Where to start with Buddhism?

I have been very curious about buddhism for some time now, but have no idea where to really start to learn more about it.  Do you have any suggestions?  

Are there books you would recommend to learn more?  Lizzy

Hey Lizzy, the teachings of Buddha have been endlessly interpreted and while it is more possible than ever before to study pure texts with Tibetan teachers, I have received great benefit from a more recent lineage of teachers from the US who have absorbed the classics in depth and fully understand how to support westerners with our 'special kind' of daily struggles, in our real lives.

I offer here some highlights or gems from my personal dharma (knowledge and practice) library. I hope that you enjoy and use this material as a 'way in' to finding the teachers that are exactly right for you.

Firstly go to Tara Brach and find her audio material and videos which she shares freely, though accepts donations. She is active on YouTube and also has her own site. She has issued a couple of very powerful books, but the audio is an easy way in.

Tara addresses addiction and all kinds of psychological distress with warmth and compassion and teaches these skills, its the way out of suffering, well it has been for me.

John Welwood is also fantastic, you may have to dig a little deeper to find his material. Buy any of his books as he writes prolifically and you can pick them up used for a few dollars.

All John's book emphasize the same message, he speaks to our core wounding; 'the wound of the heart' and indicates a very graceful way of healing that and hence improving our relationships.



Sharon Saltzberg is another teacher who is mature, well established, respected and relevant. She writes and speaks with authority about loving kindness, a core Buddhist teaching.

Kristen Neff is newer to the field and is coming more from an academic perspective than as a teacher of dharma. Her work is an unpacking and examining of a key Buddhist trait - and essential component of self healing: self-compassion.

This overall approach is broadly about a merging of Buddhism and psychotherapy, (another tradition I have richly received from and am about to start training in).

And has really helped me to identify, dissolve and release some very real and pernicous situations I have carried around and repeatedly created for myself as heavy and painful burdens for too many years.


Buddhist dharma has gifted me a kind of practical support I could not find in yoga, which is oriented towards self-realisation. These teachings are helping me to understand and unlock my true nature, how to relate to myself and others with kindness and acceptance and how to cope with the changing conditions and challenges of every day life in a constructive and positive way.

I hope that this will be of benefit to you
Be happy, be well!

Jennifer

Links as mentioned:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqPCcFTP_kY
A short video which gives a flavour of Tara's approach

www.tarabrach.com/audiodharma
All of Tara's talks for free, with a section for those new to meditation.

www.soundstrue.com/podcast/healing-the-core-wound-of-the-heart/
Excellent interview with John Welwood

www.amazon.com/dp/0394721829
'Awakening the Heart' is John's magnum opus, but any of his book are excellent

www.insidepersonalgrowth.com/2010/11/podcasts/podcast-240-the-force-of-kindness-with-sharon-salzberg/
Recommended audio interview: Sharon Saltzberg discusses the meaning and value of kindness

www.amazon.com/Self-Compassion-Beating-Yourself-Insecurity-Behind/
Kristen Neff's helpful and easily readable guide to self-compassion

The temple of God is within your soul

 

 

The temple of God is within your soul. 

Enter into this quietness and sit there in meditation with the light of intuition burning on the altar.

There is no restlessness, no searching or striving there. 

Come into the silence of solitude, and the vibration there will talk to you with the voice of God.

And you will know that the invisible has become visible, and the unreal has become real.

Parahamsa Yogananda

An elegant summation of the true aim of yoga by a great, good, generous, frankly gorgeous yogi who has done so much to transport and translate the gifts of yoga from east to west. 

I feel the deep truth of his words resonating throughout my being -a lovely feeling.

Hari om 

Jennifer

An audience with Swami Muktananda, Anandashram

Rangoli outside mauna mandir

Madam, after breakfast tomorrow you go to Swamiji  

Instructed the receptionist, handing me a key to my room and a copy of the daily schedule. I had just arrived at Anandashram, a short rickshaw ride from Kanhangad railway station in Kerala and the conclusion of five days and four nights of travel.  

Thus, the following morning I approached Swamiji’s private quarters, wearing my cleanest, most modest outfit, hair tied back and feeling a little nervous.  

Swami Muktananda, the current spiritual head of Anandashram in Kerala, south India, is a modern man; fluent in English and a qualified allopathic doctor. I was gestured into his office, joining two other newcomers, a middle aged housewife from Kalicut and a Dutch guy from Utrecht.

