The Yoga Lunchbox

An interview with Vyayam Yoga teacher Yogitaratna on an up-coming Auckland workshop

Kara-Leah Grant — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:31:06 +0000

Vyayam Yoga Teacher Yogitaratna Chaitanya

Oh I LOVE the sound of this form of yoga – it’s history, it’s execution, it’s purpose…

Originally the main training for warriors, Vyayam was prohibited from being practiced or taught for many years. You know something’s got power when the powers-that-be don’t want you doing it!

Now Kiwis are super-fortunate to have Yogitaratna Chaitanya back in the country after she’s spent five years of studying at the Traditional Vyayam School in the Moorish city of Granada, Spain. Yogita’s got a workshop coming up on September 11th, plus teaches regular classes on Vyayam yoga around Auckland.

The Yoga Lunchbox interviewed Yogita to find out all about this lesser-known form of yoga. See the end of the interview for details of the workshop in Auckand. In case you can’t make the workshop, there’s also details of her regular weekly classes.

1. What is Vyayam Yoga?

The literal translation of Vyayama is “to tame or master the inner breath”.

It is a Sanskrit word made up of two words ayama, which means, “to tame” and vyu, which means, “to stimulate or incite the internal and external air”.

Therefore it is a discipline that teaches us to tame the energy that comes from the air we breathe.

Having breath control means acquiring the capacity to control our vital processes and discover the key to conserving our energy. By learning to control our breathing we learn how to control the movement of our mind, and as we learn in Yoga, there is an intimate connection between body, mind and energy.

Vyayam originated in India, more specifically from the southern zones of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and as a discipline it was practiced in Vedic culture long before the Buddhist age. Vyayam was the main training for warriors for whom a noble spirit and inner knowledge were of great value. A great emphasis was placed on practices that provided physical preparation of muscular strength and knowledge about the projection of energy to each and every part of the body.

In the 5th century, the Hindu monk Boddhidharma introduced Vyayam into China with the purpose of helping the religious people in the Shaolin Temples strengthen their bodies which were weakened due to their monastic lifestyle and also to help defend themselves against bandit attacks.

From there the Chinese system of energetic gymnastics and traditional Chinese martial arts was born, which was followed by the Japanese disciplines and Martial Arts in the rest of the world. This is the reason why Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Kung Fu, Sorinji Kempo and Aikido are all inspired in Vyayam techniques. Vyayam Yoga can be learned today as martial arts training, as a preparation for dramatic art and dance or as a health therapy.

Vyayam has always been pursued throughout history, first by the Muslims and afterwards by the English in the colonization age. Its practice was prohibited by law and since then has only been practiced in a clandestine way. In spite of this, and thanks to the secret transmission of some Masters it was able to survive. For this reason there are barely any written documents in existence.

2. How did you discover and learn Vyayam Yoga?

Vyayam was introduced to Europe by Shrî Swami Shankaratilakananda who founded the Traditional Vyayam School located in the Moorish city of Granada in the South of Spain, and which I had the great fortune to attend for the last 5 years while living there.

I intensively studied the art of Vyayam Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Ayurveda and Vedic Culture under the guidance of the venerable master Shrî Swami Shankaratilakânanda who bought the practice of Vyayam to Spain from India inspired by the teachings of his guru, Swami Tilak. This Hindu master inspired his disciples in a unique and exceptional way and established a wonderful synthesis of Yoga and Martial Arts, converting this ancient martial art in an excellent Dynamic Yoga.

3. What do you love about it?

Without a doubt this technique is unique and stunning in its execution, and the reason why I am so passionate about it is because of the incredible benefits one can obtain through an assiduous practice.

Vyayam gives the practitioner muscle and tendon strength, it liberates the spinal column and gives elasticity to the whole back, it eliminates pain and muscular tension, it decongests joints preventing diseases like degenerative osteoarthritis and has a special effect on the bones helping to maintain them strong and healthy as our whole skeleton is nourished and regenerated.

It makes the body compact and strong and by increasing our vital capacity it balances our mind and gives us health, vigour and wellbeing. In a word, it balances the body, mind and spirit, which in my humble opinion is the objective of Yoga, achieving an equanimous mental and physical state in any circumstance or situation in life no matter how difficult that situation may be.

I do believe however that the most rewarding part about teaching Vyayam, and why I love it so much, is seeing just how much people benefit from its practice. To be able to help others improve their general health and mindfulness through this thousand year old technique is an honour and something that I am very grateful to be able to share.

4. How is it different from other Yoga styles people are more familiar with?

The most obvious difference when practicing Vyayam is that it is a more dynamic practice, meaning that instead of the static âsanas that you will practice in a classical yoga class, these postures are fluid, graceful and constantly in movement and the vyangas (postures) are executed for the majority of time standing rather than sitting.

It is like meditation in movement accompanied by lively Indian style music.

5. What can people expect from a Vyayam class? How will they feel afterward?

People can expect to move a lot, create energy and as a consequence feel the heat within their bodies rise. They can expect a new and creative way of movement that is energising and graceful, powerful and strong. They will learn more about the art of breathing and on how many different levels correct breathing can greatly affect our general health and as a consequence our lives. It is a technique apt for all ages, body shapes and sizes, beginners and more advanced Yoga practitioners.

Initially at the end of a class reactions can vary and can range from huge energetic lifts where people claim to feel boundless energy or perhaps the complete opposite can happen and sometimes a feeling of fatigue can enter as the type of breathing executed during the practice can often shift emotional and energetic blockages within our bodies.

But most of all they can expect to have fun, release tension and enjoy a new and exciting technique with wonderful benefits for body, mind and soul.

Vyayam Workshop Details: The Art of Dynamic Breathing

When: Saturday September 11th 9am – 11am

Cost: $40 – LIMITED PLACES

Bookings & more info: Call Yogita at The Yoga Ground (136 Ponsonby Rd, Auckland) to reserve your place, 022-685-1189. Email her on theartofyoga@yahoo.com

Yogita’s regular Vyayam Yoga classes:

Wednesdays 7.15-8.15pm @ Ashram Yoga, 27 Cheshire Street, Parnell, Auckland
Sundays 10.30-11.30am @ Lifesport, Eastridge Shopping Complex, Kepa Road, Mission Bay, Auckland

Yogita’s regular Hatha Yoga Classes:

Sundays 4-5.30pm @ Ashram Yoga, 27 Cheshire Street, Parnell, Auckland
Mondays 9.30-10.30am & Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays 7.15-8.15pm @ Lifesport, Eastridge Shopping Complex, Kepa Road, Mission Bay, Auckland

About Yogitaratna Chaitanya:

Ondine Savage (Yogitaratna Chaitanya) has recently arrived back in New Zealand after spending more than ten years overseas.

