Discovering your ‘aliveness’…

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This week during our guided relaxation we tried to find an internal point of stillness by carefully combining our body, breath and mind into a single place and moment. Easier to write than do of course. Being still is the key both in body and mind and that’s what the Corpse pose help us experience. After a while we can also switch on that still point during the others postures and then any other time you wish as you go about in the world.

We are never more essentially ourselves then when we are still. Performing the Corpse is not just about chilling out or letting go. A high degree of alertness, concentration is required. We need to be still, observe and listen. We need to be present in the here and now. Because that’s where we are all of the time, although most of the time we don’t notice!

We do a three-step process in order to bring our awareness inwards. The task is to be conscious of being conscious. That consciousness is your still point of being beyond the body, mind and breath, although we use all three to get us there. Once we get to that point even fleetingly we will experience a profound sense of calm, happiness and centeredness. That’s where your aliveness is.

It’s a wonderful state but not empty. Its full of potential and energy. The more you can dive into and use  this power the more wonderful life is. Some people call this state a ‘unified field’. Meaning that everything we experience feels integrated and combined (the meaning of yoga is of course to ‘yoke’ or join) with no apparently difference or distinction between you and the experience. In yoga this is called the emergence of subject (i.e., you who is experiencing) and the object (the outside world of objects and that which is experienced). So when we feel the body ‘melt’ away and the breath soften and the mind slow, what’s left is the pure consciousness experience. That’s you. Fully present integrated with the event/moment. It’s the real and authentic you with nothing added but lots taken away.

Psychologists call this experience ‘optimum flow experience’. In yoga we call it Real Life.

Sunday 27th May 2012

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Another good Sunday in Chorlton. Thank you for dropping by when I am sure the garden looked more attractive during this wonderful weather.

This is what we did.

  • Welcome. Short Talk. The 4 key yogas…
  • Alternate nostril breathing. 4 rounds single pace.
  • Salute to the Sun.
  • Single/double leg raising.
  • Forward bend
  • Triangle
  • Child/corpse
  • Dolphin
  • Single leg forward bend
  • Both legs forward bend.
  • Inclined plane
  • Cobra (hand up and down)
  • Single leg bow
  • Fish
  • Half spinal twist.
  • Relaxation
  • Oms.

We talked a little about the four different types of yoga; Raja, Karma, Bhakti and Jnana yoga. You don’t need to know much about what constitutes these yogas but if you want to know more click here to go onto the Sivananda website. Ideally good yoga practice will bring all these yogas together into one practice emphasising different aspects as you go. In our YogaLife classes we use Raja and Karma yoga when focus and work on the postures, breathing and concentration. We practice Bhakti Yoga when we finish with our blessings at the end of the class and we follow Jnana Yoga when we talk about different aspects of yoga practice and doctrine.

The two books mentioned were:

The Yoga Sutras by Patanjali

The Bhagavad Gita adapted by Jack Hawley

Both are good reading. Remember though it might all feel a little dense and obscure. Don’t worry the more yoga you do the clearer some of the ideas and truths become. It takes time but its worth it.

‘Being’ and ‘Doing’. Our 12 core postures…

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As you know we are working towards getting comfortable ( as the Yoga Sutras says, ‘the postures are mastered when all effort is removed’) in 12 core postures. Getting comfortable will take time, but if you practice regularly you will make great progress and begin to feel the changes. Yoga is all about self-examination. This happens on many levels and the postures are designed to help you focus inwards towards ourselves -  first on the physical level and then deeper into your inner spaces.

The key is to relax and focus and reach that stage where doing and being are one and the same thing. This is the essence of yoga practice. The coming together of action and presence into one combined, event/moment. Hard to describe but easy to experience through yoga. So, you are the yoga posture…the yoga posture is you. Imagine if you could bring that awareness, creativity and truth into your everyday world through everything you do. It can and will change everything.

Click on the link below for your own crib sheet on our 12 postures…

YogaLife 12 core postures

Two cool yogis in Chorlton…

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YogaLife HQ had an important visitor today, Dr Ambi. He is a close friend and inspiration and was Mick’s room-mate at the Sivananda Vedanta Centre during Siromani training.  Ambi has studied and practiced yoga for many years. He has just returned from climbing Kilimanjaro (6000 m). At 70 no mean feat. He was the only one of his party not to suffer from the thin air and altitude which he puts down to a lifetime of pranayama. So more yoga…more health, more energy, more ambition and more adventure –  no matter how old you are. We love you Ambi…

Beginners Classes. Sunday 20th May.

