iHanuman / Yoga Kula
Yoga Kula
Post to the Yoga Kula.
"Living Yoga: The life and teachings of Swami Satchidananda" with filmmaker Joshua M. Greene. The birth of the modern Yoga movement and its impact on the world is chronicled in a new documentary film that informs, entertains and provokes self-inquiry. Q&A following the screening.
Writer/Producer Greene has been described by the New York Times as "a storyteller in film and video" whose films of have been seen on television in more than twenty countries. He is the author of 'Here Comes the Sun: The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison'.
Hosted By: St. Mark's Yoga Center
Date: Thursday May 15, 2008
Time: 8PM - 10PM
Cost: $5
Location: 301 A Street, SE, Washington, District of Columbia 20003
Add to Del.icio.us 
0 CommentsI meet lots of yoga students who want to practice more often but just can't find the time. When I ask if they practice at home the answer is almost always, "No." Starting a home practice isn't really as daunting as you might think. One of the most important benefits is that you can do it when it fits your schedule. Below are some thoughts for how to get started.
First, find a space where you won’t be disturbed. This may be in your backyard or in the garage. It doesn’t have to be large, just big enough for your yoga mat and for you to stretch your arms and legs out to the sides. You’ll also want a bit of room in front of and behind your mat. Let people know you’ll be practicing and do not want to be disturbed (and be firm about it).
If you like to listen to music, make sure there’s an electrical outlet wherever you are. Headphones don’t work. You don’t have to practice to music and even if you do it doesn’t have to be traditional yoga music. I usually practice to my favorite bands—even rock ‘n roll. If you’re feeling a bit low on energy then pick something that will energize you. If you’re feeling stressed or frazzled you might want to start in silence or with more soothing music and then ramp it up (if you feel like it). Experiment.
Your room should be a comfortable temperature. Not too cold, not too hot. Start with a meditation--just sit quietly for a few minutes, riding the wave of your breath. Then start moving. Just do whatever comes to you. Try not to think about it too much--do what feels good in the moment, even if it's not a "traditional" yoga pose. Stay connected with your breath and see if you can be guided from within. With time, you'll get the hang of it.
Remember, some practice is better than none. If you only have 15 minutes, start with meditation and do an opening or a standing pose sequence. Be grateful you have some time instead of none.
I practice in the morning because whenever I’ve tried to do it at lunch or in the evening something always gets in the way. Try and find a time that’s realistic for you. Maybe there’s some space at work or in a nearby garden.
The point is, do what you can and don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t measure up to some ideal you’ve conjured up in your head. Take it one day at a time. Tweak the things that need tweaking so you can enjoy your practice. And remember, listen to your inner guide and follow the yellow brick road!
Good luck and enjoy!
For more natural health news, books, products, music and gifts visit www.HarmoniaHealth.com
First, find a space where you won’t be disturbed. This may be in your backyard or in the garage. It doesn’t have to be large, just big enough for your yoga mat and for you to stretch your arms and legs out to the sides. You’ll also want a bit of room in front of and behind your mat. Let people know you’ll be practicing and do not want to be disturbed (and be firm about it).
If you like to listen to music, make sure there’s an electrical outlet wherever you are. Headphones don’t work. You don’t have to practice to music and even if you do it doesn’t have to be traditional yoga music. I usually practice to my favorite bands—even rock ‘n roll. If you’re feeling a bit low on energy then pick something that will energize you. If you’re feeling stressed or frazzled you might want to start in silence or with more soothing music and then ramp it up (if you feel like it). Experiment.
Your room should be a comfortable temperature. Not too cold, not too hot. Start with a meditation--just sit quietly for a few minutes, riding the wave of your breath. Then start moving. Just do whatever comes to you. Try not to think about it too much--do what feels good in the moment, even if it's not a "traditional" yoga pose. Stay connected with your breath and see if you can be guided from within. With time, you'll get the hang of it.
Remember, some practice is better than none. If you only have 15 minutes, start with meditation and do an opening or a standing pose sequence. Be grateful you have some time instead of none.
I practice in the morning because whenever I’ve tried to do it at lunch or in the evening something always gets in the way. Try and find a time that’s realistic for you. Maybe there’s some space at work or in a nearby garden.
The point is, do what you can and don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t measure up to some ideal you’ve conjured up in your head. Take it one day at a time. Tweak the things that need tweaking so you can enjoy your practice. And remember, listen to your inner guide and follow the yellow brick road!
Good luck and enjoy!
For more natural health news, books, products, music and gifts visit www.HarmoniaHealth.com
Kelly Moore is a yoga teacher in Washington, D.C. She completed her teacher training with Erich Schiffmann and continues to study with him. Kelly is also a Registered Naturopath and practices both Reiki and Quantum-Touch, as well as counsels clients on nutrition, stress reduction and healthy living through her company, Harmonia Health. She is the founder of Yogis’ Best Friends, a karma yoga group that does volunteer work with animal welfare and rescue groups.
Kelly came to yoga as a result of a hip flexor injury she suffered almost 10 years ago while jogging in Bosnia, where she was working for the United Nations. She worked for several more years in government, including for the U.S. State Department and the 9-11 Commission. After years of yoga practice and study she decided to give up her job in national security and devote herself full-time to natural health and yoga.
Her goal is to teach students to do their own yoga with a sense of joy so that it actually feels good doing it. Kelly’s classes are known for creative flows, cool and eclectic music and playful humor. She encourages her students to be attentive to their inner guidance so they are able to feel their way into a pose, tweaking and fiddling with it until they arrive at the point of perfect flow, and to practice with a sense of acceptance of their limits, an open heart and to be totally immersed in the moment as it unfolds. Her students also benefit from her knowledge of health, healing and anatomy gained as a natural health practitioner.
Kelly is currently writing two books, one on prayer and spirituality and the other on yoga.
Visit her website at www.HarmoniaHealth.com.
Kelly came to yoga as a result of a hip flexor injury she suffered almost 10 years ago while jogging in Bosnia, where she was working for the United Nations. She worked for several more years in government, including for the U.S. State Department and the 9-11 Commission. After years of yoga practice and study she decided to give up her job in national security and devote herself full-time to natural health and yoga.
Her goal is to teach students to do their own yoga with a sense of joy so that it actually feels good doing it. Kelly’s classes are known for creative flows, cool and eclectic music and playful humor. She encourages her students to be attentive to their inner guidance so they are able to feel their way into a pose, tweaking and fiddling with it until they arrive at the point of perfect flow, and to practice with a sense of acceptance of their limits, an open heart and to be totally immersed in the moment as it unfolds. Her students also benefit from her knowledge of health, healing and anatomy gained as a natural health practitioner.
Kelly is currently writing two books, one on prayer and spirituality and the other on yoga.
Visit her website at www.HarmoniaHealth.com.
OK, everyday is mother's day, please don't get so affected by Hallmark's marketing and propaganda, and if you do cave in and buy something, try to make it a sustainable, conscious, earth-friendly purchase (hint: massage gift certificate! yoga workshop!).
A good friend of mine (and revered yoga master) recently suggested that we adjust our students like they were our mothers, (not friends, siblings, or lovers). This was to encourage a neutrality and gentleness to the hands-on adjustment, so it is never done without awareness.
It reminded me of Thich Nhat Hanh's "Mother Meditation", in which you begin meditating on your mother, cultivating deep gratitude and respect for the fact she grew us in her womb, sacrificed her body, time, energy, to serve us, night and day, for roughly 18 years. This is huge, despite any short-comings she might have had. It is recommended to look past any grievances, and keep drawing back to gratitude and respect. When this starts to feel natural, then you take on these two feelings towards all beings. So that eventually, we treat everyone as if they were our own mothers, whom we have immense gratitude and respect. It is such a beautiful concept. It is perhaps another way to access kindness and compassion towards someone whom those feelings don't come easy. This practice is recommended not as a one time, experimental meditation, but a daily meditation for an entire year. I guarantee it will change you, which is ultimately the purpose of any spiritual teaching. As a result, more kindness, compassion, patience, respect for all beings. All because this one woman made a sacrifice, conscious or unconscious, to bring us not just into the world, but to help us be safe, warm, needs met.
