October 2023 – June 2024

 

My journey began in October 2023 - three months of intensive practice, 500 hours of Teacher Training Course (TTC) like a beginner with no direction. But soon after I found my way and the rest was filled with learning, sweat, exhaustion, and growth beyond the structured courses and legendary teachers like Usha Devi Mata ji, Ravi ji, and others, but what truly made my stay unforgettable were the people.

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The ones who felt like they had been cherry-picked from all over the world. The ones who turned early morning practices, late-night conversations, shared meals, and moments of struggle into something magical. We pushed through countless asana practices, lectures, physical exhaustion, and mental battles together. And then, just like that, three months flew by, and yet, yoga is never about the numbers - was not even the beginning. Maybe beginning of the beginning.

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It doesn’t matter if it’s 500 hours, 1000 hours, or more. True practice goes beyond certifications. Anyone can call themselves a teacher, but to be a serious practitioner or an instructor requires something deeper - a relentless commitment to the path, an internal fire to keep going, even when it’s hard, which is mostly the case.

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So, I kept going. After Rishikesh, I spent time in Nepal and then Vietnam, sharing my knowledge with over a thousand students. And as I deepened my practice through knowledge-sharing, something became clear - I wasn’t done.

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Being away from Rishikesh for four months felt like missing a part of myself. I longed for Usha Mata ji’s teachings, the discipline of daily practice, the chaos and beauty of the Ganga, even the unbearable summer heat and the cows blocking the streets when trying to pass by scooty.

 

So, in March 2024, I returned.

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This time, I wasn’t just completing another course - I was gifting myself six more months of immersion.

☀️  Mornings began with Ashtanga Mysore - style practice at 6:30 AM.
🌿  Evenings were dedicated to Iyengar Yoga under Usha Mata ji.
💪  Afternoons were filled with cardio, strength training, and self-study - svadhyaya.
📖  Reading Patanjali's Sutras became my constant companions.

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6 to 10 hours of practice and study, every single day.

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The second half of my stay was the real test - temperatures soaring to 42°C, dizziness setting in mid-practice, every muscle screaming to stop. But that’s what Sadhana is - it’s about staying consistent, staying stubborn, and staying strong even when everything tells you otherwise.

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I was lucky to find a home in the mountains very close to the cave to meditate, where I felt welcomed and at peace with his kind family. A space to rest, reset, and prepare for the next day’s challenge.

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Rishikesh has given me more than just techniques or knowledge—it has given me perspective, resilience, and a community of people I’ll always carry with me.

And even though this chapter is over, I know one thing for sure:

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The journey is never really done - it will be forever...

 

Let me know when you will be in Rishikesh, Mysore or Pune, we may catch up :)