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Good work everyone in the Sunday Beginners Classes.

Carefully read the Salute to the Sun hand out and try to practice when you get a chance. We will always start with the at least three rounds of the routine so with enough practice it will become second nature. Although we use the routine as warm up it’s also a powerful yoga discipline in its own right.

The physical benefits are:

  • Increased blood circulation.
  • Stretches and strengthens numerous muscles groups in the body.
  • Brings flexibility to the joints, spine and limbs preparing us for the postures.
  • Increases body temperature and energy flow.
  • Gives a good prolonged cardio-vascular workout.

The mental benefits are:

  • Brings a strong sense of place and presence by being a symmetrical, repetitive circular routine.
  • Brings a deeper body awareness ideal for going inwards during our practice.
  • Combines breath, body and mind preparing us for prolonged yoga practice.

Salute to the Sun is a mini yoga class in its own right. Notice the way back bends and forward bends follow each other, with breath control. If you do nothing else in yoga practice then Salute to the Sun on its own is perfect.

Here is a decent little video for you to watch. Dont be put off by the flexibility of the teacher. She appears to be about three feet tall!! But her version is close to ours which is very good. Remember, what you can do is your yoga and belongs to nobody else.

Yoga1+ 18th May 2012

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Great class last night everyone. We raised the bar just a little with some new postures.

The first  one was the Crescent Moon. This opens up the pelvic area, stretches the hips and works to open the chest and flex the lower back. It also works on both legs to strengthen the knees and inner thighs. It’s also a balancing posture of sorts, so we have to work to stay centred, upright and in line. Remember when you feel you are in position consciously relax the groin and pelvis so that you ‘sink’ a little lower onto the posture.

We also did the Lotus. This is all about experiencing a strong grounded position on the mat while also helping to keep your back aligned. We use it for advanced meditation but also as a posture in its own right. It’s the only posture you can do while watching a dvd. Always do the buterflys in the Cobler first to stretch your upper thighs and open up.

Then we also did the Bridge. We have done this before but from now on we will include it as part of regular routine. This is a really powerful posture. It opens up your chest and gives your lower spine a good backwards flex. The Bridge also impacts on the postures too like the Bow, Shoulderstand, Cobra etc… It will also help strengthen your forearms, wrists and fingers.

This is the routine we did:

  1. Relaxation
  2. Welcome
  3. Kapala Bhati breathing (timed and counted)
  4.  Salute to the Sun (3 rounds)
  5. Half crescent moon.
  6.  Camel
  7.   Cobler
  8. Hero pose
  9. Hero (prone)
  10.  Lotus (step by step)
  11. Sitting Forward bend
  12.  Cobra
  13.  Bow
  14. Shoulder Stand
  15.  Plough
  16.  Bridge
  17.  Fish
  18.   Twist
  19. Standing forward bend
  20. Relaxation
  21.  Om’s

We talked a little about good yoga practice and teaching and particularly about teachers who push or force you into postures. Don’t let that happen. The yoga you practice is your yoga. You have to feel it for yourself. Here is a tip from the Sivananda website:

Tip # 12: Know Your Body’s capabilities

Before you begin your yoga asanas, it is important to recognize your body’s capabilities. Never force your body into a posture or try to go beyond your limit. Remember, yoga is not a competitive sport. Progress may be slow, but with time your body will become flexible. Ease yourself gently into each position and when you are holding a pose, check the body to see if you can feel tension building up anywhere. If you do, consciously try to relax that tension using the breath.

Thursday night…

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Just got back from our very first YogaLife Drop-in at Chorlton Central. We had 18 people including our regular TYR’s,  parents, partners and friends just coming along to see what we get up to. Thank you all for your support and enthusiasm.

We did a simple class to cater for the range of experience we had in the room.

The space seemed to work well too.

So the plan is to do another 6 weeks of drop-ins, then a two-week break then we start regular courses.