Backdrops and Backbends 

I always feel they are the heart of my Ashtanga practice. If I do not have a lot of time I still always make sure I include them, somehow it feels this is where the deepest release happens. My friend and yoga teacher Erika recently quoted Swami Yogananda saying that 'God is in the spine'. It truly feels that the most direct way to awaken kundalini is through some nice sweet backbends!

                                          

                               .... feeling so blessed.....om shanti shanti shanti

                      Consistency in a yoga practice.

Ashtanga yoga is all about consistency and devotion. The Buddha describes the mind as a wild elephant, dangerous and sometimes harming itself and others. In the Bhagavad Gita the mind is seen as a chariot that is driven by two wild horses that when there is no charioteer rampage out of control and cause harm. The two horses are the senses and emotions (pain and pleasure) that govern the untamed mind.

The yoga practice is a tool to help discipline the mind and rather than being ruled by emotions, can then become a powerful ally. Sometimes in the Western world, yoga is mainly seen as a physical exercise. And it is true, the asana improve circulation and vitality of the body as well as strength inside and out. However, the main goal is to gain some control over the mind so that we can be more focused and consistent and consistently well.
The mind fluctuates by nature from fear to interest and back to fear. It is inconsistent and unreliable. 

Also, it is the nature of the ego mind to arise in the form of excuses in order to prevent us from emancipation. It is sometimes compared to the snake that lures Jesus in the desert. It offers Jesus all his riches if he resigns his quest for the truth and follows him instead.
Practising yoga in the morning without excuse is a way to override these deeply rooted tendencies. It is not important how ‘advanced’ the yoga practice is, this is simply an outer appearance. What matters is the inner disposition, the willingness to step on the mat no matter what. Important is the consistency of the practice and the quality rather than the quantity. And again, quality here is not measured by physical advancement but rather by the fluency of the breath, the inward focus of attention and a reverent humble attitude. A teacher then can help to encourage the student and to guide the practice and to invite them to be consistent.

In the West, students who take up the yoga practice often misunderstand it as a physical exercise and just practise when they feel up for it, have the money or time for it.

Ashtanga however, encourages you to step on the mat each day no matter what. It does not matter what excuses the mind comes up with. If the body feels weak the practise can be adapted. A short light practice is great and much better than no practice at all. What matters is to step on the mat and give it your best on that day. This is how inner strength is cultivated. We learn how to overcome the lurings of the mind which then can be used as a powerful tool in the struggles and challenges of life. It is easily seen how this can be taken off the mat.

Often students ask what do I need to do to advance? And often they mean to become more flexible. My answer would be to cultivate consistency, humility and devotion. When I travel around the globe to see my family in Europe and meet with other yogis I have almost no interruption to my daily yoga practice. I have practiced in multiple hotel rooms, alongside swimming pools, airport runways, in airplanes and airports all over the world. I practise the day before I leave and the day after i arrive on the other side. It doesn’t matter if time zones and weather changes dramatically from winter to summer and back from night to day. It doesn’t matter if I am tired or weak or hungry or short of time. One thing that never changes is my daily practise. I am not worried about space or temperature or time. I just step on my mat and see what will happen. What matter is that I take that step. It has always been rewarded. I rarely get sick, ill or stiff from days in the airplanes, the jetlag lasts a few days. I take up my normal routine of work and practice the day after land. There is no disruption because a daily yoga practice cultivates an inner strength that translates onto the body and the mind.

What does is mean to be one hundred percent free? Like the clouds in the sky and the bark on the trees? No thought that troubles the mind, nothing to think of at all.    Just being   

                                                

                                                   

This is Yoga

you can study you can learn but who will teach you this happiness? that does not come or go, does not need a reason to be there, does not require things to be beautiful

                                                                  Sutra 1.1: ATHA                                 YOGANUSASANAM: Now, instruction in Yoga

               

                                                             Sutra 1.2: 

         yogash chitta vritti nirodhah

योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोध :Yoga is restraining the 

thought-streams natural to the mind

Sutra 1.3:

TADĀ DRASTUH SVARŪPE ‘VASTHĀNAM:

Then the Seer abides in His own nature

                                  

Then the Seer is Free

Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7

Tat Tvam Asi  तत् त्वम् असि or तत्त्वमसि
:You are That

                                You are That

The Sirsasana Sequence

In the last days the ‘seven deadly’ headstands have been my best companions. They finish off the intermediate Ashtanga yoga series. Usually at that point my body is rather exhausted and I can only think of food. In a way this is the perfect point for the headstand series because it invites you re-focus. Ashtanga is such a great practise because it is like a moving mediation. The constant flow of the breath and the counting of the vinyasa induce a highly introspect and meditative state.

