The course includes meditation which is the most subtle and advanced limb of Yoga. As the great Yogi Swatmarama taught over 1100 years ago, Hatha Yoga practice is an excellent preparation for those who wish to make the journey of deep transformation of the mind, rather than an end in itself. The methodology for working with the mind is given by Saint Patanjali and Dr Kumar’s lived experience and profound understanding of the ‘Yoga Sutras’ will be at the heart of the course.
This is a rare opportunity to make a soul journey with Dr Kumar, the Guru who is grounded in the ancient traditions and the pure science of Yoga, who has explored the entire field of consciousness and gone beyond, to realise singularity, enlightenment. This journey cannot be made without the guidance of a teacher who has accomplished it.
You will complete the course with a changed perspective on Meditation and life, a deep understanding of the traditional culture and practice, and a profound respect for the lineage of Yogis who have selflessly preserved and passed on this precious wisdom for thousands of years.
You will cultivate discernment about the various techniques and will understand how to practice them correctly. Because of Dr Kumar’s mastery of practices from such diverse traditions, the purpose, scope and original context of each technique will be taught to a level that is not found in the world today.
Although the course is part-time, it will be powerful and in-depth. Applicants should be ready to immerse themselves deeply in a rigorous, challenging and life-changing experiential training program.
Dr Kumar’s has been leading in-person yoga and meditation teacher training courses and meditation retreats for over a decade in India and the UK, and online for the past couple of years. Students on the online 200 hour & 500 hour Yogi and Meditation Training courses have experienced how profound even the online experience of learning and meditating with Dr Kumar can be.
Testimonial from Rosemary Bennett (British Wheel of Yoga Teacher Trainer):
“Very many thanks indeed, respected Sir, for the fine teacher training course that has taken place over the last five months. Every day brought something new, a fresh topic, a new angle on something familiar. It has been inspiring and refreshing. Your limitless generosity knows no bounds as you nurture your students and do everything you can to lead us to experience Pure Consciousness for ourselves. This has not been taken for granted. We remember, it is not enough to have a good, an enlightened teacher, there also has to be a good student for learning, for progress to happen. When you have these two things, an alchemical combustion takes place. May we walk in your footsteps and be worthy of your instruction. Sincere thanks and deep gratitude.”
The journey is to live in our hearts, not in our egos, to silence the chatter of the brain and discover overflowing gratitude, kindness, compassion, and unconditional love within when the mind becomes still and pure. In crystal clear waters you can see hundreds of metres depth, free from mud and the suspended particles of brain noise, reactions, emotions, and stress. A bright, clear mind and a light body are attained with conservation of breath.
As Vasishta teaches Rama, without understanding the link between body, breath, and mind there is no Yoga at all. The journey of the mind further dives deep down into the unconscious, to remove habit patterns of suffering by working with the DNA to change our gene expression at a root level. This requires serious practice. Observation, known in Sanskrit as Darshana is at the heart of Yoga. With the expert guidance of Dr Kumar you will learn how to be observers within. As per the traditions and lineages the technique is always transmitted by sound in the form of chanting, having practiced in the most traditional schools and original forms, the teachings from his voice and mastery of the sound of silence will tune us to experience deep peace, purification and transformation. Every scripture of yoga or spirituality was transmitted down in the form of sound. The tradition is always “as I heard”, “Evam Sutam” “Tvam Shrutam”, so also when learning from Dr. Kumar
Every step given by Patanjali will be practiced on this course, so students must commit to a strict code of conduct starting with Yama and Niyama. The last of the Niyama’s of Patanjali is Eeshwara Pranidhanaha, surrender to an enlightened teacher. The course will uphold this essential aspect of the Yoga tradition in order for students to gain maximum benefit. The teachings of Yoga do not exist without enlightened teachers to convey them and the teaching of the guru is transformative if the student is able to listen unconditionally and in ‘surrender’. This means putting aside one’s expectations, preferences and perceptions, previous knowledge and intellectual conditioning and just being open, keeping the mind as an empty cup to be filled with the purity of the teachings.
The course will be thorough, detailed and comprehensive yet there will be no pre-published curriculum, modules or electives. The course teaches us adaptability, flexibility and responsiveness. In life we never know what each day will bring, similarly it is part of the training to approach each class without any preconceived notions or expectations of what will be covered. The abundance of knowledge, insight and experience could never be anticipated.
The course is not a commodity and students are not customers. The course will be taught in the ancient tradition of going to a Guru to choicelessly learn whatever that Guru teaches. The daily class will vary in length so each student needs to have some degree of flexibility about time commitment, any missed portions of classes can be caught up with on non-class days. The teaching style will be very strict, in line with the culture of Traditional Ashrams. Yoga is to be learned orally and experientially, not intellectually or through reading. For thousands of years, Yoga/ Vedic traditions are called Sruthas, which means only by listening. This entire tradition is based on listening, the quickest way to learn more, absorb and adapt to be transformed.
Testimonial from a yoga and meditation teacher on the RYT500:
“A few years ago, I took a short meditation course with Traditional yoga under the guidance of Dr Kumar.
I’d never met anyone from the tradition before, so it was a bit of a leap of faith.
I’d suffered a back injury and knew that a regular meditation practice would help with managing the pain.
Initially I had no intention of teaching meditation but the positive changes that I was experiencing just had to be shared. My students included busy mums like me, stressed out blokes and health workers with high blood pressure.
And by teaching I was doing!
I’m now taking the online trainings with Dr Kumar, and I cannot recommend them highly enough.
His teachings and practices have massively improved my health and the health of my family.
I feel I’m becoming a better person, a kinder person, a more compassionate human and this positively impacts in all of my relationships.
Don’t hesitate to sign up for this training, take that leap because it could be just what you need.”