Philosophy & practice

Something Prakash taught me when I kept waking up at 3 a.m. for the first three weeks of my training stuck with me, and is an essential part of my practice now. He suggested I use the early morning hours for meditation, and simply chant the following: “I’m not the body, I’m not the mind. I’m more than the body, I’m more than the mind. I’m free from the body, I’m free from the mind.”

Being mindful of the impermanence of my body and mind is something I‘ve tried to sustain since I returned to the West, however the dichotomy between the spiritual teachings of Nepal and the reality I experience here and now can be vast. Rather than trying to bridge this gap, I decided to focus on themes of self-development and evolution as I slowly integrate my ephemeral self with the here and now of me in this world.

Music is an important part of my practice. The songs I choose resonate with the transformations I wish for. I hope you’ll join me on this adventure.

My training

I completed my 500 hr yoga teacher training at Nepal Yoga Home in 2023 in Kathmandu, Nepal under the guidance of my respected teachers and mentors: Shanti and Prakash Acharya, Deependra Bhatt, and Ram Hari Thapa.

My 4-week training consisted of the following:

3-7 a.m. Restless meditation on the roof and in my room with my legs propped up on the wall (not part of the curriculum - just my own body waking up at 3 a.m. for the first 3 weeks)

7-9 a.m. "Wake-up" Hatha yoga, philosophy, and purification practices with the energetic Deependra

9-11 a.m. Breakfast and free time

11-12 p.m. Anatomy

12-2 p.m. Ashtanga yoga

2:00 p.m. Lunch

5:00 p.m. Philosophy & meditation (Yoga Nidra, chanting)

6-7:00 p.m. Alignment

7:00 p.m. Dinner

9:00 p.m. Sleep