how to watch my posture, not only while practicing, but in my everyday life.
This 200 hour yoga teacher training also taught me a lot about myself. Thanks to a very caring environment (healthy food, contact with nature and with amazing people), I learned how to be more self-disciplined and how to respect my body. I understood that following rules can sometimes be very empowering. I started to respect my body more, as I understood that yoga was more about looking in that about pushing myself too much.
There is a more subtle level.
I left Thailand with new tools to implement yoga in my life, to have a self-practice and to share it with others. Like in any other relationship, I know it is not going to be easy every day, but now I understand why I am doing it.