We sat on the floor facing Swamiji at his desk.  He smiled warmly and started to speak, a fluent, unrehearsed welcome speech, explaining the spiritual position of the ashram and offering guidance to us. It was a relaxed affair, much like being in the presence of a friendly headmaster.

At times Swamiji would pause to answer the telephone Hari Om? And to personally greet a number of day visitors bringing donations, children to be blessed, health complaints and spiritual queries before him. An elderly male ashram resident sat beside him on a plain wooden chair, slowly turning the pages of the Times of India, murmuring and nodding without looking up.

Looking down towards reception

The problem is we have contracted into ourselves. We have some fixed notions that we should be able to get over. 

We are attached to our rights and wrongs, our likes and dislikes, our priorities, our differences, our cravings, our infatuations, our fixed opinions. 

Spirituality steps in there to keep us expanding. Spirituality means love. 

The spiritual discipline in this ashram is chanting of God’s name. If we keep chanting with total faith and devotion, a process of purification takes place. Things will get opened up. Interconnectedness, interdependence, absence of otherness. 

 It does not matter which name you chant. What is important is the name stands for Love.

As we keep chanting God’s name, the hold of me and mine will get loosened, lessened. 

And when sufficiently we have progressed, first he will give us some glimpses. Then he has promised that the stage will come when we get stabilized.

Then we get to see Him in the form of Love in everybody, the air we breathe, the earth we stand on, the water we drink, the space in which we move about, the sun. 

One of three mahasamadhi shrines

Plants and trees, birds and animals, even objects. All!   

The dress you are wearing, the specs he is wearing, the chair, the building, the fan, the light, the switch.  

When we are buying a new shoe we should do it with gratitude, anything and everything is an object of Love, and an object of God and is serving us. 

We can become aware of this. Let us try to practice that. Everything is serving me. Love, love, love, love.

How do I pay back?  I can bring in a quality of care and concern for others into my life. Love becomes love only when it is applied. Every thought, word and deed should bear the stamp of the Divine.

To love all is the true bhakti of God, to serve all is the true worship of God. It’s a tall order. Let us keep it as an idea and strive towards it, as much as possible.

Whenever we fail, whenever we forget, whenever we are off the track, this nama pulls us up.

We should express our gratitude for having been made aware of a higher form of living inside.

Great teachers of Anandashra are honoured

The succinct simplicity of Swamiji’s words impressed me. I was struck by how relevant they are to me at this time and how appropriate a message for humanity. 

In particular,  I have deepened, expanded my perspective on gratitude. Yes! I can be grateful for this chair I am sitting upon and the craftsmen who made it. 

I thought how useful it would be to invoke this deep gratitude in moments of doubt, stress, insecurity. One can simply open one’s eyes and appreciate every material item in one’s purview, no matter how familiar or banal.  Divine essence pervades all forms was my personal, private revelation.

And I like also Swamiji’s explanation of the contracted and expanded self. I reflected upon the irony of  expanding consumer capitalist society that fosters contraction of the self and a small, selfish world view. Where individual priorities and preferences become so important that we struggle and fight to maintain them.

And the truly expanded self requires less and less, is more able to be open to others: to share, collaborate, create and love/

Such ideas have been kept alive in India. Honoured, discussed and nurtured in ashrams and temples,  the light of truth and practice has remained lit across centuries and millennia. Gurus such as Swamiji contain and transmit this knowledge, through prayer, teachings, writings and individual assistance.

The Mother's peace garden

Meanwhile, in the west, we are rediscovering this wisdom and building our New Age.

The higher truths are filtering into western consciousness en masse via our own gurus, such as Eckhart Tolle and Louise Hay, who are able to present the material in a way we can relate to culturally.

One no longer has to travel to India to find enlightenment, but there is something very special about being here and witnessing the continuum of  teachings.

Once again I find myself in deep awe and respect, humbled by the magnificent spiritual civilization that is India.   

I am grateful to be received here again and again with such goodness and generosity and to find the guidance that I need.

Jennifer

www.anandashram.org

Singing my yoga: taking music lessons in Rishkesh

This alluring sign caught my attention

I stared at the enormous electric air cooler that dominated the blue cube of a room where I have been coming daily for singing lessons. A powerful roar was emanating. How was I going to hear myself over that?

Chandra my teacher, pretty, petite and quick of mind had imported it for my comfort. I didn’t wish to appear ungrateful and refuse her kindness; I suspect she was paying money to rent it. 

In any event, it would just add another layer to the sound sandwich that is India.

