namaskar Jan 2010

namaskar A VOICE FOR THE YOGA COMMUNITY OF ASIA

Pratyahara Mixed Up Healing Anger

JANUARY 2010

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Inside JANUARY 2010

Dristi Pratyahara

Special Features

Be an Insider Insider,, 10

A School for Life, 16 Peter tells us

Kim teaches us how to look inward.

about a school in Bali uses yoga to help children find inner strenght.

From Pr ana yama tto o Prana anay Pr at yahar a, 11 Prat aty ahara, Paul explains what pratyahara is.

On Contentment, 12 Joanna’s blindfold experience helps open her eyes.

Man tr a, 13 Mantr tra, Sankirtana uses mantra to move inwards.

Mind instruments, 14 Hersha show us how to find our Eden.

Regular Contributions NEWS, WORKSHOPS, RETREATS & TEACHER TRAININGS, 5 POEM, 16 TEACHER’S VOICE, 26 HATHI YOGI, 26 TEACHER TRAINING REVIEW, 33 & 39 WORKSHOP REVIEW, 35 & 37 & 41 DIET, 42 RECIPE, 43 BOOK REVIEW, 44 CROSSWORD, 45 TEACHER & STUDIO LISTINGS, 46

Forget not your Diet, 19 Bobsy explains how our food choices are affecting our environment.

Softening, 21 Softening in times of intensity on and off the mat has helped Tanya.

Authenticity, 23 Alex asked what does it mean to be authentic.

Mixed up Monsters, 27 Why it’s better to stick to one school of yoga, explains James.

Spiritual on the Road, 31 Leah is reminded that the world is big, and we are small.

About Namaskar Namaskar provides a voice for the yoga community around Asia. The publication is a vehicle for practitioners on a yogic path to share their own knowledge, learnings and experiences with others.

Namaskar, is published quarterly in January, April, July and October.

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

Janet in Baddha Trikonasana variation

Namaskar is distributed at no charge through yoga studios, fitness centres, retail outlets, food & beverage outlets and other yoga-friendly locations throughout Hong Kong and elsewhere.

For more information, to contribute or to order Namaskar, please contact:: Carol, News Editor & Administration kambotam@netvigator.com Wai-Ling, News Editor & Copy Editor wailing.tse@gmail.com Joanna, Copy Editor & Writer jomwilliams@hotmail.com Frances, Editor fgairns@netvigator.com /+ 852 9460 1967

Deadline for April 2010 issue: March 15, 2010 3

My dear friend Yogiuday lives alone half the year in a remote area of British Columbia, Canada and the other half in an ashram in Rishikesh, India. He is vegan and eats only food he prepares himself (some he even grows), he rises everyday before sunrise for two hours of meditation, pranayama, chanting and asana. He spends most his days studying, gardening, walking, exploring and, when in India volunteering at an orphanage.

Surely he’s closer to pratyahara (withdrawing from the sense) than me with family, living in a big city, squeezing in my practice where I can, scrambling just to get through each day.

I was eager to learn how he’s doing with this. While the critic in me could discount his feedback, “his life’s nothing like mine, how can anything he’s learned help me?” My open mind acknowledges there’s enough similarity in the human state of mind to seriously consider the lessons he has been exploring for years.

namaskar

Five other yogis, Kim, Paul, Joanna, Sankirtana and Hersha, who have also made changes in their lives so they have time to study about these things, generously share their observations on this very challenge. I hope they will be of help to you.

In fact much of this issue is filled with articles about personal observations and opinions.

Thank you to Tanya, Leah, Alex and James. There are also more workshop and teacher training reviews, courtesy of Val, Rani, Daphne and Christina, than ever before.

Undoubtedly another indication that yoga continues to grow.

Fortunately it’s not just commercial growth, as you will learn when you read Peter’s article about a school in Bali.

Food features more than usual, with Bobsy’s update on the relationship between eating meat and our environment, Paul’s article on the importance of food in our spiritual growth and Moosa’s comforting winter recipe.

Thanks to all the other contributors and to Janet, on the cover, for representing photographically the challenge we city dwellers face pratyaharically-speaking Namaskar has long wanted to move to recycled paper. However the price of doing this would mean we could not pay to distribute 4,500 copies of the magazine. If we were to increase our advertising rates enough to pay for this, lots of smaller studios which are so important to the spirit of yoga would not be able to advertise with us. If you have a longterm supply of 80 gsm recycled paper at less than market price, which you would be willing to spare, please email me on fgairns@netvigator.com We’d also like to make our past issues available online as pdf documents and ask any reader interested in donating web hosting services to also please contact me.

Finally, I hope the year has started well for you and I look forward to receiving any suggestions you have for improving Namaskar.

FRANCES GAIRNS Editor

SOMETHING TO SHARE? If you have something to share with the yoga community in ASIA and elsewhere (we distribute around the World), please email fgairns@netvigator.com

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NEWS FAREWELL TO SWAMI SATYANANDA SARASWATI 1923-2009 At midnight (Indian time) on 5 December 2009, Swami Satyananda left his body while doing Japa (mantra meditation) with a smile on his face. Swami Satyananda was the founder of the famous Bihar School of Yoga in India.

Swami Satyananda imparted an immense amount of light, peace, health, wisdom and compassion in all his disciples, all the teachers he trained, all the students who ever took a class, learned a practice, or picked up one of his books. He authored over 80 best-sellers and classical texts on yoga and spiritual life. The practices that he brought to life have been tremendously instrumental in our understanding of yoga and while he will be missed, he will live on in the minds and hearts of those who he touched.

Swami Satyananda was born in Almora, Uttar Pradesh and met his Guru Swami Sivananda in 1943 in Rishikesh and stayed with his Guru and was initiated by him into the Dashnami order. He served his Guru’s mission for 12 years in many capacities and completed several international and national tours to promote the teaching of yoga. In July 1963 after his Guru passed away, Swami Satyananda established the headquarters of his mission in the Munger city of Bihar. In the subsequent years, he set up the Bihar School of Yoga, International Yoga Fellowship Movement, Sivananda Math and the Yoga Research Foundation. He renounced teaching in 1988 to take up the lifestyle of a Paramahamsa sannyasin (enlightened renunciate) and after settling in the small village of Rikhia, he led a life of meditative seclusion.

BREAST CANCER FUNDRAISER, HONG KONG Zobha Yoga and Fitness Apparel sponsored the second Annual Breast Cancer Fundraiser at Pure Yoga Central in Hong Kong last October.

The charity class, Karma Yoga: Vinyasa Flow was led by Wendy Wyvill, a Zobha Circle of Grace Member.

With 104 participants, the Class raised HK$ 40,273 to benefit the Hong Kong Breast Cancer Foundation. Zobha donated a Classic Tank for each participant.

This year in addition to the practice, there was a talk and a self-care demonstration by Breast Cancer Survivor and Yogi Amy Tadalis. She graciously shared her experience and the importance of early

yoga classes over the years. All give me such inspiration and empathy for our bodies and our souls. As I watch students go through their own process on the mat, wringing out toxins, emotions and physical burdens, I always reflect on the act of community. We come together, purge together and at the end of class hopefully we feel a little bit lighter in the mind, more open in the heart and more inspired in our spirits.

This act of a healing practice came to light during the karma class I taught last month for Breast Cancer Awareness. It was the second annual class I have led at Centrium Pure Yoga. The class was donation only and 104 generouslysupporting yogis came to their mat to support such a cause.

detection and self examination. Below, Wendy shares her experience of leading the class and what it has meant to her.

This class was inspired by Zobha, and I have the honor to be apart of its Circle of Grace. Other Circle of Grace Members/Yoga Teachers led similar classes around the globe during the month of October.

What a cool feeling to be doing something so positively proactive while knowing others are doing the same on the other side of the world.

“I have taught thousands of

May we continue to become

Yoga teacher Wendy Wyvill (far right) at an Annual Breast Cancer Fundraiser

aware of the things that serve and inspire us, and may we always hold a light for those in need.”

IYENGAR YOGA ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH EAST & EAST ASIA (IYASEEA) With the blessing and approval of Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar, the Iyengar Yoga Association of South East & East Asia (IYASEEA) was officially formed. In his letter, Sri B.K.S. Iyengar wrote “I am happy to associate my name for this Association, as lots of people are sincerely and devotedly practicing my method and propagating it since years.”

The purpose of IYASEEA is to propagate the art, science and philosophy of yoga in South East and East Asia according to the teachings of Sri B.K.S. Iyengar. Furthermore, the IYASEEA aims to support the community of yoga teachers and students living in Asia and studying the yoga teachings of Sri B.K.S. Iyengar.

IYASEEA is also responsible for maintaining the standards of teaching of Iyengar yoga in Asia. The association will coordinate regular assessments and manage the certification process of those wishing to teach. The assessment and certification processes enable teachers to remain up-to-date and help maintain the validity of their teaching certificate.

Countries and cities included in IYASEEA are Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

IYASEEA will also arrange an annual Iyengar Yoga Convention which will be held in a different member country each year. The first IYASSEA convention will be held in 5

Singapore 24 - 25 April 2010.

For more information visit www.iyengaryoga.asia or email Ganesh Krishnan on comm_pr@iyengaryoga.asia LMYC CELEBRATES 11 YEARS IN HONG KONG To celebrate it’s 11th year, Life Management Yoga Center (LMYC), a non-profit classical yoga centre affiliated to The Yoga Institute Mumbai, is launching its Kids Special class on Wednesday 13 January 2010 at 5.15 pm, and the new basic course on 15 (9:30 am and 7pm), 16 (3:30 pm) and 18 January 2010 (7:00pm). Free trial class on first visit. Kids class is HK$480 per quarter or HK$1,100 for 3 quarters.

Basic course is HK$50 per class, HK$1,200 for 24 classes or HK$3,333 annual fee.

For more information visit LMYC, 35 Kimberly Road, 11/F Kimberly House, TST, Hong Kong ww.yoga.org.hk or call +852 2191 9651 English/ 6349 0639 Chinese PURE YOGA PARTNERS WITH YOGA CLASSICS INPUT PROJECT 10 December 2009 marked the beginning of a partnership between Pure Yoga and the Yoga Classics Input Project (YCIP). YCIP is a division of the Asian Classic Input Project, a non-profit organisation launched in the US in the late 80’s, and has successfully saved thousands of ancient yoga books. Their mission is to ensure that the esoteric texts and teachings of the ancient yoga scriptures are physically recorded and preserved. With the partnership, Pure Yoga will illustrate its support for YCIP and the origins of yoga, broaden awareness of YCIP, and expose interested parties to YCIP’s donation mechanisms for financial support.

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To kick off the partnership, an event was held at Pure Yoga with their teachers, and John Brady and Geshe Michael Roach, the Executive Directors of YCIP. They elaborated on the details of the partnership, and showed a video on the connection between the ancient yogic texts and how they have shaped modern-day yoga.

Teachers gained insight into the purpose, history and yoga lineage of this partnership, as well as details on donation methods and the forthcoming workshop and class series to be held in May 2010.

For more information about YCIP www.yogaclassics.org YOGA RETURNS TO FLEX IN JANUARY 2010 In celebration of its fifth anniversary and after renovation of the studio, Flex is offering yoga again. “Yoga has always been at the spiritual heart of the studio, and we have missed the presence of yoga classes since space constraints forced us to cut back on group classes. The reconfiguration of the studio allows us to once again offer a broad range of group classes, including yoga for adults and children,” says Flex Director Heather Thomas Shalabi.

minutes with a maximum of 8 participants at a drop-in price of HK$250. Packages for 5 and 10 classes are available.

Children’s yoga classes are 60 minutes, with a maximum of 10 participants. Classes are sold in packages of 8 for HK$1,850 and drop-in price of HK$240.

For more information call +852 2813 2212 or email info@flexhk.com Gro Butcher joins Flex’s yoga

YOGA CENTRAL WELCOMES CHARLES TSE Charles Tse, aka Carlos, is a Yoga Alliance registered teacher who started practising yoga 12 years ago. He has recently received training in one of the best yoga lineage institutes in Chennai, India (Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram). He also has over two decades of alternative health practice experience, including Tai Chi, Chi Gong, Transcendental Meditation and Zen Meditation. He teaches private and group classes.

Helena Chiu returns to Flex

For more information visit www.midoyoga.com.

BI-LINGUAL YOGA CLASSES AT YOGA CENTRAL, HONG KONG Charles and Karen will conduct bi-lingual yoga classes starting from January 2010.

The studio welcomes back some familiar instructors including Helena Chiu and Laura Walsh, and introducing two new teachers, Gro Butcher and Tara Chellaram. Together they offer a selection of yoga classes on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The schedule balances different styles of yoga to cater for a diverse clientele including the Fusion class which is a blend of pilates and yoga, pre-natal yoga, children’s yoga, Iyengar style Hatha yoga and Ashtanga inspired Power Flow.

For more information visit www.yogacentral.com or call +852 2982 4308

Adult yoga classes are 75

NEW ROLFING CLASS AT COMO

Laura Walsh is back at Flex

YOGA FOR PRE-MENSTRUAL SYNDROME mYoga teacher, Shirley Tse led a workshop using yoga to alleviate the symptons of PMS recently as part of mYoga’s Women’s Health Specials. The workshop was held at their studio in Causeway Bay. For more information on future workshops, call +852 2576 9990 Yoga Central’s Charles Tse

pool pavilion, gym, restaurant, private beach, and private garden. The retreat center is open to all people, though the main target is the gay market.

