A Day in the Life of an Ashram

Another mental week over and 5 days left of the YTT 500 hour. I thought I'd put up the schedule to give anyone interested an idea of how the course works so here goes.

Mon-Fri

Wake up: 5am
Meditation: 5.30am
Akhanda/Raja or Kundalini Practice: 6am-7.45am
Breakfast: 8am
Fire Puja: 8.30am
Philosophy: 9am-10.30am
Techniques: 10.45am-12
Lunch: 12
Techniques/Philosophy: 2.30pm-3.45pm
Anatomy/Practicums: 4pm-6pm
Dinner: 6pm
Kiirtan: 7pm-8pm
Mauna (Silence): 8pm-9am
Lights out:10pm

Saturday:
Half day - Same schedule ending at 12 noon

Sunday:

Self Practice

Yesterday mornings class was taken by Yogi Uday and was Yin Yoga which is characterised by passive Asanas held for much longer than most styles (5 minutes +). My previous experience of Yin yoga involved lots of props i.e. bolsters, blocks etc. This involved none. It focused almost entirely on hip opening and if I had done the class 5 weeks ago when I arrived I would've seriously considered leaving. It was extremely challenging and there were quite a few moments when my hips were telling me 'I've had enough' and I agreed wholeheartedly with them.

An excellent practice taught by an exceptional teacher.

We immediately moved into our Practicums were one of us teaches part of the groups a 1 hour class and the style was Raja Yoga or Royal Yoga. This is a much gentler practice than what many would be familiar with. Poses are held while practicing Brahmari Pranayama (Honey Bee Breath) with a longer time spent on Meditation. I found it quite challenging immediately after the Yin class and thoroughly enjoyable.

There are so so many fantastic teachers on this course, all so passionate about their personal practice and sharing their wealth of knowledge.

The following 5 days involve the renaming Practicums and Presentations. Also the tutors on the course are studio owners and have years of experience teaching on training courses and workshops so we will be going into some of the more advance Asana's assists and adjustments and listening to lectures on setting up workshops, retreats etc.

Should be an excellent week before we all head off our separate ways for Christmas.

Om Shanti,

Matt

3 Ashrams, a Disco Temple and an Orphanage

Each and every day holds so many experiences it is impossible to put them all up. On my way home last Sunday night from writing the last blog the wedding next door was in full flight. I tried to get a picture of the wedding procession moving up the street towards the function area but none of them came out that well.

It was led by a mirrored chariot covered in large fog horns. Adjacent to this was a solitary musician playing one of those tiny little casio keyboards that you might have got for birthday when you were little and this was what was being amplified and played from the foghorns.

Immediately behind him was a brass section of about six men wearing neon yellow uniforms and behind that there was hundreds of people going bananas in anticipation of the mountains of free food they were about to receive at the wedding.

That's the best picture I could get of one of the trumpet players.

The wedding was really interesting. The groom arrives way before the bride and the second he is seated it's a free for all buffet-style. There's a mass exodus to the food stalls.

It is an open invitationed celebration we were told and nobody seemed bothered at all that we were there. I hung around for quite a while after the groom arrived and still no sign of the bride.

The amount of food was insane and the jewellery and clothes of the obviously more wealthy invitees were a site to behold.

Our week in the Ashram focused almost entirely on Kundalini Yoga. There's a brief description in the previous blog.

It's been an amazing experience on lots of different levels. Many people broke down during morning practices which is far from uncommon in Kundalini Yoga and many had very very strong emotional reactions throughout the week including myself.

We have Kirtan on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Kirtan is group chanting of Mantras accompanied by guitar, sitar, tabla, harmonium or whatever instruments you have at hand really. I really enjoy it and have some amazing memories of the Kirtans we have done already.

We were joined by a harmonium player (pictured right) and a sitar and tabla player on Tuesday night. Really good fun and the Sitar player was extremely patient teaching different Mantras.

Instead of Kirtan on Thursday evening we did a Chakra Toning practice which involved chanting different sounds at different ascending tones for the Root Chakra (Muladhara) through to the Crown Chakra (Sahasrara).

I really liked doing this as it was something completely new to me. The room looked gorgeous lit with a lot of candles and some people reacted very strongly to it and others felt nothing at all.



Yesterday (Saturday) was a massive day. We left the ashram to visit quite a few places including 3 ashrams and an orphanage opened in 1992. The first Ashram we visited was opened by a local Swami, who is now deceased, and his German wife who was his student for many years previous.

We were greeted by their daughter who continues to live the simple 'conscious' lifestyle of her parents. She spoke of being conscious of our acts and thoughts in everything we do. Very very sincere sweet girl and a beautiful place to visit. I'd love to go back there and spend some time.

We then travelled on to another Ashram which seemed more like a farm than anything else. The Swami there is very fond of cows and breeds a cow indigenous to India which is apparently quite rare with the cross-breeding over the centuries.

This was followed by a trip to a temple more for comic value than anything else. Vishva Ji calls it the Disco Temple. The entire place is covered in Mirrored glass. Entertaining for a pitstop.

























Our last main stop before home was an orphanage which was set up by the parents of a girl who works at Anand Prakash Ashram. We spent quite a lot of time here and the head mistress was very accommodating and we got a tour of the entire place.

There are about 150 children living in the orphanage quite a few affected by polio. Looking around as you travel through India it is not difficult to imagine how many children end up parentless and alone and if they're very very lucky in a place like this.

We arrived to a welcoming party of about 6 girls dressed up like Christmas decorations who performed a few dances for us which was very cute. It really makes you think about your situation and how we take so much for granted when you see these kids that have nothing and yet they are still so happy.

