Namaskar June 2019 issue by Carol Adams

namaskar A VOICE FOR THE YOGA COMMUNITY

FIVE PARTS OF YOGA Other than postures, Sivananda Yoga says there’s four more parts of yoga we need to work on......p18

BECOMING VEGAN Teacher Ana Forrest shares her long journey to veganism.................................................................................p22

Amrita in Vrischikasana, Scorpion. Photo by International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Thailand

June 2019

ALWAYS A STUDENT Why is it important to stay open to learning, even as we’ve been practicing a long time?...............p28

NAMASKAR

NAMASKAR - JUNE 2019

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Change is as good as a holiday,

or so they say. Can trying something different actually be rejuvenating ? On the cover - Akiki Ishi (Amrita) is a massage therapist,

If so, it could be because every time we try something new, whether it be a new yoga posture, a different Sanskrit chant, or a different yoga class, new neural connections are made in our brain. We, quite literally, change the structure of our brain! People used to believe our brains stopped growing around middle age. But research has shown, with the right stimulation, our brains can continue growing well into our 80s and 90s! To keep our brains growing healthily, we have to exercise regularly, sleep around 8 hours a night, eat a mostly plant-based diet, stay socially and mentally engaged, and be open to new things. For all these “A Beginner’s Mind,” our dristi, is very helpful. Kim and Gabrielle share how they keep their minds open to growth. While in part one of his series on the development of yoga, Eric explains us how the yoga we practice today has been brought to us by generations of yogis who have/had a beginner’s mind. One such teacher is Ana Forrest, an inspiring teacher if only for the fact she changed her entire dietary ethos in her 60s. Her article’s subtitle “Evolve or Die” may seem shocking, but it is also sage advice. While in her article Krishnaa offers a mudra to support our dristi. The dristi is particularly poignant for me as I watch my parents’ decline. Like so many older people, they seem to be more resistant to trying new things the older they get. Contrast this to the few older people who are full of life and vigour. Apart from good genes, it seems these people remain curious and open to new experiences. In my family we have my aunt who, at nearly 80 years old, takes a long-haul flight on her own every month (her husband worked for Air Canada so she gets cheap staff tickets)! She visits old friends and family, and explores new places making new friends. She’s open to sleeping in the airport if she gets bumped off a flight, she looks forward to visiting new countries and travels with a carry-on backpack which she schlepps around the world herself! While I’m certainly not going to start flying around the world every month, I am inspired by her openness and sense of adventure.

ABOUT NAMASKAR ADVERTISING Carol Adams, NamaskarAdvertising@gmail.com KULA

Wai-Ling Tse, NamaskarKula@gmail.com

SUBSCRIPTION Angela Sun, NamaskarSubscription@gmail.com EDITOR

acupunturist and yoga instructor. She volunteers at the Sivananda Yoga Vedants Centre in Thailand. chennaisocialmedia@sivananda.org

In This Issue DRISTI - ALWAYS A STUDENT BACK TO THE BEGINNING BEGINNER’S MIND WHO DELIVERED YOGA TO YOU

28 32 33

SPECIAL FEATURES FIVE ASPECTS OF YOGA 18 Five basic principles of yoga from the founder of the Sivananda Vedanta Yoga Centre YOGA MEDICINE 21 How & why yoga can be effective in recovery from addiction VEGANISM 22 Ana Forrest shares her journey to becoming a vegan.

REGULAR CONTRIBUTIONS KULA UPDATES, WORKSHOPS, RETREATS, TEACHER TRAININGS PHOTO ESSAY ASANA MUDRAS BOOK REVIEW DIET DIRECTORY

6 14 24 38 39 43 44

Namaskar provides a voice for the yoga community around the world. The publication is an opportunity for practitioners on a yogic path to selflessly offer their knowledge, learnings and experiences with others.

Articles and photographs in Namaskar are contributed at no charge. Advertising income covers production, distribution, administrative costs and discretionary contributions to selected charities and causes.

We welcome unsolicited submissions, therefore the opinions expressed within these pages are not necessarily those of Namaskar or its volunteers.

Namaskar, is published quarterly in usually in January, April, July and October. About 5,000 copies are printed and distributed for free to yoga studios, teachers, fitness centres, retail outlets, cafes and yoga-friendly outlets. Mostly distributed in Hong Kong, with 1,500 copies mailed to readers in 32 other countries.

Frances Gairns, NamaskarEditor@gmail.com

June 2019

CONTRIBUTORS

ANA FORREST

Carol takes care of the Namaskarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s administration, advertising and billing from the United Kingdom. She works from home which gives her the freedom to take care of her son. NamaskarAdvertising@gmail.com

GABRIELLE MCMAHON

JOSE CALARCO

ERIC SHAW

Jose is a song man, artistic director and ceremonial leader, with a long association with the arts for the last 25 years, particularly in Australia. www.descendance.net

Ana is a medicine woman, author and creatrix of Forrest Yoga since 1975. www.anaforrest.yoga ANGELA SUN

Angela takes care of the distribution and circulation of Namaskar. Now based in her home town of New York, has been practicing yoga for 10 years. She currently teaches privately. NamaskarSubscription@gmail.com

Eric has studied yoga and meditation for more than 30 years and taught both since 2001. He maintains a lively international teaching schedule and is the creator of Prasana Yoga and Yoga Education through imagery. He is an E-RYT-500 with two degrees in Art and Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degrees in Education, Religious Studies and Asian studies. www.prasanayoga.com

Gabrielle is a life and spiritual coach, incorporating meditation, yoga and Ayurveda. She is based in Byron Bay, Australia. www.bebliss.com.au HEATHER BONKER

FRANCES GAIRNS

CAROL ADAMS Heather is a freelance yoga photographer and yoga teacher currently based between the UAE and California. heather@heatherbonker.com / www.heatherbonker.com

Editor of Namaskar since 2003, Frances lives in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. with her family. NamaskarEditor@gmail.com

KAROL KAUSER HASEGAWA

NAMASKAR

Originally from Hawaii, Karol is now based in S.E. Asia. He has been a student and teacher of yoga and the martial arts for over half his life. A massage therapist as well as a personal fitness and corrective exercise trainer he works using aspects of these disciplines and arts as they apply to each group or individual. shugyo66@yahoo.com

KIM ROBERTS

SWAMI VISHNUDEVANANDA (1927- 1993)

namaskar Now on-line at: www.issuu.com/namaskarasia

Dristi for August 2019: Kim earned an M.A. in Contemplative Psychology from Naropa University and was authorized as an Ashtanga Yoga teacher, teaching internationally for over 20 years. She leads retreats in beautiful natural settings around the world sharing tools to negotiate life transitions and find inner peace. She’s also an artist. Her forthcoming book, Toward A Secret Sky: A Guide To The Art Of Pilgrimage, will be published in June 2019. www.KimRoberts.Co

Teacher Burnout Born in 1927 in south India, Swami Vishnudevananda was sent to the West in 1957 by his guru Swami Sivananda to spread the teachings of yoga. He founded, in Swami Sivananda’s name, the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres in 1959 in Canada and from there worked tirelessly as a spiritual teacher and peace missionary, setting up yoga centres and ashrams throughout the world. www.sivananda.org

KRISHNAA KINKARIDAS

Dristi for November 2019:

Studio Owner’s Path

If you’d like to contribute on any of these topic, please email Frances at NamaskarEditor@gmail.com with the idea for your article.

WAI-LING TSE

Contributions are also welcome on other topics. Final articles are welcome before July 10 for August issue and; October 10 for November issue.

