Namaskar Aug 2018

namaskar A VOICE FOR THE YOGA COMMUNITY OF ASIA

WOMEN IN YOGA BUSINESS A look back at how women came to dominate the yoga industry..................................................p19

Debdatta Biswas in Chatushkonasana. Photo by S.K.Wong

ACCESSIBLE YOGA Yoga practice for everybody, one leg or two, wheelchair-bound or able-bodied.................p23

August 2018 REST Why rest is important, why it’s difficult and some techniques for resting .......................p28

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NAMASKAR

NAMASKAR - AUGUST 2018

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Being in Nature is a great way to rest.

Even if you just sit amongst the trees for a few minutes a day, you’ll feel rejuvenated.

You can also try some of the techniques for resting offered by the six contributors on pages 28 – 35. And on page 14, there’s a photo essay influenced by this dristi.

I really enjoyed Eric Shaw’s history of women in yoga article on page 19, and found it ironic Melinda also reviewed a lecture in Taiwan on the same topic on page 45.

Hersha’s experiences of teaching accessible yoga on page 23 will be inspiring for readers who are also caring for ailing family members. She shows us no matter the condition of the student, yoga can be beneficial. And it’s a great exercise for teachers out there to rethink their classes and sequences.

This is the first Namaskar in its 19-year history to be produced outside Hong Kong! I write this from Whistler, Canada (which inspired the dristi) on our way to Edinburgh, UK, and a new life. I am really looking forward to being with family; developing a programme for my ageing parents; making new friends; creating a new life for the four of us; . I am so grateful to yoga for preparing me to embrace this change in my life.

I have no idea how this change will affect Namaskar. I will continue publishing it indefinitely.

At the same time, I’m happy to pass it on to someone else. If you’d like to know more about how Namaskar operates, please email me fgairns@netvigator.com.

Enjoy your summer!

ABOUT NAMASKAR ADMINISTRATION

Carol Adams, carol@caroladams.hk

NEWS EDITOR

Wai-Ling Tse, wailing.tse@gmail.com

CIRCULATION

Angela Sun, angela.sun@gmail.com

On the cover: Deva (Debdatta Biswas), has been teaching in Hong Kong for 15 years. He is also the working President of Hong Kong Yoga Federation.

In This Issue DRISTI - REST LEARNING TO REST REST & PAIN MAGIC OF SHAVASANA NON-STRIVING TO REST REST WITH BREATH RESTING THROUGH STRESS

28 30 31 33 34 35

SPECIAL FEATURES WOMEN IN YOGA BUSINESS 19 A look at the women who’ve forged the path of yoga over past few hundred years ACCESSIBLE YOGA 23 What does it mean to make a yoga class open to all studetns?

REGULAR CONTRIBUTIONS KULA UPDATES, WORKSHOPS, RETREATS, TEACHER TRAININGS PHOTO ESSAY AYURVEDA MUDRAS BOOK REVIEW WORKSHOP REVIEW LECTURE REVIEW BOOK REVIEW RECIPES DIRECTORY

6 14 27 39 39 40 45 39 46 48

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

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

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

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

About 5,000 copies are printed and distributed for free to yoga studios, teachers, fitness centres, retail outlets, cafes and yogafriendly outlets. Mostly distributed in Hong Kong, with 1,500 copies mailed to readers in 32 other countries.

EDITOR & PUBLISHER Frances Gairns, fgairns@netvigator.com

August 2018

CONTRIBUTORS

CASSANDRA KISH

Gabrielle’s life work is yoga, meditation and natural living. She created bebliss 10 years ago and works with groups and individuals inspiring them to live their best life. gabrielle@bebliss.com.au

book, Toward A Secret Sky: A Guide To The Art Of Modern Pilgrimage. KimRoberts.co or KimRobertsArt.com KRISHNAA KINKARIDAS

HERSHA CHELLARAM

Cassandra Kish has 30 years’ experience as an instructor, she found yoga during a rehab for a knee injury and never looked back.

She teaches in France at the moment and is looking forward to returning to the USA in 2018. miisasmom@me.com

maintains a lively international teaching schedule and is the creator of Prasana Yoga and Yoga Education through Imagery. He is an E-RYT 500 with two degrees in Art, and Masters Degrees in Education, Religious Studies and Asian Studies. prasanayoga.com FRANCES GAIRNS

CHOI CHING YNG

Hersha has studied under the guidance of Sri Swami Satchidananda since she was a child. She has taught yoga and meditation for over 15 years around the world. www.hershayoga.com KIM ROBERTS

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

Frances edits and publishes Namaskar. fgairns@netvigator.com Ching discovered yoga in her first prenatal classes over six years ago.

