Hello Anne,


Effectively, itʻs a lot of questions, but I do understand your feelings re. the Yoga TTC held at International Mahabodhi Meditation Centre of Leh, Ladakh, so Iʻll reply you patiently, and am sending a copy to Mike Narada Wonhe who is now a beloved friend.

1. Yes, Leh is a beautiful place to be in Summer, i.e. June-July-August. Itʻs also a very dry place, as very little or no rain in Ladakh. So, better have a lot of skin & nostrils creams to moisturize, and drink there a lot of water... or herbals (what I did everyday).

2. Neither accomodation NOR food was included in 2016 in the price of the TTC. But thereʻs a lot of various restaurants few mins walk from Mahabodhi Centre. Nutritious yes, vegan not necessarily, but vegetarian & non-veg yes, hygienic well you have to adapt to India... Iʻve been, as Mike, a basic traveler 25 years in India, on veg diet, and we are still alive... and in gud health :-)

3. I was in Ladakh 2 months (25th June to 25th August 2016) and followed the July 28-day TTC. Itʻs Summer, perfect mild temperature of the Himalayas. For the TTC, no lessons outside in nature, but all indoor at Mahabodhi Centre of Leh, except the 3-day retreat at the main Mahabodhi Centre, 8 km away... Surprise, but beautiful surprise !!

4. Mikeʻs Yoga TTC cursus includes 7 items from morning 6h30 to evening 18:30h/20h. Except 2 items with only the TTC students & the 2 teachers, all the other items being included IN the great public Sangha activities, and itʻs unique in the world !! Mike leads beautifully the Vipassana Meditation of morning & evening, and I loved it particularly... as I practice meditation since 20 years now, and my own house is a YogaMeditation Centre since 2 decades. I attended that TTC in Leh as a refreshing course, and have been absolutely delighted by it !! And Mike is a wonderful, attentive, and very dedicated Yoga teacher who lives first by example.

5. Me, as Iʻm a basic traveler (bis), Iʻve taken a very simple accomodation for IND Rs350 per day with shared bathroom & toilets. Mike guided me on that topic, as he knows Leh very well. But you have a great variety of accomodations in Leh that you can take time to choose if you reach there at least ONE WEEK BEFORE (which Iʻll highly recommend because of AMS or Acute Mountain Sickness symptoms... normal at that high altitude and which need some days to acclimatize).

6. Maybe there are other schools giving TTC courses in Leh, Anne, but I never inquired for that because I was so happy to have met Mike & his Gaiatree School (with also Shashi Putel, his young cute Indian Yoga assistant & teacher). I absolutely recommend to follow that Yoga TTC which has been so beneficial for me, even if I was already teaching YogaMeditation since so many years before.

Hope you are happy of my answers, Anne !!
Wishing you the best on your Path.
Much Love and Light !!
Aseema

It is evident that Mike lives and breaths these teachings - they are rooted in wisdom and authenticity. He bring decades of experience from all over the world and from the source of yoga - India! The yoga covers all kinds of styles and is customized to the students - it is not easy that is for sure, but nothing that is worthwhile is. I am a certified yoga teacher and not only learned a lot but was challenged. We also had students that have never done yoga and they were able to successfully learn.

Learning Vipassana and taking silence for a week was obviously difficult but not at the same time. It was peaceful, and necessary to really learn and go inside. The retreat schedule was full from morning to night - from classes, to walks, to hot springs trips, to massages and fantastic food. I enjoyed the intense schedule and thoughtfulness of the flow; you can tell everything was built to teach you from the ground up, it was well structured and came from love.

The house was rustic, the location peaceful and the staff were beyond sweet. This was home for a short time but will be a life time of memories to help find our way home when we get lost.

I highly recommend considering a retreat with Mike! Thank you again for a wonder end to 2014, I am beyond grateful!
Cheers,

contact: tracy.jarvis2552@hotmail.com