One girl in particular with polio looked to be about 10 years of age had to crawl around on her hands and knees to get about and all the time with a smile from ear to ear.

She's the third from the left.

One thing I will say for the world of Yoga is you do meet people with really big hearts all the time. A group of us helped Vishva Ji to put together a photo catalogue of assists and adjustments in various Asanas and during the break he told us of the Ashrams involvement with that orphanage and other projects around Rishikesh.

The Ashram and their World Conscious Yoga Family is definitely growing since I last visited but no matter how much it grows Vishva Ji will still only spend what he needs to on himself and already seems to be working, up and active from 3am to 9pm seven days per week.

Next week we begin Raja Yoga week. Exams tomorrow. More Practicums (Our teaching critiqued), Presentations and plenty more experience before we move into the final week.

Off to do an Ashtanga Class on the banks of the Ganga. Deadly:-)

Sunday in Rishikesh

Sunday is a great day to buzz around Rishikesh. Everyone and everything is out and about doing their thing.

Day 2 of silence and eating Khichuri with Ghee. I'm quite enjoying the silence but not the Khichuri. Had enough of it this stage and starving.

I met an English guy while I was waiting at Passport control in Delhi who was heading to somewhere near Dharamsala (where the Dalai Lama resides in exile) on a pilgrimage which he does every year and he had been fasting for the days leading up until.


Fasting is common in many religions and for good reason to remind ourselves how lucky we are to have a constant and abundant supply of food which we generally take for granted.

I mentioned in the last blog that we would be practicing a cleansing technique which involved drinking between 7-10 litres of salt water and repeating 5 basic Asanas until the salt water passed back out through the bowel the same colour it went in.

So 6am on Saturday morning we began and I finished before 8am. I actually enjoyed the experience. Something completely different. It is suggested that this Kriya should be practiced with the turn of the seasons.

This is all in preparation for beginning a week of Kundalini Yoga Practice. Traditionally the body must be cleansed for any chance of success within one's practice.

Which brings me to the Kriya (Cleansing Technique) we will begin tomorrow morning before 5.30am and will repeat each and every morning at that time.

This is called Basti Dhauti which means colon cleaning and is often referred to as a Yogic Enema. I'll post a picture of what we will use for this Kriya and leave it at that:-)

I'll let your imagination work it out.

I don't practice Kundalini at home and never have but the last time I was here two years ago Vishva Ji taught some classes which I attended.

Wiki says:

Kundalini is described as a sleeping, dormant potential force in the human organism.^[6] It is one of the components of an esoteric description of man's 'subtle body', which consists of nadis (energy channels), chakras (psychic centres), prana (subtle energy), and bindu (drops of essence).

Kundalini is described as being coiled up at the base of the spine, usually within muladhara chakra. The image given is that of a serpent coiled 3 and a half times around a smokey grey lingam. Each coil is said to represent one of the 3 gunas, with the half coil signifying transcendence.

Through meditation, and various esoteric practices, such as laya-yoga,^[7] and kriya yoga, the kundalini is awakened, and can rise up through the central nadi, called sushumna, that rises up inside or alongside the spine. The progress of kundalini through the different chakras leads to different levels of awakening and mystical experience, until the kundalini finally reaches the top of the head, Sahasrara chakra, producing an extremely profound mystical experience.

I was as sceptical as anyone could be towards the practice. My understanding of Kundalini being limited to say the least. We were not instructed as to how we might react physically or emotionally and if we were I would've been even more sceptical.

My reaction to the Kundalini classes was very very intense. It was a couple of hours afterwards when Vishva Ji described some of the things that might happen so that I might understand what had happened to me. I would not be able to believe it if somebody else was telling me it had happened to them. We'll see what next week has in store.

I had to get some pictures of the Sadhus/Babas/Holy Men today. They're everywhere in Rishikesh. It is normal to be strolling along through town and walk passed a few of them absolutely blasting 'Holy Smoke' into them.

So the lads chill out on the beaches by the Ganges all day every day blazing it up and not doing anything much else other than going in for a dip every now and then and sunbathing and they call it a religion. You have to love this place.


So apparently we're going to be kept up all night as it is a full moon and this is the most common night for Indian weddings. Since we arrived there has been diggers in clearing a site next to the Ashram which I thought, up until two days ago, was for an apartment block.

The area has been cleared, and it's probably half the size of a football pitch for a wedding which will go on for two days. As I was coming here I walked past the teams cooking for who knows how many people but they looked busy.

I'll leave you with a picture I took at the hairdressers the other day and a reminder that there is an album just added to the facebook page of rocking around Rishikesh today.

Om Santih, Santih, Santih.

Shankhaprakshalana

Namaste,

I will be adding pictures to the blog when I get a chance. So we are in preparation for the cleansing technique named in the title. This process starts by eating very easily digestible food two days prior.

The day before (today) we are eating nothing but fruit and tomorrow morning at 6am we will begin drinking salt water and practicing 5 Asanas until we begin to pass water through the bowel and continue the process until the water runs clear. As the digestive system is so sensitive afterwards we will eat nothing but Khichuri (Rice and Muung Daal) for the following two days and the entire process will be done in complete silence.

Sounds like fun??

Wait till you hear what we are doing before morning meditation every day next week.

This is an intensive detox before we begin an entire week of Kundalini Yoga.

So here goes. I'll be updating the blog straight after. I can imagine after two days of silence eating Khichuri I'm going to need to vent:-)

Delhi Belly

So it's one week since I've arrived in India to do the 500 hour Yoga Teacher Training course and it's been pretty wild from the get go. Not sure how much time I will have to blog but I'll whack this one up and see.