She recently certified as a vinyasa yoga teacher and is a strong believer of the benefits yoga during pregnancy. Ching has two boys. ching_yng@hotmail.com ERIC SHAW Eric has studied yoga and meditation for more than 30 years and taught both since 2001. He 4

GABRIELLE MCMAHON

A graduate of Naropa University’s M.A. Contemplative Psychology program, Kim has been a devoted student of Ashtanga yoga and Dharma since 1992. She spent 15 years living in South Asia and now makes her home in Colorado, where she is finishing her second NAMASKAR

An ERYT500, Loganathan is a physiotherapist, acupuncturist and yoga teacher. He runs teacher training and yoga therapy diploma courses in Hong Kong and India. yogahkn@gmail.com

MARGARET VAN

Margaret teaches Mindfulnessbased movement courses. An anthropogist by training and lover of languages, Margaret is interested in fine-tuning her teaching to students from diverse backgrounds. vanmayfung@gmail.com

TIA SINHA

Tia teaches yoga and Tibetan Buddhist meditation techniques and translates for Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo. onlytia2@yahoo.co.in VAISHALI IYER

Now on-line at: www.issuu.com/namaskarasia Back issues still at: www.issuu.com/caroladams

MELINDA JUANG

Melinda is a Taiwanese living in Hong Kong. A freelance yoga teacher, writer and photographer.

FB: Yun.Yoga.Portrait / melindajuang@gmail.com

namaskar

Vaishali is a full-time yoga teacher in Singapore. She completed her first Yoga Teacher Training in 2011 and has been studying Buddhism since 2012. Since 2015, she has been training in Somatic Meditation with Dharma Ocean. In 2017, she began to train in Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga, and currently teaches vinyasa and yin yoga at Yoga in Common Singapore. vaishaliiyer@ymail.com WAI-LING TSE

October’s dristi:

Pain What is pain?

Are there any benefits of pain?

Is there a difference between good and bad pain?

What does yoga & Ayurveda teach us about pain?

Does practicing yoga help us deal with pain better?

Is there any pain you just have to learn to live with?

What can we learn from pain?

If you’d like to contribute on this topic, please email fgairns@netvigator.com with the idea for your article.

QUINN TAPLIN

Contributions are also welcome on other topics. Final articles are welcome before September10.

Quinn is a student and teacher of mind-body awareness. He has well over 1000 hours of training in Ashtanga, Iyengar, therapeutic, restorative yoga and bodywork. He travels yearly to India and Bali. quinn@samadhibali.com

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

August 2018

KULA

Updates

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of thousands who participated in the recent International Yoga Day.

International Yoga Day 21 June Hundreds of thousands of people around the world celebrated International Yoga Day on 21 June. This was the fourth time the world has celebrated the contribution of yoga to our modern world. This year’s celebration was aptly entitled Yoga for Peace. The reason 21 June was selected, it is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

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HONG KONG

Self-Attunement Meditation PICER, Central For the past 20 years, this community has been assisting people to help change their lives.

Held every Wednesday 8-9:30pm HK$100. First timers HK$50, can arrive at 7:30pm.

Room 2502, 73 Wyndham Street, Central.

For more information www.picer.com / (852) 2167 8661

Flex Opens second studio in Central Their second Central studio offers more yoga classes, more faciities and more experienced instructors. They offer a variety of yoga, including a new hot yoga session, alongside AntiGravity® Yoga and the new FLEXtreme training method (Power, Sweat, TRX® Circuits).

For more information www.flexhk.com / info@flexhk.com

NAMASKAR

Pilates / Yoga Openings Yoga Privates provides private yoga and Pilates sessions across Asia since 2008. They are seeking registered, experienced instructors to join their team. You may email your CV to info@yogaprivates.com For more information www.yoga-privates.com / (852) 6504 4280

THAILAND

Meditation for Creative Writing 11 - 16 October Museflower Retreat & Spa, Chiang Rai “The state of the brain in meditation is very close to the state when a writer is ‘in flow.’

From that still place it is easier to access the intuition and the imagination, both of which we require to write.” says Sarah Walton, PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Hull, UK. She developed an approach to writing that combines meditation and free-writing techniques that help you access the intuition, and teaches this course that works for beginners as well as writers experiencing “writers’ block”.

For more information www.musefloweretreat.com

Sarah Walton

Students at the newly-opened Gecko Yoga Academy in Hong Kong.

Gecko Yoga Academy Opens After a decade of offering kids yoga teacher trainings around town, Jenny Smith opened her own Gecko Yoga Academy in May in Sheung Wan. From this centre, she plans to host yoga classes, workshops and teacher trainings.

Jenny aims to provide a restorative, supportive learning environment for Hong Kong’s Yoga teachers and practitioners For more information www.geckoyoga.com

SINGAPORE

Eka Yoga Institute Long-time yoga teacher Valerie Faneco established Eka Yoga Institute in Singapore on International Yoga Day, 21 June.

She offers yoga therapy classes, Yoga Sutra workshops, regular Vedic chanting, 200- and 300hour teacher training and yoga retreats to India and Thailand,

Eka Yoga Institute’s Valerie Faneco

Eka Yoga Institute follows the teachings of T.K.V. Desikachar, the late son of Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who is commonly thought of as the father of modern yoga.

For more information www.ekayogainstitute.com

The Museflower Retreat & Spa seems an idyllic location for meditation, rest and inspiration - totally in keeping with the theme of this issue.

August 2018

KULA

Workshops

Weekend Energy Workshop Mentorship July and August Workshop with Xi’an This workshop offers new life Victor Chau principles while receiving

Pure Yoga Leslie Kaminoff is a yoga educator inspired by the tradition of T.K.V. Desikachar.

He is a specialist with four decades experience in yoga and breath anatomy. He leads anatomy and yoga methodology workshops for many yoga associations, schools and training programmes worldwide.