Also, each asana requires such attention that the mind simply has no chance to come up with anything else but: “how to do this right now”.

There is only space for now in the Ashtanga practise.

So when I start to slow down in the practise towards the end and the mind really wants to jump to what to do next, the headstands bring the focus back to the centre. In every way. Because there are seven consecutive positions they cannot be done half way or half minded. If I lose the attention only one second I lose my balance and I am not properly prepared for the next variation. The system of Ashtanga is so cleverly devised that one asana builds onto the next and if you cheat or do one asana half way it will be felt in the next.

This is why Ashtanga is so strict. But in a loving way. It asks only the best of you every day and full attention. If you cheat you notice it immediately, there is no hiding.

I always loved that. I do not want to hide. I know I have some things to resolve still in this life. But I do not want to delay or hide more than I must before I am fully ready. So each day, Ashtanga gives me the opportunity to check in and see what is left in hiding. Why I just don’t lower padmasana all the way in Karandavasana.  Why I don’t jump up with both legs.

At the same time, when the question comes up like this during practise there is no judgement, one simply observes and lets go because there are only 5 breaths to contemplate each pose. There is no chance to get stuck in any asana. You try your best on the day and then let it go.

It is like zooming in on something particular very intensely for 5 breaths and then release it back into the universe.

There is also something about ‘really trying’. I find this in teaching but also in my own practise. Sometimes I practise an asana for years and it never changes. At some stage it comes to my attention and I realise that I simply never put sincere effort into the depth of it. 

All of these different strands and the infinite more that are revealed each day and that weave the pattern of asana are brought into some form of centrifugal concentration with the sirsasana variations at the end of the intermediate. Where is your mind? Where is your balance? Where is your concentration? Where is your sincere effort? Where is your strength? Where is your centre?

Thank you Ashtanga Guruji for this relentless pointing

HOME MADE HEALTHY SOUL FOOD…on a summer’s day...yuuuum

                                     

 Wholemeal spelt pizza.....

..wholemeal fresh pasta with chickpeas, avocado, paprika, tomatoe and basil

HAPPY PRACTISING 

IMPROVING BALANCE IN YOGA

People who are new to yoga, often struggle with balance.

There are some key points that might be useful to consider.

CALM MIND

I find that balancing poses are often a great mirror for our state of mind. If the mind is busy and distracted and already onto things that need be done after the class or other distracting thoughts, balancing becomes considerably harder.

In order for balance to occur the mind must quiet down. A helpful tool to calm the mind is to focus on the drishti or point of focus with the eyes. Usually for standing poses this is a point in front of you on the floor.

Focusing on the steady rhythm of breath, also helps to centre the attention.

Simply allow yourself to breathe and let go of thoughts.

STRONG FOUNDATION

Another useful reminder in any yoga pose is to work from a stable foundation. In standing balancing poses these are usually our feet.

Start by spreading the toes wide- yoga is all about enjoying the vast range of movement and space that the body naturally allows. Only that years of conditioning with tight clothes and shoes and hours of sitting in front of a desk has somewhat confined this. So let’s use these precious moments of yoga to reclaim the space that is naturally ours.

Spread the toes wide, even if using your hands to help it.

And then equally distribute the weight between the heels and the balls of the feet. In order to have a well-balanced foundation with your feet the arch should feel lifted and light. Keep the toes relaxed as you lift the arch. At the same time, press down the base of the big toe so that not too much weight is put onto the outer side of the foot.

PRACTICE

Last but not least the best way to improve balancing is practice.

Pattabhi Jois, the founder and Guruji of Ashtanga yoga always said that Ashtanga is 1% theory and 99% practise.

