GOPIO Yoga Teacher Training Course

15th April 2017

The 4th series of GOPIO Yoga Teacher Training Course will commence soon in Klang Valley. GOPIO had earlier organised 3 Yoga Teacher Training Courses beginning 2016, generating 60 trained Yoga Teachers.

Yoga is an ancient art, a harmonising system of development for the body, mind, and spirit. The continued practice of various Yoga postures will lead to a sense of peace and wellbeing, and also a feeling of being one with the environment. This is a simple definition, but Yoga is a far richer subject.
Yoga has been in practice for at least 5,000 years, with mentions in the Vedas and Upanishads. The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit root yuj, which means union or to join. There are many types of Yoga and all are means to attain liberation of the Atma. Spiritual Gurus or Rishis have studied and fine-tuned the science of Yoga as a practice for all People. Yoga is, a practical aid and not a religion.
Today, there are thousands of yoga schools worldwide. In fact, the United Nations has declared an International Day for Yoga. Although everyone knows about Yoga, it is observed that this valuable science is not properly learned and practiced by all layers of the Community. We need more Teachers and programmes to reach out to everyone.

The GOPIO Yoga Teacher Training programme aims to provide qualified Yoga Teachers for the benefit of the Community. It is proven that Yoga practice stimulates good physical and mental health in both children and adults. It is also an excellent discipline to ward of stress and cope with the challenges of daily life.

At the GOPIO Yoga Teacher Training Course, Teachers are required to complete 36 hours of training, with each Course spanning for a period of 9 weeks. The first series were held at the Atmasiva Aashrem in Klang and the second and 3rd and 4th batches were conducted at the Netaji Shubhash Chandra Bose Indian Cultural Centre in Kuala Lumpur. This 60 Trained Yoga Teachers are aged between 20 and 50. On Completion of the Course, Yoga Teacher Training Certificates are issued by the High Commission of India. They are encouraged to teach Yoga to young school going children.

The idea is to take Yoga to the children at a tender age, in order for them to develop good habits and thinking. Just like adults, children are also effected by stress. While both adults and children internalise stress, it often manifests in children physically, resulting in health issues such as insomnia, stomach aches, headaches and mood swings. The parts of their brain that are responsible for the regulation of emotions and processing all of the things that are necessary for managing stress, are still developing. Yoga helps children connect with their bodies and recognize when they are anxious.

When children practice mind-body activity through Yoga, they notice how their mind is affecting their body, and how their body is affecting their mind. Researches have proven that Children practicing Yoga tend to excel in education and other related activities, and are more capable of managing emotional pressure and challenges.

Gunasegaran Sreerangan,

Chairman, GOPIO Cultural Bureau.

016-2060485