Baba Hari Dass
Babaji on teaching:
“What are the most important elements of being a good teacher?”
“Teach to learn. Don’t become a teacher to show your power.”
“Are there specific skills that are important in teaching?”
“Compassion, self-less service, love and kindness.”
Part 1 – The Decision to take 300 hours of yoga teacher training at Mount Madonna Institute
Background:
I met Baba Hari Dass in Ontario at a retreat in 2001. One of my Ashtanga Vinyasa teachers, Karusia, told me about him and about Classical Ashtanga Yoga. This was a system strongly rooted in yoga philosophy. Baba Hari Dass, a.k.a. Babaji, was a genuine yogi from India. At that time I was relatively new to yoga and I had no clue how this man’s life would irrevocably shape my own.
At the retreat I had many experiences: I practiced karma yoga or selfless service (volunteerism), learned about Sri Ram Ashram, the orphanage Babaji founded, attended a fire yajna (sacrifice) ceremony and got woken up by pad kirtan. Pad means foot in Sanskrit and pad kirtan is wandering musicians chanting ancient mantras.I thought it was angels singing. I learned about The Salt Spring Centre of Yoga in the Gulf Islands of B.C. and Mount Madonna Center in California and they both sounded magical.
I continued with yoga studies as well as Reiki and holistic nutrition. In 2003 I needed a nutrition-related job as a requirement to complete holistic nutrition school and I remembered the karma yoga opportunities at The Salt Spring Centre. After contacting the office coordinator, Savita, I applied and was accepted. Hmm, did I want to live and work at a yoga retreat in the Gulf Islands of BC in the summer? It was an easy decision. I told my parents I was going “for the summer”, so it would be easier for them to accept, however, I suspected I wouldn’t return to Ontario.
The first day on the land it was sunny, warm, and the rest of the karma yogis were harvesting pears. I joined them and later we all went to a lake for an afternoon swim. This was what heaven on earth must be like I thought. I felt immediately at home and my heart softened.
As a kitchen karma yogi, I enjoyed the privilege of serving the yoga teacher training program. Many wonderful senior teachers led it including Kalpana, Divakar, Sharada, Girija, Shankar and Chandra. The students were fun people too: Janaki, Chetna, Suchitra, Neil, and Carolyn to name a few. I could see that the Salt Spring training with its strong emphasis on philosophy, inclusion of shat karma and residential setting inspired by an Indian yogi was a very different experience from my urban one back in Toronto.
The honeymoon with retreat living and with Salt Spring lasted a couple of years and then I moved to Vancouver Island. I continued to work as an occasional karma yogi in various areas. I often wondered what it was like to experience the teachings as a formal student in that tradition. Seeing people enter the program and emerge quite differently at the end piqued my interest. A couple of years ago I spoke to Chetna (who is now the ytt Program Coordinator and Lead trainer at SSCY) about various yoga trainings I was considering. One of those programs was the Mount Madonna’s 300 hour teacher training. With her encouragement I decided to go for it.
The first year I applied they had to cancel the course. I was disappointed, and, that was an opportunity to practice non-attachment. I bided my time, applied again the next year and got accepted for May 2019. Wonderful! Three 10-day sessions (100 hours each time) of deep diving into philosophy-based yoga awaited me. I was beyond excited at the opportunity to study on the mountain with the Elders. I could go and study in California at a yoga center inspired by a genuine Indian guru from India? Or the ‘Mother Ship’ as we sometimes jokingly called it? I must have some great karma.
At the Victoria ferry terminal with the campervan.
A Thousand Roads lead to the Mountain
My next decision was how to get down to California for Module 1 in May. After consulting with several Saltspringers well seasoned on that journey, I opted for a road trip. I rented a 20 foot camper van with a bed, stove, fridge, and even a toilet. It had plenty of room for all of my gear and the ceiling was high enough for me to practice standing asanas in it. That sealed the deal. Never having driven anything like it, I was quite impressed with my adventurous spirit.
Driving a big unfamiliar lumbering vehicle with regular steering took some adjustment. The theme of my trip became bhoga or worldly experience. Note to self, always drive down to MMC with a buddy! The chassis was a bit wobbly and the vibrations from the engine transferred to my legs. By the time I got to Portland, my first overnight stop, I was practically flying. When my friend offered to drive to our dinner destination one mile away, I asked if we could walk as I really needed to feel my feet on the earth.