The reason I have time this afternoon is the class of 16 teachers from all over the world have been given some time to rest as 9 out of the 16 are down with sick tummies. Not me so far but we'll see. One of the first lectures we had opened with some introduction and rules of the Ashram. Here we were informed that they did not want us eating anything from outside the Ashram. Reason being that they wanted us to have a full experience of the Ayurvedic diet and secondarily so that we wouldn't get sick.

I could totally understand where they were coming from but knew I would find this impossible as their are 3 meals a day and I feel I need to eat more than that. Anyway this rule was removed a few days ago but the 9 people that got sick so far didn't all go out together to get something to eat last night. So it came from something they got in the Ashram. It can happen anywhere over here.

This country is absolutely bananas. It's bananas how cheap it is or, moreso, it's bananas how expensive it is back home, it's bananas how many people there are every single place you go, and every single time I leave the ashram it takes about 2 seconds to see something bananas.

Walking out of the Ashram yesterday a jeep came whizzing by me with a little girl's head out the back window and a steady stream of vomit projecting from her mouth, 20 feet further down the road I walk by 3 kids wearing nothing but t-shirts and the youngest is gathering muck and eating it. There's holy men of all varieties wearing all sorts of traditional dress rocking by you. You're passing cows, dogs and monkeys. You've to make sure you have no food visible when you're walking by the monkeys.

I was in this cafe last night which, to look at, you wouldn't go near and it does the best food I've had over here. As I'm eating a cow rocks into the restaurant trying to get at some of the food in the store. The owner shoos the cow out only for it to return 2 minutes later. The owner shoos the cow again and starts to hit it and it won't move. Eventually the owner just gives up so there I am eating my dinner in a restaurant surrounded by these holy men all staring at me as I eat and a cow is in the corner of the restaurant doing his thing. I was passing the same restaurant the night before and it's all open plan and the counter opens out onto the street and there's a mother coaxing her 3\4 year old son to have a dump literally right beside the counter. There is a taxi rank immediately across road where she could've taken him to go discreetly behind one of the cabs.

Anyway, these things happen constantly over here. You are constantly bombarded with smells, sounds, people, singing, shouting, barking, mooing, beeping and anything else that's in your immediate surroundings.

So the course.

The course has been amazing so far. We're at the end of week 1 and I have learned so much so far and there is 4 more weeks to go. It is so so nice to be in an environment learning with a big bunch of Yoga teachers with who knows how many years experience. There is teachers from or working in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, all over Canada, Boston, Chicago, LA, England, Scotland and their shared experience is worth so much alone.

The Akhanda school of training is very experiential and leans heavily on the spiritual and philosophical. We are up at 5am meditating every morning and Yoga practice is from 6am to 8am followed by breakfast in silence and then lectures on technique, philosophy, history and anatomy through the day to 6pm. 6pm is dinner followed by Kiirtan or Satsang. Kiirtan is basially a singalong and Satsang is where we get together for more experiential practices which are really really tough at times but very rewarding.

For the most part it is very fun. The teachers have a wonderful sense of humour and there is a great atmosphere throughout the group. I was very happy when I found out we are only 16 as smaller class size it much better for many reasons.

Yesterday we practiced the cleansing techniques (Kriyas) which involved pouring warm salty water in one nostril as it flows out the other. Then holding warm salty water in our mouth and pushing it out both nostrils followed by shoving a string up your nose until it comes out your mouth and pulling it right through. Not something I'll be making a habit of (you're supposed to do it every morning like brushing your teeth) but fun to try and it definitely takes you out of your comfort zone.

There are more fun cleansing techniques to come so I'll put it up as we go along and when I have time.

There's only so much you can write about as there has been so so many individual experiences this last week. The one initial thing I observed was the lifestyles of my fellow students from places like Whistler, Canada. The stuff that people are into is such a difference to Dublin. One of the girl's boyfriend's Polak. An Aussie living in Whistler is living in the Ashram and he rocks down to the banks of the Ganges and goes boldering (Rockclimbing without safety gear on low climbs). There's snowboarding instructors, dancers, personal trainers, life coaches and of course a lot of full-time yoga teachers here. One of the girl's Peggy has just retired and will travel for a year around Asia with her husband Dave after we finish.

Every one is super motivated and dying to suck in as much as they possibly can in their time here. How lucky am I to be a part of it!

Outdoor Yoga finished for 2010

So a lot of people have asked me can I recommend any teachers and/or studios to go to now that Outdoor Yoga has finished for 2010. Firstly I really can't thank everyone enough for coming down and I am sure that each and every teacher involved has taken the fondest memories with them of their classes outdoors and hopefully you have done the same.



There are many styles of Yoga (A lot of them are listed and described in a previous blog) and variety being the spice of life and the 'not knocking something before you try it approach' are two strong arguments for trying out some different styles of Yoga over the Autumn/Winter months.

A lot of studios are offering 1 month unlimited class passes at the moment so it's the perfect opportunity to get involved.

