Being a "yoga teacher" is tricky business because when your role is to help guide people into a more intimate relationship with their bodies you quickly realize that your own process is one that never ends. In my own practice I am getting back to some basics in terms of alignment and structure. We often forget as we move into a posture trying to replicate what we see the teacher doing to begin with our feet. As a student you tend to watch the posture from the top down but as practitioners we must build the posture FEET FIRST. During your day today and during yoga try to pay special attention to your foot placement. Engage with the earth through the souls of your feet.
As I was playing with my son I noticed some tension in my lower back. I adjusted my posture and began applying force through my feet so that my leg muscles (start with thighs then add calves and hamstrings) were strong and active. I immediately noticed two things happen; my abdominal muscles became active and the tension in my lower back disappeared. Whether walking to the water cooler or chasing a toddler try to do it FEET FIRST and notice the difference.
Walk with gratitude today and be aware of the earth beneath you feet.
Namaste,
Steve
Yogi Jayanta
Showing posts with label jayanta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jayanta. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Yoga Myth #9: "Yoga Begins and Ends on the Mat"
Our final myth in this blog series strikes at the heart of the limited view of yoga in the West. If you think that your yoga practice is a physical workout that begins and ends on your mat you are missing the vastness and broad application of the practice to daily life. The core elements of our yoga practice apply to every part of our life. We face resistance in physical and mental formats in our practice that prepare us for those moments in our life when we instinctively resist. There is a popular saying out there (I can't remember where I heard it first) that says, "What you resist persists". This resistance can take many forms but there is always a "contraction" involved, mental and physical.
In our yoga practice on the mat we can become more and more aware of subtle contractions in the body and apply concentrated relaxation methods. Sounds like a bit of an oxymoron but welcome to the mind-body world. According to John Milton, a Tai Chi master and remarkable spiritual teacher "Relaxation and Presence" is the simple reality of conscious living. To learn to relax (surrender) in the face of your own resistance is a powerful outcome of taking yoga beyond the mat. Becoming aware of our mental resistance and physical contractions gives us the opportunity to claim responsibility. The social norm is to blame someone or something else for triggering this reaction if we are even aware of it at all.
Take your yoga beyond the mat by noticing your reactions that are composed of mental resistance and physical contraction. Relax and remain present with the feelings that are triggered and allow them to move through your body like a wave and let them go. Come back to the breath...back to the moment, be present. This simple process will change your experience of life and will undoubtedly improve the lives of those around you.
We will be practicing Beloved Yoga on the mat tomorrow morning at the Milo Boathouse at 10 am. I hope you can make it.
In the mean time relax and be present.
Namaste,
Steve
Yogi Jayanta
Monday, January 25, 2010
Yoga Myth #3: "I Don't Have Time"
Our third yoga myth has to do with that monkey on everybody's back....time. We have all had times in our lives where we have prioritized the activities that are essential our our well-being. We have also had periods where we have not...and the difference can be staggering. I appreciate that getting to a weekly class may seem overwhelming and there may be real barriers in your responsibilities and/or schedule that make it seem impossible. That said, we all have the same number of hours in the day and we all have a body, a mind and a capacity for awareness that is awe-inspiring.
Take 5 and Change your Life
Spend 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes in the evening simply being aware of your breath. Keep your body still sitting on the floor or in a chair (even if it has to be in the bathroom), sometimes that is the only place to get some alone time. Make friends with your breath, forgive yourself for anything and everything, forgive others with the same intensity. Let go of regrets from the past and fear of the future and be simply and fully present with yourself. This practice of awareness is also yoga. Concentrate your mind and you may discover a well of bliss within yourself that offers the gift of renewal and freedom 5 minutes at a time.
Our days are busy, give yourself time to be present - I assure you that everyone in your life will benefit.
Namaste,
Steve
Yogi Jayanta
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
PRANA...more than meets the eye!
Hello All
I ran into a fact of human perception that I thought was relevant in our on-going exploration of prana. According to neurological research, human beings are "only aware of 2,000 bits of information out of 400 billion bits of information we are processing per second." As a percentage, you are only aware of 0.0000005% of the information your mind-body system is registering...and we thought using only 10% of our brain was dramatic! To implicate a discrepancy this large into our lives is very challenging but let me help to give a small example of how this may work. Look around you, right now... what you see? Now, try to be aware of just how much you are actually seeing in this fresh new moment of now and how much you are simply remembering, based on past conditioning. It is VERY difficult to separate the two but spend some time on this exercise with people you meet and with the places you go and you will notice, if you are willing, just how quickly we default to conditioned responses as opposed to perceiving and experiencing what is right here right now.
Cosmic and solar prana are all around you even now as are radio waves, electromagnetic fields and many other phenomena that we do not see. With training and practice, certain subtle phenomena can become visible through heightened sensory perception that is a bi-product of concentration. These experiences however are only revealing a tiny portion of the full spectrum of reality that surrounds us in any given moment. Perhaps the biggest lesson as we scratch the surface of our perception and begin to deepen our awareness is that of humility.