For the last 5 years she has been living between Spain and India intensively studying the art of Hatha Yoga, Vyayam Yoga and Vedic Culture in the traditional and Orthodox eastern style with her master Shri Swami Shankaratilakananda.

She feels privileged to be able to bring Vyayam Yoga to New Zealand for the first time to share its amazing benefits with all those who have a passion for health and well being.

If anyone would like to host Yogita in their town for a Vyayam workshop, get in touch with her at theartofyoga@yahoo.com.

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An interview with Barbara Coley on Svastha Yoga Teacher Training

Kara-Leah Grant — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:31:44 +0000

The Mohans

T. Krishnamacharya is likely the man who’s had the biggest influence on the explosion of yoga in modern times. Born in 1888, he was by all accounts a legend. A Yoga Journal article written in 2001 by Fernando Pages Ruiz summed up Krishnamacharya’s immense contribution to yoga by saying:

You may have never have heard of him, but Tirumalai Krishnamacharya influenced or perhaps even invented your yoga.

Whether you practice the dynamic series of Pattabhi Jois, the refined alignments of BKS Iyengar, the classical postures of Indra Devi, or the customized vinyasa [of Desikachar], your practice stems from one source: a five-foot, two-inch Brahmin born more than one hundred years ago in a small south Indian Village.

And now, thanks to Svastha Yoga Teacher Barbara Coley in Auckland and the Mohans of India (long term students Krishnamacharya), Kiwi yoga students and aspiring yoga teachers have an opportunity to learn direct from this lineage of yoga.

1. What inspired you to start offering Yoga Teacher Training here in New Zealand?

This is the same training program that I attended in India with A.G. and Indra Mohan of Svastha Yoga and Ayurveda, in 2006. Not only did it have a profound effect on me, physically & also on a deeper level, I saw the effect it had on the other participants in the program, many of whom had been practitioners and teachers of various styles of yoga for some years.

I came away from that program feeling that more people should be aware of this approach, as it really does have the power to transform.

As my studio grew I had requests from students wanting to deepen their own knowledge and after discussing this with the Mohans, we decided to offer the training program here. I feel deeply honoured to be one of a few students around the world that the Mohans have endorsed to present their program.

2. Who developed the programme and what does it cover?

The program was developed by A.G. and Indra Mohan in association with their son Ganesh and daughter Nitya, both of whom are internationally recognised teachers in their own right.

Both A.G. and Indra Mohan were long term students of the legendary yogi, Krishnamacharya, Mohan for eighteen years. The Mohans have dedicated their lives to the study, practice and teaching of classical yoga as taught to them by Krishnamacharya and this program is an authentic presentation of that knowledge.

The program is registered with the International Yoga Alliance at the 200 hour level and is also the foundation for the advanced Yoga Therapy program offered by the Mohans.

It is a very comprehensive program covering:

Yoga Theory: Background & Origin of Yoga Philosophy and psychology of Yoga: Yogasutras of Patanjali an overview of the entire text, an in depth study of the second chapter (sadhana pada) & key concepts of the first chapter (samadhi pada) Sanskrit Terminology: familiarisation with key words and concepts to facilitate and retain authenticity in teaching and transmission Theory of asana practice

Asana: Fundamentals of movement & breathing,  Foundation postures including the correct vinyasa & variations of each posture, and how to modify each posture to be inclusive of levels of ability. The concept of vinyasa krama (sequencing) and how to design sequences Suryanamaskara – the concept behind sun-salutation, the knowledge, skills and attitudes to make any asana practice into a suryanamaskara, the most important mantras for sun-salutation Guidelines for yoga and women – menstruation, pregnancy, menopause

Pranayama: The asana-pranayama link, theory of pranayama, important types of pranayama and how to practice these.

Meditation: The theory (the why) & practice of meditation (the what and how)

Sound & Chanting: Using sound in asanas, using sound for relaxation, using sound in meditation The role of chanting & important peace chants

Anatomy and Physiology: Basic applied anatomy and physiology related to the practice of asanas and Pranayama

Introduction to Ayurveda: The concept of the doshas and prakrti (ayurvedic constitution)  Concept of the vegas (natural urges) Prana and agni Ayurvedic guidelines on food and some simple ayurvedic recipes for healthy eating Essential guidelines on ayurvedic lifestyle

Other Related Topics: Mudras and bandhas  Origin and role of different labels of Yoga

Becoming a Teacher: Establishing a personal practice with guidance Ethical Guidelines for teachers  Training to teach – hands on practice  Managing & marketing your Yoga business

3. Who is the programme suitable for?

We have had a wide variety of participants in our programs to date, from Natural Therapists to Lighting Architects and a grandmother.

We aim to be inclusive of all who have a desire to deepen their understanding of yoga, whether this is with becoming a teacher in mind, or for personal development. You don’t need to be an ‘asana adept’ attend the program, or for that matter teach yoga, and we don’t expect students to have anything other than a willingness to learn and a commitment to the process.

4. What can students expect to get out of this teacher training?

On completion of the program, graduates will be entitled to register with the International Yoga Alliance at the RYT200 level.

Graduates will have gained an understanding and appreciation of the psychology of yoga, as well as developed a comprehensive knowledge of both the theory and practice of asana, pranayama and meditation. They will have acquired the tools to enact positive changes in their own lives as well as provide the same guidance to others, and have gained the ability to teach yoga in a safe, effective and confident manner.

We offer graduates who show an affinity with the practice and a passion for teaching the opportunity to apply for a position within Svastha Yoga New Zealand as a probationary teacher where they will be supported in making the transition from student to teacher.

5. What has been the response from graduates to date?

The feedback I have received from each of the graduates is that they got so much more from the program than they ever expected. It’s been personally rewarding to see them all embrace these principles and bring about positive change in their own lives and to see them now teaching and helping others on their paths.