In no particular order of preference here are some links to teachers/studios to try around Dublin without descriptions or ratings. After all it is your practice so take an interest and do a bit of research.
Northside
Two Palms Yoga Aughrim Street
The Elbow Room Stoneybatter
Iyengar Yoga Centre North Circular Road
Nicola Staunton North Great Georges St eatthepeach@gmail.com
The Buddhist Centre James Joyce Street
Tara Wellbeing Studio Meath Street

Southside
Hush Yoga Herbert Place
The Yoga Room Merrion Road
Yoga Dublin Ranelagh
Yoga Rathmines Rathmines
Centre Studios Rathmines
Bikram Harold's Cross

City Centre
Samadhi Temple Bar
Olive Tree Camden Street
Lotus Yoga Grafton Street
Yogarani City Centre

One last thing before I sign off. A very good friend of mine is involved with a great charity called Self Help Africa and we're having one more class next Saturday 9th October in Herbert Park at 11am to raise some money for it and we'd love to see you there. No set fee, just donate what you can.

More details here

That's it from Outdoor Yoga until next year.

Love, peace and light.

Om Shanti,

Matt






Outdoor Yoga Class in Aid of Self Help Africa this Saturday 9th October in Herbert Park at 11am

Om

Om is not a word but rather an intonation, which, like music, transcends the barriers of age, race, culture and even species. It is made up of three Sanskrit letters, aa, au and ma which, when combined together, make the sound Aum or Om. It is believed to be the basic sound of the world and to contain all other sounds. It is a mantra or prayer in itself. If repeated with the correct intonation, it can resonate throughout the body so that the sound penetrates to the centre of one's being, the atman or soul.

There is harmony, peace and bliss in this simple but deeply philosophical sound. By vibrating the sacred syllable Om, the supreme combination of letters, if one thinks of the Ultimate Personality of Godhead and quits his body, he will certainly reach the highest state of "stateless" eternity, states the Bhagavad Gita.

According to the Mandukya Upanishad, "Om is the one eternal syllable of which all that exists is but the development. The past, the present, and the future are all included in this one sound, and all that exists beyond the three forms of time is also implied in it".

What style of Yoga is it?

So the question that yoga teachers probably get the most is what style of Yoga do you teach? And it's a fair one as there are so many different styles of teaching. In keeping with the whole bitesize approach I'll try to keep it as short as possible. So here goes.


Hatha

Introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, a sage of 15th century India, and compiler of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. In this treatise Swatmarama introduces Hatha Yoga as preparatory stage of physical purification that the body practices for higher meditation. Ha meaning 'Sun' and Tha meaning 'Moon', the practice called Hatha is a system that both stimulates and balances the polar opposites of Sun/Moon, Hot/Cold, Male/Female. When the two words 'Ha' and 'Tha' are put together 'Hatha' it translates to mean 'Forceful' which implies that powerful work must be done to purify the physical body in preparation for meditation.

Many modern schools of Hatha Yoga derive from the school of Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who taught from 1924 until his death in 1989. Among his students prominent in popularizing Yoga in the West were Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, famous for popularizing the vigorous Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga style, B.K.S. Iyengar who emphasizes alignment and the use of props, Indra Devi and

Krishnamacharya's son T.K.V. Desikachar who developed the Viniyoga style. This is a bit of the background surrounding Hatha Yoga and now is probably the best time to mention that they are all, as it shows above, inextricably linked. Hatha Yoga has come to mean any style of Yoga which has strong emphasis on Asana practice which would include most, if not all, of the popular styles of teaching in the West. Hatha Yoga classes would involve some breathing techniques (Pranayama), emphasis on postures (Asana) with slow transition between each one and meditation to complete the practice.



Hatha Flow


This is a strong physical practice which moves through the traditional Hatha Asanas in a flowing style linking the movement with the breath in an energetic and vigorous manor with very little rest in between each Asana creating a strong cardio-vascular workout.




Kundalini


According to yogic philosophy, the kundalini is a spiritual energy or life force located at the base of the spine. It is conceptualized as a coiled up serpent (literally, 'kundalini' in Sanskrit is 'that which is coiled.' Sanskrit kund, "to burn"; kunda, "to coil or to spiral"). Modern traditions have shown that kundalini energy can be awakened and consciousness altered in private or group settings by practicing a combination of yogic techniques - ideally through the guidance of a certified teacher. These techniques include chanting mantra, pranic techniques, personal or group sadhana, asana practice or kriyas, meditation, and devotional prayer to achieve health benefits and attain changes in consciousness.







Sivananda



Sivananda Yoga, after teachings of Swami Sivananda, is a non-proprietary form of hatha yoga in which the training focuses on preserving the health and wellness of the practitioner. Sivananda Yoga teachers are all graduates of the Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course, and students widely range in age and degrees of ability. Unlike Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga's more athletic program involving Bandhas, Sivananda training revolves around frequent relaxation, and emphasizes full, yogic breathing. Jivamukti

Jivamukti means “liberation while living.” This modern style of yoga emerged in 1984 from one of New York City’s best-known yoga studios. Founders David Life and Sharon Gannon incorporated their study of ashtanga yoga with Shri K. Pattabhi Jois with spiritual teachings, placing special emphasis on how to apply yogic philosophy to daily life. They have trained many teachers who have brought this style of yoga to studios and gyms, predominantly in the U.S.

Iyengar

Born in 1918, B.K.S. Iyengar began teaching yoga in 1936, after studying with the yoga guru Krishnamacharya in Mysore, India, in an effort to improve his health while suffering from tuberculosis. Iyengar continues to practice and teach today, assisted by his son Prashant and daughter Geeta, at his Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, India. His methods are also taught at Iyengar institutes throughout the world, and many yoga centers offer Iyengar classes.

