What is Yoga?
Sunday, 29 November 2009
Class Cover at Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre
Thursday, 26 November 2009
Yoga for Kids in MANILA!
I am really over the moon about the prospect of teaching yoga in Manila. This is such a wonderful opportunity to share my skills to the Filipino children. To think that I emailed so many schools just last week, it is such a miracle to even get a reply so soon.
My Christmas holiday will not all be play but will involve a teeny weeny bit of work. Not to worry I will still have fun roaring like a lion or grunting like a pig!
This is the flyer Kids Ahoy made to market my classes. Gorgeous, isn't it?
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
What is the KHYF?
Yoga in the tradition of T Krishnamacharya
Professor T Krishnamacharya was a pioneer in the revival of the ancient teachings of yoga and in preserving their relevance for the modern world. He strongly advocated an intelligent approach to yoga, whereby yoga’s tools and techniques are adapted to respect the needs, abilities and requirements of each individual. The popularity and appeal of his students, including Indra Devi, Pattabhi Jois, BKS Iyengar and particularly, TKV Desikachar, testify to the significance of his life’s work and teachings and to his position as one of the most influential yoga master of the modern era.
TKV Desikachar, son and longest standing student of Krishnamacharya, continues to carry this tradition into the 21st century. He has been instrumental in building bridges between yoga and other healing modalities, inspiring thousands of yoga practitioners worldwide.
The following practices and principles are unique to yoga as taught in the tradition of Krishnamacharya:
* The entire range of yoga’s tools is utilized in a practical and experiential manner.
* In individual settings, personalized yoga programs are evolved for therapy or general needs.
* Group classes are taught with a specific focus that provide individual attention and care.
* Yoga Therapy utilizes an integrative approach that is complementary to other healing modalities.
* The teachers/therapists are constantly growing and learning through mentoring, personal practice and continuing education programs.
Some of the tools used in this tradition include (but are not limited to) postures (asana), breath regulation (pranayama), meditation (dhyana), dietary recommendations (ahara niyama), lifestyle suggestions (vihara niyama), chanting (mantra), visualization / affirmation (bhavana), gestures (mudra), and guided self-inquiry (svadhyaya).
www.khyf.net
Monday, 16 November 2009
New Classes in January!
A Practice Beyond Asanas
This level 2 class will go beyond postures. We will explore more challenging poses as well as other tools of yoga such as meditation, chanting, pranayama (breathing techniques) and basic philosophy. Suitable for people who have yoga experience.
Dates: 25 January - 29 March 2010
Time: 7-8pm
Cost: £70 (10 weeks)
This year we will be moving to One KX, 120 Cromer Street, London WC1H 8BS, where it is better and more accessible.
Please register in advance!
Sunday, 8 November 2009
Do we have to be a vegetarian to practise yoga?
But as Donald Altman, author of Art of the Inner Meal (HarperSanFrancisco, 1999), explains, the issue of meat is just one aspect of a much broader yogic view of food. According to Hindu perspectives, he says, "all food possesses different properties that affect our body, awareness, and spirit." Tamasic foods like beef and pork make us slow, lazy, and dull. Rajasic foods like fish and fowl stir up aggression and ambition. That leaves sattvic foods like fruits, beans, whole grains, and vegetables, which foster balance and good health. Looking at diet this way, meat represents just part of a nutritional continuum.
Thursday, 5 November 2009
Behavior Rasayanas
-Be free from anger.
-Abstain from immoderate behavior.
-Be nonviolent and calm.
-Observe cleanliness in yourself and your environment.
-Be charitable toward others.
-Observe a regular daily routine.
-Be loving and compassionate.
-Be respectful, especially to teachers and elders.
-Keep the company of the wise.
-Be modest, have good manners.
-Follow your religious beliefs, be self-disciplined.
-Keep a positive outlook.
-Devote yourself to the development of higher states of consciousness.
Sunday, 1 November 2009
Yoga Studios in the Metro
Here is the list courtesy of Jane, Yogini from Manila.
Amezcua Wellness (QC)
Ananda Marga Yoga Center (QC)
Bikram Yoga Manila (Makati, QC)
Bliss Yoga (Makati)
Flow Yoga (QC)
International Yoga Institute, Phils. (Makati)
Iyengar Yoga Center Manila (Makati)
Laughter-Yoga Club of the Philippines (Makati)
Pulse Yoga (Greenhills & Pasong Tamo Makati)
Ra Kendra Centre for Wholistic Wellness and Studies (Makati)
Steps Dance Studio (Makati)
Sundar Bikram Yoga (Greenhills)
Vinyasa Yoga Center (Ortigas)
YogaKids International (Muntinlupa City)
Yoga Manila (Makati, QC, Alabang)
Yoga Challenge - I did it!