For more information email aaronstar@blueosa.com

Learning to embrace PMS at mYoga’s Women’s Health workshop

SHAMBHALA Singapore Rolfing is a form of bodywork that fine tunes the body via a system of structural integration through fascial restoration. It is a holistic recovery and rebalancing form of bodywork especially useful for those who are in stationary postures and positions for extended periods of time like cubicle workers and constant jet-setters. It is also beneficial for those suffering from constant joint pain or other stress-related conditions.

Personalised 60 to 90 minute sessions with qualified Rolfer administers are offered.

For more information call +65 6735 2163 or email singapore@comoshambhala.bz YOGA YOGA OPENS NEW TSUEN WAN STUDIO The new Yoga Yoga Tsuen Wan studio opens in January 2010 and is located on 8/F, City Landmark 1, 68 Chung On Street, Tsuen Wan. This studio offers yoga and dance classes as well hot yoga and sauna facilities.

For more information call +852 2866 8169 IYENGAR LEVEL 3 CLASSES WITH PETER SCOTT Yoga Central, Hong Kong 28 January and 4 February 2010 7 - 9 pm For more information visit www.yogacentral.com or call +852 2982 4308 NEW YOGA SANCTUARY OPENS IN COSTA RICA When it opens on 31 January, Blue Osa will offer yoga students and spa goers the opportunity to practice, rest and recharge in one of the world’s most beautiful and secluded jungle beaches.

Located on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, Blue Osa will open with 11 rooms, sleeping up to 26 people.

The yoga studio sits above the resort and offers panoramic views of the ocean and mainland beyond. It can accommodate 40 students. As well as a dedicated yoga studio, Blue Osa has a spa, pool and

INTRODUCTION TO SHAMATHA SITTING MEDITATION Oriental Spa, Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Hong Kong Sundays 7, 14, 21 and 28 February 2010 from 6:157:15pm Shamatha, in Sanskrit, means peace. The practice of shamatha meditation is a simple method using the breath and awareness in order to focus the mind. The practice of sitting meditation is the foundation of the Buddhist teachings. It is also a powerful tool for calming the mind, and need not necessarily be practiced within a religious context.

There will be an explanation of basic techniques, guided meditation, and a period of silence, in order for participants to experience the effects of the practice. There will be discussion time at the end.

For registration and more information email lmhkgSpaConcierge@mohg.com or call +852 2132 0011 AYURVEDIC COOKING COURSE – HEALING, PREVENTION AND HEALTH CARE Ayurvedic style of cooking is a method of personalizing food for the healing process for individuals, and a rational way to prepare food according to the dietary need of an individual based on different body types. In Ayurvedic Cooking Course I (ACCI) participants will learn the fundamental theory of ayurvedic principles of cooking, lifestyle, eating and simple

dishes. Ayurvedic Cooking Course II (ACCII) will be an indepth study and practice of course I, with more advanced immersion of theory and methods. Students will also learn how to deal with health problems through diet, prepare a diet plan according to body constitution, and learn about substitutes for refined products, recipes and home remedies. Personal counselling will also be provided.

Course Dates/Times: ACCI 6 11 March 2010 and ACCII 1318 March 2010 2:00-4:30pm or 7:00-9:30pm Course fees: Early bird (on or before 10 February 2010): ACCI HK$1,500/ACCII HK$2,000 / ACCI+ACII $3,200 On or after 11 February 2010: ACCI HK$1,900/ACCII HK$2,400 / ACCI+ACII HK$3,800.

For more information visit www.artofliving.org.hk or call Sylvia Luk on +852 6103 2227.

THIRD BALISPIRIT FESTIVAL Ubud, Bali 31 March to 4 April 2010 Held over 5 days and 4 nights, the BaliSpirit Festival combines over 95 yoga, dance and music workshops with inspiring nightly world music concerts.

This annual celebration brings to Bali a wealth of talented and respected creative masters from around the world. As well as merging the indigenous cultures of Indonesia in the spirit of learning, collaborating, and celebrating its creative and spiritual diversity.

For tickets and more information visit www.balispirtfestival.com

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WORKSHOPS EVOLUTION - 4TH ASIA YOGA CONFERENCE Hong Kong, China 14 - 17 May 2010 This is Asia’s largest annual yoga event and includes complimentary events and more than 120 classes and styles for practitioners of all levels. Classes taught by world renowned masters including: Dharma Mittra, Ana Forrest, Seane Corn, Ganesh Mohan, Carlos Pomeda and many more.

Teachers from Asia include Patrick Creelman, Michel Besnard, Govinda Kai, Yogi Vishveketu, Paul Dallaghan and Sudhakar Dheenan. It will also house Asia’s largest exhibition of yoga products.

For more information visit www.asiayogaconference.com SEEKING PRIVATE YOGA INSTRUCTORS IN HONG KONG Yoga company looking for instructors for private classes in Hong Kong and Kowloon.

Send your CV to yogaprivate@gmail.com HONG KONG STUDIO AVAILABLE FOR HIRE Large and small dance studios are available for hire from February 2010. Suitable for yoga or meditation, long or short term are welcome. Studio on Austin Road, Kowloon.

For more information call Judy on +852 9142 4063.

WORKING TOWARDS YOUR BACKBEND - MIND & BODY PROGRESSION Yoga Central, Hong Kong 29 January - 1 February 2010 10:30 am – 1:30 pm & 3 – 6 pm Peter Scott is back to conduct intensives on backbends.

For more information visit www.yogacentral.com or call +852 2982 4308 BEYOND ASANA: TRAINING THE MIND WITH ASHTANGA YOGA Oriental Spa, Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Hong Kong Saturdays 6, 13, 20 and 27 February 2010 10:30 am - 1:30 pm Workshops led by Kim Roberts using the foundation technique of Shamatha sitting meditation, and teaching how the asana practice of Ashtanga yoga can serve as a tool to develop and stabilize meditation practice. Awareness will be developed in both the traditional seated meditation posture, as well as during movement into yoga postures.

Students will be shown methods for addressing various issues that can arise at different stages of the practice.

In conjunction with the Saturday classes, participants are invited to a Sunday evening meditation which includes basic instruction and discussion.

For registration and more information email lmhkgSpaConcierge@mohg.com or call +852 2132 0011 IYENGAR YOGA WORKSHOP WITH BIRJOO MEHTA Iyengar Yoga Centre of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 24-28 February 2010 Birjoo Mehta is an advanced senior practitioner of Iyengar yoga from Mumbai, India. He

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has studied with Mr. B.K.S. Iyengar throughout his life and used to give asana demonstrations for Mr. Iyengar. He has taught workshops in the UK, Israel, South Africa, Hong Kong and Canada. Three hour classes cost HK$700, two and a half hour classes are HK$600. Register for the whole workshop to get 10% discount off the total price.

For more information visit www.iyengaryogahongkong.com PILATES WORKSHOP AT THE YOGA ROOM Hong Kong 28 February 2010 3:30 - 6 pm Learn how to improve your posture and strengthen your core with Pat England, certified pilates polestar instructor.

For registration and more information call +852 2544 8398 or visit www.yogaroomhk.com MEDITATION IN MOTION WITH GOVINDA KAI SPACE YOGA, TAIPEI 5 - 7 March 2010 Experience a thoroughly engaging exploration into meditation and yoga philosophy in a way that you have never experienced before with Govinda, a certified Ashtanga teacher.

For more information visit www.withinspace.com

Yoga teacher, sound engineer and musician, Jack Harrison

SPANDA YOGA MUSIC WORKSHOP WITH JACK HARRISON SPACE Yoga, Taipei 21 March 2010 Align with spanda, the creative pulse of the universe, in this yoga music workshop with Jack Harrison, an experienced Anusara-inspired and Ashtanga teacher. You will learn to use sound and music as a meditative technique.

Combined with yoga postures and breathing, it becomes a powerful tool to get in touch with our real selves.

For more information visit www.withinspace.com ACTIVE ISOLATED STRETCHING AND YOGA WORKSHOP SPACE YOGA, TAIPEI 10 - 11 April 2010 Adarsh Williams will lead a unique workshop that incorporates the therapeutic method of Active Isolated Stretching in the asana practice.

You will learn how to work with the body’s natural intelligence to safely isolate, stretch and strengthen all muscles, making postures easier and more refined.

For more information visit www.withinspace.com

RETREATS

TEACHER TRAININGS 100-HOUR TRAINING WITH MICHEL BESNARD Shenzhenm China 20 January - 4 February 2010 Yoga Alliance certified 100-hour Ashtanga Yoga training with Michel in U Yoga, Shenzhen, China.

For more information visit www.uyoga.com.cn or www.yogasana.com.hk ADVANCED HATHA YOGA TRAINING AT ANAHATA YOGA Hong Kong 30 January - 7 March 2010 This intensive training with Yogananth Andiappan takes teaching yoga postures to new limits and let students set new heights in the advanced Hatha Yoga practice.

For more information visit www.anahatayoga.com.hk or call +852 2905 1822 200-HOUR VINYASA YOGA TRAINING WITH MICHEL BESNARD Koh Samui, Thailand 1 - 29 March 2010 With over 30 years of practice and teaching experience, Michel (E-RYT 500) stands out as one of Asia’s most experienced and knowledgeable voices. He combines the power of Ashtanga and alignment of Iyengar to deliver a solid foundation for aspiring teachers.

For more information visit www.teachvinyasayoga.com or www.yogasana.com.hk or email info@yogasana.com.hk

evening practice will consist of restorative poses and seated meditation.

200-HOUR TRAININGS WITH CLAYTON HORTON 1 - 30 May 2010, Boracay Island, Philippines 18 July - 15 August 2010, San Francisco, California, USA

During the day, various excursions to local cultural and religious sites will be arranged.

Optional 3-day excursion to Gangtey is available during 2125 May 2010.

For more information visit www.greenpathyoga.org 200-HOUR PART-TIME TRAINING AT ANAHATA YOGA Hong Kong This course is accredited by the prestigious M.S. University in India and Yoga Alliance.

This part-time course is suitable for dedicated students who require a flexible class schedule. The course starts on 3 May 2010 and lasts for 10 weeks.

For more information visit www.anahatayoga.com.hk or call +852 2905 1822 KIDZYOGA IN SCHOOLS TRAINING Hong Kong, China 17 - 20 May 2010 This KidzYoga 4-day intensive experiential training will equip anyone who wants to bring yoga to students of all ages in schools. With educationalbased yoga tools and techniques, participants will learn how to seamlessly integrate yoga in the classroom, PE, and start a Yoga Club, that will foster beautiful minds, healthy bodies and compassionate students. This training is perfect for parents, school teachers, yoga teachers, nurses, OTs, PTs, and other child-focused individuals.

Tuition cost is HK$7,500 for early bird and HK$8,500 regular.

For registration and more information visit www.kidzyoga-asia.com or call +852 9861 6227

For more information on Zhiwa Ling Hotel in Bhutan’s peaceful Paro valley visit www.zhiwaling.com For more information on the retreat visit www.papayayoga.com/ zhiwalingretreats or email papayayoga@gmail.com

Kim invites you to join her in Bhutan

CHANGE YOUR MIND YOGA AND MEDITATION RETREATS WITH KIM ROBERTS IN BHUTAN Zhiwa Ling Hotel, Bhutan 23 - 27 April 2010, 7 - 11 May 2010, 21 - 25 May 2010 Inspired by the natural beauty and spiritual heritage of Bhutan, this retreat teaches how training the mind to be present is not a chore or something that requires superhuman discipline - it is simply to appreciate what is right in front of us. Yoga serves as a tool to stabilize meditation practice, which helps us to develop the ability to be fully present and peaceful.

Daily programme includes yoga and meditation sessions, outings to significant landmarks in Bhutan, as well as vegetarian meals and spa treatments. Morning practice will be more invigorating, while

YOGA RETREATS WITH CLAYTON HORTON 16 - 23 October 2010, Yoga Thailand, Koh Samui, Thailand, www.yogathailand.com 6 - 13 November 2010, Lao Liang Island, Thailand, www.leelatravel.com 20 - 27 November 2010, Somatheeram, Kovalam, India, www.leelatravel.com

Clayton offers several retreats, workshops and teacher trainings this year

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Dristi Pratyahara

Be an Insider Kim Roberts

RECENTLY I WAS INVITED TO GO on an all expense paid vacation to a tropical beach in Mexico. Of course, I accepted.

Then I started having nightmares. I noticed my breathing get shallow when I thought about it, I noticed my thoughts making excuses for the disruption it would cause in my schedule and the commitments that would have to be broken.

I realised I didn’t want to go. I don’t particularly like (or dislike) Mexico, I was attracted just because of the glittering carrot of a free holiday and because everyone is supposed to like tropical vacations. It turns out I would rather spend that time practicing with my teacher in India. But to get to that point of admitting it to myself, much less to others, who will no doubt not understand my choice, it took several weeks of internal chaos. I was trying to convince myself I wanted to go.

It is quite easy to go through life guided by outer signs. Our family guides us toward our station in life, peers urge us to conform or rebel in certain ways, some of us look to fashion magazines to know what to wear, the evening news advises us whether or not to bring our umbrella tomorrow.

Only a man who knows how to unlock the treasures of the inner world, can dare to renounce the outer one.

Lama Govinda

It creates fewer waves to go through life doing what others expect of us. Some of us are so good at it we have convinced ourselves that what we should do is actually what we want to do. We look around to see what everyone else is doing to make our own decisions about how to proceed along this path called life.

Even spirituality these days has fallen prey to peer pressure. We look outside to find clues to stay on a path that will lead us 10

inward. How does my practice look? Is it as good as my neighbor’s? Am I following the rules of how and when to practice? The only problem with this is if you are looking outward at the path that is pointing inward, then it is arguably no longer a spiritual path.