Krishnaa lives in London. She studied with B.K.S. Iyengar and now runs classes in London and teaches Sanskrit and mudras for yoga for the Yoga Alliance and British Wheel of Yoga. She has written 15 books on Bhakti Yoga. kinkaridasi@hotmail.com

Wai-Ling practices and teaches mindfulness, therapy and is Kula editor for Namaskar. NamaskarKula@gmail.com

June 2019

KULA

Updates

Yoga Room The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan Every Monday 4:10-5pm Preteens (9-12); 5:10-6pm Teens (12-16) Every Friday 4:10-5pm Kids (6-8) ; 5:10-6pm Preteens (9-12) For more information info@yogaroomhk.com / www.yogaroomhk.com / (852) 2544 8398

Accessible Yoga for Everyone YAMA Foundation Platform, Sai Ying Pun Yoga for people with special needs, disabilities or physical challenges. Individual and group classes for different ages and abilities. Held on Mondays 2-6pm, classes by donation. Bookings required.

World Yoga Day 21 June Everywhere

For more information www.yamahk.org

For more information info@yamahk.org / yamahk.org / (852) 5507 0268

New Regular Self-Attunement Hong Kong Kirtan AntiGravityÂŽ Kids Meditation PICER, Central Festival - Bhakti Classes at The For the past 20 years, this Yoga Sunsplash HONG KONG

21 June Platform Events Space, Sai Ying Pun A kirtan evening of devotional chanting and sound healing meditation to raise awareness and funds for the YAMA Foundation. 100% of ticket sales will go towards YAMA Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s free Yoga programs for special needs and under privileged youth in Hong Kong. Tickets online HK$300 / at the door: HK$380. 6

community has been assisting people to help bring about real change to their lives. Sessions held Mondays 4-5pm and Wednesdays 8-9pm; HK$100. Call to reserve a space. For more information www.picer.com

12th Evolution Asia Yoga Conference 13-16 June Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wanchai This annual Yoga event held in Hong Kong with over 165 lectures, workshops, and training with 45+ master teachers from around the globe. For more information www.asiayogaconference.com

New Classes at The Iyengar Yoga Centre of Hong Kong New Level I class on Wednesdays, 7-8am starting in May. New timings for current classes; Wednesday 7:10-8:10am Pranayama class will be moving to Thursdays, at the new time of 7-8am; and the Friday 7:108:10am Level I/II class will be starting 10 minutes earlier at the new time of 7-8am. For more information www.iyengaryogahongkong.com

NAMASKAR

For more information info@yogamala.com.hk

Ashtanga Yoga Classes with Michel & Rossyln

Anne Cousin is Singing Bowl therapist working at iLiving in Hong Kong.

Tension Release Exercise & Singing Bowl with Anne Cousin Fridays 6:45-8:15pm iLiving, Central Tension release exercise is a selfhelp tool to proactively relieve the build up of stress and to maintain long-term balance. Plus the sound vibrations of Himalayan Singing Bowl will further support the release of tension and trauma in the body, so the nervous system and the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energetic field are further balanced.

Vinyasa/movement. Suitable for beginners. Rosslyn Ying & Michel Besnard will be at

For more information info@yogamala.com.hk

Yoga Mala in Hong Kong

Moon Day at Yoga Mala 3 & 17June; 3 & 17 July 7:30-9:10am Mala Meditation 9:10-10am Self Practice

4-5 September Yoga Mala, Central 7:30-9:45am : Mysore 10-11am: Kriya, Pranayama & Meditation 6 September

8-10am : LED primary 10-11am : Kriya, Pranayama & Meditation For more information info@yogamala.com.hk

Global Wellness Summit 15-17 October Grand Hyatt, WanchaiThe Global Wellness Summit (GWS) is an invitation-only international gathering that brings together leaders and visionaries to positively impact and shape the future of the dynamic global wellness economy. At each annual Summit, delegates are challenged to look at the way business is done and to create new, collaborative models for the future. For more information www.globalwellnesssummit.com/

For more information ilivinghk.com/all-events

Friday Mysore for Beginners by Dorothy 14, 21, 28 June; 5 and 12 July (10:30am-12noon) Yoga Mala, Central Helps to develop a committed, self-practice. Cultivate mindfulness in the practice with traditional Sanskrit counting method, Pranayama/breath and

Graduates of the "20 hours of Applying The Principles of Iyengar Yoga for Correct Alignment" at Yoga Thai Tam Giang in Da Nang City, Vietnam. Teacher Marzena Kierepa standing, centre back.

June 2019

KULA

Workshops

CHINA

Dive Deep into Ashtanga with Dylan 15-23 June Kunming dylanyo@gmail.com

Ashtanga Yoga with David Swenson 24 - 30 June Pure Yoga, Shanghai www.pure-yoga.com

Ana Forrest & Jose Calarco

Intuition & Systemic Constellation Workshop with Anita 14-16 June iLiving, Central www.ilivinghk.com

Active Birth Workshop (in Cantonese) with Holly The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan 22 June www.yogaroomhk.com

19 - 20 October Pure Yoga Shanghai www.pure-yoga.com

Yin & Yang for 7 Chakras HONG KONG Workshop with Intermediate level Miranda Yip Classes with Sue Everett 31-May 4-6pm and 7.15-9pm Yoga Central HK, Central yogacentralhk@gmail.com

Yoga Immersion with Sue Everett

Shoulder Opening & Arm Balancing with Katharina The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan 23 June info@yogaroomhk.com / www.yogaroomhk.com / (852) 2544 8398

6, 13, 20 and 27 July Yoga Mala, Central www.yogamala.com.hk

Singing Bowl & Tuning Fork Relaxation Intensive with Malbert The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan 6-7 July info@yogaroomhk.com / www.yogaroomhk.com / (852) 2544 8398

16 - 18 August Pure Yoga www.pure-yoga.com

Ashtanga Yoga Workshops with Michel & Rosslyn 7 & 8 September Yoga Mala, Central info@yogamala.com.hk

Svastha Yoga Therapeutics Foundations Program with Dr. Ganesh Mohan

Mala in Hong Kong

22 June Yoga Mala, Central info@yogamala.com.hk

Jambo Troumg will be at The Yoga Room in Hong Kong

7-10 August Heritage Lodge yogacentralhk@gmail.com

Advanced Flexibility & Handstands with Unlock Your Back Miguel Santâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ana - 29 September & Shoulders with 15 Pure Yoga Jambo Truong www.pure-yoga.com

Miranda Yip will be teaching at Yoga

The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan 8-9 June info@yogaroomhk.com / www.yogaroomhk.com / (852) 2544 8398

Yoga Sutra Study Camp 3 with Jawahar Bangera

Yin & Myofascial Release Workshop Hot Yoga with with May Lim Esak Garcia

1-2 June Yoga Central HK, Central yogacentralhk@gmail.com

Yoga of Sound with Nora

The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan 20-21 July www.yogaroomhk.com

NAMASKAR

2-6 October The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan info@yogaroomhk.com / www.yogaroomhk.com / (852) 2544 8398

MALAYSIA

Yoga Flow with Hu Wei Gou 14 July Surya Yoga, Selangor www.suryayoga.com.my PHILIPPINES

Mysore Sadhana with Dylan 26 June-2 July Ashtanga Yoga Manila dylanyo@gmail.com

Daily Mysore & Sitting Practice with Dylan

Israeli Iyengar teacher Eyal Shifroni will be at Yoga Central in Hong Kong

Props for Yoga Workshop with Dr. Eyal Shifroni

9 - 11 August Radiantly Alive, Bali www.radiantlyalive.com

3 July-30 August Sadhana Siargao www.tarik.com/siargao/

Yoga Central HK, Central 16-17 November yogacentralhk@gmail.com

SINGAPORE

Immersive Yoga course with James Boag 29 June-7 July Casa Cuadrau www.casacuadrau.org TAIWAN

Adarsh Williams Weekend Workshop 3 - 4 August Space Yoga www.withinspace.com

Hart Lazar 5-day Immersion 5 - 9 August Space Yoga www.withinspace.com

Paul Dallaghan Yoga Intensive

Yoga Therapy with Carlotta Castangia

Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series Weekend Immersion with James Figueira

