Yoga Teacher Training Europe, Poland, India

Spring has set in! It's time to taste some weed!

noreply@blogger.com (Szymon) — Thu, 07 May 2015 10:46:00 +0000

Spring is the time of green leaves. But I don't mean your basil pot or green onions here. Those have been invented for you by the industry. Let's turn to the nature and see what she has to offer in the meadow's superstore:

„Leontodon hispidus hyoseroides” User:Tigerente CC BY 2.5

Leontodon

Its rocket-shaped leaves have detox properties and can be cooked in similar ways to spinach. Catch it soon, especially if you live in a city as it may accumulate pollution with time.

Quick

Rinse the leaves in water to remove impurities.
Bring to boil, strain immediately on a colander and rinse in cold water to keep them green. Drain.
Grind the leaves in a clay mortar (yes we still use them in Poland), or through the holes of a colander or chop them finely.
Melt some butter with a spoon of flour, add the leaves, stir in some sweet cream or milk. Do not boil.
Salt and pepper to taste! Possibly also a pinch of sugar and some lemon juice or a hint of smashed garlic.

Nutritious

Rinse the leaves in water to remove impurities.
Instead of boiling in water, put the leaves in a pan, cover it with a sealed lid (or any other baking vessel with a lid) and leave in an oven set on 100C until soft (about 10min). You will not loose any nutrients in water in this way.
Follow with steps above.

The Last New Year's Resolution I Will Ever Need

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 17:01:00 +0000

I need to: quit smoking, become vegetarian, lose weight, gain muscles, be nicer to people, meditate more, spend less time of Facebook and Instagram. And spend more time reading the smart stuff I have been postponing for months. Noble projects doomed to fail?

There are two minds in my head: one tells me what would be good for me, the other is all ears. Preaching, cautioning, reprimanding. The teacher and the student. The parent and the child. Daily dialogues of my inner guardian with my struggling self.

Should I be grateful for this guiding voice? Grateful for its patience - oh yes I have let it down many times. He tells me what fragments of me should be upgraded. If only I had a stronger will to follow its advice, would I become a better version of myself?

Ways to improve are many, I can hear proposals in real time. He doesn't like to see me so imperfect. He gives me a prospect of change. I can now see myself through his lens. I know what to do, what it takes. But the more attractive it feels, the more distant it seems.

Feelings of desire, uncertainty and fear running through my head. Louder, stronger arguments and conclusions. Analytic strategies how to trick myself into becoming a better me. But the kite of change slips off my hands even further.

The distance to the observer, the journey to succeed - they seem related. The more unhappy he is, the harder my goal seems. The pressure mounts and I feel like thumbing my nose at him. Delighting myself in being unsound. Defying his whims to see who I am for real.

The preaching censor - is he even real? Alive, yet unblemished? Is he my saviour or a hank of fantasies? Where is he, when I am about to fail. Has he never felt shame with me? Always to far to be affected, too far to act. Collecting evidence, to hold it against me later.

What if I vowed to let my better outlook die. Collapse in front of me, expose my vice. Let down my guardian mind, let him be mad. Invite him closer. Without the distance he cannot see my flaws. His voice fades away. The dialogue ends here.

I am calling off my journey. No need to plan how to become a better me. The futile train of thoughts won't burn my fuel again. The saved energy can act here and now, inspire more life. In this silence, I can sense where it longs to flow, what needs to come and go.

How can I be so silent and idle facing my impulsive desire to change? With a single mind that cannot judge, conclude, suggest? Yes, I takes trust. But the change is inner-directed. I let it happen. When my mind is one, I am becoming someone now.

I sense and allow what can happen in this moment. Another cigarette? No, if I feel it harms me here and now. Sit for a while in meditation? Yes, if I can connect with my inner desire to experience calm. In agreement, not in struggle. Another day, a whole new me will take me by surprise.

Thai Massage and Trigger Point Therapy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 11:37:00 +0000

Expressive Movement Therapy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 05:52:00 +0000

We are born to evolve. Yet the paths we need to walk on that journey are inscrutable. We don't chose to have emotional breakdowns, suffer from ill health or abuse. But to carry on, we need to digest and transform whatever we encounter.

Sometimes, we are able to talk through such events with a friend or a therapist. So we free ourselves from their influence. But there are occasions when our feelings recede into the subconscious. Or, we feel ashamed to talk about what happened. We continue to experience their negative effects in our daily lives, but we are unable to face them.

"I had an accident and damaged my knee. I have been in pain for a couple of months now. I had several treatments, but my doctor said it may never heal. I am unable to do sports or even go for longer walks. I feel sad about it."

We may carry on, adding more and more details. How it happened? Who is to blame? What was the medical diagnosis? etc. But, unless we write poetry or songs, words don't suffice. They can only summarise our complete experience.

Expressive movement is an organic way of releasing our emotions. Although practiced in many tribal cultures, the modern society has suppressed it.

Unlike in performance arts, we move to bring about change in ourselves, not in the spectators. So, the symbolic sense of our movements can be entirely personal. We work on releasing as much meaning as possible. Without caring about conveying universal messages. We all have this ability and we don’t need to learn new skills.

Expressive movement is not a clinical therapy, but a tool for personal evolution. Useful for anyone who feels a need to transform their lives. For choreographers, it can be an infinite source of inspiration. We can practice alone, or in a group. Initially, with a facilitator who will guide us through the experience.

How Yoga Practice Can Be Useful to People with Impaired Vision and the Blind?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 16:28:00 +0000

I have taught free yoga classes to male students of a vocational training center for the visually impaired in Bangalore, India since March 2013. A short video which presents our work can be watched here.

The students are 18-30 years old and many of them come from underprivileged families across the country. They strike as people of extraordinary sensitivity and kindness. Those with severely impaired vision or blindness tend to be free from judgments about their own or others’ appearances, which makes them so distinct from typical youths in this age. They are constantly involved in helping each other and often maintain physical contact to facilitate walking and other casual functions.

Most of them went to general schools where they were the only pupils with impaired vision and studied without access to Braille or audio books or computers adapted to their needs. In spite of that, they have lived in a relatively protective environment without extensive social interactions or the possibility to interact fully with their palls or modern technologies.

On graduating from the center they will likely find an employment and take the first step into a more independent life. This also means that they will leave their protective zone and will likely be faced with the rather hostile environment of modern Indian cities.

I believe the beauty of yoga lies in our ability to constantly evolve and reconsider what the essence of this discipline means to us.

Studying and teaching yoga in India over the last two years, I’ve learned from many teachers representing various traditions, but even more, I am continuously inspired by work with my students. Seva has become my path in this process, as I endeavor to bring free yoga classes to people who wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to practice.

Our story

Just like Yin and Yang in the Chinese tradition, Ha and Tha represent the masculine and feminine principles in Hatha Yoga (a term which encompasses all posture-based yoga practices). The Ha element embodies the solar, expansive and active qualities, whereas the Tha element the lunar, integrative, passive ones. These two counter-qualities cover everything that exists in the world, from inorganic matter to human physiology and psychology.

In this context, the practice of postures (asanas) is a process of self-study of these two opposite forces and their integration in order to achieve a greater physical and mental balance.

Each of us starts their yoga practice with a different constitution of these qualities, and their dominance may vary in different aspects of our practice. Nobody is entirely Ha or Tha, but these qualities interweave each other in a very dynamic way.