108 sun salutations in 3 hours!!! These were led by renowned yoga teachers such as Simon Low (Yin Yang Yoga), Katy Appleton (Apple Yoga), Duncan Wong (Yogic Arts), Neil Patel (Chi Kri Yga), Jo Manuel (Special Yoga Centre) and Dylan Ayaloo (Power Yoga).
It was supposed to be only under 2 hours but for some reason it took longer than expected and even outlasted the Arsenal vs Tottenham football game (according to my husband). Anyway it was my first time to join the yoga challenge raising funds for the Special Yoga Centre. I must admit I have never been to the centre but I have heard so many good things they have done for children. Considering the fact that I am also a kids yoga teacher, I wanted to support a cause close to my heart.
Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought to do 50 surya namaskar, let alone 108. Last year I had a good excuse not to join because it was on a Sunday morning at 7 or 8 am; that was definitely too early for me! Who knows if trains were running according to schedule? Yeah yeah! We heard it all. This year it was on a Saturday afternoon - I couldn't find another excuse except that I didn't think I was able to do it and potentially bruise my ego. Tja! Plus the fact that I needed to raise funds as well. People are not too generous in these times.
I remember vividly chatting with Helen about it and she kept on telling me that I could do it and even if I couldn't, I could rest anytime and continue when I was ready. That was late at night when suddenly it clicked. Why not? What's the worst thing that could happen? Within 10 minutes I had my yoga aid page, registered myself and paid for my ticket!
Fundraising was not very successful. Hung my posters at the schools and centres I taught at. No luck! Thank God for Guta - she was the only one who donated £10 to my cause. Bless her!
The whole experience was great. I am tired, my body is not aching yet at this point (we'll see tomorrow) but I feel energised, more confident and quite surprised at myself. During the challenge, I kept thinking to myself I wanted to give up, that I was going to faint soon and die (hihi) but none of that happened. I tried my best, exerted some effort to an extent but not too hard. The only discomfort I have right now is in my right wrist, probably sprained it in the last few sequences when we went into Vasisthasana. Oh well, I am gonna live.
Pics, courtesy of James, have been uploaded. Nothing can spoil my day and the rest of the week. I feel renewed and alive, a kick to practise more and lose some fat rolls! Oh yes, I do have them too. Look forward to next year's challenge with more vigor and determination to raise at least £100! Hope you will support me and/or join the challenge as well and raise awareness of the benefits of yoga through these events.
Namaste.
Saturday, 17 October 2009
3 Days Solace for the Soul - A Raja Yoga Intensive
What is real treasure? Beauty, truth, peace, and happiness. You already have what you want. You already are stunningly beautiful. You already are peaceful and loving. Why does it look like you don't know this? Simple, you never look inwards, beyond superficial memories or recent experiences, so you never see your own riches.
Take a moment to stop. Don't rush. Don't search. Just look in. And see what there is all to see.
PLEASE CONTACT ME DIRECTLY AS I AM ORGANIZING THIS.
But if you would like to know more about the venue, please click on the link.http://www.bktagaytay.com.
We would appreciate a donation of PHP1,500.00 for the weekend accommodation and vegetarian meals. The program is free of charge.
Start Time: | Friday, January 15, 2010 at 6:00pm |
End Time: | Sunday, January 17, 2010 at 3:00pm |
Location: | Tagaytay |
Street: | 1020 Magallanes Drive |
City/Town: | Tagaytay, Philippines |
Friday, 9 October 2009
Yoga Aid Challenge
Please support me in this wonderful Challenge. The Yoga Aid Challenge is to complete 108 Sun Salutations (2 hour extreme Yoga practice) whilst also supporting great causes. The charity I am supporting is The Special Yoga Centre which supports children with a range of conditions, including cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome, autism, epilepsy, ADD and ADHD, and other physical and developmental difficulties. Please support me by making a donation to this great cause and help me to make a difference with this Challenge.
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Tuesday, 6 October 2009
Banana Dance!
Things are looking up, thank God! Started class today at a fashion company, next week I will be teaching to a group of teenagers in a state school! On top of that, my Monday evenings will be spent teaching to a group of musically and artistically-inclined students.