6 July Desa Seni, Bali www.desaseni.com

1-2 June The Yoga Shala www.theyogashala.com

Explorations with Dylan Bernstein

SPAIN

5-9 June Mandala Wellness, Saigon www.mandala-wellness.com.vn

INDONESIA

Yin Yoga & the Benefit to our Joints with Dian Shiloh Mariany

Hiro Landazuri will be at Radiantly Alive in Bali

JAPAN

13 July Desa Seni, Bali www.desaseni.com

Buddhism, Yin & Mindfulness with Sarah Powers

Workshops with Hiro Landazuri

14-16 June Tokyo www.sarahpowers.com

Integrated Yoga, Meditation & Hiking Retreat with James Boag 8-14 June Casa Cuadrau www.casacuadrau.org

June 2019

25 August Space Yoga www.withinspace.com VIETNAM

Applying The Principles of Iyengar Yoga for Correct Alignment 13-16 June Yoga Thai Tam Giang Center, Da Nang www.zenithyogavietnam.com

KULA

Retreats

AUSTRALIA

3-day Byron Wellness Retreat 28 - 30 June Byron Bay www.byronyoga.com

5-day Byron Wellness Retreat 22 - 26 July Byron Bay www.byronyoga.com

8-day Byron Wellness Retreat 4 - 8 August Byron Bay www.byronyoga.com INDIA

Diptome Bose Indian Retreat 20-28 September Delhi, Agre & Rishikesh, India www.pure-yoga.com INDONESIA

Elemental Alchemy: A Yoga, Yoga Nidra & Ayurveda Retreat 13 - 18 August AmrtaSiddhi Ayurveda Health Center, Ubud www.somahjourneys.net

Slow down & Reconnect with Julia Ruff LaBalian Villa Tabanan, Bali 22 - 28 September www.juliaruffyoga.com

Camp Clarity Transformational Women's Retreat 29 September - 5 October Bali www.joincampclarity.com

Asana Advanced with Murni Made

13 - 18 October Meditation and Blue Karma Secrets, Ubud mystic healing www.asanaadvanced.com.au retreat with Pedro Ashtanga Meets Salazar Baptiste Yoga 6 - 7 July Radiantly Aive, Bali Retreat with www.radiantlyalive.com Clayton & 7-Day Juice Tryphena 6-11 November Fasting Detox Bali Retreat www.pure-yoga.com

ITALY

Yoga Retreat with Monica Marini & Samacitta 22-29 June Salento, Puglia www.samacitta.com

Ashtanga Yoga Retreat with Clayton

Jen Kentrup leads a retreat to Nepal

28 September-5 October www.pure-yoga.com

NEPAL

Italy: Live the Magic with Martina & Anjan 6-12 October www.pure-yoga.com MEXICO

La Buena Vida Yoga Retreat with Kanami & Andrew 9 15 October Puerto Escondido, Mexico www.powderyoga.com

Kathmandu Retreat with Jen Kentrup 25-30 September www.pure-yoga.com

Nepal Iyengar Yoga Retreat 14 - 23 October Kathmandu & Pokhara www.chevronyogacentre.com NICARAGUA

A Retreat for the Souls, Sun & Surf with Julia McCabe

The Yoga Barn, Bali 21 - 28 July www.theyogabarn.com

Julia McCabe leads her annual retreat to Nicaragua

NAMASKAR

14 - 21 October Los Cardones, Nicaragua www.juliamccabe.com PHILIPPINES

Surf & Yoga Retreat with Katharina & The Yoga Room 5-9 June Siargao info@yogaroomhk.com / www.yogaroomhk.com / (852) 2544 8398

Ashtangi Daniel Stringer leads retreats and workshops at Samahita, Thailand

Ngaresero, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire www.tarik/africa

21-28 December; 28 December-4 January 2020 Samahita Retreat, Koh Samui www.samahitaretreat.com

Cat Kabira leads a women’s retreat in Ibiza in July and will be at Asia Yoga

THAILAND

Conference in Hong Kong in June.

The Art of Integration Retreat with Daniel Stringer

SPAIN

Women’s Retreat in Ibiza 5 - 12 July Santa Eulalia , Ibiza www.catkabira.com

Yin & Yang Yoga Retreat with Simon Low Mary Taylor will lead a retreat at

27 July-3 August Samahita Retreat, Koh Samui www.samahitaretreat.com

Samahita in Koh Samui, with Richard Freeman

Master Saumik 55-day Retreat with day retreat to Koh Amrit Samui SRI LANKA

11 - 15 September Marissa, Sri Lanka www.realyoga.com.sg TANZANIA Yoga Safari 2 - 10 November

16 - 20 October Koh Samui www.realyoga.com.sg

Samahita Retreat, Koh Samui 11-18 January 2020 www.samahitaretreat.com

Richard Freeman & Mary Taylor 8-18 December Samahita Retreat, Koh Samui www.samahitaretreat.com

Centred Yoga Retreat with Paul Dallaghan & the Samahita Team June 2019

VIETNAM

Reconnect & Recharge Retreat with Helen To of Karma Yoga 21-25 August Fushion Maia, Da Nang www.karmayoga.hk

KULA

Teacher Trainings AUSTRALIA

200-hr Part-time TT 24 August - 15 December Body Mind Life, Byron Bay & Surry Hills www.bodymindlife.com

Byron Bay Residential Intensive 500-hr TT 9 September - 18 October Byron Yoga Centre www.byronyoga.com

200-hr Full-time TT 14 October - 15 November Body Mind Life, Surry Hills www.bodymindlife.com CANADA

200-hr Summer Intensive with Julia McCabe Squamish, British Columbia www.juliamccabe.com CHINA

Patrick Creelman & Rinat Perlman TT(200-hr) 9 September – 5 October Pure Yoga Beijing www.pure-yoga.com HONG KONG

AntiGravity Fitness TTs with Tamer Begum The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan 4-7 July - Fundamentals 1&2 11-14 July - Aerial Yoga 1&2 info@yogaroomhk.com / www.yogaroomhk.com / (852) 2544 8398

Lawrence 200-hr Spectrum Pradhan’s 200-hr of Care TT 23 August-20 January 2020 Therapeutic TT Gecko Yoga, Sheung Wan

(852) 2905 1822 / enquiry@anahatayoga.com.hk

Massage with Acupoints info@yogaroomhk.com / www.yogaroomhk.com / (852) 2544 8398

September-December Platform, Sai Ying Pun hershayoga.com/upcomingtrainings

85-hrs Yoga 6 July – 29 September Therapy TT geckoyoga.com/training/200Pure Yoga hour-teacher-training/ (Chinese ) with www.pure-yoga.com Ann & Keiki 200-hour Yoga TT Yin Yoga TT (100- September-November flotrainings@gmail.com / Certificate Course hr) with Nicky (852) 9888 2400 Hadjithoma 22 July-16 October Anahata Yoga, Central 24 August – 29 September 85-hr Yin Yang www.anahatayoga.com.hk / Pure Yoga (852) 2905 1822 / www,pure-yoga.com YTT (Chinese) enquiry@anahatayoga.com.hk with Ann & Keiki Accessible Yoga September-November Thai Yoga (teaching flotrainings@gmail.com / Massage Training physically (852) 9888 2400 with Debby challenged yogis) Integral Yoga’s Stanley TT Raja Yoga & The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan 26-28 August (9am-5pm) 27-28 July - Introduction to Thai Meditation TT Platform, Sai Ying Pun Yoga Massage hershayoga.com/upcoming(100-hr) 2-4 August - Level 1 Thai Yoga trainings 300-hr Advance TT with Kapil Rajiv