Chandra teaches singing, tabla and sitar from her home close to the main Laxman Temple in Rishikesh. Access is via a set of steep, narrow concrete steps lined with saffron robed sadhus. They spend their days sitting outside with their alms bowls.  From the teaching room I could hear a very regular chink of coins being received and the ubiquitous salution Hari Om!  

We sit cross legged on a red patterned wool rug and Chandra operates a harmonium to accompany me.  I am practicing vocal exercises:  variations on scales and arpeggios Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Da Ni Sa. This takes up the entire hour.  My brain is quite tired by the end from the concentration. 

I enjoy it very much, as a teacher, it feels great to relax and receive instruction. And although Rishikesh is all about yoga and there are countless options for classes, I am well established with my daily asana and  so have the time and resources to spend on other things.

I am going deeper and deeper into bhakti yoga and kirtan and sacred singing of all types. So this a great way to improve and grow in confidence as a singer. Private tuition is extremely affordable (200 -300rs  per class) and I record the sessions onto my mp3 player so I can practice in my room or when walking about town.  

Bansi's teaching room

I have a second teacher, a brahmin, named Bansi. I would guess him to be in his seventies. He is extraordinarily youthful and energetic of spirit and has a kindly presence.

I was standing in the main square pausing in the shade a few days ago when I noticed a sign outside a men’s hair salon. 

It turns out that the barber, Rakesh,  is a longterm student of classical flute who is happy to guide new pupils to his master.

Hence daily I take myself to a second noisy room (building work below, monkey fights above) to sit on another rug (old, beige, dusty) and practice a different set of vocal exercises: mantra  or prayer.   

Bansi is very laid back. On my first day he asked me what I wanted to learn. To practice the yogic chants I had been given five years ago and to move onto longer mantra I replied. 

From a large wooden cabinet with glass doors, Bansi selected a slim book, Sivananda Ashram Daily Prayers produced by the Divine Life society. This is published locally; the ashram is located just across the river at Ram Jhula.  Another very solid harmonium was taken down and the familiar, comforting warm drone once again accompanied me.

We started at the very beginning of the book, with a wonderful guru stotrum which is spoken at morning prayers.  Then we practice the classic mantra that will be familiar to most yogins and bhaktas: Poornamadah, Sahana vavatu, Sarvesham swastir vavatu, Tryambakam yajamahe  and more. 

Guruji!

I love the latter, after ten repetitions or so I begin to feel fire in my belly! This is also a favourite of Bansi who tells me with smiling eyes This mantra to Shiva is meant to save your life- from Devils!  Useful!

These sessions are so very helpful, in terms of correcting anglicisms that have crept in my pronounciation.  And in reminding me of correct intonation patterns.  I love the sing song lilting melodies, Bansi sings with a great lightness and obvious, easy joy and he is very adept at tabla too.

So my days are pretty full with lessons and self-practice.  I have started attracting more singing opportunities: the law of attraction in action. 

A young Israeli guy spotted my guitar bag and invited me to a night time jam session at the Bombay Guesthouse. I poked my head in during the day to check it out and was met by a wall of ganja smoke and giggles, so I probably won’t go, but I was happy to be asked.

I bumped into someone I met in Arambol in Goa, like me a health freak. She is staying at the Pyramid Guest House on account of their sprouts and spirulina. She thought it would be cool to start a singing satsang on the beach by Ram Jhula. I agreed, it was a good idea. 

Tiny temple courtyard where womens bhajans are hosted

Finally, I was walking past a tiny blue temple heading out of town last night as dusk was falling. I was mesmerized by the enchanting sounds of a women’s bhajan group.

I scrambled down some stairs following the sounds of bliss. In a small covered courtyard in front of a shrine were women of all ages, from two to eighty two, chanting kirtan together as the male priest performed puja.

 

I was beckoned in and handed a large pair of manjira hand cymbals. How amazing! I couldn’t follow the chants but it was enough to be present and so there I sat, on a cool stone floor, in the nurturing presence of such beautiful women; sisters, cousins, aunties, daughters and granddaughters, chiming and clapping with love in our hearts as the sun went down.

I am looking forward to many more musical adventures as my time in India unfolds.

Om shanti, shanti, shanti

Jennifer

Meeting the wild plants of Glastonbury Abbey

Glastonbury Abbey, a peaceful summer haven

Last Saturday I attended the modestly titled Herb Walk led by local herbalist Jenny Gaze. Jenny is wise and accomplished, possessing a clear and thorough knowledge of wild and cultivated herbs.

Jenny gives useful information for collecting, preparing and storing plant materials. All good stuff. And yet beyond the practical something deeper was  illuminated: the hallmark of a truly talented teacher.