Iyengar's method, a form of hatha yoga, is based on giving primacy to the physical alignment of the body in the poses. In the Iyengar school, it is taught that there is a correct way to do each pose, and that every student will one day be able to attain perfect poses through consistent practice. Once this balance is created in the body, it will be reflected in the mind. One of Iyengar's major innovations is in the use of props. Today it is quite common to see blankets, blocks, straps, pillows, chairs, and bolsters being used in yoga studios. The use of these props is comparatively new in the history of yoga and comes directly from Iyengar. The purpose of the props is to assist the student in attaining ideal alignment, even if the body is not yet open enough.

Yin

Yin Yoga has the same goals and objectives as any other school of yoga; however, it directs the stimulation normally created in the asana portion of the practice deeper than the superficial or muscular tissues (which we are calling the yang tissues). Yin Yoga targets the connective tissues, such as the ligaments, bones, and even the joints of the body that normally are not exercised very much in a more active style of asana practice.

Suitable for almost all levels of students, Yin Yoga is a perfect complement to the dynamic and muscular (yang) styles of yoga that emphasize internal heat, and the lengthening and contracting of our muscles. Yin Yoga generally targets the connective tissues of the hips, pelvis, and lower spine.

While initially this style of yoga can seem quite boring, passive, or soft, yin practice can be quite challenging due to the long duration of the poses. We can remain in the postures anywhere from one to twenty minutes! Yin and yang tissues respond quite differently to being exercised. You need to experience this to really know what Yin Yoga is all about. After you have experienced it, even just once, you will realize that you have been doing only half of the asana practice.


Ashtanga

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is an ancient system of yoga popularized by K. Pattabhi Jois.^[1] Pattabhi Jois began his yoga studies in 1927 at the age of 12, and by 1948 had established an institute for teaching the specific yoga practice known as Ashtanga (Sanskrit for "eight-limbed") Yoga.

Vinyasa Yoga is characterized by a focus on viṅyāsa, or a dynamic connecting posture, that creates a flow between the more static traditional yoga postures. Vinyasa translates as linking and the system also implies the linking of the movement to the breath. Essentially the breath dictates the movement and the length of time held in the postures. Unlike some Hatha yoga styles, attention is also placed on the journey between the postures not just the postures themselves. The viṅyāsa 'flow' is a variant of Sūrya namaskāra, the Sun Salutation. The whole practice is defined by six specific series of postures, always done in the same order, combined with specific breathing patterns (Free breathing with the ujjāyī sound).

A standard viṅyāsa consists (for example) of the flow from caturaṅga, or plank, to caturaṅga daṇḍāsana, or low plank, to ūrdhva mukha śvānāsana or upward-facing dog, to Adho Mukha Svanasana, or downward-facing dog. The purpose of viṅyāsa is to create heat in the body, which leads to purification of the body through increased circulation and sweating. Ashtanga Vinyasa brings in the principles of Agni and inversion to purify the entire body. ^[3] It also improves flexibility, as well as tendon and hard tissue strength, allowing the student to practice advanced āsanas with reduced risk of injury.

The Ashtanga Vinyasa series is said to have its origin in an ancient text called the Yoga Korunta, compiled by Vamana Rishi, which Krishnamacharya received from his Guru Rama Mohan Brahmachari at Mount Kailash in the early 20th century.^[4] In addition, there is evidence that the Ashtanga Vinyasa series incorporates exercises used by Indian wrestlers and British gymnastics.^[5]

Krishnamacharya has had considerable influence on many of the modern forms of yoga taught today. Among his students were many notable present-day teachers such as K. Pattabhi Jois, B.K.S. Iyengar, Indra Devi, and Krishnamacharya's son T.K.V. Desikachar. Krishnamacharya was well known for tailoring his teachings to address specific concerns of the person or group he was teaching^{[citation needed]}, and a vinyasa series for adolescents is a result of this^{[citation needed]}. When working under the convalescing Maharaja of Mysore, Krishnamacharya set up a shala, or yoga school in the palace grounds and adapted the practice outlined in the Yoga Korunta for the young boys who lived there^{[citation needed]}. Vinyasa has since been thought of as a physically demanding practice, which can be successful at channeling the hyperactivity of young minds. This system can also be used as a vessel for helping calm ongoing chatter of the mind, reducing stress and teaching extroverted personalities to redirect their attention to their internal experience.

Vinyasa

Vinyasa is a term that covers a broad range of yoga classes. The word Vinyasa means “breath-synchronized movement.” In other words, the teacher will instruct you to move from one pose to the next on an inhale or an exhale. This technique is sometimes also called Vinyasa Flow, or just Flow because of the smooth way that the poses run together and become like a dance.





Bikram

Living yoga master Bikram Choudhury is a Hot Yoga innovator. His method of Hot Yoga is a set series of 26 yoga poses, including two pranayama exercises, each of which is performed twice in a single 90 minute class. Choudhury, who was born in Calcutta, India in 1946, founded the Yoga College of India in Beverly Hills in 1974. He and his wife Rajashree were both yoga champions in India. Recently, Choudhury was involved in a lawsuit over his attempt to copyright his series of 26 poses done in a hot room. At the heart of the controversy is Choudhury's desire to prevent anyone teaching yoga in a heated room from calling their class "Bikram Yoga." He would like to reserve this title only for those teachers who are certified by his Yoga College of India and who stick to his prescribed method exactly (including not only the temperature of the room and order of poses, but also the carpet and mirrors in the room, and his approved text). The lawsuit was resolved with an out-of-court settlement in which Choudhury agreed not to sue the members of a San Francisco-based collective of Hot Yoga teachers and they agreed not to use the Bikram name. Bikram remains a very controversial figure in the yoga world.

Hot Yoga

Hot Yoga is a series of yoga poses done in a heated room. The room is usually maintained at a temperature of 35-40 degrees. As you can imagine, a vigorous yoga session at this temperature promotes profuse sweating and makes the body very warm, and therefore more flexible.