I think we are all each others' teachers, and in a sense, all each others' mothers. Shouldn't we be taking care of each other? Helping to keep each other safe, warm, needs met? As a step beyond mother's day, I encourage you to offer up something of yourself in the way of SEVA, self-less service. This could be some volunteer time at the local food bank/homeless shelter, some free yoga classes to the elderly, or maybe a monetary donation towards a good cause. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but I think it takes a village to keep raising that child, through adulthood, through trials and tribulations, through success and abundance. Let's help raise the village!
-Stephanie
A good friend of mine (and revered yoga master) recently suggested that we adjust our students like they were our mothers, (not friends, siblings, or lovers). This was to encourage a neutrality and gentleness to the hands-on adjustment, so it is never done without awareness.
It reminded me of Thich Nhat Hanh's "Mother Meditation", in which you begin meditating on your mother, cultivating deep gratitude and respect for the fact she grew us in her womb, sacrificed her body, time, energy, to serve us, night and day, for roughly 18 years. This is huge, despite any short-comings she might have had. It is recommended to look past any grievances, and keep drawing back to gratitude and respect. When this starts to feel natural, then you take on these two feelings towards all beings. So that eventually, we treat everyone as if they were our own mothers, whom we have immense gratitude and respect. It is such a beautiful concept. It is perhaps another way to access kindness and compassion towards someone whom those feelings don't come easy. This practice is recommended not as a one time, experimental meditation, but a daily meditation for an entire year. I guarantee it will change you, which is ultimately the purpose of any spiritual teaching. As a result, more kindness, compassion, patience, respect for all beings. All because this one woman made a sacrifice, conscious or unconscious, to bring us not just into the world, but to help us be safe, warm, needs met.
I think we are all each others' teachers, and in a sense, all each others' mothers. Shouldn't we be taking care of each other? Helping to keep each other safe, warm, needs met? As a step beyond mother's day, I encourage you to offer up something of yourself in the way of SEVA, self-less service. This could be some volunteer time at the local food bank/homeless shelter, some free yoga classes to the elderly, or maybe a monetary donation towards a good cause. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but I think it takes a village to keep raising that child, through adulthood, through trials and tribulations, through success and abundance. Let's help raise the village!
-Stephanie
Thursday, May 15
Living Yoga: The Life and Teachings of Swami Satchidananda with filmmaker Joshua Greene. The birth of the modern Yoga movement and its impact on the world is chronicled in a new film that informs, entertains and provokes self-inquiry. Q&A following the screening. 8:00 - 10:00 PM. St. Mark's Yoga Center; 301 A Street, SE; Washington, DC; in the Parish Hall / $5 at the door.
Living Yoga: The Life and Teachings of Swami Satchidananda with filmmaker Joshua Greene. The birth of the modern Yoga movement and its impact on the world is chronicled in a new film that informs, entertains and provokes self-inquiry. Q&A following the screening. 8:00 - 10:00 PM. St. Mark's Yoga Center; 301 A Street, SE; Washington, DC; in the Parish Hall / $5 at the door.
Let's pick up our conversation about traditional Hatha Yoga. Last month we looked briefly at the 15 asanas outlined in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. You might have wondered: why only 15? After all, there are 200 in BKS Iyengar's classic Light on Yoga, and the Encyclopedia of Traditional Asanas lists-ready for this?-900, yes, that's nine-oh-oh. What's wrong with Svatmarama, the HYP's author, didn't he ever go to a good yoga class?
In Svatmarama's time asanas were a means to an end-sitting for pranayama-and not as they are today an end in themselves. Actually most of the asanas we're familiar with in our public classes are fairly recent additions to the asana repertoire, say within the last 80 or 90 years. Last time I mentioned that traditionally there are supposed to be 840,000 asanas, of which only 84 are appropriate for humans. Different schools have different lists of the 84, but in the older lists most if not all of the asanas are performed either sitting or reclining. There are very few or no standing poses, and none of the fancy backbends that most of us can't do anyway. So what gives?
It seems that in India early in the 20th century Hatha Yoga had fallen on hard times, and several teachers, either out of devotion or desperate for more students, set out to revive the ancient discipline and broaden it's appeal to a modern audience. So they dropped the more dangerous and objectionable practices (think khechari and vajroli mudras) and added a bunch of exercises that made asana the focus of the practice, replacing pranayama.
Where did these "asanas" come from? Mostly Indian wresting and military training exercises and Western gymnastics. What, you thought Downward Facing Dog was a traditional pose? Think again. It was borrowed from Indian wrestlers, who practiced it in conjunction with its natural companion, Upward Facing Dog. The exercise was popularly called Hindu push-ups, though formally it was known as "dand," which means "arm" in Hindi, presumably because the paired movements strengthened the combatants' arms. Or how about that asana we all love to hate, Lolasana, the "Swinging Pose" (refer to Light on Yoga, # 38). Svatmarama was swinging away in this one 500 years ago, right? Nah, it was lifted from Indian gymnastics, where it was called "jhula," "swinging."
So who were these reformers and popularizers anyway? Some of you have already guessed T. Krishnamacharya, who guru-ed three of the most influential teachers of post-1960 US, Messers Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, and Desikachar. But we should also tip our hat to one Sri Yogendra, who came to the US for a visit in 1919. The titles of Yogendra's books, which are still in print, are revealing: Hatha Yoga Simplified, Yoga Asanas Simplified, Yoga Hygiene Simplified. He wrote: "It was evident ... that the orthodox tradition of imparting yoga education ... would fail to inspire modern man. On the contrary, the strict adherence to yoga requisites might even be regarded as operose, anachronistic, and even repulsive." Yogendra was an interesting guy, in many ways ahead of his time, who helped open yoga practice to a rather large group of individuals who had up until the 20th century been for the most part excluded from instruction; you may have heard of them, they're called "women." We'll come back to Yogendra next time. But for now remember: the next time you hear someone ragging on Americans for turning Yoga into "exercise" or "gymnastics," please remind this person that it was the Indians that started it, not us.
In Svatmarama's time asanas were a means to an end-sitting for pranayama-and not as they are today an end in themselves. Actually most of the asanas we're familiar with in our public classes are fairly recent additions to the asana repertoire, say within the last 80 or 90 years. Last time I mentioned that traditionally there are supposed to be 840,000 asanas, of which only 84 are appropriate for humans. Different schools have different lists of the 84, but in the older lists most if not all of the asanas are performed either sitting or reclining. There are very few or no standing poses, and none of the fancy backbends that most of us can't do anyway. So what gives?
It seems that in India early in the 20th century Hatha Yoga had fallen on hard times, and several teachers, either out of devotion or desperate for more students, set out to revive the ancient discipline and broaden it's appeal to a modern audience. So they dropped the more dangerous and objectionable practices (think khechari and vajroli mudras) and added a bunch of exercises that made asana the focus of the practice, replacing pranayama.
Where did these "asanas" come from? Mostly Indian wresting and military training exercises and Western gymnastics. What, you thought Downward Facing Dog was a traditional pose? Think again. It was borrowed from Indian wrestlers, who practiced it in conjunction with its natural companion, Upward Facing Dog. The exercise was popularly called Hindu push-ups, though formally it was known as "dand," which means "arm" in Hindi, presumably because the paired movements strengthened the combatants' arms. Or how about that asana we all love to hate, Lolasana, the "Swinging Pose" (refer to Light on Yoga, # 38). Svatmarama was swinging away in this one 500 years ago, right? Nah, it was lifted from Indian gymnastics, where it was called "jhula," "swinging."
