Short version: It is THE best and I recommend it from the bottom of my heart.
Long version:
Looking up yoga teacher trainings abroad can be an overwhelming helluva job. No two RYTs are the same, there will always be something surprising or unexpected and there will always be those voices of doubt: „Do I really want to teach? Am I good enough? Is this a waste of money?“
To address those voices, let me say:
a) no one is ever ready to teach. But if you feel the calling to teach, follow it! The world needs your approach and the message only you can give.
b) you are absolutely good enough. It doesn’t matter if you can’t do headstands or splits. If you want to study yoga in a comprehensive form from A to Z, a 200hrs RYT is a big YES even if you are a beginner in your asana practice.
c) although it is a big investment, it is worth it. It’s an investment towards a blissful and connected life that lasts long after you leave Nepal.
The reasons Mandala Yoga Teacher Training in Nepal is your best choice:
THE LOCATION. Kathmandu is an incredible city, although the pollution might bother you. The buzz, smells and flavours, the colors and the people make up for it. I love being able to wander around, get lost in the streets, experiment with street food and do a little shopping. There are cute tiny cafes, cool hippie rooftops and bookshops to do your studying at if you are like me and like to explore the city on your own.
The best part though?
You experience a completely different kind of Nepal when you leave Kathmandu valley – either to an ashram in the jungle or to a remote village overlooking the Himalaya, depending on the season. Calmness, breathtaking nature, stillness. A perfect contrast to your stay in Kathmandu.
I highly recommend Mandala RYT because of this perfect combo. In other YTTs you might only stay in an ashram away from Kathmandu (where’s the fun in that if you can’t see anything of the city and the country?) or on the contrary in Kathmandu the whole time which can get exhausting.
THE TEACHER, Kriti – the most baddass yoga boss lady, excellent teacher and motivator and a true yogini. Kriti will become your friend. She will guide you in an exceptionally dedicated and fun way and blow you off your feet with her knowledge. And it all just seems so natural with her. I never stop admiring how easily she can lead a class with complete beginners and advanced yogis in it and entertain all levels. She started practicing yoga as a teenager to cure her asthma (successfully) and her father is a real authority, too.
THE APPROACH. I feel like becoming a teacher is our own responsibility. It is OUR job to do self-study and dedicate our time and effort to learn – not someone else’s. When you sign up for a RYT, you should have this in mind. There will be a lot to take in. The physical practise will be demanding. And the 200hrs RYT will just show you the tip of the iceberg of the vastness of yoga. So take it easy!
You are lucky enough to have Kriti and her team as your guides in this journey. You can ask them anything, ask for explanation, raise a complaint if anything is wrong as you will never find this level of responsiveness and helpfulness as in Mandala Studio.
I am pointing this out because there is a big difference in approach in the West and the East. Western approach to yoga tends to focus on structure, facts, and all these details.
I love that and I don’t mind nerding, using apps, learning from great Western teachers (Ashley Turner, Janet Stone, Kino MacGregor.)…
BUT there are things that the Western approach lacks. The FEEL and the depth that we have forgotten in our culture. The authentic spirituality. The Western approach lacks things too. The structure and organization can get messy, there might be unexpected changes (there WILL be unexpected changes, it is Nepal, baby!
Use this as your patience practice and go with the flow!) and some areas might be covered less in-depth. I still deeply root for this. Isn’t the teacher’s job to point to towards a direction and then let you go on your own? Not guide you by the hand all the way…
So don’t say „either, or“. Combine and enjoy both the Western and Eastern approach.
Go all in to Nepal.
Feel the feels, fall in love with yoga and and fill in any blanks or areas which caught your attention in your own study!
It’s an enormously important concept anyway, this self-study, Svadhyaya.
Learn forever and „enjoy the party of knowledge“ in Dipendra’s words!