Question:
Is it possible to make a living as a full-time yoga teacher?
Answer:
The answers and the problems vary.
Yoga is now offered in nearly every gym and health club.The demand for Yoga is growing, but the number of Yoga teachers is growing at the same or faster rate.
Most yoga teachers do not make a lot of money. Those teachers that do make their living solely by teaching yoga work incredibly hard at it in a profession where there are no health benefits, no 401k, no job security. On the other hand, lots of great teachers juggle a few classes a week while keeping their regular jobs.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Medicine vs Yoga
Question:
Hi! I'm new to the forum and 1 month into yoga. I was wondering if everyone could help me. I will soon be a doctor and while we are learning many pharmacotherapies, we don't really formally learn about complementary therapies like Yoga. I would like to know from you:
1. Why did you begin practicing yoga?
2. What benefits have you seen?
3. Do you feel that yoga is something you should discuss with your doctor? (or is Yoga a personal decision? How would you feel if your doctor suggested/prescribed yoga)
Thanks for any feedback. If anyone wants to help me, please post a reply on the forum, email me, or IM me via yahoo.
Again, thanks!
Answer:
Why did you begin practicing yoga?
What benefits have you seen. (from a physical standpoint.)
I began practicing yoga 6 years ago in preparation for gastric bypass surgery. Because I'd never had surgery or been in the hospital I thought the relaxation techniques would be useful. Yoga introduced me to my physical body and was pivotal in helping me adjust to a radically different physicality (think driving a sports car when you've only driven a Winnebago.) It has been and continues to be instrumental in my understanding of my dependency on certain food-based chemicals and has helped me finally conquer a lifelong addiction to food. It has improved posture and corrected body alignment problems and damage that 2 decades of being almost 300# overweight wrought.
Yoga continues to help me deal with stress on a day to day level, it has improved my sleeping and eating patterns enormously and has afforded me a quality of life that neither years of therapy or chemical mood enhancers was able to accomplish. I am healthier and happier than I have ever been at any other time in my memory.
3. Do you feel that yoga is something you should discuss with your doctor? (or is Yoga a personal decision? How would you feel if your doctor suggested/prescribed yoga)
I inform any medical practitioner than I am a serious yogin. 99% of the time the reaction is something like "how nice for you." occasionally a medical practitioner with some knowledge or interest in yoga will explore it further.
Here is an example: A few months back I went to the emergency room with acute abdominal pain. I explained to no less than 8 different medical professionals not only that I practiced yoga, but that I had had a gastric bypass a number of years ago and that I had a hypothesis for what was happening. Because I had also recently had some dental work done and had been prescribed Vicoden, I believed the medication's effect on peristalsis had caused a blockage around the scare tissue where my bypassed intestine was reattached to my stomach pouch. I was told that that was probably not something I could 'feel' and went through about 7 hours of testing (still in excruciating pain) including a CT that I pointed out was no where near where i knew the blockage to be (bariatric surgery had rearranged where things are in my digestive track, another fact they did not take into consideration -- they were looking for the blockage in the wrong place.) Eventually they ruled out a number of things from appendicitis to perforated ulcers but could not diagnose me. Finally gave me pain medication (not in the vicoden family, per my request) and sent me home. Late that night, after several hours of gentle yoga, several hot showers and a couple bouts of dry heaves, I felt the blockage pass. Once the Vicoden was out of my system and by employing some basic yoga postures I was able to dislodge the block and solve the problem on my own.
I have much better luck with my PCP. Early on I think I impressed her with my ability to detect my own gall stones (well, more like gall sand as having experienced a full on gall bladder attack and the passing of a stone, it is not something I will ever repeat.) I explained about gastric bypass and the increased risk for gall stones and told her that when i start getting an icky kind of buzzing burning it generally means I need to go on Actigal for a couple weeks. She was suspicious but curious. She prescribed the Actigal but still ran tests confirming that there was indeed 'pre-stone debris' in my gall bladder. Since then she has not only been much more amenable to my own theories regarding my own body and has also begun developing her own yoga practice.
Yoga informs my ability to isolate the origin of discomfort and is exceptionally useful in pain management. My PCP knows that if I'm experiencing pain that I am unable to breath through, it is significant discomfort. She also recognizes that if i say 'the pain is here' that's where she looks first even if its far more likely that its originating somewhere else. Though I still occasionally get the feeling she's merely patronizing me, she maintains an open mind and will go with my suggestions/request. That in and of itself often offers enough self-efficacy to make me feel better.
I think the trick for a physician to prescribe yoga to a patient is contingent on two things. First, a least an overview of yoga...even if he or she doesn't practice, knowledge of what he/she is prescribing is important. If it's merely 'have you thought about yoga?' yoga is reduced to a current buzz word or 'in-treatment' which serves neither the practice nor the person in pain.
Also, I think it's imperative to keep the spiritual aspects yoga separate from the physical where at all possible. For me, yoga is not spirituality, it is a method of spirituality. If concentration is placed solely on the approach, the method, the physical and its physical results, I believe it will better serve both doctor an patient. I don't want spiritual advice from my PCP.
How great that physicians are taking an interest!
Hi! I'm new to the forum and 1 month into yoga. I was wondering if everyone could help me. I will soon be a doctor and while we are learning many pharmacotherapies, we don't really formally learn about complementary therapies like Yoga. I would like to know from you:
1. Why did you begin practicing yoga?
2. What benefits have you seen?
3. Do you feel that yoga is something you should discuss with your doctor? (or is Yoga a personal decision? How would you feel if your doctor suggested/prescribed yoga)
Thanks for any feedback. If anyone wants to help me, please post a reply on the forum, email me, or IM me via yahoo.
Again, thanks!
Answer:
Why did you begin practicing yoga?
What benefits have you seen. (from a physical standpoint.)
I began practicing yoga 6 years ago in preparation for gastric bypass surgery. Because I'd never had surgery or been in the hospital I thought the relaxation techniques would be useful. Yoga introduced me to my physical body and was pivotal in helping me adjust to a radically different physicality (think driving a sports car when you've only driven a Winnebago.) It has been and continues to be instrumental in my understanding of my dependency on certain food-based chemicals and has helped me finally conquer a lifelong addiction to food. It has improved posture and corrected body alignment problems and damage that 2 decades of being almost 300# overweight wrought.
Yoga continues to help me deal with stress on a day to day level, it has improved my sleeping and eating patterns enormously and has afforded me a quality of life that neither years of therapy or chemical mood enhancers was able to accomplish. I am healthier and happier than I have ever been at any other time in my memory.
3. Do you feel that yoga is something you should discuss with your doctor? (or is Yoga a personal decision? How would you feel if your doctor suggested/prescribed yoga)
I inform any medical practitioner than I am a serious yogin. 99% of the time the reaction is something like "how nice for you." occasionally a medical practitioner with some knowledge or interest in yoga will explore it further.
Here is an example: A few months back I went to the emergency room with acute abdominal pain. I explained to no less than 8 different medical professionals not only that I practiced yoga, but that I had had a gastric bypass a number of years ago and that I had a hypothesis for what was happening. Because I had also recently had some dental work done and had been prescribed Vicoden, I believed the medication's effect on peristalsis had caused a blockage around the scare tissue where my bypassed intestine was reattached to my stomach pouch. I was told that that was probably not something I could 'feel' and went through about 7 hours of testing (still in excruciating pain) including a CT that I pointed out was no where near where i knew the blockage to be (bariatric surgery had rearranged where things are in my digestive track, another fact they did not take into consideration -- they were looking for the blockage in the wrong place.) Eventually they ruled out a number of things from appendicitis to perforated ulcers but could not diagnose me. Finally gave me pain medication (not in the vicoden family, per my request) and sent me home. Late that night, after several hours of gentle yoga, several hot showers and a couple bouts of dry heaves, I felt the blockage pass. Once the Vicoden was out of my system and by employing some basic yoga postures I was able to dislodge the block and solve the problem on my own.
I have much better luck with my PCP. Early on I think I impressed her with my ability to detect my own gall stones (well, more like gall sand as having experienced a full on gall bladder attack and the passing of a stone, it is not something I will ever repeat.) I explained about gastric bypass and the increased risk for gall stones and told her that when i start getting an icky kind of buzzing burning it generally means I need to go on Actigal for a couple weeks. She was suspicious but curious. She prescribed the Actigal but still ran tests confirming that there was indeed 'pre-stone debris' in my gall bladder. Since then she has not only been much more amenable to my own theories regarding my own body and has also begun developing her own yoga practice.
Yoga informs my ability to isolate the origin of discomfort and is exceptionally useful in pain management. My PCP knows that if I'm experiencing pain that I am unable to breath through, it is significant discomfort. She also recognizes that if i say 'the pain is here' that's where she looks first even if its far more likely that its originating somewhere else. Though I still occasionally get the feeling she's merely patronizing me, she maintains an open mind and will go with my suggestions/request. That in and of itself often offers enough self-efficacy to make me feel better.
I think the trick for a physician to prescribe yoga to a patient is contingent on two things. First, a least an overview of yoga...even if he or she doesn't practice, knowledge of what he/she is prescribing is important. If it's merely 'have you thought about yoga?' yoga is reduced to a current buzz word or 'in-treatment' which serves neither the practice nor the person in pain.
Also, I think it's imperative to keep the spiritual aspects yoga separate from the physical where at all possible. For me, yoga is not spirituality, it is a method of spirituality. If concentration is placed solely on the approach, the method, the physical and its physical results, I believe it will better serve both doctor an patient. I don't want spiritual advice from my PCP.
How great that physicians are taking an interest!
Posted by
Beacon Lee
yoga to tone my body?
Question:
i was curious if anyone had noticed that yoga was toning their body. i have tried weight training in the past but it always makes me too bulky. however, i'm just not sure if yoga will be enough to really get me in shape (i'm a new comer). any success stories are welcome
Answer:
As a personal trainer I can tell you that yoga is a wonderful complement to your fitness regimen. However, IMO you'd have to be doing several different styles consistently if you expect yoga to be your sole physical outlet. Ashtanga or power yoga probably requires the most physical exertion, but even then after 8-12 weeks of going you'll likely notice that the physical benefits have plateaued, meaning you won't continue to see improvements unless you change things up.
You mentioned that you run, which is great for the cardiopulmunary system and a fine workout for the lower body. Yoga can help with strength training for the upper body and core (abs/low back), but I suspect you'll find you need more to get a good workout. Yoga is, of course, awesome work for improving flexibility and balance, and serves to make one more aware of the body as a whole.
Just my two cents.
i was curious if anyone had noticed that yoga was toning their body. i have tried weight training in the past but it always makes me too bulky. however, i'm just not sure if yoga will be enough to really get me in shape (i'm a new comer). any success stories are welcome
Answer:
As a personal trainer I can tell you that yoga is a wonderful complement to your fitness regimen. However, IMO you'd have to be doing several different styles consistently if you expect yoga to be your sole physical outlet. Ashtanga or power yoga probably requires the most physical exertion, but even then after 8-12 weeks of going you'll likely notice that the physical benefits have plateaued, meaning you won't continue to see improvements unless you change things up.
You mentioned that you run, which is great for the cardiopulmunary system and a fine workout for the lower body. Yoga can help with strength training for the upper body and core (abs/low back), but I suspect you'll find you need more to get a good workout. Yoga is, of course, awesome work for improving flexibility and balance, and serves to make one more aware of the body as a whole.
Just my two cents.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
YogaFit certification
Question:
Hello! I'm interested in working at sport centers and spas and New York Sports, for example, requires their Yoga instructors to be "Yoga Fit" certified. It sounds cool because they teach you how to work with elderly and physically challenged persons, but on the other hand, is it really worth paying all this money just to audition for one club?
Has anyone had any experience with either Yoga Fit or New York Sports Club? Are Yoga Fit certifications useful in other environments? Also - has anyone had to get CPR training to teach Yoga somewhere? Thank you!
Answer:
YogaFit certification is somewhat controversial. As I understand it, the woman who founded YogaFit, Beth Shaw, is a fitness instructor who trained with White Lotus in Santa Monica. I have a deep respect for their style of yoga, so I think that only reflects positively on her.
Shaw takes a very physical approach to yoga and though I think she "gets it", she has made some alienating statements like, "We burn fat, not incense" and something along the lines of, "don't worry- we're a different kind of yoga- no religion here." Basically, I think she makes it sound as if she is the only one who can bring yoga "to the people", and all other yoga instructors are too mystical/spiritual/religious/whatever to give you a workout.
Having said that, a friend of mine enrolled in her Level 1 and 2 classes despite some initial reservations and said that she felt that the training was very solid- she understood the positioning for some of the asanas better and felt confident that she could deliver a class. As part of the Level 1 (and possibly Level 2) training, participants are required to provide 8 hours of community service.
To muddy things a little further, YogaFit trainees do qualify for Yoga Alliance membership, but only after they've completed Level 4. That course, I believe, does delve into yogic philosophy as well as Anatomy.
I know that YogaFit also has supplementary certifications, such as for Seniors, Pre- and Post-Partum and Kids. I think the expense of those classes (in conjunction with the Level 1 and 2 classes) are much less than a lot of other certifications around. I'd say if the training is readily available, go for it, but also look around for other places where you can continue your education.
Hello! I'm interested in working at sport centers and spas and New York Sports, for example, requires their Yoga instructors to be "Yoga Fit" certified. It sounds cool because they teach you how to work with elderly and physically challenged persons, but on the other hand, is it really worth paying all this money just to audition for one club?
Has anyone had any experience with either Yoga Fit or New York Sports Club? Are Yoga Fit certifications useful in other environments? Also - has anyone had to get CPR training to teach Yoga somewhere? Thank you!
Answer:
YogaFit certification is somewhat controversial. As I understand it, the woman who founded YogaFit, Beth Shaw, is a fitness instructor who trained with White Lotus in Santa Monica. I have a deep respect for their style of yoga, so I think that only reflects positively on her.
Shaw takes a very physical approach to yoga and though I think she "gets it", she has made some alienating statements like, "We burn fat, not incense" and something along the lines of, "don't worry- we're a different kind of yoga- no religion here." Basically, I think she makes it sound as if she is the only one who can bring yoga "to the people", and all other yoga instructors are too mystical/spiritual/religious/whatever to give you a workout.
Having said that, a friend of mine enrolled in her Level 1 and 2 classes despite some initial reservations and said that she felt that the training was very solid- she understood the positioning for some of the asanas better and felt confident that she could deliver a class. As part of the Level 1 (and possibly Level 2) training, participants are required to provide 8 hours of community service.
To muddy things a little further, YogaFit trainees do qualify for Yoga Alliance membership, but only after they've completed Level 4. That course, I believe, does delve into yogic philosophy as well as Anatomy.
I know that YogaFit also has supplementary certifications, such as for Seniors, Pre- and Post-Partum and Kids. I think the expense of those classes (in conjunction with the Level 1 and 2 classes) are much less than a lot of other certifications around. I'd say if the training is readily available, go for it, but also look around for other places where you can continue your education.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
yoga starting out
Question:
Hi, due to recommendation of a friend I decided to start some kind of yoga, (or at least looking at my options). However I can't really find what suits me best, some research reveald that VAMACARA TANTRA would be a good alternative, however I can't really find many resources on it.
