Archive for the ‘Yoga Philosophy’ Category

By Gaylene Thoeny

If you have taken or seen a Yoga class you may have heard “Lead with your Heart Center” (or something else similar). The Heart Center in Yoga refers to the Heart Chakra. The Heart Chakra is the 4th of 7 Chakras (or Energy Centers in the body). These centers are often used as reference points in Yoga, Chinese Medicine, Thai Massage or other traditional healing methods.

We are referring to the area of the body in and around the heart and lungs, including the shoulders, upper back and chest. This area is known as the domain of human intimacy – and is associated with love, acceptance, forgiving, devotion, understanding, acceptance, peach, harmony, contentment, compassion and relationships. I feel the most important of all this is self-love, we can’t love and care for others if we don’t do the same for ourselves first!

The best thing we can do for ourselves is to open up the heart chakra, increasing blood flow to the heart, lungs and the rest of the body. This also can bring us better posture, bigger lung capacity, better circulation, making us feel better and making it possible to pass on these great feelings to others.

A simple way to open up the heart Chakra is a Chest Expansion:

1.) Starting in a neutral standing position or mountain pose

2.) Reaching out palms back behind each other

3.) Imagine that you are holding a giant beach ball behind your back

4.) Squeezing the shoulder blades together

5.) Inhaling into the expanded lungs

6.) Gazing gently up and forward and closing our eyes

7.) Taking as many breaths in and out as you feel comfortable

8.) Releasing arms down to your sides

This can be repeated as often as is comfortable. Also a great pose to use after driving, sitting at a desk or anything that makes us prone to hunching forward.

This article by Gaylene Thoeny, a 500hr Registered Yoga Teacher, yogi and mom. Go to http://www.groundingfitness.ca for more information. Gaylene specializes in yoga and lifestyle management. Creating a grounded life on and off the mat.

    By Aman Merican

Many of my new students often do not know what to expect in a Yoga class or have general misconceptions about Yoga. This is not surprising as Yoga is often misunderstood. At one extreme, it is a pure spiritual practice that can corrupt your existing religious beliefs. At the other extreme, it is a set of powerful exercises done in dance like moves. In between these extremes, you have everything from indulging in carnal pleasure to levitation.

To be honest, there is some truth in every version but as they say – half a truth is half a lie. It is important to have a general understanding of Yoga before attending a Yoga class. This is to ensure that your needs are aligned to what you can expect in a class. As this article is not about finding the best meaning for Yoga, I will broadly summarize Yoga. Yoga can be divided into 2 main categories:

1. Hatha Yoga – Focus is purely physical and includes postures, cleansing and symbolic gestures.

2. Raja Yoga – Focus is on the mind and includes breathing and meditation.

All other modern day branches of Yoga will fall into either or both of these categories.

There are 3 accepted authoritative texts on Yoga:

1. Gheranda Samhita

2. Hatha Yoga Prathipika

3. Patanjali Yoga Sutra

Patanjali Yoga Sutra explains Raja Yoga. The Gheranda Samhita and Hatha Yoga Prathipika advocate Hatha Yoga before Raja Yoga. The reason for this as explained in the Gheranda Samhita, is that a person should attain control of the body, before he or she can begin exercises in control of the mind.

So what should you expect from a Yoga class? Firstly, it is important that prior to beginning a Yoga class for the first time, the instructor asks you to indicate your expectations. In my experience, these expectations can vary a great deal. You may want a toned body or maybe develop flexibility. You may be looking at relieving a chronic disorder or just having fun with a group of like minded people. Whatever your expectations, it is important that your instructor understands it and matches your expectations with the right class and grouping.

Secondly, a good Yoga class should be focused. It is impossible to cover the entire spectrum of Yoga over a short period and it may not be realistic to do so. A good Yoga class should be structured in such a way that it meets your current needs. Yoga classes should be grouped into general categories that meet your evolving needs. For example, you may want to do yoga initially to achieve a toned body. After achieving this, you may want to focus on flexibility and progress to breathing or meditation.