So who were these reformers and popularizers anyway? Some of you have already guessed T. Krishnamacharya, who guru-ed three of the most influential teachers of post-1960 US, Messers Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, and Desikachar. But we should also tip our hat to one Sri Yogendra, who came to the US for a visit in 1919. The titles of Yogendra's books, which are still in print, are revealing: Hatha Yoga Simplified, Yoga Asanas Simplified, Yoga Hygiene Simplified. He wrote: "It was evident ... that the orthodox tradition of imparting yoga education ... would fail to inspire modern man. On the contrary, the strict adherence to yoga requisites might even be regarded as operose, anachronistic, and even repulsive." Yogendra was an interesting guy, in many ways ahead of his time, who helped open yoga practice to a rather large group of individuals who had up until the 20th century been for the most part excluded from instruction; you may have heard of them, they're called "women." We'll come back to Yogendra next time. But for now remember: the next time you hear someone ragging on Americans for turning Yoga into "exercise" or "gymnastics," please remind this person that it was the Indians that started it, not us.
Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training Retreat in Costa Rica
November 9th to December 6th, 2008
Join us in the tropical rainforest on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, for an inspiring Yoga Teacher Training Retreat.
200 hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification Course:
Immerse deeply in the Ashtanga Yoga practice in this teacher training intensive with Caroline Klebl. This certification course fulfills and surpasses the 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training standards of Yoga Alliance.
Caroline Klebl offers a comprehensive Teacher Training program for teachers, aspiring teachers and dedicated practitioners of yoga. Her teacher training combines the high standards of practice, required by the Ashtanga Vinyasa System with the development of teaching skills necessary to introduce students to Ashtanga Yoga safely and effectively. For detailed information about the curriculum and to apply for the course visit www.sourceofyoga.com
This course begins with a series of workshops, which focus on the practice of Ashtanga Yoga. Each participant has a chance to first deeply immerse into their own practice and prepare for Mysore Style practice for the remainder of the course.
An Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training Manual is supplied to each participant. To those who attend all scheduled classes, a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training Certificate is issued, at the end of the course.
Teacher Training Schedule:
Ashtanga Yoga (Mysore Style or Led): 7am-9am
Adjustments/Teaching Techniques: 10:00am-12:30pm
Anatomy, Ayurveda & Philosophy: 3pm-5pm
Evening Meditation: 7pm-8pm
Retreat Location:
This course will take place at an exquisite Eco Resort in the tropical rainforest on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. This luxury resort includes 250 acres of quiet isolation in a pristine natural setting, a beautiful yoga studio, an open air restaurant, which overlooks gorgeous views of the jungle and sea, a spa and jacuzzi, Caribbean style bungalows and a guest house. Organic vegetarian meals are served three times a day. A delicious vegetarian feast will be prepared for Thanksgiving.
Eco Tours in Costa Rica:
Two eco tours are included as part of this retreat experience. The tours will take place on the New and Full moon days, traditional Ashtanga Yoga rest days. A guided tour through the rainforest to majestic waterfalls and a choice of the Cahuita national park tour, which includes a boat trip to a coral reef, snokeling and a guided walk on the Cahuita National Park's trail and the Rainforest Canopy Tour, which includes eight aerial platforms and 1200 meters of cable nestled deep into the jungle.
For additional information visit www.sourceofyoga.com
Yoga Teacher Training: Nov 9th to Dec 6th, 2008
Single Occupancy / Shared Bungalow: $5200
Double Occupancy Guesthouse: $4700
There are a limited number of double occupancy guesthouse rooms available. The two story bungalows are private and spacious. Each bungalow has a large deck and a private bathroom.
The price includes:
The 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training Course, two Eco Tours, organic vegetarian meals and accommodation at Samasati.
For additional information and to apply for the course visit www.sourceofyoga.com
November 9th to December 6th, 2008
Join us in the tropical rainforest on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, for an inspiring Yoga Teacher Training Retreat.
200 hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification Course:
Immerse deeply in the Ashtanga Yoga practice in this teacher training intensive with Caroline Klebl. This certification course fulfills and surpasses the 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training standards of Yoga Alliance.
Caroline Klebl offers a comprehensive Teacher Training program for teachers, aspiring teachers and dedicated practitioners of yoga. Her teacher training combines the high standards of practice, required by the Ashtanga Vinyasa System with the development of teaching skills necessary to introduce students to Ashtanga Yoga safely and effectively. For detailed information about the curriculum and to apply for the course visit www.sourceofyoga.com
This course begins with a series of workshops, which focus on the practice of Ashtanga Yoga. Each participant has a chance to first deeply immerse into their own practice and prepare for Mysore Style practice for the remainder of the course.
An Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training Manual is supplied to each participant. To those who attend all scheduled classes, a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training Certificate is issued, at the end of the course.
Teacher Training Schedule:
Ashtanga Yoga (Mysore Style or Led): 7am-9am
Adjustments/Teaching Techniques: 10:00am-12:30pm
Anatomy, Ayurveda & Philosophy: 3pm-5pm
Evening Meditation: 7pm-8pm
Retreat Location:
This course will take place at an exquisite Eco Resort in the tropical rainforest on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. This luxury resort includes 250 acres of quiet isolation in a pristine natural setting, a beautiful yoga studio, an open air restaurant, which overlooks gorgeous views of the jungle and sea, a spa and jacuzzi, Caribbean style bungalows and a guest house. Organic vegetarian meals are served three times a day. A delicious vegetarian feast will be prepared for Thanksgiving.
Eco Tours in Costa Rica:
Two eco tours are included as part of this retreat experience. The tours will take place on the New and Full moon days, traditional Ashtanga Yoga rest days. A guided tour through the rainforest to majestic waterfalls and a choice of the Cahuita national park tour, which includes a boat trip to a coral reef, snokeling and a guided walk on the Cahuita National Park's trail and the Rainforest Canopy Tour, which includes eight aerial platforms and 1200 meters of cable nestled deep into the jungle.
For additional information visit www.sourceofyoga.com
Yoga Teacher Training: Nov 9th to Dec 6th, 2008
Single Occupancy / Shared Bungalow: $5200
Double Occupancy Guesthouse: $4700
There are a limited number of double occupancy guesthouse rooms available. The two story bungalows are private and spacious. Each bungalow has a large deck and a private bathroom.
The price includes:
The 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training Course, two Eco Tours, organic vegetarian meals and accommodation at Samasati.
For additional information and to apply for the course visit www.sourceofyoga.com
Keywords:
ihanuman yoga teacher training ashtanga yoga yoga retreat costa rica 200 hour yoga teacher certification
ihanuman yoga teacher training ashtanga yoga yoga retreat costa rica 200 hour yoga teacher certification
In 1997, The Tibetan Children’s Education Foundation built an education center and boarding hostel in Clement Town (in Northern India) for children of the exiled Tibetan community. His Holiness the Dalai Lama named the center Kyitsel-ling, which roughly translates as “a place for growing up in happiness.” Building on their success at Clement Town, The Tibetan Children’s Foundation is now working to build a similar Kyitsel-ling in Sikkim, a remote state in the Himalayas, which will offer quality educational opportunities to underprivileged and needy children there, many of whom are children of nomadic Tibetans.
“These children are scattered in various rural and far flung areas and although their school fees etc. are provided, their attendance at schools is irregular and unsatisfactory. Also, invariably all their parents are illiterate and cannot provide them any guidance or teaching at home. In order for these children to be able to go to school on a regular basis and for them to have further support for their education at home, we need to build an education center at this location. Doing so will ensure that all these children ( and hopefully hundreds more over the years) will attend school regularly and also have access to reference materials, computers and teachers to help with their home work and provide the necessary support at ‘home’.”
For more information on The Tibetan Children’s Education Foundation, please visit www.tibetanchildrenseducation.org. There you can read more about the Sikkim Kyitsel-ling Project, and find out how you can support their inspiring work.
“These children are scattered in various rural and far flung areas and although their school fees etc. are provided, their attendance at schools is irregular and unsatisfactory. Also, invariably all their parents are illiterate and cannot provide them any guidance or teaching at home. In order for these children to be able to go to school on a regular basis and for them to have further support for their education at home, we need to build an education center at this location. Doing so will ensure that all these children ( and hopefully hundreds more over the years) will attend school regularly and also have access to reference materials, computers and teachers to help with their home work and provide the necessary support at ‘home’.”