Anusara

Founded in 1997 by American yogi John Friend, Anusara (which means "flowing with grace") is very popular in the U.S. and increasingly available in Europe and Asia. Anusara headquarters are in The Woodlands, Texas, a suburb of Houston, however Friend travels extensively worldwide, giving workshops and training Anusara teachers. Friend studied and taught Iyengar yoga prior to developing the Anusara method, which explains Anusara's focus on alignment.

The principle aspects that define Anusara are:

• a philosophy, derived from Tantra, that all beings are inherently good
• a vinyasa-style practice that emphasizes heart-opening and the application of the Universal Principals of Alignment, Friend's system for explaining the correct positioning for each yoga pose.
• an intention to bring the lessons learned in yoga class into daily life

Raja Yoga

So I've missed a week with this Blog which I'm not liking but what an amazing week it's been. I attended a workshop by a fellow called John Friend. I have a feeling if you haven't heard of him already you will. He is the founder of a style of Yoga teaching that he calls Anusara that seems, for good reason, to be growing very fast in popularity.

You'll see Jeordy and Hali pictured below who travelled with John and assisted him over his European Tour. Jeordy and Hali were kind enough to share their experience of Anusara to me and both of the classes in Herbert Park on Tuesday which was pretty amazing.

Over the course of the weekend I got to spend some time with a large group from the Irish Yoga community which was truly magical. There are some amazing teachers in this country.



I will use the next blog to run through as many of the different Yoga styles that you may or may not be familiar with and what each one is.

But, for now, I wanted to wrap up the meaning of Asthanga Yoga which if you've just started reading I've been focusing on for the last few posts.

So the title of this blog.... Raja Yoga! What does it mean?? Raja means 'Royal' and Yoga means 'Union'. So the Royal Union but it is also translated as Classical Yoga and recorded history says it was first described by a fellow named Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras.



Within the Hindu Philosophy Raja Yoga is referred to as simply Yoga. It is called 'Royal Yoga' and it is primarily concerned with the mind and the mind is the King/Ruler of the rest of our physicality hence the title of 'Royal'.

Raja Yoga says the body must first be tamed through various self-disciplines and purification practices a prescription for which is listed as Ashtanga Yoga which Raja Yoga is sometimes called.

Patanjali's Yoga Sutras begin by saying 'Yoga limits the movement of the mind' and as the mind steadies it becomes quiet/calm and this state is called Nirbija meaning 'Seedless'.

Practices that serve to maintain for the individual the ability to access this state may be considered Raja Yoga practices.

In this sense Raja Yoga is called the "king among yogas": all yogic practices are seen as potential tools for obtaining the seedless state, itself considered to be the starting point in the quest to cleanse Karma and obtain Moksha or Nirvana. Historically, schools of yoga that label themselves "Raja" offer students a mix of yogic practices and (hopefully or ideally) this philosophical viewpoint.

Raja Yoga aims at controlling all thought-waves. While a Hatha Yogi starts his Sadhana, or spiritual practice, with Asanas (postures) and Pranayama, a Raja Yogi starts his Sadhana with the mind as well as a certain minimum of asanas and pranayamas usually included as a preparation for the meditation and concentration.

So Ashtanga Yoga which we have been talking about, the 8 faceted path of Yoga, is prescribed as the 8 principles of Raja Yoga/Classical Yoga/Royal Union/Yoga in Hindu Philosophy within Patanjali's Yoga Sutras.

Enough information for one day?? Maybe. I do want to keep descriptions of everything mentioned as short as possible.

Next time I'll be listing the most popular styles of Yoga and as short a description as I can. Maybe it'll help you choose what style you would like to begin practicing or encourage you to try something different one Saturday morning. I'll leave it there wishing you peace, love and light and a great weekend.

Om Shanti

Experiencing Contemplation (Dharana) through the Practice of Gazing (Tradaka)

This is an example of Pratyahara (Senses drawing inwards) flowing into Dharana (Contemplation).

It begins with an external physical focus and then draws you inward to the subtle image.

Choose an inspirational object: a lit candle, a photo, flowers, the sunrise or sunset, a mandala or yantra (sacred geometric pattern), or anything at all that uplifts you and evokes a quiet, peaceful feeling.




Sit directly in front of it at eye level, close enough for you to see the form and feel its qualities.

Close your eyes. Take in a few deep breaths and let them out slowly as your body calms and becomes still.

Slowly open the eyes halfway. Begin to gaze at your chosen object; the eyes and eyelids remain relaxed and soft.

Allow the image to flow toward you.

The eyes may wander. Gently bring them back to the chosen object and let the breath continue to be gentle.

Allow the eyes to be directed outward until they blink, tear or feel in any way uncomfortable. Then close them softly.

Observe the image as it now appears in the mind's eye. Gently perceive the same inspirational qualities as you go deep within.

When the inner image begins to fade, open the eyes again and gaze toward the external object.

If the mind starts wandering bring your awareness gently back towards the object in front of you.

Let all thoughts and feelings drift into the background as you contemplate your sacred object.

If any tension creeps into the body, take in a few deep breaths and let it go.

After a few minutes, allow the eyes to close, drawing deep within. Clearly 'see' the image with the inner eye. Be silent for a few minutes and enjoy the inner stillness of Dharana.