CHINA

treatments, and be able to see and understand the energy that affects your life.

For more information www.picer.org HONG KONG

Yoga Bou Intensive & CET with Michiko Minegishi 24-26 August Pure Yoga A Vinyasa flow instructor for over 13 years, Michiko offers regular classes at her home studio, Body and Mind Yoga in Yokohama, Japan, and travels to international conferences to share her theory on her anatomical research.

For more information www.pure-yoga.com

10-hr Inversion, Hip Opening & Backbend Intensive with Andrew Abaria

1 & 2 September Flex, One Island South Throughout the workshop, Victor will explore different teaching and assisting techniques and learn about the business of yoga. He hopes participants will come out knowing how to present themselves confidently as a yoga teacher.

For more information www.flexhk.com

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) with Caroline Rhodes 7,8,10 September The Body Group, Central EFT is a simple technique which involves tapping on acupuncture points, and can dissolve blocks to achieving your goals, physical and mental. EFT is effective for

For more information www.pure-yoga.com

Iyengar Yoga weekend with Rina Ortiz

Victor Chau

sports performance and is even used by professional athletes.

Suitable for anyone interested in learning to heal themselves or be a practitioner.

For more information (852) 2167 7305 / www.thebodygroup.com/

Yoga Anatomy with Leslie Kaminoff 13-16 September

For more information www.yogasalahk.com

Life Purpose Course 29 September-1 October Campfire Co-working, Wong Chuk Hang Suitable for those who want to create structure, organization and meaning in their lives, whether through changing careers or embracing their entrepreneurial spirit. The course is designed to be motivating, life-changing, practical and relevant. A tailored

25-26 August The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan For more information info@yogaroomhk.com/ www.yogaroomhk.com / (852) 2544 8398

Andrew Abaria

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15 -16 September Yogasala Rina Ortiz is a senior Iyengar yoga teacher who founded Iyengar Yoga Center Manila in the Philippines. She will host four sessions with the purpose of understanding the root actions and movements in basic asanas with the sole purpose of applying these principles to the higher levels on both asanas and pranayama practice.

NAMASKAR

workbook is provided containing personal knowledge, tools and resources to assist the participant both during and after the course with the implementation of the life goals.

For more information sacredplace.com/ enquiries@sacredplace.com / (66) 9799 26835

Andrei Ram has become one of the most sought after international guest teachers among the Pure Yoga community. This is the tenth year Pure Yoga and Andrei Ram have worked together. A decade of offering transformative practices and SelfRealisation journeys through the yoga wisdom.

consists of teachings, healing modulates, guided meditations, role playing and several exercises of self-analysis, self-reflection and self-exploration.

Building Resiliency Immersion with Basia Going

For more information www.sacred-place.com/ enquiries@sacred-place.com/ (66) 9799 26835

13-17 August Space Yoga, Taipei This immersion explores five steps in building personal resilience.

For more information A Weekend with Life Purpose www.pure-yoga.com Carmen & Moises Course 13-15 October Therapeutic Aguilar HUBBA, Ekamai co working, 12 - 15 October Foundations Bangkok The Practice Group those who want to create Module 5 with Dr. For Carmen will be offering workstructure, organization and shops to students on inversions, Ganesh Mohan meaning in their lives, whether arm balances, hip opening, backbends and twists. While for teachers, they will offer sequencing and adjustments.

For more information www.thepracticegroup.com

16-20 November The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan Presenting traditional yoga and Ayurveda with modern medicine.

Specific guidelines for different conditions and general treatment principles will be taught, so students can address disabilities and ill-health with yoga.

For more information info@yogaroomhk.com/ www.yogaroomhk.com/ (852) 2544 8398

Sequencing & Pranify with Annie Carpenter 16-21 October Pure Yoga Known as a “teachers’ teacher,” Annie believes yoga practice is a remarkable method for learning to steady the attention on what is actually happening in the moment. From this place, compassion and radical acceptance naturally evolve. Old mindsets of the illusion of separation, of me and them, and self and other, dissolve into the knowledge of wholeness.

For more information www.pure-yoga.com

One Decade Celebration with Andrei Ram 25-28 October Pure Yoga

For more information www.sacred-place.com/ enquiries@sacred-place.com/ (66) 9799 26835

SelfEmpowerment with Sacred Place

SINGAPORE Annie Carpenter

through changing careers or embracing their entrepreneurial spirit. The course is designed to be motivating, life-changing, practical and relevant.

The Art of Sequencing and Pranify with Annie Carpenter 9-14 October Pure Yoga Known as a “teachers’ teacher,” Annie believes yoga practice is a remarkable method for learning to steady the attention on what is actually happening in the moment. From this place, compassion and radical acceptance naturally evolve.

For more information www.pure-yoga.com THAILAND

Inner Foundation Course 27-30 July; 11-13 August; 25-28 August; 20-23 October HUBBA, Ekamai co working, Bangkok Introduces a healing and educational framework of knowledge to develop selfawareness and personal power. It

For more information www.withinspace.com

Cosmo Connection Through Elements in Yoga with Peter Scott 8-12 September Space Yoga, Taipei With clear and profoundly inspiring instruction, Peter, an internationally-acclaimed Iyengar Yoga master. He will share his extensive knowledge on how to apply the elements in your.