Tantra seems as a different alternative however it is not exactly what i am seeking.
What I am specifically looking for is a form of yoga, with it's own excerses and meditation techniques that would teach me how to communicate with my body better, controll my emotions, as well as some of the physical aspects. Where through deep meditation and excersises you can learn about your body.
Right now my mind and the rest of my body are IN the same "entity", which is my body, however I want it to BE one entity. To achieve full physical and mental balance, and equlibrium.
Any seggestions would be welcome. Thank you.
Answer:
There are many styles of hatha yoga available. Some classes offer instruction also in yogic practices of pranayama (breathing techniques) and meditation. Some classes are primarily focused on the physical body, others are more mind/body/stress reduction while still others are more spiritually focused. Further, the personality of the instructor, and your own personality are factors in finding a teacher/student relationship which you are comfortable with. I would certainly recommend that you do a little "homework" about yoga styles available, and shop around to see if there is a teacher who is offering the atmosphere and focus which suit you.
Your inquiry reflects a committment to meditation and deeper awareness. I would personally recommend that you find a teacher who can give individual sessions in addition to the group classes in which your personal goals can be addressed.
Other styles of yoga which I personally have experienced and enjoyed include: Kripalu yoga & Viniyoga. Best of luck in your search for a yoga teacher, and remember that the One for whom you search is searching for you! Follow your heart!
Hi, due to recommendation of a friend I decided to start some kind of yoga, (or at least looking at my options). However I can't really find what suits me best, some research reveald that VAMACARA TANTRA would be a good alternative, however I can't really find many resources on it.
Tantra seems as a different alternative however it is not exactly what i am seeking.
What I am specifically looking for is a form of yoga, with it's own excerses and meditation techniques that would teach me how to communicate with my body better, controll my emotions, as well as some of the physical aspects. Where through deep meditation and excersises you can learn about your body.
Right now my mind and the rest of my body are IN the same "entity", which is my body, however I want it to BE one entity. To achieve full physical and mental balance, and equlibrium.
Any seggestions would be welcome. Thank you.
Answer:
There are many styles of hatha yoga available. Some classes offer instruction also in yogic practices of pranayama (breathing techniques) and meditation. Some classes are primarily focused on the physical body, others are more mind/body/stress reduction while still others are more spiritually focused. Further, the personality of the instructor, and your own personality are factors in finding a teacher/student relationship which you are comfortable with. I would certainly recommend that you do a little "homework" about yoga styles available, and shop around to see if there is a teacher who is offering the atmosphere and focus which suit you.
Your inquiry reflects a committment to meditation and deeper awareness. I would personally recommend that you find a teacher who can give individual sessions in addition to the group classes in which your personal goals can be addressed.
Other styles of yoga which I personally have experienced and enjoyed include: Kripalu yoga & Viniyoga. Best of luck in your search for a yoga teacher, and remember that the One for whom you search is searching for you! Follow your heart!
Posted by
Beacon Lee
yoga for kids?
Question:
ok i am 13 years old and i heard that yoga canhelp you alot with school, and just overall life issues. well i went to this website but it doesnt describe what to do very well...i got some pose's and tried them, but i was wondering do you just do the pose's or do you have to do certain breathing excercises before (besides the ones juring the pose) and is there any tips you have for me thanks alot
Answer:
Yes, yoga is more than just the physical position of the body, and the benefits you read about have alot to do with the relaxation and concentration that comes from doing the poses with the yoga breathing. Also, the way you approach doing the poses is different than doing an exercise class. In exercise, you are often working "against" yourself - pushing the muscles to do something and sometimes overriding feelings of pain ("No pain no gain"). In yoga, it is just "NO PAIN!". It is exploring, working with the body, not forcing it. Because you are young and energetic, you probably would like a more active class than a meditative class. It is easy for a 13 yr old to get bored!
A class with a talented teacher can give you proper direction. While you can learn from a book or the internet, seeing and having feedback go a long way to helping you "get it". Reasonably priced yoga classes can usually be found at the Y or community centers. You may have to try a couple different classes b4 you find one that is right for you!
ok i am 13 years old and i heard that yoga canhelp you alot with school, and just overall life issues. well i went to this website but it doesnt describe what to do very well...i got some pose's and tried them, but i was wondering do you just do the pose's or do you have to do certain breathing excercises before (besides the ones juring the pose) and is there any tips you have for me thanks alot
Answer:
Yes, yoga is more than just the physical position of the body, and the benefits you read about have alot to do with the relaxation and concentration that comes from doing the poses with the yoga breathing. Also, the way you approach doing the poses is different than doing an exercise class. In exercise, you are often working "against" yourself - pushing the muscles to do something and sometimes overriding feelings of pain ("No pain no gain"). In yoga, it is just "NO PAIN!". It is exploring, working with the body, not forcing it. Because you are young and energetic, you probably would like a more active class than a meditative class. It is easy for a 13 yr old to get bored!
A class with a talented teacher can give you proper direction. While you can learn from a book or the internet, seeing and having feedback go a long way to helping you "get it". Reasonably priced yoga classes can usually be found at the Y or community centers. You may have to try a couple different classes b4 you find one that is right for you!
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Pranayama and asana
Question:
Let's begin a discussion about pranayama experiences during asana practice. What pranayam techniques do you use during your asana practice? Ujjayi, Wave or Full Yogic Breath, do you ever do Kapalabhati during asana practice? Do you ever forget to breathe!!
answer:
Prana is the life energy - yama is traditionally referred to as a restraint of the breath. Various techniques are offered within the yoga traditions for methods of controlling or regulation of the breath. Practicing these techniques, it is advisable to follow the advice of your yoga teacher, or one who is acquainted with the effects of these techniques. (I know you are, Rumi!)
The breath can be regulated by duration of inhale or exhale, location of breath, or by how number. There is a natural occurrence of a cessation of the breath, in which the ingoing and outgoing breath, merge as it were, in their dance together. This is observable at the turning of each breath, and one can become aware of it even when not doing a formal pranayama practice. A more advanced practice is that of extending the pause, although as Rumi comments, it is an effortless effort.
Investigating the pause between the incoming and outgoing breath, the point of stillness, is a lovely offering of the mind's attention to the dance of prana.
Let's begin a discussion about pranayama experiences during asana practice. What pranayam techniques do you use during your asana practice? Ujjayi, Wave or Full Yogic Breath, do you ever do Kapalabhati during asana practice? Do you ever forget to breathe!!
answer:
Prana is the life energy - yama is traditionally referred to as a restraint of the breath. Various techniques are offered within the yoga traditions for methods of controlling or regulation of the breath. Practicing these techniques, it is advisable to follow the advice of your yoga teacher, or one who is acquainted with the effects of these techniques. (I know you are, Rumi!)
The breath can be regulated by duration of inhale or exhale, location of breath, or by how number. There is a natural occurrence of a cessation of the breath, in which the ingoing and outgoing breath, merge as it were, in their dance together. This is observable at the turning of each breath, and one can become aware of it even when not doing a formal pranayama practice. A more advanced practice is that of extending the pause, although as Rumi comments, it is an effortless effort.
Investigating the pause between the incoming and outgoing breath, the point of stillness, is a lovely offering of the mind's attention to the dance of prana.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
meditation and stress reduction
Question:
Meditation is currently being explored and used to advantage in many cases of stress and pain management. Often, this leads the practitioner to a deeper interest in exploring the benefits of meditation for the more traditional spiritual purposes. Meditation has been proven to alter the brain wave pattern from one of high to one of low activity waves, associated with a state of alert relaxation. However, to the person who is anxious or over stimulated, the "monkey mind" is an obstacle and the experience of letting go of the tension seems out of reach, and may exacerbate their experience of tension! Do you have any comments to share about meditation and stress reduction?
Answer:
Using a meditation technique to help to stabilize the wandering mind is useful. Traditionally the breath is a focal tool, although many people also use a mantra or an image as a focal point. Letting go a "wish" or "goal" in meditation to rid the mind of thoughts is helpful as well. The mind's nature is one of generating thoughts. In meditation, one practices detachment from the thoughts by simply observing them when they occur, and remaining focused on the chosen object of meditation.
In Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Meditation (Dhyana) is the 7th limb of practice - it is described as an uninterrupted flow of attention to the object which one has chosen to meditate. (For those interested, Patanjali offers suggestions for choosing one's object of meditation and discusses also meditation without form). For most of us, this is a fleeting moment of one pointed attention, before we find ourselves distracted again by the turnings of the mind.
Related practices to support a daily meditation practice include the other limbs of Ashtanga yoga - yama and niyama (social and personal behaviors and disciplines), asana (to quiet the body and mind), pranayama (breathing techniques which can serve to increase one's awareness) and pratyahara (the practice of turning the senses inward as we begin to explore the inner realm).
In my opinion, the intention to practice meditation on a regular daily schedule is supported by these practices, and the tendency for the monkey mind to be a real distraction is reduced by practicing detachment from results. This requires a gentle reminder for the mind to return to the focal point anytime you notice that it has wandered, and allows us to practice lots of compasion with ourselves as the process occurs over and over again! In time, the mind will begin to follow the direction which the meditator choses.
Meanwhile, daily reflections provide an opportunity to let go of the need to DO anything, and simply BE - just show up at the cushion and sit! There is no judge or jury to decide if it was done properly or not! A few minutes of asana to prepare the body, and some pranayama to settle your attention on the breath will support your intention to just being with your self.
Hope these thoughts have been helpful TOK!
Meditation is currently being explored and used to advantage in many cases of stress and pain management. Often, this leads the practitioner to a deeper interest in exploring the benefits of meditation for the more traditional spiritual purposes. Meditation has been proven to alter the brain wave pattern from one of high to one of low activity waves, associated with a state of alert relaxation. However, to the person who is anxious or over stimulated, the "monkey mind" is an obstacle and the experience of letting go of the tension seems out of reach, and may exacerbate their experience of tension! Do you have any comments to share about meditation and stress reduction?
Answer:
Using a meditation technique to help to stabilize the wandering mind is useful. Traditionally the breath is a focal tool, although many people also use a mantra or an image as a focal point. Letting go a "wish" or "goal" in meditation to rid the mind of thoughts is helpful as well. The mind's nature is one of generating thoughts. In meditation, one practices detachment from the thoughts by simply observing them when they occur, and remaining focused on the chosen object of meditation.
In Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Meditation (Dhyana) is the 7th limb of practice - it is described as an uninterrupted flow of attention to the object which one has chosen to meditate. (For those interested, Patanjali offers suggestions for choosing one's object of meditation and discusses also meditation without form). For most of us, this is a fleeting moment of one pointed attention, before we find ourselves distracted again by the turnings of the mind.
Related practices to support a daily meditation practice include the other limbs of Ashtanga yoga - yama and niyama (social and personal behaviors and disciplines), asana (to quiet the body and mind), pranayama (breathing techniques which can serve to increase one's awareness) and pratyahara (the practice of turning the senses inward as we begin to explore the inner realm).
In my opinion, the intention to practice meditation on a regular daily schedule is supported by these practices, and the tendency for the monkey mind to be a real distraction is reduced by practicing detachment from results. This requires a gentle reminder for the mind to return to the focal point anytime you notice that it has wandered, and allows us to practice lots of compasion with ourselves as the process occurs over and over again! In time, the mind will begin to follow the direction which the meditator choses.
Meanwhile, daily reflections provide an opportunity to let go of the need to DO anything, and simply BE - just show up at the cushion and sit! There is no judge or jury to decide if it was done properly or not! A few minutes of asana to prepare the body, and some pranayama to settle your attention on the breath will support your intention to just being with your self.
Hope these thoughts have been helpful TOK!
Posted by
Beacon Lee
A different kind of yoga....
Question:
I have been practicing a different kind of yoga, if we can define it in that way. My teacher started doing kenpo karate 25 years ago, and about 20 years ago they went to Okinawa to improve their technique. There they studied a "special" kind of warm up - cool down exercise system which is, by the words of my teacher, a Chinese derivation of yoga.
We do some poses of standard yoga but constantly in movement (that's why I call them poses and not asanas), sometimes slow but mainly fast movements (two different poses are not directly connected, so i wouldn't call it power yoga). The teacher says that the rhythm of the exercises has been slowed down to allow us to do it until we develop enough strength and flexibility to do them even faster. He also says that this is because in China the climatic situation is different than in India so the workout must be more vigorous.
Has anyone of you ever heard of such "yoga"?
I must say that in the beginning I started to loosen up a bit but after 5 months of practise I gained in muscular mass (and strength) and now it interferes with the flexibility i gained. Since there are may ways to actually do yoga, can this be "correct"?
Answer:
There are many different paths that arrive at the same destination! The question is where do you want to get to! Apart from Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutation) - yoga asanas should not be practiced in haste. Slow and smoothe are the key words.
I have been practicing a different kind of yoga, if we can define it in that way. My teacher started doing kenpo karate 25 years ago, and about 20 years ago they went to Okinawa to improve their technique. There they studied a "special" kind of warm up - cool down exercise system which is, by the words of my teacher, a Chinese derivation of yoga.
We do some poses of standard yoga but constantly in movement (that's why I call them poses and not asanas), sometimes slow but mainly fast movements (two different poses are not directly connected, so i wouldn't call it power yoga). The teacher says that the rhythm of the exercises has been slowed down to allow us to do it until we develop enough strength and flexibility to do them even faster. He also says that this is because in China the climatic situation is different than in India so the workout must be more vigorous.
Has anyone of you ever heard of such "yoga"?
I must say that in the beginning I started to loosen up a bit but after 5 months of practise I gained in muscular mass (and strength) and now it interferes with the flexibility i gained. Since there are may ways to actually do yoga, can this be "correct"?
Answer:
There are many different paths that arrive at the same destination! The question is where do you want to get to! Apart from Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutation) - yoga asanas should not be practiced in haste. Slow and smoothe are the key words.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Yoga mat recommendations please
Question:
Hi, can anyone please recommend a yoga mat that is definitely non-slip. I have bought two over the last year or so but they have no grip whatsoever. I have tried washing them etc but no change. I have heard that the natural material ones are best, but as they are pretty pricey I would appreciate some views, especially from teachers, before I go ahead and get one. Many thanks, N
answer:
Used to be all the eco-friendly mats were all up there in price but there are certainly less expensive options now (including from barefoot) so if that's an important criteria keep looking.
But there's several aspects to eco-friendly. One is whether the mat is good for you (PVC contains chemicals that are now widely considered to be bad for you.) Then there is how friendly the manufacturing process and material is to the environment. And durability matters, the mats made of natural materials from most accounts don't last as long, so you'll eventually buy more mats, not so eco friendly even if you find a reuse for the old one.
I have a Manduka black mat which is great. It's not advertised as an eco mat but I think I read someplace they are mostly polyester and little PVC so maybe not too bad for you if that's true. While it's a man-made material they claim the manufacturing is relatively eco-friendly. And they are so durable they last practically forever and won't wind up in the landfill anytime soon, so that's good (and cheaper in the long term even though it's another expensive mat.)