200-hr Hatha 1 September – 17 November Yoga TT (Chinese Pure Yoga www.pure-yoga.com program) with Ann & Keiki Kidding Around August-November Yoga Kids Yoga flotrainings@gmail.com / (852) 9888 2400 TT 7-8 September (9am-5pm) 300-hr Advanced Platform, Sai Ying Pun Yoga TT (Chinese hershayoga.com/upcomingtrainings program) with Ann & Keiki 200-hr Advanced August-October Hatha Yoga TT flotrainings@gmail.com / with Yogananth (852) 9888 2400 Andiappan 7 September-6 November Anahata Yoga, Central www.anahatayoga.com.hk / NAMASKAR

300-hr Advanced Yin Yang Vinyasa TT (Chinese) with Janet Lau The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan 90-hr Yoga Sutras - 14-24 September 150-hr Mindfulness - scheduled for 2020 info@yogaroomhk.com / www.yogaroomhk.com / (852) 2544 8398

Integral Yoga 200-hr TT October-May 2020 Platform, Sai Ying Pun hershayoga.com/upcomingtrainings

Patrick Creelman & Rinat Perlman TT (200-hr) 14 October – 7 December Pure Yoga www.pure-yoga.com

Advanced 150-hr Kids Yoga TT (95- Mindfulness Yoga Pranayama & hour) with Karen TT with Janet Lau Yoga TT with Paul Dallaghan Wightman 1 - 7 July

www.pure-yoga.com

TAIWAN

19 July – 2 August Pure Yoga www.pure-yoga.com

Yoga Journey, Taipei www.janet-lau.com

100-hr Pranayama 200-hr TT with and Meditation TT Ho & Sandy Ranjan Kumar TT Certificate Shum’s Aerial and Singh Course Yoga Wheel TT 21 - 29 August, 1 - 4 September, 29 October-5 December 22 - 30 September (200-hr) Anahata Yoga, Central Space Yoga www.anahatayoga.com.hk / (852) 2905 1822 / enquiry@anahatayoga.com.hk

7 September – 17 November Pure Yoga www.pure-yoga.com

Michelle Papa & The Collective TT Dr Jean Byrne Desa Seni School of Yoga Mindful Birth 28 September-26 October Yoga (100-hr) Insight Yoga TT 21-29 September Intensive Primary Pure Yoga www.pure-yoga.com Level with Sarah Powers INDONESIA

The Yoga Barn, Bali 10-19 January 2020 sarahpowers.com/iyi/schedule2020/insight-yoga-teachertraining-intensive-primary-leveljanuary-2020/

www.withinspace.com THAILAND

Advanced Classical Pranayama and Philosophy TT with Sri O. P. Tiwari & Paul Dallaghan

Practical Anatomy 14-27 July Advanced TT with Samahita Retreat, Koh Samui www.samahitaretreat.com Arielle NashDegagne 200-hr 16-29 June Foundation Samahita Retreat, Koh Samui www.samahitaretreat.com Course with Paul Dallaghan & Centered Yoga Team 3-31 August; 9 November-7 December Samahita Retreat, Koh Samui www.samahitaretreat.com

International Sivananda Yoga TTC

PHILIPPINES

200-hr Vinyasa Yoga TT 1 - 26 July Yoga Plus Makati, Manila www.yogaplus.ph

29 September-27 October www.sivananda.org/thailand VIETNAM

SINGAPORE

200-hr EssentialYoga TT with Marzena Kierepka

200-hr Hatha & Vinyasa Yoga TT with Hee Boon Tan 6 July – 25 August Pure Yoga

30 June-13 July Samahita Retreat, Koh Samui www.samahitaretreat.com

Hee Boon Tan leads a 200-hr TT at Pure Yoga in Singapore

June 2019

6 September - 16 February Zenith Yoga, Tay Ho www.zenithyogavietnam.com

PHOTO ESSAY

ONE WORLD

Middle East to Far East

WORDS & PHOTOS BY HEATHER BONKER

NAMASKAR

From living nearly a decade in the yoga utopia of Bali, different opportunities have brought me to the Middle East. Here, at first unsure of how I would integrate my passions, I’ve been able to successfully bring both my teaching and yoga photography to this part of the world. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about the spread of yoga it’s you’ll find it reaching across broad expanses of cultures and countries. Here in the desert sands, shining towers, souks and warm crystal waters of the Arabian Gulf, locals, expats and sojourners of all ages continue to come together in this flourishing yoga community. While in Bali, the yoga shalas would be filled with either the roosters crowing or cacophonous ceremonial processions and motorbikes passing by, in other cities where I’ve lived it’s the busy highways and sirens, while here we Ohm alongside the Call-To-Prayer from a neighbouring mosque. One of the beauties of yoga is how the form of physical space is just an accessory to what’s happening within. And rather than dividing, it has the great opportunity to bring us together in this inner journey and union of “One”.

June 2019

NAMASKAR

June 2019

YOGA STYLES

FIVE BASIC PARTS OF YOGA

Asana & more BY SWAMI VISHNUDEVANANDA

The International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre was founded in 1959 by Swami Vishnudevananda in Canada. He as inspired by the teachings of his guru, Swami Sivananda, who was a medical doctor before renouncing his worldly life to establish an ashram in Rishikesh, Northern India in 1932. The five point below are excerpted from Swami Vishudevananda’s “Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga” and submitted by the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre in Chennai, India. By closely observing the lifestyle and needs of the modern men and women, Swami Vishnudevananda synthesized the ancient wisdom of yoga into five basic principles, which can be easily incorporated into everyone’s life.

an exercise in concentration and meditation. Yogis understand the body is as young as it is flexible and yoga asanas stretch the entire body, toning the muscles, joints, spine and skeletal system. They stimulate the internal organs and glands and invigorate and energise all bodily systems, including the nervous, circulatory and immune systems, resulting in radiant physical health. On the mental level there is an increase in concentration, emotional balance, vitality, contentment, calmness and a sense of being grounded. And on a deeper level still the asanas expand our consciousness and awareness of our connection to the universe. The benefits of practising asanas on all aspects of our physical health and mental and spiritual well-being are now universally acknowledged as far-reaching and wideranging.

control the breath to enhance vitality and mental clarity. Pranayama, which literally translates as “control of prana,” consists of specific breathing techniques that increase oxygen intake and encourage the absorption of prana (vital energy) into the body’s subtle energy channels (nadis) and energy centers (chakras). By controlling the prana through the breath, we render the mind calm and clear and experience increased energy, well-being, and peace of mind. 3. PROPER SAVASANA The average person spends much of their physical and mental energy on chronic tension due to the stressors of modern life. We forget rest and relaxation are nature’s way of recharging the body, mind, and soul, and can find it difficult to unwind. Yoga emphasizes the importance of proper relaxation as a way to regulate our energy and create a sense of balance, which enhances our physical and mental health.

1. PROPER ASANA Yoga regards the body as a vehicle for the soul on its evolutionary journey. Accordingly, yogic physical exercises or asanas (steady pose) are designed to develop not only the body but also the mind and spirit. Performed slowly and consciously, each asana is a physical exercise resulting in increased flexibility and strength, as well as 18

2. PROPER PRANAYAMA Breath is life. We can live for days without food or water, but we die in minutes when deprived of breath. Proper breathing should be deep, slow, and rhythmical; nevertheless, most people are accustomed to shallow breathing. Yoga teaches us how to use the lungs to their maximum capacity and how to NAMASKAR

By learning to relax every muscle in the body, we can rejuvenate the nervous system and attain a deep sense of inner peace. This practice is done in Savasana (relaxation pose or corpse pose) and can help us attain physical, mental, and ultimately spiritual relaxation.

