I Did My Yoga Teacher Training at SWAN in 2020

I recently completed the Yoga Teacher Training Course at SWAN Yoga Retreat and wanted to share a little about my experience.

I was looking for a teacher training course that went beyond asana, the physical practice, and also focused on the vast abundance of yogic practices, traditions and culture of India. If you are looking to discover the personal tools you have always had within you to rebuild yourself and your life into a beautiful one, this training is for you.

To give you an idea of the schedule, the teacher training is a one month course, with classes six or seven days each week. Fridays are days off to relax, study, or venture into the towns or beaches. The schedule varies from week to week, but a typical day looked something like this:

6:00 am: Meditation

6:50 am: Tea and fruit

7:30 to 9:00 am: Asana class

10:00 am: Brunch

11:00 am to 1:00 pm: Patanjali Yoga Sutras

1:00 to 2:00 pm: Karma Yoga

2:00 to 3:30 pm: Bhagavad Gita or Anatomy

4:00 to 5:30 pm: Asana, Pranayama, Mudra and Bandha

6:00 to 7:00 pm: Dinner

7:00 to 8:30 pm: Mantra chanting, Kirtan or Havan

Some important factors that many people may be interested in are the accommodation, food, ambience and teachers.

SWAN is located in the quiet greenery of North Goa, and when I was there, there were three tiers of accommodation. Depending on your preferences, you could save money by sharing a budget cottage or have more privacy in a standard or deluxe cottage. All had private bathrooms, outdoor sitting areas and a rustic, natural appearance.

During my stay, I found my room clean and comfortable while still feeling connected to nature and the beautiful simplicity of the surroundings. The landscape at SWAN is lush and green, with plenty of spaces to relax in shaded areas or in the sun on the “fake beach”. The Yoga shalas are open spaces overlooking the surrounding greenery and provide a beautiful setting for classes, with wonderful views of the sunrise in the morning. Being only a few kilometres from the beach also made it easy to visit on our days off.

The food was one of the best parts about SWAN. It was entirely vegetarian, and the menu included food from different parts of India, allowing us to experience a wide variety of flavours, dishes and ingredients. The meals were also suitable for people looking for vegan and gluten free options. Meals were served buffet style, and the biggest challenge was trying not to overeat!

The food really was one of the highlights of my stay. Having nourishing and tasty meals made a big difference during such a busy and intensive course.

The teachers are all extremely qualified and are also really wonderful people. SWAN follows the tradition of Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati and the Bihar School of Yoga. The teachers at SWAN had studied in India and spent time studying within the Bihar School of Yoga tradition. They had completed diverse and intensive training and, most importantly to me, they lived their Yoga every day.

They were honest, humble and knowledgeable, and were wonderful resources both inside and outside the classroom. I also appreciated their knowledge of Indian culture and traditions, which was something I particularly wanted to learn during my time in India. During breaks, the teachers were always available if we had questions or simply wanted to hear about some of their experiences.

It is also worth noting that India attracts students from all around the world. My TTC group included people from the UK, Germany, Turkey, Sweden, the United States and other parts of Europe. The diversity within our group made the classes very enriching and broadened my perspectives throughout the course.

Every day we would eat together, go for walks during our free time and study together. Some of us had relatively little experience with Yoga, while a few people had been practising for many years. This allowed us to learn from one another in a humble and supportive environment. Everyone seemed to discover aspects of Yoga that they had not encountered before, which led to plenty of discussion both inside and outside the classroom.

To say that the schedule above made for an incredibly enriching experience would be an understatement.

The asana classes went beyond physical practice and connected the practices with the traditional texts and teachings of Hatha Yoga. We explored Pranayama, Chakras, Bandhas, Mudras and Mantras as part of the broader practice. I felt that I was gaining knowledge rooted in traditional Yoga lineages in India rather than simply learning a modern fitness approach to Yoga.

The first two weeks were spent learning the practices from our teachers, and by the third week we began learning how to teach them ourselves. By the final week, each student was given the opportunity to teach a complete 90 minute class, followed by time for feedback.

Through this curriculum, I felt that I had been given the knowledge, experience and practice time necessary to become more confident teaching after leaving SWAN.

SWAN encourages students to go “beyond the asana”, and the Philosophy, Bhagavad Gita and Patanjali Yoga Sutra classes were some of the most amazing classes I have ever taken.

The Sutra class went through the individual sutras, with GyanMitra directly translating the Sanskrit in class and then discussing each one in depth. The same approach was used in the Bhagavad Gita class, where we explored ideas including non attachment, Dharma, Viveka and the four paths of Yoga: Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Raja Yoga.

These classes were complex and challenging, but the teachers brought in stories and humour that made them extremely enjoyable. I had previously completed another TTC and had also read multiple books on the Yoga Sutras and different versions of the Bhagavad Gita. For the first time in ten years, I felt that I had gained a genuine understanding of these texts and could begin applying their teachings to my own practice and daily life.

The training course also included Anatomy taught by an Ayurvedic doctor. We studied the major systems of the body, including the nervous system, skeletal and muscular systems, endocrine system, respiratory system and cardiovascular system. The course was particularly relevant for a Yoga teacher because it connected the practice of asana and Pranayama with an understanding of the body.

This helped me understand the purpose behind different practices, how they may support students and how to approach teaching with greater awareness of safety and individual needs. I found this to be a particularly valuable and distinctive part of the teacher training at SWAN.

The meditation classes were guided and introduced a variety of techniques that could also be used in a personal practice at home. The Mantra classes introduced us to different Mantras, including shorter ones that I continue to use in my own practice and may use in future classes, as well as longer traditional Mantras that were beautiful to learn.

The teacher training also included a traditional Indian cooking class, Shatkarmas, which are traditional Hatha Yoga cleansing practices, and consultations with the Ayurvedic doctor at the Ayurvedic clinic on the property, which was also available for treatments during our stay.

I am walking away with valuable knowledge, wonderful memories of new friends and special teachers, a deeper understanding of myself and a greater sense of purpose behind my practice.

I look forward to returning home to the USA to share what I have learned and to spread the seeds of what Yoga is truly all about.

In the future, I will certainly return to SWAN for the other courses they offer, including Meditation and Tantra and introductory Ayurveda courses, and to continue deepening my Yoga practice.

If you are interested in pursuing a teacher training course that is comprehensive, goes beyond asana and focuses on the traditions of Yoga as described in the traditional texts, I would absolutely recommend SWAN.