Christophe
My Training:
I completed my entire training at the NGO "The Yoga Institute"(official website) in Mumbai, which happens to be the oldest yoga school in existence. From March 2019 onwards, this training became my full-time occupation for nearly a year; the Yoga Institute and Mumbai became my home.
At the beginning of my yoga teacher training, I felt as though I had joined the French Foreign Legion (the training was extremely tough for me), but over time, it became increasingly enjoyable. The insights I gained at this institute, which specializes in psychosomatic, were truly impressive. The Yoga Institute places great emphasis on introducing its students to yoga philosophy, which not only helps in understanding the true purpose of yoga but also opens up new possibilities for its application. The courses I completed are as follows:
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Yoga Institute, Mumbai (official Website): Yoga Alliance RYT 200 (Teacher Training Course 200 hours)
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Yoga Institute, Mumbai: 900 hours intensive course, with a focus on yoga philosophy; included Yoga Alliance RYT 500 (Teacher Training Course 500 hours)
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Yoga Institute, Mumbai & Yog Psychology Foundation*: Chakra Psychology Level 1 & 2
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Yoga Institute, Mumbai & Yog Psychology Foundation: Dip. in Yoga Counselling Level 3 & 4​ in cooperation with Swadyaya Parivar (official website)
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Yoga Institute, Mumbai: Basic course in clinical hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis
* Previously "Manthan Foundation" (FYI: The Yog Psychology Foundations' courses might be slightly different and designated with a different name)
Professional Experience in Yoga:
After completing my training and returning to Switzerland in 2020, just in time for the lockdown, I began working on structuring my project "Chakrapsychologie & Swadyaya" alongside my other initiative, "La Vuelta del Mundo."
Starting in 2021, I began offering Swadyaya one-on-one sessions on a part-time basis, particularly for individuals with psychological difficulties and emotional wounds. During these sessions, I guide participants through a protocol that helps them distinguish between different aspects of their psyche and understand how these aspects negatively influence one another. Additionally, I teach and prescribe asanas (yoga postures) and pranayamas (breathing exercises) that support the healing process and, most importantly, help build self-confidence.
I have also occasionally taught yoga in corporate settings, where companies implement wellness programs for their employees.
To ensure that I do not lose touch with my knowledge, I have maintained a lifestyle rooted in yoga philosophy and stoicism.
My Background, Personal Motivation, and Belief in Swadyaya (Chakra Psychology):
During my training in India, I personally experienced the positive effects of Swadhyaya (Chakra Psychology) in healing complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD). Swadyaya allowed me to observe my life in an objective (truthful) light. It provided me with a way out of self-condemnation and self-contempt. It almost always felt as a blessing, and the pain associated with the truth, the frustration, and the justified anger were never really too much for me. I grew up in a dysfunctional environment, in boarding school, and as a child and teenager, I was exposed to neglect, profound loneliness, and psychological and physical abuse. This left scars and damages, which were repeatedly exploited as an adult, especially in my culture. A place where in my view, the weaknesses of others are kept highlighted, and one's own are way too much denied. Those at the bottom are kept down, usually for a lifetime.
I feel and understand the pain of people with such a background, the terrible loneliness, and the feeling of exclusion.
With my work, I aim to reach out to those who are affected by such situations and bring such people together so that they can be understood and no longer feel alone. With Yoga & Swadyaya, I hope to offer a way out, the same way it revealed itself to me.
My goals and how yoga can help with trauma experienced during early childhood.
I am a yoga teacher specializing in the therapeutic application of this science*. My approach focuses on influencing the mind and emotions through the body and breath**.
The earlier in life someone is affected by trauma, the worse it is. As a child, our communication is limited, and as a toddler, we have (almost) no verbal communication. The toddler understands and communicates with their body and with yoga, we attempt to correct negative influences. In a sense, we aim to help where verbal conversation reaches its limits.
*I personally see yoga essentially as a science.
**Yoga and its asanas (physical and breathing exercises) are a very effective method to reduce the power of trauma triggers and strengthen psychological resilience
Swadyaya was my way out of isolation
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Chakra psychology became my guidance, my rescue, and my healing. It is the foundation of my now strong self-confidence, my self-acceptance, and my ability to integrate effortlessly and feel accepted. My greatest wish is
to help all those who feel excluded, and this is the most important reason why I founded Chakra Psychology & Swadyaya.