I also have a Manduka Eko Mat, which is pretty nice but I can already see it will wear out at some point, long before the black mat ever would. So eco-friendly in some ways but not necessarily all.
Every mat I've had has smelled somehow at first, but with a cleaning and airing it has always gone away after awhile. Actually I have an inexpensive PVC mat too that was a gift, it never smelled like my more expensive mats did when new.
Hi, can anyone please recommend a yoga mat that is definitely non-slip. I have bought two over the last year or so but they have no grip whatsoever. I have tried washing them etc but no change. I have heard that the natural material ones are best, but as they are pretty pricey I would appreciate some views, especially from teachers, before I go ahead and get one. Many thanks, N
answer:
Used to be all the eco-friendly mats were all up there in price but there are certainly less expensive options now (including from barefoot) so if that's an important criteria keep looking.
But there's several aspects to eco-friendly. One is whether the mat is good for you (PVC contains chemicals that are now widely considered to be bad for you.) Then there is how friendly the manufacturing process and material is to the environment. And durability matters, the mats made of natural materials from most accounts don't last as long, so you'll eventually buy more mats, not so eco friendly even if you find a reuse for the old one.
I have a Manduka black mat which is great. It's not advertised as an eco mat but I think I read someplace they are mostly polyester and little PVC so maybe not too bad for you if that's true. While it's a man-made material they claim the manufacturing is relatively eco-friendly. And they are so durable they last practically forever and won't wind up in the landfill anytime soon, so that's good (and cheaper in the long term even though it's another expensive mat.)
I also have a Manduka Eko Mat, which is pretty nice but I can already see it will wear out at some point, long before the black mat ever would. So eco-friendly in some ways but not necessarily all.
Every mat I've had has smelled somehow at first, but with a cleaning and airing it has always gone away after awhile. Actually I have an inexpensive PVC mat too that was a gift, it never smelled like my more expensive mats did when new.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Bikram Teacher Training
Question:
I am Bikram yoga student interested in attending the teacher training. I would therefore like to hear experiences of Bikram teachers, how they found the experience of the teacher training, how going through the process of the training affected them personally, mentally, physically etc.
I currently feel more motivated by the personal development benefits of the training as I am still unsure as to whether I would want to become a full time teacher. I would therefore be interested to know how the training shaped your views on teaching/becoming a teacher, how effective the course was in providing the skills & confidence to become a teacher.
How prepared would you suggest a student becomes for the teacher training, in terms of intensity of practice and study of yoga in general, leading up to the training itself.
Answer:
Teacher training for me was a beautiful, challenging experience that enabled me to bring Bikram method yoga to Brighton and to share this fantastic series and it's benefits. However,if you are going on training to deepen your own practice I wouldn't advise it. You can practice 2x a day on a 3 mth unlimited & learn so much! Bikram is now only allowing students with a developed practice and need to teach onto training. I practiced for 2 years before I went, and should have waited another 5 to have benefitted from it more....This is only my opinion, but I feel you will KNOW when you are ready for TT, your teacher will recommend you and it will have become obvious to you that you are ready..
I am Bikram yoga student interested in attending the teacher training. I would therefore like to hear experiences of Bikram teachers, how they found the experience of the teacher training, how going through the process of the training affected them personally, mentally, physically etc.
I currently feel more motivated by the personal development benefits of the training as I am still unsure as to whether I would want to become a full time teacher. I would therefore be interested to know how the training shaped your views on teaching/becoming a teacher, how effective the course was in providing the skills & confidence to become a teacher.
How prepared would you suggest a student becomes for the teacher training, in terms of intensity of practice and study of yoga in general, leading up to the training itself.
Answer:
Teacher training for me was a beautiful, challenging experience that enabled me to bring Bikram method yoga to Brighton and to share this fantastic series and it's benefits. However,if you are going on training to deepen your own practice I wouldn't advise it. You can practice 2x a day on a 3 mth unlimited & learn so much! Bikram is now only allowing students with a developed practice and need to teach onto training. I practiced for 2 years before I went, and should have waited another 5 to have benefitted from it more....This is only my opinion, but I feel you will KNOW when you are ready for TT, your teacher will recommend you and it will have become obvious to you that you are ready..
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Bikram yoga teacher training tips
Question:
Hello,
I'm planning to do the b yoga training next year either Apr or Sept depending on how much money i can save during this year.
Would love to hear if anyone has suggestions on where to stay in LA other than the accomodation provided thru the bikram's school as i'm planning to rent a self contained apt and possibly share with a fellow trainee or two. two thousand us dollars for the 8 weeks sounds a bit pricey in dormitory conditions. What are your thoughts ?
Suggested apt locations, apt names near and websites near the school or close enough with public transportation would be greatly appreciated
Thanks !
Namaste.
Answer
brilliant that you are going on training.
the dorms are expensive but if you can afford it they are a great way to meet people and get the support from people during the training and totally immerse yourself in it.
have you contacted oakwood apartments direct to see if they can offer you a better deal? you should look on the main headquarters website - there are normally people advertising rooms to rent closer to the time of training. Or you could e-mail Shelly or Reut at headquarters and ask if they know of anyone.
get in touch when you return if you are looking for teaching position!
Hello,
I'm planning to do the b yoga training next year either Apr or Sept depending on how much money i can save during this year.
Would love to hear if anyone has suggestions on where to stay in LA other than the accomodation provided thru the bikram's school as i'm planning to rent a self contained apt and possibly share with a fellow trainee or two. two thousand us dollars for the 8 weeks sounds a bit pricey in dormitory conditions. What are your thoughts ?
Suggested apt locations, apt names near and websites near the school or close enough with public transportation would be greatly appreciated
Thanks !
Namaste.
Answer
brilliant that you are going on training.
the dorms are expensive but if you can afford it they are a great way to meet people and get the support from people during the training and totally immerse yourself in it.
have you contacted oakwood apartments direct to see if they can offer you a better deal? you should look on the main headquarters website - there are normally people advertising rooms to rent closer to the time of training. Or you could e-mail Shelly or Reut at headquarters and ask if they know of anyone.
get in touch when you return if you are looking for teaching position!
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Friday, December 4, 2009
How about Yoga for Wii
Want more yoga for Wii?
Answer:
We use Wii fit in our clinic to help with rehab.
Yoga is a great product to use during the sub acute phase since it does not stress the patient and it encourages full range of motion with steadiness and balance.
Some evidence suggests that yoga instructors can damage healthy joints by trying to hold poses that are difficult, the Wii fit has a picture of an instructor who does not seem to be affected!
As always to quality of Yoga seems to be in the quality of the instructor.
Like the yoga on the Wii fit.However, it is pretty basic.I usually follow a dvd that is more challenging.
That is the great thing about yoga though ...
Answer:
We use Wii fit in our clinic to help with rehab.
Yoga is a great product to use during the sub acute phase since it does not stress the patient and it encourages full range of motion with steadiness and balance.
Some evidence suggests that yoga instructors can damage healthy joints by trying to hold poses that are difficult, the Wii fit has a picture of an instructor who does not seem to be affected!
As always to quality of Yoga seems to be in the quality of the instructor.
Like the yoga on the Wii fit.However, it is pretty basic.I usually follow a dvd that is more challenging.
That is the great thing about yoga though ...
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Yoga for the Cancer Patients
Question:
I would like to know about Yoga for the Cancer Patients. Is there are any contraindications? What Asanas are best for them?
Answer
For cancer patients the practices are not so much focused on what asanas but rather on what qualities to promote. The major feelings would be to develop strength and stamina. The other quality to promote is purification. Classical hatha yogis recommend Kapalabhati (head shining) done to purify the kledaka kapha stored in the abdomen. This practice, one of the satkarmas (purifications), is not simply a pranayama. It is done by the directing of pranic will to purify the physical body. As cancer is predominantly a kapha disorder the practices should be done also to help open the heart, kapha’s home region. The teacher needs to open their own heart to nature and life prior to going into the setting to work. Prayer and meditation are a central practice to promote this openness. Asanas that increase immune function include restorative poses from Iyengar Yoga like supported bridge, fish, and Shoulderstand. Also the poses on their own when the strength has been built. Then the progression is to increase the holding time, the heart connection, and one’s feeling of positivity as radiating from a connection to one’s personal Higher Power. The spiritual side of asana as a way to the Divine is emphasized.
I would like to know about Yoga for the Cancer Patients. Is there are any contraindications? What Asanas are best for them?
Answer
For cancer patients the practices are not so much focused on what asanas but rather on what qualities to promote. The major feelings would be to develop strength and stamina. The other quality to promote is purification. Classical hatha yogis recommend Kapalabhati (head shining) done to purify the kledaka kapha stored in the abdomen. This practice, one of the satkarmas (purifications), is not simply a pranayama. It is done by the directing of pranic will to purify the physical body. As cancer is predominantly a kapha disorder the practices should be done also to help open the heart, kapha’s home region. The teacher needs to open their own heart to nature and life prior to going into the setting to work. Prayer and meditation are a central practice to promote this openness. Asanas that increase immune function include restorative poses from Iyengar Yoga like supported bridge, fish, and Shoulderstand. Also the poses on their own when the strength has been built. Then the progression is to increase the holding time, the heart connection, and one’s feeling of positivity as radiating from a connection to one’s personal Higher Power. The spiritual side of asana as a way to the Divine is emphasized.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Udana Prana Practice
Question:
A student of my wants to develop his udana prana to help with his singing. What besides Shoulderstand and fish can he do?
Answer:
First of all let me clarify Udana Prana. It is a prana that moves upward from the chest thus on a physical level its function is to expel unwanted material by coughing or vomiting; emotionally it makes us feel uplifted and open in the chest thus lungs are more fully open; spiritually it becomes the kundalini to awaken our potential and move our attention beyond the physical, emotional, and mental levels to that of pure Spirit. Going upside down, expanding the chest, and backbends in general are a physical way to stimulate the prana and may help promote the function of organs in the upper torso.
For singing purposes the main practices I have found in couching is to do Bhastrika during asanas, and then run the scales while holding spinal twists and backbends. The major muscle to develop is the diaphragm for this Uddiyana bandha and Agnisar dhouti should be learned provided he has no heart or blood pressure difficulties. These need both be learned directly from yogi not from a book.
A student of my wants to develop his udana prana to help with his singing. What besides Shoulderstand and fish can he do?
Answer:
First of all let me clarify Udana Prana. It is a prana that moves upward from the chest thus on a physical level its function is to expel unwanted material by coughing or vomiting; emotionally it makes us feel uplifted and open in the chest thus lungs are more fully open; spiritually it becomes the kundalini to awaken our potential and move our attention beyond the physical, emotional, and mental levels to that of pure Spirit. Going upside down, expanding the chest, and backbends in general are a physical way to stimulate the prana and may help promote the function of organs in the upper torso.
For singing purposes the main practices I have found in couching is to do Bhastrika during asanas, and then run the scales while holding spinal twists and backbends. The major muscle to develop is the diaphragm for this Uddiyana bandha and Agnisar dhouti should be learned provided he has no heart or blood pressure difficulties. These need both be learned directly from yogi not from a book.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Do you like yoga life?
Question:
Since i gave birth to my daughter 7 monghts ago, I have never done any exercises. I think i must take on some kind of exercise to keep fit and also for health. So what about the yoga? Do you have some idea for that? Because i decide to join in a yoga team this weekend,which will take me 2000rmb a year.
Answer:
You have taken a good decision to join a yoga team.Yoga not only shapes your outer body but also tunes your inner organs too.At the same time,a sound mind will be a bonus,if you practice it regularly.Don't forget to mention any ailments you have to your master.They can suggest you the right yogas for you.Cheers!
Since i gave birth to my daughter 7 monghts ago, I have never done any exercises. I think i must take on some kind of exercise to keep fit and also for health. So what about the yoga? Do you have some idea for that? Because i decide to join in a yoga team this weekend,which will take me 2000rmb a year.
Answer:
You have taken a good decision to join a yoga team.Yoga not only shapes your outer body but also tunes your inner organs too.At the same time,a sound mind will be a bonus,if you practice it regularly.Don't forget to mention any ailments you have to your master.They can suggest you the right yogas for you.Cheers!
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Can yoga cure autism?
Question:
Autism is a part of my life. My only daighter is suffering from autism. She is now 13 and has communication disorder also. She is on medication for last few years. Now a days i am thinking that the baby is forming medicinal dependency. Thats why i am looking for some alternative modes for curing her. Can yoga cure autism? Anyone has idea on this?
Have a great day.
Answer:
Nobody even knows what CAUSES autism. All they can do is keep trying different things to see what helps it.
Thank goodness that yoga can help in some cases.
Until they find a cause, they won't know what can cure it.
Autism is a part of my life. My only daighter is suffering from autism. She is now 13 and has communication disorder also. She is on medication for last few years. Now a days i am thinking that the baby is forming medicinal dependency. Thats why i am looking for some alternative modes for curing her. Can yoga cure autism? Anyone has idea on this?
Have a great day.
Answer:
Nobody even knows what CAUSES autism. All they can do is keep trying different things to see what helps it.
Thank goodness that yoga can help in some cases.
Until they find a cause, they won't know what can cure it.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
I am 30, is it too late to take up yoga?
Question:
I am not very flexible and have a very sedentary lifestyle.
I have been interested in Kundalini yoga for some time but never found the motivation to pursue it with passion.
Since most of the people I know who practice yoga have started in their childhood, I was wondering if it makes any sense for me to start at this age?
I have modified my diet substantially (vegan) but still do not exercise enough and as a result I don't feel that great.
Anyone who has gone through a similar phase?
Answer:
I started yoga almost 8 years ago--at age 32.
I was never flexible, not even as a child, but I've made a lot of progress through practice yoga regularly at home and attending occasional classes as well.
I still don't have a lot of natural flexibility, but my body can do so much more now, things that I never thought I'd be capable of, such as wheel pose (backbend), headstand, crow (arm balance)--I even recently kicked up to handstand on my own for the first time ever, at age 40 :D !
I am not very flexible and have a very sedentary lifestyle.
I have been interested in Kundalini yoga for some time but never found the motivation to pursue it with passion.
Since most of the people I know who practice yoga have started in their childhood, I was wondering if it makes any sense for me to start at this age?
I have modified my diet substantially (vegan) but still do not exercise enough and as a result I don't feel that great.
Anyone who has gone through a similar phase?
Answer:
I started yoga almost 8 years ago--at age 32.
I was never flexible, not even as a child, but I've made a lot of progress through practice yoga regularly at home and attending occasional classes as well.
I still don't have a lot of natural flexibility, but my body can do so much more now, things that I never thought I'd be capable of, such as wheel pose (backbend), headstand, crow (arm balance)--I even recently kicked up to handstand on my own for the first time ever, at age 40 :D !
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Advice about student complaints/suggestions
Question:
Hi, I recently started my first teaching job at a local gym/rec center teaching a class 2 nights a week. I took this class over from someone who taught this particular class for many years and had a pretty extensive following. I made sure that I attended at least a month of this teacher's class prior to taking it over so that I could get a feel for his style and see how it would mesh with mine. He communicated that the students were worried about a new teacher that would be vastly different from him. Actually, my style ended up being quite similar to his and I think that I've been able to mesh the two together quite well.