The more you practise the stronger the feet and legs become, the subtler is our awareness for the body and balance.

The primary series of Ashtanga yoga is called Yoga Cikitsā which can be translated as Yoga Therapy. It purifies and heals the body. The more we practise the more we will reap the benefits. Especially the standing poses are designed to practise equal balancing on the feet, lengthen the spine, open the chest and breathe properly.

                                         Mysore, India                                    

*Sharath Jois and teachings

This year in Mysore I had my first ‘personal encounter’ with Sharath Jois, the present ‘Guru’ of the path of Ashtanga yoga. And it was very intense and amazing to meet him in person. I truly think that anyone practising on a more serious level or teaching some form of Ashtanga yoga has to go to Mysore and study with the parampara (the traditional way in which knowledge of yoga is passed down in India from generation to generation).

Things are revealed that you just don’t learn any other way…only by being there.

Sharath ‘touched’ my body perhaps 3 times in the 2 months I was there but the knowledge and guidance that he transmitted by just being there, by touching all the other Ashtangis, by sharing his knowledge in his weekly seminars, by living his own life in front of our eyes is just immeasurable.

Living in New Zealand it is rather difficult to stumble upon other beings that share the same interest and passion for yoga and Ashtanga yoga in particular. Because it is a small place with not so many people and far away.

But generally it is difficult to come across a being whose highest priority in life is to gain enlightenment or mukti or liberation or whatever you may call it. And though we are all the same, part of a great consciousness that enjoys learning and meeting and recognizing itself, it is nice to be in an environment like India, where such a science (the science of the soul) is held in very high regard. This is why I feel very much at home there. Certain things just do not have to be explained, like what it means to be self-realised and why it is the most important thing that a human life is there for. Children learn it from their parents and grandparents like Sharath.

He did not go to a 200hr or 500hr or whatever yoga teacher training course to become a teacher. He practised yoga since he was a child under the guidance of his guru, his own grandfather, Patthabhi Jois. And yoga in its original intention is not so much about asana (physical pose) but it is a full-fledged 8 limbed path with clearly outlined instructions about social behaviour, personal conduct and further steps of purification that help the practitioner to become purified and to achieve liberation from the body mind conception of the self, from suffering and pain.

For me in fact it was one of the most precious gifts that I have witnessed in Mysore. How dear it is to Sharath that Ashtanga is not about getting your leg behind the neck or standing on your hands or bending yourself into half. Surely, this is an important part of it, because it teaches you so many lessons… but ultimately, it is about surrendering everything to the Divine (whatever conception one has of this). Of not calling anything mine, of putting in your best effort but giving the result completely up to the Divine.

He spoke a lot about the different limbs of the Ashtanga yoga practise, about yama (conduct in relation to society) and niyama (personal conduct). For example the yamas contain: non-violence, which means also towards the food we eat, hence the diet prescribed for yoga practitioners is vegetarian. But non-violent also in word, action and even in thought!

Truth, non-stealing, which includes works, ideas or In Ashtanga yoga even practising asana (poses) that are not given to you by your teacher

Sensual abstinence (hard to understand in the west… J) but basically it divides the human life into different stages where it is recommended to pursue different goals. So when you are young you are a Brahmin, learning spiritual knowledge and keeping yourself pure so that this study remains undisturbed. Then you become a grihastha and have a family and look after this family. In the vanaprasta stage you prepare for your life after marriage and family and as a sannyasa you devote your last years entirely to pursue the liberation of the soul.

Non-possessiveness. Means not to grasp things around you, to not be greedy.

The niyamas contain sauca, purity which means maintaining internal as well as external purity. Keeping the body clean, the yoga gear J, and thinking good and positive thoughts, santosa, contentment. Being happy about what you have and not greeding for more.

Tapas, self-discipline… he spent a lot of time on this one… I think it is particularly evident in the Ashtanga yoga practise because you require a LOT of tapas to keep it up….

tapas, self-discipline to get up at 5 in the morning (Sharath gets up at 3 am in order to do his own practise before he starts teaching), tapas to eat the right food, only a light meal in the evening… not too many puris (Indian bread) he said J because you cannot digest it properly before the morning practise. Tapas to only engage in sattvic activities (those that are pure in nature) because negative influences distract the mind. Through this practise the mind can be focused on the spiritual goals.