So we have to learn to look inward. The Tibetan word for Buddhist is nangpa, which translates as “insider.” It doesn’t mean an insider in the sense of hanging with the cool crowd. It means one who has turned her attention inward; one whose allegiance has shifted from outer to inner reference points.

Our sense perceptions keep us connected with the outer environment: we taste with the tongue, see through the eyes, hear with the ears, smell through the nose, feel the body. But the mind is also a sense faculty we perceive thoughts through the faculty of the mind. In fact, without the mind to translate our experience of the other five senses, we might not be so caught up in the external world. Birdsong would just be an experience of sound, without the label and mental image of a bird with its associated memories.

Ego is that mechanism that reacts to and embellishes these experiences, which we attribute to outer circumstances. We prefer certain sensations to others, which creates desire and aversion. We form our selfimage based on how our environment reflects itself back to us. People praise or blame us, events make us happy or sad, our efforts bring fame or anonymity, we become rich or poor.

Most of us spend our lives striving for the positive side of these dualistic perceptions.

But why not strive to understand that this very ambition is what leads us to suffering?

Wealth can turn to poverty overnight, our comfortable situation can dissolve instantly, as for praise, fame and good reputation, one wrong word out of your (or someone else’s) mouth and your good name is gone.

How do we loosen the grip of these pressures to conform to an accepted standard of living? We may practice yoga and meditation for years and years, but if we are still looking outside for answers, then what is the point of practicing? Aren’t we practicing to develop self-awareness, or Self-awareness, which is ultimately egoless?

Equanimity, or total acceptance, is the basis of egolessness. When we draw the sensory awareness inward, we stop giving so much importance to whatever it is that the senses convey to us. Its not that we stop hearing or seeing or feeling, its simply that we no longer come to a screeching halt in order to create a story out of those bits of information. Our allegiance shifts to the background beyond the display of the phenomenal world. Then we can listen to ourselves.

This process of shifting allegiance takes time. In my Mexico dilemma, I needed outside help to see what was happening internally. I asked one of my teachers for advice. While we are still learning to listen, sometimes our internal truth is more obvious to those who know us well. This is why we have teachers and sangha, our fellow practitioners, to help show us the way to listen to our hearts. But ultimately, the source of deep wisdom is only to be found inside. Be an insider. Listen to yourself.

It is not wisdom to be only wise And on the inner vision close the eyes But it is wisdom to believe the heart.

Santayana Kim Roberts leads yoga and meditation retreats in Bhutan. Papayayoga.com

From Pranayama to Pratyahara Paul Dallaghan

PRATYAHARA IS TAUGHT AND DISCUSSED IN MANY TEXTS ON YOGA AND related philosophies. In this article, I attempt to offer a simple and workable understanding of it.

The most popular reference to pratyahara is as one of the eight limbs (ashta – angas) as presented by Patanjali. He describes it as the fifth limb and later refers to these five limbs as part of external yoga (bahiranga yoga): sva-vishayasam-pra-yoge chittasya sva-rupanukara ivendriyanam pratyaharah YS II. 54 When the senses cease their contact with the objects in their realm, they become assimilated with mind-field’s nature, a withdrawal, known as pratyahara.

Pratyahara is not so much something you do, but something that happens, primarily an outcome of pranayama and mindfulness practices.

As it is related to objects of the outside world it is an external limb of yoga, yet it is the bridge to the final three internal limbs of dharana, dhyana and samadhi.

In a nutshell, when the energy of life, prana, has been managed skillfully through pranayama, energy is concentrated within and does not travel to, or leak out of, the sense organs. Even though the organs remain as part of the body, the force behind it which causes the contact with the outside object, is withdrawn. You no longer waste energy outward. This is a process cultivated over time until it becomes a true nirodha, or control of chitta vrittis, all the subtle activity, and one is moved to a deep internal state.

At the beginning of the Yoga Sutras Patanjali uses nirodha to explain how yoga is achieved.

This nirodha is a channeling or controlling and the means to do this are given under abhyasa, repeated practice, and vairagya, non-dependence or non-attachment. A high level of vairagya would be similar to a perfected pratyahara. This comes from your continuous effort to work on yourself. To watch your thoughts and behavior, treatment of others and yourself, manage, ideally skillfully, the energies of the body and breath, will, in time, refine the internal energetic process of life and lead to a greater control over the senses.

For Patanjali pranayama brings about the state of pratyahara which, when perfected, culminates and concentrates the energy at the base of the spine, without any further outward stimulation through the peripheral nerves or sense organs. The practitioner has a deep internal experience he calls dharana. In tantra and hatha it is called the experience of kundalini, stimulating our true potential energy thereby raising consciousness.

Your world consists of the things you come in contact with. How much you are pulled by them will cause you to feel free or trapped, joy or misery. Your experience of the world is directly based on your contact with it. This is why two people in similar circumstances can have very different experiences. You can try to understand the other’s plight, and your higher sense will appeal to their circumstance and feel compassion, but ultimately you are only experiencing all you come in direct contact with. When you go into a true deep sleep where does this world go? It does not cease. Only your contact with it does. At the point of pratyahara one has mastered the ability to indulge in the world, via the senses and mind activity, or withdraw and gain, as it were, an inner growth.

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Pratyahara is really a practice of awareness, mindfulness and self-discipline.

As pratyahara refines, the practitioner goes from a mini experience of it in concentrated moments to a heightened awareness and mindfulness at all times throughout the day. In such a case the outer object is noticed, the sensation within is observed, the capacity to withdraw is present and integrity is preserved. Early on, an effort to withdraw is required but over time there is an automatic internal centering and the possibility of distraction or temptation is minimal. This does not mean you become boring but rather a champion over your desires and sensual pulls. You can still enjoy the activity of the senses as need be in life. You eat chocolate, enjoy it! But are you pulled strongly to eat it every time you see it or think about it?

Pratyahara is really a practice of awareness, mindfulness and self-discipline. For this to occur, you need support and grounded strength. This is the guidance and advice from the first four limbs; how you live and how you manage the energies of life. If you are making an effort to live peacefully, honestly and respectfully, and practice a daily routine of techniques that are based on a sound tradition, the result will be an increased level of awareness. From there the advanced techniques of pranayama will bring about a more complete pratyahara.

The heightened awareness of the mind’s functions and the continual practice of observance on it, as is taught in various vipassana traditions, will lead to the activity of the mind, the energy or prana, being inwardly concentrated. The flow out of the senses is reduced and in the moment of deep experience it is temporarily stopped, or withdrawn so the senses receive no output. As a result, the mind does not make contact with the external object. When this happens, the energy within will cause such concentration that the only outcome would be dharana, an awakening of the potential energy.

Life functions through the senses and wants to pull us out all the time. The yoga process says, “oh man, turn within”. Upon living clean, honorably mastering the practice, especially the flow of the breath, such a shift in the flow of internal energy can occur that it is not automatically pulled outward but managed within.

As the practitioner continues to refine this, a tremendous sense of inner strength, as well as calm and peace, arises. It is not a state of leaving the world but rather a capacity to better handle the world and ultimately be of more help to others. However, the only way is through a form of self-practice. It does not magically appear it is earned. Love, care and attention can ensure that. Patience, enthusiasm and perseverance bring it about over time.

Perform your daily practice with a sense of connection and feeling, and throughout the day try to observe your thoughts, words, actions and desires. Don’t suppress them but build the awareness. This is why you need care and patience. Be happy!

Paul is director of Centered Yoga and Yoga Thailand on Koh Samui. yoga-thailand.com / centeredyoga.com

Awaken your Senses Joanna Pearce

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HAVE YOU WORN A BLINDFOLD? One of my friends gave me a wonderful treat for the senses when she put a blindfold across my eyes. She fed me delicious foods such as banana and mandarin segments. The texture of the fruits tickled my lips before juicing up my taste-buds. She whispered uplifting phrases into my ears and played sweet music in the background. My nose experienced delightful aromas as she held bottles of fragrance below my nostrils. She massaged my hands with essential oils and I melted

into the plethora of sensory experience.

In this modern world we are all too easily led by sight, arguably our most powerful sense. We are bombarded with bright neon lights of the city and visual advertising brands. Our eyes are so powerful that when we try to close them for meditation we can’t help but open them now and then for a quick glimpse of our surroundings or the person in front of us. We are so attached to our sense of sight we find it difficult to ignite the remaining four. In yoga, we often

Dristi Pratyahara

Pr at yahar a thr ough Man tr a Prat aty ahara through Mantr tra Sankirtana dasa

IMAGINE YOU ARE FLOATING IN A liquid the temperature of your own body.

You are not aware of light, odour, taste or noise. You are without external sensual perception, though you are left with enough oxygen to breathe comfortably.

Whenever there is contact with the senses, the mind is involved and therefore pratyahara has much to do with mind and consciousness. Once the modifications of the mind are set right, it is not necessary to make any extra effort to control the senses.

You are alone with all the experiences gathered in your mind from your lifetime.

How would you perceive this situation?

In the 1970’s, stimulus reduction devices called “Samadhi Tanks” were created. Such tanks provide conditions similar to what yogis achieve when they close the doors of the senses, diverting their energy from the external to the internal. They then realise their identity is not the body or the mind, but eternal conscious beings.

An analogy given in the yoga sutra by Srila Vyasadeva is of the queen bee (our mind).

When she flies, all the bees fly (our senses) and when she sits, all the bees sit around her. Hence, proper mindset is crucial.

This process is technically called pratyahara the fifth limb of the eight limbs of the Astanga Yoga system.

Pratyahara is derived from prati, “just the opposite”, and ahara, “acquiring”. Presently, our senses are engaged in acquiring worldly beauty. “Just the opposite” means retracting the senses from outward beauty to see internal beauty. Seeing can also be taken as hearing, specifically the Omkara sound from within. For this purpose all the other senses are withdrawn from external activity. The mind will become situated in trance, or samadhi, fortified by conviction and already purified through pranayama (the fourth limb).

talk about reaching a balanced state. Should we not apply this balance to each of our five senses as well?

Pratyahara is often described as ‘withdrawal of the senses’ but perhaps we should first explore what exactly we are withdrawing from? By choosing to turn down the volume on the most dominant sense, we turn up the volume on the remaining ones.

Playing with a blindfold is just one example of how we can have fun with awakening our senses. Another exercise you

The mind, like a sponge, absorbs everything it comes in touch with. In the Bhagavad Purana, one of the four saintly Kumaras tells King Pritu: “When one’s mind and senses are attracted to sense objects for enjoyment, the mind becomes agitated. As a result of continually thinking of sense objects, one’s real consciousness almost becomes lost, like the water in a lake that is gradually sucked up by the big grass straws on its bank” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.22.30).

The example is very appropriate. If a lake is surrounded by long grass, the waters dry up. Similarly, when material desires increase, the clear water of consciousness dries up and one’s original state of consciousness vanishes.

Pratyahara is derived from prati, “just the opposite”, and ahara, “acquiring.”

I find the experience with mantra essential for pratyahara. The word man-tra means to extract (tra) from the mind (man) those things that are unnecessary. In the early

can try is the silent disco! At a music festival in England there was a tent housing a silent disco. People could choose to either wear wireless headphones to hear the music, or wear no headphones and dance to their own inner beat in a silent room.

Try it at your next party!

There is so much pleasure to be had when we awaken our senses. It is part of our experience with the human body to be touched by another, to smell a sweet flower, to taste delicious food, to listen to

good music and to open our eyes to beautiful smiling faces. I encourage you to blindfold a friend today and give them the gift of sensory experience!

Joanna is a freelance yoga teacher based in Hong Kong. You can follow her blog at www.englishroseyoga.wordpress.com.

She is also a volunteer writer and copy editor for Namaskar.

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Dristi Pratyahara

morning when it is still quiet and after a good rest, one can chant and listen carefully to the sound of the mantra.

The consciousness is usually alert to the sound and pays no attention to any other sensual perceptions.

One enters a state of full absorption, not of the external reality, but rather of a personal eternal relationship with the “Param-Brahman” or the Absolute Truth from which everything is generated (Bhagavad Gita 10.12). This daily practice equips one to handle all kinds of challenges life inevitably offers, without falling prey to unwise actions in mind, words and deeds.

The extreme opposite of pratyahara is atyahara. Ati simply means “too much” of ahara (collecting or acquiring). In other words, it means too much sensual life. The entire world is in a crisis because of atyahara. What is a healthy balance? In this modern age can we find a balance between withdrawing (pratyahara) and worldly life and still be progressive in yoga? Is there a golden middle to advance towards samadhi and also live in the here and now?

The Yogi interacts with the phenomenal world like a steward carrying out his job without any undue sense of ownership or any sense of separate selfish enjoyment.

They understand everything belongs to the original source, including their own self.

This form of pratyahara is technically known as “Yukta Vairagya” or the practical renunciation through karma yoga. Karma yoga brings about the attainment of purified consciousness and ultimately results in complete freedom from dualities.

Through karma yoga one acts according to one’s natural position and thus is in harmony with the universal laws, thereby safeguarding the eco-system of this planet.

From my own practice I suggest the four following steps for pratyahara: 1) Rest early to rise early, ideally one and a half hour before sunrise.

2) Use the early morning hours for mantra meditation which equips you with purity and strength of mind.

3) Read the yoga scriptures daily to learn to see things in relation the Absolute.

4) Make an honest living and give liberally to a worthy cause to counteract the atyahara tendency.

These steps work for me and they will for you too. Personally I also get much guidance from reading the Bhagavad-Gita.