Well, I've been teaching the class for about a month now and I am suddenly being approached by a few students after my class saying that the old teacher used to do this and that a certain way and couldn't I do it that way too. One student in particular takes it upon herself to throw her mat down in front of my mat at the end of class and procedes to show me how the old teacher taught a pose, etc. I've been very open to suggestions and have happily taken some of their thoughts into consideration and have actually adjusted my lesson plans some. The thing is, I'm beginning to fear that this is going to become a regular senario and that they may never be 100% happy. Ie: one student says the music is too loud on the same day that another says it's not loud enough.
So, I am just looking for some advice on how you all handle student complaints about your class and I am also looking for any thoughts about the best way personally for me to handle them.
Well, I've been teaching the class for about a month now and I am suddenly being approached by a few students after my class saying that the old teacher used to do this and that a certain way and couldn't I do it that way too. One student in particular takes it upon herself to throw her mat down in front of my mat at the end of class and procedes to show me how the old teacher taught a pose, etc. I've been very open to suggestions and have happily taken some of their thoughts into consideration and have actually adjusted my lesson plans some. The thing is, I'm beginning to fear that this is going to become a regular senario and that they may never be 100% happy. Ie: one student says the music is too loud on the same day that another says it's not loud enough.
So, I am just looking for some advice on how you all handle student complaints about your class and I am also looking for any thoughts about the best way personally for me to handle them.
Answer:
#1
I'm still a relatively new teacher myself (app 1.5 years); but I encountered an almost identical situation to yours when I first started out. The students going so far as to say, "Can you do bird of paradise like (previous teacher's name)? Well, come on, let's see it." Things were said in a nasty tone, and that surprised me because I thought everyone who practiced yoga would come in to class with openness & light, love & truth in their hearts. Did I ever get a wakeup call!
But among those students who complained, and some left to find an instructor who resonated with them, were students who were appreciative, stayed, and my particular teaching style worked for them. Even some of the initial complainers stuck around & we all got through it.
Now when people complain, which is pretty rare but it does happen, I do take into consideration what they say but still teach the way I teach. If I don't, it isn't genuine, and it comes across as robotic & stilted. Your genuine teaching style will flow. And it will evolve.
Meditation - and I won't go into a long detailed account here - along with my own yoga practice has helped me move towards not attaching my personal emotions/feelings to any complaints that may arise; although I'm not completely there yet, I have to admit . But it has helped, and I don't "carry my classes home" with me like I did in the beginning. That took entirely too much energy better spent on other things. Now I regard their words as "interesting," something I will take into consideration, and move forward, conducting my classes in the best way I can. Any feedback you receive becomes an opportunity to build strength & resolve. Strangely enough, I often now am happy about a complaint because it's fun for me figuring out how I will handle it & how it fits into my life & teaching. I don't want to go off too much of a tangent, but perhaps that may fit in with your situation somehow.
It's been said before that the teacher is the conduit for yoga. Yoga moves through you to the students. We care about the well-being of the students, & it shows to those who choose to see it. The complaints can be steppingstones, helping us evolve into stronger teachers (and students ourselves). Stay true to your genuine style so it continues to resonate with you & you will grow infinitely and have fun doing it.
Just my experience, so far.
#2
Hello Linda.
The answer to this question is found in balancing the following two concepts:
"The teacher of yoga does not sacrifice her truth for that of the student" AND svadhyaya or self-study.
We, as yoga teachers, practice in a certain way, train in a certain way, bring yoga into our selves in a certain way, and embody yoga in our living in a certain way. To forsake this and teach to the "flavor of the day" of the student is to move away from integrity. Moving away from integrity creates disharmony. Disharmony is not yoga. So we stay true to what we are sharing, why we are there, what we have to offer, what our skills and gifts are. Ultimately, when we stay true rather than placating, we direct students to the proper teacher - sometimes it is us and sometimes it is someone else :-)
At the same time this must be countered and balanced by the self-study that allows a teacher to explore and discover themselves and make adjustments where needed. Without knowing the self it would be very difficult to make appropriate choices in line with one's svadharma or life purpose.
Some feedback from students, in addition to the questions we must constantly ask ourselves, can be very helpful in moving us forward as students and teachers of yoga. In this context consider the feedback, then either accept it as a truth for you or not and operate accordingly. But do not become consumed with such things. Consider, decide, act, over.
Your reaction to the student behavior has to be both authentic (meaning absolutely you and radiating from within) and it has to model yoga. So over-reacting in either direction would be out of balance. I'd neither throw a fit nor be completely passive (ends of the spectrum). Listen to them, care about them, but be firm in who you are, what you do, and how you do it.
Permissiveness and hedonism do not deliver freedom and teaching yoga is not about making friends.
The answer to this question is found in balancing the following two concepts:
"The teacher of yoga does not sacrifice her truth for that of the student" AND svadhyaya or self-study.
We, as yoga teachers, practice in a certain way, train in a certain way, bring yoga into our selves in a certain way, and embody yoga in our living in a certain way. To forsake this and teach to the "flavor of the day" of the student is to move away from integrity. Moving away from integrity creates disharmony. Disharmony is not yoga. So we stay true to what we are sharing, why we are there, what we have to offer, what our skills and gifts are. Ultimately, when we stay true rather than placating, we direct students to the proper teacher - sometimes it is us and sometimes it is someone else :-)
At the same time this must be countered and balanced by the self-study that allows a teacher to explore and discover themselves and make adjustments where needed. Without knowing the self it would be very difficult to make appropriate choices in line with one's svadharma or life purpose.
Some feedback from students, in addition to the questions we must constantly ask ourselves, can be very helpful in moving us forward as students and teachers of yoga. In this context consider the feedback, then either accept it as a truth for you or not and operate accordingly. But do not become consumed with such things. Consider, decide, act, over.
Your reaction to the student behavior has to be both authentic (meaning absolutely you and radiating from within) and it has to model yoga. So over-reacting in either direction would be out of balance. I'd neither throw a fit nor be completely passive (ends of the spectrum). Listen to them, care about them, but be firm in who you are, what you do, and how you do it.
Permissiveness and hedonism do not deliver freedom and teaching yoga is not about making friends.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Yoga classes planning
Question:
How far in advance do you have your classes planned?
Do you have an idea of how you want to develop your students through months of classes?
Or do you teach what you have been working on in your on practice.
It seems that teachers of a fixed series wouldn't have to worry about that as much, whereas teachers working in a quarter or semester type package of classes would lean heavily towards more of a syllabus, if you will.
Having a set syllabus for teaching would almost necessitate a set syllabus for practice...
what do you do?
Answer:
do you ask students what they want to work on?
Anyways - I suppose this is different based on the lineage, teacher and teachers experience.
In my lineage I observed a group class today by a senior teacher (therapeutically trained.) At the beginning of class she asked what they would like to work on. Someone said feet (she had recently had feet surgery.) Another said upper back - sits at a computer all day. Another said she was feeling mentally blocked. This teacher designed a practice on the fly that based on my observation and the comments of the students after the class met the needs of those students.
That being said she has taught for more than ten years - and this same group of students have been attending her classes for years.
I'm only half way through a 500 hour teacher training program but have started teaching two hours a week. I'm not ready to ask students what they want to work on. So I write out a lesson plan. I talked to my mentor about this - he said - just don't get too attached to it. I've noticed that I generally base the next weeks plan on what I observed the previous week. Not ideal - but it keeps me responding to the students.
Dhanurasana your location says you are in Bellingham, Wa. There are senior teachers from the Desikachar/Krishnamacharya lineage in your area. Abby Stalen and Ann Rogers teach at Everybody's Yoga. I think you might want to check them out.
Another thing that is different about this lineage is that asanas are not necessarily held statically. And a student's request might not be addressed through asana - but pranayama and chant might be used. Along with other tools - particularly if working one-on-one.
Aahh - such a long response. But really what it would be interesting to know - is what you were taught in your teacher training and whether you have an on-going relationship with a teacher/mentor to work with.
How far in advance do you have your classes planned?
Do you have an idea of how you want to develop your students through months of classes?
Or do you teach what you have been working on in your on practice.
It seems that teachers of a fixed series wouldn't have to worry about that as much, whereas teachers working in a quarter or semester type package of classes would lean heavily towards more of a syllabus, if you will.
Having a set syllabus for teaching would almost necessitate a set syllabus for practice...
what do you do?
Answer:
do you ask students what they want to work on?
Anyways - I suppose this is different based on the lineage, teacher and teachers experience.
In my lineage I observed a group class today by a senior teacher (therapeutically trained.) At the beginning of class she asked what they would like to work on. Someone said feet (she had recently had feet surgery.) Another said upper back - sits at a computer all day. Another said she was feeling mentally blocked. This teacher designed a practice on the fly that based on my observation and the comments of the students after the class met the needs of those students.
That being said she has taught for more than ten years - and this same group of students have been attending her classes for years.
I'm only half way through a 500 hour teacher training program but have started teaching two hours a week. I'm not ready to ask students what they want to work on. So I write out a lesson plan. I talked to my mentor about this - he said - just don't get too attached to it. I've noticed that I generally base the next weeks plan on what I observed the previous week. Not ideal - but it keeps me responding to the students.
Dhanurasana your location says you are in Bellingham, Wa. There are senior teachers from the Desikachar/Krishnamacharya lineage in your area. Abby Stalen and Ann Rogers teach at Everybody's Yoga. I think you might want to check them out.
Another thing that is different about this lineage is that asanas are not necessarily held statically. And a student's request might not be addressed through asana - but pranayama and chant might be used. Along with other tools - particularly if working one-on-one.
Aahh - such a long response. But really what it would be interesting to know - is what you were taught in your teacher training and whether you have an on-going relationship with a teacher/mentor to work with.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Should a Yoga Teacher have a website?
Should a Yoga Teacher have a website?
I am a new Yoga teacher and I teach only few yoga classes a week and intend to become a full time yoga instructor in future. I will also start offering private yoga lessons soon.
A friend of mine suggested that I should have a website if I like to promote my Yoga business. Do I really need a website. I am not very good at computers.
Thank you in advance for your advice!
Namaste,
Tina
Answer:
#1
Absolutely you should have one Tina. Just something simple that will display your contact info and basic yoga philosophy is sufficient. My best opportunities have come from folks who just searched for yoga in the vicinity and there I was In my opinion, nowdays not having one is certainly a detriment to any financial gain and again, just my opinion, shows that a yoga teacher doesn't take his/her profession seriously enough--"ah, it's just a hobby for me" I perceive. "I may not be available as you want, I may take off to find my inner self..." etc.
Since you state you have a yoga business, it's beneficial to you to use current business practices. With friendly web applications, "not being good at computers" is not an excuse--too much cheap/free help out there from adult education facilities, or friends, or for trade. And just for fun, imagine you talking to a computer guru about coming to your class. His/her response, "I'm really not very good at yoga." Well then you reply, "help me with my website and in trade, I'll have you standing on your head before long."
#2
I would say you need a website if you want to build up your student base. Just because you're not good at computers doesn't mean your potential students aren't. You can do some promotion via local ads and flyers and other stuff but the web is how many people find information and classes these days and it's always there. I do think besides contact info and style, your website should have a class schedule, and ideally updates if a class is canceled or something. And a location if it's in some public place not your home. If you can post here, someone can set it up for you that you could follow directions to make simple updates.
There are also a number of yoga teacher/class directories on different websites you could put a listing on . At least some are free. I see they have something for $36/year that would give you enough space to list basic info and a couple classes. If you get one new student through that it's more than paid for itself. These directories aren't perfect, there are lots of dead listings that never get cleaned out so someone using them to find you really needs to verify you're still around. But it always sort of amazes me the teachers I have stumbled across in my area that have no listings anywhere, no web presence, nothing.
Of the 2 classes I attend frequently, one does a great website and presence and is building quite a student base. It's not all because of the website but I think it's a huge factor. (Helps that they are a very good teacher.) The other class I take, the teacher is very good. But while I think she would like a few more students, she has nothing on the web and does nothing else to promote her classes. I only found her by accident. Her classes remain very small, nice for the students but sometimes barely enough to pay for her room rental.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
One general flaw in the way people tend to use yoga
I will give one general flaw in the way people tend to use yoga that is the basic misinterpretation which causes us all to belief in certain philosophies and search for what's already here through decades of contrived effort and conceptual frameworks. It's simply not necessary to go through such hardship and to prolonge your state of suffering or semi-happiness. We are already free as we speak. We just need to recognize it in order to experience it.
That primary flaw in which yoga is used is: "Time".
Yoga seems to emphasize purification and achievement. Both are subject to a belief in time. But let me say something first: it is not so much the yoga sutra's themselves that are misleading, well perhaps a bit at some points because it was written for a totally different era, but it is mostly the blind extremism with which people worship what's been said and take it too literal. They adopt more belief systems to keep themselves occupied. If you read the yoga sutra's carefully, you will notice how Patanjali describes a second path as well, which he calls: "... or this is realized through complete, immediate surrenderment to God."
Patanjali returns to state something like this every now and then in slightly different terms. But it is not emphasized as much as the road of effort and belief in time. Everybody seems to forget his second explanation, but it is crucial. At most, people turn that too into a ceremony, ritual, belief, tradition or some time-bound activity. But this misses the point of its immediate freedom.
Belief me that the road of effort and purifiction itself does not set anybody free, no road does, it is always the act of immediate surrenderment that sets one free. Every single yogi or yogini who walks the path of effort and achievement, is freed not by the practices, but by that one point in time in which he or she recognizes the freedom that is already here. This happens almost always through surrenderment to what is, not by trying to rearrange futile thought-forms that hold no meaning anyway. So even if you take the road of time-bound belief and purification, you will only be free when you surrender somewhere along that road.
So why take on such a journey? Or why not one could ask? Well everyday life itself already is a road of effort and achievement. It does not matter what it is one does, whether it is the pathof purification through yoga, or the path of achievement of a career or happy family-life. If we just bring along the light of awareness in every situation and discover how we can surrender ourselves in every single moment, even if at first it is just for small moments, to our true nature/awareness/god/ishvara, then we will know in our direct experience what is true and what is not. And I hereby state it is not at all difficult to surrender, to see our true nature for short moments in the beginning. With some specific guidelines, instructions, we can all start seeing it, regardless of what it is we do within our actions that are bound to our belief in time.
From the moment we first start to see how freedom is already present right here under our noses, underlying our belief systems as a simple, natural presence, our effort starts disappearing and the light of consciousness becomes evident equally in all forms. In other words: we are starting to experience more and more, in every sort of situation, the free nature that we are!
So what I say is not contradicting yoga, it is simply clarifying, demystifying the tradition and the cult built around it, for the sake of our experience of freedom right now. I love yoga for what it is, I think it is one of the most accurate of human sciences, but that does not mean we should be blind to what's already here. We should not be blindsided and closed off by our beliefs in spiritual or yogic concepts. Yoga is much more free and open than any scripture might inspire. Yoga is not created by our human efforts, thoughts, meditation etc. Yoga is already universally forever the case. How could it be any other way?
