Yoga teachers training course, certifications, yoga teacher and teaching yoga?

If somebody is hungry, do we need to have a "recognized" certificate of "generosity" to share some of our food with this being?

If somebody is in painful sorrow, do we need a "recognized" certificate of "compassion" to share joy and happiness with this being?

If somebody needs a friend, do we need a "recognized" certificate of "friendliness" to be his or her friend?

If somebody wants to learn about yoga from a peaceful, self-controlled, wise and compassionate being, does this compassionate being needs a certificate of "qualified yoga teacher" to share yoga with anyone? Does he or she needs a certificate for him or her to show someone how to bring the mind to be in the present moment, to live in the present moment, and be free from fear and worry?

Do we need a certificate to show other people how to be kind, happy and peaceful? And of course, we have to be kind, happy and peaceful in ourselves if we want to show other people how to be kind, happy and peaceful...

Does a certificate of "qualified peaceful being" coming from attending a "peaceful being training course" will make a person peaceful being? Like wise, will a certificate of "qualified yoga teacher" coming from attending a "yoga teacher training course" make a person yoga teacher?

Some real yogis might not went to a yoga school before nor attended any "yoga classes" before... They don't even call themselves as "yogi". Calling themselves as "yogi" is generating separateness between those who are yogis and those who are not yogis... And Yoga is about oneness or non-separateness beyond names and forms... We see 'God', or the one same nature, in everyone and everything including ourselves... These yogis perform Sadhana or intense yoga practice and meditation day in day out. And where did they learn to perform these Sadhana from? Most probably it was from some other experienced yogis who don't possess a certificate nor do they issue any certificates to those who learn from them... They observe their mind every moment, and have self-control over their thoughts, actions and speech. They observe silence of mind, physical body and the speech organ... There's no identification with the body and mind, not to say, the actions and the fruit of actions. They are working on eliminating the ego, desires, attachments, craving and aversion, to be free from ignorance, which is not something what we see in "yoga classes" nowadays, doing one hour of yoga poses or exercises or sun salutation, and claiming that "I am a yogi and I am practicing yoga..." While the person who is leading the "yoga classes" claiming that "I am a yoga teacher and I am teaching yoga..."

Did the selfless or egoless saints and sages in the past possessed and carried at least one or many "certificate(s)" issued and recognized by such and such organizations to certified that they were selfless and for them to be qualified to teach other people towards selflessness?

Obviously those who are free from the ego do not need certificates nor have a certificate at all. And these are the real yogis who will be sharing the path of "yoga" with those who are looking for "yoga"...

The term and purpose of "yoga teachers training course" is more about learning how to become our own teacher, and it's not about teaching other people... Teaching other people will come naturally when we realize the inner teacher within us and became our own teacher... Of course there's nothing wrong also if we haven't realized what is yoga, but we teach "yoga" to other people according to the books and what we have been trained on how to teach a yoga class, from attending yoga teachers training courses. But this doesn't make us yoga teachers...

Yoga schools or yoga courses allow people to practice yoga to become their own teacher. And when they realized the greatest teacher within themselves, and realized oneness or non-separateness through the realization towards selflessness or egolessness, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness, free from ignorance and impurities, free from craving and aversion, free from duality, then naturally they can share their direct experience with other beings on how to find this inner teacher, or they'll know how to guide other beings on how to be free as well... They don't need to be "trained" to be "yoga teachers". They don't need the name or title of "yoga teachers". Certainly they don't need to possess any "certifications"... Then what is this certificate of "qualified yoga teacher" issued and recognized by such and such organization and affiliation all about?

What is yoga or compassion, if yoga is being restricted and conditioned by names and forms, terms and regulations, and separateness that comes from "you are qualified" and "you are not qualified"?

What happen to those who are not physically fit enough to perform any asana exercises or meditation postures, or unable to attend yoga teachers training courses due to certain reasons, but they have pure and tranquil mind? They are free from craving and aversion. They are wise and compassionate. They are free from suffering. Are they not allowed to share the wisdom of transcending suffering with other people just because they didn't attend any yoga teachers training courses to attain a "recognized" certificate? Or they can teach, but not with the name of "yoga", as it is being restricted and conditioned about one must have a "recognized" certificate to teach "yoga"... What a pity...

Buddha, who was the enlightened one, did he carry a certificate issued by such and such organizations affiliated to such and such affiliations with him to qualified him to propagate the teachings of how to transcend suffering?

If somebody says, "Hey! You don't have a recognized qualification or certificate issued by such and such organizations, you are not qualified nor allowed to teach yoga..." Sorry, this doesn't mean anything... Maybe for those who teach yoga asana exercises as fitness classes, then they might be restricted by the fitness industries regulations. But yoga is not a physical fitness exercises. Maybe some people only see "yoga" as a form of physical exercises for fitness, but that is what they perceive and what they want to believe, it is not what yoga is about...

If somebody who are not sure about what is yoga and try to teach "yoga" to other people, it's okay, because one day this being might realize what is yoga from his/her sincere enthusiasm to teach yoga... Everyone is "liberated being" when ignorance vanished... Everyone is "liberation teacher" when they share the path of liberation with those who want to be free from ignorance... It doesn't matter if it is in the form of "Yoga" or "Buddhism" or "Taoism" or "Hinduism" or "Christianity" and so on, or it's nameless and formless... It doesn't matter if they call themselves "yoga teachers" or some other names, or not...

Anyone or anything is our yoga teacher when it allows us to see ourselves, to know ourselves, to know our own mind and the ego, to see the ignorance in us, and helping us to be free from ignorance...

Yoga teachers are not limited to those who have attended yoga teachers training courses and have "recognized" certificates, and are teaching some yoga practices to other people...