What you thought may not actually be but rather possibility may be reality...
We will dive into the depth of awareness at Beloved Yoga and Meditation tonight starting at 7 pm....be there or be square ; )
Be out of the box.
Namaste,
Steve
Yogi Jayanta
Friday, November 6, 2009
Yama #3: Non-Stealing +
The next step on our yogic disciplines that help to lay the foundation for a deeper yoga practice is most often translated as non-stealing (asteya). In researching the deeper meaning of this Sanskrit word I found that "steya" relates to adornment or envelopment and the "a" at the beginning is a negation. Therefore, asteya could be seen as not adorning oneself or becoming enveloped in a thought, word or deed. These translations come from Vishvananda Ishaya...thank you!
There are many externally imposed ideas around right and wrong but this is an invitation to go deeper into a very important principle of conscious living. Clearly taking something from another is inappropriate but this form of discipline is self-arising which means we practice asteya in order to preserve and protect the sacredness of our beingness not out of some externally imposed sense of morality. Taking on another's belief system or mimicking their actions is often a form of "covering up" a void that we are not willing to feel in our lives.
When I was a child I was so enamored with my father that it was clear to me I was going to be like him, no matter what. He was a pilot in the military and so that was my automatic preferred career path. I was devastated as a young teenager when I was hit in the eye with a puck and being a military pilot was no longer an option. Still, as a young adult in university I joined the military as an Aerospace engineer which lead me to a period of deep sadness and profound lack of fulfillment. I see now how this was a violation of the asteya principle. I had taken on my father's vocation as a means to fill a void of love that was painful for me. Just like taking money when we do not feel we have enough we take on beliefs, language and behaviors because we feel we lack something in our lives. A practice of asteya would be to begin to notice the ways in which we do not feel like we are "good enough" and adopt attitudes, behaviors and belief systems as a way of compensating.
You are perfect just as you are. You are an integral part of the great consciousness continually manifesting as life itself. The spiritual path inspired by the ancient teachings of yoga begin with the five yamas. This word yama may also be translated as "death" and when we make the effort to deeply let go of old patterns and habits that are so ingrained in how we identify ourselves it may feel like a death. The absolute beauty that is your simple essence is waiting to shine through the clouds of the ego. Commit yourself to the practice of asteya by being so full and complete within yourself and your faith that you need not seek to be filled by another.
We will use our practice tomorrow morning at 8:45 at Milo Boathouse to fill up on the simple essence of life through a deep awareness of body and breath. I hope you can make it.
Namaste,
Steve
Yogi Jayanta
There are many externally imposed ideas around right and wrong but this is an invitation to go deeper into a very important principle of conscious living. Clearly taking something from another is inappropriate but this form of discipline is self-arising which means we practice asteya in order to preserve and protect the sacredness of our beingness not out of some externally imposed sense of morality. Taking on another's belief system or mimicking their actions is often a form of "covering up" a void that we are not willing to feel in our lives.
When I was a child I was so enamored with my father that it was clear to me I was going to be like him, no matter what. He was a pilot in the military and so that was my automatic preferred career path. I was devastated as a young teenager when I was hit in the eye with a puck and being a military pilot was no longer an option. Still, as a young adult in university I joined the military as an Aerospace engineer which lead me to a period of deep sadness and profound lack of fulfillment. I see now how this was a violation of the asteya principle. I had taken on my father's vocation as a means to fill a void of love that was painful for me. Just like taking money when we do not feel we have enough we take on beliefs, language and behaviors because we feel we lack something in our lives. A practice of asteya would be to begin to notice the ways in which we do not feel like we are "good enough" and adopt attitudes, behaviors and belief systems as a way of compensating.
You are perfect just as you are. You are an integral part of the great consciousness continually manifesting as life itself. The spiritual path inspired by the ancient teachings of yoga begin with the five yamas. This word yama may also be translated as "death" and when we make the effort to deeply let go of old patterns and habits that are so ingrained in how we identify ourselves it may feel like a death. The absolute beauty that is your simple essence is waiting to shine through the clouds of the ego. Commit yourself to the practice of asteya by being so full and complete within yourself and your faith that you need not seek to be filled by another.
We will use our practice tomorrow morning at 8:45 at Milo Boathouse to fill up on the simple essence of life through a deep awareness of body and breath. I hope you can make it.
Namaste,
Steve
Yogi Jayanta
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Yama #2: Truthfulness
Hello All,
We continue our exploration of the grounding principles of yoga known as the YAMAS. These five disciplines can provide a powerful grounding influence in our daily lives. The second discipline that follows non-violence is truthfulness (satya). This word may also be translated to be genuine, real or honest. Like all aspects of yoga the more we are able to cultivate these principles within the more effective we can be in expressing them in our relationships with others.
Let's look to the paired opposite to deepen our exploration of truthfulness. In which ways are we not honest with ourselves? One of the things that has been coming up for me is a tendency to look for a distraction in a painful or uncomfortable moment. I can imagine these distractions taking many forms from as simple as changing the subject to having a drink to expressing anger. There are infinite possibilities but as we become more aware we can hesitate and hold that "uncomfortable space" and be honest with ourselves by allowing ourselves to feel what there is to be felt.