I believe that the art of teaching yoga relies in large part on the ability to assess what is the current constitution of a student and propose them practices which will enable them to further explore these two qualities in themselves.

While exploring their dominant element (usually their 'strength' or 'asset'), a student gains self-confidence, but may also get carried away and further exacerbate its dominance leading to strong imbalance.

I then propose them a practice that embodies the opposite quality, which results in sublimation of these two experiences and establishes a greater balance between these two energies.

Here, I share the profiles of Praveen aged 18 and Kumar aged 22. Each of them embodies a dominance of one of the two energetic qualities Ha or Tha. They often experience stress related to studying in the training center and passing exams. The stress hampers their concentration when revising material and also echoes at night when they have trouble getting to sleep. These problems were Praveen's main motivation to join the yoga program. Kumar experienced some of these as well, but his main motivation was to increase his strength and health.

Ha

From the first class I have taught to Praveen I knew that his main strengths in asana practice were calm perseverance and great balance. Encouraged by his impeccable Vrikshasana (Tree pose) I proposed that he do the Parivrtta Utthita Padangusthasana (Revolved Extended Head-to-Foot pose, see picture below). I was amazed to see that someone with severely impaired vision can do this posture so easily. Not only did this asana take me months to master, but even today I largely depend on my sight to balance myself in it. I saw confidence growing on Praveen's face as he was able to hold this expanding, invigorating posture for over a minute.

Praveen has a lean and firm body which doesn't allow him to go deep into stretches, but he has a great bodily sensitivity which guides him how far he can go without injuring himself. Because of his short hamstrings, a full extension of the lifted leg was initially not accessible to him in the Parivrtta Utthita Padangusthasana. So, I offered him forward folds such as Parsvottanasana (Intense Side Stretch pose) which are excellent hamstring stretches, but also have strong calming and introvert qualities.

As testified by Praveen in the video, the practice of yoga improved his confidence levels. Indeed, in spite of being determined and patient when practicing new asanas, he would usually underestimate his capacities.

When, after 5 months of practice, I proposed him to do the Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand) with the support of a wall, he insisted that this would be too difficult to him. However, when I assured him that it is safe and that I will be spotting him, he agreed to try the posture. He then tried to master it with his typical perseverance and he was exhilarated that he could actually do it.

Praveen also likes meditation, chanting of sounds (A-U-M) and Nadi Shodana pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing), which all allow him to experience a state of deep relaxation. He said that this experience was “new” and “amazing”.

Tha

Kumar has exceptional flexibility and in his first yoga class with me he was able to do the full versions of intense forward folds such as the Baddha Konasa (Cobbler's pose, see picture below) or Upavistha Konasana (Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend). He also loves to explore slow movements, and he takes over a minute to contemplatively sit up cross-legged after relaxation in Savasana (Corps pose) at the end of the class.

Whereas many people equal yoga practice with high flexibility, 'letting go' and slow movement, in Kumar's case these qualities were so dominant that he was unable to assume any standing posture for longer than 5 seconds.

He would literally fall on the ground when struggling to hold relatively easy postures such as Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II) or Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose). Also, even in the 'passive' seated forward folds he was not able to stay for longer than 30 seconds as his mind wandered and sought change.

I found two solutions which gradually helped him to master these basic standing postures and hold them for almost a minute. First one was the support of the wall behind the back of his entire body, which I suppose helped him relate his body to one plane established by the position of legs in these postures. We later changed the support to standing perpendicular to the wall and touching the wall with the outside edge of his back foot.

Second solution helps Kumar still his mind, which otherwise has a strong tendency to 'let go' and defocus. I simply count down from 10 or 20 to help him stay focused and if I forget to do so, Kumar will certainly ask me to count for him. This solution was not evident to me, as I generally consider counting distracting to practice and avoid it in my general classes.

In the video, Kumar testifies that thanks to yoga he feels "stronger inside" and can breathe more freely. I think he is now more aware of the dominance of the passive Tha qualities in his constitution. Thanks to the practice of standing and balancing postures he has discovered internal resources of the more active Ha energies which help him hold them for longer with a combination of muscular strength and mental focus. He wouldn't probably describe it verbally in this way, but I believe he can feel it.

Praveen and Kumar have only practiced for a few months, but they have already experienced that yoga has transformed them. Apart from the benefits described above, they also find it easier now to fall asleep at night and can cope better with what they describe as "too many thoughts in the head".

As defined by the World Health Organization, “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

Interestingly, this definition brings the full meaning of ‘health’ closer to the goal of yoga practice. In this sense, yoga is a wellness discipline, which is offered to people not as a generic prescription, but rather as an art of self-study that can lead to self-realization. However, regardless of their current level of health, what is good for one practitioner may harm another one.

In yoga, I discover for myself, my teachers have discovered for themselves, and you need to discover for yourself.

Will Yoga Make Me Lose My Muscles?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 04:01:00 +0000

Anyone who has seen a picture of T. Krishnamacharya practicing yoga at the age of 50 will be assured that intense yoga practice can shape musculature for a lifetime.

Whereas large muscles are not necessary to practice yoga, you can develop your own routine that will help you achieve your athletic goals.

Yoga asana practice can benefit your gym workout in many ways, from healthier muscle growth to enhanced muscular strength and function.

So what exactly happens in your body when you practice yoga poses regularly? There are four major physical effects of yoga:

improved flexibility
increased muscle strength/endurance
improved balance and bodily intelligence
enhanced oxygen intake

These four combined will have multiple benefits on your athletic performance and general health.

Stretching demystified

You must have heard about the benefits of stretching, but let’s be honest, you have never really gotten into it. It’s hard to appreciate something we don’t really understand or see the immediate results of. Plus, it’s time consuming and you don’t exactly remember the moves. Your improvisation in the gym room may quickly get awkward or boring. If so, it’s time to think about yoga - the most systematic and comprehensive system of stretches known to humans.

Its first benefit may please your busy schedule - yogic stretching is less time consuming than most passive stretching routines you were taught in your gym. This is because postures in yoga (asanas) are combined stretches which work multiple muscle groups at a time. Take the Warrior II pose: it stretches the front leg’s hip extensors, adductors and internal rotators, the back leg’s calf, knee flexors and hip adductors, as well as arms, shoulders and chest.

And in case you were bored with your passive stretching routine, yoga can offer a much more engaging practice. In the Warrior II pose above, your groins feel it as if you were doing a passive side split on the floor. But in order to hold the posture you also need to engage some of the muscles which are being stretched, as well as their antagonists (counter-acting muscles). If you do it correctly it will make you sweat in just a few minutes. No time to get bored! You will have to constantly rotate your body awareness from your feet to shoulders to make sure you are holding/relaxing them correctly.

But what exactly happens in your muscles when you stretch? Fascia, which corresponds to 30% of the muscle mass, is the main structure that limits our flexibility and that can be safely stretched. A string around a ham is a simple model of what in reality resembles a dense three-dimensional network which spans across muscular fibres. Now, imagine what happens to the ham when you loosen the string on it: it expands. So will expand your muscles when you stretch the fascia. Apart from the gain in length, this will give more space for new veins to grow inside the muscle, which will eventually improve the penetration of blood and boost its metabolism, growth and repair.

