Moving up the Pyramid
Trip Start
Oct 30, 2007
1
80
99
Trip End
Ongoing
Ko Phangan,
Thailand
Friday, February 6, 2009
I had no intention of taking the yoga teacher training here, especially after checking out their website and not being very impressed. But here I am, a last minute addition to the student roaster, very excited of being here. I really like the main teachers here, David and Marina. Both are very sweet and approachable. I think they like me too, as they accepted me to the course even though there was a long waiting list ahead of me.
I still do not fully comprehend the chain of events that led me here. Dissatisfied with Agama I wrote an email to Kris, a yoga teacher in LA I admire, and asked for his advice. He forwarded my email to a few people he knew. One of them, Emma, is a teacher here at the Pyramid. After meeting her, attending the Bhajans (Devotional singing) here, and a private conversation with David, the main teacher, I decided to apply. I was deeply touched by David's humility and approachability.
A few back and forth emails with Marina, a couple weeks of positive thinking and knowing that all is well, and I got an acceptance letter. Easy as pie. Ever easier, actually...
My Agama experience, as you might recall from the previous entry, was not as smooth. Despite that, I completed the First Month Intensive there. While it did not meet my expectations I still think it is an excellent course, especially for beginners, especially for younger people.
Although I personally did not resonate with the Swami's approach and demeanor, I saw first hand how effective his (somewhat dogmatic and oh so righteous) teaching is. Many students there were deeply inspired by him. He is certainly impacting many people in a very positive way. Along with my criticism about his delivery method I must mention how much I enjoyed his intellectual capacities and his astonishingly wide knowledge of so many subjects.
On the other hand, the ashram did feel somewhat cultish to me, and challenging his opinions felt like walking on thin ice. Many of the historical facts he brought up to prove his points turned out, upon quick Wikipedia search, to be disputed myths. He used the new testament as if it was a history book with undisputed facts, making me wonder if I was in a Jesus camp. On top of it, the Heterosexist approach (everybody is assumed to be straight and no variations are ever examined) of the school was simply unwelcoming to me. So after I graduated, I took the beautiful shirt they gave me, the lovely certificate, thanked everybody, and moved to the Pyramid.
I may go back to Agama in the future to study some more, but now my expectations are different. I'll go there to hear what they have to say. From that I'll take whatever fits me, and leave behind all that other stuff. In the meantime, however, I'll focus on enjoying the Pyramid's course.