This is a practice of compassion, of honesty and most certainly of yoga. On the mat we get accustomed to being present with sensations in the body and this training is directly related to practicing this presence with our emotional nature. We are all carry conditioned reactions based on our past, family and society; to indulge in these conditioned reactions is to avoid reality. We all have the opportunity to experience and express, more fully, the principle of truthfulness in our lives. Become familiar with the triggers that "set you off" and start to infuse a little space between the trigger and the reaction. Be courageous in your truth and be forgiving in your reactions.
Truthfulness is about Getting Real and when we take steps to be present with ourselves and with one another there is a tremendous amount of energy released into your life. What we do not see is that holding onto these conditioned reactions consumes a tremendous amount of energy. The process of enlightenment is like small photons of light being released in our being each time with choose to act with compassion and awareness.
Our yoga class tonight at the Milo Boathouse (7pm) will center on developing the skills of truthfulness by learning to be more present with our bodies, our minds and our breath. Meditation (8pm) allows us to go even deeper into the process of releasing unconscious reactive tendencies. If you have never experienced our meditation group consider joining us for no other reason than to more fully experience your own nature.
I wish you all great courage in practicing truthfulness this day in every way.
Namaste,
Steve
Yogi Jayanta
We continue our exploration of the grounding principles of yoga known as the YAMAS. These five disciplines can provide a powerful grounding influence in our daily lives. The second discipline that follows non-violence is truthfulness (satya). This word may also be translated to be genuine, real or honest. Like all aspects of yoga the more we are able to cultivate these principles within the more effective we can be in expressing them in our relationships with others.
Let's look to the paired opposite to deepen our exploration of truthfulness. In which ways are we not honest with ourselves? One of the things that has been coming up for me is a tendency to look for a distraction in a painful or uncomfortable moment. I can imagine these distractions taking many forms from as simple as changing the subject to having a drink to expressing anger. There are infinite possibilities but as we become more aware we can hesitate and hold that "uncomfortable space" and be honest with ourselves by allowing ourselves to feel what there is to be felt.
This is a practice of compassion, of honesty and most certainly of yoga. On the mat we get accustomed to being present with sensations in the body and this training is directly related to practicing this presence with our emotional nature. We are all carry conditioned reactions based on our past, family and society; to indulge in these conditioned reactions is to avoid reality. We all have the opportunity to experience and express, more fully, the principle of truthfulness in our lives. Become familiar with the triggers that "set you off" and start to infuse a little space between the trigger and the reaction. Be courageous in your truth and be forgiving in your reactions.
Truthfulness is about Getting Real and when we take steps to be present with ourselves and with one another there is a tremendous amount of energy released into your life. What we do not see is that holding onto these conditioned reactions consumes a tremendous amount of energy. The process of enlightenment is like small photons of light being released in our being each time with choose to act with compassion and awareness.
Our yoga class tonight at the Milo Boathouse (7pm) will center on developing the skills of truthfulness by learning to be more present with our bodies, our minds and our breath. Meditation (8pm) allows us to go even deeper into the process of releasing unconscious reactive tendencies. If you have never experienced our meditation group consider joining us for no other reason than to more fully experience your own nature.
I wish you all great courage in practicing truthfulness this day in every way.
Namaste,
Steve
Yogi Jayanta
Monday, November 2, 2009
Yama #1: Non-Violence
Hello All,
Perhaps the most potent aspect of yoga is its universality and inherent secularism. Patanjali, the founder of the yogic system was very clear that this path of awakening was not ever to be tied to any particular religion, culture or creed. The eight steps of awakening known as the Ashtanga Marga (eight-limbed path) are a step-by-step guide to becoming who we are as human beings. The first step on this spiritual ladder is self-control or the five YAMAS. The first of these five points of discipline or principles of conscious living is non-violence (ahimsa).
In our yoga practice we honor those who have come before us and practiced the disciplines and realized the fruits of that practice. In looking for a model of ahimsa, Mahatma Ghandi comes to mind. He was a passionate practitioner of non-violence though dealt with some very challenging questions. Many would suggest that in starving himself and emaciating his body he was in violation of this principle though he did it for the "greater good". In small ways in our own lives it is important to strive for non-violence in thought, word and deed and it is not always clear what behaviors are having a violent effect in our lives or the lives of others.
Our practice on the yoga mat provides us with an interior focus that serves to empower our reflective nature. This is an important step in giving us the ability to be present with our thoughts. When we can be present with our thoughts we gain the ability to hesitate before saying or doing something that may be of a violent nature. One of the dictionary definitions of violence is, "intensity of feeling or expression". As we continue on the path of yoga we invariably become more and more subtle in terms of our awareness. We learn to transmute our intense feelings and emotions without denying or repressing them. This is something that I am continuing to learn and it can be very difficult.