For more information www.withinspace.com

24 November 24-1 December Anatara Hotel, Chiang Mai Key subjects covered are neuroplasticity, de-programming, inner child work, self esteem, self confidence, communication, relationships, life purpose, and more. Consisting of teachings, healing modules, guided meditations and role plays and a personalized workbook.

For more information www.sacred-place.com / enquiries@sacred-place.com / (66) 9799 26835 TAIWAN

Breaking Free Workshop with Basia Going 11-12 August Space Yoga, Taipei This workshop lays the groundwork to break free from energy draining habits and detrimental attachments through asana practice, interactive talks and activities.

For more information www.withinspace.com

August 2018

Marla Apt

Iyengar Yoga Workshop for Stress & Anxiety Management with Marla Apt 3-4 November & 5 -7 November Space Yoga, Taipei For more information www.withinspace.com

KULA

Retreats

Zenith Yoga Retreat with JAPAN Marzena Lucyna Nourish Your Soul Kierepka 7-13 October with Samrat Darmada Eco Resort, Bali An opportunity to experience Dasgupta For more information www.pure-yoga.com

Shiva Wang

CHINA

Bija Yoga Retreat with Shiva Wang 22-26 September Alila Yangshuo, Guilin An ancient saying goes, “East or West, Guilin scenery is the Best”.

For centuries indeed, Guilin has inspired works of art, literature with the awe-inspiring scenery and the unsurpassed beauty of the Li River.

For more information www.pure-yoga.com

Blissful Retreat with Rachel Solomons & Noy Petchwikai 20-27 October Yangshou Mountain Retreat Enjoy the peace and serenity of the Karst mountains. Rejuvenate the soul, bliss out and deepen your practice without the distractions of busy daily routines. Rachel and Noy plan to take participants on a spiritual journey of self-study and healing with singing bowls, vinyasa flow practices, yin, pranayama, meditation, and lots of love.

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8-13 October Okinawa Providing an opportunity to reconnect with yourself, to deepen one’s yoga practice, to bond with like-minded people, and to nourish, restore and reset the body, mind and soul. Samrat hopes participants will explore their true nature and walk away from the retreat feeling inspired to live authentically.

For more information www.pure-yoga.com INDONESIA

Personalised Retreat with Michelle Papa, Jean Byrne & Chandrika Gibson 1-9 September Komune Resort, Bali With daily yoga classes, and evening meditation and philosophy, and suitable for any level of yoga student. Participants are invited wander the beach or lay by the pool, or choose add-on options to personalise the retreat, with 2, 4 and 6 night options.

For more information www.yogaspace.com.au/events/ retreats/bali-yoga-retreat/ info@yogaspace.com.au

ners who are looking to strengthen their practice by finding their inner power between mind and body.

For more information info@yogaroomhk.com/ www.yogaroomhk.com/ (852) 2544 8398

safe yoga based on alignment and anatomy with the founder of Zenith Yoga, Marzena.

For more information zenithyogavietnam.com/el// article/157/zenith-yogaretreat.html

Yoga Retreat with Clayton Horton 24-28 October Bali Clayton believes “yoga in a retreat setting is the ultimate way to deepen and enjoy your practice.

Away from home and in a supportive environment, we are able to connect with a deep and beautiful part of ourselves.

Healing and focused development of our practice happens naturally when we devote a week or two to ourselves in a beautiful place with an experienced teacher.”

For more information www.pure-yoga.com

Strength, Spirit, & Inner Power Retreat with Kat 23-27 November Bagus Jati, Ubud, Bali A retreat that empowers you to find your inner strength within your practice by developing powerful qualities to cultivate wellness, healing, and strength.

Suitable for all levels of practitioNAMASKAR

Clayton Horton

ITALY

Yoga Retreat with Clayton Horton 25 August-8 September Salento Clayton believes “Yoga in a retreat setting is the ultimate way to deepen and enjoy your practice. Away from home and in a supportive environment, we are able to connect with a deep and beautiful part of ourselves.

Healing and focused development of our practice happens naturally when we devote a week or two to ourselves in a beautiful place with an experienced teacher.”

For more information www.pure-yoga.com

Zero Kilometre Stage Yoga Retreat Locanda Cugnanello, Tuscany 6-13 October Vidyaa Yoga every morning, beginning each day with yoga kriyas for detox and a strong yoga practise/meditation. During the day students will reconnect to the simplicities of life. This is about rolling back the odometer to Zero, regaining student’s centre both physically and mentally.

After morning yoga and meditation, can relax, explore, horseback ride, swim, have winetasting, a cooking class, brunch, dinner with local wine.

For more information miisasmom@me.com/ (33) 68264 4081

Yoga & Meditation with Charlotte Douglas 31 October-4 November Unwind the body, mind and soul with Charlotte, an experienced yoga teacher and therapist.

Starting the day with a gentle meditation before moving into a hatha yoga practice, nourishing the body with delicious food, rest the mind and soul within the beautiful surroundings and finish each day with a deeply restorative and relaxing evening practice.