And fate willing, we can share more through Namaskar. Om Tat Sat. Sankirtana holds a degree as yoga teacher from the Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education. He works with a travel agency in Bejing taking Chinese students to Rishikesh, Bodhgaya and other holy places in India.

Sankirtana.lok@pamho.net

Senses: The Instruments of the Mind Hersha Chellaram

OUR WHOLE LIFE IS BASED ON experiences - success and failure, pleasure and pain, love and loss. They become relevant and understood via the mind’s five key instruments - the senses. Through our senses, we are able to experience a variety of sights, sounds, smells, tastes and textures. Our world is like a beautiful Garden of Eden, given to us to enjoy.

The only problem is many of us do not view our world as Eden. The nature of our minds encourages us to be fearful, possessive and overindulgent. This stems from a legitimate intention to find security and happiness, but without the right understanding, we are misguided and venture away from our peace. The practice of Pratyahara - controlling the senses or withdrawing the senses - is a tool to help retrain the mind to enjoy life to its fullest.

The story of Genesis symbolically parallels this concept. Adam and Eve were given the entire Garden of Eden to enjoy. However, they were tempted to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Although they were given this knowledge to see life’s dualities, this knowledge ‘banished’ them from seeing the beauty of Eden.

Symbolically speaking, they were no longer able to experience the cosmic consciousness behind the entire creation. This story simply illustrates one of our basic human traits - when temptation comes in, we lack self-control on many levels. This lack of control leads us astray from finding our true happiness. The practice of yoga’s eight limbs (Ashtanga Yoga) provides a means to reunite our individual consciousness with the cosmic consciousness, and experience our Garden of Eden once more. Pratyahara, the fifth limb, is a practice to help us along the way, but involves strict discipline and self control.

Most of us are not even aware of our

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senses, except when they become the vehicles of fulfilling our desires. We all have a great love for some object - a taste, a smell, a feeling - and have a constant desire to experience this over and over again. We do not even need to have the object physically in front of us to desire it. Just a thought is enough to create an impression in the mind and the desire to experience it once more. For many practicing yogis, the notion of discipline and control seems quite contrary to the goal of yoga, which is liberation. The discipline is necessary.

Sri Swami Satchidananda explained this concept simply: “The mind is a chariot and our senses are like the five horses. If we do not control the reins, the horses will be allowed to run all over the place, making the chariot a very hazardous place to be. By taking a firm hold of the reins and disciplining these horses, we are able to direct the chariot to a designated destination.”

Withdrawing the senses is a practice that leads us inward to understand the workings of our minds. All types of yoga practices lead us toward meditative states. Through meditation we can then understand and control our own minds. Sit down quietly for a few minutes and observe how much the mind bounces from one thought to the next.

Controlling the mind is not easy or straightforward. With time and dedicated practice, we can develop the ability to observe our thoughts. We can clearly see how our thoughts reflect the current situations in our lives. The next stage is to let go of the thoughts that do not bring us closer to our inner peace. We can start by controlling the external influences, creating boundaries in which the mind can run. The same way a trainer allows a wild horse run around in an enclosure before putting on a saddle and reins. Like a wild horse, the mind will protest and try to escape or throw off the disciplinarian, but eventually it calms down. Working to control the senses is an indirect way to steady the mind.

There are many practices that help withdraw the senses from the external world, bringing consciousness inward. The Hindu temples of India are a good example of how Pratyahara is practically applied. Walking into a temple, the sounds are of chanting and bells ringing; the smells are of incense and flowers; the sights are of incredible architecture and ornate deities; the worship service involves offering many different items to the deities that you touch; and finally the offering is usually something to eat. All the senses are engaged in the ritual of worship.

In our modern, urban society, the practice of observing fasts brings discipline to our diets. The food we eat is a major causative factor of today’s diseases. Screening and limiting what we watch on television, read on the internet, or hear on the radio, helps to steady our minds. How we decorate our homes influence our minds as well. One of the best practices is silence, known as Mouna. Many times, we speak before we think and can cause harm to others and even ourselves. Not only does Mouna help us control what we say, it turns us inward completely to observe our minds.

All practices of Pratyahara are meant to bring the mind inward. No spiritual practice should cause harm to anyone. Pratyahara is one of the most misunderstood limbs of yoga. Many practicing yogis take their discipline to the extreme, where they deny many of their fundamental needs for the sake of spiritual practice. I have witnessed many yogis withdraw from the world completely, denying themselves of any possible pleasure they might experience. The true practice of sense withdrawal is to bring us inward and at peace, while joyfully living in the world; being a full member of this existence; and embracing our humanity. Yoga practices of all kinds boil down to one key theme: having an easeful body, a peaceful mind, and a useful life. Like a trained horse, our minds are free to wander about the Garden of Eden, to places that bring us closer to understanding our true nature - total peace and supreme joy.

The practice of Pratyahara is a tool to help retrain the mind to enjoy life to its fullest.

Hersha has studied yoga under Sri Swami Satchidananda since she was a child. She is certified in Integral Yoga’s Basic and Intermediate Hatha, Raja Yoga, Prenatal Yoga and Cardiac Yoga. She offers a programme called Corporate Karma, designed to bring ethics to the workplace. She has recently become a full-time mom and is experimenting with mom and baby yoga. www.hershayoga.com www.corporate-karma.com

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Dristi Pratyahara

Karma Yoga

Sat yagr aha, a S chool aty agraha, School Life for Lif e Inside Looking Out Wendell John A. Frando

I wish that I could see more of that ethereal face of yours, not only when light strikes its surface, but even in the midst of darkness.

I wish that I could hear that symphony that you are playing beyond its broken notes and rests, beyond the capacity of my limited hearing.

If I could only touch this, this moment of play that you do and hold it in my hands for a while (If only I had that ability)

Peter Lloyd

NESTLED WITHIN THE VILLAGE OF UBUD IN BALI, Indonesia lies a remarkable school and living experiment promoting a yogic lifestyle. You would hardly tell you were so close to the busy village, surrounded by beautiful trees, bamboo, running river, a cooling breeze and a stillness far away from the tourist traffic.

The name of the school Satyagraha – the same name Ghandi gave to his movement – meaning ‘Truth Force’ (Living a life in truth) in Sanskrit, has been set up to live and embody yogic values.

Currently the project consists of an organic garden, herbal garden, a school for yogic philosophy and physical asana (posture) practice and a beautiful Wantilan Structure (Balinese style house).

For I am a limited beholder of beauty, and my senses can only take me as far. and because, there is more to you than this, an outward manifestation, an interpretation.

But I can be here, inside looking out; beyond the colors and sounds everywhere, beyond the limitations of my senses, and embrace you from where I am found. for in this seat of clarity and understanding, even the blind can see, and the deaf can hear. that even in the midst of darkness and silence, there is truth in every touch of reality that I hold.

The Satyagraha school’s main building made of bamboo in traditional Wantilan style

A poem for Malyn. Wendell is from the Philippines, but is currently working in Hong Kong as a dancer.

All through the project are deeper meanings revealing living yogic principles. The garden for instance is not just a source of organic nourishment, a healing herbal apothecary but also is a plot given for free to villagers for flowers to be grown for temple offerings. In the old days woman were able to go into the fields to pick the flowers themselves, now they have to go to the markets and buy them.

Food is seen as a medicine so children learn about not just the healing properties of the plants but also the very act of how we harvest them and whether that can be done with love and care.

Everything in the project is free for the local villagers, and they are asked to contribute back to the project in a ‘receive 10 hours give 5 hours’ ratio. As all land sales for foreigners in Indonesia are leaseholds the project will return to the village for them to carry on looking after the land and taking care of it in the future. Everyone

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who works there is encouraged to practice yoga at least 3 times a week so that it becomes a living place of practicing the philosophy of yoga. The food is all vegetarian with soya milk.

The school for yogic philosophy and studies allows village kids an extra curricular deepening into the Hindu religion. In addition to Asana practice, studies include working on the land, showing how a life based on yoga can work and teaching life skills ‘giving them a centre into their authentic selves’.

The Wantilan traditional bamboo structure, Indonesia’s largest and tallest Balinese bamboo house made was with a mixture of bamboo, palm leaves, ylang ylang roofs, and river stones. All the flooring, steps and structures are made from bamboo. It’s a stunning building, full of beautiful artwork, large river stones and lots of bamboo in various functions as well as luxurious pieces of Balinese wood craftsmanship.

The inspirations for the house are again multifold; to demonstrate sustainability in all of its building materials and that it be rented out to guests when the founder is away which will then pay for the

The centre is set up by the Breath of Hope Foundation, a non-forprofit educational oragnisation. Therese Poulsen the founder of Breath of Hope, says of the charity’s vision that “it is really serving the understanding that life is our practice. And within the practice, we have an opportunity to look in the mirror and take responsibility and act accordingly.”

Having taught children in the US, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia for many years she learnt that yoga can strengthen children emotionally, physically, giving them a greater sense of control, direction and concentration over their lives. “The future of our world depends on our children. Here we can make the greatest change.”

In 2004 after the Tsunami in Sri Lanka the foundation went to serve those most traumatised by the disaster. “Through the practice of asthanga yoga, the children were able to find an inner strength and find spiritual nourishment that will never desert them”. She added “We work in orphanages, abused young woman refuges, deaf schools; where we trained children and teachers to guide the children through the breathing, poses and meditation as well as the psycho-social system that comprises the practice. In such gentle activity, the children experience the comfort of their own being – many for the first time – and awakened possibilities beyond their current suffering. As strength of body and spirit are rekindled in the child, pervasive anxiety and hopelessness give way to a growing sense of well-being.”

One of the gardens at the Satyagraha school

running of the school. There is no Air Conditioning, it’s all sliding doors like a tree house in capturing the breeze, offering the sense of living in flow with nature which the organic feel of the wood and stone also bring out deeply.

The whole project has been blessed by the Hindu High Priest of Bali, Ida Pedanda Gede Made Gunung, and he also helped in placing all the deities, shrines, buildings and a healing garden.

Currently Breath of Hope trains teachers to bring the practices into the classroom has worked with over 13,000 children and hunderest of teachers in Sri Lanka teaching them the 21 month course (interspersed with a 3 month break in the middle for integration) and there are schools in Phuket, Bangkok and Chiang Mai in Thailand, Bali and one year ago they started to work in Germany.

For more information, breathofhope@gmail.com or www.breathofhopefoundation.org Peter is an Interfaith Minister, Findhorn Fellow, and editor of Holistic Asia and Positive News magazines. His asana practice has disappeared these days but he does like singing kirtan, though those next to him would prefer him not to. e: peter@holisticasia.com

Healing through Yoga On June 29th 2008 Therese was intentionally hit by a car in Sri Lanka, a result of the convoluted politics of the country. She has used her yogic techniques to help heal her body and in particular her hand which very damaged and is now documenting her recovery to show scientifically the efficacy of yoga as a healing modality.

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Yoga Off the Mat

Oh Y ogin ffor or ge our die t!

Yogin orge gett no nott y your diet!

Bobsy

FIFTY ONE PERCENT OF ALL THE world’s green house gas emissions come from our diet! Insane, mad, unbelievable, scary? Hell yeah!

Would you ever cook 20 plates of pasta, eat one and chuck the other 19 into the bin?

How about emptying 25,000 litres of clean drinking water down the drain before drinking 1 litre of water? Of course you would not!

Wrong! This is what eating 1 kilo of meat does in today’s world, and it is a fairly conservative estimate. The alarming list of statistics, facts and figures goes on and on.

I run out of words to describe this insanity going on right under our noses (literally) day in, day out. Our natural resources, our eco-system, our planetary stability, our health and our right to a sustainable future are under severe attack. This is what we are doing collectively as a global species every day to provide cheap meat, dairy and seafood to our insatiable appetites.

This alarming trend is increasing not decreasing as China and the rest of Asia want to eat more of these foods as a sign of development and civilisation. We are the script writers and the audience alike.

Last March we officially launched our campaign “Save The Human!” It was based on a 2006 report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation called “Livestock’s Long Shadow”. The report stated that 18% of all green house gas emissions are from the production of meat and dairy. This statistic was scary enough for us to launch a campaign in the midst of our busy lives here in Hong Kong.

However, that percentage was too conservative.

According to the most recent report, called “Livestock and Climate Change”, published by Robert Goodland and Jeff Anhang for the World Watch Institute, livestock industries are responsible for 51% of all the world’s green house gases and the figures are rising.

and personal to us, is the number one cause of pollution, torture, misery, suffering and injustice is hard to swallow. It is not “they” who are responsible. It is not the “big nasty corporations and industries” or the “governments”. It is us. You, me and our loved ones are the root cause of this and it is hard to accept.

I understand this clearly and always make an effort to state it in my talks and school visits. Don’t take my word for it. Do your own research, scratch the surface and find out for yourselves. The information is out there. Use your judgement.

The United Nations climate conference took place in December 2009 in Copenhagen, or as we like to call it “Hopenhagen”. This was an unprecedented effort to combat climate change by the world community and arguably a last chance to reverse the inevitable collapse of our civilization as we know it.

livestock industries are responsible for 51% of all the world’s green house gases

As yogis and yoginis we are closer to the truth and we access deeper levels of awareness. This is what our yoga teaches us and this is what we aspire to be in our daily lives. We need to apply our yoga and act accordingly. We need to share this truth with our community and our students in creative ways if we are to see the change we need to see in the world today. We are blessed with the power to make a difference. This is most effective when we choose to benefit the entire planet and all her beings.

For more information visit “Save The Human!” on Facebook and Youtube.

Bobsy is a social entrepreneur and environmental crusader.

He owns Bookworm Café, Life Café and is director of Positive News.