Svadhyaya, which means self-study. He also spent a lot of time on this, meaning that we have to take our yoga practise outside of the ‘class-room’ and find out what yoga really means. So to study the scriptures, to reflect on the teachings of the Guru and to go deeper into the subject in our own time. He joked about people ‘socialising too much’, chatting with other yogis and drinking coconut instead of pursuing more self-study…

And ultimately there is isvara pranidhana, devotion to God, which means surrendering to the supreme soul or God. In a way the Guru is a representative of God, so one naturally feels similar devotion and love for this realised soul. But also to surrender whatever you learn to the divine. Sharath spent some time on the subject of building up a relationship with the divine, he said he does japa (mantra recitation with a chain of sacred beads) every evening before he goes to bed. His mantra is the Maha mantra… Hare Rama Hare Krsna but that obviously any mantra has the same meaning.

These are just some points that were mentioned with regards to the eight limbed path of Ashtanga yoga.

I was very deeply touched to see for myself how important it is to Sharath to spread the knowledge of Yoga as it is, the science of the soul, leading to liberation or the realisation of the true self that is supreme happiness…  and not only as a physical exercise…

This is probably the most precious and amazing gift I have received at the shala.

 *The practise….

The practise was very special too… As I said my body was touched by Sharath 3 or 4 times but the day I entered the shala there was this amazing energy that was so uplifting that practise seemed to much easier… (everyone is saying this!!!) I could just feel this wonderful ‘lift’ to my practise especially in the surya namaskar (sun salutations) and vinyasa. But all together the practise was light and easful.

Yes, the heat was a challenge… It was very very hot in the shala…. I was dripping with sweat as if I was in a steam-room… and the challenge was not to wipe it off. Because Sharath says to keep the sweat of the body, to not waste it by wiping it off.

The other challenge was the waiting…  and the gift of realising that it was only in my mind… and that this was a great opportunity for some introspection.

I have a notorious impatience towards waiting lines… and there I was, together with what felt like 50 other students (realistically perhaps 20) waiting in front of the shala entrance squashed (realistically there was always enough room and the marble floor was nicely cool) in a tiny entrance. Each day I was astonished how quickly the line was moving and that I did not really ‘feel’ the wait but each morning I was filled with new anxiety about ‘the wait’.

This is how the mind works… At least I got to the point of realising how silly this was… but up to the last day I could not help it but feel anxious about waiting… perhaps next time? ;-)

And there were many many students… over 200 for sure…. And more were coming each day. It got to a point where Sharath had to email people not to come although they had already booked a place… but it was just not manageable anymore.

The other challenge was that I was ‘kept’ at Primary Series for 1 months. It took a long time for me to get over it.. and to realise that whatever you do, it is the same. It doesn’t matter if the practise changes one or the other way, it is all yoga! Again it was my mind playing up, this great sense of self discipline but also identification with my practise in a certain way. I felt that if I take asanas away, I am being lazy. Clearly very silly, working on the same sequence each day for months had engrained into me some sort of compulsion about having to do all this or my day was incomplete!

But this is how it works… first months primary and then if you are ready he starts giving you asanas from the Intermediate. I  didn’t reach the point where I normally practise, I left Mysore at some stage but also I am sure that I would have spent a considerable time on Kapotasana because he only lets people continue if you can grab your heels by yourself.

In fact, after my first inner rebellion I felt so well guarded by Sharath… I knew that he sees everyone and guides everyone in the perfect way. Even if there are hundreds of faces that he sees every day and they constantly change… he knows everyone…. I don’t know how he does this….In fact, I dared to skip one of the Sunday led classes (because he put me at 4am… and yes, it is very early…) and next time he looked at me and said: where were you on Sunday?... I couldn’t believe it… How could he even know I existed!!!

And there are many stories like this… people being called out of the changing room (some people have to practise there because the shala is too full) because there was no time for ‘hiding’.

