Yes, I Have a Yoga Name

I’ve always thought it was faintly ridiculous when I’d hear someone in the US use their “yoga name”, especially when clad from head to toe in Lululemon lycra. I had cynically joked about how my chosen yoga name would be Yogini Sri Shakti Jai Murphananda.

Yogi Sivadas on Sitar

But, here in India, after several weeks of advanced yoga teacher training with Yogi Sivadas; absorbing his yoga knowledge, querying some of his statements, enjoying discoveries about body, mind and spirit because of his teachings – suddenly now I am thrilled to have been given a yoga name of Yogi Vimala, which means “pure” or “clean”. At our ceremony, Yogi Sivadas had laid out symbolic statues, crystals, musical instruments, plants and a burning flame. It was a special celebration of our progress as yoga teachers and he spent a few minutes talking about how he wanted us to continue studying, learning and developing our personal perspective of yoga. The burning flame was a butter lamp; symbolizing how we could bring light to others through teaching yoga, and he wished for us to be “little lamps of Conscious wisdom”, as we continue on our yoga teacher path.

Yogi Sivadas on the tabla drums

How can you not be delighted with your yoga name, after those wishes? Add to that, the special touch of Yogi Sivadas playing classical Indian music on sitar and tabla drums, and I was ready to go and change my name on my passport 🙂

I’m not sure yet how and when I will use Yogi Vimala, but it’s special to me and it will be a meaningful reminder of a happy and fulfilling time with Yogi Sivadas and my fellow teacher students at the Kailash Tribal School of Yoga.

Yogi Sivadas and Yogini Vimala

Graduation with Yogi Sivadas and my fellow yoginis