In recent weeks I have been exploring teachings around sacred plants, plant medicine and plant consciousness. Meandering with Jenny through the stunning wildlife haven of Glastonbury Abbey during high summer was a perfect means of animating this research. The session highlighted themes and insights that are showing up all around in my life right now, may be this will resonate for you too:

Jenny identifies mullein

The gift of change: Loss as a call to empowerment and re-skilling
The recently enacted EU directive prohibiting the sale of many plant based health supplements upset and angered many friends and therapists within the community.

I haven't felt moved to protest; it doesnt work for me to resist change; I prefer to flow like water and look instead for the opportunity to create something new, real and sustainable.

Surely it is an improved, evolved scenario to know someone personally, within one's community who can advise, teach and provide. And ultimately this is a call to learn for ourselves how to make one's own teas, tinctures, decoctions and ointments.

Humanity's current insanity is a blip in the grand scheme of things
Jenny really helped me shift perspective here as she related how up until the 1940s i.e. within living memory doctors in general practice in this country would rely on herbal medicine as a main treatment modality.

The pharma-scientific-technological-capitalism, the unchecked exponential expansion of allopathic pharmacology was a short, intense phase of aggressive acceleration that is burning itself out (MRSA anyone?) Peace and sanity is being restored TODAY; the old and new systems operating in parallel; one falling away as the other rises.

Return to community living, honouring of ancestral wisdom and tribal ways
Our indigenous ancestors held and embodied the timeless teachings of nature and we will again and it this time it will not be lost. We are interested in Grandmother's remedies. We turn to the wise elders within our community. We have the answers amongst us. We share resources and skills.  We care for each other, we are important in each other's lives. Embodying knowledge, we become living teachers of a practical wisdom that is enhanced and shared through the day-to-day reality of our lives. 

Receiving the teachings in the presence of the plant

Real and direct modes of learning  
I acknowledge and embrace all of the amazing digital technologies that allow me to be present with a master teacher in Hawaii or Skype with a friend in New Zealand. 

I love the vast and growing libraries of interviews and recordings that  humanity is sharing so freely and easily at this time when relearning is vital. Yet right now, for me, nothing beats showing up in a small, curious group and being shown how. 

Shifting to an expanded consciousness:  
As we become alive and sensitive to ourselves we begin to experience the natural world as sacred, alive, intelligent, aware and caring. Higher states known by enlightened masters and advanced spiritual seekers are available to us all. Feeling deep presence, divine healing energies and moments of sacred bliss are our birthright, our soulright.

Moving into heart-based sacred relationship The Earth is our mother who loves us and wants to care for us. Plants can support us in our cleansing, nourishing, healing and beautifying. As we synergise and align with their subtle signatures we receive nurture and increase vitality. It is for us to choose to recognise and accept the great love and abundance being offered. And we can choose to reciprocate with sensitivity, empathy and intuition; gratitude, respect and honouring.

Affirmations and intentions:

I reclaim my relationship with the natural world

I treat myself kindly and holistically with natural remedies

I open myself to receive the wisdom, love and nurture of Mother Earth

I acknowledge the sacredness and beauty of all living beings

Links/resources:

Additional photos from the Glastonbury Abbey Herb Walk on facebook

Further opportunities to learn from Jenny in Glastonbury early autumn 2011 www.jennygaze.com

International teacher Eliot Cowan is a personal plant hero, I recommend his book Plant Spirit Medicine

I am inspired by the programs on offer at the Gaian Institute, New Mexico www.gaianstudies.org

Joanna Harcourt-Smith interviews leading luminaries from the fields of indigenous wisdom, ancestral pathways, Gaia consciousness and related topics www.futureprimitive.org

Bountiful blessings of high vibrational plant love and healing

Jennifer

The Kitty Commandments: Teachings from the furry, purry one

Cute and feisty at seven weeks

My delightful cat companion Kitty turns two today.  Born in a barn on a local farm, I have looked after her since she was a tiny kitten, so small she could fit in a pocket! 

I have come to recognize her as a noble teacher who has much to show me. 