Here’s what a few have had to say:

After years of personal practice I feel privileged to have taken part in the Svastha Yoga New Zealand study programme. I’ve gained considerably deeper understanding of the principles and philosophy of yoga. More importantly, my personal practice has new meaning and focus. Director Barbara Coley presented the programme with unending passion, instilling confidence in students with her enthusiasm for the lifelong benefits of regular practice and her desire to share that with others. – Donna Dean

If you decide to undertake the Svastha Teachers Training course, be prepared for change. Any worthwhile course should enable shifts in paradigms and that is what the Svastha course did for me. While undertaking this course I changed physically, mentally and spiritually and was able to take in the very core and true principles of Yoga most often forgotten about such as the impact of pranayama, chanting and the philosophy & psychology of yoga along with the importance of, and in conjunction with the physical aspect of practice (asana). This course is highly recommended for anyone embarking on an inner transformational change program. – Rachel Wotten

I feel very fortunate to have had this opportunity to learn about Svastha yoga. It has enabled me to carry this through to all aspects of my personal and professional life and has certainly made a difference for me of which I am very grateful. I look forward to continuing on this path. – Amanda Hookham

The teacher training program has provided me with a sound knowledge of individual asanas, their correct application, preparation and sequencing. This has been complemented by the study of the yoga sutras which has given me an introductory insight into the origins of yoga, and encouraged me to reflect upon my daily actions, thoughts and practices and their effects upon my own body and state of mind, as well as my interactions with other people and the environment.- Monica Stoinescu

6. How does this training differ from other teacher training programmes available in NZ?

To my knowledge, this is the only New Zealand based training program that teaches the Yoga of Krishnamacharya, not as it applies to a particular style of yoga, but with the fundamental principle he taught that yoga is for everyone, but that it cannot be a standardised practice and must be adapted to suit the individual.

The fact that the program was developed by one of Krishnamacharya’s longest term students, and is fully supported by him is both unique and a privilege.

It’s important to note here that ‘Svastha’ is not a style or brand of yoga; it is an integrated approach to the practice of yoga with principles that are universal in application. These are fundamental principles that can be applied to any style or approach to yoga that the graduate wishes to explore and enables them to follow their own path.

7. Anything else you’d like to add?

Teaching Yoga is an incredibly satisfying and personally fulfilling path but it is important to be aware that undertaking a training program such as this requires a deep commitment on the part of the student. Participants in the program will need to devote a fair amount of their personal time for classes and home study; however the benefits to be gained are immense. As with anything, the more we give to the process the more we will receive.

This could be one of the most transformational experiences in your life, so if you would like to know more about the program you can view our prospectus here, or contact barbara@svastha.co.nz

Svastha Yoga New Zealand

Our next program commences in October 2010 and consists of 11 weekend intensives over a period of 5 months.

Participants also need to attend a weekly group practice where they will become familiar with appropriate teaching methods and have the opportunity for supervised practice. Three private sessions with the program director during the program will assist with the development and refinement of their personal practice.

The cost of the program is $4,600 which can be paid in installments and is inclusive of intensives, group practice and private sessions.

Applications can be submitted via the registration form on our website.

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An interview with Kausthub Desikachar, son of TKV Desikachar, grandson of Krishnamacharya

Kara-Leah Grant — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:31:57 +0000

Kausthub Desikachar

If you live in or close to Wellington, and are a serious student of yoga, there’s a seminar coming up that you won’t want to miss.

Kausthub Desikachar, son and student of TKV Desikachar, grandson of the great Yogi, T. Krishnamacharya is coming to Wellington to deliver the fourth in a series of in-depth seminars on the Yoga Sutras. This series is highly recommended for Yoga teachers of all levels and lineages, as well as anyone interested in pursuing the philosophy of Yoga in their personal and professional life.

It doesn’t matter in the slightest if you’ve missed the previous three seminars either. This seminar will look at Chapter Two of the sutras, which covers the Method of Yoga. It describes the qualities necessary to change the mind effectively and gradually, why these qualities are important and what the practice of them entails.

The Yoga Lunchbox was fortunate enough to be able to interview Kausthub despite his busy teaching and working schedule. See below for details on the seminar.

1. You grew up in a family with a strong lineage of yoga, and your parents allowed you to find you own way to the practice. Can you remember when you knew that studying and teaching yoga was what you really wanted to do?

I was already a student of yoga and a teacher when I was a young child. I have been teaching children since I was maybe 12-13 years old. But I did not have a serious wish to take up to being a full time student and teacher of yoga until I completed my university, when I was 21. It was when I returned home after completing my Master’s degree that I felt this calling.

2. What is yoga about and has these changed down through the ages?

Yoga is about a way of living. It was intended for at least three fundamental purposes. Health, Healing and Spiritual transformation. All of these three have an influence on the way we live and this was the place for yoga. Its unfortunate today that yoga is mostly seen as a physical practice. I hope and wish this will change, and I hope to be a part of this paradigm change.

3. There’s a wonderful quote of yours I read in an interview you did for Ascent Magazine ‘The body is the temple of the spirit, but you don’t go to the temple only for the architecture‘. How does this apply to yoga and the way it’s taught or studied?

Yes, basically you don’t come to yoga only for the development of the physical body. There is a deeper search, be it conscious or not, in everyone coming to yoga for something more deeper. Hence you must go beyond and try to see how yoga can influence us at a more deeper level, be it mental, emotional or our spiritual domain.

4. Your father says that yoga is relationship – what does this mean and is this something that you believe too?

Absolutely. I think what he means is that through yoga you develop a more positive and appropriate relationship to every layer of our self, and therefore we can extend it to others as well. This is a true measure of success in yoga. Its not about how well we do its tools, but actually how all of our relationships become better.

5. And finally, what is the difference between a yoga student and a yogi? Is there a difference?

A yoga student is in the process of learning yoga. A yogi is one who lives a life of yoga.

Registration & Information:

Venue: Wellington Buddhist Centre, 64 Cambridge Terrace, Wellington
Seminar Schedule: Begins Friday, 24 Sep 2010, at 10:30 am, Ends Sunday, 26 Sep 2010, at 5:30 pm
Cost: NZ$ 325 Participants of the KHYF Yoga Therapy Program will be offered a 10% discount if registering on or prior to July 15, 2010.
Contact & Registration: Ruth Diggins ph +64.4.905.6224, ruthyoga@paradise.net.nz

Registration is limited. Reserve your place as soon as possible.

PS. The subscriber button code won’t display properly in email or RSS feed. Boo hoo hoo So for all my super subscribers who’d like the option of paying something for the Yoga Lunchbox content they love, you need to click on this article and go to the site to use the subscriber buttons: Why I’m going to let you pay a monthly subscription rate, if you want to. Thank you muchly!!!

Big thanks to the first two YLB Super Subscribers Gisele & Peter - Show your love for The Yoga Lunchbox with a voluntary subscription payment here. Thank you!

