Facts, Philosophy, Plenty of Talking — Not Practical Teaching
I attended Deep Yoga's 12-day residential 200-hour YTT and withdrew after eight days.
The training was inadequate in developing the core knowledge and, more importantly, the ability to apply that knowledge to become a safe, competent yoga teacher. Significant time was spent by the teacher talking about his business, studio and personal yoga journey, rather than focused practical application, teaching practice and feedback.
The 4-volume course manuals were unfinished and inadequately prepared. One contained “Ms Minnie Mouse” in a heading, one was missing a chapter, another had no meaningful contents/navigation and another had no page numbers. I was told the manuals were still drafts, despite the course having been delivered for a number of years.
I had disclosed my heart condition on the application form. During a meditation session, I was instructed by Hind to undertake Kapalabhati breathing. Two days later, Gurdeep told me I should not do this practice. There was no meaningful explanation of why, its potential effects, or how my condition should affect the practice. This demonstrated to me a serious gap between learning anatomy and physiology and being able to apply that knowledge to an individual student's medical circumstances, contraindications and safe practice.
I also have recordings of a 2-hour cardiovascular anatomy and physiology session. My analysis indicates that only around one-third was substantive cardiovascular teaching, with much of the remainder consisting of tangential or repetitive discussion.
If your aim is simply to learn basic facts about yoga, history, anatomy and physiology, you may find the course useful. If your aim is to develop the practical knowledge and judgement required to teach yoga safely, I would not recommend it.
The food and accommodation were excellent. Be aware that the residential course takes place in the provider's home, where there is also a dog and cat.
Réponse de Deep Yoga
Thank you for sharing your experience.
Your review centres on the view that the training did not provide sufficient practical application to develop safe and competent teaching. In more than 10 years of training yoga teachers, we know well that safe teaching arises not from practice teaching alone, but from the integration of anatomy, physiology, philosophy, ethics, observation, communication, self-practice and teaching methodology. Practical teaching is an important element of the journey, but it is the integration of these disciplines that cultivates the discernment and judgement required of a yoga teacher.
Our residential programme combines practical teaching, observation, discussion, reflection, self-study and experiential learning. Discussions about professional practice, the realities of teaching yoga and building a sustainable yoga career are an intentional part of preparing trainees for life beyond certification.
The course materials comprise over 800 pages across four volumes and are among the most comprehensive resources provided by any yoga school. Like all educational resources, they are continually reviewed, refined and expanded. This reflects an ongoing commitment to improvement, not unfinished or "draft" materials.
Regarding Kapalabhati, the technique was demonstrated within an educational setting. Demonstrating a practice and instructing a trainee to perform it are not the same thing. Understanding when practices are appropriate, and when they are not, forms part of the teacher training process.
You also reference your analysis of a cardiovascular session. Anatomy and physiology education involves explanation, discussion, questions, examples and application, not simply the delivery of facts. Developing understanding and context is an essential part of learning.
Every student’s journey is unique, and not every training will align with every individual’s expectations, learning style or educational preferences. Having chosen to leave after eight days, the conclusions expressed in this review are necessarily based on only part of the programme rather than the full training experience.
Finally, the residential training takes place in our home-studio environment, which is clearly communicated before enrolment. We discuss any concerns regarding accommodation, accessibility, allergies or pets with prospective trainees in advance. Home-based yoga studios are a long-established and widely accepted part of yoga culture, and many trainees appreciate the welcoming, personal and immersive atmosphere they provide.
While this training was not the right fit for you, prospective trainees are welcome to read the many reviews on Google and Yoga Alliance for a broader picture of our teacher training programmes and teaching approach.
Om Shanti 🙏