After dinner we went to a very large bookstore downtown (similiar to Russell Books in Victoria) where we got an actual paper map that showed the routes I could take. They shared various options for meal breaks and sightseeing. The possibilities were numerous and I could check out the varied and beautiful scenery.Visions of coastal towns and quaint shops filled my imagination.
The next morning I decided to do some asanas and exercises at the local gym before heading out. My body appreciated this but I soon realized that with water stops, bathroom breaks, meal breaks and stretch breaks I was only going to cover so many miles per day. It was slow-going. My dream of a totally scenic coastal journey had to be truncated in order to arrive on time. And there were some unexpected adventures along the way resulting in delays.
Day 2 I lost cell service in the hills on the way to another friend’s place. It was getting dark so I turned back and ended up camping at an RV park for a casino. More bhoga. No time for playing games though. The next morning I headed out early. Highway driving in this vehicle alongside logging trucks around hilly curves was nerve-wracking. I stayed well within speed limits. While I got some glimpses of scenery, the winding roads meant I had to stay focused.
The next night it was quite cool and I was in a rural area when I found a campground/RV park with available spaces. The office was closed but registration for a site with paper and an envelope was possible. No one was around to provide the wi-fi password or more importantly, the bathroom code for a shower. I decided that after my fender bender earlier that day in Ashland (that’s another story altogether) I deserved a bed and a hot shower so I backtracked to the highway.
The only other open place to stay nearby made the Bates Motel look welcoming. Outside my room the drained pool smelled of cat urine. The room was dingy and the carpet dotted with cigarette stains, but the bathroom was clean. Very few signs of other people were visible. I slept on top of the covers with my own bedding. The next morning during breakfast at the motel diner I heard about a fire the night before on a local property. More bhoga. Time to get on the road again.
Cruising through the Redwood Forest I passed the tree that’s big enough to drive through. At the checkpoint on the border of California an officer asked if I was bringing in any produce (I wasn’t). Being in the forest was soothing and calming. I began to relax. A beautiful ocean view and fish dinner helped me realize I was actually on my way. And I had finished my homework. Yes, they give you homework even before the course starts.
Driving through the sunny vineyards of Mendocino briefly made me wish I was a wine drinker. After a lovely evening in Mountainview with a yoga friend – thank goodness for friendly yoga friends with spare bedrooms- I headed up the mountain to my destination.
Redwood forest on the Mountain
Apavarga, joining with spirit
Previously my only visit to Mount Madonna Center was for one New Year’s retreat. I was beyond excited to see Bhavani and Pratibha and the others I know from Salt Spring retreats. Also I was thrilled to be able to be there for 11 days and immerse myself in study.
Upon arrival I breathed a big sigh of relief and went to the temple. The first people I saw were three pujaris (temple priests). I took this as a positive sign as well as a signal to move from an outward bhoga focus to an inward apavarga focus.
After four days of driving my nervous system was pretty revved up. I was both nervous and excited. I went down the 54 stone steps to the Orchard House and entered the room as everyone was chanting om. After that, the first things mentioned were welcome and please practice asteya, for example, avoid stealing others’ time by being on time for class. Noted.
Our initial go-around of introductions is mostly gone from my memory as I was over the moon. What I do recall was feeling relief that I was not the only one there in my 40s. In fact, 40+ were the majority and we even had three male students.
Our group had 12 students, three assistants, one Program Coordinator and several faculty. We would get to know each other very well over the course of this program. I was curious about the others and very grateful to be there. We received the schedule of classes (see photos) and had the opportunity to ask questions. I could see that intensive did not adequately describe this program. I am still searching for the correct words to describe it. Intensive intensity comes close.
Our classroom, Orchard House
Module 1: Working on yoga
Sadhana (spiritual practice) started at 6:15am each morning and we had to be settled in the room before then so that meant getting up extra early. Despite not being a morning person, most mornings I got up early to do my own sadhana first and then go to class. This practice of getting up around 4:30am plus the long days of classes was, in retrospect, perhaps a bit ambitious. I found I was tired and wired after a few days. My body was used to more movement and the long hours of sitting were a challenge. Yet I felt exhilarated, extremely fortunate and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know my peers.
After three days we were split into groups of six for morning sadhana and paired up to start practice teaching beginner level pranayama and meditations from the Primer, Babaji’s classic text. Somehow I missed the fact that an Elder would be attending and evaluating our teaching. I found out as she walked in the door!
