At MLC we honor the fact that Yoga is not just a physical practice; it's a holistic journey that encompasses the mind, body, and spirit. To guide others on this transformative path, one needs more than just knowledge of yoga postures. Over the course of each year we offer in depth programs on everything from breathwork to asanas to philosophy. A good yoga teacher training program is instrumental in shaping effective yoga instructors who can help their students flourish on this profound expedition. So, what are the qualities that make a yoga teacher training program exceptional? Let's explore them.

I was never flexible as a child. I started horse riding at 5 years old which although built up a good grounding of bodily awareness, left me with fiery tight hamstrings and iron clad adductors. I could never touch my toes or do the splits as most of my friends could, and I remember distinctly the strong emotional reaction as I was moved to tears each time I tried to fold forward. For the main, I was physically pretty able but this lack of natural flexibility had a much bigger impact on me than seemed logical, even then, and thus I avoided any activity that triggered it, even though I longed to be able to do the simple, yet to my eyes, impossible, things my friends could do with ease. Flexibility then, from a young age, became something I both aspired to and feared.

So, I recently asked Tim Feldmann if he would tell me in his own words what it is he, Kino and Special Friends (yes that’s what he calls it) intend with the yearly One Month Ashtanga Intensive at Miami Life Center – and I got him rambling (or at least that what’s he thinks of this transcript) about patience, self pity and anger, TT’s in america, how yoga education ideally works and more. I wanted to know more about his intention behind referring to it as a ‘student immersion’. Here is a transcription.

In those classic Hollywood silent films the big climax was always some exciting chase scene. The hero had lost something and a mad dash ensues to get it back. Filmmakers of the time knew that too much dialogue would bore the audience and they would lose interest in the movie. Instead, the director would cut straight to the fun excitement of the chase. Believe it or not, there is a similar philosophy in Ashtanga Yoga!

Mother India being intense in colors, smells, tastes, and as intense as Indian people’s eyes, shows its magic as you never go back home being the same person. It’s the quiet place where you walk in the middle of the night to go practice, in the “Main Shala” as they call it, where you have the chance to practice with people from all over the world.

In the 11 years we have been teaching yoga at Miami Life Center, we continuously commit to honor our students’ healthy boundaries, whether physical, emotional, mental, religious, or sexual in nature. Safety and trust within our community is targeted by conscious use of our four pillars—simplicity, honesty, compassion, and integrity—our stated foundational values.

On march I celebrated a year living in Miami. I decided to mark the milestone with a Mysore Ashtanga Retreat with my Teacher Kino Macgregor….

I remember myself from a very young age having a deep interest in spiritual matters. When I was a teenager I joined a group of people who would gather to pray together. It was a beautiful experience and soon I saw people develop the magical power of talking in ancient languages during this absorption as they prayed.

When I started practicing at Miami Life Center, it was my first encounter with a community that would help me through a practice I had blindly immersed myself in. Looking back, maybe it was because of that support from the teachers and students, that I could see a way of moving from the old ways to this new way of living.

Teaching yoga to children provides them with a variety of tools which they can take from the yoga class to use throughout their lives. Incorporating different aspects of the world around them, such as nature and animals allows them to connect to these elements…

If you find yourself melting in the summer heat, try this ancient yogic breathing technique to lessen the sweltering effect of the weather and get the added benefit of relaxing your mind…

The first time I tried a meditation practice, I promptly decided I would never do that again! Everyone said I was going to feel blissful and relaxed, but all I recieved was pain in my body, distraction from sudden itches, and a whirlwind of internal judgement for not being able to silence my mind...

It’s the day after I completed my first 10 day vipassana course and reintegrating into daily life is easier than I thought it would be, because going from no talking, only sitting with yourself to interacting with the outside world and answering emails should feel abrupt. Or at least I thought it would...