For more information charlotte@livetothriveyoga.com/ www.livetothriveyoga.com THAILAND

Emotional Balance & Yoga Retreat with Freedom 30 August -5 September; 22-28 Jen Kentrup NEPAL

24-29 September Kathmandu Snowy Himalayan mountains are the dramatic backdrop to the ancient Kathmandu Valley. Dating back to medieval times, Kathmandu is home to a rich cultural heritage. Scattered throughout the valley are multiple UNESCO world heritage sites as well as important destinations for Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims. The valley is a unique cultural melting pot that is magically vibrant and incredibly exotic – even for the seasoned traveller.

Samkhya-Yoga Retreat

TAIWAN

November Explore emotional habits and learn to respond to life’s challenges healthily, guided by Kamalaya’s Life Enhancement Mentors Rajesh Ramani, Smitha

Megala from The Yoga Room

Ashtanga & Yin Retreat with Megala

For more information (66) 825467995/ info@wiselivingyoga.com/ www.retreats.wiselivingyoga.com

22-25 September The Pavana Resort, Chiang Mai Join Megala in the lush valley of Mae Ann Valley. Nourish your mind, body and soul by retreating away from the daily routines of life. Utilising this precious time to dive deep within and bring inner joy.

Yin & Yang Yoga with Simon Low

For more information info@yogaroomhk.com/ www.yogaroomhk.com/ (852) 2544 8398

SRI LANKA

31 October-4 November Unplug from the world and unwind in enchanting Sri Lanka where the sun is shining, waves are rolling, and beautiful sunrises and sunsets await. Lounge around or check out the surf after yoga. Indulge in a few days of self-love and return recharged.

For more information www.pure-yoga.com

18-22 October; 6-10 December Yoga immersion in Kamalaya’s nurturing environment with daily Yin and Yang Yoga practice, complemented by nourishing cuisine and selected wellness treatments.

For more information www.kamalaya.com

Samkhya & Bhagavad Gita Retreat

For more information www.pure-yoga.com

Time to P.L.A.Y again with Tryphena Chia

21-27 October; 25 November-1 December Wise Living Yoga Academy, Chiang Mai People glibly speak about Yoga without realising that it forms an integral part of a composite Samkhya-Yoga Philosophy, the oldest philosophical system in the world. Includes theory and practice of Yoga techniques, vegetarian meals in residential basis.

Kamalaya’s Rajesh Ramani, Smitha Jayakumar & Sujay Seshadri

Jayakumar and Sujay Seshadri.

Having been immersed in monastic lifestyles in India for over a decade, all of them are experienced teachers with a strong background in ancient Asian philosophies.

For more information www.kamalaya.com

Awakening your Essential Self 6-14 October Kamalaya founder and MATCM, Karina Stewart, will facilitate this intimate group retreat, supporting participants through a subtle process of inner discovery and awakening their essential self.

For more information www.kamalaya.com

August 2018

21 October-3 November; 25 November-8 December Wise Living Yoga Academy, Chiang Mai Besides the study of Samkhya and many traditional practices and techniques, you will be led deeper into Yoga as the Bhagavad Gita will be explained in the view of the four paths of Yoga, namely Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Karma Yoga. Includes theory and practice, and vegetarian meals in residential basis.

For more information (66) 825467995/ info@wiselivingyoga.com / www.retreats.wiselivingyoga.com

KULA

Teacher Trainings

CHINA

Rainbow Kids TT 6-8 October SpaceCycle, Shanghai Aims to be a fun-filled course providing knowledge and ideas to create original, captivating and fun yoga experiences for kids.

Info: www.spacecycle.cn HONG KONG

For more information www.anahatayoga.com.hk

100-hr Prenatal TT Course 30 August-11 October Anahata Yoga, Central Suitable for those aspiring to teach yoga to pregnant women.

Info: www.anahatayoga.com.hk

200-hr Weekend TT with Ann da Silva & Keiki To

Pre- & Post-Natal 100-hr TT with Samantha Chan

2 November-13 January 2019 Glo Yoga Academy Ann and Keiki want to help students deepen their practice, find their inner teacher, and empower themselves with the knowledge and foundations to teach safely and effectively.

Training in Cantonese.

19-28 November Yoga’s emphasis on relaxation and body and breath awareness suits pregnant women’s perinatal fitness needs perfectly.

23-25 November (Level 1) 26 December-1 January 2019 (Level 2) Glo Yoga Academy Developed by Ann da Silva, Keiki To and experienced special needs teacher Toby Siu, Yoga Rangers is a systematic and practical Kid’s Yoga teacher training for the Asian market, addressing the challenges that children face in this part of the world. Training in Cantonese.

India. An immersion into the practice, methodology, history, philosophy and lifestyle of yoga.

Info: www.pure-yoga.com

INDIA 200-hr Transcend 300-hr 200-hr Radiant Foundation & Info: www.gloyoga.com TT with Samrat Body Yoga TT 300-hr Advanced Dasgupta 11 October-2 November 95-hr Yoga Yin Yang Vinyasa 1 September-18 November Sattva Retreat, Rishikesh, Rangers Kids TT Uttarakhand Yoga TT with Janet Lau Pure Aims to be a life-changing Miller, her husband Tommy with Ann, Keiki & Kia 9-19 August, 17-23 April 2019 experience with emphasis placed Rosen and master teacher Anand The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan Toby Mehrotra lead this TT in on the journey and evolution of Aims to be a life-transforming programme. Modules can be taken as a bundle for the Yoga Alliance RYT200 or 500.