Thirdly, the best Yoga classes are conducted in small groups. It is easier for the instructor to monitor everyone in a small class. Mistakes can be caught and rectified easily. This greatly reduces the possibility of injury due to wrong practice of postures. Small groups also allow the instructor to respond to effectively to the group’s rhythm and pace. Group dynamics dictate that there are optimum group sizes for a particular function. There is no magic number to the size of a Yoga class, but keeping it small means everyone gets to interact with one another and form strong relationships. Motivation levels can be higher as a result.

Fourthly, a good Yoga class focuses on the correct, techniques and practices. I have seen so many people performing Yoga postures incorrectly and am concerned by it. The authoritative texts mentioned above are a good source for the correct techniques and methods. Many people however do not have the time to read these texts. However, it is important to ensure that the Yoga that is being taught to you is based on these scriptures. You will find the following in a Yoga class that adheres to correct practices:

1. Minimal body aches, muscle strain or injury

2. Breathing techniques are emphasized with the postures

With some exception, almost every posture has a counter-posture. For example, a forward bend posture will be followed by a backward bend posture.

Finally, you stand to gain the most from a Yoga class when it is fun. Ask yourself, are you having fun in your Yoga class? If you are not, you may not be motivated to practice or attend classes. This would result in a waste of time and money. While it may not be possible to guarantee a high level of fun in every class, it is certainly possible to induce it by:

1. Having an instructor with a fun personality

2. Matching expectations to the right type of class

3. Joining the right group class

Many other factors play a role in the best Yoga class but I have emphasized some of the main areas here. Broadly speaking, a good Yoga class is one where your expectations are met. It is focused on your current needs and consists of a small group (in a group setting). It emphasizes correct techniques and practices based on Yoga’s authoritative texts while maintaining healthy levels of fun.

Aman Merican is very interested in spreading the correct practice of Yoga. He is based in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia and is the Vice Principal of Maya Yoga Samudraa. He comes from a lineage of Yoga practioners from India and has been practising Yoga for over 15 years. Find out more about Aman’s Yoga classes at http://www.mayayogasamudraa.com

   By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

Within the Bhagavad-Gita, Karma Yoga is mentioned as a spiritual discipline, which is based upon giving and service without the desire for rewards. We might also say that Karma Yoga points us toward supreme consciousness through selfless service and actions of giving.

The concepts of Karma Yoga should not be so difficult to practice, yet many people who understand the principle, still struggle with giving. There are many reasons for this. Therefore, let us take a look at the reasons why Karma Yoga may be difficult, and some of the inner workings within this discipline.

1. “How can I give to someone who is selfish?” 

Some of us may have people around us, who would take everything we have, without acknowledging our actions of giving. These are difficult circumstances, but there are some solutions.

If your circle of friends is collectively selfish, you may be wasting your time, and it might be time to find new friends. When we are children, we might learn hard lessons about the children with whom we associate. We learn about being “guilty by association.”

If we are friendly with a band of thieves, we are presumed to be a thief as well. This is unfortunate, but if you constantly give to a person who does not appreciate your good intentions, you are likely wasting your time. Unless, you are a very forgiving person, it may be difficult to be a “fountain of unlimited giving.”

There are only a few souls, per century, who can manage to master the complete extinction of desire and suffering. To give is one thing; but to give everything you have is impossible for the vast majority of humanity.

Therefore, look inside of yourself and see what actions of giving you can live with. We know that giving is good, but we may not be one of the few enlightened souls of this century.

2. “When I give, how do I know it is going to a good cause?” 

The act of giving is in itself a good cause. We do not know how services and funds of a charity are distributed.  In fact, if you walk outside of any public place, where people are soliciting for a charity, you don’t know if those people are working for a legitimate charity.

However, your giving of funds should be done with the best of intentions and should make you feel better. This brings about states of happiness. When you perform selfless service for a good cause, you most likely know much more about the legitimacy of that particular cause.