4. PROPER DIET Eating simple, healthy, and vegetarian foods that are easy to digest have a positive effect on the mind and body, as well as the environment and other living beings. A yogi eats with awareness, choosing food that has the most positive effect on the body and mind and the least negative effect on the natural world. Yoga states the purpose of eating is to supply the body with prana (vital energy) and advocates a lacto-vegetarian diet as the best way to maximize our pranic intake while keeping the body healthy and the mind clear. A simple and natural diet based on seasonal fruits and vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and organic milk optimizes physical

and mental health and fosters harmony with the world around us. 5. POSITIVE THINKING & MEDITATION According to Swami Vishnudevananda, Vedanta (the philosophy of positive thinking) and dhyana (meditation) are the most important of the five points of yoga because our thoughts define who we are. Every thought we have has a vibration that impacts us personally and the world around us. An optimistic outlook and the ability to focus create uplifting vibrations, making for a healthy, peaceful, and joyful life. As such, we should strive to maintain a

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positive and serene mind and can develop this skill by following the teachings of Vedantic philosophy and practicing meditation. These methods are the keys to achieving true peace of mind and eliminating negativity in our lives.

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HEALTH

YOGA MEDICINE

For Addiction & Recovery BY KAROL KAUSER HASEGAWA

Yoga and addiction seem like two completely different things! How and why should they come together?

able posture. Many moments of feeling good about oneself can have positive effect in other areas of their lives.

One encourages a positive lifestyle and nurtures relationships with one’s self and others. The other destroys life, relationships and disempowers a person.

As well, increased flexibility of body in yoga practice, can translate to increased flexibility of mind in daily life.

It’s no secret addiction, whether alcohol, chemical or digital, is at an all-time high across modern societies and demographics. Recent statistics show deaths from alcohol and drug use at over 350,000 worldwide annually. That’s almost 1,000 people per day or 40 per hour. And that’s not even including suicide deaths, which in many cases are associated with substance abuse. In the United States alone the number of deaths attributed to alcohol increased 35% from 2007 to 2017. Whilst the causes of addiction are complex and as varied as those suffering. I observed a few commonalities, during my time working with military veterans and other sufferers of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, namely anxiety, low self-esteem and poor health. ANXIETY Anxiety can be an exaggerated stress response to things in the past as well as anticipation of the future. Here’s where yoga can be an effective tool, teaching the practitioner to ground down and draw themselves to the present. Slow and controlled breathing, reduces cortisol levels, which results in the body relaxing and mind calming. For people suffering from addiction and anxiety this can reduce the need for medication and give them alternative options for continued care and recovery. LOW SELF-ESTEEM Some people’s addiction may be the response to low self-esteem. A regular yoga practice can often help develop a new awareness of what they can achieve. It can be as simple as balancing on one foot after weeks of instability. Or experiencing a sense of control or calmness during a previously uncomfort-

At their best, yoga studios are nurturing and encouraging communities where practitioners meet and share with others also on the path of self-improvement. Science has even found that the practice of being able to shift the mind and the body through breathing and control of the body transcends the class room and can be applied in to everyday life. POOR HEALTH Individuals who are recovering from addiction have often lived in a body which has suffered years of neglect and abuse. Many, if not all, of the body’s systems are impacted by their addiction and substance abuse. Depending on a chosen practice yoga can aid in the healing of nearly all areas of the body. Proper breathing is the cornerstone of yoga and enhances the respiratory system, improving blood circulation of oxygen-rich blood and nutrients throughout the body. Aasana practices increase muscle tone, strengthens bones and connective tissue. The integumentary system, our skin is our body’s largest organ of detoxification, a good practice with proper breathing will often promote perspiration and detoxification particularly in a hot yoga practice Moving through a practice works the body in variety of positions not normally experienced in everyday living. Twisting and turning aid digestion and elimination, massages the body’s internal organs and improves circulation of the lymphatic system. The nervous system is constantly stimulated in a yoga practice. Bi-lateral movement, using both sides of the body, stimulates alternate sides of the brain increasing cognitive motor June 2019

function. This in turn creates new neuropath ways and assists in repairing damage done to older ones. A yoga practice can literally become food for the brain. One of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had as a yoga teacher was when I taught at a recovery-based community in northern Thailand. We welcomed visitors from all over the world. People at various stages of recovery from depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol addiction or other challenges. This diverse group would gather outside twice daily in the beautiful Thai countryside to share in a collective practice together. Each person benefitted from their own practice regardless of skill level or experiences. Unlike more complicated practices, yoga doesn’t take months or years of training to deliver benefits. A beginner can simply lay back in a comfortable restorative posture and focus on relaxing the body and calming the mind. If that beginner is a recovering addict or alcoholic, this alone can open doors to a deeper and more encompassing practice in the future. CONNECTION I have a friend who’s been in recovery for 30 years. For the past 10, he’s practiced yoga at studios all around the world. His observation and experience is of yoga transcending cultural and language barriers, connecting people who might otherwise be isolated. Many people find a deeper spiritual connection regardless of religious affiliation or beliefs. Clearing the mind, detaching from ego, connecting to body and breath as well as patience and acceptance are cornerstones to a practice. These tools can foster a greater sense of connection to spirit or one’s higher power which are also the corner stones to 12step and other recovery programmes.

OPINION

VEGANISM

Evolve or Die BY ANA FORREST

In Forrest Yoga we teach the principle ‘evolve or die’. If you stay trapped by the painful experiences in your life, you perpetuate living as a victim and never find your truest, most precious self. If you choose to evolve, you’ll discover the path to reconnection with the wild sweetness of Spirit and nature. In recent years, Forrest Yoga has gone through its own evolution with the addition of Shamanic music Ceremonies and the intelligence of the Vegan lifestyle, introduced by Jose Calarco, co-director of Forrest Yoga. The teachings of Veganism bring more focus to our foundational soul ethics: feeling our connection to nature, living with awareness of being part of the Great Mystery, helping our people by giving assistance where needed, and respecting animals and the delicate interlocking of all life. I have been steering my own evolution to ‘choose life’ since 1975. When I first became a vegetarian, I stopped smoking and drinking alcohol, and began teaching yoga, to give the humans the tools to make better choices for a sane world. As an animal trainer, I realized most of the work I was doing was undoing the abuses the humans inflicted on the animals. If I wanted to help the animals, I needed to help the source of the problem…the humans. We all want to make a difference in this world. By eating a plant-based diet, each person contributes to helping the Earth and ozone layer come back into balance. Being Vegan cleanses the toxicity of the animals’ suffering (and the pharmaceuticals they were fed) out of our cell tissue, and brings in new, brilliant vitality. Every day you get to choose food that promotes healing for yourself and the planet. When I was young, I grew up starved and not knowing how to feed myself. When I moved into a yoga center that provided healthy, fresh, vegetarian meals twice a day, I felt very lucky. However, I was then horrified to find that the longer I ate the food, the sicker I got. At first, I thought it was the detox from alcohol and drugs, but when the stomach 22

pains didn’t go away, I started my own scientific process to track down the problem. Years later, I took an allergy test and discovered that I was allergic to many of the protein builders in the traditional vegetarian diet…all grains and beans. In an attempt to honor ahimsa (non-violence) I was yet again doing violence to myself. I was poisoning myself. Disheartened, I gave up on the vegetarian diet. I recognized it wasn’t working, but failed to continue to research what would work. I needed to go deeper, but couldn’t. For many years, I still felt the scars of failing to uphold these lovely principles of the Yoga Adept, frequently falling into despair, overwhelm, and the sense of failure. Then, I moved to the wilderness of Washington onto the Inchelium Reservation. I deepened my immersion into the Native American Medicine ways, including how to hunt, kill, and give thanks to the animal for its life-force and nutrients. I also learned how to run energy through my food asking it to align with me in a Good Medicine way so I could do my work in this world. After suffering with bulimia and lack of selfesteem for years, thanking my food was radically important healing for me. I needed to more fully connect with my body and ask it questions on what I needed. Through Ceremony, prayer, and growing reverence for life (including my own) I was able to feed the true hunger inside…yet lived with the scarred-over feelings of hypocrisy: of loving animals and killing them to eat. In 2014, I met Jose, who has been a Vegan chef, animal activist and writer for 30 years. We began our courtship intertwined with our radically different views on how to eat honorably in this world: The Huntress of the Forests meets the Man of Peace! He provided me with help and guidance on my re-education regarding the impact of our food choices on the planet. He gave me some documentaries to watch including: “What the Health,” “Earthlings,” “Cowspiracy,” and “A Diet for All Reasons”. I had to reach past my own numbness, shame NAMASKAR