We all have violent habits that can be rooted out with awareness, practice and discipline. I tend to put up a wall in moments of feeling hurt. This defense mechanism is designed by the ego to protect me but invariably makes me emotionally unavailable. In moments of intense feeling this can lead to a "violent silence" that can be quite painful to the person with whom I am relating. My practice this week will be to cultivate the courage to lower that ego-based guard and be vulnerable as a path to deepening my understanding and expression of non-violence.
Take a moment and consider the role of violence in your life. Subtle forms of violence include gossiping about someone, thinking negatively about another, secretly hoping for another to suffer, indulging in gratification over another person's pain. There are infinite ways in which we may step towards the principle of non-violence. Please let me know if there is something that "clicks" for you with respect to the practice of non-violence in your life and practice.
Yoga with Claudette (thank you!) at the Milo Boathouse in Yarmouth tonight at 7pm. I will be back in town for our Wednesday class. Remember that by developing your Beloved Yoga practice you are improving your ability to practice non-violence and thereby improving the quality of your life, those around you and at some level the entire planet. Afterall, we are all connected!
Namaste: "The ONE in me greets the ONE in you",
Steve
Yogi Jayanta
Perhaps the most potent aspect of yoga is its universality and inherent secularism. Patanjali, the founder of the yogic system was very clear that this path of awakening was not ever to be tied to any particular religion, culture or creed. The eight steps of awakening known as the Ashtanga Marga (eight-limbed path) are a step-by-step guide to becoming who we are as human beings. The first step on this spiritual ladder is self-control or the five YAMAS. The first of these five points of discipline or principles of conscious living is non-violence (ahimsa).
In our yoga practice we honor those who have come before us and practiced the disciplines and realized the fruits of that practice. In looking for a model of ahimsa, Mahatma Ghandi comes to mind. He was a passionate practitioner of non-violence though dealt with some very challenging questions. Many would suggest that in starving himself and emaciating his body he was in violation of this principle though he did it for the "greater good". In small ways in our own lives it is important to strive for non-violence in thought, word and deed and it is not always clear what behaviors are having a violent effect in our lives or the lives of others.
Our practice on the yoga mat provides us with an interior focus that serves to empower our reflective nature. This is an important step in giving us the ability to be present with our thoughts. When we can be present with our thoughts we gain the ability to hesitate before saying or doing something that may be of a violent nature. One of the dictionary definitions of violence is, "intensity of feeling or expression". As we continue on the path of yoga we invariably become more and more subtle in terms of our awareness. We learn to transmute our intense feelings and emotions without denying or repressing them. This is something that I am continuing to learn and it can be very difficult.
We all have violent habits that can be rooted out with awareness, practice and discipline. I tend to put up a wall in moments of feeling hurt. This defense mechanism is designed by the ego to protect me but invariably makes me emotionally unavailable. In moments of intense feeling this can lead to a "violent silence" that can be quite painful to the person with whom I am relating. My practice this week will be to cultivate the courage to lower that ego-based guard and be vulnerable as a path to deepening my understanding and expression of non-violence.
Take a moment and consider the role of violence in your life. Subtle forms of violence include gossiping about someone, thinking negatively about another, secretly hoping for another to suffer, indulging in gratification over another person's pain. There are infinite ways in which we may step towards the principle of non-violence. Please let me know if there is something that "clicks" for you with respect to the practice of non-violence in your life and practice.
Yoga with Claudette (thank you!) at the Milo Boathouse in Yarmouth tonight at 7pm. I will be back in town for our Wednesday class. Remember that by developing your Beloved Yoga practice you are improving your ability to practice non-violence and thereby improving the quality of your life, those around you and at some level the entire planet. Afterall, we are all connected!
Namaste: "The ONE in me greets the ONE in you",
Steve
Yogi Jayanta
Friday, October 30, 2009
FOODMATTERS
Hello All,
I hope you are enjoying the wrap up to your week. The central practice of yoga is awareness first and foremost which is like a never ending spiral that dives into the present moment through body, mind and spirit. One of the areas in which our culture has slipped into the habit of ignorance and neglect is food. Every human being on earth knows the very simple and extremely inconvenient truth that, our bodies are what we eat.
Take a moment and recall what you have nourished your body with this week and be honest with yourself. Consider the meals you have eaten, the snacks and the choices you have made. Look at the ingredients on the labeling if you are eating processed foods, consider the source of the foods, the animals and plants, the human hands and hearts that have assisted in the planting, harvesting, preparation, innovation, distribution, transportation and all the many elements involved in getting food to your body.
In my experience, simplicity is always the answer to life's pressing issues of energy, vitality, health and wellness. Give yourself the gift of awareness and forgiveness when it comes to food and nutrition. Our recent Beloved Yoga workshop featured delicious organic food prepared with the intention of love and gratitude. You could feel the difference.
I have attached an invitation from Monique Bastien, one of those special people who share the gift of abundant health through food. Please consider attending the movie screening of FOODMATTERS....because it really does!
Claudette will guide our Saturday morning class at 8:45am. Our yoga practice helps purify the body and release toxins that invariably come through the food we eat and the air we breathe. A regular yoga practice is the perfect remedy for your mind and body.