Here are the top ten Kitty commandments:

1 Trust your instincts and stay sharp. Avoid cars, busy streets, loud noises and angry people.

2 Be discriminating in what you eat and insist on freshly prepared food. Do not compromise!

3 Spend as much time as possible outside, preferably in wild, natural environments. Sleep outside in summer.

4 Always maintain a high level of personal grooming.

Keep exploring, whatever the weather

5 Sleep is a priority: choose a warm, comfortable and quiet spot.

6 Be playful! Climb trees, roll in the grass, commune with butterflies and bees.  

7 Green grass is medicine.

8 Stretch the body and especially the spine.

9 You are a sensual being. Receive physical affection and show your pleasure.

10 Be open and loving whilst maintaining a strong sense of self. Be vocal in expressing yourself!

Praise and blessings to all cats of the world!

Jennifer

                                                                                                                                                                                  

What makes a good yoga student?

“Am I a good yoga student?” A question posed in earnest after class recently.

Fundamental expectations of basic courtesy such as arriving on time, respecting other students and paying for the session have, happily, always been met by my students. I love the variety of people who turn up to class. I relish having high quality interactions with my students.

Mostly I am dealing with a group of regular attendees whom I am getting to know incrementally and respectfully, a mutual rapport deepening over time. Occasionally one meets a new student who has a powerful and invigorating effect, bringing new perspectives. They may stay for one or two classes only before they continue their sadhana (spiritual journey) elsewhere.

Personalities vary greatly; and we do bring our personality to yoga. A student may be passive and quiet, working without an apparent need for attention or they may like to engage the teacher with questions, comments and requests for explanation or assistance.

In truth I cannot state a preference for any kind of behaviour or personality type. To categorise students as ‘good’ implies that there is a possibility of being ‘not good’, or ‘less than’; and this is simply not the case! All must be welcomed and accepted for who they are and how they learn. There can be no room for judgement, particularly from the teacher, who best serves by remaining a neutral prop, a facilitator.

The other aspect to the question is the need of the student to receive validation from the teacher in the form of praise or approval. This is such a common scenario as many of us from an early age have not been loved or accepted for who we are are, rather we have built a conditioned and therefore fragile sense of self-esteem and self-respect, needing someone outside of us to tell us that we are ‘good’ that we may feel worthy or even loveable.

One’s yoga can be a valuable space wherein one cleanses the false self, sheds expectations and conditioning and cultivates self awareness. Let us practice for the sheer enjoyment of yoga and commitment to a deeper level of self-understanding. Let us relinquish ideas of succeeding and failing; let us practice without attachment.

This is the very advice offered by Patanjali in the yoga sutras:

Abhyasa vairagyabhyam tat nirodhah I.II

I respectfully offer the following translation: the mind is quietened through repeated practice and non-attachment

In other words, to be a good student; show up for class and then let go!

For a detailed look at the yoga sutras of Patanjali http://www.rainbowbody.net/HeartMind/Yogasutra.htm

Yoga weekend with Marc Woolford, Brighton

“No stretching!” a seemingly baffling non-yogic command rapped out by Marc during Sunday’s session. Unsurprising in the context of the Scaravelli method and Marc’s evolution of his yoga.

We were dealing with the idea of the spine as the central axis of movement and support, having explored the breath and the bandhas during Saturday's session. It seemed that every movement, every investigation we made served to illustrate how one might move from external mechanical responses, to quieter, internal rearrangements.

Freeing the breath so that the spine is relieved of its habitual burden of carrying the weight of the body. Instead support might be found from forming new stuctural relationships, creating space in the fluid core, allowing movement to follow the release of the exhalation.

As to be expected from a workshop, we looked at relatively few poses, but took plenty of time to watch Marc demonstrate and verbalise his suggestions. Adjustments were shared with the group and Marc attended to us all individually, so that our body could access this way of working, creating in Marc’s words, “Less conflict” thus then leading to “Integration”.

Marc concluded Sunday’s session in a most beautiful and unexpected way, as we rested in savasana he coaxed gentle chords from a harmonium and chanted one of my favourite Sanskrit mantra: sahana vavatu accompanied by wide, expressive oms. It was a delicious soundbath, the excited street sounds of Brighton falling away as we bathed in blissful vibrations, immersed in relaxation, a perfect conclusion.

Visit Marc's website for details of workshops, yoga holidays and retreats www.yogawithmarc.com

Natural Bodies, yoga studio in Brighton for drop-in classes, therapies, workshops and teacher training in the Scaravelli tradition www.naturalbodies.org

Scaravelli yoga workshop with Bill Wood - Totnes

In the middle of a busy summer schedule it feels good to break pace and have a change of scene. Last Sunday I took an early morning drive to Devon, plunging through wooded valleys and lush pastureland, leaving the chaotic, creative swirl of Glastonbury for the smarter, sophisticated vibe of Totnes and an all day workshop with Scaravelli yoga teacher Bill Wood.