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Why I’m going to let you pay a monthly subscription rate, if you want to

Kara-Leah Grant — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 20:38:37 +0000

Prosperity Mandela

I’m so sorry faithful Yoga Lunchbox subscribers. I’ve been neglecting you, and your needs. All this time, I’ve been dishing up three or four great yoga articles every week and I’ve never once given you the option of paying for this incredible content.

How remiss of me!

Well, times are changing. I’m getting hip as I explore ways to make The Yoga Lunchbox a sustainable business model. Sustainable? Yep, that means I’ll be able to pay my rent, power, phone, car and food bills and live a good life. All while doing something I absolutely love that other people really dig.

I’m thinking energy out, energy in… and I’m looking for ways to create balance! And how can there be balance if you, loyal readers, don’t even have the option of paying for your content?

Some of you have been eagerly forking over easily-earned (‘cos money is easily earned when we live our passion right?) dollars for the excellent yoga and meditation downloads now available from The Yoga Lunchbox Shop from awesome teachers like Tyag Fenton and Stephen Archer. That’s started one stream of income trickling back my way.

Some of you have also been able to use the affiliate links I’ve got running, like the ones for Fishpond On-Line Bookstore, Eco Yoga Gear and Anmol Mehta’s Meditation Teacher Training programme. There’s a trickle of income starting to build up via these links.

And some of you who are teachers or studios have been buying advertising on the site as a way to reach The Yoga Lunchbox audience. It’s another good trickle of income starting to flow.

These options are great if you want to buy something, or sell something. But what about all my readers and subscribers who aren’t advertising something and don’t need to buy anything? It’s you who I’ve been neglecting most, and you make up most of my traffic! I am so, so, sorry.

So I’m fixing that right now. I’m going to give my wonderful readers and subscribers a way to show their love and appreciation for The Yoga Lunchbox via paid subscriptions and a donation button.

And the best thing is… in the spirit of yoga and seva, the paid subscriptions are totally at your discretion.

You choose how much you’d like to pay per month (up to $NZ11), and you can choose to stop paying at any time. The subscription is managed through Pay Pal, so you will need to set up a Pay Pal account (if you don’t have one already). It takes just a minute, and is super secure.

Or, if you prefer, you can just donate one lump sum, whenever you feel like. Once, twice, never, weekly…

Whether you choose to pay a monthly subscription, or not… whether you choose to donate or not… you’ll still get The Yoga Lunchbox delivered to your inbox, or via your RSS Feed. That’s the beauty of it all. The power, my loyal and lovely readers and subscribers, is totally in your hands.

And don’t ever think that $1/month is too small to be bothered with my super subscribers. $1/month makes a big difference – when you all (or most of you) do it. $2/month makes twice as much difference. $3 a month… well you get it. How much of a difference do you want to make?

… (Oh, you may notice when you go to choose your option down below that $1/month, $2/month & $3/month are only available in yearly payments ($12, $24 & $36). The reason for that dear subscriber is that Pay Pal takes something like 3% +$0.45 per transaction… and if you do the math, that ends up being about $0.50 of $1. But it’s only something like $0.80 out of $12)…

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Can you name all the yamas and niyamas from Patanjali’s Eight Limbs?

Kara-Leah Grant — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:31:44 +0000

Ghandi's life was all about the first yama - Ahimsa

I’ve been contemplating a few things lately, both while on my mat and off my mat. Things like how yoga and business mix, what it means to be a yoga student, what it means to be a yogi, how our shadow sides present themselves and affect both us and the people around us, and what life is really all about. I know, big stuff.

Something that’s mean tying it together for me, over and over and over again, is that how we choose to behave when the pressure is on reveals how mature we are, or how far along the spiritual path we are.

It’s easy to be all bliss, love, rainbows and daisies while taking a yoga workshop. It’s tough to stay grounded, present and open when the car’s broken down, the baby’s screaming and you’re stuck in rush hour traffic.

And as I muse over all these aspects of life – yoga & business, being a yoga student/yogi, the shadow/light sides of self and the nature of life… I come back, time and time again to the yamas and niyamas. Bikram describes these as the ‘dos & dont’s’ of life in his latest book Bikram Yoga: The Guru Behind Hot Yoga Shows the Way to Radiant Health and Personal Fulfillment.

I prefer to think of them more as the suggestions on how to deal with people around us and our attitude toward ourselves. Taking these suggestions on board makes life easier, reducing both the amount of drama and the amount of karma we create.

Despite being a practicing yoga student for more than ten years and a teacher for five or so, I still struggle to remember what the yamas and niyamas are, and I can never list all five of each. The ones I do remember easily, like Satya, or Ahimsa, I feel like I only really have an intellectual understanding of them. (See below for a full list of all the yamas and niyamas).

Yet the yamas and niyamas are limb number one and two in Patanjali’s Eight limbs of yoga. If I’m meant to be a serious yoga student, working towards self-realization, I need to not just learn what the yamas and niyamas are, I need to embody them within my life.

I need to be living them out.

It’s always interesting for me to note that asana – which is where most of us start yoga – is number three of Patanjali’s Eight Limbs. Now these eight limbs aren’t sequential, that is, you don’t master one limb and then move on to the next. All his eight limbs of yoga work in conjunction with each other. Which means they are all just as important as each other and if you’re learning limb #3 – asana – and nothing else, are you really learning yoga at all?

So here’s what I’m going to do.

Every week I am going to choose one of the yamas, and commit to living it out in it’s entirety that week, and then writing about my experience here. I’ll explore how these concepts – these wise characteristics – apply to me. I don’t expect that I’ll be able to necessarily be perfect in my execution of this, I hope I will be able to pay total awareness to the results I create when I neglect to live out fully the yama.

It’s going to take me five weeks to cover all the yamas, and then I’ll likely take a break before moving on to the niyamas.

I’m also going to invite my readers and The Yoga Lunchbox Facebook fans to join me for the ride. Each week, I’ll announce which yama is being studied and lived, and invite you to join me in making it a part of your life too. I’m always keen to hear from my readers about their experiences, so you can contact me, leave a comment, or add a wall post to let me know how you got on.

As part of my week, I’ll be reading up in my favourite yoga books, and through Google all about the yama I’m working with. And I’ll seek to apply it to my life, and to the yoga class I teach that week.

This week, I’ll start with the first yama in my list below – Ahimsa.

I have covered this before (click on Ahimsa to see all posts with that tag), but never within the context of my own life. It’s going to be interesting. It’s going to take mindfulness. It’s going to require presence. Every morning, I’m going to need to remind myself that It’s all about Ahimsa this week baby… and this doesn’t mean I “drop” all the other yamas and niyamas. Oh no, I’m still doing my best to incorporate those into my life. But the one I’m going to be studying, observing, writing about… that’s Ahimsa. I hope you’ll join me for the ride!