Namaste,
Steve
Yogi Jayanta
Subject: Invition to Raw food and Movie
Hi Everyone,
I'd like to invite you all to Dinner & a Movie. That's right! On Sunday Nov. 1st from 4-7pm. That's this Sunday at Sobey's community room, Yarmouth.
There is a $10.00 charge per person at the door to cover the cost of the food. The Movie (Documentary) called 'FOOD MATTERS' is free. You do not want to miss this!
You can watch the trail by clicking on this link:http://www.foodmatters.tv/
You will find more information in the attachment.
Please reply ASAP if you will be attending. This way I'll know how much food to prepare.
See you Sunday at 4pm.
Monique Bastien
http://www.makingitraw.com
monique@makingitraw.com
I hope you are enjoying the wrap up to your week. The central practice of yoga is awareness first and foremost which is like a never ending spiral that dives into the present moment through body, mind and spirit. One of the areas in which our culture has slipped into the habit of ignorance and neglect is food. Every human being on earth knows the very simple and extremely inconvenient truth that, our bodies are what we eat.
Take a moment and recall what you have nourished your body with this week and be honest with yourself. Consider the meals you have eaten, the snacks and the choices you have made. Look at the ingredients on the labeling if you are eating processed foods, consider the source of the foods, the animals and plants, the human hands and hearts that have assisted in the planting, harvesting, preparation, innovation, distribution, transportation and all the many elements involved in getting food to your body.
In my experience, simplicity is always the answer to life's pressing issues of energy, vitality, health and wellness. Give yourself the gift of awareness and forgiveness when it comes to food and nutrition. Our recent Beloved Yoga workshop featured delicious organic food prepared with the intention of love and gratitude. You could feel the difference.
I have attached an invitation from Monique Bastien, one of those special people who share the gift of abundant health through food. Please consider attending the movie screening of FOODMATTERS....because it really does!
Claudette will guide our Saturday morning class at 8:45am. Our yoga practice helps purify the body and release toxins that invariably come through the food we eat and the air we breathe. A regular yoga practice is the perfect remedy for your mind and body.
Namaste,
Steve
Yogi Jayanta
Subject: Invition to Raw food and Movie
Hi Everyone,
I'd like to invite you all to Dinner & a Movie. That's right! On Sunday Nov. 1st from 4-7pm. That's this Sunday at Sobey's community room, Yarmouth.
There is a $10.00 charge per person at the door to cover the cost of the food. The Movie (Documentary) called 'FOOD MATTERS' is free. You do not want to miss this!
You can watch the trail by clicking on this link:http://www.foodmatters.tv/
You will find more information in the attachment.
Please reply ASAP if you will be attending. This way I'll know how much food to prepare.
See you Sunday at 4pm.
Monique Bastien
http://www.makingitraw.com
monique@makingitraw.com
Monday, October 26, 2009
Different Types of Yoga
Hello All,
First, let me thank those that attended our Beloved Yoga Workshop yesterday. They committed the full day to a deepening sense of self and an exploration of prayer through body movement and breath. We had exquisite organic and nutritious food from Sue Leblanc of Chester Organics who reminded us how important it is to honor our bodies with the abundance of the earth. Thanks again.
Yoga has an extremely broad body of work with many different styles with different practices. Nearly every style of yoga that you may have heard of in the West all relate to one type of yoga...Hatha Yoga. Whether it goes by the name Ashtanga, Anasura, Sivananda, Bikram, Kundalini, and on and on they are all concentrated on physical movement, alignment and breath. These all fall under the category of Hatha Yoga. HA means "sun" and relates to the right side of the body, the masculine principle and THA means "moon" and relates to the left side of the body, the feminine principle. The union of the two is HATHA yoga. This union is a function of the physical practices and breathing exercises that serve to cleanse the body-mind system and prepare one for the activation of Kundalini (spiritual energy) that rises up the central channel along the spine resulting in an enlightened state of awareness where we may directly perceive the interconnectedness of life.
In addition to HATHA yoga there are four other main disciplines of yoga (and many, many more) all with ultimately the same outcome. Yoga is not a religion. It means "union" and is both the practice and the result of practice that lead us to a deepening awareness of life.
KARMA YOGA is the path of selfless service where, through this path of action, we realize the person we are caring for is none other than our very own reflection. A tremendous amount of energy is released upon this realization. Service may be the best way, in this current time, to cultivate humility and conquer pride. Every faith-based tradition encourages service to community for this reason.
JNANA YOGA is the path of knowledge and encourages study of scriptures and self-enquiry as methods to strengthen our connection to the Divine. Again, every faith-based tradition has some form of scripture that can deepen one's awareness and connection with Source with study and contemplation.
BHAKTI YOGA is the path of devotion and is the simplest and most accessible of all the paths. This path requires nothing more than an ever-deepening love and surrender to your Beloved in any form that is uplifting to your spirit. Practices include all forms of prayer, adoration, singing, chanting, contemplation and meditation.