So the primary blindspot for many yogi's, the way I see it, is that they subject themselves to a belief in time, yet if you ask them about time, they will copy some master by intellectually saying: "Time does not exist." But still they subject themselves to belief systems of that we need to purify ourselves in order to be ready. But that's simply not the case, that's only a misleading belief which we can give up on right now and see the freedom that was there beyond that belief all the time already. Freedom is experienced immediately when one lets belief just be as it is, without believing in it or reacting to it. Try it! For a short moment you will see, that if you let be whatever is raging on inside you right now, there is a certain clarity, freedom, a field in which both good and bad exist. It might be subtle at first, but it is profound. We only need to get to know that clarifty and identify with that instead of our beliefs more and more. That's all it takes!
If you start to micromanage your life, judge every single thought as either pure or impure because you belief patanjali says you should, you are blinding yourself to the openness which includes and maintains both pure labels and impure labels alike, without differentiation, right now! There is no essential difference between a hostile thought and a still state of mind. Both are still an appearance, a state, a hologram, a mirage within the space of perfect knowing awareness. Both are equal in the sense that awareness permeates, constitutes, both of them equally. Every form is nothing but awareness.
So you will start to see that there is nothing that needs to be purified, for all is equally pure in the sense that it is nothing more than awareness itself. This is all realized within no-time if you consistently let all your belief systems and reactive patterns be/rest for a second or two. That's all. Just take a deep breath if you will and relax from you own beliefs and see the freedom that was present all along. Why is this possible within no-time? Because there is no time and because it is what you have always already been.
That primary flaw in which yoga is used is: "Time".
Yoga seems to emphasize purification and achievement. Both are subject to a belief in time. But let me say something first: it is not so much the yoga sutra's themselves that are misleading, well perhaps a bit at some points because it was written for a totally different era, but it is mostly the blind extremism with which people worship what's been said and take it too literal. They adopt more belief systems to keep themselves occupied. If you read the yoga sutra's carefully, you will notice how Patanjali describes a second path as well, which he calls: "... or this is realized through complete, immediate surrenderment to God."
Patanjali returns to state something like this every now and then in slightly different terms. But it is not emphasized as much as the road of effort and belief in time. Everybody seems to forget his second explanation, but it is crucial. At most, people turn that too into a ceremony, ritual, belief, tradition or some time-bound activity. But this misses the point of its immediate freedom.
Belief me that the road of effort and purifiction itself does not set anybody free, no road does, it is always the act of immediate surrenderment that sets one free. Every single yogi or yogini who walks the path of effort and achievement, is freed not by the practices, but by that one point in time in which he or she recognizes the freedom that is already here. This happens almost always through surrenderment to what is, not by trying to rearrange futile thought-forms that hold no meaning anyway. So even if you take the road of time-bound belief and purification, you will only be free when you surrender somewhere along that road.
So why take on such a journey? Or why not one could ask? Well everyday life itself already is a road of effort and achievement. It does not matter what it is one does, whether it is the pathof purification through yoga, or the path of achievement of a career or happy family-life. If we just bring along the light of awareness in every situation and discover how we can surrender ourselves in every single moment, even if at first it is just for small moments, to our true nature/awareness/god/ishvara, then we will know in our direct experience what is true and what is not. And I hereby state it is not at all difficult to surrender, to see our true nature for short moments in the beginning. With some specific guidelines, instructions, we can all start seeing it, regardless of what it is we do within our actions that are bound to our belief in time.
From the moment we first start to see how freedom is already present right here under our noses, underlying our belief systems as a simple, natural presence, our effort starts disappearing and the light of consciousness becomes evident equally in all forms. In other words: we are starting to experience more and more, in every sort of situation, the free nature that we are!
So what I say is not contradicting yoga, it is simply clarifying, demystifying the tradition and the cult built around it, for the sake of our experience of freedom right now. I love yoga for what it is, I think it is one of the most accurate of human sciences, but that does not mean we should be blind to what's already here. We should not be blindsided and closed off by our beliefs in spiritual or yogic concepts. Yoga is much more free and open than any scripture might inspire. Yoga is not created by our human efforts, thoughts, meditation etc. Yoga is already universally forever the case. How could it be any other way?
So the primary blindspot for many yogi's, the way I see it, is that they subject themselves to a belief in time, yet if you ask them about time, they will copy some master by intellectually saying: "Time does not exist." But still they subject themselves to belief systems of that we need to purify ourselves in order to be ready. But that's simply not the case, that's only a misleading belief which we can give up on right now and see the freedom that was there beyond that belief all the time already. Freedom is experienced immediately when one lets belief just be as it is, without believing in it or reacting to it. Try it! For a short moment you will see, that if you let be whatever is raging on inside you right now, there is a certain clarity, freedom, a field in which both good and bad exist. It might be subtle at first, but it is profound. We only need to get to know that clarifty and identify with that instead of our beliefs more and more. That's all it takes!
If you start to micromanage your life, judge every single thought as either pure or impure because you belief patanjali says you should, you are blinding yourself to the openness which includes and maintains both pure labels and impure labels alike, without differentiation, right now! There is no essential difference between a hostile thought and a still state of mind. Both are still an appearance, a state, a hologram, a mirage within the space of perfect knowing awareness. Both are equal in the sense that awareness permeates, constitutes, both of them equally. Every form is nothing but awareness.
So you will start to see that there is nothing that needs to be purified, for all is equally pure in the sense that it is nothing more than awareness itself. This is all realized within no-time if you consistently let all your belief systems and reactive patterns be/rest for a second or two. That's all. Just take a deep breath if you will and relax from you own beliefs and see the freedom that was present all along. Why is this possible within no-time? Because there is no time and because it is what you have always already been.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Is Yoga Good for loosing weight
Yoga, along with the alkaline diet is the best way to loose weight. It is a fact that yoga is good for the mind and body. Plus, if we add up the fruit and veggies diet or the alkaline diet, it surely will make you fit and healthy.
1. Quit a high stress job I had for the last ten years.
2. Decided to get a grip on my nutrition. After doing a bit of research and experimenting (low carb diet, Warrior diet, Zone etc.) I decided on an old fashioned approach: three healthy meals a day, very little food in between, eat a lot of veggies, chicken, fish and maintain a slight caloric deficit. No junk food, no crap.
3. Exercise: mostly high intensity circuit training - kettlebells and bodyweight. Also a bit of jogging a couple of times a week. I also got interested in yoga in order to improve my flexibility. It has also given me a sense of well being.
I don't, however, think that yoga really helped in weight loss.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Benefits of Yoga & Meditation
Benefits of Yoga
* Brings down stress and enhances powers of relaxation
* Boosts physical strength, stamina and flexibility
* Bestows greater powers of concentration and self control
* Inculcates impulse Control
* Helps in rehabilitation of old and new injuries
* Intensifies tolerance to pain and enhancing mental clarity
* Boosts functioning of the immune system
* Enhances posture and muscle tone
Benefits of Meditation
Improvement of body luster and general health-When your mind focuses on a particular part of the body, the blood flow to that part increases and cells receive more oxygen and other nutrients in abundance. Today, many of the film stars and fashion models include meditation in their daily regimen.
* Brings down stress and enhances powers of relaxation
* Boosts physical strength, stamina and flexibility
* Bestows greater powers of concentration and self control
* Inculcates impulse Control
* Helps in rehabilitation of old and new injuries
* Intensifies tolerance to pain and enhancing mental clarity
* Boosts functioning of the immune system
* Enhances posture and muscle tone
Benefits of Meditation
Improvement of body luster and general health-When your mind focuses on a particular part of the body, the blood flow to that part increases and cells receive more oxygen and other nutrients in abundance. Today, many of the film stars and fashion models include meditation in their daily regimen.
yoga today is not practiced as the father of yoga Patanjali has intended it. what is the meaning of yoga? yoga means union, uniting. it is a uniting of individual consciousness with cosmic consciousness. nothing more, nothing less.
let us remember that Patanjali's Yoga Sutras consist of 8 parts. that's right, not steps to be practiced one after the other but parts practiced simultaneously. hatha yoga is one of those parts highly contorted these days into "super deluxe kundalini yoga". hatha yoga is not about sweating in a heated room, being able to bend this way and that way, or having a nice workout. NO! hatha yoga as Patanjali intended is about preparing our body for the high energy of enlightenment. yoga is a way of living with awareness uniting every moment with cosmic consciousness. this has to be rightly understood.
the yoga sutras are a profound work on the nature of consciousness. it focuses only on the mind and its qualities, influences and fluctuations and the resultant disturbances. these disturbances are obstacles on the path of discovering the Self. the yoga sutras outline how we can go beyond the mind and live in the heightened state of awareness which we call samadhi.
let us remember that Patanjali's Yoga Sutras consist of 8 parts. that's right, not steps to be practiced one after the other but parts practiced simultaneously. hatha yoga is one of those parts highly contorted these days into "super deluxe kundalini yoga". hatha yoga is not about sweating in a heated room, being able to bend this way and that way, or having a nice workout. NO! hatha yoga as Patanjali intended is about preparing our body for the high energy of enlightenment. yoga is a way of living with awareness uniting every moment with cosmic consciousness. this has to be rightly understood.
the yoga sutras are a profound work on the nature of consciousness. it focuses only on the mind and its qualities, influences and fluctuations and the resultant disturbances. these disturbances are obstacles on the path of discovering the Self. the yoga sutras outline how we can go beyond the mind and live in the heightened state of awareness which we call samadhi.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
The sequencing of postures is a science
The sequencing of postures is a science, set up so that each asana provides a necessary foundation for what follows.
We always begin with the sun salutations and standing postures to generate heat and connect with the breath. The first half of the primary series (which begins after the standing postures) is mostly forward bends,working the hamstrings, hips, and back. The middle section focuses on flexibility and the third part combines more flexibility with strength postures. The finishing postures are the same regardless of what series you are practicing. They are restorative postures designed for cooling down, balancing out the body, and integrating the effects of the practice.
The best way to form a sequence is to build slowly. Keep your expectations small and start with say, 20 minutes. Do this for a week and then add 10 minutes.
So the sequence builds from week to week.
Primay standing postures are the first 5 postures: Padangustasana, Padahastasana, Trikonasana, revolve, Parsvakonasana, revolve and Prasaritta Padottanasana A.
This is a very good way to start a home practice. The first 5 postures are very good at creating strength, flexibility and awareness. When these get easier, you can add more of standing.
For seated postures, I would do Dandasana and Paschimottanasana A and go right to finishing.
Finishing. I would do some basic backbends, one forward bend, one shoulderstand, one plow, one fish, reclined twist and savasana.
We always begin with the sun salutations and standing postures to generate heat and connect with the breath. The first half of the primary series (which begins after the standing postures) is mostly forward bends,working the hamstrings, hips, and back. The middle section focuses on flexibility and the third part combines more flexibility with strength postures. The finishing postures are the same regardless of what series you are practicing. They are restorative postures designed for cooling down, balancing out the body, and integrating the effects of the practice.
The best way to form a sequence is to build slowly. Keep your expectations small and start with say, 20 minutes. Do this for a week and then add 10 minutes.
So the sequence builds from week to week.
Primay standing postures are the first 5 postures: Padangustasana, Padahastasana, Trikonasana, revolve, Parsvakonasana, revolve and Prasaritta Padottanasana A.
This is a very good way to start a home practice. The first 5 postures are very good at creating strength, flexibility and awareness. When these get easier, you can add more of standing.
For seated postures, I would do Dandasana and Paschimottanasana A and go right to finishing.
Finishing. I would do some basic backbends, one forward bend, one shoulderstand, one plow, one fish, reclined twist and savasana.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Men in my yoga classes
Women like classes more than men as many men prefer to work out by themself. Women really are more social.
Men do not like to do something new that is unfamiliar, especially where good looking women can do it better than they can. Men genetically need to look physically strong and competent to women as well as to other men.
Many yoga classes are taught by women for women. Men do not (generally) want to do things like tuck their tummy or sculpt their butt. If you throw in some chatarungas, most men will not object to the hip opening. I think that it is important to include poses that are challenging as well as poses that are easy for all students. These are often different because of gender, as well as many other factors. Many yoga classes are taught by white women for white women and there is often a lack of men and other races because they feel excluded. This has nothing to do with Yoga, but rather with the teacher's paradigm or training.
Many yoga teachers' classes are filled with crystals, chakras, chanting, incense, and a variety of New Age hocus pocus that some women like, but most men try to avoid whenever possible.
Many men (and women) cannot think outside the cultural stereotypes that say that men should be strong and women should be flexible. We do not yet have a strong cultural stereotype that says both men and women need a balance of strength and flexibility, because neither is worth very much without the other. Frankly, most men need yoga and most women need weight training instead of the other way around.
My classes are more physical than verbal and men often prefer this. If the class is more athletic, it will attract more men as well as the more athletically inclined women. This also appeals to women who have lost their youthful athleticism, as they see it returning with practice and enjoy both the increased energy as well as the relaxation.
Many men have not yet figured out that there are a great variety of Yogas out there and if they were to look around a little, they would see that there is probably something that fits their unique needs pretty well.
Most of the men in my classes come for one or more of the following reasons:
Their wife or girl friend made them. Many really like it and keep coming even if the wife/girl friend stops.
They realize that stress is killing them and have heard that yoga is good for stress and are willing to give it a try.
They have back pain and have heard that yoga can help.
An athletic coach or health care professional recommended it.
They see other men that they know and/or respect doing it.
They have been doing yoga somewhere else for a while and are familiar with the benefits.
Men do not like to do something new that is unfamiliar, especially where good looking women can do it better than they can. Men genetically need to look physically strong and competent to women as well as to other men.
Many yoga classes are taught by women for women. Men do not (generally) want to do things like tuck their tummy or sculpt their butt. If you throw in some chatarungas, most men will not object to the hip opening. I think that it is important to include poses that are challenging as well as poses that are easy for all students. These are often different because of gender, as well as many other factors. Many yoga classes are taught by white women for white women and there is often a lack of men and other races because they feel excluded. This has nothing to do with Yoga, but rather with the teacher's paradigm or training.
Many yoga teachers' classes are filled with crystals, chakras, chanting, incense, and a variety of New Age hocus pocus that some women like, but most men try to avoid whenever possible.
Many men (and women) cannot think outside the cultural stereotypes that say that men should be strong and women should be flexible. We do not yet have a strong cultural stereotype that says both men and women need a balance of strength and flexibility, because neither is worth very much without the other. Frankly, most men need yoga and most women need weight training instead of the other way around.
My classes are more physical than verbal and men often prefer this. If the class is more athletic, it will attract more men as well as the more athletically inclined women. This also appeals to women who have lost their youthful athleticism, as they see it returning with practice and enjoy both the increased energy as well as the relaxation.
Many men have not yet figured out that there are a great variety of Yogas out there and if they were to look around a little, they would see that there is probably something that fits their unique needs pretty well.
Most of the men in my classes come for one or more of the following reasons:
Their wife or girl friend made them. Many really like it and keep coming even if the wife/girl friend stops.