The fact our diet, something so intimate 19

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Perspective

Soften into Intensity Tanya Boulton

YOGA CHANGES US INDIVIDUALLY and collectively. It may not be right away, but it is a practice of self reflection, discovery and growth that brings us closer to who we are.

It is a journey of great courage, and it requires softening, strengthening and letting go.

We step onto the mat with everything we are; past, present, future, the to-do lists, anxieties and insecurities. On top of all that, we morph our bodies into these crazy shapes. There are lots of layers to unravel and discover.

We start to create a union with ourselves, looking in rather than out. We start asking new questions, feeling new parts of our bodies, and touching parts of our souls we never even knew existed.

So how do we work with, rather than against, the shift taking place? How do you treat the person you face day in and day out? The relationship we have with ourselves is the most important, and is the most difficult. While we may love to point fingers at partners, colleagues, friends, and family, the truth is we must look deep within our own hearts at the relationship we have with ourselves.

For many years my practice with filled with intense struggle. Why can’t I do this or that pose? Before I knew it, my jaw clenched, my breath was short and I was struggling at the edge of every posture.

Looking back, these were elements of internal struggle, too much effort and not enough letting go. I finally took the advice of some amazing teachers to work compassionately and patiently with myself.

This was the first time I actually felt what it is to soften into the intensity. I became my own ally in the practice; and pretty soon my jaw relaxed, my breath deepened and my practice became somewhat struggle-free and more enjoyable.

I’m not saying it’s easy, and I’m still constantly challenged. But creating a space to allow the intensity to flow, and create softness around it, rather than hardening is what helped me become present to the experience taking place.

life or on the mat, it’s difficult to see what’s really taking place before us and within us.

Life is about staying open to the experiences we like andSteve dislike. I Merkley never quite realised this until I had to deal with death on a personal level. The overwhelming emotions of losing someone close to you shine some of life’s most valuable lessons.

When we are focused on looking inside be still, quiet, and relax into the present moment of a pose or life challenge - we may not like what we see or feel.

It was the loss of my father two years ago that taught me this; my first reaction was seclusion, shutting down, and ignoring the experience. Not until much later did I realise to live and heal, I would have to soften into the intensity of this experience.

For me, it was a matter of softening into intense grief and sorrow, holding the space and breathing into it, allowing the feelings to flow rather than shutting down. Only then did I move towards healing and life.

Conscious relaxation and letting go can be one of life’s most challenging experiences.

But the experience is worth the challenge.

Nevertheless the focus is about being present to exactly what is in front of us and inside of us. If we soften into life’s intense moments whether joy, sorrow, worry, or laughter, then we can work compassionately with ourselves and ultimately with others.

Tanya is a freelance and private yoga instructor in Hong Kong and is launching her own yoga/ casual clothing line. tanyaboulton@gmail.com

Being present just takes stopping for a moment and taking the time and space to feel.

Many yoga teachers talk about experiences on the mat being parallel to those off the mat. This is true if we are willing to feel in our practice and daily life, work compassionately with ourselves and move our focus inside. This takes a conscious relaxation and letting go. We really can’t realise the parallels on and off the mat if we aren’t conscious and present to what is going on. If we are jumping from thought to thought, working unconsciously in daily 21

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Perspective

What is Authentic?

Aerin Alex O’Malley

I’VE BEEN BOMBARDED BY THE WORD AUTHENTIC lately, both in advertising for Yoga schools and the dissemination of wisdom, idiomatic sayings: “Learn to teach Authentic Yoga.”

“Open yourself to personal well being authentically”. “If your intention is authentic, we can change the world with love”.

makes one more authentic than the other?

By using the word authentic in this context, are you covering up your lack of study, of truth, of expertise, and at the same time, insulting the competition and clientele by underestimating their need and right to make informed and educated choices? I recognise there is a need to distinguish oneself in such a saturated industry and I am hopeful that Yogis will continue to grow and positively affect the energetic body of human kind with out insulting our growing community.

This is akin to saying the world we’ve created is not real or authentic. In the context of yoga teacher trainings, behaviour, or style of yoga, there is an inherent judgement required by the speaker putting down style and process choices. It’s exclusionary. It creates a “better than” situation where none need exist and seems the antithesis of the spirit of yoga.

I propose a challenge to the Yoga Community. Let’s define the word as it pertains to us. Let’s reach beyond the smallness of ourselves and get past judging being “better” than the other. Yoga in its most broad definition (in English) is Union, the yoking of breath to body, of soul to the universe.

I am reminded of a yoga teacher who said “If you are not a vegetarian, you are not a true yogi”. I read this to be, “you are not authentic”. It’s insulting and says unless I follow your path, I am not on the good one myself. There are many terrific reasons to be a vegetarian. But it’s egotistical when applied as definitive, authentic definition of yoga.

We, particularly in the West, would do ourselves a favour to demand more transparency in consumerism. To those of you brave enough to take on the label of “teacher” or “master”, I issue the challenge to be clear and transparent about your teachings, your practice, your offerings to all of us. Those who resonate authentically with individuals will prevail.

I know Hindus, who are vegetarians and who eat chicken. Are the vegetarian Hindus more authentic than those who eat meat?

Do all of these folks using the word authentic in their advertising and teachings have a direct line to the beginning of yoga? What

Alex splits her time between India and San Francisco, running teacher trainings, workshops, private, studio and corporate classes. alex@meeturfeet.com

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Teacher’s Voice Marksim Karki

WHAT IS YOUR MOST CHALLENGING ASANA AND WHY? Savasana – Corpse pose. During my practice of over 12 years I have only truly experienced savasana a few times. After every practice, it’s good to do savasana for 5-10 minutes to regain our energy balance. The feeling after savasana is not the same every time, it depends upon the state of the mind. Our mind is constantly thinking about the external and it’s unable to relax.

We may be physically stable but mentally unstable. Stabilizing the mind is not easy.

What I gained from savasana is not just relaxation, it’s the feeling of emptiness beyond relaxation. The conscious mind, but without thought, completely detached from physical awareness.

Marksim is a certified yoga teacher from the Sivananda tradition and taught in India for over 7 years. He is currently teaching at True Yoga (True Fitness) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He continues to learn and teach yoga with enjoyment and without judgement.

The first time I did savasana for about 45 minutes (Yoganidra), I just slept! Doing savasana for more than 20 minutes is not as easy as we think. One day I experienced the feeling of emptiness in savasana. It is something I have only experienced very few times, but it’s hard to describe. There is no awareness of my physical body and no thoughts in my mind to disturb that state.

It’s similar to when we go to sleep, we don’t know when we will reach the state of deep sleep, the dreamless state. Because the nature of our mind is whenever it achieves something or becomes comfortable, it never remains there. Whenever I am comfortable in savasana it’s always a challenge for me to go beyond the physical boundaries to get to that dreamless state.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM THIS ASANA? A lot! I used to think savasana was just a relaxation pose so I created a barrier in my mind that stopped me from going deeper.

My awareness remained only at the level of relaxation and not beyond. When I finally gained a deeper level of experience, I realised I was my own barrier. After that I was much more mindful when doing other asanas. It’s like when you hear a proverb or words of saints, you grasp its meaning

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according to your own maturity, experience and level of understanding of life. Once your level of understanding grows, the same words will have different and deeper meaning than before. So when we make the judgement that savasana is just relaxation, we create our own boundary.

Once we cross these borders and detach from such limitations, we can experience something more profound plus the joy of the pose.

You cannot judge an asana from its external look, savasana looks easy but to really experience it is very difficult. This applies in our practical life as well. We can’t judge someone as good or bad only by seeing them. But often we determine someone on first impression and later we realise we were wrong. This applies to myself too. I learned not to overestimate or under estimate any posture, person or situation. I also learned each and every pose is limitless. I now try to apply the experience I gained through the practice into my practical life. After many years, I have learned that living in this world is the practice, not just doing the postures.

WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECT OF YOUR PRACTICE? Keeping up a regular practice. I was more regular in my practice when I was a yoga student, mainly because I am lazy.

Regular for me means to practice at the same time every single day. Some days the time varies and some days I skip my practice. Once I became aware of this and corrected myself to avoid making the same mistake again. Luckily I became a yoga teacher and through teaching I am constantly in touch with this thought. I also realise yoga is not just about an hour of practice but it’s a way of life.It’s an ongoing process, that’s never-ending. It gives new meaning in my life and enables me to handle daily situations easier. Still, doing my personal practice regularly is quite challenging but that challenge helps keep me motivated.

Practice

The Mix ed Up Mons Mixed Monstter erss James Figueria

THERE IS A SAYING THAT “LIQUOR before beers has no fear. Beer before liquor never sicker”.

This little saying tells you if you’re going to be out partying, drink the stronger stuff first and then move to the less hard alcohol so as not be completely hung over in the morning. In other words, don’t mix your drinks. I wish there was a similar saying for the practice of yoga.

Maybe “method before practice all can happen, practice before method deadly hazard” I don’t know something like that.

You can tell I’m no poet.

The point is don’t mix your yoga.

In the last four years I have met at least two dozen students who just go from yoga class to yoga class and teacher to teacher, never really understanding what they are

doing. Students ask me for advice on their practice and then argue that’s not what they were told by another teacher from a completely different method of yoga.

I have also met teachers practicing and teaching sometimes more than five types of yoga.

One student/teacher I met some years ago told me she had been teaching for two years. I asked what kind of yoga she was studying. She said hatha yoga, yoga therapy, vinyasa flow, prenatal yoga and she had taken a hot yoga teacher training. I’m not kidding!

I understand when yoga crosses cultures things are bound to change because beliefs are different, society is different and people think differently. But there is something to be said for the traditional method of learning and sticking with one teacher for a period of time.

Let me put it this way. If you wanted to study martial arts first, you would think about what kind of martial art you want to learn. Then you would go to class and try it out, if you felt some kind of connection with it you would stay and learn more.

If not, you might go and try another one. However you would most likely not go to two or three different martial art classes at three different locations and then say to the teacher of Kung Fu “that’s not the way I learned in Karate class”. Why? It’s because they are different! Both different, but with the same basic goal. Such is yoga! Many paths, one goal.

In most yoga texts you will find two bits of advice: 1) Find a teacher because yoga can not be learned from books or DVDs. 2) Practise uninterrupted for a long time because yoga is experiential not intellectual.

Following a method with a teacher is the only way to gain understanding of what you are doing. Find the method that feels right for you. Try it out for three four months and then see how you feel and if you want to try another, it’s okay.

Then there are those who teach two or more different styles of yoga and like I said before there are very few teachers in the world who know and understand enough about yoga to do such a thing. Even such a teacher has had a teacher who has guided them to that point.

It’s true through yoga anyone can develop a greater sense of self awareness. However, it takes discipline. The same discipline that takes, to become accomplished in any walk of life.

It also takes a mentor or teacher, one who has been travelling down the same path you are on. There may come a time when we outgrow our teacher, but that only means your teacher has done a good job of guiding you.

I once sat in on a teacher training course as an observer. I listened to a soon-to-be yoga teacher trying to explain Trikonasana. When he finished, the host asked me for comments.

So I asked him two things: 1. what method was he using?

2. what did he want the student to understand?

As he scanned his notes for an answer, I told him the answer wasn’t to be found there. If you had no method to follow and no teacher to learn from, then you are just handing out information without understanding.

The host then asked me if I would like to address the group, almost as if she wanted me to make a point she had been trying to make herself. “OK!” I said, “If you don’t mind.”

(She didn’t have to twist my arm too hard) “Pick a style, find a teacher and have a daily practice in the method” was what I told them.

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If you had taken away anything from this article, let it be this. Yoga is best learned from a teacher of a particular method. The aim in yoga is to bring one’s thoughts under control, to be able to develop mental clarity. Each method of yoga goes about this in a slightly different manner. Each method is a branch on a tree feeding from the same roots. Find a teacher of any method you like, one is not better than the other. There is no better, there is only effort but that’s another article.

Stop mixing methods. One style, one teacher. Learn it well. Discover all there is, then, grow from there. If you have no teacher near you, find one. There are a number of qualified teachers living and working in Asia now. Teachers who have put years into learning a particular method of yoga and is still learning. Finding a teacher and develop a working relationship with them can only be helpful.

A few tips if you are looking for a teacher: First: Find a teacher who has a regular

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practice in the method they are teaching.

Like I said… there are teachers out there teaching one thing and doing another.

Next, it’s best to go to a yoga school not gyms or clubs that offer classes often, (but it’s not always so, don’t have a cow if you teach in a gym) they are taught by people with no practice of their own.

To start at a place that offers many kinds of yoga is fine, but once you find yourself interested in a particular style, seek out a proper school, a place that specialises in a particular style. That way you can be 98% sure correct method is being followed.

Find a teacher you feel safe with, someone you think is looking out for your best interest even if they are not the most seasoned teacher. There are many teachers who want to prove they are good teachers by throwing out tons of information and showing how beautiful their practice is. A good teacher cares about the progress of a student only. Remember yoga is about your own experience.

Lastly! You might have to travel a bit to find your teachers, I had to go halfway around the world to find mine, but when you do, it’s worth it!

If you want to run a marathon you learn to run steadily, so you don’t do sprint drills.

If you want to learn ball room dancing, you stay out of hip-hop classes.

If you want to learn Kung Fu then Judo class would be a mistake.

If you want to learn yoga then the new Kung Fu-vinyasa-flow, hot-pole class may not be a good idea.

James is Director & Principle Teacher of The Yoga Shala, Singapore.