Because fascia spans across multiple muscles, it binds individual muscles into larger, tape-like structures which can run from the bottom of your feet to your forehead. Yes, you read it well. Your muscles are linked through fascia like beads in a rosary or mala. This means that when you stretch the fascia you also loosen the connections between individual muscles, so that they can function more independently. This improves the precision of movement, overall control over your body and prevents injuries, which are all crucial in any sport discipline. On top of that, you create more space for your bones to align, which will correct your posture and lengthen the spine.

Put your ornaments into action

If you have developed your muscles working out on gym equipment, there are chances that they are built for good appearance and not for function. Gym equipment is designed to make your muscles work in isolated groups and often in only one direction. This helps you build large, individual muscles.

Improving muscle function means using their full capacity in all movements or postures that our body is capable of doing. In real life, muscles need to cooperate in larger groups, and move your body parts in all possible planes. This requires special coordination by your brain and often involves tiny, deep, auxiliary muscles you may not be aware of.

Yoga is here to help you develop these functional skills for the muscles you already have. It will improve your balance and coordination of movement, as well as strengthen these “invisible” yet essential deep muscles.

For example, take the Plank or Crow poses: do you think it takes strong arms to hold them for minutes? Or the transition from the Cobra to Downward Dog, which you may do multiple times in a flow (vinyasa) yoga class. Does it work your arms? You may be surprised to meet yoga practitioners with thin arms who are capable of doing them with ease. The secret to these poses lies in the “core”, or the muscles around the gravity centre of your body, including deep abdominal muscles. The more you use your core, the less you depend on your tights or arms in these poses.

While strengthening the core, you also improve your balance and coordination of movement between your legs and arms and avoid injuries. This means you will be able to better use the quads, biceps and lats which are already proudly have.

Beyond the body

Awareness and control of breath are essential to yoga. During asana practice, you are encouraged to lengthen your inhale and exhale, and (almost) never hold the breath. Fluid breath means constant supply of oxygen to your muscles and uninterrupted removal of carbon dioxide.

This also changes the way you manage your effort. Forceful exhalations through the mouth which you may know from the weight lifting room are replaced by silent nasal breathing. Slower breath allows you to relax into postures and teaches you how to enhance your endurance and focus through greater relaxation. This helps you go through physical discomfort with ease. The mind takes full control over the body.

Taking it to the next level

Different people hold contrasting stereotypes about yoga. To some it appears as a purely spiritual practice and to others as merely a system a stretches. In reality, yoga helps you develop your mind and body in harmony. Those who have practiced it regularly know that this is an incredibly versatile practice and can be adapted to help you achieve diverse goals.

Yoga is a personalised method of change, transformation and reaching where you have not been before. If you adapt your practice to your fitness goal and put your hearth to it, it will take your workout to the next level and beyond.

First published here.

The Spirit of the Sixties Or How New Age Started

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 12:15:00 +0000

The popularity of yoga in the West is a good example that the sixties have left strong legacy in the mass culture. But how it all started?

The counter-cultural movement of the 1960s in the United States can be treated as an expression of mere conflict of generations, inflamed by school and family problems, or an idealistic rebellion against authorities and mass-media - 'the tentacles of the corporate state'. It seems, however, that it was a part of something larger, namely mass contestation that swept Western civilization starting from the fifties of the twentieth century. The opposition related to all aspects of social life, as well as politics and economics.

In the spring of 1969, as much as 50% of American college students declared to be at least 'reformists', and a further 37% wanted moderate changes [1]. The memory of those days is still alive, but what is it that we call the 'spirit of the sixties'.

The intellectual origins

One of the top leaders of the intellectual movement announcing an inevitable ‘paradigm shift’, i.e. deep transubstantiation of the way of thinking and values was an American physicist and thinker of Austrian origin Fritjof Capra [2]:

" The paradigm that is now shifting has dominated our culture for several hundred years, during which it has shaped our modern Western society (...) comprises values that have been associated with various streams of Western culture, among them the Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment, and the Industrial Revolution. They include the belief in the scientific method as the only valid approach to knowledge; the view of the universe as a mechanical system composed of elementary material building blocks; the view of life in society as a competitive struggle for existence; and the belief in unlimited material progress to be achieved through economic and technological growth. During the past decades all these ideas and values have been found severely limited and in need of radical revision. ".

In his further analysis of the values and attitudes of the culture he draws from the book of I-Ching (Book of Changes) - the foundation of the Chinese thought. Namely,

the sources of the basic rhythm of the universe originate from two poles: Yin and Yang. The Yin is "feminine" and it can be described as passionate, protecting, sensitive, interacting, intuitive, and unifying. On the contrary Yang is masculine, possessive, demanding, aggressive, competing, rational and analytical.

In a homeostatic state, they should be in balance. But not surprisingly, in the current reality one had to deal with an unhealthy domination of Yang over Yin. This is manifested in all aspects of functioning of the culture. Here's how Capra commented then on The Cold War [2]:

"The psychological background to this nuclear madness is an overemphasis on self-assertion, control and power, excessive competition, and an obsession with "winning"-the typical traits of patriarchal culture.”

He created similar analyses for almost all phenomena from the schooling system to healthcare, physics, psychology, and manifestations of the cultural life. ‘Systems thinking’, built on the achievements of ecology, was supposed to counterweight the dominant Cartesian reductionism.

It expressed itself through disciplines such as holistic medicine, environmental protection, renewable sources of energy and so called "soft technologies"- environment-friendly and through this aspect also people-friendly. Further, instead of serving corporations, the economy was to give priority to local activities in order to help individuals develop and promote a sense of community, free from lust for money.

Involved in the movement of ‘new awareness’ feminists (who had according to Capra a great role to play in the process of change) commented that the passion of the time to build the highest skyscrapers, space rockets (of phallic otherwise shapes) and generally "hard technology" was an all-encompassing manifestation of patriarchal dominance. So was the ‘nuclear power’. [3]

Feeding spiritual hunger

In the realm of spirituality emerged a belief of a mystic unity of all living beings. The so-called deep ecology perceived humans not as dominant life forms, but at par with any other beings [2]:

"When the concept of the human spirit is understood (...) as the mode of consciousness in which the individual feels connected to the cosmos as a whole, it becomes clear that ecological awareness is truly spiritual."

In his 2002 article "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" [4] Capra recalled:

“The 1960s were the period of my life during which I experienced the most profound and most radical personal transformation. For those of us who identify with the cultural and political movements of the sixties, that period represents not so much a decade as a state of consciousness, characterized by "transpersonal" expansion, the questioning of authority, a sense of empowerment, and the experience of sensuous beauty and community.”

He explains that the ‘transpersonal expansion’ was created as a response to progressive secularisation and materialism in the West. It was inclined to experiences such as the altered states of consciousness (super-sensual perception) occurring during meditation, but also as a result of taking LSD or listening to psychedelic music. This was expressed in the slogan:

"Get out of your head and into your senses!"

The ordinary reality was gradually being replaced by a psychedelic one and rationalism by intuition, giving a bizarre sense of magic, mysticism and experiencing miracles. A new spirituality emerged.

An English writer Aldous Huxley was the author of an unofficial Bible of the followers of this new religion. In his book The Perennial Philosophy (1945) he popularized an older idea of philosophia parennis which states that spirituality is an unchangeable and eternal element in the history of humanity [5]. Whereas all areas of science and philosophy are experiencing constant evolution, the universal truth that is at the core of all developed religions, regardless of the time and place of their creation, is shared and common.

