In December 2016, I completed the gruelling 500-hour teacher training course at the Prana Vashya Yoga Shala in Mysore, South India, under Master Yogacharya Vinay Kumar (pictured below).  I am convinced, after much searching, that I have found a style of yoga that works for me and could massively benefit you too.

Despite years of practice of yoga asana both in India and in the UK, I was almost overwhelmed by the intensity of the Prana Vashya teacher training course.  The day would begin at 3 am.  This was the only time one could sensibly squeeze in some self-practice / homework (as will be explained).  The first asana class began at 5 am; immediately followed by a second 90 minute class at 7 am.  After a 10 minute break, there was chanting and pranayama (breathing exercises) for little over an hour.  After another 10 minute break came the theory class for an hour or two.  Every practitioner was expected to fast until the end of the classes (so no food or water for the first 8 or 9 hours of the day).  In addition, everything said during the theory class had to be memorised and then written up each day as homework (to be handed in and later assessed).  It would often take me between 4 and 6 hours to write up these notes each night.  Finally, there was the practical side of the homework: new adjustments or postures to master by the next day (hence the 3 am ‘homework’ already referred to).

One of the students on the Prana Vashya teacher training course was a clinical pharmacist (with 2 degrees in clinical pharmacy) with over 20 years practice.  He remarked to me that he learnt more in one day on the Prana Vashya teacher training course about anatomy, than he learnt about the same in all the time he was at university.  We certainly looked at things in detail!

Ultimately, only 3 people passed the 2016 Prana Vashya Teacher Training Course; I won best student.