The five yamas are wise characteristics we seek to develop because this creates health and happiness of us and society:

1. Ahimsa – Compassion for all living things, non-violence, non-harming, having a considerate and thoughtful attitude to other people and things.

2. Satya – Commitment to Truthfulness, and the discernment to know when to speak the truth and when to remain silent.

3. Asteya – Non-stealing, not taking what doesn’t belong to us, not taking advantage of people or things.

4. Brahmacharya – Sense control, an attitude of the mind toward all sense objects.

5. Aparigraha - Neutralizing the desire to acquire and hoard wealth, taking only what is necessary, only what we have earned.

The five niyamas are the personal attitude we adopt towards ourselves so that we may live more soulfully:

1. Sauca – Purity, both inside and out. It means we keep our bodies clean, we practice asana and pranayama to clean the insides of our bodies, and we practice meditation to cleanse the mind of it’s disturbing emotions like hate, greed, delusion and pride.

2. Santosa – Contentment. Simply being happy with what we do have, rather than being happy about what we don’t happy. Being happy in child rather than unhappy we can’t do wheel.

3. Tapas – Disciplined use of our energy.

4. Svadhyaya – Self study, cultivating self-reflective consciousness so that we can truly see who we are – shadow and light.

5. Isvarapranidhana - Celebration of the Spiritual, laying all our actions at the feet of God. Surrendering to Divine Will.

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Taking yoga off the mat, into the world

Kara-Leah Grant — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:31:41 +0000

Off The Mat founders Seane, Hala & Suzanne

by guest author Marianne Elliot

My path to yoga came via a decade as a human rights advocate, an activist and a humanitarian worker. Amongst other things, I needed to learn the lessons of yoga in order to make my activism more compassionate and sustainable.

These days I see no separation between my yoga and my activism. In both I peel away the layers I’ve built up between my heart and all beings. In both I learn patience, acceptance and the transformative power of compassionate clarity. These days, my activism is part of my yoga.

That’s why I’m thrilled to help bring Off the Mat, Into the World® (OTM) to New Zealand.

OTM is an organization committed to bridging yoga and activism. Yoga teachers and social champions Seane Corn, Hala Khouri and Suzanne Sterling started OTM because they see the potential of the yoga community to take what we do on the mat into the world to make a difference.

OTM uses the power of yoga to inspire conscious, sustainable activism and to ignite grass roots social change. We do this by facilitating personal empowerment through leadership trainings, fostering community collaboration, and initiating local and global service projects.

I’m the Regional Leader for OTM in New Zealand and Australia, which means it is my job to find out how OTM can support our local yoga community to take our yoga off the mat and into the world.

We’ve already had a couple of OTM Yoga in Action trainings here in Wellington. These courses are unique and powerful experiences. They facilitate self-exploration and radical transformation, development of communication and leadership skills and visioning to action.

Our goal is to use the power of yoga to help people become effective and sustainable leaders in their service or activism. Together with Kelly Fisher (of Yoga Unlimited) and Nick Potter (a committed Astangi who has recently spent 3 months in Mysore), I’m planning another Yoga in Action course for October/November this year. If you think you might be interested or want to know more, please get in touch (my contact details are at the bottom of this article).

But first, in September, we are launching our first ever Yoga in Action month. Yoga in Action is a global grassroots campaign to engage the community in yoga and activism and awaken our collective potential to activate change. What we’re inviting people to do is:

Practice with intention – commit to a daily practice of intention; one that expands their practice into their life in the form of compassion and kindness and service
Fundraise for a good cause – take their practice to the next level by fundraising for Off the Mat, Into the World. This money goes directly to supporting our efforts to develop leaders, build community and initiate local/global projects that make a difference. Raising $108 over the month of September is a gesture of commitment and action AND the collective impact of all of our efforts will be significant.
Be the change – inspire others to discover their potential for change by living yoga “off the mat”

Julia Baker, a local Wellington yogini, is our Yoga in Action month co-ordinator and she’s ready and willing to support any one who wants to take up the challenge of raising $108 in September. She has suggestions of ways to raise the money (my favourite is getting friends, work mates and family to sponsor your 108 sun salutes at a local Global Mala event) and a publicity kit with postcards and other information. Donation yoga classes are another great way to raise the money. Personally, I’ll be raising my $108 through my Yoga Sangha ‘pay-what-you-can’ classes in Wellington.

Special offer: As a sign of appreciation to anyone who steps up for the Yoga in Action challenge, I’m offering a free place in my next ‘30 days of yoga’ online course to anyone who raises $108 in September. This course usually costs US$100 and it is a great way to establish, or re-establish your own unique, authentic and sustainable home yoga practice. It makes a beautiful compliment to regular yoga classes.

Also – if you are involved in any kind of yoga-related community project please get in touch, OTM is here to support whatever great projects or organizations are already out there. Whether you are running yoga classes for at-risk communities, bringing yoga to schools or prisons, teaching free yoga or introducing yoga to people recovering from illness or addiction, we would love to be able to support you.

For more information about Off the Mat generally or about Yoga in Action courses, please contact Marianne: 021 110 6086 or marianne at marianne-elliott dot com

For more information about the Yoga in Action month campaign, please contact Julia: 021 078 2135 or emails4julia at gmail dot com

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Auckland Yoga Teacher Barbara Coley

Kara-Leah Grant — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 21:15:20 +0000

Auckland Yoga Teacher Barbara Coley

Once a financial controller, now owner of a yoga studio, Barbara Coley makes time in her life to visit India as often as she can to continue her studies with A.G. and Indra Mohan, both of whom were long-time personal students of Krishnamacharya.

While she never dreamed that she would ever open a yoga studio, earlier this year she even hosted the Mohans here in New Zealand for a Yoga Sutras seminar. Barbara’s hoping to bring them out again in 2011.

Her personal interest is yoga psychology, and how all of the practices of yoga combined can lead people towards a steady frame of mind. She also has a deep interest in yoga as therapy, particularly in the area of women’s health.

1. What style of yoga do you practice and where do you teach?

I practice and teach Svastha Yoga, which is based on the yoga of Krishnamacharya – a very breath centred and strengthening practice, both on a physical and mental level. This approach comes from my teachers, A.G and Indra Mohan of Svastha Yoga and Ayurveda, Chennai, India. Both Mohan and Indra were long term personal students of Krishnamacharya and they have dedicated their lives to the practice, study and teaching of yoga as passed to them through their studies with the master.