Such eclectic approach considers that it doesn’t matter what religion you profess-what is authentic and deep in each of them is the same. One can therefore use the term "trans-religion" as an indication of the mutual penetration without borders and focusing on what is common. As far as personal experience goes, this is similar [5]:

"(...) man's obsessive consciousness of, and insistence on being, a separate self is the final and most formidable obstacle to the unitive knowledge of God. To be a self is, for them [proponents of the Perennial Philosophy], the original sin, and to die to self, in feeling, will and intellect, is the final and all-inclusive virtue."

A clear fascination with such spirituality can be found in the works of many writers from the beginning of the century such as the Nobel laureate Hermann Hesse (Steppenwolf, Demian, The Glass Bead Game)). In Demian we read:

" There is, so I believe, in the essence of everything, (...) only a knowledge — that is everywhere, that is Atman, that is in me and you and in every creature.(...)

(We) consist of everything the world consists of, each of us, and just as our body contains the genealogical table of evolution as far back as the fish and even much further, so we bear everything in our soul that once was alive in the soul of men. (...)

The things we see are the same things that are within us. There is no reality except the one contained within us.”

Fast-tracking illumination

Such perception of spirituality and the human psyche was later named as trans-personal. It became a leitmotiv of the "New Psychology" which emerged at the end of the 1960s and also broke away from the current paradigm. A leading activist there was a representative of the Old Continent - Stanislav Grof from Czechoslovakia, whereas Carl Gustav Jung was considered a protoplast of his ideas.

The study of ‘altered states of consciousnesses’ was related to this wave of thought. This "higher self" is far removed from the usual daily routine. However, the mystics: Saints and sages experienced it in their life. Whereas the mainstream psychology described such religious experiences as psychopathology, the New Psychology showed keen interest in the possibility of spreading them to the common man. Transpersonal psychologists were therefore not interested in mediocrity and the norm, but in improving the quality of life, the exploration of new sensations and "higher" skills.

Such states of mind could be elicited through long fasting, asceticism, or the practices of yoga and Zen. However, a substance was discovered that could bring them immediately. Lysergic acid amide (LSD), present naturally in ergot, was first synthesized in 1938 by a Swiss chemist Albert Hoffman.

The fame of this substance had certainly exceeded the expectations of the chemist. Initially used in psychiatry in the so-called psycholytic therapy, it was named the ‘mind expander’ in the 1956 book of Huxley Doors of Perception. Huxley argued that the divine can be experience via chemical stimulation of the brain.

Because the ‘religious’ experience was elicited almost immediately and in everyone who took LSD, this concept was called ‘an instant spirituality’, and as such it penetrated quickly into the counter-culture. Other LSD propellers became his friend Humphrey Osmond, and famous Harvard University researchers Timothy Leary and Richard Alpertem. A 1980 horror movie Altered States is a juicy take on how such research might have looked like.

An American sociologist who studied the New Age movement Marilyn Ferguson, in her book "The Aquarian Conspiracy" states that "LSD gave the entire generation a religious experience". This phenomenon resonates in the abovementioned article by Capra. Huxley ordered to give him LSD on his deathbed.

The psychology of self-realization and wellbeing

Returning for a moment to the psychology it is worth mentioning that these "higher states of consciousness" achieved through relaxation techniques were also used to enhance the quality of life, including learning (memory, fast reading), health, social and emotional skills.

This was at odds with the pessimistic Freudian concept of deterministic childhood, after which any ‘change for the better’ was impossible. In contrast, the Jung's spiritual approach to psychotherapy experienced further expansion.

An important branch of psychotherapy which grew out of the ideas of the New Age was also Family therapy. It was based in its assumptions on a systemic understanding of mental disorders: important are not so much the individual characteristics of a person but his/her interactions with family members. Abnormalities in these relationships manifest themselves as disease, which could be reversed by uncovering and fixing the relationships. This idea grew out of "the ecological or systemic way of thinking" described by Capra.

Another important current in psychotherapy these days, the Mindfulness approach, is also rooted in Eastern thought. It has been applied to improve the quality of life in a variety of health conditions from stress and pain management to depression.

The all-inclusive society

The black people were exposed as a symbol of life in exile, cultural diversity and allies in the struggle for a better world. "Long hair is our black skin" proclaimed one of the ideologues of the counter-culture Jerry Rubin [6].

When we compare the manifests of the Black Panther Party (1970) and those made by students during the riots in Berkeley throughout the 1960s’ we easily notice many similarities. Both of course speak of equal right for the people of color, putting the power in the hands of the protesters, but also in favor of:
·    full liberation of women,
·    end to the rule of abusive capitalists
·    establishment of a new, own culture,
·    supra-national unification of all people ('spiritual socialism').

Further demands of the contesting students were:
·   contemplative and caring attitude towards nature, the end of the 'civilization of plastic and concrete',
·   organizing social life around communities, inspired by communes,
·   protection and promotion of the ‘cultural use of drugs’ ("to liberate the mind and body").

Almost all these points present precisely the New Age ideology. Noteworthy, many of these, as well as fascination with Eastern spirituality had been expressed a bit earlier in the works of a group of American writers known as the Beat Generation. These were also the values which Capra had in mind when writing about the "new paradigm".

American counter-culture movement of the sixties which included scientists, hippies, feminists and black-rights activists seemed to be fairly uniform in its values. The ideas of gender equality, trans-personality, all-inclusive society, friendly economics and ecology, and all the other arising from the need to restore the balance between Yin and Yang, interwove each other taking a variety of forms. Inspired by philosophy sourced from the East, they ignited an inevitable revolution in the West.

How much of the spirit of the sixties have migrated permanently to our contemporary reality? Well, the 'corporate state' has certainly not been overturned in any Western nation, but various anti-globalization movements continue to be active. Also, the impact of New Age is certainly visible in the mass culture.

The popularity of yoga in the West is a strong example and there are many more, such as the respect for authenticity in music and other arts. Rock and Indie music bands are budding in garages all over the world and are a major legacy of that time.

A growing interest in ecology and renewable energy sources, as well as fair trade and organic products are signs that consumerism has become more mindful these days.

Finally, the spiritual hunger remains to be unsatisfied by major Western religions and is manifested by the popularity of self-improvement books such as those of Paulo Coelho or the genre of fantasy in general.

While the world has changed a lot since the sixties, I hope this piece has helped you realize to what extent our lives are still influenced by this period. Please share your thoughts as comments to this post.

References:

1. Drogi kontrkultury (The paths of counter-culture), Jawłowska, W., Warsaw, PIW, 1975

2. The Turning Point, Capra, F., New York, Bantam Books, 1982,

3. Syllabus of the course "New Age Psychology", Dobroczyński, B., Kraków, Jagiellonian University, 2003

4. www.fritjofcapra.net

5. The Perennial Philosophy, Huxley A., London, Chatto And Windus, 1945

6. Do It!, Rubin J., 1970

What Is Yoga and How Is It Useful in Our Modern Lives?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 11:22:00 +0000

Amongst its many meanings and uses, yoga has gained mass popularity mainly as a health and wellness discipline. There is a growing body of scientific evidence that yoga practice can benefit health conditions such as back pain, anxiety, insomnia, premenstrual syndrome, arthritis, high blood pressure, depression or even cancer and HIV/AIDS.

For the majority of us however, yoga can help regain a sense of well-being in our modern, urban lives.