The session was held at the Forge Yoga Studio, at the top of Totnes High Street, tucked down a narrow lane. It is a beautifully designed yoga space with natural light, a wooden floor, plastered walls and thoughtful details throughout; an abundance of yoga mats, blankets, bolsters, a kitchen area for drinks, satisfyingly solid crafted wooden doors.

The theme - the breath. Explored through the classic tenets of the Scaravelli approach: relaxing the diaphragm, resting down through feet and hands to find hips and shoulders, witnessing, letting go of outcomes, finding the ‘internal dynamics’ of yoga, moving with fluidity and freedom.

Bill’s warm encouragement enabled all present to access the poses in a safe and enjoyable way. He moved around the studio delivering precise, sensitive adjustments which were frequently shared with the group. Comments were invited and spontaneously offered throughout the day to the extent that workshop felt like a continuous, dynamic dialogue between Bill and ourselves.

A subtle infusion of Buddhist teachings gave a rich texture. I found myself engaging with powerful inversions such as handstand and forearm balance with confidence and enthusiasm as my breath progressively relaxed and my body opened to new possibilities. Wonderful. I hope to practice with Bill again, soon.

Bill holds drop-in yoga classes, workshops, retreats and teacher training in Devon and the southwest.

www.billwoodyoga.co.uk
www.forgeyoga.co.uk

Scaravelli yoga workshop with Marc Woolford

How might we declutter, find internal space? Create conditions for a lengthened spine, a fuller experience of the breath? The workshop title Antigravity, the diagphragm and the fluid core, gives a sense of Marc’s approach to yoga: an interpretation of the work of Vanda Scaravelli underpinned by anatomical and biomechanical knowledge.

Indeed, Marc makes use of a skeleton, hanging conveniently in the teaching studio, to illustrate concepts such as the similarities in design of the skull and pelvis, the movement of the ribs, how the tailbone might be encouraged to drop.

Typical of the Scaravelli method, Marc teaches through demonstration, verbal instruction and hands on adjustment. Beginning with kapalabhati breath and ending with sarvangasana we covered relatively few asana, in the conventional sense. The work is exploratory and poses are used to demonstrate the principles which were being conveyed. The essence of the teachings: cultivating an inner attention, responding with sensitivity to the breath, treating the body with kindness, allowing the natural expression of the pose to emerge.

Confident and charismatic, Marc’s teaching style is inclusive and engaging. He welcomes comments and suggestions, enjoys humour and is extremely approachable.

It felt great to be a student once more at Natural Bodies, the yoga studio where I spent many happy hours attending drop-in classes and workshops as a former Brightonian. I left feeling longer and lighter!

Visit Marc’s website www.yogawithmarc.com

Sri K Patthabi Jois 1915 – 2009

An aspirant, by grace of his guru and constant practice of yoga can someday realize the nature of supreme peace and immortal bliss. Yoga Mala

I'm studying an image of Pattabhi Jois, from the back cover of his text book Yoga Mala. He is a young man, in bare feet, simply dressed with shining eyes. Many years later, an older, portly and benevolent man is known with great affection by thousands of yoga practitioners across the globe as Guruji - dear teacher.

The scale of Pattahbi Jois’ contribution to yoga is vast; his promoted method, astanga vinyasa was somehow just right for an emerging breed of yoga students in the west. Powerful, challenging, absorbing, intensely physical it appealed to those who might have alternately worked out in a gym or done a lot of cardio work. They came in great numbers, a trickle at first in the 1970’s then as word spread, hundreds of practitioners would diligently make the journey to Mysore to study with him for months at a time.

Jois’ influence is felt throughout the contemporary yoga scene; the vast army of practitioners he personally trained and authorised to teach his method, who in turn are teaching and training others. The proliferation of derivative yoga styles such as dynamic yoga, power yoga and vinyasa flow. Celebrity followers such as Sting, Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow who shunted yoga out of the hippy backwaters and into mainstream cool.

Beyond the inestimable amount of dollars and rupees generated, the toned bodies, the quantum boost to yoga’s popularity, the great man leaves another, quieter legacy; the impact he made on those who personally knew and loved him. Today they are mourning their loss and celebrating his life.

Sri K Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, South India, left his body 2:30pm 18th May 2009 at his home in Gokulum suburb with his family.

www.ashtanga.com Information on the practice and updated list of teachers and workshops.

www.kpjayi.org Website of the Ashtanga Yoga Institute, Mysore, South India, established by Jois as his teaching base.