I have a studio in Kelly Street, Mt Eden where I teach general yoga classes as well as pregnancy yoga and also provide personal consultations. We also hold regular workshops and conduct a Yoga Alliance registered Teacher Training program.

2. How did you come to yoga?

I’m not really sure… one day, when in my early thirties, I decided to attend a class and even though I wasn’t what you would call a serious student until some years later, that first class definitely planted a seed, one that kept calling me back.

Until 2006 my practice was fairly sporadic! My introduction to yoga was in the Iyengar tradition and then I changed to Astanga which was my choice of practice for some years before moving to a breath-based hatha practice.

3. When did the yoga bug really get you?

Although I had been practicing yoga for some years, sometimes with gusto and other times quite sporadically, I always felt that there was more to the practice than the physical aspect focused on in the classes I was attending.

Then a few years ago, life happened and I found myself in quite a dark place and in need of a change of scenery, so on the spur of the moment, I decided to attend an eight week yoga intensive with the Mohans in India. This is where everything changed for me and I discovered what before had been missing!

The Mohans’ simple and profound approach resonated very strongly with me, and my personal practice and thirst for more understanding of the psychology of yoga deepened considerably. I attended the program purely out of personal interest and at the time never intended to teach, so I have been more surprised than anyone as to where I am today.

4. How has yoga transformed your life?

It’s been transformation on a very personal level… my practice has helped strengthen the relationship I have with myself and this has had a profound effect on how I view the world and my place in it.

Life can throw us all the occasional curve ball, that’s inevitable, but by maintaining that connection with self we are able to move through these times with less resistance and that makes them so much easier to deal with.

It’s not a transformation that happened immediately and its far from complete, but progress has always been and still is measureable.

The physical benefits have been enormous; from managing a low back injury to maintaining a good level of well being and vitality, but I have to say that the inner calm and peace that is with me now, has been the greatest gift.

5. What is your home practice like?

Like most people in our world, I lead a busy life working, teaching, running the studio as well as maintaining personal relationships so I’ve learnt over time that keeping my practice flexible but consistent is the way to go.

I am so much more ‘there’ if subsequent activities are not a pressure on the time I can give my practice. I generally practice twice daily, my morning practice of pranayama and meditation sets me up for the day ahead and later in the day, when I have more time I do a longer practice of asana, pranayama, chanting and meditation.

The deeper aspect of yoga is very important to me, so even when I am off the mat I try to keep in mind the more internal practices, monitoring my thought processes, trying to maintain a sense of calm etc. For me this is more challenging than the physical practice and requires more effort, but so helpful.

6. When people ask you, “What is Yoga?” what do you say?

I say it’s about life! It’s about keeping physically, mentally and emotionally well.

To quote international teacher and friend, Mark Whitell it is about intimate connection with one’s self, with source. A yoga practice that is suitable for one’s own needs, whatever they may be, helps us to move through life with grace and with compassion for ourselves as well as others.

7. What can people expect from one of your classes?

Yoga was traditionally taught one on one so that the student’s individual needs could be addressed. In today’s world this isn’t always convenient, so group classes are a necessary compromise and they make practice more accessible to most people, which I see as a good thing.

However the importance of practice being suitable for individual requirements can’t be underestimated, so for this reason we limit our class numbers to a maximum of 10 students. This ensures that each student receives individual attention, rather than get lost in the crowd and I feel fully capable of monitoring each person in the class and giving them the attention they deserve.

All students are encouraged to work within their own capacity at any given time and postures are modified to suit each situation.

Our classes are 1 hour 15 minutes and consist of asana practice, pranayama and a rest period. Depending on the group we may also incorporate chanting and meditation.

Students can expect to finish class feeling calm, balanced and revitalised.

8. What do you love most about teaching yoga?

I love sharing this practice with others and seeing them embrace the really simple and practical principles that help them bring about positive change in their lives, whether that change is physical or on a deeper level.

I also learn a lot from my students and that helps me to progress in my own practice. Each one of them is so different to the next and it reminds me that at the end of the day, we are all just people each with our own strengths and weaknesses, but all unique. It keeps it real for me and helps me to have more compassion – for myself as well as others. I think the old adage that ‘we teach what we need to learn’ is very true – to teach yoga, you must practice yoga and it’s my personal practice that feeds me, grows me and enables me to share the practice with others.

Seeing students at the end of class, looking more relaxed and energised than they were when they arrived brings me great pleasure.

9. What do you wish everybody knew about yoga?

That yoga is for everyone and the benefits are available to all. There is a right practice for every person no matter their level of fitness, age, physical capability etc

I find it disturbing that so much yoga today focuses solely on the physical and many people are put off because they think they ‘can’t do it’, it’s too hard, that they’re not flexible enough etc, etc.

Yoga isn’t about struggling into the perfect posture; it’s about feeling good now, exactly where we are, not in 5 months or 5 years when we finally manage to tie ourselves into lotus. Some people may never get there, that doesn’t mean they can’t ‘do’ yoga.

The physical benefits of practice are numerous and not to be dismissed, but the deeper benefit is the connection we feel with ourselves, with others, our environment and our source. As my teacher Indra says:

Yoga is a ‘work in’ not a ‘work out’

I wish there was more understanding of this.

10. What role do you see yoga playing in our world?

I believe there must be personal transformation before there can be societal transformation. My own experience shows me that the more peaceful I am in myself, the more peaceful are the lives of my nearest and dearest . If each person could take a little of this peace into their immediate environment, imagine how the world would change.

11. Anything else you’d like to say?

There’s nothing mystical about Yoga – it’s a really practical and effective tool that can lead us to a state of mental stability and contentment, health and vitality. If you haven’t tried it yet, I urge you to and if you have tried but haven’t found a practice that resonates with you, keep looking because there is a practice for everyone and once you find that you won’t be disappointed!

12. And finally, how do people find you?

We are located in The Kelly Street Studio, 1A Kelly Street, Mt Eden.

You can also find us on Facebook.

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What if yoga is like religion?

Kara-Leah Grant — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:31:32 +0000

Is yoga a religion?

by guest author Melissa Billington, from MYOGA

For years I’ve seen the fear people have around Yoga, some claiming it’s a cult or a religion and refusing to take part because they would be seen by the upholders of their own religion as hypocritical or blasphemous. Many yoga styles and schools are based in a religion and there is even Christian yoga. While many more styles and schools stick to their claim that yoga is an art, a philosophy, and a science, but not a religion.

