The reason for selecting swan for a yoga teacher training course was not easy initially considering many yoga places in India trying to grab your attention through their online presence at different platforms. However, after doing more detailed research i found that most of the yoga schools in Goa are managed and taught by foreigners who cater to westerners. After gathering more information, i found that most of the yoga teachers have themselves very limited qualification and experience. Also, i find that quite amusing that why would anybody from the west or outside India would go and learn from a westerner in India, the motherland of yoga, rather than real yogis from India herself. So, my choice was swan for various reasons but the most important was the presence of authentic Indian teachers who were highly qualified with many years of yoga teaching experience. The email exchange with swan was fast and friendly. When i landed at goa airport, i was picked-up (arranged by swan) and that was smooth. The team at the reception was very friendly with smile and i felt the perfect welcome. My deluxe cottage was very spacious and clean but no luxury and i was not there for luxury. The whole place looked perfect for a yoga teacher training where you listen to the chirping of birds in the morning, in the middle of nature with their own vegetable and herbal garden. i got to know...The reason for selecting swan for a yoga teacher training course was not easy initially considering many yoga places in India trying to grab your attention through their online presence at different platforms. However, after doing more detailed research i found that most of the yoga schools in Goa are managed and taught by foreigners who cater to westerners. After gathering more information, i found that most of the yoga teachers have themselves very limited qualification and experience. Also, i find that quite amusing that why would anybody from the west or outside India would go and learn from a westerner in India, the motherland of yoga, rather than real yogis from India herself. So, my choice was swan for various reasons but the most important was the presence of authentic Indian teachers who were highly qualified with many years of yoga teaching experience.

The email exchange with swan was fast and friendly. When i landed at goa airport, i was picked-up (arranged by swan) and that was smooth. The team at the reception was very friendly with smile and i felt the perfect welcome. My deluxe cottage was very spacious and clean but no luxury and i was not there for luxury.

The whole place looked perfect for a yoga teacher training where you listen to the chirping of birds in the morning, in the middle of nature with their own vegetable and herbal garden. i got to know about swan foundation and how they are spreading the right message of yoga and helping many underprivileged around their village.

The teacher training started with special chanting of mantra and a fire ceremony for all the participants. i immediately felt connected with a positive feeling. we got to know from the introduction sessions that all the yoga teachers lived within the campus of swan and just not a visiting teacher. swan was a place of sadhna (spiritual practice) for them too.

The classes were held from morning till evening with breaks in between. There were different teachers covering various topics of yoga and everyone seemed so natural and compassionate to share this knowledge of yoga with the participants. Each branches of yoga was dealt with detail, be it meditation, asana, pranayama, yoga nidra, history, philosophy, hatha yoga, patanjali yoga sutras, bhagavad gita, tantra, mantra and karma yoga with a special session on yoga and happiness. Friday was weekly off day at swan and we could visit some nice beach and sight seeing was also organised for interested students. The four week passed so quickly but i never felt so rich in my life with the proper and correct understanding of yoga and practice. The vast topics of yoga were covered in a friendly but disciplined manner. The wisdom of all the Indian yogis made me realised how blessed i was to choose swan.

The course also had lectures on Ayurveda which was very enriching and the pulse diagnosis with the ayurvedic doctor helped me know my own body constitution in a much better way. The ayurvedic treatments, which was optional, were also done with utmost care by expert therapists. i believe no body can write about swan without mentioning the amazing delightful vegan & vegetarian food we were served each day. Each day was different preparation, freshly prepared and rich in healthy ingredients and taste. they also cater to people with dietary restrictions and everyone enjoyed every single meal.

i have been practising yoga for many years but i must admit that what i learnt from this course was never available to me and i can’t thank swan and the teachers enough. i feel i have a much better understating of yoga and it guides me how to live my life in harmony. Some of other students in the course had previously done few yoga teacher training course already, some were yoga teacher themselves but everybody felt that swan teacher training was the best for them. When i compare my life before and after the course, i can say that i made the right choice and i can whole heatedly recommend swan to anyone who wish to learn authentic yoga from traditional Indian yogisMore