RAJA YOGA is the path of meditation and pure awareness. It may be the most demanding of all paths but is also the most direct. It requires absolute concentration on the present moment with the vehicle of the breath. There is no isolated practice for raja yoga but rather life immediately becomes a moving meditation where the role of the observer or the witness is emphasized above all else. This is known as the Royal path.
My first teacher, Master Sivananda suggested we follow a path that is a synthesis of all of these and that we find balance through service, knowledge, devotion and meditation. It is interesting to note these four practices integrate into any faith-based tradition. Yoga is not opposed to any religion but rather provides valuable insight into how we may actually "practice" our tradition. I wish you vigilance on your path.
Tonight we will gather to honor our bodies and breath and to PRACTICE our individual path.
Namaste,
Steve
Yogi Jayanta
Friday, October 23, 2009
As Above, So Below
On this Fall day with the cool breeze blowing and the sun hiding behind the clouds I am reminded of that global axiom..."As above, so below". Many ancient traditions acknowledge what quantum science now confirms. What we observe at a macroscopic level is a simple and elegant reflection of what is found at the microscopic level. When we compare the structure and dynamic of a galaxy with that of a single atom the truth of this statement is revealed in its other form, "on earth as it is in heaven".
This universal property of reflection can be found all around us but given our yoga practice and the strong emphasis we place on the breath I thought we could explore our own respiratory system. The teachings of yoga tell us the primary source of prana (subtle energy) is the sun. Our bodies absorb the prana of the sun through the breath, the skin and a little-known receptor at the crown of the head. Like the human body, trees absorb the rays of the sun and perform photosynthesis converting the light of the sun into energy for growth. The tree uses carbon dioxide and releases oxygen. We, in turn, absorb the light of the sun and inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. The design of the elements of our respiratory system mirrors the design of the tree. Not only do we have a completely symbiotic relationship with trees but the internal structure of our respiratory system even looks like trees. As above so below may also be stated, "as within so without". Take a moment, breathe slowly and deeply acknowledge the trees that have served you that breath, now perceive the tree-like branches in your lungs that are passing that much needed breath to the body. Be grateful for the miracle that is happening right now!
Tomorrow morning (8:45 am at the Milo Boathouse) we will acknowledge our photosynthetic nature and transform the light of awareness into a healthy body, mind and spirit. Hope you can make it.
Our workshop on Sunday will take us deeply into the breathing, movement and vibrational principles of yoga. We will also explore the ancient connections between "as above so below" and that beautiful line of the Lord's Prayer "on earth as it is in heaven". There are still spots available for Sunday but please let me know so we can arrange for your organic, vegetarian and delicious lunch. Have a wonderful day, and don't worry that prana from the sun can pass through the clouds in the sky just as the light of awareness can pass through the clouds of the mind....there it is again, AS ABOVE SO BELOW.
Namaste,
Steve
Yogi Jayanta
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The Perfect Workout
Hello All,
By now you have all heard about our workshop on Sunday. The morning session will be dedicated to the most popular of all yoga sequences, the Sun Salutation. This series of twelve postures has been called, "The Perfect Workout" and provides many benefits including:
1. Tones up the digestive system by the alternate stretching and compression of abdominal organs.
2. Strengthens abdominal muscles.
3. Thoroughly ventilates the lungs, and oxygenates the blood.
4. Acts as detoxifying agent, by getting rid of enormous quantity of carbon dioxide and other toxic gases.
5. Tones up the nervous system and improves memory.
6. Promotes sleep and calms anxiety.
7. Normalizes the activity of the endocrine glands - especially the thyroid gland.
8. Refreshes and beautifies the skin.
9. Improves muscle flexibility.
10. Helps reduce fat.
11. Revives and maintains the spirit of youthfulness.
12. Makes the spine and waist flexible.
On Sunday we will learn and take home with us the perfect workout that is both challenging and accessible. It will contribute to health and wellness at every level of your body and mind....AND we will add a pinch of prayer to create the Perfect Workout for mind, body and spirit.
Namaste,
Jayanta
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
The Spiral Hook
Hello All,
A bit late in the day but better late than never. My mind is on spirals today and I have often noticed the magnificent symmetry in the natural world. Everything grows in spirals. Look around at shells, flowers, plants, galaxies. Energy is optimized in spirals as illustrated by tornadoes. It is clear to me that energy centers in the body are also organized as spirals. Beloved Yoga is about continuing to go deeper in our awareness of these magical bodies and the intricate relationship between our physical body, energetic (pranic body) and the breath. Tonight I will introduce a deeper level of engaging with our bodies and breath by introducing the Spiral Hook.
As you look around the natural world today, imagine you are looking inside yourself and see all of the natural healing processes of the body reflected in the world around you. This universe is ultimately elegant and filled with consciousness. Breathe, be aware and be grateful.
Namaste,
Steve
Yogi Jayanta
Monday, October 19, 2009
Feminine Wisdom
Hello All,
A quick re-minder today that we have yoga tonight at the Milo Boathouse at 7pm. I also want to remind you all about the Beloved Yoga Workshop coming up this Sunday. It is a full-day experience and we will be diving into the subject of moving prayer and the ancient Aramaic language of the Lord's Prayer. There are a number of potent connections between yoga and the original language of this incredible prayer. One of them relates directly to the Divine Feminine that was left out of the prayer we now know in English.