As our economy becomes more industrialized, we tend to live and work in a more controlled environment and follow defined, mundane routines almost every day.

As the modern work culture is all about efficiency, even after working hours our approach to doing things may become efficiency-oriented, mechanical and unmindful. That is why we can see people working out in gyms while watching a music channel or even talking on the phone. In the middle of performing challenging physical activities, they are actually getting bored.

Unexpectedly, the feelings of stagnation and nothing happening dominate our lives. Even in our spare time, entertainment often comes down to passive reception of commercially available goods, and we spend less time in nature. No wonder the entertainment industry is one of the fastest growing sectors nowadays.

On top of that, we often have physical household activities taken care of by machines, other family members or domestic help.

As a result, we start losing the connection to our bodies and become immersed more and more in the world of our thoughts and mental monologues.

So how yoga fits in in this modern lifestyle scenario? What matters in your yoga practice is not the attainment of a result such as the posture (asana), calories burnt or the number of repetitions made. Whereas yoga postures have been designed over hundreds of years of experimentation of numerous yogis, it is not the asanas per se, but your mindful practice (sadhana) of these postures that will make your practice fruitful.

The mind-body connection which you will discover and master in your sadhana is the key to a greater wellbeing and the numerous health benefits which yoga has been proven to generate.

By shifting your focus from the achievement itself to the attitude with which you approach a posture, you open yourself to experience the transformative power of yoga.

The gentle stretch you will feel in your body as you enter a posture will help you anchor your attention to the ongoing bodily sensations, instead of losing it adrift thinking about the past or future. Conscious breathing will became a bridge connecting your body and mind. The overwhelming perception of the present moment will free you from the shackles of clock time and from worries about what you should have done or what you should do in the future.

Yoga has a life-transforming potential and it wouldn’t have survived hundreds of years if it was merely a form of physical exercise.

Apart from mindfulness, there are many more qualities you can practice on your mat. The yogic principle of Non-harming (ahimsa) will teach you how to slide on the edge of your best effort and prevent strain or injury, Contentment (santosha) will allow you to be happy with your current progress and the incessant Self-study (svadhyaya) will guide you on your journey of personal evolution through yoga.

Regardless of your current health or fitness level, yoga is a life’s journey for everyone. As the fundamental book of physical yoga Hatha Yoga Pradipika says: “Whether you are sick or weak, young, old or even very old, you can succeed in yoga if you practice diligently.”

Notwithstanding, as on any journey, the most important is the first step. So, whether you are currently looking to meet new people, do something engaging in your spare time, increase your physical activity or reduce work or family related stress, joining a yoga program will be a fruitful investment of your time and money.

The Yoga of 8 Limbs and Ecology

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 11:13:00 +0000

Ecology is the study of energy flows between organisms and their environment.

Raja Yoga (a.k.a. ‘royal yoga’, Ashtanga, The Yoga of 8 Limbs), is greatly concerned with the study of the subtle pranic energy. Just as in ecology, yoga teaches how to perceive life.

Life that is universal and extends beyond the boundaries of our body or the mind, which identifies with“I.” It also lays out techniques of working with this living force in a way that promotes its conservation.

Both yoga and ecology stem from the awareness that all elements in a living system are interconnected in a single web.

We belong to the same energy network as all other living beings on the planet. According to the Upanisads, all animate and non-animate creation including humans is composed of the five classical elements, in parallel to the modern view of the matter being composed of chemical elements.

What follows is that the separation we feel from the natural world around us is illusory—this separation is a creation of our ‘I’ mind, also called ego.

For example, one of the oxygen molecules that you are inhaling right now may have been in the lungs of a dinosaur which lived here over two hundred and thirty million years ago. Or, maybe in the lungs of the person next to you.

Yoga describes a state of stillness that is maintained in spite of external disturbance to the system. Homeostasis, as it can be called, has been also described by ecology and other sciences, such as medicine, psychology, geology etc.

For example, our body temperature is maintained at the precise 36.6 C with very minor fluctuations, regardless of the outside temperature. A system that is able to maintain homeostasis carries on. That is, the system’s productivity and resilience to disturbance are both maintained.

Otherwise, dysfunction creeps in and the system may cease to exist. It is by being aware of this mechanism that we can chose actions which will allow the systems to sustain themselves.

However, Raja Yoga owes its name not to its theoretical depth, but to the systematic compilation of principles and techniques that can be employed on our path towards the evolution of our consciousness or self-realization.

Svadhyaya, one of the five self-observances or Niyamas in Raja Yoga, encourages self-reflexion and becoming more aware. During asana (posture) and pranayama (breathing) practices this means being conscious of the flows of our inner energy. This concept is closely related to Mindfulness described by me earlier in this article.

By the same principle we can examine our impact on the environment, so that we do not harvest from it beyond its ability to recover from our intervention. Being mindful of the external world will naturally increase our awareness of that impact.

Also other Yamas and Niyamas can serve as a guide to our lifestyle choices. We can practice:

Ahimsa or non-violence by reducing environmental impact of meat consumption and industrial food production, not wasting food by buying or ordering more than we can eat.
Satya or truthfulness by being honest with ourselves when we know that our action will have negative environmental impact, but we still do it.
Asteya or non-stealing by cutting our CO₂ emissions (car pooling), buying fair trade products, not wasting water or electricity.
Brahmacharya or continence by moderation in consumption of food and other goods or in travelling, shopping sprees.
Aparigraha or nonpossessiveness by refraining from buying things we don’t really need, (including yoga props and books.
Saucha or purity by keeping our surrounding clean, not littering, not eating in fast foods that use disposable plates and cups. Cutting down on our emissions from cars, fireworks, BBQs, open air rubbish burning. Also, by buying organic food and phosphate free laundry products.
Santosha or contentment by being satisfied with what we have, not envying others which can lead to buying unnecessary stuff or travelling around the planet in order to ‘tick’ another travel destination or a yoga retreat.
Tapas or perseverance by doing our bit for the environment, without being inhibited in our actions by the large scale of the problem.
Ishwar Pranidha or surrender by recognising that we cannot conquer nature with technology alone and we need to bow to it in order to survive on this planet.

Raja Yoga gives further techniques that can free us from the negative impacts of our polluted environment, including desires, toxins and other stressors:

Pratyahara (withdrawal of senses meditation) can be practiced to moderate our lust and desire to experience or buy new things or go to new tourist places.
Shatkarmas (purifying practices) help to purify the body from toxic food or air.
Asana, pranayama and relaxation practices reduce the stressor effects of noise, food and air pollution on our body.

First published here.

Rahul and the Demons

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 10:29:00 +0000

A transformative thriller for kids. They won't let you stop reading until the suspense is resolved...

Rahul was a pretty boy. But the sweetness of his face didn’t match with the bitterness of his behavior. In fact, he was the most famous school bully. Lakshmi, John and Mohamed endured his mocking the most. But the school was over for the time being and this summer holiday could bring about a change in this state of affairs. So decided the vindictive three and they pondered revenge strategy.

They slipped a love letter into his school locker. “I am head over heels for you, Rahul. Please come to the school’s swimming pool today at dusk. We will celebrate the last day of school together. Love, XXX”.

Not being sure who his fan was, but convinced of his charm and allure, Rahul had an early dinner, grabbed a swimming cap and trunks and headed to the pool. The revengeful three arrived at the pool a little late, but Rahul was no longer there.