Even as a small child, I struggled to integrate. In the beginning, until around the age of seven, it wasn't too much of a problem, as I could keep myself occupied quite well. This was also necessary in my family where I often felt like a stranger. As an unusual child and due to adverse circumstances (my environment, boarding school abroad, frequent school changes, etc.), my loneliness and exclusion became increasingly extreme. The psychological as well as material neglect, the severe lack of support, the absence of social experiences, and the lack of interaction with people as a child made everything worse year after year. Severe psychological and physical abuse, combined with blame, further shattered my already weak self-confidence.
Even as a teenager and an adult and especially in highly developed Switzerland, where strong social skills are a prerequisite, many people systematically and shamelessly exploited my shortcomings. This was the reason why I wanted to leave and travel the world, meeting and getting to know hundreds, even thousands of people. Unfortunately, the feeling of not being wanted or accepted lingered beneath the surface was always present. And there were sometimes also unscrupulous people who took advantage of it.
It must have been a spark of remaining belief in a life without this glass shell or the repelling aura around me (that’s how it felt) that led me to The Yoga Institute in Mumbai. But even there, I found myself facing the same problems once again. For this reason, I wanted to abandon the yoga training, but the director, Mrs. Hansa Yogendra, encouraged me to talk to a yoga psychologist. The yoga psychologist convinced me to participate in the basic Swadyaya course for a week. This was followed by other courses that helped rebuild the foundation of my psyche.
My Values and Perspective on the World:
Regardless of whether the reader agrees or not, it is my observation and belief that only self-responsibility leads to true fulfillment and freedom in life.
Unlike in countries such as India, where self-reliance is a necessity, highly developed Western societies face the problem of people becoming excessively dependent on external factors for their security and well-being.
Secure jobs, unemployment benefits, pensions, healthcare systems, marriages without love, family support, bureaucracy, and more undoubtedly offer advantages and comfort. However, they can also be restrictive, suppress spontaneity, and even stifle one’s true personality.
This societal structure pushes people into dependency while simultaneously discouraging them from taking calculated risks and pursuing their dreams.
The teachings of yoga and stoicism guide us toward taking responsibility for our own lives and reclaiming control over our destiny.
With Chakrapsychologie & Swadyaya, my mission is to help people take control of their lives and reduce their dependence on external factors. My other company, "La Vuelta Del Mundo," also follows this same philosophy.
Note from Alicia: How I See Christophe
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For about 13 years, I didn’t want a man in my life anymore, but from that moment on, I prayed that I would meet the one who could give me love and much more, and to whom I could give just as much in return. And so, after two years, God brought us together.
Christophe is a very experienced man who doesn’t just acquire his knowledge from books but has traveled the entire world and gained practical experience in countless areas. He is meticulous and precise, not only in his work with chakra psychology. He loves and needs order and organization, as well as practical and concrete approaches, which enable him to explain complex topics to people in an understandable way through practical examples. This last point was particularly helpful for me personally, as after a life of isolation in a toxic environment filled with enormous manipulation, I was totally confused and had little to no reference points to reality.
Christophe likes to look at situations from a distance and encourages people to focus, whenever possible, on solving their problems rather than dwelling on them, so they can move forward quickly. He usually wants and pushes Swadyaya participants to overcome their traumas and make progress.
Privately, he has lots of humor and is rather layed back, and he brings the same qualities to his work when the situation allows it. However, due to his pursuit of efficiency and his search for truth, as described above, he can sometimes feel a bit direct or even cold. But in reality, he is a man with a big heart, fighting for people’s medium- and long-term goals, and he always means well.
So don’t be afraid! In everyday life, Christophe is a funny, cheerful, energetic, nature- and adventure-loving, curious, and authentic companion who is almost always in a good mood and has a positive outlook. With him, I have finally found the loving, healthy, and joyful relationship I prayed for.
CHAKRA PSYCHOLOGY & SWADYAYA
Vy d'êtra 25
2000 Neuchatel
SWITZERLAND
We Accept
TEL: +41 (0)77 523 04 23
E-MAIL: yogaswadyaya@gmail.com