The word religion originates from “re- + ligāre to bind, tie” which is eerily close to the origin of the word yoga which is “(Hindi, from Sanskrit yoga), union, joining.”

And cult’s origins, according to one dictionary, are “L cultus habitation, tilling, refinement, worship, equiv. to cul-, var. s. of colere to inhabit, till, worship + -tus suffix of v. action.”

So what if yoga is like going to church, to service, to a ceremony of your religion?

For thousands of years people have been coerced, converted and killed in the name of religions that claim to be based on love, when really they were based in fear and guilt and pain.

Now people struggle to get to a yoga class because they know they will need to exorcise their own demons (no Deus ex Machina here) by facing themselves and developing a relationship to their own fear and guilt and pain. But people manage to show up by reminding themselves of how good they’ll feel afterwards–they’ve experienced that “yoga high” of lightness of being and depth of connection to all that is.

It’s no wonder fundamentalists find yoga threatening—it removes the external control system and requires you to drive your own existence and to honour yourself, those around you and the wider web of the world we’re woven into. Yoga requires you to take responsibility for yourself—from thought to word to action—to claim your “ability to respond,” while religion has so often required obedience to code and to an external authority. Being an individual aware of how we’re all interconnected calls you to author your own life.

My conclusion?

Let’s embrace the similarities between yoga and religion by making prayers of peace with our bodies, minds and breath.

Let’s say the word Spirit and allow it to mean being Alive and Awake in this crazy world without getting caught up in the semantics of religious rights and wrongs.

Let’s have the courage to love ourselves and one another actively, which is, as far as I can tell, what every major religion has ever asked us to do anyway. Or as the Youngbloods sang,

If you hear the song I sing,
You must understand
You hold the key to love and fear
All in your trembling hand
Just one key unlocks them both
It’s there at your command
C’mon people now,
Smile on your brother
Ev’rybody get together
Try and love one another right now
Right now
Right now!

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Top ten yoga books in my library, Part 1

Kara-Leah Grant — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 20:31:13 +0000

A few weeks ago I published an article listing my Top Ten best yoga websites and articles on the web. People loved it – and they wanted more, so this is a follow-up.

Again, in no particular order, these are my top ten yoga books. I own every one of these books, and refer to them again and again.

Love this!

Yoga of Heart: The Healing Power of Intimate Connection by Mark Whitell

I love this book. Mark takes you on a journey through the intimacy of yoga practice – how it’s designed to help us connect with each other too, not just with ourselves.

This exploration of yoga as relationship goes right into looking at intimacy and sex as they apply to yoga. He describes sex as a vinyasa and suggests that love-making could also be seen as a daily spiritual practice.

Marks also looks in-depth the relationship between a yoga teacher and a yoga student.

He’s pretty damning at times on the way that yoga’s been taught over the years – describing B.K.S. Iyengar’s teaching as ‘gymnastic anatomy with scant regard for the principles of yoga’ and describing K. Phattabhi Jois’ asana sequences as ‘being taught out of the context of the full yoga story’.

Popular teachers are running competing businesses with arbitrary boxes of information and goals. Claiming authority, they have pushed exercise systems into the market and called them yoga. Much of it is misinformation or very partial information out of context of the whole story. They… exploit people’s gullability and good will. These systems create fixed patterns in the body and mind, and, at worse, cause physical and psychological injury and addiction.

A tale of fantastical happenings

Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda

This is a break-through, must-read, buy-it-now book.

It’s so damn good, that whenever I stumble across a copy in a secondhand book shop, I buy it, because I’m always giving away the copy I own.

This guy will blow your mind. A university graduate, Paramahansa Yogananda spent over thirty years living in the West. He was one of the first great yoga masters to come over from India.

In this book, he tells the tale of studying with his guru – and a fantastical and magicl story of expanded notions of reality it is. There’s everything from dematerialising gurus to an old woman who doesn’t eat or drink but just lives on prana to fulfilled prophecies of illness and disorder and remembered previous incarnations.

Yet it’s inherent groundedness and practicality makes one think that maybe these experiences truly did happen. Here’s an exchange between Paramahansa Yogananda (Mukunda) and his guru.

“Mukunda, why don’t you get an astrological amulet?”

“Should I, Master? I don’t believe in astrology”

“It is not a question of belief: the scientific attitude one should take on a subject is if it is true. The law of gravitation worked as efficiently before Newton as after him. The cosmos would be fairly chaotic if its laws could not operate without the sanction of human belief… All parts of creation are linked together and interchage their influences. The balanced rythym of the universe is rooted in reciprocity.”

A watershed moment

Yoga and the Quest for the True Self by Stephen Cope

Part autobiography, part exploration of the link between yoga and Western psychotherapy, this book was enormously critical in helping me to understand the yogic journey within a psychological framework.

Stephen Cope, a psychotherapist who left a practice in Boston to live, study and ultimately teach at the Kripalu Yoga ashram, tells a damn fine story as he examines the way in which our practice of yoga affects our psyche – the ups & downs, the traps and pitfalls, the freedoms and liberation.

It’s the kind of in-depth, specialist understanding you’re unlikely to get from your local yoga teacher, and it helps to ground the spiritual journey in a Western context. Stephen also goes into great depth about the awakening of Kundalini energy in the spine – something he both witnessed and experience during his time at Kripalu. Here’s him talking about his first experience of watching Kripalu’s guru surrendering to the flow of prana in a demonstration of the true essence of Hatha Yoga:

Ten minutes into the experience, I noticed a chance in my perception. Colours had become brighter, bolder. Light itself had become a palpable golden presence. The whole room dissolved into waves of light, particles of energy. I felt the room breathing together, moving together, pulsing and expanding and contracting. At one point, I had an experience of energy rushing up and down my spine.

Service is all there is!

Compassion in Action: Setting out on the Path of Service by Ram Dass and Mirabai Bush

I discovered this book via a recommendation from a friend at a time when I was really struggling with judgmental thoughts about people in general, feeling spiritually more evolved or spiritually superior to more people I was running across. And then of course, I was judgmental against myself for having judgmental thoughts about other people all the time!

This didn’t help… all I could see was people’s faults and weaknesses. I wanted to know where all the loving, compassionate, open spiritual people were and surround myself with them!

This book helped me understand this phase in the spiritual journey as the first half of the book is Ram Dass (who wrote the seminal ’70s text Be Here Now) talking about his journey. The second half is Mirabai Bush talking about practical steps for being of service in the world. It was Ram Dass’s journey that really spoke to me initially – especially when he tells the story of having to return to his family home at the age of 55 and take care of his aging father.