“Look,” Moha said, “isn’t this Rahul cap floating on the surface of the pool?”

The others agreed - it was a rainbow cap which matched perfectly with his beautiful face. But Rahul himself was already not there. Not even in the changing rooms or in the lifeguard tower. They split into the four corners of the school yard, each yelling Rahul’s name with a worry mounting in the pitch of their voices.

“Is he setting us up again? Is it yet another of his tricks to poke fun at us?” John thought loudly.

“Aahaa!”, screamed Lakshmi,” come all here now! Horrible! I think I can see remnants of his cloths, they have been burnt, and the smell of burnt fabric is hovering over them and sneaking into my nose! And here! I can also see pieces of Yakshagana mask! Jeez, the pieces of the mask look so scary! Has he been captured by the forest demons?”

“Let’s get lost guys! Please! It’s getting freaky here. Rahul is taking fun of us again!" reconfirmed himself John.

“And what if something horribly, horribly, horribly terrible has happened to him?! We have to follow the traces of his cloths and Yakshagana mask into the forest! Maybe we can still save him!” Lakshmi pointed at bits and parts of Rahul’s t-shirt lying on the ground, which directed to a path leading deep into the forest.

"You are right", nodded Moha and all four decided to save Rahul from something dreadfully, intolerably, disgustingly awful that might have happened to him, and maybe because of their spiteful plot.

Once they stepped into the forest, a thumping sensation stroke soundly their feet.

"Are these vibrations of Yakshagana ragas what we can feel on the ground?" asked John.

“Rather, pounding of the feet of dancers”, replied Moha.

“You mean d-d-demons?” reacted John anxiously.

“Look guys! Can you see the glowing in the far? Is it a fire?” said adventurously Lakshmi. “It must be a big one! A small fire wouldn’t give such a high radiance! It’s visible over the crowns of the trees and almost touching the sky! Hurry up guys! “

A few moments later they reached an enormous clearing, filled with a vast fire jiggling in a fervent dance.

“Look! Near that tree on the other side of the clearing! Isn’t it Rahul?! I can see him!” said Lakshmi and all kids started shouting Rahul’s name.

But the person they saw didn’t react. Swallowing the fear of the fire, they cautiously walked towards him, following the circular edge of the clearing. Strangely, the boy who looked like Rahul stand petrified, gazing at the fire without reaction to them calling his name.

“What’s happened to you, Rahul?” Lakshmi screamed while tapping the boy on his shoulder.

The moment she touched him, his body fell apart into a thousand pieces of various shapes, like a rock struck by a lightning. The four were shaken to the core by what had just happened, but they could only discharge a silent sigh of despair.

“It’s not my fault!” defended herself Lakshmi bursting into tears.

“Welcome my sweet children!” a low but polite voice emerged from behind their back. “We are happy you have joined us in our yearly ceremony.”

The four turned back and saw a group of countless demons wearing Yakshagana masks and hovering above the ground right in the center of the vast blaze. They were unharmed by the fire and all had a sweet smile on their face.

“We need your help tonight” – a monster hovering in front of the assembly continued.”For our rites to be successful we need to transform a human being into a better person during this ceremony. We know that you have all suffered because of Rahul’s mockery. But he will no longer bother you with his nasty tricks. Tonight, you have a wonderful chance to transform him into a better person, according to your wish. Just collect the pieces of his body and reassemble them into a new Rahul, who will no longer be able to hurt you. Shall you start my dear?” The demon pointed at Lakshmi.

Without hesitation she recalled how awful she felt when Rahul pulled her plaits. And once, he even attached his chewing gum into them, so that her mom had to remove it with an iron.

“All right, I will reconstruct you without those nasty hands and also completely bold. I will also place a big scar on your face, made with a hot iron. You should have a lesson."

The creature which emerged was so repulsive that all got a fright on seeing it.

“I will do it better,” said Moha. “He kept giving me painful kicks in my butt. I’ll take away his legs and I’ll make his butt large and red like in a monkey"

Again, the monster which came out was so revolting that the four kids covered their eyes with the hands and could only observe it through holes between fingers.

John also had a lot of grief about all the mocking which Rahul had done to him and attempted to reconstruct him deformed according to his wish. But this time, instead of reemerging as another handicapped creature, Rahul diffused into the air like a powder and took a shape of a Yakshagana demon.

“That’s enough my dears. You have done a wonderful job. Our rite has been successful and Rahul is one of us now.” the demon said with delight.

“How come!” Lakshmi shrieked. “You have cheated on us!”

“Why do you say so my dear?! We asked you to transform Rahul into a better person and you had three attempts. Each time the person who emerged was more appalling than Rahul himself. You all pitied him and wanted to change him into a better person, but none of you have forgiven him his deeds. We know, this lies in is your human nature.”

“My dear”, he continued with a grin, “people would rather try to change themselves than forgive each other and so we gather yearly in this forest to perform the ritual and we have a new fellow joining us as a demon each year. We all used to be humans but each of us had a friend whom we hurt and who wanted us to become somebody different. But now, as you can see my dear, we are all alike so we cannot hurt each other. Even the fire cannot hurt us and a smile is always on our face. Conversely! We love the searing touch of the fire on our skin!”

“Ssssssearing!” repeated other demons with joy.

On hearing the choir of demons chanting the sound, John got so scared that he backed away and run at full pelt back to the school yard.

“Oh no, I’ll never forget Rahul, I’ll never forget what has happened to him because of us. I’ll dream nightmares about the demons and the ugly incarnations of Rahul which we created according to our desires. I wish I had never wanted to take revenge on him” lamented Lakshmi. “Can anything be done to bring him back with us?”

“Hmmm”, demon’s eyes went up and to the side in search of an answer. “There is indeed one thing that can be done my dear, but it doesn’t require any action from you”

“I don’t understand! How can we bring Rahul back with us without doing anything?" Lakshmis’s voice attained its highest register.

“Well yes my sweetheart, you can. In fact you must stop doing something. You should stop holding your grief towards Rahul and stop wanting to change him according to your wish. Only if that happens, Rahul he will come back to his human form. But, if you cannot let go of those feeling, the memory of demons will remain within you and your nights will be restless.”

“Restlesssssssssss!”, repeated other demons with pleasure which sent shivers up the spine of the kids.

Hastened by the terrifying sound both Lakshmi and Moha shouted towards the crowd of demons, hoping that Rahul will hear them: “I f-o-r-g-i-v-e y-o-u!”

As they opened their mouths a disgusting puke of resentful memories started to pour out into the giant fire in the center of the clearing. They vomited straight in the blaze, getting rid of the most hurtful, disgusting and deep-rooted resentments they were holding towards Rahul’s behavior at school. The fire was razing all the barf and the earth beneath absorbing the ashes.

After they threw up completely and no more bile was coming out of their mouths, they felt a great relief in their stomachs and a feeling of lightness in their heads.

One demon emerged in front of the fire while others backed away in the rear.

“I forgive both of you too” he said as his mask started to resemble Rahul’s face.

Other demons were so moved by the scene that streams of tears started flowing from their eyes, pumped in abundance by moaning and sniffing ejected from their stomachs. They all wished they could reconcile with people who had wanted to change them, just like has just happened to Rahul. Their torrential tears started forming a pool of water which slowly quenched the enormous fire, and multiple torrents of salty water ejected from the clearing into the four corners of the world.

