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Namaste Yogis & Yoginis
There is a story I like about a business man on holidays on an island in Greece. He comes upon a man fishing on the beach. “How many fish do you catch?” he asks. “Just enough for the family dinner” says the fisherman. “You should catch a few more” says the businessman, “Why?” answers the fisherman. “Then you could sell them” says the businessman, “What then?” says the fisherman. “You could buy a boat” says the businessman, “What then?” says the fisherman. “You could get more fish out at sea” says the businessman, “what then?” says the fisherman. “You could sell them and buy another boat” says the businessman. “What then?” “You could employ other men to catch fish” says the businessman, “What then?” says the fisherman. “You could buy a whole fleet of boats and build a whole fishing fleet”, “What then?” says the fisherman. “You could make a lot of money” says the businessman, “What then?” says the fisherman. “You could retire” says the businessman. “What then?” says the fisherman. “You could sit on the beach and fish” says the businessman, and the fisherman just smiles….. Sometimes you have to go full circle to realize that what you have is actually just right. You travel through the maze of cravings and thoughts the mind has of better things and you end up right where you are realizing it’s exactly where you need to be. I have had a month like that this month. I had decided I wanted to move the yoga centre and found a bigger venue and went through the whole rigmarole of getting quotes, and planning, and real estate agents and solicitors, and as time went on, as I kept re-evaluating along the way, I ended up full circle, back here, re-committing to this venue, realizing that after weighing the pros & cons of both situations, it felt much better to stay here. It wasn’t a waste of time though, it mobilized me into pulling together my resources, and really thinking about what was best for the centre at this time, and most importantly, it made me grateful for what I have. We are going to spruce the place up a bit though, so keep your eyes on the notice board over the next month or two, and ears open to announcements, in case we have to close for a few days.
WHAT’S ON……..
The next workshop is Alison Pomroy on July 13th. PLEASE NOTE the General class is at 8am on this day, and the Beginners class is cancelled. When the Beginners class resumes on July 20, it will be at the NEW TIME of 10.30 am. Alison is an Iyengar teacher with a rich lineage behind her. She received her Senior Intermediate certification from Mr Iyengar himself! Numbers as always are limited, so pick up a flyer and get your deposits in to secure your place.
Sunday June 28th is the inaugural Brisbane yoga fest. 9am – 7.30 pm at the Old Museum, cnr Gregory Tce and Bowen Bridge Road, Fortitude Valley. There will be yoga classes, workshops, a concert, stalls & delicious food and drink. $30 entry includes all classes and workshops. See you there!
There are still a couple of places left for the August 8-10 WEEKEND RETREAT. We had a great time last year, with delicious food, spacious natural environment, yoga & meditation, philosophy, Saturday evening music night, and this year, a sacred mandala drawing workshop. Grab a flyer if you haven’t got one already, and treat yourself to a wonderfully refreshing weekend.
DONATIONS of unused baby or young children’s clothes are being asked for to sell at a fundraiser for Timor to be held in August. If you have anything to donate please call Anne Owen on 0407 956 369.
Remember to keep your eye on the noticeboard and website for upcoming events & changes!
NEW PRODUCTS: Richard Freeman DVD Ashtanga Primary series and Level 2. A must for all Ashtangis!
Plus, totally delicious new Chocolistic Seed bars. The sensational cocoa treat that has no dairy, wheat or cane sugar! Contains organic honey and fair-trade cocoa. Rich in Zinc, Magnesium, Calcium, Vit E & protein, and is so good Kam took a whole box home, and he only does that when something is really, really good.
WINTER PRACTICE
At last the weather is turning cooler. Now is the time to really focus on letting the body warm up with the breath. Muscles and joints can feel a little stiffer, so don’t push too hard in the early poses. You can do salutes with more gusto and they will warm you up quickly. Gusto doesn’t mean force; it means enthusiasm, focus, relish. Honour where the body is at, and take time to let the heat build up and body soften. Try to focus on a nice full belly & kidney breath on the inhale, and a consistent exhale observing the belly move in towards the spine. Feel how much you warm up when you focus on a full breath. Other heating postures such as abdominals, backbends (once warmed) and inversions can be enjoyed in winter, without overheating. Flow can be more dynamic, and if poses are held, breath more dynamically to retain heat.