Info: www.yogaroomhk.com

A Mother’s Journey (88-hr) with Bhakti Wong 17-19 August, 14-16 September & 12-14 October Pure Yoga Honey! I’m Pregnant! Embryology, gestational development and the woman’s psyche, pregnant woman’s body changes. Honey, the Baby’s Coming! Stages of labour, Honey, It Is Messy Down There! Pelvic floor, abdominal muscles, scar tissue Info: www.pure-yoga.com

300-hr Yoga Therapy TT 27 August-28 January 2019 Anahata Yoga, Central Explore the principles of yoga therapy and Ayurveda and their applications in daily life.

an individual.

Info: www.pure-yoga.com

50-hr Yin Yoga TT with David Kim 8-11 September & 14-16 September The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan First session is for students and teachers who wish to develop a deeper knowledge of Yin. Session 2 is for current teachers or those already familiar with Yin Yoga.

Info: www.gloyoga.com

INDONESIA

The Collective Desa Seni School of Yoga 200-hr TT 30 September-29 October Covering class themes, mindful sequencing, biomechanical alignment, understanding energy body and sound vibration.

Advanced Vinyasa Info: info@desaseni.com 300-hr Advanced (300-hr) with Yoga TT with Ann Jason Crandell School of Healing Pure Yoga da Silva & Keiki Arts 200-hr TT 30 November-12 December, 8-20 March 2019, 7-19 June 2019 2-24 November To Provides an education in vinyasa The Yoga Barn, Bali Info: info@yogaroomhk.com

29 September-7 October, Spring 2019, 27 July onwards The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan Suitable for yoga teachers with 200-hr foundation training.

Training modules can be taken individually without joining the full programme.

yoga technique, anatomy, teaching methodology, and comparative philosophy. Giving the tools to teach skilfully, think critically, and uncover a teaching path that is true to each student.

Led by Daniela Garza and Carlos Romero, this TT aims to balance technique, spiritual practice and the integration of tools for transforming and healing the students’ highest potential.

Info: www.pure-yoga.com

Info: www.livininspired.com

Info: info@yogaroomhk.com 12

Info: www.kiamiller.com

NAMASKAR

100-hr Embodied Mindfulness TT with Tina Nance 16-30 November The Yoga Barn, Bali An immersion into embodied trauma release techniques and mindfulness awareness practices of yoga, Buddhism and beyond, through moving and seated meditations, Yin, Yang and restorative asana, Yoga Nidra, Buddhist psychology, relational awareness, breathwork and inner directed non linear movement.

Info: www.tinanance.com

200-hr Yin Yoga TT with Jo Phee & Joe Barnett 27 November-20 December Ubud, Bali Covering Yin Yoga theory and practise, anatomy, chakras and meridians, fascia, science and research, sequencing and teaching methodology.

Info: www.yinspiration.org ITALY

Bespoke Retreats with Samacitta 8-15 September & 3-10 August 2019 Samacitta curates bespoke retreats in Italy and worldwide.

They also help yoga teachers host tailor-made retreats in Italy.

Info: www.samacitta.com SINGAPORE

95-hr Children’s Yoga TT with Karen Wightman 10-26 August Pure Yoga Children’s yoga can lessen the impact of stress on children, the resulting negative health effects, and more importantly, how to use yoga for stress relief.

Info: www.pure-yoga.com

Yoga for Pregnancy, Birth & Baby with Michelle Papa &

Dr Jean Byrne 3-5 November, 6-7 November, 811 November Pure Yoga From this course, students will discover why pre-natal and postnatal yoga teaching can be one of the most rewarding experiences for a yoga teacher.

Info: www.pure-yoga.com

95-hr RCYT Rainbow Kids TT 15-21 September Space Yoga, Taipei First time offered in Asia. This Yoga Alliance registered training is a comprehensive, intensive and practical course, suitable for anyone who loves working with kids, and loves yoga.

Info: www.withinspace.com

SRI LANKA

300-hr TT with Nico Luce & Crystal Borrelli 4 November-12 December For any RYT-200 interested in advancing their practice, deepening their knowledge, building their confidence, finding their unique voice and connecting to their authentic self.

Info: www.exhaleyogaretreats.com

Pelvic Floor Yoga TT with Leslie Howard 24-27 October Space Yoga, Taipei Based on her own work, Leslie will delve deep into how to teach students with pelvic floor issues and applying Pelvic Floor YogaTM in this training.

Info: www.withinspace.com

TAIWAN

Rainbow Kids TT 20-22 August Space Yoga, Taipei A fun-filled course providing immediate tangible knowledge and tons of ideas to create original, captivating and fun Yoga experiences for kids of all ages.

Info: www.withinspace.com

200-hr TT with Ranjan Kumar Singh 10 November-9 December Space Yoga, Taipei Ranjan has been immersed in traditional Indian philosophy from a very young age. He aims to integrate traditional yoga with contemporary approaches to body work and spirituality.

Take Care of Your Info: www.withinspace.com Inner Self with 150-hr Advanced Marcus Leung TT with Hart 1-30 September Pure Yoga, Taipei Lazer A journey of self-discovery through strong, intelligent and conscious daily morning practices and special workshops.