Sharath is a truly beautiful soul…

I am very blessed to have met him in person and India is a place that I hold very dear in my heart.

*Some challenges

There were regular and frequent power and water-cuts… First I was rather uncomfortable with the idea of having no water for days on end… there were some works in progress on water pipes so water was stopped for one entire week…. Without notice! (this is normal)

But luckily I lived in a house with a very competent French lady (she runs the place) and she got a private water company to fill up our tanks so that we were almost never without water! The power, well… you can do without it really… J

One of my favourite moments was after practise at breakfast time… when I sat at my small wooden table with my cereal and nuts and fruit and listened to Satsang with Mooji for hours… Just to have the time to do this… was amazing. Also I bought a small harmonium (Indian piano) and played lots of kirtan.

The food… was amazing… so many nice eating places… I was never sick and very spoiled by authentic Indian cuisine.

All in all I think Mysore is a very easy place to get around and live.

There are so many challenges in living in India, like power, water cuts, hygiene, washing of clothes, wearing of clothes J that are such a great opportunity to check in with yourself, to see who you are outside of your usual comfort zone….

*Ayurveda and Truth

One of the most beautiful experiences outside of the practise was my ayurvedic massage. I don’t think my body has ever benefitted to such an extent from anything ever!!!

I felt like new born after it…. The place was stunning, in the midst of nature and the moment you stepped into the doors you could smell herbs and oils. It was so peaceful…. The massage itself is nothing like anything that we find here in the ‘west’. I was wearing a cotton loin cloth and lain upon a leather bench. I was smothered with oils by two ladies that was massaged into every cell of my body…

A considerable time was spent on the head and skull, then the whole body even the eyes and mouth and face. The arms, legs sides back and front. The bench had little drains to the sides that collected the litres of oils dripped upon my body. The room was darkened and one of the ladies spoke some prayers while massaging. She said: ‘and now, you let yourself completely free’. A sound bowl was played. After the massage I was guided onto a leathery chair and wrapped up in a steam cone…

I was asked to lower my face so that all the body could soak up the heat and integrate the oil. Then I was guided into a shower, dressed and my hair was combed. I was given an ayurvedic herbal tea and medicines for after tea. Another prayer was spoken and I was asked to listen to the sound of the bowl.

After the massage my body felt so light and clear. I actually felt I didn’t have a body. And this feelings lasted for very very long.

I find it so peculiar that such things exist and only few people know about it and benefit from it. I know that in such a place I would never be sick or ill. In this world people are ‘fixed’ with poisonous medicines and pills that numb the mind, creativity and self expression. Medicine is based on the conception that we are the body and illness is therefore treated at its most periphery end, numbing the side effects of the root cause which in fact is not of a bodily nature.

I sometimes cannot believe that we have to conduct ‘studies’ in order to ‘prove’ that things like meditation and yoga are ‘beneficial’ for our health and we have to quote someone with the letters DR. in front of their name in order to give these words credit.

In India there are still some remote places where the science of true knowledge is found, where Ayurveda and yoga look at the human being as a soulful entity and treats him and her as such. It is peculiar that such places are considered ‘backward’ when in fact our conception of a human being which shape our society, our thinking and life are comparably naïve and incredibly limited.

I hear people speak a lot about the pollution in India…

But what about the pollution of the mind and the heart in a materially obsessed world. I truly did not mind cow dung on the streets and dust on my feet. But I do mind the pollution that was dumped into my mind from school age on when I was told I am the body and I need to be a certain way in order to be ‘successful’, materially, since the rest was all imagination and new age gibberish.

I was ‘taught’ by psychologically unstable and damaged people who spoke to me about the end of the world and that suffering would always overweight happiness in life. I was told I had no right to change this because I was only a child and knew nothing.

I was told so many lies and made to believe that a ‘good job’ and getting married were the goals of a human life.

India however has revealed to me the finest teachings that a human soul can be blessed to see.

Basically confirming that what has been known even before this body has taken birth. How could I define such a place as dirty and backward? Only the materially eyed and the sleeping can speak such words. But the awakened soul will always be drawn to the golden light that sets upon the misty horizon of the Mother that is India.

Practising at the moment....