He is an authorised teacher from Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute(AYRI)Mysore, India. He has over 25 years of teaching experience behind him.. www.theyogashala.com.sg

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Perspective

Musings of a Spiritual Traveller Leah Kim

THERE ARE FEW EXPERIENCES IN life more inspiring and invigorating to me than travel, especially when to a different part of the planet. I’m in the air en route to Sydney. This is my first time venturing south of the Equator, and I feel like a child on Christmas Eve. What is it about travel that is so enriching and simultaneously unravelling? For me, it isn’t sightseeing or the usual tourist activities. In this day of Google Earth and travel shows, it’s so easy to visit various world landmarks virtually. I’m not interested in seeing the generic or the generically-deemed sacred. I’m interested in visiting the sacred within myself. Just as different people bring out different aspects of us, different places serve as reflections to uncover inner truths that otherwise might not have been coaxed into awareness.

In this way, travelling is a deeply spiritual experience for me. Sure, it’s fun and interesting, and often delicious, but so much more important than all of that is the opportunity to get to know myself better. To me, that’s what it means to be ‘spiritual’…having a relationship with yourself. Making a conscious effort to understand all your layers, to own and embrace every part of you that is ‘good’ and ‘bad’, and to then earnestly serve the world from this place of truth and clarity.

reminded of how small I am in the context of the planet…not small in a selfdeprecating way, but in a way that overwhelms me with respect, reverence and gratitude that I get to be a part of this amazing project of Life.

I am also reminded of a notepad I had as a child. This notepad had a cartoon with personified potatoes on it, and the caption read “In the big scheme of things, we’re all just small potatoes.”

When I bought that notepad, I had no idea what that saying meant. I’ve never been particularly good with American clichés, as we didn’t use them in my family.

So I assumed it was nonsense, like the nonsensical sayings you often find on Asian stationery (e.g. purple bloom’s fancy in the morning bear). But now I understand what seemed to be gibberish was a rather poignant and layered lesson.

We are all small potatoes rooted in our shared earth and supported by Mother Nature, with the not-so-small purpose to contribute to the flourishing of all forms of Life. And all of our seemingly enormous yet ephemeral problems themselves are small potatoes when considered in the context of all things, in the big scheme of unconditional love and life so abundant.

As I gaze out of the plane window at the magnificent sky, the sun shining its everpresent light on the layers and layers of clouds, I am filled with awe for this breathtakingly beautiful place we are blessed to call our home, our Mother Earth. I am

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Leah is a native Californian yogini living and loving in Hong Kong.

She loves exploring the planet, connecting to the Big Mind, breathing in and out. www.beyoga.org

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Yoga Business

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Teacher Training Review

TT enjoys some assistance in “Ouchasana”

Adv anc ed Hatha T dvanc anced Trraining from the Heart T.T.Ho

AS I WAS CHECKING OUT WEBSITES for a part time Teacher Training, I came across the Advanced Hatha Yoga Teacher Training at Anahata Yoga in Hong Kong.

So inspired had I been by Yogananth Andiappan, since his coffee table book, “Yoga from the Heart”, I registered for the training without haste. I am glad I did!

We were an intimate group of 10 students, who had Yogananth’s undivided attention over the six-week, 200-hour course. He selflessly shared his experience with us, giving us a good understanding of the asana, alignment, benefits, contraindications as well as modifications and hands-on assists. Also introduced during the course were pranayama, kriyas and mudras.

Anyone who has looked through

Yogananth’s extraordinary book of 400 asana, will immediately know he is a master of poses. Despite this, in person he is very down-to-earth and does not show off.

Quite the contrary he makes all students feel at ease trying the poses.

We learned a variety of advanced poses categorised into several series which we practised during the training. Each was systematic with a warm up sequence leading into each series. Physically and mentally, Yoganaath ensured we were all well prepared to take on the challenge – never be scared to try and experience. Yogananth always suggested modifications as well as advanced variations for each asana.

This training was definitely not for beginners. Most of the poses were very challenging, and certain poses were impossible for some practitioners. In addition to the class practices, we had self practice and take other classes, so we would learn about different styles of yoga and teaching methods.

Through this training we came to understand how little we knew, and that in turn drove us to deepen our knowledge and maintain a consistent practice. I also learned yoga is not confined to the practice in the studio, but encompasses what is beyond the mat – attitude, thoughts, behaviour and lifestyle.

As one of my fellow trainees said that “this training definitely broadened my understanding of yoga practice and its philosophy. I become calmer and less emotional. I truly experienced what it means by “yoga as a way of living”. The regular practice of yoga reduces my physical and emotional stress, and also makes me a better person.”

TT was introduced to yoga in 2003, initially focusing on hot yoga but has since practised Acroyoga, Anusara, Ashtanga, Hatha, Power Vinyasa, Yin Yang, under different masters. Apart from this training, he recently completed the teacher training certification course by MS University in India. Currently, he is pursuing a Master degree in Yoga. tt@barbariandesign.com

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Workshop Review

The Language o eacher off a T Te Dr Valerie Wilson Trower

ALEX MEDIN REMAINS A POPULAR teacher here, although he left Hong Kong for his native Norway last year. He returned to Yoga Mala to lead a well attended workshop, which I sat in on. In this article, my aim is to record Alex’s words as he led a shortened Ashtanga practice.

After thanking Yoga Mala, Alex reminded us of the breath in the Ashtanga Primary sequence: Focus on the exhale.

The workshop began with a chant, a series of Pranayama exercises, and a reminder that “Yoga doesn’t want you to become Hindu: yoga is unity in diversity. It makes us see how the patterns of our minds work.” In the shortened Ashtanga 1 practice, he broke down the Sun Salutation sequence in to parts, reminding everyone to focus on the breath, and “Sun Salutations are the most fundamental thing about the practice.”

Reminding students not to add in-between breathes during the practice, he observed to achieve this “might take 10 years, or whatever, but it doesn’t matter.” The achievement was still worth it, despite the length of time it took.

then you will fail.”

I particularly liked his next comments about being in the moment, “release the effort. There is nowhere else to go but in, just trust that. Yoga is to be explored, right here, right now,” and: “Sometimes there is more to be gained by taking it slow. That brings us closer to yoga than intensive ambition for physical perfection.”

As the practice progressed Alex repeated several of the phrases for which he is well

known: Keep it steady, calm; Explore the gentle receptively in the midst of the challenge; Feel the elevation from within; Take a step back from all your ideas and ambitions of how you would like to be, just be your deeper self, free from any identity of name and form.

As I copy these words from my notes, I can hear Alex’s voice. His guidance for Warrior 1 was interesting and helpful “be strong like a tank from the hip down; from the waist: be like a flower.”

As a seated observer, I was surprised when the humidity and heat of the room rose significantly on the third Sun Salutation A, as though the students were collectively emitting energy as they warmed up. Again, Alex reminded students of their breath, “learn how to exhale properly and the inhale will come by itself.” As the students progressed to Sun Salutations B, he explained “unfortunately, the progression [of the sequence] means students forget about the beginning. The more you can take time over Sun Salutations: the better your practice will be. Rushing ahead will not help,” and “slow and steady is better.”

In Down-dog he reminded everyone “not so much effort, just feel the breath,” adding “yoga is about skill, steadiness, and activity, but it is also about development, the right receptivity: to breath a little better with what is. Relax.”

Alex mimicked not stretching properly as a wobbly student, reminding the students not to “try too hard to be good because

Alex helps a student feel the lightness in Sirasana

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I also loved this “it is easier to relax the arms, than all of the ambitions that drive us. Believe me, to work in a non-ambitious manner will certainly bring you much closer to yoga than just jumping around.”

Alex suggests spending 20 to 30 breathes in each pose in the finishing sequence.

Whilst many of us practice that in the headstand, it had not occurred to me to try this in the other poses.

And I remember having hearing this often “We can just relax in to the simplicity of being. Just relax in to the here and now.”

Alex also gave good advice for those who practice before hurrying to work “take proper time in the finishing postures to allow the practice to sink in,” and suggested “if you are tired after work, let yourself unwind with a few finishing postures.” Again, we were reminded of some of the suggestions for practice, which Alex uses often. I hope readers can “hear” Alex leading the practice through the closing asanas: “relax the intensity and the effort,” and “create greater expansion to the breath, ” and “now, just relax and let the body be,” and finally “allow the spine to find a natural lengthening from within.”

Part way through the sequence, as the repeated vinyasa began to tire some students, Alex empathised “these vinyasas: they are a real challenge and can be a real pain. It”s tiring and difficult, but take it as a challenge to find a new the strength from within. The vinyasa creates more energy in your system.”

Alex led the twisting asanas (postures) with more oft repeated observations, which his students will know and recognise: “to take Mari D in one inhalation is difficult, but it is possible with practice,” or “inhale: and create length and expansion from within,” and “just empty the breath, and now exhale a little further.”

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And as students relaxed in to savasana, the Corpse pose, at the end of the practice “let the body and mind be, explore that steady focus from within that does not change and is not subject to decay.” “That

sweetness is sweeter than sugar.”

Alex finished the morning session with a lovely explanation, I have copied the first part and the last sentence in full: As we learn to centre the energy of the breath, it becomes easier to centre the mind. What is left when you are able to still the fluctuations of the mind; is the purity of Spirit. The purity of consciousness, that sees that observes and sees all the impressions and sensations in our mind yet is eternally indifferent to them. So now, just let your body and mind go, rest back in the indestructible and feel the support from all around.

Dr V holds a doctorate in Historial and Critical Studies from the London College of Fashion, The University of the Arts, London. She practices Ashtanga yoga, Mysore style and leads Hatha yoga stretches for the Siddha Meditation Path.

Workshop Review Mas an W ong: B elie ve the Hype Mastter Dunc Duncan Wong: Belie eliev Christina Morrison

WHY DOES DUNCAN WONG SEEM to have unlimited energy? Because he is not self-serving! This selflessness is exactly what this master demonstrated in his

Far from the high-energy image he is associated with, this photo of Duncan is from http://thewitcontinuum.wordpress.com

recent series of workshops in Hong Kong, 6 - 8 October 2009.

Madonna, Sting, Demi Moore, Bjork and other high-flyers with brains and hearts in the right place (and, more importantly, let’s not forget: wallet!) can’t be wrong, and guess what? They are all Master Wong’s past students. Take a deep breath and prepare to be transformed.

Heaven and Earth last and last. Why do they last so long?

Because they are not Self-Serving!

Lao Tzu 6000 BC

Back at Dickson Yoga, in the heart of the funkiest area in Tsim Sha Tsui’s shopping mecca, we waited with bated breath for the Master to appear. Straight from what yogic-biographers have called his (by reason of VIP client requests) “extreme jetsetting” lifestyle, yet fresh from a retreat in the mountains of Japan, Duncan comes bounding into the room. He is glowing with health and with the face and body that seem to come from good intentions of

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cosmic love and light, covered in a mix of ancient-style tattoos and hip retro body art images, Master Wong’s energy is infectious.

His enthusiasm literally lights up the room as he gets the music pumping with his state-of-the-art sound system and block-rockin’ beats! Think Snoop Doggy-Dogg meets Enya and you are on the right track musically. Put simply, yoga with Duncan is never boring, that’s for sure. The well-lit, beautifully decorated studio vibrates with the atmosphere of adrenaline-filled ether as a team of strangers take to their mats and mysteriously, with those tentative first smiles at each other across the crowded room, become One. The power of positivity oozes from every pore of Master Wong’s time-defyingly toned physique as he takes the students through a range of moves that combines a mix of traditional yoga with aspects of martial arts and even some funky moves that seem to come from the heartbeat of New York City’s hottest dance colleges.

This is just part of the experience that is a Duncan Wong workshop; be prepared to learn aspects of Thai therapeutic massage and little-known esoteric tips which benefit not only yoga teachers but regular students alike. “Remember that every adult is really just a baby, that has grown up a little,” says Master Wong as he gently yet firmly lifts my ribcage into a soothing yet powerfullystretching position. “So when you approach your students to help them into an asana,” he continues, “sometimes you can imagine you are helping a small baby to get comfortable, you know, lifting the baby up and then placing it down gently so it can settle down for a nap, and such.”

The students gather around to watch as Master Wong demonstrates on various students the way to reach the deepest points of any asana, while safely and effectively massaging them and adjusting them into states of almost chiropractic and definitely Patanjalic bliss of a grounded, safe and calming nature.

The workshop comprises three days with a selection of intensitylevels and class-content. Choose from a rigorous flow-style mix for extra sweat-value or Thai-massage inspired technique-perfecting sessions to suit everyone from semi-experienced to seasoned students and yoga teachers. Know that whichever workshop you choose, life will never be the same again as Master Wong reminds us to keep a “Kind mind, with a Smart Heart.”

While Master Wong’s style may seem confronting, challenging and the same time exhilarating and encouraging, one may wonder if one is ‘ready’ to take the challenge of a Master Wong workshop.

However as we leave the workshop, with a feeling of total inspiration, it’s good to remember that as they say, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.”

Christina is a Hong Kong-based writer and teacher. She first studied with Master Wong in Shanghai.

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Teacher Training Review Theory & Pr actic eo in Practic actice off Y Yin Rani Kamaruddin

IF NOT FOR PAUL AND SUZEE Grilley, it is unlikely we would not have the Yin Yoga classes that are so popular today.

As Paul explained at a workshop at True Yoga in Singapore last September, Yin Yoga is not a brand of yoga. The name “Yin Yoga” was adopted to identify this style of practice and to distinguish this practice from the mainstream yang style of practices (e.g. power yoga, ashtanga yoga).

Where yang yoga practices are associated with the lengthening and strengthening of muscles; Yin Yoga focuses on stressing and lengthening connective tissues, i.e. the ligaments, tendons, bones, fascia and even joints of the body that are not exercised to the same degree of intensity in a more active yang style of practice. Yin Yoga is not a separately invented yoga system; it is in essence a hatha yoga practice.

