When most people think about Yoga Teacher Training in India they likely imagine lots of asana practice, followed by a lecture on philosophy and possibly some chanting by the Ganges. Although these are all great, they are not the most profound teaching that doesn’t always make the syllabus but which shifts trainees on a very deep level: Mauna, the practice of silence.

SILENCE”— What is meant by Silence in the traditional Indian ashrams is not mere absence of speech, it is a topic of its own, an art of living that engenders self-awareness, discipline and spiritual progress. Mauna is one of the most transformational experiences in our yoga teacher training for most students.

What Is Mauna?

In Sanskrit Mauna means silence. In yogic philosophy, silence transcends speechlessness—it’s the tranquility of one’s thoughts, feelings, and stream of consciousness. The practice of Mauna enables individuals to disengage from distractions, to save energy and to turn the attention within.

Discipline, which can be cultivated through practice of silence (ranging from a few hours to a day) will be used for 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Bali. This might be uncomfortable at first, but it is a profoundly effective teacher, if you can bare it.

Silence as Self-Discovery

Words often act as masks. We speak to fill empty gaps in conversation, or to express emotions, or to escape them. In silence, these layers dissolve. Students uncover patterns of their thoughts and behaviors that have been submerged by the constant flow of communication.

Through Mauna, students turn the volume down on the ego and start watching it act out—the need to be heard, the need to be received, the need to be understood. This realization plants seeds of inner transformation, assisting them in releasing the ego and cultivating humility – qualities& which, to be grounded yoga teachers, they so desperately need.

Building Awareness Through Stillness

Silence heightens awareness. Free from the chatter of conversation, students start to tune into their breathing rhythm, the feeling of their body and the vibrations in the room.

In Indian ashrams, morning meditations in silence are transcendental. And students understand that silence isn’t absence — it is presence. This increased sensitivity, in turn, lends itself to increased focus during asana practice and a deeper connection in meditation.

Emotional Healing Through Mauna

Silence is often a mirror. Free of outside distractions, unsorted emotions might emerge — old fears or regrets, even long-buried anger. As uncomfortable as this might be, it is also profoundly healing.

In India yoga teachers suggest that students let these emotions arise and pass, without judging them. This structure nurtures resilience and self-compassion, supporting trainees in letting go of emotional baggage and stepping in to their authentic, empathetic instructor.

Silence as a Teaching Tool in Yoga

For aspiring teachers, Mauna is not simply how they practice themselves — it’s also a tool for teaching. And at yoga classes, just as powerful as the words you hear from a teacher can be the silence itself. Leaving space between cues provides the students with time to check-in with themselves.

Experiencing the impact of silence directly, the trainees learn how to stitch pauses, reflective moments, and gentle meditation into their teaching. This results in classes that are better balanced, more mindful and more spiritually nourishing.

Excerpts from 'mauna' in the Indian Ashram Life

Silence is an integral part of the ashram. Meditation in deep silence greets you every morning. Silent dining is an option where the crewmembers can eat without speaking and practice appreciating each bite. On some evenings, there are silent walks or contemplations.

This silent scaffold is an example to students of how to live yoga — to be, not just do, yoga. It’s a lesson in discipline, restraint and the importance of saving mental energy for the things that matter.

The Spiritual Dimension of Silence

In yogic thought, silence is not just a discipline; it’s a portal to higher states of consciousness. According to ancient texts, Mauna is a means of communicating with the Self (Atman) and expressing universal truth.

For the practitioner undergoing learning Yoga Teacher Training in India, Silence during the yoga teacher training in India becomes a practice subliming their taste buds to inner peace and offering a brief glimpse of the infinite space of spiritual awareness. For numerous, yoga truly speak in mute language.

Final Thoughts: The Subject You Can’t Learn in Books

Anatomy, philosophy, sequencing are required for certification, but it’s the unspoken things – like Mauna – that mould the heart of a yoga teacher.

Through silence, I will learn patience, aliveness, modesty and tenderness—things no textbook can teach. In the hushed halls of an Indian ashram, students frequently find the message that resonates with them isn’t the one they hear from the stage but the one that resounds, wordlessly, within themselves.

When you think of doing a 200 Hour Yoga teacher training in India, one thing that should most likely be your best teacher is Mauna. It might not be found in your manual, but it's one you'll have with you long after your training days are over.