Princeton Integral Yoga Teacher Training Testimonials

For me, the TT was intense mentally, so much reading to do, so many sanskrit words to learn.  It was also very satisfying.  I went into the training without any intention of teaching.  I just wanted to deepen my own practice. Now, here I am, almost 6 years later, teaching 10+ classes a week.  I've gone through two additional TTs and can't imagine my life without yoga in it. The experience will almost certainly change who you are.  One of our first assignments was to begin a daily journal.  I still use that journal everyday.

~ Trish

Being so inspired by the benefits I received from practicing Integral Yoga for less than one year,  I decided to take the Teacher Training. I can honestly say that completing the Teacher Training thru IYIP is by far one of the best things I have done for myself and my family. Although originally seeking yoga as a means to improve my health, I have realized that yoga is so much more than the physical postures. The breathing and meditation practices along with the study of Raja Yoga philosophies have taught me to slow down, become more centered and and nurture my spirituality. Its made me a much happier person and has made a remarkable difference in my life.

~ Shanti

Words cannot  convey the deep gratitude I feel in finding the Integral Yoga Teacher Training.  I signed up even though I had never attended an IY class nor chanted a Hari OM.  I just wanted a certificate so that I could officially teach the physical aspects of yoga.  Just before the training started, I tore the meniscus in my right knee.  I asked Jayadeva if I could still do the class. He gave me a funny look.  Now I understand why!

The Integral Yoga TT gave me such a deep, rich understanding and experience of what yoga truly is.  I learned and lived the more spiritual aspects of yoga (chanting, pranayama and meditation, yoga nidra, and the sutras to name a few) among an amazing group of teachers and students.

It was deep, and at times difficult, personal work for me but I am so grateful that my path led me to this TT.

Now I am able to teach classes that instill a deep-seated peace in the students, as well as the teacher!  Thank you IYI TT program for shining the light!

~Divya

For me Teacher Training was what changed my yoga practice from just another activity or hobby, into a way of life. It really deepened my appreciation for the connection between the physical and the emotional/mental sides of myself. And it brought me to a place where I could really appreciate all the forms of yoga that take place off the mat.

~Noemi

The Teacher's training was very rewarding. It taught me not only how to teach Yoga, but also helped me understand myself better and to deal with situations with different perspective. The Yoga Retreat was awesome!!!

I really like teaching.

~Sunila

I am not sure how to convey the impact that TT has had on my life - I was going in with no expectations really and what I got out is a new way of engaging with life. Where my energy goes now is very much shifted and even though the outcome sometimes is not what I would have wanted, I know that I will keep growing and sharing and serving. I also feel much stronger, and sometimes Ihave glimpses of being actually quite brave and having a bigger heart. IYI TT will give you what you need, even if you don't know now what that would be, you just need to show up and your life will be beautifully transformed.

Love,

~Amrita

I graduated from IYI Teacher Training with absolute confidence that I could teach a class. But learning how to teach a yoga class was the least of all the benefits that I received from the training. Jayadeva exposed us to such a rich variety of yoga practices and texts. Most importantly, by virtue of his own long, genuine practice, he shows us how to incorporate yoga in all we do.  Ron, from the first graduating class of IYI Princeton, is a beautiful example, an inspiration, of how far you can progress on the yoga path with this training. Whether or not you want/decide to teach, this teacher training is transformative. My soul has never been so joy full. 

"... I have been changed for good..."

Love to Jayadeva & Ron,

~Sandi

I had been taking one class a week with Jayadeva for less than a year when he suggested I take the teacher training with him in the spring of 2002.  I thought he was nuts and it was a little soon for me to take the next step.  I had been very physically active all my life but had never done a yoga practice.  I had some idea of what yoga was, my dad had a lot of books on yoga and meditation that I occasionally thumbed through and even tried some of the postures when I was very young, pre-teen and early teen years.  Jayadeva convinced me to do it.  I went into the Training just to deepen my practice.  I had absolutely no intention to teach, too busy with other things (I thought).  The experience was transformative to say the least.  My body is possibly as healthy as it has ever been and keeps getting better with my continuing hatha practice.  My mind is very calm and has sharpened through the years with my meditation practice.  I continued my training with a Raja Yoga Teacher Training, and just completed the Advanced Teacher Training, which took my practice to still another level.  I'm now one of the senior teachers of the basic teacher training and teach Hatha Yoga class and Raja Yoga classes, as well as lead evening meditations and regular kirtans.  And the changes keep happening as I practice and learn more, just ask anyone who knows me...