Info: www.pure-yoga.com

Pre- & Post-Natal TT with Samantha Chan 11-20 September Pure Yoga, Taipei Specialised pre-natal practices help them tune into the needs and changes of pregnancy and to promote relaxation and suppleness.

Info: www.pure-yoga.com

Space Yoga, Taipei 15-24 December, 25 February-6 March, 11-20 August 2019 This training builds on a 200hour Yoga Alliance training and is designed to strengthen and deepen your understanding of yoga and your role as a teacher.

Info: www.withinspace.com THAILAND

Sivananda Yoga TT 30 September-28 October Chiang Rai A four-week yoga intensive at Phu Chaisai Mountain Resort, offering training in the theoreti-

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cal and practical aspects of yoga.

Info: registrations@sivananda.org

200-hr Classical Yoga TT 21 October-16 November; 25 November-21 December Wise Living Yoga Academy, Chiang Mai Full immersion in traditional yoga studies in an Ashram-like environment. Programme is residential and includes vegetarian meals.

Info: www.teachertraining. wiselivingyoga.com

500-hr Advanced Yoga TT 21 October-21 December Wise Living Yoga Academy, Chiang Mai Conducted only two times a year.

It covers the entire 200-hours program plus an additional 300 hours on nature cure, Shatkarmas, Ayurveda and scriptural studies.

Info: www.teachertraining. wiselivingyoga.com

300-hr TT with Jonas Westring, Carlos Pomeda & Balaram Chandra 1-13 November, 15-27 November, 29 November-11 December Chiang Mai Their third year of offering three unique modules that can be taken individually or lead to 500RYT. Info: www.shantaya.org VIETNAM

200-hr Weekend Essential Yoga TT with Marzena Kierepka 7 April-27 January 2019 Zenith Yoga Hanoi Introducing the foundation in the principals of asanas, pranayama,meditation, Yoga philosophy, basic anatomy and teaching methodology.

Info: www.daotaogiaovienyoga.org

Did you know spending time in Nature has been proven to improve short-term memory; decrease heart rate and cortisol levels; lower bodily inflammation; strengthen eyesight; improve concentration and creativity; lower anxiety and depression amongst others.

Just think, all these benefits from just being in nature on a regular basis! I am very lucky spend two months a year in Whistler, Canada. Here, surrounded by the massive Canadian Rockies, ancient Cedar forests, glacier-feed rivers, calm and reflective lakes, my energy level is filled to the brim for free.

Coming back to the frenetic city, I search out pockets of nature and make a point to spend a little time there every day. Sometimes it’s a run in the country park; a swim in the ocean; a hike up a big hill; sitting under a tree or; playing barefoot with my kids on a patch of grass.

Time spent in nature reinforces one of my purposes for practicing yoga - to take care of myself so I can take care of all that’s around us, be it children, spouse, parents, or forests, animals, oceans.

There’s good reason the ancient yogis named so many asana after things in nature. Somehow it seems easier for me to imagine the feeling of that rabbit, tree or pigeon when I’m in their environment than a yoga studio.

Practicing this boosts my compassion levels.

My very favourite way to be in nature starts with 100 kapalabhati breaths, followed by three slow, deep breaths, then sit quietly for at least five minutes. During this time pay attention to the natural breath and the life force energy around. Feel appreciation for the sun above and the amazing ability of the trees to transform nutrients from the soil and water, into oxygen for us to breath and food to eat.

Guaranteed to shift the rest of your day!

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PHOTO ESSAY

GET YOURSELF INTO NATURE Rest your Body, Replenish your Soul

BY FRANCES GAIRNS

August 2018

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August 2018

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HISTORY

WOMEN IN THE YOGA BUSINESS

History’s First Flash

BY ERIC SHAW

I work in the yoga industry, and—unlike most industries, except nursing, housecleaning or elementary-school teaching—this field’s been female-dominated for decades.

Of course, yoga originated in India thousands of years ago, and men managed the whole shebang there.

It wasn’t until 1893 that yoga came west and fell almost completely into women’s hands.

That year, a bloke named Swami Vivekananda (1863 – 1904) chatted up Chicago’s World Parliament of Religions, got everybody hot and bothered, then toured America’s mountains and plains, publishing books and founding ashrams.

paid secular stretch class would be slow— and never complete.

In its first days, the main business opportunity was from the sale of books and a smattering of tuitions from classes that were often just inflected by yoga—or if labeled “yoga,” they were limited by misrepresentation, misunderstanding or eager adaptation to the mainstream.

It wasn’t until Pierre Bernard (1875 – 1955) founded a chain of ten yoga studios in New York in 1911—and a high profit yoga retreat center in 1924—that yoga collected any significant money for anybody.

After Bernard passed from the scene, the world would have to wait 45 years for anybody–man or woman–to seriously capitalize on yoga again.

As far as women in the modern era go, we can travel back to 1784, and see the scholar, Hannah Adams (1755 – 1831) publishing, An Alphabetical Compendium of the Various Sects—which discussed Hindu practices.

Swami Vivekananda in 1894 with followers in New England, US

He gathered gobs of fans. Most of them gals.

They weren’t captains of industry, but many had rich husbands. They sponsored Vivekananda and beta-tested yoga.