Om shanti.

Video - yoga asana practice while travelling in India (1)

 Variation of Kakasan and Titibasan




This is part of my daily yoga asana practice while travelling in India.

Being compassionate and the practice of acceptance and letting go doesn't mean saying "yes" to everything...

A friend talked to me about she feels that it's very difficult to practice compassion, acceptance and letting go in daily life. She feels that she has became too "easy" for other people to take advantage of her, and she feels sad about it...

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There's nothing wrong that if you felt unhappy or angry or sad when you felt other people were not nice and unkind to you when you have been nice and kind to them... You should allow yourself to feel how you were feeling in that moment. But watch these feelings with awareness... Watch how these feelings come and go... Do not identify with these impermanent feelings... These feelings are not you or who you are... Know that everything is impermanent. Even this will pass...

Real compassion comes along with correct understanding, right discrimination and non-attachment.

It doesn't mean "being easy", or agree with everything, or say "yes" to everything...

When you think you are being compassionate, accepting everyone and everything as they are, and being available for everyone when they "need" you or your help, but at the same time, you feel very unhappy, angry and sad with people taking advantage of you or take you for granted because they think you are "easy" and "kind" or "stupid", and you feel tired and disappointed with family and friends whom you care a lot and you do your best for everyone whom you love but they don't show any gratitude or appreciation, instead they criticize you for what you do for them, then know that you are not really being compassionate.

If you are truly compassionate, you will know when to say "yes" and when to say "no"...

You don't have to agree with things that you don't agree with. You don't have to throw away all your belongings and relationships with anybody to show that you are practicing non-attachment and letting go.

You will know how to be compassionate towards yourself first, take care of your own well-being first, have peace in yourself first, before you can be compassionate toward other beings and taking care for other people...

In order to take care yourself, you will be able to say "no" without feeling bad or guilty when you need to say "no"... It doesn't make you bad or less compassionate. Being compassionate doesn't mean that you have to be available for everyone all the time. You need to have your own time for yourself, to eat, to play and to rest, to take care your own well-being, to retreat from the worldly affairs... Do not forget to be kind and compassionate towards "this being"...

Acceptance doesn't mean that we have to agree with everything and go along with things that we don't agree with.

Acceptance means "Able to allow everything to be what they are as they are, whether it is something that we agree with or disagree with. Nor try to change or control things to be the way that we want it to be... At the same time we do our best to improve without expectation that things will change into what we want it to be... Allow things to change into what they are as they are... Maybe it will change into what we like it to be, maybe not... It doesn't matter... We did our best, and let go..."

Letting go doesn't mean throw away everything, not having anything at all...

Letting go means "Whether we have many things or don't have anything, it doesn't determine us for who we are. We do not attach to all these things. We do not depend on things to be who we are, to feel good or meaningful. We can have things, but we know the truth of things is impermanent. No matter it is material belongings, relationships, works, enjoyments, thoughts, feelings, emotions, sensations, positivity, negativity, painful sorrow and etc... They all are impermanent. We are able to allow all these things to exist, change and disappear... We accept all changes as they are from moment to moment. When we don't have things that we want or like, we are still who we are, it doesn't make us any less good or less peaceful..."

When we feel unhappy about certain things, they will pass away eventually. When we feel happy about certain things, they also will pass away eventually. Good relationships or bad relationships, they all will pass away eventually whether you like it or not... Good health or bad health, they all will pass away...

Love yourself, be compassionate towards yourself, take care of yourself.... Be honest to say "no" when you need to say "no"... Sometimes we need to allow other people to show compassion towards us. We don't have to be the "strong" one to be there for everyone whom we "think" they are weak and they need us... We don't have to be the "compassionate" one and let other people to be the "compassionate" one... This is not selfish... This is the beginning of compassion.

When you know how to take care yourself, you will have full energy and joyfulness to be kind to other beings without feeling tired or disappointed... You will not be touched nor determined nor disturbed by your compassionate kind actions towards other beings or the reactions of other beings towards your compassionate kind actions. You are not determined nor disturbed by the fruit or the result of your actions...

You are who you are... You do not become a better or happier person when you show kindness towards other beings. You do not become a bad or less happy person when you need to take care of yourself, nor do you become a bad or unhappy person when other people don't appreciate nor be grateful towards your kindness towards them...

You'll never feel that you are being taken for granted nor feel it's difficult to be a good, kind and compassionate person...

If you are compassionate, you won't be angry or upset with anything or anyone... It's because you love yourself and be kind to yourself... This is more important than try to please everyone and make everyone happy, because you can't... That's why you feel so tired and disappointed after trying to please everyone to make them happy and satisfied... Everyone will be happy and satisfied as they are, when they found the inner peace and happiness within themselves through their own effort. We can only guide other people on how to reach this unconditional peace when we ourselves are peaceful, but we cannot take away what make them unhappy or not peaceful in the first place, or to remove their root cause of unhappiness which is ignorance or impurities...

Nobody is going to be truly happy or satisfied unless ignorance or impurities are vanished from their mind. It doesn't matter how other people tried to please them or be nice to them, they'll still be unhappy and dissatisfied as the root cause of unhappiness or restlessness or dissatisfaction are there...

We need to help ourselves first before we can help other beings... We need to mind our own purification to purify our own mind, without expecting other people will purify their mind... Let other people perform their duties and purification when they are ready and willingly to do so...

When we point fingers at other people criticize them "You are this or that...", actually ourselves are not any better than them...

No need to worry about other people's ego, just mind watching our own ego...

Be happy.

Video - my daily yoga asana practice (4) while travelling in India

This is part of my daily yoga asana practice while travelling in India.