Samyama - The Final 3 Facets

So to recap the first 5 Limbs are

1. Yamas Reflecting our true nature/Moral Guide
2. Niyamas Self-Observances
3. Asana Postures to prepare the body to sit still
4. Pranayama Circulating energy/life force through controlled breathing
5. Pratyahara The withdrawal of the senses or mastery of external influences

The final three facets are more internal than the preceding five, and as they flow seamlessly from one to another, they are known as Samyama (Fusion).

The final 3 are not practices like the first 5. Rather, they are progressive internal states that evolve from the cultivation of the first 5 practices.

The 'Doing' of the first 5 transforms into the 'Being' of the final 3.

So we can say that following the flow of Yamas and Niyamas as the 1st and 2nd limbs of Ashtaanga Yoga, we develop love and respect for others as well as ourselves, the mind and emotions become calm. Asana and Pranayama, the 3rd and 4th Limbs, allow the life force to gather and refine, bringing ease to the body, mind and emotions. Then Pratyahara, the 5th limb, encourages the senses inward.

6. Dharana Contemplation/Reflection
Gathering consciousness and focusing it within is Dharana

The Sanskrit root 'Dha' means to support, and the final two limbs rest on this one. There are many exercises to help the mind focus on a still point. I will leave this until another blog.


7.Dhyana Meditation

The continued unbroken inward flow of consciousness toward one point is Dhyana. This limb is the fruit of Dharana, occuring as you focus on one point in a state of continuous calm - the root 'Dhi' means intellect or thinking.


8. Samadhi

When individual consciousness unites with the Diving Consciousness, the illusion of separateness dissolves; this is Samadhi

Sama meaning 'Equal' Dhi meaning 'Thinking'

Observing the first 7 limbs brings you into a balanced mind-state, where you are aware of the eternal.

So that is enough for one day. If you're reading this I hope you're enjoying it. Enjoy the rest of your week.

Om Shanti.

5th Limb, Pratyahara. The Subtlest aspect of Hatha Yoga

So we're on the 5th Limb of Asha-taanga Yoga.

Pratyahara meaning the withdrawal of the senses or mastery of external influences.

It is a prelude to meditation. Most meditation techniques begin by encouraging the senses inwards so that the mind may follow.

Because of the degree of over stimulation of the senses in modern society. For example city life, computers, televisions. This can be a difficult process. But with continuous guidance from the Yamas(1st Limb) and Niyamas(2nd Limb) and senses grow calm.

Gently enticing the senses to draw within starts with our strongest information-gatherer; the power of sight. More than 75 percent of information gathered from the external world is assembled from what we see.

Redirecting the seeing to an internal focus encourages all the other senses to follow. Because we load so many visual images in our minds, we continue to 'see' even with the eyes closed. Often students learning to meditate are coached to establish their inward gaze between the eyebrows (to their 'third eye') or at the heart centre. With this slow and gentle training the mind will gradually let go of images/thoughts and become still.

Carefully choosing our outward images can help the inner vision to calm. Choosing to watch a television that changes channel over and over again over the course of an evening or surf the internet going from one website to the next and on again will leave the mind racing between umpteen amount of images and thoughts and usually with not one of any importance at all.

For a deeper level of practice, you may choose to withdraw, to a simple place in nature that affords very little outward stimulation. Now would be a perfect opportunity to mention that our public parks offer many such places:)

As the 'sight' firmly adheres to the inner world, the sense of hearing follows. Refining the level and quality of sound we regularly experience prepares us for the subtle internal sounds. The subtler senses of touch, smell and taste join seeing and hearing.

Encouraging the senses to draw inwards is Pratyahara

4th Limb Pranayama - The movement/circulation of the Life Force

Inhabiting and surrounding each cell of our physical body is the universal energy called PRANA. This energy is named QI in Japan and CHI in China.

Everything in the natural world has a field of energy surrounding and circulating through it. At different times the quality and quantity of Prana can vary.

As we inhale we draw the Prana to the centre of our being, and with the exhalation it journeys outward. A slight natural pause between the inhale and the exhale allows oxygen as well as the Prana to circulate throughout our beings.

Pranayama is the practice of consciously controlling the breath i.e. the inhale, the exhale and retention of the breath to channel our inherent life force leading us into the stillness necessary for meditation.

Asana steadies the body; Pranayama aligns the mental and emotional patterns. We will then guide the senses through Pratyahara, allowing us to focus and dive deep within.

Pranayama Practices will be explained in a later Blog but as we are dealing with Asha-tanga (The 8 Limbs of Yoga) we will leave it there for today.

Om Shanti:)

So the Asanas - The 3rd Limb

The Asanas are the physical yoga poses practiced to prepare ourselves to sit in meditation. Asana being a Sanskrit word for Seat.

Yoga in its completeness is a way of life that allows total transformation.

The Physical Postures (Asanas) can serve as an introduction to this, initially reintroducing us to our bodies.

What is being taught under the name of Yoga and what is taught at Outdoor Yoga is a minute part of a much much wider tradition. From a fitness and physical health perspective the benefits are endless (quite a few are listed in one of the first blogs) and if that is where it starts and ends for you I am very glad that it has helped you in some way.

So I'm using this blog to fill in some of the blanks that are left from an hour per week in a Yoga class which is mostly if not wholely Asana based. So if that is your experience of Yoga you are familiar enough with the physical and seeing as I'm trying to make this as 'bitesize' as possible we will leave the Asanas there for now.

In Yoga we say Mental Tension (anxiety, depression) manifests as Stiffness in our Physical body. The Asanas are practiced to settle the Body so that we can sit in comfort and stillness.