ABDOMINALS
There are four main muscle groups in the abdominals, the rectis abdominae, the internal and external obliques and the transverse abdominals. The abs that are defined through regular crunches are the rectis abdominae. These are the muscles that form the “six pack” but they are largely cosmetic. The most important muscles in maintaining spine health and correct positioning of the spine are the internal and external obliques. This is because they are the muscles that control the position of the pelvis, and in yoga, the position of the pelvis is essential; not only for correct alignment of the spine, but for activation of the bandhas (energy locks) that create internal core strength, and free us from relying on muscle strength. One of the best poses to let you know how strong your obliques are is Navasana (boat pose – sitting on your buttocks with legs and torso making a V shape, arms reach forward past the legs). When the obliques are strong, this pose is relatively easy, when they are weak, this pose is difficult, and there is a tendency to rely on the hip flexors rather than the abs. To develop strength, you can modify the pose by bending the legs to knee height, or if the back is particularly sensitive, you can let the heels lower towards the floor, gradually raising the feet as you feel stronger. To work more specifically on the obliques, try Kam’s cross crunches or this great practice: Lay on the floor with your legs raised at 90 degrees. It’s great if you can have your legs straight, but if due to tight hamstrings they bend, make sure at least the thighs are at 90 degrees. Then roll your head and shoulders off the ground as high as you can, reaching the arms forward (and parallel to the ground) past the thighs. In this position you should feel a downward force through the kidneys into the floor. The aim now is to maintain that strong downward action as you slowly lower the legs towards the floor. Begin by only lowering one or two inches. The second you lose that downward action through the kidneys, stop, bring the legs back up until you feel it again, and begin again. Eventually you will be able to maintain that downward kidney action, even with the legs outstretched. When you reach this stage, your internal core strength will have dramatically improved, and will make poses like handstands, headstands, shoulderstands, dips and lift ups easier and safer. You can always ask your teacher to check you are doing this practice correctly.
FAQ’s
Q: Is yoga a religion?
A: No. Yoga is a system that includes meditation, study, physical practice, breathing techniques and observation to lead to a more harmonious way of living, internally and externally. Many people confuse yoga with Hinduism, because they share the same philosophical roots – a group of texts called the Vedas. The Vedas were a collection of insights by rishis (profound meditators) several thousand years ago. Some say the Vedas are 5,000 years old. Some say older. There is reference in the Vedas to the flooding of the Indus Valley which happened 10,000 years ago. It is believed the Vedas are the most ancient scripts known to man. The rishis spent a long time in deep meditation, and gained insights. Even though they lived in different parts of the country, at different times, they came up with essentially the same insights. These insights are as valid today, as they were back then. They include insights not only into the nature of the mind, but also the natural universe. As these insights were passed down over the years, they were interpreted and added onto by various teachers, and lineages began to develop including yoga philosophy, ayurveda, Hinduism and later Buddhism. Each lineage has a slightly different emphasis according to what that lineage’s teacher felt was important, but they essentially have the same message. Later another group of texts called the Tantras was written, to make the esoteric teachings of the Vedas more accessible to everyday people. Thus all of daily life began to be included as a practice in mindfulness. The Tantras also used the deities as iconic representation of states of consciousness and qualities of being. Some lineages are very devoted to a particular teacher (guru) and this can give the impression of a religion if the teaching is limited to only that guru’s interpretation. Other lineages (and guru’s) are of course more inclusive. Yoga in its essential form encourages free thinking, and is considered to be a science rather than a religion. You are encouraged to test out what you hear for yourself, observe the effects and then determine whether it is true or not. Some teachers use the word God, sometimes because they believe in God, sometimes because it is an accessible word that allows us to grasp an unknowable concept, to communicate somehow that we are talking about something of great mystery and power. Other teachers choose to use words such as Truth, Life, Intelligence, but essentially we are all talking about the same thing. The ultimate state in yoga is Brahman, which is a state of supreme consciousness, not a deity. The definition in the yoga sutras (an important yogic text) is “yoga citta vrtti nirodah” “yoga is stilling of the fluctuations of the mind”. The postures are traditionally to enable a calm steady body and mind; to allow meditation to occur, to reduce the fluctuations of mind, and achieve insight into truth. (But they also bring great physical benefit, and feel great!) I personally believe in some all knowing, omnipresent consciousness that could be called God, but in what form I don’t fully know. I have tested the teachings using only words as “truth”, and looking at the state of mind created, without any god-connotation at all, and they still hold true. That is enough for me. If I follow the principles of yoga, they work, and I do find I live with more harmony, more congruently, and feel a bit freer in my body, and from the daily circus of thought and emotion. That is all I need to know for now, how to be a better person, here in this moment, at this time, now, and what happens afterwards? Well that’s in the lap of the….. ????
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