For more information on The Tibetan Children’s Education Foundation, please visit www.tibetanchildrenseducation.org. There you can read more about the Sikkim Kyitsel-ling Project, and find out how you can support their inspiring work.
Keywords:
ihanuman karma seva service india buddhism the tibetan children’s education foundation kyitsel ling sikkim
ihanuman karma seva service india buddhism the tibetan children’s education foundation kyitsel ling sikkim
Divinely revealed techniques that will prepare your mind for the serious practice, greatly strengthening the powers of concentration. Learn how to draw your attention away from the noisy restless world and place it within, where the truth lies. Instructions are partially telepathic in order to impart spiritual or psychic knowledge that words cannot. Thusly, spiritual matters can be easily understood.
Meditation stimulates the pituitary and pineal glands in the base of the brain, balancing all the systems of the body and enhancing mental sharpness and clairvoyance. Meditation helps to create mental patterns that put power behind your thoughts, and therefore make your thoughts powerful and creative. This practice will show the way towards truth, light and the peace that surpasses all understanding. It will create order and a quiet, safe and peaceful place within where the truth lies. Removing the stress of daily activities, calming the monkey mind, promoting one-pointedness of mind.
Wednesdays, 6:00pm-7:00pm
Dates: Apr 16, 23, 30; May 14, 21, 28
Cost: $108 for entire session
Meditation stimulates the pituitary and pineal glands in the base of the brain, balancing all the systems of the body and enhancing mental sharpness and clairvoyance. Meditation helps to create mental patterns that put power behind your thoughts, and therefore make your thoughts powerful and creative. This practice will show the way towards truth, light and the peace that surpasses all understanding. It will create order and a quiet, safe and peaceful place within where the truth lies. Removing the stress of daily activities, calming the monkey mind, promoting one-pointedness of mind.
Wednesdays, 6:00pm-7:00pm
Dates: Apr 16, 23, 30; May 14, 21, 28
Cost: $108 for entire session
May 10-24, Cora Wen and India Supera will lead a yoga and cultural tour to Darjeeling, and continue into North Sikkim, some of the least traveled areas in India and the Eastern Himalayan range. Explore the mystical monasteries, hidden snow fed lakes, lush forests of the Kanchenjunga range, and enjoy daily yoga classes with Cora.
For more information on this wonderful opportunity, visit the Feathered Pipe Foundation.
For more information on this wonderful opportunity, visit the Feathered Pipe Foundation.
Keywords:
ihanuman cora wen india supera feathered pipe sikkim darjeeling india yoga retreat cultural tour
ihanuman cora wen india supera feathered pipe sikkim darjeeling india yoga retreat cultural tour
If you’re not nuts about nuts (sorry, we just couldn’t resist), the USDA’s recent ruling requiring all store-sold raw almonds to be pasteurized probably passed under your radar. And it’s true, for the average occasional nut-eater, the raw almond ban was unlikely to raise an eyebrow. After all, a nut’s a nut right? How much difference could there be between pasteurized and unpasteurized?
Quite a lot, as it turns out. In the case of almonds, the difference is essentially one of life and death: a raw (living) almond can be sprouted and planted whereas a pasteurized almond cannot. And when you consider that almonds are just the latest target in the USDA’s campaign to pasteurize-whenever-possible, you might find it worth paying closer attention.
“Outlawing food products in their natural state is a slippery slope,” says Janabai Amsden, co-owner of Euphoria Loves Rawvolution Cafe in Santa Monica, California. “We are cheapening our food from both a price and nutritional standpoint.”
The U.S. laws restricting the sale of milk, juice and now almonds all share one thing in common: pasteurization. Named for turn-of-the-century French inventor, chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur, pasteurization is a heat process that kills microorganisms — such as bacteria, mold and yeast — by exposing them to temperatures of up to 158ْF for durations as long as 30 minutes. “Flash” pasteurization involves much higher temperatures for shorter durations, 280ْF for two seconds, for example.
Quite a lot, as it turns out. In the case of almonds, the difference is essentially one of life and death: a raw (living) almond can be sprouted and planted whereas a pasteurized almond cannot. And when you consider that almonds are just the latest target in the USDA’s campaign to pasteurize-whenever-possible, you might find it worth paying closer attention.
“Outlawing food products in their natural state is a slippery slope,” says Janabai Amsden, co-owner of Euphoria Loves Rawvolution Cafe in Santa Monica, California. “We are cheapening our food from both a price and nutritional standpoint.”
The U.S. laws restricting the sale of milk, juice and now almonds all share one thing in common: pasteurization. Named for turn-of-the-century French inventor, chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur, pasteurization is a heat process that kills microorganisms — such as bacteria, mold and yeast — by exposing them to temperatures of up to 158ْF for durations as long as 30 minutes. “Flash” pasteurization involves much higher temperatures for shorter durations, 280ْF for two seconds, for example.
Experience is the only teacher. Without Self-experience we may talk through life and still have no enlightenment. We cannot get direct perception of Truth merely by discussion and by consideration of the experience of others. It is said, “A dog walking through a field of cotton does not come out dressed in a suit of clothes.”
We ourselves must experience the superconscious state. Others’ experience will no doubt be of assistance since it creates in us self-confidence, which enables us
to practice more vigorously, but their experience cannot manifest in us the Truth. For that reason each of us must do his own practice.
We ourselves must experience the superconscious state. Others’ experience will no doubt be of assistance since it creates in us self-confidence, which enables us
to practice more vigorously, but their experience cannot manifest in us the Truth. For that reason each of us must do his own practice.
Samtosha is the Sanskrit term for contentment - it is one of the guidelines of a Yogi seeking union with God. On a daily basis, there are a million opportunities for me to practice this, (enough to eat, enough sleep, enough this, enough that, enough). But there are some bigger feeling events happening that challenge my ability to find contentment as easily as I do when I stop eating when I am full, (instead of cleaning the plate).
Like our current political choices in leadership. Or our current political occupation in foreign lands. Actually I feel fairly content about our Democratic choices, either way, Hillary or Obama will be phenomenal, performing wholeheartedly the global janitorial chores necessary for cleaning up the current mess. But this contentment waivers occasionally... I went to see Bill Clinton while he passed through lil ole Asheville, and was reminded that despite their best intentions, it is politics, and despite the fact we think the Presidency is an independent political seat, it is not; there are many many people/offices/policies/corporations that will need to step up to meet Hillary or Obama's ideals.
And what if it is McCain? Can I be content to know that any change will be better than now. That any change will help insure my children's/grandchildren's futures - clean air, safe world, healthy planet? Can I be a conscious citizen of this planet and still find contentment? Contentment doesn't mean (to me) just sitting around going "OK, this moment is perfect, I trust in God, I don't need to do anything because everything is unfolding to God's plan..." To me, true contentment is an ideal to practice, (just like downward facing dog), but while practicing, I surely am not just sitting there (nor are we passive in down dog)! I am modeling kindness and fairness to my children, I am participating in political rallies and fundraisers to show my support for a big change, I am encouraging yoga students to lighten their grips on conditioning and beliefs and to be brave and try on other belief systems that might embrace all beings with kindness, fairness and love.
And yet, here I am, a citizen of a country that is quickly losing it's balance. So again I turn to yoga for help and find the guidelines of cause and effect: Karma is the Sanskrit translation - and it is twofold, actions whose results are occurring, and actions whose fruit is yet to come. I am trusting in the second part. I think of myself as a gardner, planting seeds of possibility - goodness, generosity, humbleness, contentment, forgiveness. I plant them in myself as I check out my thought processes all the time, and I plant them with every thing I do or say. It is my hope, well more than hope, I truly believe that these seeds will blossom, into thousands of beautiful interactions between all people of the planet, helping to turn around any negative chain of events that might seem to be taking place.
So, goodness, contentment, happiness, I think about them a lot, at the forefront of thoughts, actions and words, and know that that is my purpose/path/dharma. It's not always easy, but such is the path of the peaceful warrior. I invite all of you to practice contentment, in everyday things and global things. And remember God is everywhere, let's just be like Jesus and Buddha and make it a little more obvious... The path of the peaceful warrior/gardner takes courage and bravery, first we need to plant healthy seeds in our own minds, then into all our thoughts, speech and actions. Let the ripple effect begin!