'Within is the wellspring of Good; and it is always ready to bubble up, if you just dig.' Marcus Aurelius

Hatha Yoga

The complete system of Hatha Yoga increases vital energy by aligning our physical and subtle bodies, through

Asana Physical Poses 3rd Limb
Pranayama Guiding and enhancing the life force through breathing practices 4th Limb
Pratyahara Encouraging the senses inward through deep relaxation. 5th Limb


All 3 are supposed to be practiced together. Each one being as important as the next. This being one of two points worth making before we move on.

Second point being Hatha Yoga does not just mean a series of physical poses (Asanas) but also practicing the breathing techniques (Pranayama) and encouraging the senses inward (pratyahara) in unison.

Ha-tha

Ha

represents:

the sun
heating
qualities of reason
intellectual thinking
masculine

Tha

represents:

the moon
cooling
emotion
intuitive feeling
feminine

Ha-tha is the integrative energy of the two within every one of us

light and dark
sun and moon
masculine and feminine

And the more balanced these are, the more at harmony one feels.

Next time we will start with the first mentioned of the 3 elements of Ha-tha Yoga.

Asana

Have a fantastic day:)

Om

Yamas and Niyamas - The 1st and 2nd Limbs

So the first Limb of the 8 faceted Path (Ashtanga Yoga) is the Yamas. This is most commonly translated as 'restraints' with its literal translation being 'Death'.

We can say the Yamas are a Code of Conduct for living which will help bring a compassionate death to the ego or the 'lower self'.

The nicest translation of the Yamas I have come across is reflecting our true nature as 'restraints' conjures up negative responses.

There are 5 guiding Yamas being:

Ahimsa: Non-harming to others and ourselves
Satya: Being truthful to others but also within ourselves and having integrity
Astheya: Non-stealing - Generosity and Honesty
Brahmacharya: Balance and Moderation of the vital life force
Aparigraha: Letting go of desires/Fulfillment

Niyamas are the self-observances which can be described as evolution towards harmony which also has 5 parts

Saucha: Simplicity, Purity, Cleanliness
Santosha: Contentment, being at peace with oneself and others, accepting what life brings you.
Tapas: Disciplined Practice
Swadhaya: Self-study, the study of spiritual texts to help understanding
Ishwara Pranidhana: Surrender to a higher being.

The Yamas and Niyamas are the first two limbs of Ashtanga Yoga and most commonly translated as the restraints and self-observances, five facets in each and have been described as the 10 Commandments of Yoga and also the Dos (Niyamas) and Don'ts (Yamas).

The exact meanings can be lost or often misinterpreted at least when translated from Sanskrit as Yoga really is much more gentle than that as I translate it anyway.

If the Yamas are described as reflecting our true nature then all that is good is our true nature and by trying to adhere to/follow the five facets we are simply returning to who we really are.

So these are the first 2 Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga prescribed by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras (we'll get into that later). So not a mention of the Asanas (Postures) or Pranayama (Breathing techniques) just yet as would be guessed by most when asked what is the first two limbs of Ashtanga yoga.

I'll leave it there hoping what is written is clear, concise and bitesize enough for a quick read while taking a break at work or wherever this finds you.

So if Yoga is split up into 8 parts, what are they?

OK so here goes. I'm not sure how far this blog will go but if there is one thing I did want to go through using this medium it is Ashtanga Yoga.

Ashtanga Yoga is all of the elements of Yoga practice listed in eight principles. It is seen as a guide to practically applying Yoga to our daily life.

Ashtaanga being two words simply meaning 8 (Ashta) and tanga can be translated as limbs, principles or intertwining facets.

The most important thing to remember regarding the relationship between these 8 principles is that they are an integrated system.

What do we mean by that?

It means that Ashtanga is not a series of points to accomplish/complete then moving on to the next. Instead they interact and function interdependently as a whole.

'Within Yoga Philosophy it is said that by embracing Ashtanga Yoga, intuitive wisdom dawns and reveals our inner radiance.'

I think it's very easy to make things sound an awful lot more complicated than they need to be and a lot of the time if anything sounds too religious or flower-power hippyish it can immediately register as negative to the listener/reader.

I'll end this blog by rephrasing the quote above

Within the Yoga tradition we say that by understanding the 8 limbs and following them as much as we can. Our natural tendency towards enlightenment or knowing ourselves is encouraged therefore revealing our inner light or simply who we really are.

So the next time I will start with the first limb of Ashtanga Yoga.

Have a great day whatever you're up to:)

So what's all this Yoga really about??

Hi there,

Thanks very much for stopping by. I've left this blog untouched pretty much since I set it up last year. It was suggested to me that it would be a good idea to set one up but didn't see the need or any reasoning for one until now.

Unfortunately there is only so much you can cram into a 1 hour class and due to the fact that we practice outdoors for 5-6 months a year our focus is almost entirely on the 3rd Limb of Yoga which is the Asanas (postures......the physicality of yoga) but there are 8 and 2 preceding what we tend to practice primarily if not solely.

I'm going to use this Outdoor Yoga Blog to fill in the blanks so to speak in a fast-life-friendly bitesize version covering what we don't get to go through in class as we only have such a short time together.

The vast majority of people take up Yoga for Flexibility, Fitness, Strengthening, Stress Relief and a myriad of reasons associated with physical issues which is absolutely fine and if one wants to leave it there that's perfectly fine too.

However if you'd like to learn a little bit more about what Yoga is about you can follow this blog and hopefully it'll add to your yoga practice or be the beginnings to:)

Hoping you're having a fantastic day wherever this finds you.

Outdoor Yoga's Fan Page


http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Dublin-Ireland/Outdoor-Yoga/119758451203?ref=ts