Perks of having a roommate during a YTT
When I arrived signed up for my 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) in Rishikesh Yogpeeth, I was prepared for an intense and deeply personal experience. I had imagined early mornings spent in quiet meditation, evenings filled with journaling, and lots of peaceful introspection in my single room. Except… there was no single room.
All the private spaces were taken. At first, I was hesitant. After all, I’d flown across the world to dive deeper into my own practice. I wasn’t sure how it would feel to share my space, my energy, and my emotions with someone else. But the universe clearly knew better. What felt like a small inconvenience quickly became one of the best surprises of this experience.
Of course, I know one can get unlucky, not every roommate pairing turns into a perfect match. But after running a little poll on my Instagram stories, I was surprised to see that only a small minority had a bad experience or said they wouldn’t even consider trying. That gave me perspective. ere are a few of the benefits I experienced while sharing my room.
Accountability in action
We held each other accountable, not just for the 5:30 a.m. wake-up for meditations and kriyas, but for everything that followed: asana practices, Ayurvedic treatments and other assignments. That gentle accountability became our rhythm. It wasn’t forced discipline; it was mutual motivation, the kind that only comes when you’re walking the same path.
Holding space for each other
Beyond the structure of the yoga teacher training, there was another layer; the emotional one. Self-study (svadhyaya) can be confronting. You peel back layers you didn’t know existed or didn’t want to face, and sometimes what you find there can feel raw or uncomfortable. When emotions surfaced, be it doubt, frustration or homesickness, we didn’t try to fix them for each other. We just listened. Sometimes that meant sitting together in silence; other times, it meant sharing tears or laughter before bed. It was one of the most intense way I had to hold space for someone.
Matching strengths
We balanced each other beautifully. I was focusing and fascinated by asana and alignment. By how the body expresses awareness through movement in a special time where I was dealing myself with a herniated disc. She, on the other hand, was focused and drawn to philosophy and the subtle aspects of yogic wisdom. And so, every day, we’d trade insights; it felt like an exchange of light. Together, we learned more deeply than we could have alone.
Getting through the tough bits
Not everything was peaceful mountain air and perfect lotus poses. We went through our share of tough moments… from Ayurvedic treatments that pushed our bodies to detoxify, to post-Ashtanga exhaustion that left us wobbling out of the shala. Having a roommate meant those moments never felt isolating. We’d laugh through the discomfort, share tea, and remind each other that everything — the good, the hard, the sticky — was part of the practice.
Tiny “struggles,” big memories
Of course, there were the small, silly challenges too: rationing one toilet paper roll per week (iykyk), hand-washing clothes together under the sun, or dodging the occasional monkey who decided our balcony was fair game. Those “struggles” turned into the moments I remember most vividly. We found joy in the simplicity, in shared giggles over soap bubbles and late-night whispers about the day’s lessons. The kind of memories that root themselves deep.
Still there for each other
Fast forward to today, oceans apart, we still stay in touch. We check in, share reflections from our yogic journeys and celebrate each other’s milestones. Some connections form quietly but grow roots so deep that distance can’t touch them. That’s what this one became; a friendship built on shared growth, vulnerability and the kind of presence that yoga itself teaches.
All in all: go for it 🫶
Now, if you’re preparing for a Yoga Teacher Training and dreaming of having your own space yet find out all the single rooms are taken… take it as a sign. Sometimes the universe gives us exactly what (or who) we need. Looking back, I thought I wanted privacy and quiet, but what I found was so much more than just a shared space; I found sisterhood, a source of strength and a reminder that we rise higher when we grow together.
