Muscat hosts its first ever yoga teachers training programme
MUSCAT: In view of a rising demand for trained yoga teachers, as more and more people in Oman are opting for yoga to stay fit, the Art of Living decided to conduct a training programme in Muscat to provide an opportunity for people to get certified here itself.
First of its kind in the region, the ongoing 200-hour teacher training is a 21 days residential programme where participants are trained and certified to teach basic yoga principles and techniques of Sri Sri Yoga.
The training is being conducted by the Sri Sri School of Yoga which is a recognised school by Yoga Alliance, USA and QCI - Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, offering various levels of Yoga Teacher Training and is headquartered in Bangalore, India.
“Whenever we become capable of calming/quietening our mind, complete eradication of stress on both physical and mental level can be achieved. Yoga is the science and wisdom of stabilising the mind. Everyone wants to live a healthy and fulfilling life and people are now looking for different and more holistic methods of healing and health. No one wants to have medicines anymore, hence escalating the demand for yoga and meditation. Yoga is ancient wisdom for a healthier, happier and more peaceful way of living. It transcends any religion or culture. Its application is universal and Sri Sri Yoga brings you back to your natural self, wherein all the virtues that we have in the core of our being blossom,” said Yoga master Kamlesh Barwal who is in Oman to conduct the teacher training programme along with Master Mayur Karthik.
Kamlesh Barwal is highly accomplished and recognised trainer associated with the Art of Living Foundation for the past 20 years. With expertise in training yoga teachers, she has travelled far and wide from South America, Europe, Jordan, Oman, UAE, to Kazakhstan, Belarus, Russia, China, and South East Asia. Apart from being a key member of various Yoga boards and committees, Kamlesh currently heading the Sri Sri School of Yoga and is the Secretary-General of the Indian Yoga Association.
With the many Omani nationals, participants from Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, UAE and India attended the training programme. After the completion of the course, based on their performance, the participants will be certified to teach yoga. Art of Living has centres in 167 countries and will support these new international yoga teachers in their teaching efforts and provide them with an opportunity to have a career and employment in yoga.
Participants feedback
“Through this yoga course, I gained a lot of knowledge. My body needed movement and I gained greater awareness of the possibilities within me and it has given positive results as it helped me lose weight and I feel flexible in the movement of the back and shoulders and the great energy supply in my body,” said Kamlabint Hamid Al-Rwahi.
“I feel calm and my mind is fresh. I can enjoy life’s small joys more than before like food tastes better now. The detox and cleansing processes I did here on the course has made me more aware and I feel now connected with the moment,” said Zainab Al Shandoudi.
“I was not happy in the beginning but day by day it changed. Now I feel amazing from inside. I had a bad back pain before coming here, and now it is gone. In last 29 years, I have not got this kind of rest in both my body and mind. It’s like magic,” said Ibrahim Al Ghusaini.
“I want to thank everyone who helped to make this course possible. I really appreciate the effort and the desire to achieve more and more. Now I am so in harmony with my body and mind along with my breath. I believe I can be a better person just by applying everything we have been taught during the course,” said Khalid Al Maktomi.
Art of Living has been actively promoting health through its various stress management programs being conducted in major towns of Oman Since 1999. The Art of Living is acclaimed to have done leadership development courses for youth, women with the support of Ministry of Sports Affairs and Ministry of Health. On the March 28, the participants will be receiving certificates in a ceremony being attended by Indra Mani Pandey, the Indian Ambassador to Oman, along with other dignitaries.