I felt so crushed last month after a series of planned classes didn't work out. Lost so much confidence and motivation. Sat at home most of the time wondering what to do with my time.. Arrgggghh! Pity James! He had to hear over and over again how bored I was. Hahaha!
Indeed when a door closes, another one opens.
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Ooouucccchhhhh...
Monday, 14 September 2009
Cleansing. Fasting. Detoxing the Ayurvedc Way.
by Carl Hargreaves
We are at a junction between seasons, a time of change. According to Yoga and Ayurveda, this is a good time to cleanse the body. The body will seek to establish a healthy new equilibrium for the coming season. We will be healthier if our new state of equilibrium does not include last season’s toxins.
Detoxing and fasting are popular subjects in the media. Of course, the media focus on the extreme versions of cleansing to get our attention and sell their stories. These extreme practices do more harm than good. A yogic fast will not cause harm, it will not shock the body. The body loves stability. Change costs the body resources and causes harm. So a fast should be slow! A sudden starvation diet, for example, will trigger the body’s survival strategies: We will experience an increase in the desire to eat building foods. Weight gain often follows a crash diet for this reason. The crash diet will at first remove some superficial toxins; -those toxins which don’t cost much to remove. The really nasty toxins will be driven deeper into the tissues.
Laá¹…ghana is the sanskrit word for “to fast”. Fasting is a process of reduction. Bá¹›mhaṇa means “to expand.” Feasting will do this! Stimulation of the body’s processes is Bá¹›mhaṇa. The body can take on substances and increase outward growth and activity; loading the system. And the body can decrease various activities and substances in the body, unloading the body. Laá¹…ghana processes unload the system, so that excesses and wastes can be removed.
Bá¹›mhaṇa is associated with the inhale, which leads to increase and expansion. The intake of breath and its retention is Bá¹›mhaṇa, but as we know, -the intake of foods can also cause us to expand! In fact everything that goes into the system, (including the intake of images and ideas) loads the system and requires some kind of increase... A fast therefore also includes images, sounds, thoughts, experiences. So a fast will mean less TV, less reading, less radio, less stress, less going out to busy places…
Things must be taken out of the system or it will overflow, become disturbed, and may explode! Cleansing is laá¹…ghana and is associated the exhale, and reduction. During the exhale, the body lets go of the stale breath we do not need. To breathe in fresh air we must breath out first. Laá¹…ghana comes first. At this time we are going to establish a new state of equilibrium, we must get rid of what is old and no longer benefits us first. Then the new state of equilibrium will be built afresh, not mixed with accumulated wastes.
A toxin can be defined as something the body cannot digest, cannot use. The more a toxin gets in the way of the bodies' processes, the more toxic it is. So cleansing is the reduction of certain accumulations that get in the way.
The first step in a cleansing program is to stop putting more in. If we reduce our intakes, then the body takes advantage of the situation and gets rid of some wastes. If we reduce the inputs, if we avoid building and stimulating foods and activities, we will find that cleansing happens naturally. There are certain yoga practices, herbs and foods which can support the process, and even help “scrape” out some of more stubborn toxins. However we must do this carefully. The body should not be stressed or it will prioritise short term survival: “Flight or fight” mode is a Bá¹›mhaṇa state, where many important long term health projects are sacrificed to gain an increase in available energy in the very short term. The theory goes that when the body is stressed it buries its toxins deeper in the tissues. This is so as to get them out of the way fast, and avoid paying the cost of dealing with difficult toxins now. Now the priority may be fighting or running away and if we are starving, -getting fed. A fast is simply to reduce what we put in.
I'm told that Krishnamacharya said that "to fast is to eat only when we are hungry." If we follow his advise this will be wonderful for our health. It will mean eating slowly and attentively, so that as soon as we are no longer hungry, we stop eating. The good news is that if there is no more bingeing, there must be no more starving either! Yoga does not advocate too little food, or too much, and takes this middle line with many things like sleep and exercise. When I work with individual students on diet and lifestyle changes, we always take things slowly, a little at a time, in a way that is sustainable, and not too much of a shock to the system.