Like our current political choices in leadership. Or our current political occupation in foreign lands. Actually I feel fairly content about our Democratic choices, either way, Hillary or Obama will be phenomenal, performing wholeheartedly the global janitorial chores necessary for cleaning up the current mess. But this contentment waivers occasionally... I went to see Bill Clinton while he passed through lil ole Asheville, and was reminded that despite their best intentions, it is politics, and despite the fact we think the Presidency is an independent political seat, it is not; there are many many people/offices/policies/corporations that will need to step up to meet Hillary or Obama's ideals.
And what if it is McCain? Can I be content to know that any change will be better than now. That any change will help insure my children's/grandchildren's futures - clean air, safe world, healthy planet? Can I be a conscious citizen of this planet and still find contentment? Contentment doesn't mean (to me) just sitting around going "OK, this moment is perfect, I trust in God, I don't need to do anything because everything is unfolding to God's plan..." To me, true contentment is an ideal to practice, (just like downward facing dog), but while practicing, I surely am not just sitting there (nor are we passive in down dog)! I am modeling kindness and fairness to my children, I am participating in political rallies and fundraisers to show my support for a big change, I am encouraging yoga students to lighten their grips on conditioning and beliefs and to be brave and try on other belief systems that might embrace all beings with kindness, fairness and love.
And yet, here I am, a citizen of a country that is quickly losing it's balance. So again I turn to yoga for help and find the guidelines of cause and effect: Karma is the Sanskrit translation - and it is twofold, actions whose results are occurring, and actions whose fruit is yet to come. I am trusting in the second part. I think of myself as a gardner, planting seeds of possibility - goodness, generosity, humbleness, contentment, forgiveness. I plant them in myself as I check out my thought processes all the time, and I plant them with every thing I do or say. It is my hope, well more than hope, I truly believe that these seeds will blossom, into thousands of beautiful interactions between all people of the planet, helping to turn around any negative chain of events that might seem to be taking place.
So, goodness, contentment, happiness, I think about them a lot, at the forefront of thoughts, actions and words, and know that that is my purpose/path/dharma. It's not always easy, but such is the path of the peaceful warrior. I invite all of you to practice contentment, in everyday things and global things. And remember God is everywhere, let's just be like Jesus and Buddha and make it a little more obvious... The path of the peaceful warrior/gardner takes courage and bravery, first we need to plant healthy seeds in our own minds, then into all our thoughts, speech and actions. Let the ripple effect begin!
Keywords:
ihanuman stephanie keach ihanuman samtosha contentment political engagement environmental responsibility social justice yoga
ihanuman stephanie keach ihanuman samtosha contentment political engagement environmental responsibility social justice yoga
At the end of February we left off with one foot in the door of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, one of the oldest surviving Hatha Yoga manuals. Hatha Yoga emerged sometime in the 9th or 10th centuries CE, strongly influenced by both Hindu Tantra and Indian alchemy. The Pradipika was written four or five hundred years later, though remnants of these ancient disciplines are still evident in this text and others like it. The Gheranda Samhita for example, a companion text that's a few hundred years younger, calls Hatha Yoga the "Yoga of the Pot" (ghata yoga), "pot" here referring to the human body (or more precisely the torso) which is compared to an alchemical vessel.
Unlike the famous eight-limb practice of Patanjali's Classical Yoga, which begins with 10 behavioral injunctions-such as don't tell lies, don't commit acts of violence, and be content-Hatha Yoga dives right into asana. Nowadays there are literally hundreds of these exercises (BKS Iyengar's Light on Yoga illustrates 200, and I have an encyclopedia from an Indian institute that lists 900), but most of these were added to the Yoga repertoire less than a hundred years ago (that's a story for another time). Hatha tradition holds there are 840,000 asanas, though only 84 of these are suitable for humans (different schools have different lists of 84). Of these, Svatmarama briefly describes just 15, the four most "essential" of which-Siddha, Padma, Simha and Bhadra- are all sitting poses.
Have you ever wondered why we do asanas at all? You may be vague on why, but the old yogins had very specific reasons. They strongly believed asanas have a salutary effect on the physical body, and would help ward off disease-and even death!-stoke the "fire in the belly" to improve digestion and elimination, and to strengthen (or as they said, "bake") the body in preparation for pranayama and meditation. But that's not all. As you may know, the old yogins believed that our physical body is like the tip of an iceberg, supported by a vast hidden subtle body that's invisible to the human eye but readily apparent to the "eye of wisdom" (jnana cakshus), better known as the "third eye." This body is criss-crossed by a network of thousands of energy channels (nadi) that transport vital energy (prana) to every nook and cranny. In the average person these channels gradually "silt up," due to poor posture, ill health, and stress, preventing prana from flowing freely. Asanas, so the yogins say, will dredge out these blocked channels, so the prana can be used in the services of Yoga. We'll come back to these teachings later.
But by now you're dying (figuratively I hope, in a good way) to try an asana practice based on the Pradipika. With only 15 asanas, this will be short session (I'll soon be posting other practice sessions drawn from a variety of sources on my new website www.homagetothesource.com. I invite you to try them out). Here then is your Practice with Svatmarama. The more advanced poses are marked *, which beginners should modify or skip entirely. All the poses but two (Svatmarama's versions of KURMASANA and VIRASANA) are described in Light on Yoga.
KURMASANA* (in Svatmarama's version, sit in VIRASANA with feet everted, ie., feet turned out, inner feet on floor; beginners sit on heels) > SIMHASANA > BHADRASANA (today called baddha konasana) > MAYURASANA* > GOMUKHASANA > PASHCHIMATANASANA > DHANURASANA (today called akarna dhanurasana) > MATSYENDRASANA (today called ardha matsyendrasana I) > VIRASANA* > (in Svatmarama's version, one leg is in Half Hero, the other in Half Lotus) > PADMASANA* (Svatmarama actually describes three slightly different versions, the one most commonly performed is today called baddha padmasana) > KUKKUTASANA* > UTTANA KURMASANA* (today called garbha pindasana) > MATSYENDRASANA > SIDDHASANA > SHAVASANA.
Wasn't that fun? We'll come back to this again next month.
Unlike the famous eight-limb practice of Patanjali's Classical Yoga, which begins with 10 behavioral injunctions-such as don't tell lies, don't commit acts of violence, and be content-Hatha Yoga dives right into asana. Nowadays there are literally hundreds of these exercises (BKS Iyengar's Light on Yoga illustrates 200, and I have an encyclopedia from an Indian institute that lists 900), but most of these were added to the Yoga repertoire less than a hundred years ago (that's a story for another time). Hatha tradition holds there are 840,000 asanas, though only 84 of these are suitable for humans (different schools have different lists of 84). Of these, Svatmarama briefly describes just 15, the four most "essential" of which-Siddha, Padma, Simha and Bhadra- are all sitting poses.
Have you ever wondered why we do asanas at all? You may be vague on why, but the old yogins had very specific reasons. They strongly believed asanas have a salutary effect on the physical body, and would help ward off disease-and even death!-stoke the "fire in the belly" to improve digestion and elimination, and to strengthen (or as they said, "bake") the body in preparation for pranayama and meditation. But that's not all. As you may know, the old yogins believed that our physical body is like the tip of an iceberg, supported by a vast hidden subtle body that's invisible to the human eye but readily apparent to the "eye of wisdom" (jnana cakshus), better known as the "third eye." This body is criss-crossed by a network of thousands of energy channels (nadi) that transport vital energy (prana) to every nook and cranny. In the average person these channels gradually "silt up," due to poor posture, ill health, and stress, preventing prana from flowing freely. Asanas, so the yogins say, will dredge out these blocked channels, so the prana can be used in the services of Yoga. We'll come back to these teachings later.