and fury to absorb this new way of interacting with the world. I came to the realization I had been teaching my people to eat in a way that contributed to all of our destruction! That was a really hard truth to snuggle up to. For so long I have been problem solving the great mystery of my health. Now, I was facing the bigger truth of what my actions are doing in this world. It wasn’t all about ‘where do I get my protein?’ As I began freeing myself from old misinformation and conclusions, I learned to trust I could get what I needed to live gracefully without eating meat. I started to reconnect to my animal wisdom and wondered where bigger animals, like horses, got their protein and strength. I finally understood Jose when he said a plant-based diet would give me what I need. With a renewed commitment to the Earth, animals, truth and my health, I became Vegan. I DON’T HAVE TO KILL TO LIVE! AND I’M THRIVING. I took what I learned by listening to my body and started to incorporate that into my Vegan nutritional strategy. I stayed away from the things to which I was allergic, and built a diet around what felt good for me. Jose has taught me how to eat in a delicious and non-conflicted way. My love and respect for our animal kin is fully uncovered and emotionally felt. Now that I’m making better choices to no longer create suffering for myself or other beings, a new level of clearing karma from my own life is happening. Another great benefit to being Vegan is my Beloved is much happier kissing me now I don’t have blood and rancid animal fat on my breath! This lifestyle dates far back in our planet’s history. Even Albert Einstein once said, “Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival as much as an evolution to a vegetarian diet.” Together we can all protect and heal the Earth and the creatures. We just need to further connect with our bodies to feel what genuinely works best, then evolve from that. We can take responsibility for our own evolution! How cool is that?

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Photo by Ken Treloar, www.unsplash.com

ASANA

THREE TIPS FOR VIRABHADRASANA 3

Inspiration can be found all around 24

1. Spread your toes and feet to ensure a solid foundation 2. Gaze at a single point 3. Tighten into your core, and soften your feathers NAMASKAR

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DRISTI - ALWAYS A STUDENT

BACK TO THE BEGINNING Being a Perpetual Student BY KIM ROBERTS

BEGINNERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MIND........32 WHO DELIVERED YOGA...33

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photo by Anupam Mahapatra on www.unsplash.com

At my first yoga class 1992, I found myself in an Ashtanga yoga class taught by Richard Freeman. I had just entered Naropa University’s M.A. Psychology programme and I needed a “contemplative body discipline” to fulfill an elective requirement. I had been curious about yoga, so in Boulder, Colorado I found myself at the Yoga Workshop. Richard’s specialty was his Level 1 class for beginners. We never did more than one or two sun salutations, a few standing postures and perhaps three seated postures over a two-hour period. It was exhausting. I’m sure when added up, the total time I have spent in trikonasana is well over 12 years! Over the years, my practice evolved and I started teaching. But even if the postures became more complex or the daily practice got longer, I never forgot the power of slowing things down that I had learned from Richard.

Sometimes I hear people complain about not progressing along the path quickly enough. But I think of it differently: I always want to be a beginner. One sure way to stop learning is to become an expert. When I did my first meditation retreat, I read a book by Zen teacher Shunyru Suzuki Roshi called, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind. He writes, “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.” Being a beginner is humbling. Humility can be a profound teaching, if we are brave enough to face it. So I am a perpetual beginner. I realized if I think I already know something, I won’t learn anything new. I thought I already knew a lot. This was a bit humbling, until I realized I could learn to appreciate and learn from humility. As beginners, we might be able to do all the fancy postures—or not. But there is no need

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to worry about this. Worrying makes the face tight and the breathing shallow, and neither of these helps us become any wiser or kinder. People are often in such a hurry to move on to the next phase. Especially in a system such as Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga where there is a linear path to the “advanced” practice, being stuck at the beginning can feel like a punishment. The reality is some of us have passed the time of life when we will be able to develop the strength or stamina to do an entire series, or we have other limitations— or priorities—that prevent us from incorporating a six-day a week full primary (or advanced) series practice. Life is not always straightforward as we might like it. Sometimes we have to get creative to make our way through to the next stage. And creativity rarely follows convention, if ever.

In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few. What I love about being a perpetual beginner—and teaching beginners— is the complete absence of pre-conception. We have no idea what we are in for. Openness is the most important tool we have when learning something new. It is also how to keep practice fresh. If we lose this, we lose the whole point of practice. Openness is not just about flexible hips or shoulder joints. Openness means acceptance, curiosity. If I cannot do a posture as a beginner, I can accept that; after all, I have only just begun. But if, after 10 or 20 or 30 years I still can not do that posture, I might invent excuses and try to hide my embarrassment or vulnerability. Conversely, I may do that posture so easily I do not accept others cannot do it, and become arrogant. Over the years I’ve taught students who have gorgeous asana practices—but with bad attitudes. I have taught students with “bad” asana practices and gorgeous attitudes. I find the latter to be the more advanced student and, frankly, much better company. When push comes to shove, as it often does in the world of Ashtanga practice, what we all need is a little more open-mindedness, a little more love, and a little less pressure and ambition. As someone said to me recently, “People just need to feel better about themselves.” We may think this is a recipe for lethargy or laziness. Of course we can go either of those routes. But if we keep our wits about us and

our strength intact, most of us could afford to ease up a bit. We could learn to accept where we are, even when it does not match up with where we think we should be. My grandmother Toppy was a great beginner. She was always curious about her surroundings and the people around her. She learned three languages so she could learn about new cultures. She learned by listening. Her most important teaching was this: relax and enjoy. Toppy had another pearl: Thy will be done. She recognized what she wanted in life was not necessarily what she was going to get. Some of us will be able to complete even difficult postures with ease right from the start. Some of us will never get beyond the simplest postures. We are born with different circumstances, responsibilities, lessons and roles to fill. When we accept our situation, we often find the key to change. Coming back to the beginning is how we accept our situation. We come home to our lives, challenges and all. We come back to being ignorant about what comes next. We learn to appreciate the slow progress—and setbacks— as we stabilize our meditation and finally have a glimpse of insight. The most important teaching Richard Freeman ever gave me was to listen to myself, even if everyone else was doing something different. We know ourselves better than anyone else ever will. Our innate wisdom develops its voice slowly, and at the same time, we learn to hear it more clearly. We learn to trust it.

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So part of remaining a student is learning to listen to our own needs. If an instruction is not helpful or applicable, then don’t use it. We learn to respect our innate wisdom, regardless of what the “tradition” or the current fashion dictates. The older I get, the less I know. I do know when I show up to practice each day I’ll have a different experience. I know if I don’t practice I become a cranky human. I know when I do practice I feel connected to a source of ground and goodness that is otherwise difficult for me to access. As I evolve, I have had to learn to adapt more than is comfortable. I miss my old practice some days. Injuries, age, failures, change…life goes on regardless of our agenda to accomplish a certain yoga practice. But there is beauty in going with the flow of life. Even if some days I feel like my outer practice has disintegrated, the inner practice feeds me in an indescribable way. I have had to learn to come back to the breath, again and again. It is this simple instruction that determines whether we are perpetual students or not. The breath is never the same twice. We will never know it, because it is always changing. Coming back to that elusive, intuitive, and blissful experience on a regular basis, we will remain eager students forever.

