by Chelsea (Rajni) King 

Meditation Teacher Training (MTT) was a turning point in my experience and understanding of the Svaroopa^® sciences.  MTT’s length and depth settled me into a more expansive state than ever before.  I vividly remember feeling so deep and comfortable in my own Self.  It was a profound immersion in Consciousness.  

Steeping in the experience of Gurudevi’s teachings was an amazing process.  For 11 days, we marinated in the teachings and practices.  It was all easy, organic and natural.  As Gurudevi rendered the teachings and sutras of our lineage, I took notes.  Then we meditated.  With each day, I settled more and more into the state the sutras were describing.

I hadn’t thought to bring my computer to take notes and write talks.  I did everything the old fashioned, handwritten way, which helped Gurudevi’s teachings sink in.  The process of hearing the teachings and then handwriting the notes was deep and effective.  After dinner, I felt thoroughly prepared to write my talks for the next day.  They just poured out onto the paper.  

After MTT, my understanding and teaching of asana shifted and made me a better asana teacher.  As a Certified Svaroopa^® Yoga Teacher, I had been teaching yoga classes for more than a decade.  The reason for the way we teach asana became absolutely clear.  The purpose of Svaroopa^® yoga is to settle into Self.  

This yoga’s customized propping and precise angles in poses reliably open our spines so Kundalini can move.  I understood it in a way I hadn’t before.  I realized that it isn’t about the body, it is about the state.  Even though I had heard it over and over again, I hadn’t had the deep, tangible experience of Self that MTT gave me.  It was undeniable. 

My meditations were forever changed after MTT.  It solidified my daily practice and made it easier to sit every day.  Learning how to teach others to meditate is a great incentive to making sure that I’m doing the practices that I’m teaching.  The tangible Grace flowing through this lineage propels me on the path.  Teaching others to meditate is a gift.  I am so blessed to be a modern-day representative of this ancient tradition!