They realize that stress is killing them and have heard that yoga is good for stress and are willing to give it a try.
They have back pain and have heard that yoga can help.
An athletic coach or health care professional recommended it.
They see other men that they know and/or respect doing it.
They have been doing yoga somewhere else for a while and are familiar with the benefits.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Meditation's spiritual roots
Although many ordinary folks are meditating these days (including, quite possibly, people you know), the practice wasn't always so readily available. For centuries, monks, nuns, mystics, and wandering ascetics preserved it in secret, using it to enter higher states of consciousness and ultimately to achieve the pinnacle of their particular paths.
Highly motivated laypeople with time on their hands could always learn a few techniques. But the rigorous practice of meditation remained a sacred pursuit limited to an elite few who were willing to renounce the world and devote their lives to it.
How times have changed! From Beat Zen in the '50s and the influx of Indian yogis and swamis in the '60s to the current fascination with Buddhism, meditation has definitely become mainstream, and its practical benefits are applauded in every medium, both actual and virtual. (Have you ever checked out the Web sites devoted to meditation?)
Meditation has been studied extensively in psychology labs and reduced to formulas like the Relaxation Response (a simple technique for diminishing stress). Yet it has never entirely lost its spiritual roots. In fact, the reason meditation works so effectively is that it connects you with a spiritual dimension, which different commentators give different names, but I like to call simply being.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
The summit of the meditation mountain
When you reach the summit of the meditation mountain, what do you see? If we can trust the reports of the meditators and mystics who have climbed the mountain before us, we can declare with some confidence that the top of the mountain harbors the source of all love, wisdom, happiness, and joy. Some people call it spirit or soul, true nature or true self, the ultimate truth or the ground of being (or just being itself). Others call it God or the Divine or the Holy Mystery, or simply the One. There are nearly as many names for it as people who experience it. And some spiritual traditions consider it so sacred and powerful that they hesitate to give it a name.
As for the experience of reaching the summit, seasoned meditators use words like enlightenment (from ignorance), awakening (from a dream), liberation (from bondage), freedom (from limitation), and union (with God or being).
An old saying likens all these words and names to fingers pointing at the moon. If you pay too much attention to the finger, you risk missing the beautiful moon, which is the reason for pointing the finger in the first place. Ultimately, you need to experience the moon -- or in this case the summit -- for yourself.
Of course, you may have no interest in lofty states and experiences like enlightenment or union. Perhaps you bought this book simply because you want to reduce your stress or enhance your healing process or deal with your emotions. Forget about the Holy Mystery -- a little more clarity and peace of mind would suit you just fine, thank you very much!
Well, the truth is, you're going to follow the same path no matter how high up the mountain you want to go. The basic instructions remain the same -- but you get to choose your destination. Among the most popular stopping places and promontories en route to the summit are the following:
As you can see, these way stations are actually major destinations in their own right, and all of them are well worth reaching.You may be quite content to stop halfway up the mountain, after you've reduced your stress, improved your health, and experienced greater overall well-being. Or you may feel inspired to push on for the higher altitudes that the great meditators describe.
As for the experience of reaching the summit, seasoned meditators use words like enlightenment (from ignorance), awakening (from a dream), liberation (from bondage), freedom (from limitation), and union (with God or being).
An old saying likens all these words and names to fingers pointing at the moon. If you pay too much attention to the finger, you risk missing the beautiful moon, which is the reason for pointing the finger in the first place. Ultimately, you need to experience the moon -- or in this case the summit -- for yourself.
Of course, you may have no interest in lofty states and experiences like enlightenment or union. Perhaps you bought this book simply because you want to reduce your stress or enhance your healing process or deal with your emotions. Forget about the Holy Mystery -- a little more clarity and peace of mind would suit you just fine, thank you very much!
Well, the truth is, you're going to follow the same path no matter how high up the mountain you want to go. The basic instructions remain the same -- but you get to choose your destination. Among the most popular stopping places and promontories en route to the summit are the following:
- Stronger focus and concentration
- Reduced tension, anxiety, and stress
- Clearer thinking and less emotional turmoil
- Lower blood pressure and cholesterol
- Support in kicking addictions and other self-defeating behaviors
- Greater creativity and enhanced performance in work and play
- Increased self-understanding and self-acceptance more joy, love, and spontaneity Greater intimacy with friends and family members Deeper sense of meaning and purpose
- Glimpses of a spiritual dimension of being
As you can see, these way stations are actually major destinations in their own right, and all of them are well worth reaching.You may be quite content to stop halfway up the mountain, after you've reduced your stress, improved your health, and experienced greater overall well-being. Or you may feel inspired to push on for the higher altitudes that the great meditators describe.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Friday, August 21, 2009
the Bikram(hot) Yoga lineage
Bikram Yoga is an offshoot of the Kriya Yoga lineage. Bikram’s guru, Bishnu Ghosh, was trained at the Ranchi School for Boys which was founded by his older brother, Paramahansa Yogananda, author of “Autobiography of a Yogi.” Paramahansa Yogananda was an early and major contributor to the introduction of hatha yoga to the West.
Yogiraj Bikram Choudhury is the founder of the worldwide Yoga College of India. Born in Calcutta in 1946, Bikram began Yoga at the age of four with India’s most-renowned physical culturist at that time, Bishnu Ghosh, the younger brother of Paramahansa Yogananda (Author of the most popular book on Yoga, The Autobiography of a Yogi, and founder of the Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles).
The Ghosh/Bikram lineage of physical culture hatha yoga. The Yoga Challenge is a system of hatha yoga based on a series of 84 classic asanas originating from a series codified between the 5th and 10th century AD, by the Nath sect.
Followers of the Nath believed “the main objective of hatha yoga is to create an absolute balance of the interacting activities and processes of the physical body, mind and energy. When this balance is created, the impulses generated give a call of awakening to the central force which is responsible for the evolution of human consciousness. If hatha yoga is not used for this purpose, its true objective is lost”. [Swami Muktibodhananda Saraswati, Commentary, 1985 translation, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Yogi Swatmarama]
Bikram, accomplished student of Shree Bishnu Charan Ghosh, is founder of the Yoga College of India and author of Bikram’s Beginning Yoga Class. He was trained at Ghosh’s College of Physical Education, (est. 1924) in Calcutta, India. In the late 1960s he was sent to Japan to establish a school and teach their method of yoga. In the mid-1970s, he established a school in San Francisco, then settled in Los Angeles near the headquarters of Yogananda, his teacher’s brother.
Sree Bishnu Ghosh, Bikram’s teacher, was trained at the Ranchi School for Boys founded in 1917 by his older brother, Paramhansa Yogananda, who later founded the Self-Realization Fellowship and authored Autobiography of a Yogi. Bishnu became a physical culturalist and worked with Swami Sivananda Saraswati to develop a system of hatha yoga asanas for health and fitness, based on the original classic 84 postures. He established Ghosh’s College of Physical Education in 1924, in Calcutta, where his son, Bishu, is now the director.
Paramahansa Yogananda founded the first “yogoda” (hatha-raja yoga) school in Ranchi, Bihar, India, in 1917. Today, there are many schools of yogoda throughout India that provide training in physical, moral, mental, and spiritual ideals for youth. Yogananda was a pioneer, sent to America in 1920 by his teacher, to introduce kriya yoga. His book, Autobiography of a Yogi, continues to inspire millions of people around the world.
Sri Yukteswar, Yogananda’s teacher, established several ashrams in India to teach kriya yoga, and authored The Holy Science. He was a disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya, the first non-sadhu to learn kriya yoga.
Lahiri Mahasaya was initiated into Kriya yoga (raja-yoga) by Babaji Nagaraj in 1861. Babaji was a “sanyasing” or “sadhu”, but Lahiri lived the normal life of a householder and worked for the Indian government. He inspired hundreds of people to practice kriya yoga during his lifetime by demonstrating that it was possible to keep self-realization without giving up city life.
Sivananda’s teachings originate from Yogi Matsyendranath, regarded as the first human teacher of hatha yoga. Matsyendranath’s chief disciple, Gorakhnath, was guru to Yogi Swatmarama, who compiled the wisdom and techniques of hatha yoga in the Hatha Yoga Pradipikas.
Unlike Buddhist and Jain scriptures, and Pantanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika does not impose yamas and niyamas (self-control, rules of conduct and observances). Yogi Swatmarama considered them to be more religious than spiritual. He was also aware that trying to follow yamas and niyamas created more mental stress than peace of mind. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika advocates discipline and purification of the body through hatha yoga, which will develop self-discipline and self-control and, ultimately, induce natural spiritual development.
Bikram practiced Yoga at least four to six hours every day at Ghosh’s College of Physical Education in Calcutta. At the age of thirteen, he won the National India Yoga Championship. He was undefeated for the following three years and retired as the undisputed All-India National Yoga Champion.
At seventeen, an injury to his knee during a weight-lifting accident brought the prediction from leading European doctors that he would never walk again. Not accepting their pronouncement, he had himself carried back to Bishnu Ghosh’s school, for he knew that if anyone could help to heal his knee, it was his teacher. Six months later, his knee had totally recovered. Ghosh was a celebrated physical culturist and the first to scientifically document Yoga’s ability to cure chronic physical ailments and heal the body.
Bikram was asked by Ghosh to start several Yoga schools in India. The schools were so successful that at Bishnu’s request Bikram traveled to Japan and opened two more. He has since brought his curative methods of Yoga therapy around the world.
Yogiraj Bikram Choudhury is the founder of the worldwide Yoga College of India. Born in Calcutta in 1946, Bikram began Yoga at the age of four with India’s most-renowned physical culturist at that time, Bishnu Ghosh, the younger brother of Paramahansa Yogananda (Author of the most popular book on Yoga, The Autobiography of a Yogi, and founder of the Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles).
The Ghosh/Bikram lineage of physical culture hatha yoga. The Yoga Challenge is a system of hatha yoga based on a series of 84 classic asanas originating from a series codified between the 5th and 10th century AD, by the Nath sect.
Followers of the Nath believed “the main objective of hatha yoga is to create an absolute balance of the interacting activities and processes of the physical body, mind and energy. When this balance is created, the impulses generated give a call of awakening to the central force which is responsible for the evolution of human consciousness. If hatha yoga is not used for this purpose, its true objective is lost”. [Swami Muktibodhananda Saraswati, Commentary, 1985 translation, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Yogi Swatmarama]
Bikram, accomplished student of Shree Bishnu Charan Ghosh, is founder of the Yoga College of India and author of Bikram’s Beginning Yoga Class. He was trained at Ghosh’s College of Physical Education, (est. 1924) in Calcutta, India. In the late 1960s he was sent to Japan to establish a school and teach their method of yoga. In the mid-1970s, he established a school in San Francisco, then settled in Los Angeles near the headquarters of Yogananda, his teacher’s brother.
Sree Bishnu Ghosh, Bikram’s teacher, was trained at the Ranchi School for Boys founded in 1917 by his older brother, Paramhansa Yogananda, who later founded the Self-Realization Fellowship and authored Autobiography of a Yogi. Bishnu became a physical culturalist and worked with Swami Sivananda Saraswati to develop a system of hatha yoga asanas for health and fitness, based on the original classic 84 postures. He established Ghosh’s College of Physical Education in 1924, in Calcutta, where his son, Bishu, is now the director.
Paramahansa Yogananda founded the first “yogoda” (hatha-raja yoga) school in Ranchi, Bihar, India, in 1917. Today, there are many schools of yogoda throughout India that provide training in physical, moral, mental, and spiritual ideals for youth. Yogananda was a pioneer, sent to America in 1920 by his teacher, to introduce kriya yoga. His book, Autobiography of a Yogi, continues to inspire millions of people around the world.
Sri Yukteswar, Yogananda’s teacher, established several ashrams in India to teach kriya yoga, and authored The Holy Science. He was a disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya, the first non-sadhu to learn kriya yoga.
Lahiri Mahasaya was initiated into Kriya yoga (raja-yoga) by Babaji Nagaraj in 1861. Babaji was a “sanyasing” or “sadhu”, but Lahiri lived the normal life of a householder and worked for the Indian government. He inspired hundreds of people to practice kriya yoga during his lifetime by demonstrating that it was possible to keep self-realization without giving up city life.
Sivananda’s teachings originate from Yogi Matsyendranath, regarded as the first human teacher of hatha yoga. Matsyendranath’s chief disciple, Gorakhnath, was guru to Yogi Swatmarama, who compiled the wisdom and techniques of hatha yoga in the Hatha Yoga Pradipikas.
Unlike Buddhist and Jain scriptures, and Pantanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika does not impose yamas and niyamas (self-control, rules of conduct and observances). Yogi Swatmarama considered them to be more religious than spiritual. He was also aware that trying to follow yamas and niyamas created more mental stress than peace of mind. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika advocates discipline and purification of the body through hatha yoga, which will develop self-discipline and self-control and, ultimately, induce natural spiritual development.
Bikram practiced Yoga at least four to six hours every day at Ghosh’s College of Physical Education in Calcutta. At the age of thirteen, he won the National India Yoga Championship. He was undefeated for the following three years and retired as the undisputed All-India National Yoga Champion.
At seventeen, an injury to his knee during a weight-lifting accident brought the prediction from leading European doctors that he would never walk again. Not accepting their pronouncement, he had himself carried back to Bishnu Ghosh’s school, for he knew that if anyone could help to heal his knee, it was his teacher. Six months later, his knee had totally recovered. Ghosh was a celebrated physical culturist and the first to scientifically document Yoga’s ability to cure chronic physical ailments and heal the body.
Bikram was asked by Ghosh to start several Yoga schools in India. The schools were so successful that at Bishnu’s request Bikram traveled to Japan and opened two more. He has since brought his curative methods of Yoga therapy around the world.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Prepare yourself as a bikram(hot) yoga teacher
Bikram teacher training is predicated on your ability to recite a particular set of words so that you can be certified as a teacher. You asked for some ideas on how you could best prepare yourself. Here are mine:
Teaching people a yoga class is not a recital, it is a individualized narrative said in the moment to a unique set of students with unique needs. While using the prescribed dialog is the way that Bikram uses to certify you, I do believe you can better prepare yourself so that learning his dialog is even easier, and more importantly makes more sense to you in the process.
Before I went to training, I honestly didn’t realize that I would be asked to just memorize the pages. I thought I would be learning the poses in a different more holistic way. So what I did was listen in class, and even taped a couple of classes with permission from my teachers of course, and I went home and pieced together my own kind of narrative. I literally typed out my own class.
My own pre-work made me understand the poses inside out. I found that a large proportion of people at training got caught up in trying to memorize the exact words and because of it they found it really difficult. They would mostly get stuck and not remember the next line. They weren’t making the connection between the poses and the ‘dialog’. That happens a lot when you try to memorize something without having a ‘hook’ for your memory. What often happens is you start to blurt out your words, get distracted somehow, and then wham, the next word gets lost. You can’t remember that word, you can’t remember the words before because in your memory you have linked everything into one long recital (pose by pose). Find a way to KNOW what you are reciting. When I understood the poses (which is easy when you have the passion!) then memorizing that particular set of words becomes a cinch.