In this society our lifestyles, careers, and economy are generally weighted towards increase, growth and expansion. Naturally people want more of what they like. We are generally rewarded for more. We have inbuilt drives and there are powerful external influences increasing our desire to consume more. However, the more we put in; the more we load the system. A successful yogic fast will reduce the desires and drives that are leading us to overload ourselves. This overloading is the root cause of ill health. Krishnamacharya said that disease is caused by desire. At the same time, our drives and desires are not “bad” in themselves. Our drives and desires are inbuilt and the legacy of evolution. We needed them for our genes to reproduce and survive. They are not only useful but essential. However if we are the slaves of our desires, we are like robots following a program absorbed through advertising and other environmental triggers and written in our DNA. We must be able to override our drives when we know they are leading us into trouble, and we must avoid certain triggers, or we will certainly suffer heartache and probably headache! If they lead to over consumption, and we cannot process what we have bitten off, we will inevitably suffer, -starting with a stomach ache!
After a cleanse, accumulations that block our body’s activities are reduced. Mental and emotional toxins that block clear seeing, wisdom and awareness are also reduced. We will have reduced the power that our drives and desires have over us, and increased our own personal power and freedom proportionally. When we fast we practice a limitation on satisfying our drives. This self denial causes friction: We heat up. We get hot and bothered when we don’t get what we think we “need” or want! “Tapas” is sanskrit for this discipline or practice. Tapas means “to heat”. Tapas is purifying and cleansing. It is the burning away of toxins both mental emotional and physical.
The automatic satisfaction of desire in the wrong way is a root cause of headache, heartache and belly ache! If we cannot choose to resist our drives, then we are not free, and we are going to suffer. On the other hand, we should not repress our desires. In fact we should closely heed our impulses. They contain invaluable information, messages essential for our survival and happiness. The problem is how the drives, (the feeling that we want or need something), are translated into desires, (the feeling plus the idea that what we feel is for this or that particular thing.) The solution to the problem lies in the fact that we can observe our drives. We can observe our desires if we are taking enough distance. From a detached perspective as the seer of our drives, we are no longer caught up in them. It will be problematic if we get caught up in them. If we are not caught up in our feelings, but the observers of them, we will be free to choose; We can follow them; or we can do something else. Desire requires skillful interpretation and handling. If we are not caught up in our desires, but are able to observe them without attachment, we can get in touch with these skills. Our desires and drives then become precious sources of information. Tempered by tapas, our desires whisper the wisdom of intuition. Unchecked by knowing; unobserved by awareness; desire blinds us to the truth.
During a fast we can spend some time asking ourselves which activities, which people, which foods and ideas excite our minds and in that way cloud our knowing. To fast is to reduce these disturbances. Yoga is that which calms the mind. Desire pulls at us; and this pulling disturbs the mind. Therefore, yoga will reduce the pull that desire has over us. During a fast we should avoid troublesome activities, disturbing situations and people. Then the body and mind can relax enough to let go of the things we do not need. Anxiety and stress make us contract and cling onto what we have. Especially ideas we hold about our ourselves. The most dangerous toxin of all is that bundle of ideas we hold about ourselves. The mind contracts pulsating around our ideas about ourselves. These contractions limit our lives, blocking our potential by blocking thoughts that challenge the “I”. The “I” fits our definition of a toxin because it is a blockage, it blocks the openness and spaciousness of awareness. The “I” makes desire more toxic by binding the “I” thought to it. Desires are potent, but adding the idea that a feeling is mine, that an outcome will impact on me, gives any feeling far more pull. If the feeling is satisfied or not this interacts with the idea I have of myself. The “I” thought is a toxin because it blocks a potential life of greater truth and happiness. Energetic pressure builds up behind a sticky toxic blockage, and the stuck energy becomes increasingly disturbed trying to find another way to flow. The “I” thought is a disturbed contraction of mind, this agitated pattern of energy has the unmistakable signature of a toxin.
The noise and pressure of our “I” thought drowns out the gentle silence of our true nature, which is pure awareness. The part of the mind that we call the “I maker” misinterprets and filters the information we receive through the senses and distorts what we know of the world outside. It does this to maintain and support ideas we hold about ourselves. To satisfy an idea of ourselves it colours and hides the truth. “I” is a tyrant!
Tapas is the revolution! Tapas means “I” can’t get no satisfaction! Tapas will take effort: like the mans says: -“I try and I try”…. When you succeed and “I” doesn’t get no satisfaction, -you are detoxing. This is a cleansing of your energy and strengthens your inner power. You will have to rock and roll with desire for a while, not getting noooo satisfaction! It will get real hot! Holding yourself in the fire tempers your character. It weakens the bonds of desire. It sets you free! Tapas must be done carefully: too much and you will become weakened; even burned.
