Hi, my name is Anna, I’m 33 years old. Originally from Russia but generally live in Spain, Ibiza. I travelled 12 different countries on my way to India from Spain.

It was my second time in Rishikesh, I came here before for the Himalayas trekking, this time the purpose of my trip to India was studying Kundalini yoga.

How I Came to know about Om Yoga and why I choose to join Om Yoga?:  One morning I went to the Ganges bank to do my morning meditation I was coming back to my hotel and the poster of “Om Yoga” saying “Kundalini TTC” called my attention, I wanted to know more about the place located in heart of Laxman Jhula, so I went up and felt very peaceful vibes in the premises of ashram.

My first impression when I came to the Ashram for the first time and I saw the spacious rooms; I felt very good energy there and I even didn’t want to go to other places because the way I felt there was enough for me. And my intuition didn’t cheat me. Another reason why I decided to stay there was because of a beautiful view from a rooftop.

TTC Journey throughout my course at Om Yoga : All the stuff was very nice to me in every moment, very attentive and helpful. The level of knowledge is deep. The teachers are punctual, it’s very important for me, I always appreciate it.

I was so worried in the beginning because of my physical shape; I had doubts if I would be able to do asanas as the students already had intermediate level. But in this center they offer personalized attention to students in small groups, both experts in the practice of this discipline as novices, so I gave time to my body and did everything up to my own abilities.

There were inspirational people among teachers and students. Good examples to follow. For example; we had a 60 years old student who did advanced asanas, he never stopped to improve studying and I thought if he can do it I also can. What about teachers they are like infinite source of knowledge and wisdom, they apply what they teach in their own lifestyle. I like to be surrounded by these type of people.

I’m very excited about learning more when I have free time and try to apply it in my everyday life.

What did I learn?:  First of all I learned to appreciate my time, to have a self-discipline, to wake up at 05:30 every day. The study of yoga philosophies (such as Yoga Sutras and Hatha Yoga Pradipika) at Yoga ashram was really very interesting. If you apply everything that you study you will never need to go to any psychologist during your life.

How have my thoughts changed: I feel the improvements in my body and my mind. Before coming to India I had insomnia, nightmares and headaches, but now thanks to every day practice of asanas and pranayama I feel better.

How has my life direction been affected by studying TTC?:  I decided to prolong my stay in India and changed my tickets. Because every time I thought about coming back to my routine it seemed like wasting studying time because I wouldn’t be able to apply my fresh knowledge in that stressful atmosphere that I used to live. I’m investing my time in myself and I hope soon I will be able to teach Kundalini Yoga in a proper way.

Is there anything I would do differently if I could go back to my experience?:  Yes, if it could be possible to come back to my past, I would dedicate more time to my self-practice of asanas and I would take classes of Sanskrit language.

Any regrets?:  The only one regret is the time passes too fast being in Rishikesh and it’s impossible to stop it.