The demons were carried away by the water in various directions, each by a stream fed by his own weeping. They all surfed to find people who had once turned them into demons and with whom they wanted to exchange transforming hugs of forgiveness. These people would soon have a chance to let go of the anguish of stagnant memories, restless nights and demonic voices about people whom they had wanted to change.

“Good luck!” yelled happily the three kids to the demons as headed back to the school yard while holding their hands.

“Wait, where is John?” noticed Moha. “He must be hiding in one of the lockers in the changing rooms by the swimming pool”, made a joke Lakshmi, “scared and reviewing in his head all the horror which he has seen in the forest.”

“Poor him!” responded Rahul. “I am feeling so fresh and spacious inside, as if there was a vast rainbow arching across my body.” he continued spreading his arms widely. “Let’s go and tell him how it all ended. Maybe he didn’t have the courage to face the cruelty of his own thoughts, but he too deserves to feel what I am feeling right now!”

They found John weeping at the school yard and Rahul reached the arms towards him for a hug. With their eyes closed, they both could see now an inner rainbow lightening the inside of their bodies, in spite of the night.

The other two joined Rahul and John in a circle by holding their hands and the rainbows expanded even more and merged between the kids. The past has been flushed into the past and a fresh ground emerged for the experience of the present moment – the beginning of the summer break.

I wrote this simple story for the Duckbill Workshop in Bangalore in 2012.

The WOW Factor Within You

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 09:35:00 +0000

Always multitasking, even if there is time to do things one by one? Hankering for a snack, drink, or a cigarette every 15 minutes? If so, this piece is for you.

The modern life puts on us the shackles of stability and predictability. And we have been heading here since the Industrial Revolution gave us the mass-produced clock. Or, as believe some, the omnipresent clock gave us the work efficiency which enabled the Revolution. Whichever is true, each of our weekdays starts at the same hour. The temperature and brightness in our office remain constant during the day. Our job tasks are probably repetitive too. Even in our spare time, the radio keeps playing the same droning playlist over and over. Repertoire in the music player begs for a makeover. Our environment is stable and controlled, but our brain desires evergreen distraction. Longing for it becomes an all familiar feeling.

We plug ourselves to the Internet, but the email and Facebook interfaces are always just the same.

Designed for ease of use. Seem corny already. We observe the notification icon with alertness. Like a suricate viewing the static landscape of a prairie. Spam. Commercial. Funny Picture. Refresh. Refresh. Refresh. Tweet. But, the ether gets only staler. Unbearable instants of nothing happening. Let’s hope for the weekend. A party may bring something juicy for the senses. But then, we don’t feel like going the same places again...

Life became smoother, convenient and connected. And we like it. But too often, nothing seems to be happening!

Whether we resort to the Internet, TV or fridge, our satisfaction is only momentary. The hunger we are trying to feed seems perennial.

Yoga and Buddhist traditions propose various means to brake this vicious cycle. The concept I share with you today is called Mindfulness (smṛti or samyama in yoga). The best part comes first- there is no new technique or gymnastics you need to learn. Rather,

you want to unlearn the habit of being Mindless. The bottom line is changing the way we experience your surroundings.

We were all born with this skill, and it is best visible in kids who cultivate it instinctively. Recall now how they interact with Nature. Butterfly! Wow! They follow it single-mindedly into a meadow. Flower! They pick petals off it and examine closely their scent, colour, structure, and why not, the taste. Silence. Time stops when they inspect intersection of a halved orange with a glowing gaze. They probe it with finger pads, tongue or chick. Simple things. We take them for granted. They marvel wholeheartedly and their jaws drop in dismay.

Mindfulness means that our entire attention is with our actions, even if we could execute then mechanically. This attitude knows no purpose, because purpose takes us away from the present moment. The focus is here and now. Multiple senses are involved, so that objects can be felt rather than thought.

Simply lying down can also be done in a mindful way, providing the mind is occupied with our intimate bodily sensations and not with intangible thoughts. But, for an adult, it may be easier to first practice Mindfulness in activities which feel new to them.

Brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand and absorb how it feels.

This will help you bring your entire attention to the action of brushing, rather than thinking of your breakfast, commute or office. Alter your daily routines to give them a fresh twist. Then do them single-mindedly. And stick to this new attitude. You will discover how this quenches your thirst of evergreen distraction.

Once in a while, throw yourself into an adventure out of town. If you have practiced Mindfulness for a while, you may have lost interest in costly extreme sports explorations.

Simply take a train instead of a plain next time you visit your family. Airports are mind-numbing. Train stations (especially in India) are mind-blowing.

Open your senses and absorb the manifestations of life. People yawning, waking from the sleep. Queuing to the toilets. Babies crying. In the coach it may get rough for your senses. Do not fantasize about the comfort of an aircraft you had forgone or about your journey’s destination. Instead, experience the smell of fermented melons and oily snacks. If you are on a night train, feel the hardness of the bed. If the sensations evoke some memories, just be aware of them as they arise in that moment. Refrain from getting carried away by them. Stay here and now.

Do you need Mindful living? If you are still not sure, observe someone in your surrounding whose behaviour has the symptoms of a Mindless attitude.

Always multitasking, even if there is time to do things one by one? Hankering for a snack, drink or a cigarette every 15 minutes? Tuned in to the breaking news bar or showbiz gossips feeds 24/7? Over-stimulated, yet constantly craving?

Studying others can be easier than self-study (svadhyaya), but is equally useful. Then see if their behaviour applies somehow to you. If yes, pick Mindfulness as your new hobby. Discreet, portable and free. But, very powerful.

Meditative eating and walking are exercises which should give you the experience of Mindful doing and being, which you will later look for in your daily life. They take time and are not meant to replace your normal activities. Practice them daily for a week to see how your life becomes richer and more satisfying.

Eating an orange (15-30min)

Pick a juicy orange and wash it.
Smell it. Squeeze it slightly. Study the pores on its skin.
Halve it with a knife, across the wedges. Count the segments.
Explore the texture with your fingers, tongue, cheek etc.
Start skinning from the edge. Observe breaking of the white fibres from the skin. Then do it again close to your ear. How does it sound?
Take the removed skin and bend it, so that the orange essence is ejected from the pores on the outside. Do it again closer to your face, with your eyes closed. You should feel the essence being sprayed on your chick. Listen to the sound.
Continue disassembling the fruit. Remove the membrane of a single wedge. Play with the smaller segments inside the wedge.
Slowly, bring a piece closer to your mouth. Smell it. Feel if it has a different temperature than your lips. Then touch the lips. Start chewing the piece and observe how its taste changes in time. Observe the after taste before you reach for another piece. Be open to new experiences with each piece of the fruit.
You can repeat with another orange, this time skinning the entire fruit without cutting it into halves. On another day you can choose a different fruit.

Slow walking (10-30 min)

Find a space where you can practice slow walking, without being disturbed or observed by others.
Chose a path on which you will be walking. You can walk back and forth across a room, or in a circle.
Stand with your spine erect, but do not tense your shoulders. Look in front, at the level of your eyes.
Start walking on the chosen path at a normal pace, for about 2 min. Do not stop. Take your entire attention to how it feels to walk. Be with your bodily sensations. You can feel the movement in various body parts at a time, your neck, shoulders and arms, pelvis, tights, knees, calves, ankles and feet.
Halve the pace at which you were walking and continue for the next 3 min. Observe how the bodily sensations change, or become more perceivable, when you walk slower.
Repeat the previous step 2 more times. Each time walk at a halved pace for 3 min. Do not drop your sight. Keep the erect posture. Stay with your entire focus on how your body feels. You may now be able to distinguish minute sensations, such as the very moment when your rear foot detaches from the ground, or when the body weight is shifted from one side of your body to another.
Stop walking and remain with the physical sensations in your body for a few moments

First published here.

