Tulaa Yoga Blog

Hatha or Raja?

Michele — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 12:07:12 +0000

In our first teacher training weekend in late October, we were discussing yoga philosophy, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, and the importance of the “8 limbs” of yoga to our practice and individual progress on “the path”. Although not totally conflicting, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the Yoga Sutras do offer up two somewhat distinct ways to achieve the same goal – the Pradipika through a more “physical” approach, and the Sutras through adherence to the “8 limbs”. The most notable difference? Whether or not we burden our minds (and lifestyle?) with the challenge of applying the yamas and niyamas to our daily lives, or whether we just take the full-on physical path of hatha yoga – focusing on asana, Kriyas, Pranayama practices, etc.

Since these texts were written ages ago, it’s interesting to read the opening (in most translations) of the Pradipika that expound on the yamas and niyamas as being tantamount to “organized religion”, and all the obstacles that arise in that approach – mental imbalance, unnecessary self-loathing and negative judgment, etc. I only mention and consider these statements as a yoga teacher in the context of – is it my place to preach [8-limb] control of my students’ day to day behavior? For example: If I’m speaking of “satya” (loosely translated as truth, honesty) to a group of students some of whom may have told a lie today – does this serve them and their growth, or does it turn into the opposite of “ahimsa”, with students chastising themselves for their less enlightened, yet common, human behavior? If I focus on the 1^st two limbs (yamas & niyamas), yet stop after Pranayama or maybe Pratyahara – where does that leave everyone?

The same challenge arises in teaching the traditional “hatha” path. If we only teach asana, some Pranayama, maybe one kriya (neti wash), but skirt around a healthy diet, adherence to a regular and committed practice, etc. – will this help our students find their “path”?

It’s not for me to judge the best approach, from these two, or any other great philosophy. My interest in discussing these paths and texts with future teachers of “yoga”, is to: A) Discuss whether or not we truly offer one or the other in the majority of classes/studios in this country B) What we feel our students are interested in AND prepared to receive, and C) How our role as “teacher” can either help to deliver clear information based on this ancient science or tradition, or further dilute the subject matter.

Whether we focus on one or the other, if we choose to adhere to a more “traditional” approach, the challenge we have is – are we prepared to deliver, and are our students ready to receive?

Teacher training, and this ancient, oral tradition……

Michele — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:33:40 +0000

As our first 200 Hour Teacher Training commences this month, I’m filled with excitement, tempered with a huge dose of “humble pie”. I consider myself a teacher, not a preacher, as defined by Merriam Webster: “to urge acceptance or abandonment of an idea or course of action; specifically : to exhort in an officious or tiresome manner”. I feel these roles are clear to me and most students, however, the lines are sometimes blurred – how do we teach an asana class in this current time, that speaks to the majority of students, yet is still infused with the traditional teachings – the ancient, vedic teachings that are so clear and important from a philosophical standpoint, and also from a place of respect – honoring lineage, and all those teachers before us? OR, is it even critical to understand the lineage, the ancient texts, if you can teach a well-balanced, safe, and inspiring asana class that, by default, brings these students to a place of peace and meditation/focus? I know my answer to this question – the important step is to now guide other, future teachers, to answer that for themselves – to read, study, absorb into every cell, and then discover for themselves what will be their “authentic teaching”.

We’ll begin this program learning the “Student Teacher Mantra” – asking for guidance, protection, illumination…..of course, we’ll learn this as a Vedic Mantra, with proper inflection and pronunciation – and our journey begins. As we all chant together over the coming months – will the adherence to this pronunciation enhance this journey? It will be for each of us to decide for ourselves….

Namaste ~ Michele

Opportunities To “Practice” During The Holidays

Michele — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:15:25 +0000

I recall my first yoga teacher, Fern, being surprised when a few of us talked about feeling over stimulated during the holiday season. She said she loved the energy, the lights, the joy, and would simply put her earplugs in, go to the mall and breathe it all in!

I guess, with or without the physical earplugs, we could all practice this filtering approach – taking in all the good and joyful parts of these next few weeks, while preserving our peace in whatever means we have perfected over our months and years of practice.

Is it as simple as staying inwardly focused? We are often able to achieve that in class – turning off other students’ movements, not focusing on the music when it doesn’t serve or enhance our practice, guiding our thoughts back to the present when we notice they’ve wondered on.

It sounds easy, but I was in a crowded store on Saturday, and felt very rushed – it seemed as if we were risking permanent ankle damage if we didn’t get our cart to a side aisle, and quickly! So, feeling this, knowing this, sensing this – would just breathing and staying focused on my own behavior suffice? What other options are there? Even commenting to my husband seems to direct my energy to the negative versus remaining unattached to these external distractions.