In the van one evening after Arati ceremony
I am a lifelong learner and yoga school is certainly my happy place. There was so much to take in and so many amazing people sharing their knowledge with us. What a wondrous world the Classical Ashtanga teachings are! I felt we were shown a portal to another universe, with competent and experienced guides offering support.
Each session was carefully constructed and professionally led.Many of the faculty are career educators and it shows. The asana focused classes on Biomechanics, Kinesiology, Somatics and Sequencing principles I ate up like candy. Classes on meditation and Brain Science I also found inspiring. Sharada and Dayanand’s Sutra classes greatly assisted me in finally getting a very basic understanding of Samkhya. In the hands of these two and later Soma, it was no longer a “headache yoga” experience.
I am highlighting what stood out for me here, and I could just as easily mention the rich classes on Ayurveda, Sanskrit and on ancient texts. My understanding and appreciation for yoga as a multivariate tradition greatly expanded.
The program ran from 6:15am-9pm every day for 10 days. Jam packed is an understatement. The rigorous schedule left little time for integration. I chose to take silent meals most of the time to assist in digesting the material. This turned out to be a wise choice and aided in my physical digestion immensely as well. Fortunately the early dinnertime allowed us to attend the Arati ceremonies in the evenings at the outdoor temple. I experienced deep healing during those moments.
The practices and energy of the center were invigorating, and part of me wanted to stay there and be in yoga school forever. Despite the engaging topics, after a few days the 4:30am wakeup times caught up to me and I started napping after lunch- during class!
Mid-way through the program we got one evening off for “study time” which coincided with a community event. This included live music, a slide show, and anecdotes about Babaji. It was too good to miss even though my brain felt full to bursting.
The remainder of the program I continued to soak up the teachings and get to know the other students. We had several small group discussions each day on the material we were learning. I’m sure these discussions helped the material plant into my memory. On the last day I enjoyed a lovely abhyanga massage at the spa.
What a blessing to be on the land, have meals prepared for me and be taken care of in order to fully focus on this immersive experience. I wrote in my journal that I felt blessed to be swimming in the essence of the teachings in Babaji’s essence. He is palpable in every building, every statue, on every path and in every plant.
Temple offerings
On the Road Again
When it was time to leave, I felt happy, sad, grateful, blessed and a whole lot more. On the one hand, I was tired and I needed my own bed as well as time to integrate and process. On the other hand, I hated to leave the Mountain and the community. The mix of emotions was very similar to how I feel every time I leave the Salt Spring Centre.
The road trip home was more streamlined than the way down. I heeded one Elder’s advice and took deep breaths all the way. Driving through areas that had been ravaged by forest fires was sobering. One night I stayed at a hippie-run community with a mineral spring which was wonderful. Back in Portland I met up with a karma yoga friend from my early days of being at the Salt Spring Centre. It was a full circle moment.
At home in Victoria I immediately got down to my homework (of which there was a substantial amount) and I started preparing for my 10 minute presentation due in October for Module 2.
Part 2: Module 2 and then…surprise!
The bhakti bliss of studying in the 300 hour yoga teacher training program at Mount Madonna Center intensively in May carried me through the summer of 2019. I was motivated, inspired and excited to learn more. Our monthly Zoom check-ins deepened our connections as a group and helped keep us focused.
Various homework assignments due between May and October supported us integrating the material of Module 1. We also had “pre-work” to prepare for Module 2. Book 1 of Patanjali’s Sutras was a major focus of Module 1 and the homework involved reflections on groups of sutras. We also had 10 minute oral presentations to prepare for on any yoga related topic we liked. Mentors were assigned to support us in these preparations. I chose “Health effects of Sanskrit Chanting” and found some interesting studies.
Studying and Community
For Module 2 I decided to fly and arrive a few days early to participate in the Reunion Retreat which started a few days before teacher training. This was the first time for that retreat, put on by the ‘younger’ (i.e. middle-aged) generation and it coincided with Navaratri. It was a wonderful experience to be involved as a retreat guest, and of course, there were karma yoga opportunities as well.