The sensations of feeling the difference of working with muscles (Yang) or connective tissues (Yin) is best explained by the following experiment. First, contract the muscles of your right index finger (a yanglike movement), now pull the right index finger with your left hand. The range of motion in the joint is limited because the muscles are doing their job to protect the bones – there won’t be any movement when you pull that finger. Now, relax the finger and shake it out a bit. Then pull the right index without contracting the muscles and notice an indentation near the knuckle.

Without the muscle engagement the stress is on the ligaments binding the joint. In this position the ligaments are being stressed; a yin-like practice. In a yin practice we are searching for a sensation underneath the muscles. With time one will acquire the skills to differentiate the sensation in the muscles from the sensation in the connective tissues.

Stressing the connective tissues is necessary to ensure it stays healthy and prevents tissue degeneration (under use), which as we age can lead to osteoporosis (low bone mass). Another aspect to maintaining the health of our connective tissues and joints is the hydration thereof. Stressing connective tissues stimulates fibroblasts

(which reside in connective tissue and hold collagen to support the tissues which inevitably diminishes with age) to produce more hyaluronic acid; the biggest contributor to hydration. It is rare to find a yang pose that will stress the lumbar spine like a five-minute yin seal pose. That said, “nothing is absolute”, one is not better than the other, but a healthy balance of the two will lead to strengthening the muscles while maintaining the health of our connective tissues/joints.

As much as there is no prescription for how a pose should look like or, as Paul humorously teased us, “look around, so you can compare yourself with others, don’t feel your body, just try your best to look like the guy next to you”, there is not a prescription for how Yin Yoga should be practiced or sequenced or how many minutes in a pose makes an effective yin practice – the connective tissues respond better to long stresses or holds, but there is “nothing magic about holding a pose for 5 minutes”.

Every body is unique in its range of motion. It depends on what effect you are trying to get from a pose. For example, if the effect is targeted at the groin area, dragonfly (straddle forward fold) gives the groin as much stress as frog. Yin yoga can be incorporated into any yoga practice or sequenced in a way suitable for its purpose.

There are no absolutes, yin and yang supplement each other.

Stressing connective tissues is necessary to ensure it stays healthy and prevents tissue degeneration

This has been a minor scratch in what was covered in our 5-day Yin Yoga Teacher Training in Singapore last September. The practice of Yin Yoga is many layers deeper than I could have covered in this article.

“Yin Yoga – Outline of a quiet practice” by Paul Grilley is available in Hong Kong major bookstores. There is a wealth of information on Paul and Suzee’s website (http://www.paulgrilley.com) where you will also find information on teacher trainings, cool bone photos, informative writings and DVDs. Rani is forever thankful to the teachers who introduced her to yoga.

This article was coauthored by one of her first teachers, Dawnette Hidley, who also attended the workshop.

Rani.Kamaruddin@gmail.com

The Terrific Trio of Yin Yoga, Paul & Suzee Grilley and Stanley the Skeleton

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Children and teens that practice yoga have improved focus, strength and coordination experts say…

Yoga teaches life skills that children of all ages, culture and abilities can learn and benefit from, including children with special needs.

Parents and teachers in schools around the world are finally realizing that children and teens are under a tremendous amount of stress from school work, separation anxieties, performance pressures, poor nutrition, peer pressure, home life, exposure to negative images from the media and injuries related to sports and that kids yoga is a fun, healthy and non- competitive way of dealing with all of these sources of stress.

Grace Hetherington, the Program Director and Head Teacher of KidzYoga in Schools! and the teacher trainer for Yogakids International in Asia, says there is much more interest today in kid’s yoga classes and kids yoga teacher training workshops in Hong Kong and around Asia compared to 2 years ago when yoga was just for most Moms who want to have healthy bodies and enjoy their peace when their children are in school and their husbands are at work.

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Nowadays, many schools incorporate yoga into their classrooms and physical education classes. Grace trains school teachers and child focused individuals here and abroad, “Breathing Life into Learning” from Kindergarten to Year 12, as part of their Professional Day where they can integrate yoga into their core curriculum. KidzYoga in Schools also runs Yoga for Kids classes as an after school activity.

Grace believes that actively providing instruction and education to students (as part of their daily classroom/school routine) about their bodies and their health in an invigorating, FUN and participative way through yoga will encourage healthy lifestyle choices.

Yoga for kids is very dynamic! Animal and nature sounds, music, lots of laughter and movement, and an emphasis on imaginative play set yoga for kids well apart from grown up yoga.

Children to teens learn and benefit more physically and mentally when the stress is low and self-esteem is high! They get fit inside and out plus they learn anatomy and physiology, ecology, geography, math, character education, physical education, arts and much more while they are practicing, more than what adults learn in their own yoga classes!

Workshop Review

A Journey into Self Daphne Symeonides

FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE WEEKENDS LAST OCTOBER and November, a group of 10 explorers met with a youthful and courageous guide to delve deeper into yoga. This article is an attempt to describe that journey.

First of all are the facts which are easiest to tell. The workshop ‘Yoga - Many Paths to One Truth’ led by L. Shyam Narayanan was organised into 12 sections of roughly three hours each. Each session comprised of mantra chanting, philosophical lecture, discussion and practice. From these ten students were the recently retired to a youthful secondary student who ranged the whole spectrum of experience.

Because we were such an intimate group, we engaged in deep discussion and each explored the issues at our own level and from our own perspective. And that’s when the journey got interesting.

We shared all sorts of ideas and beliefs and mostly we shared ourselves. Within the first day, what was a group of relative strangers suddenly began to change. We began to grow together both in understanding and friendship. We went from ten separate beings working on solitary understandings to an empathetic band of souls thinking and working in unison. We began to embody Shyam’s teachings.

Shyam (centre back) with the writer, Daphne (second from left at front), and other yoga explorers

In a very short time, we forged a close bond. We were eager to come to class knowing that we’d find a room full of souls on a journey of self-exploration, each at our own point in that journey but excited to be sharing it with like-minded travellers. Here is a vignette to illustrate one part of our journey – we would get to practice eventually each session.

At first we all focused on ourselves – ‘can I get this pose right?’ As there were only 10 it was easy for Shyam to swoop in to help, nudge or challenge us to push our own boundaries. But we still held on to our selves and sense of ‘how am I doing?’ As the sessions progressed, I began to feel a change, we began to loosen up and not only try new things as individuals but take delight in how others in the group developed. In every practice there would be a pose that challenged or scared at least one of us. Shyam would insist that the person try to push through the ‘fear factor’ and the rest of us would watch, not in criticism or relief that it wasn’t our turn but in true loving support. And then came the applause! We learned to nurture and encourage each other and it was the greatest feeling to be in a class like that.

It was Shyam’s skillful and inspiring story-telling, gentle coaxing and persistent challenging that brought us all to a more thoughtful and caring place in ourselves. As one of my fellow voyagers put it, “Shyam gave each of us an option for the way of reflecting on his words. He wanted to make sure every one of us could understand his words, so everyone could make their own workable interpretation to start reflection.” He showed us the path and allowed us to walk it the way we needed to.

What we did in those three weekends was not just learn how to do a handstand or understand passages from the sacred texts. What we did, what Shyam led us to do, was become a community, a warm, understanding circle of strength and compassion. We became One, not ten, which is what the teaching was all about.

Daphne has been practicing yoga for over 7 years and when she is not trying to breathe through double pigeon, travels where ever she can and occasionally manages to find time to teach.

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Diet

AP er oach tto oF ood and Y oga Per erssonal Appr Appro Food Yoga Paul Dallaghan

FOOD HAS A GREAT EFFECT ON your body and mind. It can make or break your inner development. If you watch what goes in the mouth (eating) and what comes out of the mouth (talking) that’s 80% of yogic practice and living.

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika constantly emphasises two points to practitioners: your own will power and control over the tongue.

Gandhi once said remarked that “true happiness is impossible without true health and true health is impossible without rigid control of the palate. All the other senses will automatically come under our control when the palate has been brought under control. And he who has conquered his senses has really conquered the whole world. “

is important to find the right approach to eating. The bad habits formed over the years need to be addressed, if health and mental wellbeing are to be prolonged and cultivated.

The physical body is the combined effect of the food you eat and the oxygen breathed in. There is truth in the statement “you are what you eat”, at least as far as the physical body is concerned. Yet the yoga teachings reveal, and experience will show, that food creates thought.

The opening statement of the Yoga Sutras uses the word “anushaasanam”. This implies growth must arise within you, not forced upon you, though discipline is required.

Yoga and meditative practices lead to a subtle development and an inner lightening. From this, a desire for a cleaner, vegetarian diet may arise. Eating a balanced diet will also help one purify, strengthen and grow.

Some foods (sattvic) will encourage a calm and clear state of mind.

Others can throw the

system and mind into an agitated (rajasic) or dull (tamasic) state. For example, the effects from alcohol, stimulating food, or heavy, stale and dull food.

Swami Sivananda taught that “Food makes thinking possible. Therefore the right food is of paramount importance. You must eat when you are in a cheerful mood. Do not overload the stomach. By the purity of food, follows the purification of the inner nature.”

Food is a source of habit and upbringing so you should not force a particular way of eating or certain food types on yourself. It 42

You do not have to be a vegetarian to practice yoga though you might gradually move to it over time.

According to another smart guy, Albert Einstein, “nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.”

Food should support your personal practice and how you live. It should be enjoyable and tasty. It can heal our “avidya”, delusion and ignorance, and can help to overcome the ill of “samsara”, conditioned existence. Food is part of our yoga practice.

We take food not just as a preventative medicine to aid the physical body but as a tool in itself to aid in the growth of consciousness. As Hippocrates advised “let thy food be thy medicine.”

Paul is director of Yoga Thailand on Koh Samui.

Samahita Wellness is a part of Yoga Thailand, providing a combined approach to yoga and wellness. www.yogathailand.com

Recipe Healthy Comfort Food Moosa Alissa

IT IS COATS-TO-WORK AND SOCKS-TO-BED weather again and I can’t imagine cooking or eating anything that’s not warm, rich and comforting. I think a perfect day of eating during this season would be porridge for breakfast, soup for lunch, stew for dinner and tea before bed. Risotto is basically a rice stew, so it is incredibly important to use a good quality stock, and ingredients that are contrasting in color and texture but harmonious in taste. With the help of some simple techniques and timing the humble work horse rice gets elevated to a center stage sophisticated dish. This is risotto and I hope you love it!

ORGANIC BROWN RICE RISOTTO WITH ASPARAGUS, CHERRY TOMATOES, GOAT CHEESE AND PISTACHIO 1 1/2 cup organic short grain brown rice 1/2 lbs cherry tomatoes 1/2 lbs asparagus, peeled and cut into 1 inch sticks 4 cups home made or store bought vegetable stock 1 cup white wine 1/2 cup chopped pistachios 1/4 lbs French soft goat cheese 1/4 cup finely chopped carrot 1/4 finely chopped celery 1/4 finely chopped onion 1 clove garlic crushed 1 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped 1 Lemon, juice and zest Fresh ground black pepper Sea salt

and cook for thirty minutes.

The goal is to bring the rice to a point where it is slightly undercooked.

1. Shell and chop the pistachio nuts. Reserve.

5. Heat a frying pan to medium heat. Add one table spoon of olive oil and the asparagus, season with sea salt and black pepper and after cooking for 3 minutes add two tablespoons of lemon juice, the tomatoes and thyme and continue to cook for 3 minutes.

2. Heat a medium saucepan to medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the carrot, celery, onion and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes.

3. Combine the lemon zest, rice and the vegetable mixture.

Add the white wine and continue to cook and stir till the liquid is absorbed. Add two cups of stock and when the mixture begins to boil, lower the heat to low and cover

4. Uncover the rice and raise the heat to a medium low heat.

Begin to add the stock one half cup at a time and continue to stir the rice mixture till the stock is absorbed. Repeat this process, and on the last addition of stock, cook the mixture until it is a very soupy porridge texture. The grains of rice should still have a slight bite but be fully cooked.

Reserve.

6. Mix the vegetables into the rice and then crumble the goat cheese and carefully fold it into the risotto.

7. Portion the risotto into four warm bowls and add the

pistachios on top 8. Serve immediately.

Moosa is managing director and executive chef of Life Café, Hong Kong’s original ecofriendly organic whole food restaurant. www.lifecafe.com.hk, +852 2810 9777, 10 Shelley Street, Soho, Hong Kong

Crossword Solution ACROSS 1. Matsya, 7 & 14 ACROSS. Raja Kapotaasana, 8.

Dhanuraasana, 11 & 13 ACROSS. Setu Bandha, 13. See 11 ACROSS, 14. See 7 ACROSS, 16. Bhujanga, 18.

Shalabha, 19. Vaalakhilya DOWN 2, 5, 10 & 8 ACROSS. Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanuraasana, 3.

Dandaasana, 4. Laghu Vajraasana, 5. See 2 DOWN, 6 & 17 DOWN Supta Bheka, 9.

Makara, 10 & 8 ACROSS. Urdhva Dhanuraasana, 12.

Ushtra, 15. Chakra, 16.

See 6 DOWN 43

Book Review

Healing Anger, The Power of Patience from a Buddhist Perspective

by The Dalai Lama Reviewed by Tia Sinha HEALING ANGER IS A COMMENTARY

by His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama on the sixth chapter of Shantideva’s Guide to The Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, on patience.