So ...
1 Construct your own class based on what you have been taught, pose by pose
2 Break your poses down into process. For example, how to set-up, how to enter, what to do in the pose, how to release.
3 Only once you have finished your homework, go to the ‘dialog’ and read it. It will be infinitely more easy to learn.
4 Here’s the clincher: If you lose your way while reciting your dialog at training (and most people do at some time or another) you will KNOW where you are at, can pick up with your own words. This flow will keep your mind moving and you will remember the ‘dialog’ words and flow back into them seamlessly.
5 When you leave training you will be a better teacher.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Pose to help treat shoulder, neck and back strain
Here are a few stretches you can do while at work to help loosen up those tight areas.
Neck Rolls
Sit with a straight but relaxed spine. Adjust the head so that you feel like it is sitting on top of the spine by slightly moving the head back and bringing the chin down slightly. Roll the neck slowly in one direction and then in the other. Let the weight of the head move the head around. Do this very methodically so that you go slowing through tight spots and work out areas of tension.
At least one minute in each direction.
To end: After this exercise, sit quietly and be with the sensations in your body and spine.
Benefits: This exercise removes tension in the neck and stimulates the thyroid.
Side Twists
Sit on the heels. Place the hands on the shoulders, fingers in front and thumbs in back. Inhale, twist to the left. Exhale, twist to the right. Twist your head to each side as well. Gradually feel an increased rotation in your spine. Keep elbows parallel to the ground, allowing the arms to swing freely with the body. This exercise can be done standing up,
Continue 1-2 minutes or 26 times.
To end: Inhale center, hold the breath, apply rootlock, exhale, relax and feel the energy circulate, especially at the level of the heart.
Benefits: This exercise opens up the heart center and stimulates the upper spine.
Side Bends
In Easy Pose, clasp hands behind neck in Venus Lock (fingers interlaced) and bend straight sideways at the waist, aiming the elbow toward the floor beside the hip. Inhale as you bend left, exhale right. Don’t arch or contract the back. Bend sideways only. This exercise can be done standing.
1-2 minutes or 26 times.
Benefits: Side bends stimulate the liver and colon and increase spinal flexibility.
Shoulder Shrugs
Still on the heels or in easy pose, shrug both shoulders up on the inhale and down on the exhale.
1- 2 minutes.
To End: Inhale up, hold, apply rootlock, and relax.
Benefits: This exercise loosens up the tension in the shoulders and relaxes upper back
These poses are not from your Bikram Dialogue but, when done properly, are exrtremly beneficial as well.
Neck Rolls
Sit with a straight but relaxed spine. Adjust the head so that you feel like it is sitting on top of the spine by slightly moving the head back and bringing the chin down slightly. Roll the neck slowly in one direction and then in the other. Let the weight of the head move the head around. Do this very methodically so that you go slowing through tight spots and work out areas of tension.
At least one minute in each direction.
To end: After this exercise, sit quietly and be with the sensations in your body and spine.
Benefits: This exercise removes tension in the neck and stimulates the thyroid.
Side Twists
Sit on the heels. Place the hands on the shoulders, fingers in front and thumbs in back. Inhale, twist to the left. Exhale, twist to the right. Twist your head to each side as well. Gradually feel an increased rotation in your spine. Keep elbows parallel to the ground, allowing the arms to swing freely with the body. This exercise can be done standing up,
Continue 1-2 minutes or 26 times.
To end: Inhale center, hold the breath, apply rootlock, exhale, relax and feel the energy circulate, especially at the level of the heart.
Benefits: This exercise opens up the heart center and stimulates the upper spine.
Side Bends
In Easy Pose, clasp hands behind neck in Venus Lock (fingers interlaced) and bend straight sideways at the waist, aiming the elbow toward the floor beside the hip. Inhale as you bend left, exhale right. Don’t arch or contract the back. Bend sideways only. This exercise can be done standing.
1-2 minutes or 26 times.
Benefits: Side bends stimulate the liver and colon and increase spinal flexibility.
Shoulder Shrugs
Still on the heels or in easy pose, shrug both shoulders up on the inhale and down on the exhale.
1- 2 minutes.
To End: Inhale up, hold, apply rootlock, and relax.
Benefits: This exercise loosens up the tension in the shoulders and relaxes upper back
These poses are not from your Bikram Dialogue but, when done properly, are exrtremly beneficial as well.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Yoga class vs home DIY ?
Hi there,
I took a yoga course (10 lessons) and deliberate about whether going to the next course in January or do it alone.
On one hand I'm not sure if it's necessary paying money for another course, on the other hand it's certainly fun practising it together.
A mentor is also a big advantage of a course.
I'm really not sure what's the better decision.
What do you think? Are you going to a course or practise yoga for yourself?
I think that Hatha yoga probably is the best yoga style to start with. In my opinion its the style that serves as a great introduction to yoga, as it is the slowest, calmest style. After that you can move onto Vinyasa or Bikram or Power, or whichever you prefer - or just keep on with Hatha, if you choose to do so.
As for the actual class vs. dvd issue, I would also recommend you to go to yoga classes first. I think its important to have an instructor teaching you the correct asanas (especially if you end up moving onto the toughest ones, such as deeper backbends or handstands and headstands - definitely asanas that you shouldnt try on your own at first!!), Classes can help you get the most out of each new pose without straining your knees, shoulders, etc. Some teachers will even do occasional one-on-one sessions to help you design a home practice program to meet your needs. and once you've had enough practice with that, you should move on to practice yoga at home on your own, or with help of online videos or dvds.
Above all, do give yoga a try. It's the best! Im just starting to practice yoga again after a break of many months, and it really is just great stuff (even though my muscles are having a rather tough time re-adjusting to all the stretching!) Anyways, good luck and I hope this was of some help!
I took a yoga course (10 lessons) and deliberate about whether going to the next course in January or do it alone.
On one hand I'm not sure if it's necessary paying money for another course, on the other hand it's certainly fun practising it together.
A mentor is also a big advantage of a course.
I'm really not sure what's the better decision.
What do you think? Are you going to a course or practise yoga for yourself?
=====================
As for the actual class vs. dvd issue, I would also recommend you to go to yoga classes first. I think its important to have an instructor teaching you the correct asanas (especially if you end up moving onto the toughest ones, such as deeper backbends or handstands and headstands - definitely asanas that you shouldnt try on your own at first!!), Classes can help you get the most out of each new pose without straining your knees, shoulders, etc. Some teachers will even do occasional one-on-one sessions to help you design a home practice program to meet your needs. and once you've had enough practice with that, you should move on to practice yoga at home on your own, or with help of online videos or dvds.
Above all, do give yoga a try. It's the best! Im just starting to practice yoga again after a break of many months, and it really is just great stuff (even though my muscles are having a rather tough time re-adjusting to all the stretching!) Anyways, good luck and I hope this was of some help!
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Flux's First Bikram Yoga Class
Just came back from my first Bikram Yoga class. It's the first of it's kind on Northern England and I joined the throng of excited people anticipating their first session.
Firstly the obvious comment on the heat- a studio heated to 40 centigrade or 105 fahrenheit. It wasn't a problem for me, I think perhaps because I grew up in a very hot climate I tolerate the heat well, so it was just lovely and pleasant and though it takes a lot for me to sweat I did eventually. They have installed a special heating system that maintains the correct balance of humidity and temperature, using heat exchange technology to reduce energy consumption and supply fresh air. So it never felt stuffy and stifling.
I found the postures tough, and the they were particularly challenging for my inflexible shoulders and back. I like that BY is not dynamic, and that there are no handstands, headstands or shoulder stands. I think these sorts of postures are really rather tough even for many intermediate practitioners and I think removing them from the series of postures makes this style very accessible to all levels, and less dangerous. I also do so much CV work already, I want a yoga class that doesn't involved jumping around.
It's very different to many styles I have practiced and the teacher, though strict was funny and irreverant and clearly knew the system inside out.
We ran over by 25 minutes which made the class almost 2 hours, I left feeling sticky, stretched out and with so much energy I have no idea where to put it Let's see if it's just beginners high. I've got unlimited usage for 10 days, it's going to be lovely warm sweaty week here in freezing wet Manchester.
So a big thumbs up but I need to do it more to form a firmer opinion.
As a disclaimer I think there is a lot of snake oil bullshit around this method, and a lot of unsubstantiated health claims and I am very aware of that. I'd like to see some research into how this does actually affect the body, so far it's all anecdotal. I feel great though!
Firstly the obvious comment on the heat- a studio heated to 40 centigrade or 105 fahrenheit. It wasn't a problem for me, I think perhaps because I grew up in a very hot climate I tolerate the heat well, so it was just lovely and pleasant and though it takes a lot for me to sweat I did eventually. They have installed a special heating system that maintains the correct balance of humidity and temperature, using heat exchange technology to reduce energy consumption and supply fresh air. So it never felt stuffy and stifling.
I found the postures tough, and the they were particularly challenging for my inflexible shoulders and back. I like that BY is not dynamic, and that there are no handstands, headstands or shoulder stands. I think these sorts of postures are really rather tough even for many intermediate practitioners and I think removing them from the series of postures makes this style very accessible to all levels, and less dangerous. I also do so much CV work already, I want a yoga class that doesn't involved jumping around.
It's very different to many styles I have practiced and the teacher, though strict was funny and irreverant and clearly knew the system inside out.
We ran over by 25 minutes which made the class almost 2 hours, I left feeling sticky, stretched out and with so much energy I have no idea where to put it Let's see if it's just beginners high. I've got unlimited usage for 10 days, it's going to be lovely warm sweaty week here in freezing wet Manchester.
So a big thumbs up but I need to do it more to form a firmer opinion.
As a disclaimer I think there is a lot of snake oil bullshit around this method, and a lot of unsubstantiated health claims and I am very aware of that. I'd like to see some research into how this does actually affect the body, so far it's all anecdotal. I feel great though!
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Bikram(hot) Yoga Experience
by MelissaBrooklyn
Bikram yoga is an amazing way to get an overall workout. Flexibility, strength, muscle development and mental health are all by-products of this workout.
I recently started doing Bikram and I love it. I have been a gym rat for years. I would weight train for an hour a day and run 3-5 miles and in a year I lost 35 pounds. That's not a whole lot considering I was spending between 1.5-2 hours at the gym 5 days a week.
In my first week of doing Bikram, I lost 2 lbs (4 sessions), I found emotional and mental clarity for the first time and I found myself truly challenged. Just by being in the room you are challenging yourself. Once you incorporate the poses you begin to physically challenge yourself.
Based on the tourniquet theory; increased temperature creates a higher heart rate therefore creating higher oxegenated blood. By cutting off circulation to one part of the body and releasing the pose you are allowing more oxygen to the body and detoxifying amongst other benefits.
I definitely think it is important to change up your workout out every 6-8 weeks, so I wouldn't say doing Bikram every day forever is the way to go, but try it for a week and see what happens.
Many of the studios (in NYC any way) offer an intro week for the price of one class so you can go as much as you want in that first week. Some offer intro months that are up to 50% less than usual.
There is also something called the 30 day challenge that offers a free month after completing 30 consecutive days (serious commitment!). Finally, some offer work study; you work a few hours and can go to yoga as much as you want.
For me, its about a commitment to myself. Don't go out on Friday night and spend $60 on booze; that's 3 classes. Make choices that benefit you and you can afford it.
I did camel pose for the first time yesterday. I have spinal degeneration. I was told by the doctors that I would be crippled by the time I'm 40. I'm 28 and I'm bending in ways I have never before been able to. For me, that's worth new clothes and fancy dinners.
Bikram yoga is an amazing way to get an overall workout. Flexibility, strength, muscle development and mental health are all by-products of this workout.
I recently started doing Bikram and I love it. I have been a gym rat for years. I would weight train for an hour a day and run 3-5 miles and in a year I lost 35 pounds. That's not a whole lot considering I was spending between 1.5-2 hours at the gym 5 days a week.
In my first week of doing Bikram, I lost 2 lbs (4 sessions), I found emotional and mental clarity for the first time and I found myself truly challenged. Just by being in the room you are challenging yourself. Once you incorporate the poses you begin to physically challenge yourself.
Based on the tourniquet theory; increased temperature creates a higher heart rate therefore creating higher oxegenated blood. By cutting off circulation to one part of the body and releasing the pose you are allowing more oxygen to the body and detoxifying amongst other benefits.
I definitely think it is important to change up your workout out every 6-8 weeks, so I wouldn't say doing Bikram every day forever is the way to go, but try it for a week and see what happens.
Many of the studios (in NYC any way) offer an intro week for the price of one class so you can go as much as you want in that first week. Some offer intro months that are up to 50% less than usual.
There is also something called the 30 day challenge that offers a free month after completing 30 consecutive days (serious commitment!). Finally, some offer work study; you work a few hours and can go to yoga as much as you want.
For me, its about a commitment to myself. Don't go out on Friday night and spend $60 on booze; that's 3 classes. Make choices that benefit you and you can afford it.
I did camel pose for the first time yesterday. I have spinal degeneration. I was told by the doctors that I would be crippled by the time I'm 40. I'm 28 and I'm bending in ways I have never before been able to. For me, that's worth new clothes and fancy dinners.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Qualities of a good Yoga Teacher
Is the teacher is trained to teach, by a teacher ?
Is the teacher practices yoga for a while, and everyday ?
Is the teacher knows the pillars on what yoga is reposing ?
Is the teacher as this quality of amphatie ?
Is the teacher seems to guide you or only is showing things around ?
- Expert knowledge of their subject,their own practice.
- A knowledge of general anatomy or applied anatomy.
- Ability to teach without performing
- Living the yoga you teach
A Yoga Teacher should have clarity of thought and patience while teaching. He/She should also practice Pranayama and Meditation everyday to increase his/her own mental balance and to store up huge amounts of Prana in the body.
- Teaching from the heart rather than the mental or the vital.
- he ability to communicate in a way that cannot be misinterpreted.
- Mastery of the language in which they teach.
- The ability to both look and see.
- The ability to both hear and listen.
* A Yoga Teacher should be devoted in his/her teaching and should be motivated to perform this duty for the sake of spreading the traditional Yoga system in the community to help others achieve greater physically and mental well-being, rather than doing so purely for monetary gains.
* A Yoga Teacher should impart the knowledge in a safe and harmonious manner so that students can achieve optimal results.
* A Yoga Teacher should be punctual in class and encourage the students to do so as well. No one should be allowed to attend the class after warm-up exercises have been completed. A teacher should follow all the rules of teaching for the safety of the students. As such, no Yoga Exercises should be performed without first doing the warming-up exercises and no one should leave the class without having done the relaxation exercises. Ignoring these rules can be detrimental to health.
* A Yoga Teacher should communicate clearly and proficiently in class so that students have a thorough understanding of the important concepts of Yoga.
* A Yoga Teacher should explain the benefits of each Asana to students to encourage them to perform the posture properly and effectively.
* A Yoga Teacher should always inquire if students have any physical or psychological problems right at the start of each class so that necessary precautions can be taken to ensure safety in the class.