But by now you're dying (figuratively I hope, in a good way) to try an asana practice based on the Pradipika. With only 15 asanas, this will be short session (I'll soon be posting other practice sessions drawn from a variety of sources on my new website www.homagetothesource.com. I invite you to try them out). Here then is your Practice with Svatmarama. The more advanced poses are marked *, which beginners should modify or skip entirely. All the poses but two (Svatmarama's versions of KURMASANA and VIRASANA) are described in Light on Yoga.
KURMASANA* (in Svatmarama's version, sit in VIRASANA with feet everted, ie., feet turned out, inner feet on floor; beginners sit on heels) > SIMHASANA > BHADRASANA (today called baddha konasana) > MAYURASANA* > GOMUKHASANA > PASHCHIMATANASANA > DHANURASANA (today called akarna dhanurasana) > MATSYENDRASANA (today called ardha matsyendrasana I) > VIRASANA* > (in Svatmarama's version, one leg is in Half Hero, the other in Half Lotus) > PADMASANA* (Svatmarama actually describes three slightly different versions, the one most commonly performed is today called baddha padmasana) > KUKKUTASANA* > UTTANA KURMASANA* (today called garbha pindasana) > MATSYENDRASANA > SIDDHASANA > SHAVASANA.
Wasn't that fun? We'll come back to this again next month.
Diane Malaspina, M.S.Ed., Ph.D. began exploring yoga in 2001 while
finishing a doctorate in Educational Psychology at the University of
Virginia. Soon after, she met Angela Phillips who offered continued
studies in asana, meditation, and breathwork. While Angela Phillips
is Diane's main teacher, she completed Shiva Rea's Prana Vinyasa Flow
180 hour immersion in Venice, California. Currently, Diane is
finishing the non-contact hours toward RYT- 200 for Yoga Alliance.
Her teachings emphasize the dynamic, organic approach of Prana Vinyasa
Flow that integrates ayurveda, tantra, and energetic alignment to
enhance the flow of prana-shakti. The teachings of yoga complement the
work that Diane does as a psychologist. Diane teaches multi-level and
vinyasa classes at Angela Phillips Yoga Studio in Virginia Beach, VA,
where she lives and enjoys nature and the ocean daily with her two
SPCA dogs, Hannah and Prana.
finishing a doctorate in Educational Psychology at the University of
Virginia. Soon after, she met Angela Phillips who offered continued
studies in asana, meditation, and breathwork. While Angela Phillips
is Diane's main teacher, she completed Shiva Rea's Prana Vinyasa Flow
180 hour immersion in Venice, California. Currently, Diane is
finishing the non-contact hours toward RYT- 200 for Yoga Alliance.
Her teachings emphasize the dynamic, organic approach of Prana Vinyasa
Flow that integrates ayurveda, tantra, and energetic alignment to
enhance the flow of prana-shakti. The teachings of yoga complement the
work that Diane does as a psychologist. Diane teaches multi-level and
vinyasa classes at Angela Phillips Yoga Studio in Virginia Beach, VA,
where she lives and enjoys nature and the ocean daily with her two
SPCA dogs, Hannah and Prana.
The military is scrambling for new ways to treat the brain injuries and post-traumatic stress of troops returning home from war. And every kind of therapy -- no matter how far outside the accepted medical form -- is being considered. The Army just unveiled a $4 million program to investigate everything from "spiritual ministry, transcendental meditation, [and] yoga" to "bioenergies such as Qi gong, Reiki, [and] distant healing" to mend the psyches of wounded troops.
As many as 17 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have some form of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, one congressional study estimates. Nearly 3,300 troops have suffered traumatic brain injury, or TBI, according to statistics assembled last summer. And the lifetime costs of treating these ailments could pile up to as much as $35 billion, a Columbia University report guesses.
Small wonder, then, that the government is looking for alternate means to treat these injuries. The Defense Department "is dedicated to supporting evidence-based approaches to medical treatment and wants to support the use of alternative therapies if they are proven efficacious," notes a recently-issued request for proposals.
But many of these treatments haven't been held up to much rigorous scientific scrutiny before. So the Army is looking to hand out $4 million in "seedling grants" to "conduc[t] rigorous clinical studies" into all sorts of "novel approaches." Projects "containing preliminary data" will be eligible for up to $1 million. But even "innovative but testable hypotheses without preliminary data" could get as much as $300,000. Proposals are due May 15.
As many as 17 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have some form of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, one congressional study estimates. Nearly 3,300 troops have suffered traumatic brain injury, or TBI, according to statistics assembled last summer. And the lifetime costs of treating these ailments could pile up to as much as $35 billion, a Columbia University report guesses.
Small wonder, then, that the government is looking for alternate means to treat these injuries. The Defense Department "is dedicated to supporting evidence-based approaches to medical treatment and wants to support the use of alternative therapies if they are proven efficacious," notes a recently-issued request for proposals.
But many of these treatments haven't been held up to much rigorous scientific scrutiny before. So the Army is looking to hand out $4 million in "seedling grants" to "conduc[t] rigorous clinical studies" into all sorts of "novel approaches." Projects "containing preliminary data" will be eligible for up to $1 million. But even "innovative but testable hypotheses without preliminary data" could get as much as $300,000. Proposals are due May 15.
Yoga Outreach began in 1996 with a group of Canadian yoga teachers working together to bring yoga into British Columbia’s correctional system. Since then they have expanded their focus, promoting healing and transformation by bringing yoga to many other populations who would not have access otherwise. Volunteers now teach over 30 classes per week in settings ranging from health care to transition houses, shelters to treatment and recovery centers. On May 23-25, 2008, Yoga Outreach will hold its 9th Annual Fundraising Retreat to support its services and important mission:
Come celebrate the diversity of yoga at beautiful Paradise Valley! Vancouver's largest Yoga retreat, featuring 23 accomplished teachers and performers from the Lower Mainland and beyond, including Sandra Sammartino, Evelyn Neaman, James Fairbanks, Swami Lalitananda, Eoin Finn and many more...Experience other styles of Yoga including Hatha, Dru, Tibetan Heart Yoga, Jivamukti and Yin Yoga as we come together to explore this year’s theme: Gratitude. This year we will be joined by SHINE EDGAR and WADE IMRE MORISSETTE for healing sound, bliss dance & kirtan.
Stay in cozy cabins in a peaceful wooded location by the Cheakamus River (nr. Squamish), share in the spirit of Yoga & eat delicious, locally sourced vegetarian food.
All proceeds to Yoga Outreach, helping to share the gift of yoga with people from underserved communities. Cost: $345, including all accommodation and meals.
For information visit www.yogaoutreach.com, and please consider making a donation to this worthy cause. Namaste!
Come celebrate the diversity of yoga at beautiful Paradise Valley! Vancouver's largest Yoga retreat, featuring 23 accomplished teachers and performers from the Lower Mainland and beyond, including Sandra Sammartino, Evelyn Neaman, James Fairbanks, Swami Lalitananda, Eoin Finn and many more...Experience other styles of Yoga including Hatha, Dru, Tibetan Heart Yoga, Jivamukti and Yin Yoga as we come together to explore this year’s theme: Gratitude. This year we will be joined by SHINE EDGAR and WADE IMRE MORISSETTE for healing sound, bliss dance & kirtan.
Stay in cozy cabins in a peaceful wooded location by the Cheakamus River (nr. Squamish), share in the spirit of Yoga & eat delicious, locally sourced vegetarian food.
All proceeds to Yoga Outreach, helping to share the gift of yoga with people from underserved communities. Cost: $345, including all accommodation and meals.
For information visit www.yogaoutreach.com, and please consider making a donation to this worthy cause. Namaste!
Yogitoes has created a line of Skidless Mat Towels that helps support not only the practices of yogis using them, but supports charities around the world with a percentage of their proceeds. The Altruism Deity Skidless mats come in five colors, each with a specific deity and respective charity. The Kali Ma mat is black and supports the Meg Foundation, helping orphans in India. The Vishnu mat is gold and supports the Ravi Shankar Foundation. The poppy Lakshmi mat supports the TunaHAKI Foundation, which serves street children in Africa. The copper Krishna mat supports The ChandlerSky Foundation's program in Peru. And the Ganesh mat is turquoise and supports YOGA ED in bringing yoga into schools.