Ramaram,

~ Ron

Teacher training was the best thing that ever happened to me. Besides learning much more about yoga poses, healthy lifestyle and how to pass on these glorious teachings, yoga teacher training helped me establish my own personal practice. I practicing everyday I was able to see huge benefits in my life "off the mat”… a kinder, gentler mom, partner and friend.

~ Priya Lynne McKinnon

Being able to take the TT course was one of the best things I ever did for myself. I learned so much, not only the asanas, but how to apply them in my daily life. I feel I can always come back to the strength, the peace and the stillnesswhenever I feel out of balance. Learning the Sutres have given me more wisdom as to how I know I should be.  Learning to meditate has been powerful for me. It has given me a calmness I never had before, learning to let go and not be attached to outcomes. And I have made friends that I will keep forever.

On top of all that, being able to teach at the studio and at my home and share this knowledge has been wonderful for me.

I will always be grateful.

Love,

~ Vera

My motivation for taking the basic teacher training was to deepen my practice and to find out more about yoga "beyond the mat".  I learned more than I could have imagined from Jayadeva and Ron during this intense 10-week course.  Both seasoned teachers, Jayadeva and Ron are firmly grounded in their personal practices and share from both extensive study and life experience.  I came away with a strong foundation in the teachings, the tools to continue my journey, and an understanding of what it truly means to be a yogi.

~ Johanna

My original intention for taking TT in 2008 was to maintain my own yoga practice andunderstand what and how my weekly practice managed to relax my body and mind so well.  I never anticipated that I would be teaching regularly at the IYIP.

The Teacher Training gave me the tools to be live a more balanced life and it helps me be a better parent to my children as I do my best to teach them how to navigate this world and contribute to it joyfully and gracefully. Yoga strengthens my patience. It offers me peace when my heart races and my breath quickens. It calms my racy mind. Yoga invites me to be more silly and fun. The TT program provided the perfect foundation to help me discover the power and magic of yoga at my own pace.

Now I teach because it is a joy to wake up on a Sunday morning and serve others, while the kids are nestled in their beds.  I love to teach students how to empty their minds, stretch their bodies, experience deep peace and laugh heartily with others during class. I love creating a space for people to start their week feeling more easeful, peaceful and useful. And, my love for yoga and all of the lessons it offers continues to bloom and flourish.

~ Subhadra Jaymie Kosa

I completed my teacher training (Hatha Level I) with Jayadeva and Integral Yoga in 1999.  Almost 14 years later, it remains as the most priceless and dear experience.  Teacher Training completely fulfilled the promise of deepening my personal practice.  TT made it possible to unlock the doors of ancient wisdom and serenity, creating an eternal pathway towards enlightenment and peace.  Jayadeva is certainly a master! As the Director of the program, Jayadeva’s in depth knowledge and practice serves all in his presence.  I recently graduated from the Advanced Yoga Teacher program and found it to be equally gratifying!  I strongly advocate for all yoga practitioners to strongly consider the tremendous advantages of this Teacher Training program!

~ Ambika Esta Desa

Taking the Teacher Training course at the Princeton IYI was one of the most transformational periods of my life.  I had been practicing yoga for about 17 years when I decided that I wanted to dive in deep and really explore yoga as a way of life, not just as a series of asanas, but as a series of steps to get in touch with who I really am.  I searched for a number of months, looking for the "right" place to do this, as I knew that what I was looking for needed to be genuine and loyal to the classical yoga practice.  I found this at the Princeton IYI, and after attending just a few classes, I enrolled in the Teacher Training.

Completing this training provided me with a set of tools that I will use for the rest of my life.  I gained confidence in my own practice, and a deeper sense of connection to my highest Self.  I made new friends, was welcomed into an amazing community, and now teach at the IYI, helping to bring yoga into the lives of others. The whole experience has been, and continues to be, a true blessing, and I am filled with deep gratitude for the teachers, the knowledge, and the personal growth I have undergone.  The Teacher Training was a precious experience that I had dreamt of for a long time, and that I am sure will stay with me forever.

Love,

~ Jivani

What I have ascertained from the Integral Yoga Teacher Training is more than merely the apparatus to teach Yoga.  While it helped to lay the foundation for such an endeavor,  it has also given me the initiative to continue following it and to absorb it.  What I have found is that the training has given me an appetite to learn more about Yoga and the Yogic life.  It has started to permeate more and more aspects of my daily life to the point that in some areas there is virtually no thinking of how to conduct myself - it has simply become how I am.  Best put by Master Sivananda "Be Good, Do Good”.

This has also been due to the uplifting demeanor of the staff and the Integral Yoga community.   Because of the harmonious development that occurs with Integral Yoga, it has brought a universal approach to my spiritual practice, where the Yoga teachings flow in beautiful unison with the teachings of Christianity.

~ Frank