The word that became "bread" in the English version is the same word that is "Sophia" in Greek and is the embodiment of Feminine Wisdom. Let us all receive the "bread of understanding" on this day so that we may find joy even amidst the chaos of our life.
Look forward to connecting with you tonight if you can make it.
Namaste,
Steve
Yogi Jayanta
Friday, October 16, 2009
Discrimination
Hello All,
On this blustery day in Yarmouth my attention is drawn towards the classical teachings of yoga. The two wings that carry the yogi beyond the suffering of the world are detachment (vairagya) and discrimination (viveka). Discrimination refers to the discrimination between the real and the unreal, the impermanent and the permanent. A practical place to start may be the way we constantly pull the past into our present situations. For example, begin to notice how your mind tends to drudge up past emotional situations in fresh new moments.
You may be enjoying your day and then you see someone who you may feel has wronged you and you remember the emotions of that moment and now you are back in the past. This is not real. You are not responding to the person and moment at present but are living in memory and fantasy.
To learn to discriminate we must learn to become rooted in the present moment and observe the antics of the mind-body system. See how gracefully the leaves die and fall from the tree? There is no resistance only beauty and simplicity. Permanence is that eternal part of yourself that is the subject of all religions. Look to that part of yourself and reinforce your faith. Faith is like the sword of discrimination. Have faith in kindness, have faith in love, have faith in simplicity. The ancient word for faith meant "connection to life itself". Use that as your starting point for discrimination. Never mistake discrimination for judgement. Discrimination is an internal process and judgement is another name for the blame game.
See you in the morning at the Boathouse...8:45am. You can do it, you are amazing!
Namaste,
Jayanta
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Detachment
Hello All,
While we enjoy this beautiful Fall season I thought it appropriate to consider that central aspect of yoga known as detachment. My mother actually reminded me as we appreciated the majestic colors of the changing leaves that what manifested as such diversity and inspired such beauty was actually death happening before our eyes. Perhaps hidden in plain sight is the key to our enlightenment.
Yoga is a very rich word that is the practice, the process and the product of enlightenment. To realize the Great Joy that is the fruit of faith requires a certain letting go that can be called detachment. This concept is present in most faith-based traditions. The Buddha said that all suffering in life is caused by attachment. In the Aramaic language of Jesus the Christ, to be attached was to be unripe and that word was translated through Greek and Latin as "evil" and to be detached was to be ripe and that word became "blessing". To practice detachment is then to be blessed in the ancient Christian concept.
There is an ancient yogic axiom related to detachment that simply says, "praise and blame, no difference". Consider for a moment the actuality that praise and blame in the form of words are actually subtle vibrations of sound that travel from a person's vocal chords through the air and are received through our hearing sense. The brain interprets specific vibrations as words and the mind then interprets those words based on past experience (conditioning) which then stimulates the endocrine system leading to an emotional reaction based on our conditioning. Before you realize what happened, you have been triggered into a new emotional state without any consciousness whatsoever. How many of our relationships play out this way throughout the day? Be aware.
Begin by simply observing this process occurring again and again throughout your day. Through our yoga and meditation practice we cultivate the ability to remain present with this mind-body drama without defining ourselves by it. These intellectual approaches assist us in realizing the deeper aspects of detachment but direct experiences of these states of consciousness are the building blocks of yoga. This is why we are meeting to practice yoga (and meditation) this evening at 7pm. Hope you can make it. I may even praise you if you make it and blame you if you don't but SO WHAT?!
Unconditionally Yours,
Steve
Yogi Jayanta
Monday, October 12, 2009
Ether
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Hello All,
I hope you are each celebrating the healing, transformational, liberating, soothing, relaxing, energizing, vitalizing, simplifying, unifying experience of GRATITUDE on this special day. Gratitude is the antidote to the isolation and separation of the ego-mind. Spending some time everyday in silent gratitude will add years to your life and spaciousness to your day regardless of what is going on in your world. If gratitude is hard to find then dig deeper, get simple and come to yoga class!
We will wrap up our exploration of the 5 elements of the yogic system with the most subtle element of ETHER. The Sanskrit word for this element is Akasha and may also be interpreted as space. The throat center is the focal point of the ether element in the body. To activate this element begin by inhaling as you raise your shoulders to your ears and exhale as you lower them away from the ears with an audible sigh. Feel the vibration of your voice in the back of the throat. Do this three times. Next raise your chin towards the stars (they are still there in the day time), let the shoulders fall naturally away from the ears and look up. Try to see the space between here and there, soften your gaze and concentrate your attention...you may just perceive this most subtle building block of the universe...ETHER.
See you tonight as we explore the spaciousness within your own being, 7pm at the Milo Boathouse.
