What our students say on Google
About Shiva Rishi Yoga School
A selection of reviews and testimonials of our students
EXCELLENTTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Based on the reviews I read before attending the Shiva Rishi School, I expected a good experience. My actual experience was better than expected!! From the moment I arrived (early) there was someone at all times to assist with anything I needed. Shiva himself was welcoming and helpful even though he was busy preparing for our classes. Each evening during the course he sent us additional resources for a deeper understanding of sequencing and postures, as well as an assortment of helpful yogic content. Every yoga class taught something new. Shiva designed many classes focused on various themes and showed us how to modify or change our routines based on needs, flexibility, time of day, the moon, menstration, etc. I left the 200 hour yoga teacher training prepared to teach my own classes right away. What I didn't anticipate was the intensity and expertise that we would gain from the additional classes. I enjoyed learning pranayama, yogic philsophy, and meditation. Lorne's yin classes were a wonderful balance to our hatha and vinyassa training. Every class provided a balance that taught me how to address my entire body and mind, stretching me outside my comfort zone. The Shiva Rishi School is NOT a yoga factory. They do not believe in yoga simply as exercise, but as a lifestyle. Every instructor cares deeply for the education and well-being of their students. Our teachers created a safe space for us to explore our limits. They were always approachable to answer questions and provide clarification when needed. I found this to be a very personalized experience, worth every single euro. I can not recommend it enough!Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Myself and my partner just completed our 100hrs at Shiva Rishi yoga school. We are really grateful for our time at this school and everything it gave to us. We stayed at the house were Shiva , Maria , little Eliva and Lorne live. We loved staying here personally it was so lovely to see the family everyday and enjoy our short walk to the school each morning and I mean 2min walk but it was so to wake you up before you start training. The main yoga shala is so beautiful you are so happy to just hang out and relax during break and rest time up there and even spend time with the rest of the group. I loved all the classes so much, Kavita the pranayama teacher was especially amazing a Beautiful sense of humour with extensive knowledge she had this aura I can’t even explain and she always knows when you feeling unwell and how to help. Swarmi also for yoga philosophy and meditation was incredible so easy to talk to and always happy to help and give advice even after we left he was open to giving advice and I’m so grateful for that. To have teachers that create a safe space is so important. Sam our yoga nidra teacher was very sweet. Doctor Anish the Ayurveda teacher was so knowledgeable and I thoroughly enjoyed his classes a lot. Shiva was a great teacher he is funny and silly as well as professional you feel they are friends. His passion for yoga is inspiring and you can feel that it makes you want to go deeper in yourself. know it can be hard when doing group training to attend to every student but he tried his best and I felt if you needed more and asked it was given . Lorne was a very special one with such a big heart and kind soul he was very easy to open up to and help with anything you needed. He has such a relax presence around him and it was just so great to have him around I’m grateful to have had the pleasure to get to know all these wonderful humans including all the students. As a couple and staying at the other house we always felt super included with everyone from the group and it was nice to actually have that little space away felt like our own sanctuary. Thank you to Maria and Eliva for always being around to have beautiful chats with. Maris is very helpful with any inquires and questions you have and understanding of needs. I never felt I couldn’t talk with her and it was lovely to get to know her. Also food was delicious and fresh everyday!! We are so grateful for our time at this school anda the people we met and hope we will be back again to finish our 200hrs 🙏💫Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Honestly, this was the best school I could have picked for myself. I loved Varkala, the school has an amazing energy, the teachers bring so much joy, wisdom and depth with them, it’s fascinating. We shared a deep connection with all the people who participated in our journey. Thank you Shiva, Shakti, Lorne, our wonderful teachers and the whole team for this wholesome and healing experience. I would definetly recommend coming here. The shala is just incredible. The beach is about five minutes away, the food is amazing and everyone cares so much about our wellbeing. I am very glad I chose a program with 28 instead of 21 days because we really needed the rest and time we were given. Thank you!Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Loved coming to this school for a retreat! If I came back to Varkala to do yoga again, I would DEFINITELY stay here. Shiva was an amazing yoga teacher and the shalla was beautiful. It was really useful to have Lorne as a constant presence as someone to talk to about worries and concerns. He helped make the yoga school feel like a home and for us to feel really cared for. Eating with the other students made us into a family and the excursion really brought us together! And the food was delicious. Because I was on a retreat, we were housed in separate accommodation: Sky Lounge Residency. This was not good enough and substantially worse than the rooms within the school.Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I completed my 200-hour training in February and am not leaving the same. I absolutely adored the time spent at the school, Shiva is an amazing teacher and soul and really pours his heart into the training, sharing his knowledge, his experience, his stories and his beautiful energy to us, with a wide smile no matter the time of the day. The other teachers are equally as talented and offered their knowledge, stories, humour to us and shared so much with us. I had a little accident during the training and everyone was there to help and support me or even cook for me and go the extra mile 🫶 I loved the training and I feel much more confident in my practice, having learnt so much about yoga philosophy, history, meditation, pranayama, alignment and having taught twice to my fellow classmates ❤️ and I'll miss singing the mantras with our beautiful group! We were 14 at the time and our group felt so so tight and supportive, I made some lifelong friendships there that made the training even more meaningful! The Puja ceremonies were beautiful, the musicians, the singing, the dancing, and felt very special to open and close the training all together. I lived with some other student in another building less than 2 min away from school, which gave a good break from the school environnement, and the room was pristine, like-new and felt really cozy. Oh and the food, from Bina and the lovely ladies, was absolutely delicious and we could feel the love out in the cooking! Both the school and my house were just a few minutes away from the cliff and the beach, which after having spent 6 weeks there really felt like home. I would love to come back to Varkala and come again to Shiva's classes in the future for sure. Hari om 🕉️🤍Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. What and absolutely breath taking month. Spent about 10 days of deep researching till I decided on Shivas Yoga school. As a teacher myself of about 15 years of outdoor activities, what I saw about Shiva and his program made me believe it was the best choice. Shiva is such an emotionaly intelligent and supportive teacher that only if you arrive with serious baggage he wont be able to help you heal. His teaching environment is safe and welcoming. His team of Teacher are passionate, caring and knowledgeable. The rooms are Very Clean and cleaned often by the staff who is always smiling. And the food is varied and nourishing. I saw many programs for 21 days . I dont know how they do it. 28 days instead of 21 for the 200 hours YTT is the right choice. Even with a more relaxed Saturday and a Sunday completely free it is intense. But you have time to read, contemplate and assimilate the knowledge, feeling much closer to the yogic philosophy you will be learning about, and Not like a Yoga teacher training factory!Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Reader , and fellow possible future Yoga teacher. Dont hesitate, contact Shiva and join him with an open heart for a completely amazing journey. You will make friends for life. You will be affected by the deep teachings . And if you are, of a fairer skin like me , you will leave with a nice tan aswell 😊.Details bellow: Dr Anish. So much knowledge. You can see his passion of his practice , Ayuverda. His analytical lectures and very clear cut white board skills made it a joy to follow his class. Yogini Kavita Pranayama Teacher. Well you will see many speaking about her on the reviews. After sharing Chai at her house talking about life, I came to know her a bit about her as a person• As in her class she is such a great human being. Her love and laughter is infectious . She deeply cares about all of her students and she is always there if you want some support or someone to speak to. Yogi Sanathanam . Philosophy and Yoga Nidra teacher. Lovely analogies and stories might need a class to get used to his way of story telling but once you do he will take you for a ride. And if you ever manage to make it through a class of his Nidra without sleeping please tell me how, because I know I could not, despite his often reminders to the class to not sleep but meditate. Yogi Sam. Yogi Sam will be your meditation teacher . Sam with his huge joyful smile and his reminders to "take a deep joyful breaths" made our last class of the day feel easy and bonding. His circles of sharing and singing really made us all a unit , a union , like the meaning of Yoga. Swami Gurukrupananda. Swarmi G is a most amazing passionate lecturer for our philosophy. His a Monk and a Spiritual teacher and his passion to share his wisdom really shines through. Found it very interesting and immersive of his use of his laptop to show some videos to make analogies and examples of his teachings. A person that embodies calm , stable and continuous practice i found Swami Gurukrupananda very inspiring personality. Yogini Lorne Yogini Lorne our Yin Yoga teacher and our bridge sometimes between the western ways and the Indian practices. He was many times our linchpin and our translator in our practice from the early busy first days to the last days where the emotions are high and we needed someone to translate the Yogic sutras in our personal situations or day to day life. Lastly every ship needs its Captain. And that Captain is Shiva. I really tried to be up in the Yoga Shala before he was in the morning but I couldn't ,he was there meditating from the early morning. * Shivas practice is his prayer. * He is deeply passionate about his Hatha and his Vinyasa classes . His Asanas are clear and precise. He is always ready to start the class and give his all about his practice. From small stories of his personal practice (usually while in a stance :) ) to his research in modern practices and how you can incorporate them. Now his alignment classes are detailed and structured. Making each class precious for your understanding and latter your personal practice. Its important for him that you can teach your asanas safely and understand how to guide your pupils into the right postures. Not just like an exercise, but so they can quiet their mind (Chitta Vritti Nirodaha "Sutra 1.2") and reach towards a deeper practise with breath and movement. Personally, especially his respect, for the different body types and flexibility, was a joy to behold. He could take the flexible students deeper while also giving options to work on for the less flexible . In some postures I relearned them completely because I was always trying to bend my back to reach further and copy other participants instead of doing my own practise and keeping my back straight. Shiva thank you again my Guru it was a joy learning from you. A shout out also to Shivas wife Shakti Maria . She's also there to help with scheduling and messages and like Shiva she is always with a huge Smiley Face 😊! And a Shout out to Eve (i know you read these !) for your help and management.