In summary, the act of giving, or performing selfless service, such as we know in Karma Yoga, creates inner happiness. At the same time, giving without pursuing a reward always comes back to you – even if it was done in secret. If you are concerned with the legitimacy of a cause, you may want to inquire further so that your time and efforts are not wasted.

© Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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   By Kathi Duquette

While I am sure that the philosophy of yoga will vary according to who you speak to, my basic version can enhance your life. The simple philosophy of yoga can be applied even in our lives over 3000 years after yoga was documented. Yoga is a practice of developing your mind and body’s energies to produce a happier and healthier lifestyle. My philosophy? Be good to yourself and share the good with others.

People will have various versions of being good to themselves. Gifts, money; what is your version? What if we pay attention to physical and mental gifts that we can give to ourselves over and over? And what if these gifts can positively enhance our quality of life? Give yourself a gift: Have an open mind when you practice yoga and let the healing begin. You may think you don’t need any healing, but if you live in today’s society – there is stress.

We know that stress relief is a huge benefit of practicing yoga. The physical poses combined with the breathing practice ensure that you focus on yourself for a little while ~ allowing you to take a break from the turmoil of everyday life. This little break leaves you feeling relaxed and lighter.

What other advantages does the practice bring? Anger, frustration, and jealousy are all negative emotions that arise from stressful situations. We can get past the stress that promoted the negative emotions and let the negativity go. Holding on to negativity is not good for anyone – physically or mentally.

Physically, yoga can reduce high blood pressure, relieve arthritis and fibromyalgia pain, increase respiratory health and the list goes on and on. Even if we don’t deal with any of the above, the physical aspects of yoga urge us to treat our bodies better. When we feel physically healthy we can focus more on the advantages of the practice. Most people find they eat healthier and stay more active once starting a yoga practice.

‘Breathing’ during yoga practice is thought to bring ‘life force’ or ‘energy’ into our bodies. Hopefully you know, breathing is a natural reflex that supplies fresh oxygen into our bodies. While we can’t live without that breath it is important to note that most people don’t breathe correctly. Upper chest breathing only utilizes part of our lungs. Breathing practices in yoga allow us to make use of our lungs in their entirety. Inhaling and exhaling deeply can release toxins that we may be breathing in and holding onto every day.

Consciously breathing in to our bodies is a practice that enables us to focus inside. That focus helps us to clearly see and feel which muscles hurt, or which thoughts hurt for that matter. We can then adjust a pose physically and/or let go mentally. The release is liberating.

When you start paying attention to yourself, I mean really tuning in to how you feel physically and mentally, it is only natural to want to make things better. The clarity that yoga brings to your mind may allow you to see that you could be a healthier person by getting rid of unhealthy habits or unfriendly character traits.

Sometimes the hardest person to forgive is yourself. The ‘be good to yourself’ attitude of yoga can help you to let go of old mistakes and move forward in your life. Everyone makes mistakes and everyone deserves a chance to learn from those mistakes. We don’t’ need to dwell on the past; we need to acknowledge, learn and move forward with a positive mindset.

I often ask my students to let go of any negativity they are holding on to at the end of any practice. During the resting pose, we allow our bodies to melt by relaxing all of our muscles. Our physical body absorbs all the strength and flexibility benefits. We then allow any negativity to release from our minds and our hearts. We simply breathe in all of the positive energy that we can. And it is therapeutic!

My yoga philosophy is: Practicing yoga promotes peace. When you slow down and tune in to yourself, you feel more confident, less stressed, stronger, and free from negativity. It truly is being good to yourself; it is your gift to yourself. Take that feeling and share it with others. It is easier to be nice to people when you feel good, physically and mentally.

We need a lot more peace in this world. Practice yoga and pass the peace along to others.

By Kathi Duquette

Certified Yoga Instructor

Certified Personal Trainer

http://www.basic-yoga-information.com