So, I had to remind myself of two core yoga principles in Sutras 1.12-1.16: Practice (abhyasa) and Non-attachment (vairagya). It’s also important to recall Sutra 1.14 – “when that practice is done for a long time, without a break, and with sincere devotion, then the practice becomes a firmly rooted, stable and solid foundation.”

We are fortunate to have many holiday seasons that provide us with these “opportunities to practice.”

Namaste,

Michele

Giving Thanks and Lessons Learned

Jessica — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:04:47 +0000

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, I have found that the idea of “Being Thankful” is a recurring thought throughout my daily activities. I am currently working to complete my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training and have found that the process of opening up, not criticizing or censoring, is a constant personal challenge during my training.

The first, second, tenth time of standing in front of a class and allowing myself to be completely vulnerable, allowing mistakes to happen and having the ability to laugh them off, is not necessarily my idea of a “good time,” but what I have learned from allowing myself to let go and let “it” go is something I will continue to practice each day.

I am sure that many people do not always possess complete equanimity in work life, school, etc. We are reminded daily with each challenge that is put in front of us that there is always room for improvement. There are obstacles in life that allow us to feel exposed and unguarded. Although this experience may be scary and humbling, I am thankful that I have had the opportunities in my life that have allowed me to come to this path that I am venturing down.

I have learned patience and that each step of growth and change is important. I have learned to be thankful for mistakes because it is the mistakes that teach the best lessons. I have learned to let go of criticism and stay in the present moment. Racing, pushing, speeding things forward doesn’t work. Moving through each feeling and experience, good or bad, enables us to learn more about ourselves and each other.

So during this holiday season I am taking with me the act of being thankful, even if it means being thankful for humility and accepting a piece of humble pie on Thanksgiving Day.

Namaste,
Jess

Take Your Yoga With You This Thanksgiving

Michele — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:46:11 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you have a peaceful day and a meal infused with gratitude. I recently attended an Ayurvedic Cooking class with Alison Driscoll, and was reminded again of one of the key aspects of this ancient sister science to yoga – preparing our meals with a deep sense of giving to those we cook for, and gratitude for the earth and everyone/every living thing involved in bringing nourishment to our tables. In many yoga traditions there are also specific mantras/prayers that are recited prior to each meal. This article by Sandra Anderson reminds us of the significance of “saying grace”, and provides a verse from the Bhagavad Gita which is traditionally used by yogis and monks before meals.

As each of us clean, chop, cook and sit down to our meal this Thursday, may we do so with intention. As we’ve noted in class, the only difference between an action being mundane or sacred is often our intention. Preparing our Thanksgiving meal with that same level of awareness & intention we bring to each class may help us to carry our yoga off the mat this holiday.

Namaste,

Michele

Being “Content” This Thanksgiving

Michele — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:12:12 +0000

Mini Dose of Philosophy
When I want a mini dose of yoga philosophy, I go to www.Swamij.com. This site, largely based on the teachings of the Himalayan Masters & Swami Rama (the lineage I align with as a member of the Himalayan Institute), gives me just that – a clear, concise dose of wisdom!

Thanks and Gratitude
I’ve been thinking a lot about “thanks & gratitude” as Thanksgiving Day nears, and I was wondering – when we list out our items to be thankful for, is it ever as simple as the present moment? Of course we could list out our jobs, our health, our family, and our loved ones’ achievements, but what kind of energy would envelop this country on November 26th, if we all simply sat in absolute contentment and thanks for the moment we gather at the table?

Could our experience be even more meaningful if we were simply grateful for being alive, with all the emotions (joy, love, pain) that are the essence of being human? Forget the list, in spite of the list, if we have no list – can we just be content?

Contentment Comes From Within
Yoga Sutra 2.42 teaches us that “from an attitude of contentment, unexcelled happiness, mental comfort, joy, and satisfaction is obtained”. This made me wonder how disadvantaged people can develop an “attitude of contentment”, to which they answer: Contentment comes from within: We humans seem to always be seeking satisfaction in the external world and our internal fantasies. Only when we comfortably accept what we currently have will be able to do the practices that lead to the highest realization.

Perhaps I’ll just try being “content” this Thanksgiving….

Namaste,

Michele

Welcome!

Michele — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:44:12 +0000

I love teaching yoga! But, I often feel limited with the amount of time we have to share together. Our students pay for primarily an asana class, and I try to honor their time appropriately. When class is over, we all have our lives to get home to. But, there’s so much more to “yoga”, and so much more I want to share, discuss, debate, and continually explore. I’m still struggling with when to choose “share” vs. “comment” in our newly launched Facebook site, but my daughter, Theresa, has advised that blogging would serve this yearning desire I have to connect with everyone “outside of class”. So, here I go. Whether you’re a student of Tulaa’s or not, I hope you’ll find this to be an extension of everyone’s yoga class; a place where we explore all the topics that we don’t have the time to in class – maybe appropriately called “the yoga whiteboard”.

Namaste,

Michele