This period of looking after Dad’s household gave me a profound sense of well-being for having the opportunity to serve my father. When Mother had been ill and dying, there was Dad to look after her – and besides, I was far too busy being an independent, self-important somebody to find time or even acknowledge any responsibility for her care.

Perfect for dipping into every day

Beyond Power Yoga: Eight Levels of Practice for Body and Soul, by Beryl Bender Birch

When I first got back to New Zealand, lack of yoga meant I had to turn to a home practice. This book, and another of Beryl’s, Power Yoga: The Total Strength and Flexibility Workout, were my bibles. Not only step-by-step instruction for Power Yoga, a derivative of Astanaga yoga, but also detail on other aspects of yoga including Patanjali’s eight limbs.

In Beyond Power Yoga, Beryl does just that, exploring everything from her journey into yoga and to India, yoga in action, breathing, meditation and ‘leap into liberation – bliss’. She tells a damn good story, does Beryl Bender Birch (and how perfect is that name!?), using real life experiences from her own life to illustrate yogic concepts like bandha, vayu, tapas, yamas and niyamas.

I love her description of yoga as:

…going in the direction and ‘uncomfortableness’, and making it comfortable… I don’t mean going to the extreme expression of discomfort. I don’t mean torture, for heaven’s sake. I just mean slowly becoming more resilient, maybe noticing discomfort less, and requiring less comfort in your postures and in your life. And one day you will notice that, perhaps, some small level of ‘discomfortableness’ simply will not have authority over you or your experience at that moment.

Stay tuned for Part 2, and the last five top yoga books!

Plus, buy any of these books from Fishpond and The Yoga Lunchbox receives a 10% commission – what a great way to support your favourite yoga website!

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Auckland Yoga Teacher: Maree Martin

Kara-Leah Grant — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 20:31:54 +0000

Auckland Yoga Teacher Maree Martin

Like many natural-born Kiwis, Maree’s lived all over the world including Sydney and London. She now calls Auckland home, and has stayed put for the last four years.

Once upon a time she was a fashion designer, but eventually decided to swap the hectic pace for something more rewarding both to herself and others.

Yoga was a therapeutic force in her life, so she’s made this her focus in teaching others. She wants to see yoga make a positive difference in people’s lives and intends to do further study to become a yoga therapist some time in the future.

Maree says this appeals to her, because she likes to ensure each individual’s needs are met in her classes, and believes in working with your body, rather than against it. This means finding postures appropriate to each person, rather than forcing one’s body into painful and counter productive positions.

Maree also does personal consultations to design home practices for people, based on their own level and requirements. It’s not necessary for them to attend classes to do this, which makes it accessible to everyone, from the fittest person through to someone who can only manage a few arm raises a day.

1. What style of yoga do you practice and where do you teach?

I trained in Svastha Yoga, which is a type of Hatha Yoga, focusing on the individual and making the practice as appropriate as possible to suit each person’s needs.

Currently I am just teaching one class, in the beautiful space that is the Auckland Unitarian Church, at 1a Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby. The class is in the actual church, surrounded by the wooden floors, red velvet covered doors, high wooden ceilings and huge pipe organ. It’s a very special space to practice. But there will also be more classes starting around Auckland within the next year, including pregnancy yoga and possibly Kabbalistic yoga, which is a current interest of mine.

2. How did you come to yoga?

During a particularly rough patch in my life, where I was diagnosed with Panic Anxiety Disorder and Agoraphobia. I decided to try a yoga class, almost jokingly, but also because I had heard that it could reduce stress. I giggled my way through the whole first class, but once I started to notice how much it was transforming my life I never looked back.

3. When did the yoga bug really get you?

Right at this point really. After about 10 weeks of doing yoga once a week I had noticed calm and inner peace replacing so much of what had been anxiety, as well as increased physical health and fitness, that I knew I just wanted to keep practicing and learning and experiencing more. We are often so disconnected from ourselves that when we reconnect, through yoga, meditation or some other practice, that it is this feeling of connectedness that really can feel like getting ‘the bug’.

4. How has yoga transformed your life?

As well as the above, over the years it has also transformed my whole outlook on life and way of being, as well as having increased flexibility and core strength. Having always perceived myself as a very stressed out person for so long prior to discovering yoga, I am still half surprised every time I hear someone say ‘you just have that yoga calm’ or ‘you are the most chilled out person I know’! But I am getting used to it

5. What is your home practice like?

I do a practice almost every morning, made up of asana (postures), pranayama (breathing techniques) and meditation, plus additional meditation when I have spare time.

6. When people ask you, “What is Yoga?”, what do you say?

Yoga is about bringing about restoration of wholeness and vitality to each individual. It is about bringing physical health back to the body, but also a state of well being and tranquility to the mind.

Yoga is often translated as ‘to join’ or ‘to connect’. It is about connecting with your inner self. I think this is what suprises people about yoga when they first try it. They expect to just do a few exercises and go home, but most of us are so disconnected from ourselves, that when we experience what it feels like to be reconnected, it feels amazing!

7. What can people expect from one of your classes?

A holistic approach where the individual’s needs and level of experience are taken into consideration and welcomed, no matter where they are at.

All classes are focused on increasing:

Flexibility and core strength
Structural restoration, stamina and good posture
Mental focus and a balanced, peaceful mind

And hopefully they will have a good time as well.

8. What do you love most about teaching yoga?

Seeing both the long term as well as the almost instant increase of well being in people. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing someone come in who is stressed out or suffering from some kind of problem, finish a class saying ‘wow, I feel so much better, thank you!’

9. What do you wish everybody knew about yoga?

That you don’t need to be able to touch your toes to do yoga! The most common thing I hear from people is that they would love to do yoga, but they can’t because they couldn’t put themself in this position or that position.

Yoga is not about the final posture, it is about the benefit gained from moving towards it, whether that is moving a metre or an inch. And that generally in a yoga class people are at all levels, so they don’t have to feel silly coming along and doing what they can.

I think people have this idea of what a yoga class looks like as being a whole room full of people with perfect bodies, twisting into complicated postures perfectly every time. It’s not like that at all!

10. What role do you see yoga playing in our world?

As transforming it from the inside. By changing our own outlooks and creating that little bit of peace in ourselves, where there may have been frustration or negativity, we take that out into the world and spread it on to others.

11. Anything else you’d like to say?

Don’t be afraid to give yoga a go and try other classes if the first one isn’t for you. You have to find what works for you.

12. And finally, how do people find you?

Check out my website. Or come to a class at 6pm any Thursday, at 1a Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby (Auckland Unitarian Church)

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