Can anyone do yoga, at any age?

I recently received an email from a lady in her '70's who is interested in returning to yoga. How wonderful. Vanda Scaravelli (pictured), whose method I have been absorbing for the past 3-4 years, practised asana well into her eighties.

Fortunately there are many beautiful pictures of Vanda and her graceful practice to encourage yogis at any age. Vanda's words are equally inspirational:

"There is no age for yoga. You can start at 70, 80, because if it's done with gravity, with the breath, you receive and you don't go against, and you will never damage the body. The first thing is not to fight yourself. Be ready to receive energy. Energy helps, breathing helps. There is no age."

And this week an enquiry regarding a teenager who is coming to yoga to help with posture, breathwork and relaxation.

I love to be reminded of the breadth of the practice of yoga, that it can encompass three or maybe four generations of student within a class. The important thing is to heed the call to yoga, whatever one's age.

To read Vanda's bio and an interview conducted by one of her longterm students click here www.estheryoga.com/vanda

From Goa: Practising with Liz Warrington

I've been practising out in India for two weeks now and really enjoying being a student again! Letting go of the role of teacher is a real break and a reminder of what it is to be a student; absorbed in one's personal practice, receiving instruction, guidance and adjustment.
My teacher is Liz Warrington, an established teacher of the Scaravelli method with a strong reputation. Liz brings a warm, joyful approach to the work and has a lightness of body and spirit that is reassuring and inspirational. I love the lyrical, poetic commentary that Liz offers as she guides us through the sessions. Toda, she spoke of getting, "...the whole body to sing the same song." Wonderful.
We work in a slow, focussed way, with relatively few poses, tuning in deeply to the body and breath. My body is responding well to Liz's gentle suggestions and with the warm, steady heat of India I find myself opening, softening and feeling incredibly alive! Happily, Liz has been giving extended sessions at weekends so I am being thoroughly replenished and will have plenty to share with students upon my return.
Liz holds workshops in the UK and abroad. She seems keen to visit to Glastonbury and we have discussed the possibility of her coming to give workshops, watch this space!
You can visit Liz' website here www.lizwarringtonyoga.com

Mudra workshop with Emil Wendel in Goa

My first meeting with Emil, four years ago, was quite memorable - he lay a vibrant red hibiscus bloom beside my yoga mat. At that time, he was taking a regular pranayama and meditation class at what was then the Purple Valley Yoga Centre in Goa.

These days Emil mainly teaches workshops and contributes to Yoga teacher training courses. He concerns himself with the inner aspects of yoga: mantra, pranayama, meditation and philosophy.

I've just participated in a with Emil exploring mudra, symbolic hand gestures that can be employed to enhance and enrich one's yoga practice. Mudras are an ancient form with roots in Tibetan Buddhism, Tantrika and classical Indian dance.

Emil delivered the session with thoughtful insight, revealing the depth of his knowledge, accumulated during many years studying and teaching in India and Nepal.We explored the form and benefit of the mudras most commonly encountered in a contemporary yoga practice, adding in Emil's words, "a few drops of beauty". There seems to be a powerful connection between mudra and breath, which I will be exploring in my personal practice.

I look forward to sharing these insights with students upon my return. Emil also presented the group with a flowing sequence to assist one in life's creative process, essentially a moving meditation of the hands. This is an elegant and sacred practice which we preformed as a ritual and I am very pleased that Emil has given me permission to teach it.

Emil will be visiting England later in 2009, for more information on his work and schedule visit www.beyond-the-asana.com

Why I study with western yoga teachers

After class earlier this week I was discussing my personal yoga experience, answering questions from students about my background and training and so forth. One woman seemed surprised that at this time I am choosing to study asana with Western teachers.

While the international popularity of yoga means that good teachers are to be found everywhere, naturally one thinks of India as the best place to receive instruction. Indeed I have made several study visits to the subcontinent and elected to take my teaching qualification there. Without doubt India is my only option for the study of pranayama, mudra, sutra and mantra, the subtle, internal aspects of the practice.

When it comes to asana, I work primarily with western teachers. In Europe and the US we have seized upon the postures; indeed yoga in many people’s minds is synonymous with poses alone. Whether this is a desirable state of affairs is a matter of opinion, the strength of the western yogic tradition lays in the fusion of anatomical understanding with the timeless, ancient Indian poses. Western teachers continue to progress the method in a way that is relevant and accessible. I would cite Paul Grilley (US) and his yin yoga and Gary Carter (UK) for his bold evolution of Vanda Scaravelli’s work.