* A Yoga Teacher should be able to arouse curiosity in students and encourage them to ask questions in class. A good teacher clears the students’ doubts and encourages them in their Yoga path by answering these questions sincerely with a smile rather than being irritated by them.
* A Yoga Teacher should always follow the moral ethics of Yama & Niyama and encourage the students to follow these principles in their daily lives so as to bring about calmness and other positive effects to their lives. This will ultimately help remove stress, which is the maim cause of all psychosomatic disorders.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Teaching Yoga. Exploring the teacher-student relationship
I want to let everyone know about an excellent book that deals with many aspects and responsibilities of being a Yoga teacher. This book is: "Teaching Yoga. Exploring the teacher-student relationship" by Donna Farhi. Donna discusses the many roles that a Yoga teacher can have in teaching Yoga, and deals with a lot of ethical issues centered around Yoga teaching. A number of the types of problematic issues brought up in recent posts are talked about. This book is very unique in its focus and I would highly recommend it to everyone!
This book should be required reading for any yoga teacher training. Not only does it bring up good ethics questions and promote discussion, it lays a foundation for how teachers should teach (and why they should - or shouldn't).
I've long felt that yoga in the West is seen as simply a form of exercise. But true yoga is so much more - it is a lifestyle, it is a belief system, it is the earnest undertaking of a practice to not only better yourself, but the world as a whole. I love that this book lays that out as a central tenet for teaching yoga: that you, as a teacher, are responsible to not only talk the talk, but to walk the walk. Teachers are living examples of the true spirit of yoga for their students - this book inspires us to act like it.
I've long felt that yoga in the West is seen as simply a form of exercise. But true yoga is so much more - it is a lifestyle, it is a belief system, it is the earnest undertaking of a practice to not only better yourself, but the world as a whole. I love that this book lays that out as a central tenet for teaching yoga: that you, as a teacher, are responsible to not only talk the talk, but to walk the walk. Teachers are living examples of the true spirit of yoga for their students - this book inspires us to act like it.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
To plan a path towards Yoga teacher
The length of time between beginning the study of yoga and teaching yoga varies greatly from individual to individual. I some cases, you'd practised yoga for over 20 years before becoming a yoga teacher. Others may make this transition quite a bit sooner. However, my recommendation would be to take more time to work through the postures in detail, before attempting to teach them. Along these lines I would recommend studying Yoga yourself with a competent teacher. Also, consult with this teacher as to their opinion when it might be appropriate for you to begin teaching yourself. If you study regularly with a competent Yoga teacher, they get to know you and your abilities. Hence, they can help you decide when the time would be right to begin teaching. Remember that teaching yoga postures is different from a personal Yoga practice. You need to understand each posture in quite a bit of detail to be able to give appropriate cueing and instructions to the students. This would also include aspects of Yogic breathing, meditation practices and principles of posture sequencing. Prior to teaching, it would be important to obtain some training on the practice of yoga teaching and yogic philosophy. Here, signing up for a yoga teacher training course would be a necessary step. In this respect, the yoga teacher training course can provide a thorough, in depth, and convenient way to obtain this training. You can find information on the internet regarding these course.
While it is not too early to begin to plan a path towards Yoga teaching after 1 month of practice, it ds take more time to develop the knowledge and experience base to be a competent teacher. Also realize that Yoga learning is a lifelong process as it is an immense subject. Although practising now for 23 years, I am still learning! Nevertheless, I would strongly encourage you to pursue your passion but with the skills necessary to be compenent teacher.
While it is not too early to begin to plan a path towards Yoga teaching after 1 month of practice, it ds take more time to develop the knowledge and experience base to be a competent teacher. Also realize that Yoga learning is a lifelong process as it is an immense subject. Although practising now for 23 years, I am still learning! Nevertheless, I would strongly encourage you to pursue your passion but with the skills necessary to be compenent teacher.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Thursday, August 13, 2009
A Dynamic Yoga
1. It is due to the veil of ignorance that you have forgotten your real essential nature, the Sat-Chit-Ananda state. It is not at all necessary for you to renounce the world and run to some Himalayan cave to regain your lost divinity. Here is an easy Sadhana by which you can definitely attain God-consciousness, even while living in the world amidst multifarious activities.
2. You need not necessarily have a separate Meditation Room or fix some time for meditation. Close your eyes for a minute or two once in every two hours and think of God and His various Divine qualities such as mercy, love, joy, knowledge, purity, perfection, and so forth during work, and mentally repeat: “Hari Om,” or “Sri Ram,” or “Ram Ram,” or any other Mantra
according to your taste.
3. This should be done even during night whenever you happen to get up from bed to micturate or on any other account. Though you are not in the habit of getting up from sleep, you should do this practice at least occasionally when you slightly change your posture during sleep. This sort of habit will come only by repeated practice.
4. Feel all along that the body is a moving temple of God, your office or business house is a big temple or Vrindavan, and all activities such as walking, eating, breathing, seeing, hearing, reading, etc., are offerings unto the Lord. Work is worship. Work is meditation, when done in the right spirit.
5. Work for work’s sake without any motive without the idea of agency (I am the doer, I am the enjoyer), and without expectation of fruits. Feel that you are an instrument in the hands of God and that He works through your organs. Feel also that this world is a manifestation of the Lord or Visva Vrindavan and your children, wife, father, mother and other relations are the images or children of the Lord. See God in every face and in every object. If you develop this changed angle of vision and Divine Bhava by protracted and constant practice, all actions will become Puja or worship of the Lord. This is quite sufficient. You will have God-realisation soon. This is a dynamic Yoga. This is an easy Sadhana. Hereafter do not bring your old lame excuse: “Swamiji, I have no time to do spiritual practices.” Even if you practise this dynamic Yoga for three months, you will become an entirely changed being altogether. Realise right now your identity and intimate
relationship with all beings, with ants and dogs, elephants and tigers, Muslims and Hindus, Jews and Christians. There is only a degree of difference in manifestation or expression. All forms belong to God or Saguna Brahman. When you look at a tree or a shrub, a Sikh or a Muslim, endeavour to behold behind the veil of form, the real hidden Consciousness. If you do this for some time, you will feel inexpressible Joy. All hatred will cease. You will develop Cosmic Love or unity
of consciousness. This will be a magnanimous experience.
6. Write daily for half an hour in a notebook your Ishta Mantra observing Mouna and
without turning to this side or that. Write down in bold types on slips of paper:
- SPEAK THE TRUTH
- OM COURAGE
- OM PURITY
- I MUST REALISE GOD NOW
- TIME IS MOST PRECIOUS
- I WILL BE A TRUE BRAHMACHARI BRAHMACHARYA IS DIVINE LIFE
- I AM AN EMBODIMENT OF COURAGE,PURITY, MERCY, LOVE AND PATIENCE
and fix them in the bed room, dining hall, front room and verandahs. Keep some slips in your pocket and diary also. This is an easy way for developing virtuous divine qualities.
7. Here are some Mantras, formulae, for effecting ungrudging and total self-surrender.Repeat them mentally several times daily with Bhava: “O Lord, I am Thine, All is Thine. Thy Will be done. Thou art everything. Thou doest everything.” This practice will remove egoism and mineness and the idea of agency also.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Different paths up the same mountain
Imagine that you're getting ready to climb this mountain. (If you live in the Netherlands or the midwestern United States, get out your National Geographic for this one!) How are you going to get to the top? You could take some climbing lessons, buy the right gear, and inch your way up one of the rocky faces. Or you could choose one of the many trails that meander up the mountain and take a leisurely hike to the summit. (Of course, you could always cheat and drive your car, but that would ruin my metaphor!)
Although they all end up at the same place, every trail has its unique characteristics. One may take you on a gradual ascent through forests and meadows, whereas another may head steeply uphill over dry, rocky terrain. From one, you may have vistas of lush valleys filled with flowers; from another, you may see farmland or desert.
Depending on your energy and your motivation, you may choose to stop at a picnic spot en route and while away a few hours (or a few days) enjoying the peace and quiet. Hey, you might enjoy it so much that you decide not to climb any farther. Perhaps you'd rather climb one of the smaller peaks along the way instead of going the distance to the top. Or you may prefer to charge to the summit as quickly as you can without bothering to linger anywhere.
Well, the journey of meditation has a great deal in common with climbing a mountain. You can aim for the top, or you can just set your sights on some grassy knoll or lesser peak halfway up the slope. Whatever your destination, you can have fun and reap the benefits of just breathing deeply and exercising muscles you didn't even know you had.
People have been climbing the mountain of meditation for thousands of years in different parts of the world. As a result, topographic maps and guidebooks abound, each with its own unique version of how to make your way up the mountain -- and its own recommendations for how to hike and what to carry. (To get a sense of the range of meditation materials available these days, just check out the shelves of your local bookstore or the Web pages of your favorite online book source.)
Traditionally, the guidebooks describe a spiritual path involving a set of beliefs and practices, often secret, that have been passed down from one generation to the next . In recent decades, however, Western researchers and teachers have distilled meditation from its spiritual origins and now offer it as a remedy for a variety of 21st-century ills. Although the maps and books may describe the summit differently -- some emphasize the vast open spaces, others pay more attention to the peace or exhilaration you feel when you get there, and some even claim that there's more than one peak -- I happen to agree with the ancient sage who said: "Meditation techniques are just different paths up the same mountain." Here are a few of the many techniques that have been developed over the centuries:
Repetition of a meaningful word or phrase, known as a mantra
Mindful awareness of the present moment
Following or counting your breath
Paying attention to the flow of sensations in your body
Cultivation of lovingkindness, compassion, forgiveness, and other healing emotions
Concentration on a geometric shape or other simple visual object Visualization of a peaceful place or a healing energy or entity
Reading and reflecting upon inspirational or sacred writings
Gazing at a picture of a holy being or saint Contemplation of nature Chanting praises to the Divine
You find opportunities to experiment with many of these techniques, as well as detailed guidance in the practice of one in particular -- mindfulness -- beginning with your breath and then extending your meditation to every moment of your life.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Meditation: It's easier than you think
Meditation is simply the practice of focusing your attention on a particular object -- generally something simple, like a word or phrase, a candle flame or geometrical figure, or the coming and going of your breath. In everyday life, your mind is constantly processing a barrage of sensations, visual impressions, emotions, and thoughts. When you meditate, you narrow your focus, limit the stimuli bombarding your nervous system -- and calm your mind in the process. To get a quick taste of meditation, follow these instructions.
How did you feel? Did it seem weird to say the same thing or follow your breath over and over? Did you find it difficult to stay focused? Did you keep changing the phrase? If so, don't worry. With regular practice and the guidance of this book, you'll gradually get the knack. Of course, you could easily spend many fruitful and enjoyable years mastering the subtleties and complexities of meditation. But the good news is, the basic practice is actually quite simple, and you don't have to be an expert to do it -- or to enjoy its extraordinary benefits.
1. Find a quiet place and sit comfortably with your back relatively straight. If you tend to disappear into your favorite chair, find something a bit more supportive.
2. Take a few deep breaths, close your eyes, and relax your body as much as you can.
3. Choose a word or phrase that has special personal or spiritual meaning for you. Here are some examples: "There's only love," "Don't worry, be happy," "Trust in God."
4. Begin to breathe through your nose (if you can), and as you breathe, repeat the word or phrase quietly to yourself. You can whisper the word or phrase, subvocalize it (that is, move your tongue as though saying it, but not aloud), or just repeat it in your mind. If you get distracted, come back to the repetition of the word or phrase. As an alternative, you can follow your breath as it comes and goes through your nostrils, returning to your breathing when you get distracted.
5. Keep the meditation going for five minutes or more; then slowly get up and go about your day.
2. Take a few deep breaths, close your eyes, and relax your body as much as you can.
3. Choose a word or phrase that has special personal or spiritual meaning for you. Here are some examples: "There's only love," "Don't worry, be happy," "Trust in God."
4. Begin to breathe through your nose (if you can), and as you breathe, repeat the word or phrase quietly to yourself. You can whisper the word or phrase, subvocalize it (that is, move your tongue as though saying it, but not aloud), or just repeat it in your mind. If you get distracted, come back to the repetition of the word or phrase. As an alternative, you can follow your breath as it comes and goes through your nostrils, returning to your breathing when you get distracted.
5. Keep the meditation going for five minutes or more; then slowly get up and go about your day.
How did you feel? Did it seem weird to say the same thing or follow your breath over and over? Did you find it difficult to stay focused? Did you keep changing the phrase? If so, don't worry. With regular practice and the guidance of this book, you'll gradually get the knack. Of course, you could easily spend many fruitful and enjoyable years mastering the subtleties and complexities of meditation. But the good news is, the basic practice is actually quite simple, and you don't have to be an expert to do it -- or to enjoy its extraordinary benefits.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Yoga practice:Helpful Hints
1. Listen to your body. Only through your own internal awareness will you come to understand when to work harder or deeper and when to move more slowly.
2. The breath should always be louder than your internal dialogue.
3. Never force yourself into a pose, no posture is worth injury.
4. Take the ambition out of it. You are competing with no one.
5. Less is more with yoga. Take your time and build your practice slowly, there is nowhere to "get" to.
6. Set up a regular practice for yourself. Practice is the key to the entire science of yoga.
7. Enjoy your practice. Acknowledge and receive the gift you are giving yourself.
2. The breath should always be louder than your internal dialogue.
3. Never force yourself into a pose, no posture is worth injury.
4. Take the ambition out of it. You are competing with no one.
5. Less is more with yoga. Take your time and build your practice slowly, there is nowhere to "get" to.
6. Set up a regular practice for yourself. Practice is the key to the entire science of yoga.
7. Enjoy your practice. Acknowledge and receive the gift you are giving yourself.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
Create a sacred space
Choose A Spot That Draws You Inward This is a time of focus. You acknowledge the space around you on which you are about to work. It should be quiet, with no interruptions. You pick a place for the feet and plant them, one by one, deliberately connecting with the earth beneath. Participation at this level is important, if the link between your body and the ground is formed there is a centered calmness.
Making a time and place for your yoga is essential for maintaining a regular practice. Choose a place which is warm and where there is enough room for you to move freely. It is helpful to practice at the same time each day, the optimal times being sunrise and sunset. Choose a spot that draws you inward.
Regular practice is the key to yoga. It is through practice that these seemingly impossible postures are mastered with comfort and ease within a reasonable time period. It is through practice that yoga becomes integrated in your life.
Practice
Decide how much time you have to practice each day (be realistic) and how many times a week. Begin all sessions with naulis, sun salutations, standing postures, sitting postures, meditation and finish with corpse.
Making a time and place for your yoga is essential for maintaining a regular practice. Choose a place which is warm and where there is enough room for you to move freely. It is helpful to practice at the same time each day, the optimal times being sunrise and sunset. Choose a spot that draws you inward.
Regular practice is the key to yoga. It is through practice that these seemingly impossible postures are mastered with comfort and ease within a reasonable time period. It is through practice that yoga becomes integrated in your life.
Practice
Decide how much time you have to practice each day (be realistic) and how many times a week. Begin all sessions with naulis, sun salutations, standing postures, sitting postures, meditation and finish with corpse.
Posted by
Beacon Lee
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