DRISTI – ALWAYS A STUDENT

A BEGINNER’S MIND

Can be a Meditation Tool BY GABRIELLE MCMAHON

I am on a train home after a 21-day silent meditation retreat. Trees, houses and other scenery speed past my window, I start to feel overwhelmed. Where is the stillness I cultivated at the retreat? How will I maintain the mindfulness when I return to the real world? Despite fear looming in the background of my mind, I recall one of the basic instructions in meditation for coming back to the present – sit with your breath. When we are new to something, we are usually open to new ideas and ways of doing things. But I have been practicing yoga and meditation for years. And for the past three weeks, I’ve been mediating solidly. By most standards, I am no beginner. Nevertheless, being able to come back a beginner’s mind again and again allows me to be open to whatever arises with a clear, fresh perspective. With my beginner’s mind, I have no preconceived ideas or expectations of how I should be or how my practice should be. I can let go of striving to be someone else or somewhere else, and just sit quietly and contently. On any other occasion, the train ride would be a sensory delight. But today the sounds, sights and smells seem to create an intense unsteadiness within me.

In start contrast to the silence of the past three weeks, are the sounds of the people sharing my carriage – a mother cooing at her baby, a man typing angrily on his computer, and older lady writing in her journal, a young buy talking loudly on his phone. I feel the effect their combined sounds have on me, and I notice myself starting to wonder what their stories are. “Perhaps the lady is writing a poem. I wonder what it’s about?” “The guy’s talking so loudly, doesn’t he realise he’s disturbing other people?” But getting caught up in other’s life stories or starting to plan and strategise how best to live in this busy world will not help me regain balance. Connecting with my breath, I bring myself back to my beginner’s mind. I feel the support of the seat, and the ground as my toes connect to it through my shoes. My eyelids touch, face softens and shoulders gradually draw back and open. I begin to relax into my body. My breath deepens while the train rattles and shakes. I feel the cool breath flow in through my nostrils and down to my belly, it comes alive with its own personality. I remain aware of the present, observing what sounds, smells and feelings arise. I have to make a concerted effort to keep this beginner’s mind during my meditations. To maintain an attitude of open and living awareness of all that arises around me and

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within me. And when my mind wanders off, knowing that is okay too. I find my breath again, and gently, lovingly invite my focus back to the moment. Sometimes I think returning to the present is like seeing an old friend again after some time apart. We embrace each other in joy and respect, and just continue from where we left off last time. There is an unspoken ease, openness and acceptance that everything is as it should be, and that is okay. The sound of the other train passengers’ chatter now fades into the background as I hold steady and relaxed, observing my breath and senses as they bring equanimity to my being. A feeling of gratitude and calm moves throughout my mind and body, and even moistens my eyes. Staying with the simplicity of my practice – with a beginner’s mind, I regain a sense of being back in the present, as I had during the retreat. I sit with an open heart and mind, confident I can bring all this back to the real world.

DRISTI - ALWAYS A STUDENT

WHO DELIVERED YOGA TO YOU?

Lineages of Modern Yoga, Part I BY ERIC SHAW If modern yoga history is just the sum of a small set of teaching lineages, the family line starts with Swami Vivekananda and his instruction outside India in the last years of the 19th century. From the seeds he planted in his first speech in Chicago, on September 11th, 1893, we can apply a generational model to yoga, labeling Vivekananda “Generation Zero.” In this pattern, the important figures active in India’s Mysore, Mumbai, Rishikesh, Kolkata and Bangalore in the early 20th century’s Hatha Yoga Renaissance are Generation 1.0.

Gen 2.0, in 1950 Gen 3.0, in 1980 and Gen 4.0 (not discussed here), in 2010 We’ll tell the story of these generations in this issue of Namaskar and the next. On May 31st of 1893, the 30-year-old, Swami Vivekananda (1864 - 1903), left India for the first of two multi-year teaching trips abroad - before his early death (of a brain aneurysm) at the age of 39. His first excursion lasted until 1896; his second went from the midsummer of 1899 to the late winter of 1900. Though mainly in the U.S., he hit a lot of

venues and met important people in Austria, Britain, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland and Turkey. His advent came at the World Parliament of Religions. He wowed that Chicago audience, then went on to wow folks throughout the U.S. and Europe while establishing numerous Ramakrishna Vedanta Centers institutions for the study of yoga and Indian spirituality. He taught postures, chanting and meditation to his students and translated the Yoga Sutras for a popular audience. This book, Raja Yoga, became a best-seller in both America and Europe and planted yogic

The yogis who learned under them—the widely-trumpeted BKS Iyengar, K. Pattabhi Jois, Indra Devi and TKV Desikachar (plus a few others) become Generation 2.0. These Generation 2.0 teachers are mostly responsible for taking yoga to the wider world. All but a handful of these instructors have died, though their students—whom we’ll call Generation 3.0 - remain among us. Be that as it may, these influential men and women are commonly in their 60s and are now yielding to a newer family of innovators. Using very approximate dates, each generation began public teaching in these years: Gen 0.0, in 1893 Gen 1.0, in 1920

Swami Vivekananda (centre) and monks of the Ramakrishna Order

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ideas in the intellectual mainstream, giving strong impetus to a newly-imagined mysticism and an enlightened psychology while accelerating a wide range of New Age ideas. This was the beginning of yoga in its modern form.

Swami V got his Bachelor’s Degree. Hastie nurtured Vivekananda’s awareness of cutting-edge Western intellectual developments and spoke openly of Vivekananda’s unique intellectual gifts to those in his circle.

In 1886, after some years of study, Vivekananda had received shaktipat, or lineage power, from his guru, the multireligious Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (1836 1886). He also learned from the HinduChristian syncretist, Keshub Chandra Sen (1839 - 1884) before devoting himself to the Paramahamsa. After Ramakrishna died, he studied briefly with the renunciant, Pavhari Baba (d. 1898).

The Swami was uniquely prepared to bridge Oriental and Occidental understanding and he did so with gusto. Once in the U.S., his main lineage partners were his gurubais—fellow monks from the Ramakrishna Order he founded. They formed an important cadre of Gen 2.0 teachers. These men traveled to teach in Europe and America at the Swami’s bidding, or at the invitation of worldwide Ramakrishna Vedanta Centers after Vivekananda’s death.

A lineage of top-level Western scholars in India also contributed to Vivekananda’s unique capacities. The great Scottish philosopher, William Hastie (1842 – 1903), taught Vivekananda at the General Assembly’s Institution in Calcutta—where

The chief figure among them was Swami Abhedananda (1866 – 1939). He got to the U.S. while Vivekananda was still in-country. Abhedananda wrote books and taught in the States from 1897 till 1921. Like Vivekananda, he taught yoga postures to his students.

The primary example of this is the Gen 1.0 figure, Paramahansa Yogananda (Born Mukunda Lal Ghosh, 1893 – 1952). He relocated to the U.S. in 1920, where he established the Self-Realization Fellowship, wrote the Autobiography of a Yogi and stayed until his death. He taught such figures as Swami Kriyananda (James Donald Walters, 1926 - 2013) and Roy Eugene Davis (1931 – 2019). Though not primary to his Kriya Yoga system, Yogananda taught some Hatha Yoga to his many followers. The swami was supernaturally guided by two saints from his family lineage: the purportedly immortal Babaji, as well as Lahiri Mahasaya, (1828 – 1895). His primary guru was Sri Yukteswar Giri (1855 – 1936) of Calcutta . Yukteswar taught both Yogananda and his influential fitness-yogi brother, Bishnu Ghosh (1903 -1970).

The other most impactful member of the Ramakrishna lineage was Swami Prabhavananda (1893 – 1976), who came to the U.S. in 1923 and deeply influenced thought leaders such as Christopher Isherwood (1904 -1986), Aldous Huxley (1894 -1963) and Gerald Heard (1889 – 1971). Heard founded the Trabuco College alongside Huxley and strongly influenced Michael Murphy (b. 1930) and Richard Price (1930 – 1985) to found Esalen. Isherwood, a noted novelist, and Prabhavananda joined together to write a well-received translation of the Bhagavad Gita.

Pramahansa Yogananda & Sri Yukteswar Giri

Vivekananda’s example—a swami with great knowledge and charisma who leaves India and establishes a lineage—was followed by many after him.