How long should we spend in a pose?

This week have been covering a variety of classes locally, meeting wonderful new people and fielding several questions about the practice of yoga.

At Shekinashram yesterday, a student wanted to know, how long should we spend in a pose.

Patanjali tells us in the Yoga sutras sthiram sukham asanam , poses should be steady and comfortable. It is one of my favourite aphorisms, I quote it regularly. What does this mean in practical terms?

Firstly, it is a matter of physical comfort. If we are approaching yoga from a mindfulness perspective, we move into postures and extend ourselves an appropriate amount. We are challenged by the pose, yet can hold ourselves comfortably there. There is a point in every pose where we reach our personal limits. If we attempt to go beyond this point, we are likely to experience tension, discomfort, pain and are likely to cause injury. Vanda Scaravelli notes, ”Students are sometimes inclined to force the flexibility of their bodies to the maximum, but this leads nowhere.” ¹

The second aspect is that of the breath; the breath is a great guide in this regard. At all times we should be able to maintain a steady flowing breath through the nose. Generally speaking, one maintains a pose for five full breaths, the slower the better. Naturally this is easier to achieve in supine, forward bending or restorative poses. During dynamic sequences and standing poses, twists and inversions the breath may be shorter, faster, less available.


¹ Vanda Scaravelli, Awakening the Spine p41, Harper SanFrancisco 1991

BKS Iyengar of Pune turns 90 today

BKS Iyengar of Pune turns 90 today. This incredible man is well loved, internationally renown and respected by yogis of all disciplines. I studied with one of his senior students in South London for a period of several months.

The Iyengar method is characterised by a stringent regard for precision and alignment in the poses, faciliated by the use of props such as straps, blocks and bolsters. Iyengar teachers are rigorously trained to a high standard and exhibit a high degree of reverence for their guru, this is a classic system of yoga.

Iyengar's contribution to yoga is vast: a natural philosopher and scholar, he has produced several classic texts dealing with all aspects of the practice, most notably Light on Yoga. If you have not yet experienced the Iyengar method, the nearest dedicated studio is in Bristol. For further information on the great man and his fascinating life, check out the official website:

http://www.yogawest.co.uk/index.php
http://www.bksiyengar.com/

Approaching pranayama

With admirable honesty, a longterm student of mine has admitted that she does not enjoy pranayama, the breathwork aspect of yogic practice. She cites laziness, saying that she sits passively through the exercises in class, which we undertake before moving onto asana (poses).

Indeed pranayama is a vital component of yoga and may be viewed from many perspectives: it is the bridge between body and mind, it is a technique to calm the mind, it is a means of awakening and directing prana, it is the very essence of yoga itself.

Thus, then the benefits of pranayama are manifold, obvious and also subtle. As with any aspect of the practice we must apply discipline and detachment as Patanjali instructs, in other words we surrender to the eternal wisdom of yoga, pursue our practice with dedication without attachment to outcome.

Dedication to the practice

"Do your practice and all is coming," 

The words of Sri K Pattabhi Jois of Mysore. It has become a well-known yoga aphorism. Discipline is required to maintain our practice, in the context of our busy lifestyles.

I am preparing to teach this evening and it is raining heavily, it has been all afternoon. I am moved to wonder if the weather might affect attendance levels in class, the British autumn is in full swing and it is dark well before class begins at 7.15pm.

So in advance of this evening's session I salute my fellow yoga students who will be expressing their dedication to the practice and joining me later.

Om shanti

New to yoga? Shop around for a teacher

This post is prompted by a conversation at the end of class today when we were sharing feedback. It was one guy's very first yoga class and for this reason I advised him to try as many different classes and teaching styles as possible.

He seemed surprised by my suggestion, should we not stick to one teacher? he queried. Well yes, undoubtedly this is good advice. As we progress in yoga it becomes necessary to focus and define our practice and make a commitment to our teacher or style of yoga. This echoes the classic Hindu gurukul system of education, whereby a student or seeker would attach themselves to their master, often in a residential context in order to recieve guidance and instruction.

However, at the start of one's yoga journey it is worth exploring a little; after all we have in the West an abundance of different approaches to yoga. When I found yoga I was fortunate to be living in London. Within a fortnight I had clocked up yoga hours in Sivananda, Kundalini, Ashtanga vinyasa and Scaravelli styles. Phew! Even those classes I did not enjoy were helpful in the sense of letting me know more what I did.

I wish all new yogis maximum joy and excitement as embark upon their yoga journeys

Namaste.