Every time I sit down to write about my experiences at Hridaya I find myself smiling and wondering how to convey the depth of the journeys lived with this precious Yoga School.
Still, I try my best because it feels very important to share with others about a modern school that transmits authentic yogic teachings.
For anyone new to my blog, here is a little context: I discovered Hridaya 8 years ago and I have been going back yearly to participate in Silent Retreats (3 days, 10 days, 17 days, 59 days and 31 days – you can find all of these on my blog). I also took part in a beautiful Tantric Women’s Retreat in France a few years ago, but this was my 1st time participating in a Yoga Module and I am so grateful I had the opportunity.
The Structure
The Module 1 lasts 3 weeks but participants can join for one week at a time. I had the opportunity to complete the 3 week immersion which I would recommend to anyone able to do it in this way.
The program runs from Monday to Saturday, Sundays are off and this is the daily schedule:
7am optional 1 hour meditation – I joined every day apart from Sundays. This greatly adds to the experience and I would recommend joining as many of these as possible.
8:15 – 8:45am Hatha Yoga + pose breakdown or Satsang (spiritual lecture)
10:45 – 3pm Break
3pm – 5pm Hatha Yoga + pose breakdown or Satsang (spiritual lecture)
5pm Dinner Break
6pm – 8pm Evening Satsang
There are also lots of optional evening activities outside of the schedule, like a weekly Heart circle and weekly Bhajans (Devotional Mantra chanting) in the evening.
It’s important to prioritise rest as the rhythm can take some getting used to but I loved all the extracurricular activities I took part in including a Yoni Puja (picture above) and a Transfiguration Tantric Ritual.
The transformative Power of Yoga Asana (postures) and Pranayama (breathwork)
I have been practicing yoga for over 15 years and teaching for 10 years and I can honestly say that I have never fallen out of love with yoga. However, during this program I felt like I fell in Love with Yoga all over again.
I used the metaphor of when you are in love with someone and you don’t think you could love them any more, but you share a profound experience, sometimes a painful one, can also happen through a special vacation, and you realise you love them even more than you did before. That’s how I feel in regards to Yoga asana (the physical practice) after Module 1.
During my 200hr Yoga Teacher Training in 2016 we were practicing for hours every day and I remember clearly that whilst my body sometimes felt tired I loved practicing. In the years following the training my spiritual practice consisted mostly of asana (postures) and meditation was only a small part of my practice.
In past years I have dedicated more time to meditation – 1 hour daily most days of the year and the physical practice became a less important part of my sadhana (spiritual practice).
During Module 1 we practice twice a day between 90mins and 2 hours meaning we were practicing Hatha Yoga 3-4 hours per day and I enjoyed it so much. I felt my body become stronger and more flexible with every practice and discovered new depths of stillness in longer held postures.
As per Patañjali’s teachings from the Yoga Sutra, the posture must be stable and comfortable and the yogi must meditate on the infinite and as the teachers beautifully say at Hridaya – ‘The asana becomes a meditation’ – this became a lived reality in a way that I had not quite experienced before.
I practiced Vinyasa Yoga for years and I am deeply grateful for this modern approach to yoga as I believe it was what I needed at the time. At our little Yoga School Breath Body Earth we teach Vinyasa as the main Yoga style for our Yoga Teacher Trainings, and we do so because we believe that for many beginners this feels like an accessible way to practice Yoga. Having said this, whenever I practice at home I always practice Hatha Yoga but until now I didn’t hold the postures as long. At Hridaya we are encouraged to hold each posture and I can clearly recognise the benefits on a physical and energetic level of staying in each posture for longer.
Evening Satsang Themes (Spiritual lectures)
I have been studying yoga for 10 years, since I discovered the philosophy behind the postures in my 200hr YTT and I feel blessed to have the opportunity to share the teachings during Yoga Teacher Trainings.
Over the years my love for these teachings has continued to grow and they somehow feel fresh every time I revisit them to teach them.
I won’t go into each of these as I could write a blog article about each of them but to give you an idea, the course focused on Chakras, Yamas (non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, non-attachment & non-hoarding) & Niyamas (cleanliness/purification, discipline, contentment, self-study & devotion to God).
As I have been contemplating and teaching about these principles for some time I did not learn so much about the meaning of each of these, however I loved being a student and hearing the examples the teachers shared. I am feeling extra inspired to continue to apply these as best as I can in my daily life and to teach about them in trainings and retreats and to whoever is open to learn about these simple yogic principles to live a life of purpose and integrity.
Sangha (Spiritual Family)
A big part of what makes Hridaya so special is its community.
People from different parts of the World feel drawn to Hridaya due to its authentic approach to Yoga.
The spirit of Karma Yoga is very much alive as many of the teachers and people working in the kitchen and the grounds are karma yogis (serving in exchange of food and accommodation).
It is a true gift to have the opportunity to spend time at the centre and it was a new experience for me to be there and be able to speak as I had mostly done silent retreats. I loved connecting with everyone I had the opportunity to connect with.
I feel so much more could be said about how wonderful this Module 1 was but I trust this will be enough to inspire anyone who comes across this article and is considering joining.
Gratitude
Lastly I want to express utmost gratitude to each of the wonderful teachers at Hridaya.
Deep gratitude to the Mexican workers who help keep the centre looking so clean and beautiful.
A special heart felt thank you to my beloved teacher Sahajananda, a true enlightened master who emanates pure Love for all of creation.
Last but not least endless gratitude to the Spiritual Heart – the light of Love, Thank you, thank you, thank you.
And thank You for reading and for your interest in Yoga.
If you enjoy this blog article you may want to read about the 17 day silent retreat I participated in just 3 days after the Module 1 here.
With Love and gratitude,
Melissa
P.S: For some reason I have not been able to include links in the text but here you can find all the information you may need in regards to Hridaya: https://hridaya-yoga.com/
Yogibee 