A Stiff Body Can Be a Blessing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 09:22:00 +0000

Stiffness is a natural state of the body.
Most of us begin our yoga journey here.

Who hasn't worried about being stiff? Fitness programs or supplement pills which promise to increase your flexibility tend to be as popular as those which "guarantee" to give you six pack abs.

In particular men who work out in a gym may have more muscular mass and shortened muscular length which both can prevent them from going deeper into various yoga poses. They feel awkward in group classes where they can see very flexible people who are either more advanced in their practice or are simply more limber because of their age, gender, due to inherent composition of their muscles, the length of tendons and ligaments or the bone shape (especially femoral and humeral heads).

On top of that, gym-goers often develop a belief that their muscles should be rock hard and they have a habit of achieving their fitness goals through powerful muscular effort. This will further hinder their ability to lengthen and soften the muscles during asana practice. If you are a goal-oriented fitness practitioner,

overcoming stiffness may become a fight within your body, as if there is a desire to get rid of this unwanted “condition” as soon as possible.

But what is actually the meaning of flexibility in yoga?

Yoga means “to reach a point we have not reached before,” according to one of the interpretations of the word by T. Krishnamacharya. That is why yoga is a never-ending journey on which we will have to take an infinite number of smaller steps. On the physical level, yoga is a progress in our ability to lengthen and soften the muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia, achieve a balanced muscular tone (often in muscles we have never known existed!) and master our sense of balance.

If you complain about your current flexibility, I would tell you that

stiffness is your best friend in yoga.

The real obstacle to doing yoga is unmindful practice and lack of awareness of breath and body.

Stop worrying; stiffness is a natural state of the body with which most of us begin our yoga journey. In fact, during yoga practice, various levels of stiffness can have multiple benefits to your body and mind:

1. Being stiff protects the joints from hyper-extension, especially if body awareness is low.

In my teaching, I am as much concerned of adapting postures to stiffer practitioners as modifying them for supple people who tend to overextend their joints. Both conditions can lead to injuries and require constant awareness on the sensations and the shape of our joints during practice.

2. The stretching sensation we feel in the muscles as we move into a pose helps us focus our awareness on our actions in the present moment.

This frees us from casual thoughts and brings a peace of mind. As much as gaining a limber body, this awareness is one of the greatest benefits of yoga practice. The gift of being stiff is the best tool to master mindfulness—the gentle sensations we feel in our muscles as we stretch will help us stay more mindful, which will eventually enhance our quality of life. This is a different goal than being able to touch our toes in paschimottanasana (seated forward bend). Stay calm and tune in your senses to these bodily sensations and let them feed your awareness of the current moment.

3. The more limber our bodies become, the more we will need to modify our asanas to achieve the stretching sensations which help us stay mindful.

Flexible people may not feel much when they assume the most common yoga poses. Whereas achieving this kind of flexibility will probably take you a few years, practicing more advanced asanas and having looser muscles and joints will make most of us even more vulnerable to injuries (see point 1). Even yogic gurus are victims to this and some had to stop their asana practice due to serious joint or back issues.

4. Stay curious about your lack of flexibility.

Mapping the stiffness in the body allows us to sharpen our body intelligence and can be a way of self-study (svadhyaya). Nobody is stiff (or supple) to the same degree from tips to toes. I’ve met students with extreme hip flexibility whose shoulders were so stiff they couldn’t clasp their palms in garudasana (eagle pose).

Find out what limits the movements the most in your body and you will know what is causing (or will cause in the future) possible health problems off the mat. For example, if you find it difficult to open your chest in chakrasana (wheel pose) or raise your arms in bhujangasana (cobra pose) you may also have forward-shoulders or forward-chin posture or chronic upper back pain.

5. Cherish the positive aspects of your body.

If you have well developed muscles, but are on the stiffer side, enjoy the postures that require more strength than flexibility. Take pleasure in staying in arm balances, warriors and planks for longer. When you are enjoying all of these postures, remember to minimize the muscular effort and economize energy (brahmacharya). If you work out, this will further improve your strength training outcomes.

First published here.

Decalogue of a Yogi

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 05:44:00 +0000

Ten Yamas and Niyamas are the fundamental pillars of Raja Yoga. Since they are so important, how can we practice them daily in our asana practice?

Tapas. I am rolling out my mat as the first sparkle of motivation is lighting up inside me. My daily practice is still not a habit. It comes first as a thought, then tapas helps me transform it into action.

Ahimsa. I feel a pleasant stretching sensation as I assume my posture. It relieves the stress I have accumulated in my body and releases a flow of fresh energy. I go deeper into the stretch and the pleasure turns into a slight pain. No pain, no gain. I need to withstand it—maybe even go a bit deeper to progress in my practice. But am I still my own friend or enemy? Whose voice is it that tells me I need to achieve something through pain? The voice of anger, punishment, guilt or competition? For now, I don’t know the answer. I back off in my stretch and I hold to ahimsa as to a life line.

Satya. I am now safe. From here I can observe how it feels to go this much in this very posture. This is the moment when I can be honest with myself. I need no excuse and no illusion to justify the truth. Acknowledging where I am right now is necessary to allow change to happen.

Santosha. I inhale and cherish the flow of energy currents evoked by the posture. They seem to be expanding beyond the physical boundaries of my body. Contentment is timeless. I could stay in this moment forever.

Brachmacharya. I fine tune my effort to stay in the posture longer. I scan for unnecessarily engaged muscles and I release them. My body expands even further and I enjoy the posture afresh, with even more lightness, until my muscles are asking for a change.

Asteya. How do I transit to a next posture? I am scanning my memory to recall how my teachers did it. Should I also Google it right now to check what is the rightest way of doing it? All these thoughts stir too much distraction to my practice. I don’t take shortcuts. I don’t copy others. Past experiences and past achievements can only hold me back, devolve me.

Svadhyaya. So I arrive here and now again. I rotate my awareness around my body to conceive its internal landscape. In this space of mindfulness I can cultivate and develop my bodily intelligence. My next action will follow from the current state of my body.

Aparigraha. This time I will not proceed into a more advanced version of the posture. My intelligence and intuition guided me toward a deeply relaxing posture that will counterbalance the effects of the previous one. I don’t need to hoard unnecessary achievements. I choose what serves me in the current moment.

Isvara pranidhara. I let go completely the effort of achieving my posture and I open to a deeper relaxation. My breath calms down in response. It doesn’t matter if I touch the knee with my head— it may or may not happen today. There is no score card attached to my practice. I free myself from expecting the fruits of my efforts and this opens me to experience the unexpected. I surrender.

Saucha. I assume Shavasana (corpse pose) as my awareness revolves around the various parts of my body that have experienced the practice the most. Maybe they are trying to tell me something or maybe they are only releasing a relaxing sigh. As this communication fades away, I can hear the inner silence and perceive the present moment with clarity. Whenever I am carried away by a thought, I came back to it. This purity requires maintenance, special care. And once again, one more time, I come back to what is pure.

First published here.