Namaste
Steve
Yogi Jayanta
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Fire
Namaste All,
Today on this wet and windy day we will focus on the sacred element of FIRE. The very essence of fire is transformation. The fire of digestion transforms the food you eat into energy for your day. This is a critical process and with the work we do in yoga your digestive fire will benefit giving your body a better ability to transform food into energy. There is another digestive process that is fire-driven in the mind-body system. This is a little understood process in the West that is the digestion of psychic reactions or thought-forms. Begin to notice your reactions to stressful situations in your day, there is a residue left after those reactions. Bring that residue to class tonight and we will practice "burning" that residue and transforming it into emotional resilience and strength.
A third fire that I want to mention is that of compassion. I happened to view a video with my mother today who has worked with and fought for the rights of people living with intellectual and physical disabilities for as long as I can remember. I have always been inspired and proud of her. This video was produced by People First, an organization whose members are self-advocates for issues that are important to people living with disabilities. De-institutionalization is their primary goal. Many members of People First have lived in institutions and experienced, first-hand, the terrible abuses there. After watching this video I felt a fire activated in my body, a passion to fight for the rights of others and to protect those who need our protection from the indifference and neglect of a population often stuck in fear and ignorance. Mothers and Fathers feel this fire when there is a moment to protect your children. Through yoga we begin to understand that every human being is worthy of love, protection and compassion. Ignite the fire of awareness and so too will be lit the fire of unconditional love and that fire will bring warmth and comfort to all those with whom you connect.
Namaste,
Jayanta
Monday, October 5, 2009
Water
Hello All,
We started a series of re-minders based on the 5 elements of Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether and I wanted to continue today with Water. We often look at our bodies as being a single "thing" and forget the brilliant elegance and complexity that make the human mind-body system so extraordinary. Perhaps taking a bit of time to consider the miracle of your body may provide some additional inspiration to respect that and to treat your body with a well-deserved reverence.
In the yogic system, the water element is represented by all of the fluids in the body and there are many. Consider the various systems of the body that create, circulate and eliminate fluids in the body. Functions such as oxygenation through circulation of blood, systemic balancing by releasing hormones, cerebral spinal fluid, lubrication, purification, pro-creation. Place your left hand on the center of your chest with the right on top, find your heartbeat by touch or feel and take a moment of gratitude for the reality of your circulatory system. Now, consider the characteristics of the Water element and recognize those traits within your life and being. You have great resilience and ability to flow around obstacles without being obstructed entirely. Over time you can wear down tendencies and habits that do not serve you by consciously directing the flow of your life in an empowering new direction. Water sits between Earth and Fire and is the bridge between the two.
The tides that we see in nature, particularly in our part of the world, are a reflection of our emotional natures that also ebb and flow with the lunar cycle. The gravitational pull of the moon is what inspires tides and currents and our bodies are over 70% water so we too are greatly affected by these forces. Observe the physical and emotional currents of your life with compassion and awareness. Bear witness to the miracle of your body and activate your inherent ability to "go with the flow".
For those in the Yarmouth area, we will do just that tonight at the Milo Boathouse at 7pm.
Namaste,
Jayanta
“Nothing in the world is more flexible and yielding than water. Yet when it attacks the firm and the strong, none can withstand it, because they have no way to change it. So the flexible overcome the adamant, the yielding overcome the forceful. Everyone knows this, but no one can do it.” Lao Tzu
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Earth
Hello All,
Spent some beautiful time enjoying the outdoors today walking on the sacred Nova Scotia earth. Tonight we had decided to do some concentrated work on our lower body, strengthening legs and our connection to the earth. This class will concentrate on developing our connection to the earth and the fruits of that connection that manifest as feelings of safety and security. We will continue to develop our ability to be simultaneously engaged and relaxed. This skill may manifest in your moment as being aware of your interiority, body and sensation while also remaining present with external perception, senses and relationships. This is another interpretation of the balance that we achieve by harmonizing mind and body. Even now you can split your attention with 50% internally focussed and 50% concentrated on your external moment. Experiment with your awareness. You will be amazed at your abilities to concentrate and to remain present with whomever you are.
Hope to see you tonight at the Boathouse.
Namaste,
Jayanta
Monday, September 28, 2009
CASTLE Principles: Effectiveness
Hello All,
I hope everyone had a great weekend. To reiterate the CASTLE principles of Conscious Leadership as outlined by Lance Secretan in ONE: The Art and Practice of Conscious Leadership; Courage, Authenticity, Service, Truthfulness, Love and today's theme of Effectiveness. Regardless of how deep we enter the silent space inspired by our yoga practice we still must be effective in our area of engagement. Whether we are at home, at the office, with our children or with clients the principles help us to apply the intention of oneness in every moment of our day.
To be ultimately effective in whatever we do we must begin with awareness, simplicity and gratitude. Then, we must show up! The ego is the great obstacle of oneness. At some point we must recognize the important role the ego has played in protecting our heart. Then, in a conscious choice, honor the wisdom of the heart (and body) and wield the instrument of the mind in an effective way.
We will be practicing the art of Oneness at the Milo Boathouse tonight at 7pm.
Namaste,
Jayanta
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