Shantideva, a realized Indian eighth century monk from the celebrated Nalanda University (the Harvard of medieval India whose ruins are now a Buddhist pilgrimage spot) penned, in about a thousand verses in beautiful, poetic Sanskrit, a detailed, practical, logical and sometimes cheekily debated guide to an incredibly noble way of life. Thirteen hundred years later, in these times of rampant confusion and unhappiness, Shantideva’s thoughts and words are relevant even to non-Buddhists.

Shantideva’s message is universal and immortal because it comes from a realm of the mind beyond the coarse, everyday thinking mind that lands us in so much trouble. Shantideva’s words resonate with truth, the wisdom of the sages.

A student of Buddhist philosophy and practice at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamshala, Tia teaches yoga to the nuns of Dongyu Gatsal Ling, the nunnery founded by Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo.

Among Tibetan Buddhists, Shantideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life is dear to followers of all lineages and traditions. A Bodhisattva is a person who has vowed to rid his own mind of all negativity and delusion, as many lifetimes as it may take, so that he can be of maximum benefit to others in relieving them from all unhappiness. In short, Bodhisattvas work towards their own enlightenment so that they can lead others to enlightenment. A ripe Bodhisattva, having mastered his or her mind, becomes a servant of all, including animals and classes of beings that are invisible.

Walking the path of the Bodhisattva can lead to an expansion of the mind beyond its usual concerns of ‘I, me and mine’ to include all sentient life forms. This is altruism in it highest sense. When freed of fetters that confine it to a limited worldview arising from a wrong idea of who one is and what life is about, one’s mind soars, making a happy, meaningful life possible for oneself and others.

Patience is considered the highest austerity that a Bodhisattva can practice. Patience is looked upon as an antidote to anger.

Shantideva defines patience as the ability to

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maintain one’s equilibrium and not get shaken or disturbed when faced with difficulties of various kinds.

Shantideva’s chapter on Patience begins with the verse: Whatever wholesome deed, Such as venerating the Buddhas and practicing generosity, That have been amassed over a thousand eons, Will all be destroyed in one moment of anger.

Shantideva goes on to cite unhappiness as the cause of all anger: Getting what I do not want, And all that hinders my desire – There my mind finds fuel for misery; Anger springs from it, oppressing me.

Shantideva stresses the need to develop true causes of happiness. He examines various situations in our daily lives that provoke anger, such as when people hurt or irritate us, when those we dislike succeed or are praised, or when people create obstacles to our spiritual practice.

Shantideva cites the law of karma to foster patience and dissolve anger: Why did I previously commit those actions Because of which others now cause me harm?

Since everything is related to my actions Why should I bear malice towards those (enemies)?

Because of them, and through the exercise of patience, My many sins are cleansed and purified.

But they will be the ones who, thanks to me, Will have the long-drawn agonies of hell.

Therefore I am their tormentor!

Therefore it is they who bring me benefit!

Thus with what perversity, pernicious mind, Will you be angry with your enemies?

The Dalai Lama is the epitome of an open, caring heart and a brilliant, clear mind. His book, Healing Anger contains ancient wisdom made relevant for modern times.

There is no danger here of getting lost in philosophy. Healing Anger is indispensable to all who have ever felt a twinge of anger, hatred, hostility, jealousy, impatience or irritation. So, is this book is for you?

Tia’s Crossword AB ack war dB ending Cr osswor d Back ackw ard Bending Cro ord

Perhaps the easiest crossword from Tia in years! Each clue of this crossword points to a certain exhilarating backbending asana. You may need to bend backwards to solve this crossword! In case you need a hint, the solution is on page 43.

ACROSS 1.Jumble ‘May sat’ to give the Fish. (6) 7 & 14 ACROSS. King of Pigeons pose. (4, 11) 8. Bow pose. (12) 11 & 13 ACROSS. Bridge. (4, 6) 13. See 11 ACROSS. 14. See 7 ACROSS. 16. Cobra. (8) 18. Locust. (8) 19. Jumble ‘hail yak lava’ to give thumb-sized heavenly spirits that have inspired a deep back bend. (11)

DOWN 2, 5, 10 & 8 ACROSS. Raise a leg in this upward bow pose.

(3, 5, 6, 12) 3. Eka Paada Viparita ………, the picturesque single leg inverted staff pose. (10) 4. Small or beautiful thunderbolt. (5, 10) 5. See 2 DOWN. 6 & 17 DOWN. Supine Frog.

(5, 5) 9. Crocodile. (6) 10 & 8 ACROSS. Upward Bow pose. (6, 12) 12. Camel. (6) 15. Wheel. (6) 16. See 6 DOWN.

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Yoga Teachers & Studios Anahata Villa and Spa Resort Br. Umah Ayar Pejeng Kaja, Tampak Siring, Gianyar, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia t: (62) 361 7453267 f: (62) 361 970093 e: advertisementpromotion@ anahataresort.com w: www.anahataresort.com Michel Besnard Yogasana s: Ashtanga l: English t: (852)2511 8892 / 9527 6691 e: info@yogasana.com.hk Tanya Boulton Privates s: vinyasa, core l: English t: (852) 6448 7310 w: www.tanya-b.com Kathy Cook Retreats, workshops, privates d: Hong Kong, Bal &Thailand s: Iyengar (Junior Intermediate) l: English t: (852) 6292 5440 / (62) 811 387781 e: kcinasia@gmail.com w: www.yogawithkathy.com

FLEX 1/F Woodleigh House, 80 Stanley Village Road, Stanley, Hong Kong s: Iyengar, Ashtanga, Hatha Vinyasa t: (852) 2813 2212 f: (852) 2813 2281 e: info@flexhk.com w: www.flexhk.com

IYENGAR YOGA CENTRE INDONESIA Ruko Simprug Gallery Jl. Teuku Nyak Arif No 10W Jakarta 12220, Indonesia s: Iyengar t:(6221)739 6904 & (6281)110 7880 e:info@iyengaryogaindonesia.com w: www.iyengaryogaindonesia.com

IYENGAR YOGA CENTRE OF HONG KONG Room 406 New Victory House, 93- 103 Wing 46

Lok St., Sheung Wan, Hong Kong s: Iyengar t: (852) 2541 0401 e: info@iyengaryoga hongkong.com w: www.iyengaryoga hongkong.com

IYENGAR YOGA CENTRE SINGAPORE 149B Neil Road Singapore 088875 s: Iyengar t:(65) 9052 3102 & 6220 4048 e:info@iyengaryogasingapore.com w: iyengaryogasingapore.com Hari Amrit Kaur (Kaldora) Privates, workshops d: Central, Discovery Bay s: Kundalini Yoga, Radiant Child Yoga l: English, Cantonese t: (852) 6428 5168 e: kaldora_lee@hotmail.com w: http://kaldora.wordpress.com Ming Lee Privates, workshops s: Iyengar Certified teacher l: English, Cantonese, Putonghua t: (852) 9188 1277 e: minglee@yogawithming.com

LIFE MANAGEMENT YOGA CENTRE Non-profit Classical Yoga School d: Tsim Sha Tsui s: Patanjali yoga, Kids yoga, Seniors yoga, Corporates l: English, Cantonese t: (852) 2191 9651 t: 6349 0639 (Chinese) e: life@yoga.org.hk w: www.yoga.org.hk Ursula Moser The Iyengar Yoga Centre of Hong Kong, Yoga Central, LRC d: Central s: Iyengar Certified l: English, German t: (852) 2918 1798 / 9456 2149 e: umoser@netvigator.com Anna Ng Privates d: Hong Kong s: Hatha yoga l: Cantonese t: (852) 9483 1167 e: gazebofl@netvigator.com

PURE YOGA

SPACE YOGA

16/F The Centrium, 60 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong t: (852) 2971 0055

26 F, No. 27, An-Ho Road, Section 1, Taipei 106, Taiwan s: Hatha, Ashtanga, Anusara Inspired, Flow, Yin, Restorative, Power, Hot, Meditation, Pranayama, Virya Sadhana, and Yoga Dance l: English and Mandarin t: +886 2 2773.8108 e: info@withinspace.com w: www.withinspace.com

25/F Soundwill Plaza, 38 Russell Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong t: (852) 2970 2299 14/F The Peninsula Office Tower, 18 Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong t: (852) 8129 8800 9/F Langham Place Office Tower, 8 Argyle Street, Kowloon, Hong Kong t: (852) 3691 3691 4/F Lincoln House, TaiKoo Place, 979 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong t: (852) 8129 1188 391A Orchard Road, #18-00 Ngee Ann City Tower A, Singapore t: (65) 6733 8863 30 Raffles Place, 04-00 Chevron House, Singapore t: (65) 6304 2257

THE YOGA ROOM 3/F Xiu Ping Building, 104 Jervois Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong s:Hatha, Ashtanga, Kids yoga, Meditation t: (852) 2544 8398 e: info@yogaroomhk.com w: www.yogaroomhk.com

YOGA CENTRAL 4/F Kai Kwong House, 13 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong s: Iyengar, Hatha Vinyasa, Acroyoga, Mat-based Pilates, Privates, Corporate and Studio rental available. t: (852) 2982 4308 e: yogacentralhk@yahoo.com w: www.yogacentral.com.hk

151 Chung Hsiao East Road, Sec 4, Taipei, Taiwan t: (886) 02 8161 7888 s: Hot, Power, Hatha, Yin, Ashtanga, Dance, Kids l: English, Cantonese e: info@pure-yoga.com

REAL YOGA 545 Orchard Road #08-01 Far East Shopping Centre Singapore s: Hatha Yoga, Power Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga and Gentle Yoga l: English t: (65) 6734 2853 e: contactus@realyoga.com.sg Linda Shevloff The Iyengar Yoga Centre of Hong Kong d: Sheung Wan s: Iyengar Certified (Senior Intermediate I) t: (852) 2541 0401 e: linda@ iyengaryogahongkong.com

Wan our de antt y your dettails listed here in 2010?

It’s HK$500 per teacher and HK$1,000 per studio for the Calendar year. Please mail us your cheque now to continue your listing or start a new listing. fgairns@netvigator.com

Taiwan’s Premier Yoga Studio www.withinspace.com

2010 MASTER TEACHER SERIES SPACE YOGA in Taipei has established a reputation as the premier studio for presenting Yoga in its deep and authentic form. We continue to host top teachers from around the globe who share our vision and are honored to serve as their home base for training events in Asia.

Govinda Kai Mar. 5 - 7, 2010

www.lunaticmonk.com

Transformation through Meditation in Motion

Experience stillness in movement with certified Ashtanga teacher, Govinda, in this weekend workshop and learn to minimize mental fluctuations to allow the primal power of the practice to fully manifest.

The workshop also includes a thoroughly engaging exploration into Yoga Philosophy in a way that you have never experienced before.

Adarsh Williams Apr. 10 - 11, 2010

www.smartstretch.com & www.ashtangapaloalto.com

Active Isolated Stretching & Yoga Workshop

Discover your intuitive sense of alignment in yoga with the therapeutic method of Active Isolated Stretching. In this unique workshop, you will learn how to work with the body's natural intelligence to safely isolate, stretch and strengthen all muscles, making postures easier and more refined.

John Friend Apr. 23 - 25, 2010

www.anusara.com

Melt Your Heart, Blow Your Mind Anusara Workshop

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to join the founder of Anusara Yoga on his 2010 world tour. The tour will be the most energetically transformative tour ever with an emphasis of accessing the deepest essence of the Anusara method through its most fundamental principle. This is John’s only stop in Greater China and Southeast Asia.

Stephen Thomas May 27 - 31, 2010

www.stephenthomasyoga.com

The Bridge*

Propel your practice forward with this level 2, 40-hour Teacher Training. You’ll step up from the foundation developed in your 200-hour training with more advancement and stability in asana and a greater understanding of the practice from an energetic level. The course also includes special advanced sessions on pranayama and Sanskrit.

Richard Freeman Aug. 6 - 15, 2010

www.yogaworkshop.com

Workshop and Immersion / Teacher Training*

Imparting 42 years of yogic wisdom in his first teacher training outside of US, Richard will weave the explanation of the practice with philosophical texts to give us an enlivening practice and enlightening learning. Come and enjoy Richard’s whimsical charm and metamorphic teaching style for yourself. *This event could be taken as part of SPACE’s 300/500 teacher training or as a stand alone immersion.

Need help with travel and accommodations in Taipei? SPACE would be happy to assist you. email teachertraining@withinspace.com or visit www.withinspace.com

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Upcoming Highlights January–April 2010

Guest Teacher Workshops, Teacher Trainings, Programmes, and Retreats

Michelle Ann Ricaille

30 & 31 January Welcoming Baron Baptiste for his premier immersion in Asia Journey into Power Basic Training Programme

1 February – 3 March Ashtanga-Based Teacher Training with Clayton Horton and Dylan Bernstein 200-hr Yoga Alliance Certified Programme

25 February – 7 March Revitalise Yourself – 10-Day Detox Programme with Michelle Ann Ricaille

6-28 March Svastha Yoga of Krishnamacharya: Teacher Training with Ganesh Mohan 200-hr Yoga Alliance Certified Programme

11-14 April Jivamukti Class and Weekend Workshops with Jules Febre

2-9 April Barberyn Ayurveda Yoga Retreat with Wendy Wyvill

9-18 April The Mantras of Kundalini Yoga by Maya Fiennes, Pure Yoga Asia Tour

15-18 April Cambodia Karma Yoga Retreat with Michelle Ann Ricaille

Baron Baptiste

Dylan Bernstein

Clayton Horton

Ganesh Mohan

And many more! Please visit www.pure-yoga.com 48

Jules Febre

Wendy Wyvill

Maya Fiennes