I'm attending a series of workshops this weekend presented by A.G Mohan and his son, Ganesh which is very cool; the Mohan family have studied yoga in connection to Ayurveda, physical and mental health extensively and I've been reading their books for years (A.G. Mohan and his wife, Indra, literally wrote the book on Yoga Therapy). Although I was looking forward to the workshops on an intellectual level, interested in what I might learn, I wasn't expecting to be this jazzed. Something happened tonight, I left the workshop filled with a sense of quiet excitement and found myself making plans as I drove home.

More and more I'm interested in yoga as a form of therapy. In keeping with that, more and more I feel like my Masters is just another step in preparing me for something larger instead of the means to an end that it was when I started it (this is both frustrating, another 'beginning' step?, and ridiculously exciting). Mohan studied with Krishnamacharya, as did my teacher Pattabhi Jois, however his approach is quite different from Jois'. Mohan, like Krishnamacharya's son, Desikachar, works with students in individual sessions assessing their needs and creating tailored asana and pranayama programs. I love this.

I planned on travelling to Chennai to study at Desikachar's institute in 2005 before the powers that be brought me to Mysore instead. I've no doubt that Mysore was where I was supposed to be at that time and I can't see myself ever leaving my ashtanga practice, it's as much a part of me as breathing is, but I've never really seen myself teaching it in the traditional way. Actually, I've never seen myself as a yoga teacher, period, but I have always known that I was going to work as a therapist with individuals/groups and that yoga would play some role in that therapy. Lately it feels like the drive to start moving towards that vision won't be put off much longer.

Desikachar runs a 2 year teacher training program that I expect to enroll in one day, there's a teacher training program beginning in Toronto in January and the Mohan's run a 2 month intensive training program every October-November, also in Chennai. It's a good thing I picked up some contract work to carry me through this school year because it looks like I'm going to be a student well beyond April as originally planned ;)

And the Mohans? They were knowledgeable, humble, light and filled with humour. I'm looking forward to the rest of the sessions.