                                                                          And…

It is proving to be rather challenging and making me focus on hip opening and rotation. This is great since I think I was cheating somehow with my soft and pliable ankles and knees :-) Great review of some basics in Ashtanga yoga. I am also working on some stiffness in my sacral area and hips to deepen Kapotasana and prepare for Sarath's adjustments for backdrops :-).... Love the warm weather, it really helps for deepening the practice...
My sister just went to see our beloved Mooji on a silent retreat in London. first thing she said: "All we ever hoped for it true"... so beautiful...

                                                   om shanti shanti shanti     

                                           

YOGA AND MENSTRUATION

YOGA AND MENSTRUATION

At some stage in our yoga practise, women (and men out of curiosityJ) might come across the issue of whether or whether not to practise yoga during the menstruation cycle.

Sometimes, I recommend to take three days off or even a week, depending on how low the individual energy level is.

The founder of Ashtanga yoga as we practise it today, Sri Pattabhi Jois recommends three days of complete rest during menstruation. The body goes through intense changes while a woman is bleeding and the vigorous practice of Ashtanga may interfer with this purifying process. According to Pattabhi Jois the uppwards contraction of the bandhas as practiced during yoga is contrary to the natural downward movement of menstruation- referred to as apana (downward flowing energy).

Having said this, menstruation is experienced vastly different by each woman. Some women go through severe pain and might even have to take a few days off work or stay in bed.

Ashtanga yoga is a very intense practise that requires strength, energy and focus. If menstruation is experienced with low energy and pain it seems unnatural to me to force yourself onto the mat just to tick off the practise for the day.

On the other hand I know that many Ashtangis obey to Pattabhi Jois rule of three days no matter how they feel. And some women might even feel full of energy during the menstruation period.

As with most things, I do not think there is a general ‘rule’ that applies to everyone.

We are intuitive beings and yoga is all about connecting with that inner intuition, the self that is free from conditioning and acts according to a higher wisdom.

I remember when I was doing my yoga teacher training and we had many sessions on ‘yoga and menstruation’ mainly taught by teachers with a strong Iyengar background.

Iyengar has some pretty strict rules in terms of what or what not to do during menstruation.

There even was a “special practice” particularly designed for menstruation days. It involves mostly restorative poses and completely avoids inversions (such as headstand, shoulder stand, elbow balance, or full- arm balance) and vigorous standing poses.  Twists are also to be avoided as well as any strong abdominal asanas such as Navasana.

Personally I do not experience menstruation as an obstacle to do my practise. Sometimes I feel low of energy for a day but sometimes I don’t feel much different at all. I feel that a general rule about anything is somewhat limiting because we are all different beings, we experience things differently and why should it not be like this?

A woman who feels tender and low of energy and wants to rest should follow this intuition and rest.

Another women might not feel different at all and why should she stop practising?

Same thing applies to the inversions.

There are no clear proven studies that show that inversions during menstruation actually harm the body.

Geeta Iyengar, BKS Iyengar’s daughter said that during inversions the blood flow will be arrested, which is detrimental as it may lead to fibroids, cysts, endometriosis, and cancer.

Well, if you have a history of such illnesses in your family or fear that such things may happen follow your instinct and stay away from inversions.

But if you are used to do them and feel great even during your moon days, same thing, follow your intuition and enjoy them!

I believe that yoga is a purely cleansing, purifying practise. It is free as it is designed to lead us towards freedom.

There are no rules for yoga- (there are so many different ways to explain, get into and out of poses, sometimes even contradicting each other…)

If you really understand the essence of it.

Yoga is for freedom, the body, the mind, the soul.

It assists us tapping into a intuitive knowledge that is beyond any signpost or conditioning.

Menstruation, just as anything else… can become an excuse to follow tapas tendencies, the tendency of laziness and inertia

Or Ashtanga can become an obsession whereby the needs of the body are ignored and then it can lead to injury and illness.

So best thing is to keep finding your true self… and everything comes naturally.

If you know who you truly are (or what you are not: a limited person with ego in a body) than your actions unfold in a sweet natural way, are always appropriate and no one has to tell you what to do.                   

Om shanti shanti shanti