In addition to the Deity Skidless line, Yogitoes also has created the Pink Skidless Mat with $5 of each sale going to the Dr. Susan Love Foundation for breast cancer research.
In addition to the Deity Skidless line, Yogitoes also has created the Pink Skidless Mat with $5 of each sale going to the Dr. Susan Love Foundation for breast cancer research.
DEVIKA GURUNG is a woman on a mission.
This independent Nepalese lady not only runs her own yoga centre, but is hoping to improve the lives of thousands of people. She wants to empower her nation’s women to stand on their own two feet and, through founding the Nepali Women’s Yoga Project, she is doing just that.
Devika, 31, was born in Jomson, a rural village in the mountainous Annapurna region. One of six children, she was forced to leave school at 15.‘I started working on a construction site at the airport, carrying stones in a basket,’ she told me.She stuck it out for two months and earned 160 rupees a day, just over £1.
‘I would see students in their dresses going to school and it made me realise I could do more,’ she said.
Devika did manual work in an orchard, made carpets and worked as a housekeeper, during which she learnt English, before joining her brother, a monk, at the Buddhist Meditation Centre in Pokhara, Nepal, where she worked as a receptionist.She was 18 and it was there that she met two Australian yoga teachers who took her under their wing –this chance meeting was to change her life.
‘I didn’t know what yoga was or what its benefits were at the beginning,’ said Devika.For the following three months, she was taught hatha yoga twice a day, every day.
Although she said it was hard work, she was hooked and spent the following four months studying the form at The Natural Health and Yoga Centre in Kathmandu. Although hatha originated in Nepal, it became more widely recognised as coming from India, because that country produced a series of high profile teachers.
By the end of the year, and with the financial help of a friend and her Dutch godparents, Devika had established her own base, The Nepali Yoga Centre, at Lakeside Pokhara.
For the full article, please visit This is Guernsey.com
This independent Nepalese lady not only runs her own yoga centre, but is hoping to improve the lives of thousands of people. She wants to empower her nation’s women to stand on their own two feet and, through founding the Nepali Women’s Yoga Project, she is doing just that.
Devika, 31, was born in Jomson, a rural village in the mountainous Annapurna region. One of six children, she was forced to leave school at 15.‘I started working on a construction site at the airport, carrying stones in a basket,’ she told me.She stuck it out for two months and earned 160 rupees a day, just over £1.
‘I would see students in their dresses going to school and it made me realise I could do more,’ she said.
Devika did manual work in an orchard, made carpets and worked as a housekeeper, during which she learnt English, before joining her brother, a monk, at the Buddhist Meditation Centre in Pokhara, Nepal, where she worked as a receptionist.She was 18 and it was there that she met two Australian yoga teachers who took her under their wing –this chance meeting was to change her life.
‘I didn’t know what yoga was or what its benefits were at the beginning,’ said Devika.For the following three months, she was taught hatha yoga twice a day, every day.
Although she said it was hard work, she was hooked and spent the following four months studying the form at The Natural Health and Yoga Centre in Kathmandu. Although hatha originated in Nepal, it became more widely recognised as coming from India, because that country produced a series of high profile teachers.
By the end of the year, and with the financial help of a friend and her Dutch godparents, Devika had established her own base, The Nepali Yoga Centre, at Lakeside Pokhara.
For the full article, please visit This is Guernsey.com
How to work with, not against, your fellow yoga instructors
Many of us turned to yoga for its promise of happiness. The four walls of a studio and its community of like-minded Sun Saluters offered solace from the rat race outside. When we stepped onto our yoga mats, we stepped intoa world where joy and harmony reigned.
Later, we became yoga teachers. Sometimes this entailed leaving behind careers that brought big paychecks (for some) an even bigger burnout (for most). Ready to serve students by offering them the scrumptious fruits of yoga, we were bright-eyed, enthusiastic, and, in hindsight, naive.
Now we know that our egos follow us to the yoga mat, especially because yoga today means big business. The competition for students, prime-time slots, fame and simply earning a living can be fierce.
So can we bid the rat race farewell once and for all? Despite the frenzy of yoga's big boom, can we be humble and harmonious within ourselves and with each other? Anyone who practices yoga knows that ultimately this i what it's all about. Yet it's easier said than done.
Accepting Human Nature
"Competition is inherent in our genes," explains Eileen Muir, director of Karuna Centeer for Yoga and Healing Arts in Northampton, Massachusetts. "It is highly reinforced by our culture.
"The nature of the mind is to divide, compare, and judge, and the nature of the ego is to identify with this process. However, yoga is the antithesis of separateness and competition."
We can use yoga first to become aware of those parts of ourselves that are competing with others, and then we can investigate, accept, and work with them skillfully.
"The unpleasant reactions, the pangs of threat, and the potential for feeling inadequate that surround competition are all great excuses to look more deeply at our true selves," says Amy Ippoliti, a world-renowned Anusara Yoga teacher based in Boulder, Colorado.
Transform Negative Emotions
Zack Kurland, a yoga therapist at New York City's OM Yoga and author of Morning Yoga Workouts, recalls how he used his own feelings of inadequacy as catalysts for personal growth. "A couple of years into teaching yoga, I used to get anxious when reading Yoga Journal. There were all of these teachers in the magazine, with articles and photos. They were teaching at conferences, producing books, and DVDs, running successful studios."
"I was jealous and insecure. I became jaded. I would say that I really didn't experience joy in being a yoga teacher for a good long while." To liberate himself from this unhappiness, Kurland took an honest look at his feelings, relationship to yoga, and finances.
"I realized that these feelings had nothing to do with the magic I had experienced through my practice," Kurland continues. " I needed to reassess my relationship with yoga."
As a result Kurland stopped teaching full-time and resumed a former career of website production and freelance design. This, Kurland says, " took the financial pressure off the yoga and let it breathe. I could rediscover yoga as a gift that brings me light and levity and allows me to share that," he says.
Praise Yourself and Others
Yoga's popularity has seemingly reached its zenith, bringing streams of teacher training programs - and their graduates. The abundance of talented teachers (and sometimes not-so-talented teachers) can make us feel catty, insecure, and judgemental. "The waive of popularity of yoga in our contemporary culture, " asserts Muir, "brings with it the very limitations and obstacles from which we are trying to free ourselves.
"The real issue for us, as teachers is to embody the teachings of yoga in our inner and outer lives, so that we and our students an be inspired to move beyond ignorance and to trust in our true natures."
To download the original Yoga Journal Article, click here.
Many of us turned to yoga for its promise of happiness. The four walls of a studio and its community of like-minded Sun Saluters offered solace from the rat race outside. When we stepped onto our yoga mats, we stepped intoa world where joy and harmony reigned.
Later, we became yoga teachers. Sometimes this entailed leaving behind careers that brought big paychecks (for some) an even bigger burnout (for most). Ready to serve students by offering them the scrumptious fruits of yoga, we were bright-eyed, enthusiastic, and, in hindsight, naive.
Now we know that our egos follow us to the yoga mat, especially because yoga today means big business. The competition for students, prime-time slots, fame and simply earning a living can be fierce.
So can we bid the rat race farewell once and for all? Despite the frenzy of yoga's big boom, can we be humble and harmonious within ourselves and with each other? Anyone who practices yoga knows that ultimately this i what it's all about. Yet it's easier said than done.
Accepting Human Nature
"Competition is inherent in our genes," explains Eileen Muir, director of Karuna Centeer for Yoga and Healing Arts in Northampton, Massachusetts. "It is highly reinforced by our culture.
"The nature of the mind is to divide, compare, and judge, and the nature of the ego is to identify with this process. However, yoga is the antithesis of separateness and competition."
We can use yoga first to become aware of those parts of ourselves that are competing with others, and then we can investigate, accept, and work with them skillfully.