Some of these events were included as part of our curriculum. The Bhakti night and yajna provided heart-warming opportunities to connect with the resident and wider community. At the end of that retreat we all went out to shoot arrows at a giant effigy of Ravana, representing the self. This is a symbolic practice to slay the self-serving ego. Is it boasting to share that I got him in the middle of his gut? 😉
Ravana, the demon-king, representing egoic self. the circle is where my arrow hit him.
These retreat outings were a welcome change of focus from the 6am-9pm study schedule. Module 2’s schedule was just as packed as Module 1 except this time I was prepared. I stayed in a cabin (highly recommended) and focused on going straight to bed after class finished at 9pm.
Deer near the cabins
This round we looked at Book 2 of the Sutras and we began practice teaching each other intermediate pranayama during morning sadhana. Other juicy topics we got into included Yoga Psychology, Vedic Psychology and lots of time on neuroscience. I found it fascinating to learn about polyvagal theory, heart-rate variability and the science of compassion. Classes on Ritual, Tantra, Subtle Body and Samkhya opened my mind to more portals of study. Heaven for yoga nerds!
An asana class each morning kept us somewhat limber amidst the other hours of mostly sitting. Some of these were taught by us, the students. When my turn came I was nervous because my background is in a different tradition and I’ve only taught therapeutics for several years. Here we were asked to teach either a ytt200 level or 300 level class in this tradition. Gulp. It went okay, and I learned a lot. I certainly appreciated the feedback model used which is positive feedback only.
Learning about shoulders in the Orchard House
At the end of the module I felt conflicted: I wanted to stay on the land with my yoga peeps, and I also needed to rest and integrate. We’ll be back in March for the last module, I told myself. Little did I know the changes in store.
Continuing with homework assignments and monthly check-ins over the winter of 2019-20 kept me focused on learning the material. Incorporating intermediate pranayama into sadhana was a major energetic shift for me and I continue those practices today. Attending the Mount Madonna New Year’s retreat online was a boon to practice as well. And I finally learned the challenging hand mudras!
The Big Pivot
In February the faculty began to talk about the possibility of needing to postpone the March module due to this new corona virus. We were on tender-hooks until the beginning of March when lock down and border closing happened. The following few weeks are a bit of a blur of surrealistic memories.
We continued our monthly Zoom check-ins and initially hoped to get back to MMC in June to finish. Well, that obviously didn’t happen. Kamalesh began teaching free asana classes on zoom twice a week. Mount Madonna put its weekly Sutra and Gita classes online. These supports kept our spirits up and our connection to the material as well as each other.
That May the 2020 ytt300 group started online one weekend per month. At the end of the summer the decision was made to join our 2019 group with this 2020 group for Module 3, to take place one weekend per month from January- April 2021. We lost a few more people from our group during this period so when we joined with the 2020 group our little circle instantly more than doubled.
Online Learning
Attending 24 hours of online classes from Thursday evening to Sunday afternoon was quite an adjustment. Getting to bed early and preparing meals ahead of time was very helpful. I give kudos to Sean, Kamalesh, Soma, Bhavani and all the teachers and assistants who pivoted the teachings online with grace. Our assistant teachers Tonia and Priska were joined by Kam and we felt very well supported.
Module 3’s focus included Books 3 & 4 of the Sutras and more Neuroscience. The asana classes were all taught by us, morning sadhana was taught by us and we each gave a 45 minute presentation. These were outstanding.
On our final weekend the format was a Going Deeper style of retreat. We were encouraged to be in silence and reduce outside distractions while at home. This worked surprisingly well in my experience. Our graduation ceremony was a yajna at the Temple. Two of the 2020 students, Dana Warsaw and Kailashpati, under the guidance of Bhavani, made the offerings and led the yajna. A few students who live local to MMC were permitted to stay there for the weekend and participate in the yajna. It was heartwarming to see a few of us there in circle, at least.
Dana Warsaw making offerings at our graduation yajna, flanked by Bhavani and Kailashpati
While it was not the ending of the training our group had hoped for, I’m glad I decided to do the last module online and complete the program. I highly recommend this training to anyone who wants to dive into the eight limbs of Classical Ashtanga Yoga. Whether you are planning to teach or not, it is an extremely powerful way to deepen your sadhana. If you have any questions about it, please write them below or contact me directly. I could talk about this experience for hours.
I loved the faculty and the material so much. I continue to stay engaged by apprenticing with the next MMI ytt200 program which begins in June online. They plan to shift to in-person retreats and trainings starting this fall. See you at the New Year’s Retreat!