The false “I” lives through ideas about who we are. But we are not merely ideas! We really exist, we exist far more deeply than any ideas about ourselves. According to yoga, The Self is that which sees. Sees ideas and everything else. The stillness and clarity of seeing, of simple observing is generally obscured by the constant activity that is the “I” thought. The Awareness is never in motion. Since the mind is configured to notice change, not that which has always been quietly present, we fail to notice the presence, the awareness that has always resided within. We cannot see the truth of our own existence; -that we are seeing itself. Awareness, or seeing is so still, and the mind is so busy thinking about “I”, we find it very difficult to connect the mind to awareness: To meditate. Seeing is too transparent, too still, too quietly present to be noticed. It is the seeing itself which is our being. Awareness is life itself.
In conclusion:
Yoga encourages us to identify our “selves” as the seer/ the seeing. Cleansing has the same goal. The clarity that follows a cleanse allows thoughts and feelings to be seen more clearly. Without the “I” being so mixed up in it. Purity is when substances are not mixed up, but separated out. Cleansing improves purity. It is wise to cultivate the detached mind that can skilfully interpret desire. This is a steady mind, in which energy is stable and thought is not blocked and disturbed by the “I” mechanism. From such a place of awareness, -we might make far better choices. Choices based on higher principles than the autocratic rule of “I”. In a cleansed state, a state of clarity, we can decide whether to react in this way or that. We are free to choose whatever set of principles we wish to follow. A cleanse is unblocking mentally, emotionally and physically, so we are no longer caught up in the thoughts and drives and feelings. We have developed some distance from them. We can observe them. Once this happens, we are more free.
Good Tapas!
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
World Vegetarian Day
VEGETARIAN AWARENESS MONTH
Every year on October 1st, World Vegetarian Day kicks off a month of parties, potluck, presentations, food tasting displays...and lots of friendly discussions!
For those new to vegetarianism, it serves as an enticement to give meatless fare a try (even for a day) and learn about its many benefits. And, of course, it's the perfect occasion for vegetarians and those already moving towards plant-based diets to celebrate their healthy, compassionate food choices.
World Vegetarian Day and Vegetarian Awareness Month celebrations are as varied as the people who plan them. Whether you want to keep yours simple and private or public and grand — our ideas and resources can help.
In addition to individuals from all walks of life, past participants have included schools, colleges, health food stores, co-ops, restaurants, libraries, employers, healthcare centers and many others.
Please consider joining with the thousands of others this October who will be exploring the vast variety of tasty and healthful meat-free foods, and sharing information about the benefits of vegetarian diets with the people in their local communities...
http://www.worldvegetarianday.org/
Saturday, 5 September 2009
The Practice of Svadhyaya
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
NEW AUTUMN CLASSES!!!
Sunday, 23 August 2009
Water. Wasser. Eau. Agua. Tubig.
1. Drink water not only when thirsty.
2. In the early morning, on an empty stomach, drink a good quantity of water.
Instead of plain water, lemon with a pinch of salt is better, as it has an alkaline effect on the body and, hence, greater purifying powders.
3. Drink a glass of cool water one hour before eating.
This helps to make the system more clean. At the same time the quantity of saliva will increase and one will have more appetite. It is sometimes advisable to eat a little later, in order to increase the appetite and digestive powers.
4. It is better to drink a glass of water one hour before meal and not to drink again until one hour after the meals.
At the time of eating or just after eating, if one drinks water, then that water remains inside the body for a long time and dilutes the saliva and digestive juices. Drinking water one hour after meals helps the digestive processes because the liquid helps the food to pass though the intestines.
5. Drink lemon water both in the morning and evening.
This helps the small intestines remain free from accumulating and creating poisons.
6. One should drink in a sitting position.
7. The daily intake of water differs per person.
A healthy person should drink 3 to 4 litters water daily, a sick person 4 to 5 liters daily and a person suffering from skin disease 5 to 6 liters daily.
8. Drinking a lot of water at a single time is harmful, especially for cardiac patients.
9. It is not good to drink ice water.
For people in normal health, the ideal temperature for drinking water is 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius).
10. While drinking water one must keep one’s mind positive.
Saturday, 22 August 2009
How do we meditate?
Thursday, 20 August 2009
Pose of the Month
Monday, 3 August 2009
Rise and Shine the Ayurvedic Way
| |||
|