"The unpleasant reactions, the pangs of threat, and the potential for feeling inadequate that surround competition are all great excuses to look more deeply at our true selves," says Amy Ippoliti, a world-renowned Anusara Yoga teacher based in Boulder, Colorado.
Transform Negative Emotions
Zack Kurland, a yoga therapist at New York City's OM Yoga and author of Morning Yoga Workouts, recalls how he used his own feelings of inadequacy as catalysts for personal growth. "A couple of years into teaching yoga, I used to get anxious when reading Yoga Journal. There were all of these teachers in the magazine, with articles and photos. They were teaching at conferences, producing books, and DVDs, running successful studios."
"I was jealous and insecure. I became jaded. I would say that I really didn't experience joy in being a yoga teacher for a good long while." To liberate himself from this unhappiness, Kurland took an honest look at his feelings, relationship to yoga, and finances.
"I realized that these feelings had nothing to do with the magic I had experienced through my practice," Kurland continues. " I needed to reassess my relationship with yoga."
As a result Kurland stopped teaching full-time and resumed a former career of website production and freelance design. This, Kurland says, " took the financial pressure off the yoga and let it breathe. I could rediscover yoga as a gift that brings me light and levity and allows me to share that," he says.
Praise Yourself and Others
Yoga's popularity has seemingly reached its zenith, bringing streams of teacher training programs - and their graduates. The abundance of talented teachers (and sometimes not-so-talented teachers) can make us feel catty, insecure, and judgemental. "The waive of popularity of yoga in our contemporary culture, " asserts Muir, "brings with it the very limitations and obstacles from which we are trying to free ourselves.
"The real issue for us, as teachers is to embody the teachings of yoga in our inner and outer lives, so that we and our students an be inspired to move beyond ignorance and to trust in our true natures."
To download the original Yoga Journal Article, click here.
Source of Yoga announces, an Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training Retreat on the beautiful island of Bali from August 2nd to 30th, 2008. Immerse deeply in the Ashtanga Yoga practice in this teacher training intensive with Yoga Instructor, Caroline Klebl. This certification course fulfills and surpasses the 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training standards of Yoga Alliance.
If you don’t get dozens of flowers and bushels of chocolate for Valentine’s Day, here’s a suggestion: give yourself your own gift and come to all or part of the Nicki Doane workshop (Feb, 14-17)!
Nicki is a remarkably inspiring teacher and we are thrilled that she is coming to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with all of us. To entice you further, we are offering a 20% discount to anyone who has taken Teacher Training, whether you come to just one session or to the entire workshop. You can get further details on each session by checking the web site (www.yogarichmond.com) or just calling the studio (804-359-9642).
Nicki is a remarkably inspiring teacher and we are thrilled that she is coming to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with all of us. To entice you further, we are offering a 20% discount to anyone who has taken Teacher Training, whether you come to just one session or to the entire workshop. You can get further details on each session by checking the web site (www.yogarichmond.com) or just calling the studio (804-359-9642).
The American Institute of Vedic Studies is an educational center providing a broad range of training programs, resources and publications. The Institute teaches various aspects of Vedic Science, particularly Ayurveda (Vedic medicine), Vedic astrology (Jyotish) and Yoga (emphasizing Yoga Therapy). It also provides in depth teachings on Veda, Vedanta and Tantra. Identifying the Vedas with the broader system of Hindu Dharma, the Institute is engaged in several projects in the greater field of Hindu studies.
Our studio is located in beautiful Maui, Hawaii - join us for classes, Yearly Teacher Training and Retreats and studies in India!
In depth study in the Krishnamacarya lineage - direct from India.
Asana, Pranayama, Meditaion
In depth study in the Krishnamacarya lineage - direct from India.
Asana, Pranayama, Meditaion
Keywords:
ihanuman viniyoga krishnamacarya india raja yoga hawaii yoga raksanam meditation pranayama
ihanuman viniyoga krishnamacarya india raja yoga hawaii yoga raksanam meditation pranayama
Finding “the deeper pull of what you truly love” is the underbelly of what I teach. A lot of people might think it is self-indulgent to follow our passion, to work when we want to work, to rest when we need rest. But following our heart’s deepest desire energizes us to “work tirelessly for the greatest good.” Instead of struggling through our days trying to meet a set of ill-defined standards, waiting for things to get better, we can LIVE. But we have to choose to live free. The moment won’t demand it. Life won’t say to us, “You must be here, you must enjoy yourself, you must take advantage of every opportunity to choose joy.” We have to do our part. We have to meet life part way. Not half way. Not even close to half way. Life gives us ALL, and we are required only to open our hands, hearts and minds to receive, to say yes. Yes, I will participate; yes, I’ll show up; yes, I’ll choose an open heart over a closed one; yes, I’ll do my part. Yes I will trust in the never-ending abundance of all that I might truly need, for my highest good and for the highest good of all beings!
How? you might ask. Practice, practice, practice. Stay regular with your practice, yoga, meditation, alone or in groups. Regularity is key. Books and workshops are invaluable as well, to help re-kindle the flame, that from time to time (due to our societal conditioning) starts to fade because we are getting caught back up in the “to-do” lists. I am not saying to-do lists are not invaluable. Really it’s about balance. And if each of us individually is the microcosmic mirror of this entire planet, then how can we expect to bring harmony and balance into our planet if we cannot find it within ourselves? So begin now, be “selfish” (as some would call it, not me), I call it self-nurturing, self-loving, self-improvement. Isn’t the whole point of becoming “enlightened” (whatever that really means) to share that energy/wisdom with others? We’ve all heard it before, so here it is again, peace begins with me, joy begins right now. Why not? Fill yourself up so you can fill up others.
love steph
How? you might ask. Practice, practice, practice. Stay regular with your practice, yoga, meditation, alone or in groups. Regularity is key. Books and workshops are invaluable as well, to help re-kindle the flame, that from time to time (due to our societal conditioning) starts to fade because we are getting caught back up in the “to-do” lists. I am not saying to-do lists are not invaluable. Really it’s about balance. And if each of us individually is the microcosmic mirror of this entire planet, then how can we expect to bring harmony and balance into our planet if we cannot find it within ourselves? So begin now, be “selfish” (as some would call it, not me), I call it self-nurturing, self-loving, self-improvement. Isn’t the whole point of becoming “enlightened” (whatever that really means) to share that energy/wisdom with others? We’ve all heard it before, so here it is again, peace begins with me, joy begins right now. Why not? Fill yourself up so you can fill up others.
love steph
John Schumacher is the founder and director of Unity Woods. He has practiced yoga for over 35 years and has taught in the Washington area since 1973. John has studied in India with B.K.S. Iyengar, the world's foremost Yoga master, many times since 1981 and is a certified senior Iyengar Yoga teacher. He also spent many years studying with internationally acclaimed teacher Dona Holleman, who strongly influenced his practice and teaching.
Cited by Yoga Journal as one of "25 American originals who are shaping yoga today," John's clear, precise style and his engaging sense of humor have made him one of the country's leading yoga teachers. He has written for a variety of publications and has appeared in numerous local and national media, including U.S. News and World Report, W Magazine, Yoga Journal, Washingtonian Magazine, the Washington Times, The Washington Post and others. He has spoken about the practice and benefits of yoga on radio and television, and was the closing keynote speaker at the 2002 Yoga Journal Conference.
John has taught thousands of students and trained hundreds of teachers over the years. He continues to travel throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean to conduct workshops for students and teachers of all levels.
Cited by Yoga Journal as one of "25 American originals who are shaping yoga today," John's clear, precise style and his engaging sense of humor have made him one of the country's leading yoga teachers. He has written for a variety of publications and has appeared in numerous local and national media, including U.S. News and World Report, W Magazine, Yoga Journal, Washingtonian Magazine, the Washington Times, The Washington Post and others. He has spoken about the practice and benefits of yoga on radio and television, and was the closing keynote speaker at the 2002 Yoga Journal Conference.
John has taught thousands of students and trained hundreds of teachers over the years. He continues to travel throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean to conduct workshops for students and teachers of all levels.
It happens every now and again. A new student comes to my class and tells me she's been doing this or