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Krishnamacharya & Iyengar

Though Buddha Bose (1912-1983), married Bishnu’s daughter, Ava Ravi, in 1941, trained under his master for years, wrote books, and toured the world exhibiting a highlyaccomplished posture practice, he’s been mostly forgotten, whereas Ghosh’s other marquee disciple, the Generation 2.0 figure, Bikram Choudhury (b. 1944), started a worldwide movement after coming to Los Angeles in 1970 and has maintained a powerful public presence ever since. Though recently disgraced, it can be argued Choudhury brought more people to yoga than any other individual in history. At the height of his Bikram Yoga movement, over 400 yoga studios worldwide taught his exacting 26-posture, hot yoga practice to packed classes, dawn till dusk. A great number of notable Generation 3.0 yogis studied under him: the great anatomist

Bishnu Gosh & Bikram Choudhury

and Yin Yogi, Paul Grilley (b. 1958), the posture systems master, Tony Sanchez (b. 1959), the hot yoga innovator, Jimmy Barkan, the enterprising Emmy Cleaves (b. 1924) and the Power Yoga superstar, Baron Baptiste (b. 1963). All were his lieutenants for short or very long periods during their distinguished careers. If Bikram takes first place in the contest for most yoga converts, second place falls to the long-lived alignment master of Gen 2.0, B. K. S. Iyengar (1918 - 2014), whose 1964 book Light on Yoga made the practice a byword for health, beauty and the deep authority of India’s spiritual traditions.

more than any other Iyengar protege. Aside from Friend, Vanda Scaravelli’s (1908 1999) philosophy of ease and work with the spine, Judith Hanson Lasater’s (b. 1947) practical methodologies, Rama Jyoti Vernon’s (b. 1941) international work with mindfulness, and Shandor Remete’s (b. 1948) radical departure from Iyengar’s static system to merge yoga with Indian dance, are probably most worthy of mention. NEXT ISSUE: SHIVA REA, ROD STRYKER, ANA FORREST AND MORE . . .

Iyengar’s concept of bodily alignment, though evolved by others, is now yoga gospel, and its masters number in thousands. Among his numerous 3.0 disciples, John Friend’s (b. 1959) thoroughgoing organic alignment formulations and creation of a worldwide movement in Anusara Yoga, plus his later explorations in the Global Bowspring system, transformed yoga far, far

B.K.S. Iyengar & Judith Lasater

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Pattabhi Jois & Richard Freeman

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June 2019

IN BRIEF

MUDRAS BY KRISHNAA KINKARIDAS This month’s drishti, “Always a student” appears so simple yet is of great importance. A good and enduring Yoga Teacher will learn from every student in every class and every situation from the moment they accept the responsibility of conveying such a subject to others. The more they teach and the more students they meet, the more they become qualified for such an elevated position. They learn each and every student they encounter will open up a new viewpoint, a new path of learning, a new realization from practice. With the acceptance they are not perfect in any way, nor capable of giving a definitive answer to every question put to them, their stock of knowledge and experience grows steadily. At the start of a class it is usual to put the palms together to greet each other with namaste; I bow to you, to the light and the spirit within you. I come to you with respect and in peace.

As class concludes it is a moment to repeat the humble and sincere bow to thank attendees for their participation and for sharing part of their journey with the group. A positive energy can be felt by all. Of course, outside the class too, all life experiences can be appreciated as a learning curve and appreciated as a good lesson. Locking antlers is expensive on one’s energy and immune system. Take time to ponder before reacting! Therefore the recommended mudra this time is the “Pranama Mudra”, also called “Atmanjali Mudra.” METHOD It can be done sitting, standing or even kneeling (e.g Vajrasana). Put the palms of the hands together with the fingertips upwards in the ‘prayer position.’ It can be done passively with hands in contact with the chest, or more actively with the hands in front of the chest not touching it and with elbows up and the hands themselves pushing in towards each other. This mudra can soon become quite warming and should be done accompanied by calm, long, strong, even breaths.

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Chin down a notch, eyes closed or half-closed and the tips of the fingers aligned naturally with the third eye and the tip of the nose. This mudra balances to the whole being, especially the brain, and quickly brings one into one’s centre of perfect light and bliss, the heart.

Mysore-based Ashtanga yoga teacher, Mark Flint, has self-published a book in which he: shares his own experience managing rheumatoid arthritis; offers a two-week diet which he says may offer relief to other suffers; suggests some basic yoga and breathing exercises and; maps out the full primary series of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. It’s important to emphasize, what he himself states in the disclaimer, Mark is not a health care professional. The book is solely the culmination of his own experience and research to date. As is stated in the title of the book, he clearly has found a method which works for him, and I feel he offers this book to share that with others, but makes no claims his is the cure for all sufferers. BOOK REVIEW

YOGA AND DIET CURED MY ARTHRITIS by Mark Flint REVIEWED BY FRANCES GAIRNS

At 177 pages, the book is an easy read. Especially as the sections related to Mark’s own story, the two-week diet and basic yoga and breathing exercises comprise only about 70 pages. The balance of the book, over 100 pages, is devoted to summarizing the prsmise of Ashtanga yoga, then outlining the Ashtanga primary series, pose by pose.

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Mark takes a common approach to presenting the yoga asana. And if re-printed in the future, perhaps some arthritis-specific modifications and Mark’s and other arthritic yogis’ anecdotes could accompany certain poses in the sequence. The book is available for sale on Amazon (US$9.79 Kindle, US$14.99 paperback).

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June 2019

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DIET

NINE STEPS TO CONSCIOUS EATING BY JOSE CALARCO

There are three great reasons to become Vegan; 1. Compassion. Do not support immoral industries that treat animals like lifeless commodities. Profit has no conscience. 2. Environment. Factory Farming and affiliated industries that produce meat and dairy products are primarily responsible for much of the planetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s environmental crisis. 3. Health. Vegans have 40% less risk of cancers and serious diseases. Harmful toxins and chemicals in food are 14 times greater when stored in animal tissue as opposed to plants. 1. EAT ORGANIC Organic food has 83% more nutrients & contains no chemicals. 2. EAT LOCAL Eating fresh local produce is far superior than eating cheap imported foods which are already weeks old and have lost their vitality before getting onto market shelves. 3. EAT RAW Cooking food leeches out most of the nutrients: steaming, baking and light grilling is far superior to frying: work towards a 70/30 ratio of Raw vs. Cooked 4. GO VEGAN Nothing will benefit the planet, the animals & your personal health more so than adopting a Vegan diet. 5. NO GARLIC OR ONION Stink foods have absolutely no place in our diets and are highly detrimen-

tal to our Spiritual, Mental, Emotional and Physical wellbeing: These foods cause foul breath, body odor, heartburn & acid reflux. Cleanliness is next to Godliness, being clean on both the outside and inside is a step to spiritual purity & integrity. 6. DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T OVEREAT & DRINK LOTS OF WATER Overeating is a modern day epidemic for both Vegans & meat-eaters alike, which depletes our energy & turns our food into poison. Always leave space in the belly after each meal... Some of the most important steps to good health are to eat moderately, occasionally fast and drinks lots of water between meals: Never drink anything during a meal. 7.EAT WITH THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS (1) From 4am to 12 noon is the cycle of elimination (fruit & liquids only) (2) From 12pm to 8pm is the cycle of appropriation. This is the most efficient time for digesting & eating larger quantities of food. (3) From 8pm to 4am is the cycle of assimilation. Eat nothing if possible, This is the time nutrients are absorbed via the organs. 8. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY After each meal tune into your body, if certain foods are not digesting well & making you feel bloated or ill, then leave them out of your diet. Watch out for food allergies, your body will give you signs what it does and does not want. 9. BLESSING YOUR FOOD WITH LOVE & GRATITUDE Eat with the feeling of receiving life; See your relationship to food as an interface with nature; pray over every meal and eat mindfully.

June 2019