He taught them chants. He taught them breath practices. And—few know it—but he also taught them poses.

It was through these women that yoga got off to the races in the West.

But it’d take more than 75 years for yoga to rage in the marketplace.

In the 1800s, there existed a slim market for eastern-themed statuettes of yogis, yogic gods, Hindu charms and Hindu trinkets, and the transition from open spiritual ritual to

Meditative yoga was promoted by Helena Blavatsky (1831 – 1891) when she founded the Theosophical Society in 1875. After that, she pretty much single-handedly manifested an international atmosphere conducive to yoga by her stirring presence and paradigmshifting books, including: Isis Unveiled (1877) and The Secret Doctrine (1888).

Theosophical lodges peppered the planet, and begged significant business savvy to lead.

By 1894 there were 84 of them in North America alone.

Yoga’s mental and physical health benefits had been touted as early as the 1880s by figures like Annie Payson Call (1853 – 1940) and Genevieve Stebbins (1857 – 1934) through the use of yoga’s precepts in the Harmonial Gymnastics tradition. They taught classes and published 15 books (with titles like, Power Through Repose, Nerves and Common Sense and Dynamic Breathing and Harmonic Gymnastics).

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Helena Blavatsky, c. 1880

Their brand of embodied spirituality associated itself with, “The higher rhythmic gymnastics of the temple and sanctuary where magnetic power, personal grace, and intellectual greatness were the chief objects sought,” and cited the “Brahmins and Yogis of India.”

But they didn’t call their yoga-like activity “yoga.” Cajzoran Ali expressly taught yoga classes and published her bizarre, Divine Posture Influence upon the Endocrine Glands in 1928, but the first legit yoga manuals by women would have to wait till the 1930s to appear.

In 1931, Mollie Bagot Stack (1883 – 1935) put out, Building the Body Beautiful: The BagotStack Stretch and Swing System, and in 1934, Sita Devi Yogendra (b. 1912) published Yoga Physical Education for Women in India.

Yogendra taught classes at her yoga health center outside Mumbai, and Stack’s system— that she’d partly learned from a pandit in India in 1911—was a sort of vinyasa yoga (though not named as such) that became a massive movement in Britain and got

performed both at stadium-filling rallies and the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

It was a niche where women would thrive.

The Whole Earth Catalog’s listings and the Yoga Journal’s classified ads were the tradefloor of a female-inflected New Age marketplace that sported ventures like “Eva Reich’s Holistic Life Seminars,” “Hillary Anderson’s Oracular Dimension Workshops,” and “Ilyana Lorienne’s Psycho-Spiritual Counseling through Astrology.”

A “family business” of sorts, her daughter, Prunella (1914 -2010), enlarged Stretch and Swing’s already-significant influence after Mollie’s demise in 1935.

It took a disciple of Pierre Bernard, his wife Blanche Devries (1892 – 1984), to become the first woman to own a dedicated yoga studio (opened in New York, in 1938). It did not make great waves, but another one, opened by an enterprising femme du capital on the left coast, did—in 1947.

Arguably, this unregulated mystical enthusiasm has settled into more a masculine, cash-savvy culture as the gymed-up yoga 80s, Madonna-asana 90s, and mainstream yoga has come to pass.

A page from Clara Spring’s Yoga for Today

United-States-iness in these titles—sure symbols of a time when America, unblemished by war-wreckage or doubt, walked freshly into the Atomic Age.) Late in the decade, Swami Sivananda Radha, (1911 – 1995) an enterprising Canadian (oh my!) followed an ethereal prompt to resettle in India and study with Swami Sivananda Saraswati (1887 – 1963) in Rishikesh.

Devi (1899 – 2002) teaching students in her Hollywood studio, c. 1948

Indra Devi (whose name means “King-of-theGods-Goddess”) opened the most famous yoga studio of her era in Hollywood, California, that year (simply called, “The Indra Devi Yoga Studio”).

It drew starlets of all ages and every level of fame. Ruth St. Denis, Olivia de Haviland, and Greta Garbo were all part of Devi’s highprofile parade.

She inflected yoga with something new. She combined it with a rash of health practices, including eating whole foods, enjoying fresh air and employing nature cures.

Spurred by her and others, yoga would inch slowly forward in the 50s with books written by both women and men. These would lend comfort to an emerging counter-culture that pressed against the white-bread orthodoxy that dominated the mid-century.

Hot-selling female authors of the missilemad 1950s included the Hungarian, Elisabeth Haich (1897 – 1994), who authored Initiation, and Yoga and Health—both in 1953. Devi herself “book-ended” the decade with Forever Young, Forever Healthy in 1950 and Yoga for Americans in 1959. The DeVries student, Clara Spring (1899 – 1989) offered a manual in 1959, too: Yoga for Today. (Note the unmistakable newness, youthiness, and 20

Returning home in 1957, she became the maven of four longstanding yoga enterprises in British Columbia: Yasodhara Ashram; the Yoga Vedanta Bookstore; Timeless Books publishing house and; Ascent Magazine.

All these were non-profits, but if she had chosen profiteering over preaching, she’d surely be a straight-up entrepreneur.

As the calendar flipped to 1960, Devi flitted to Moscow to pow-wow with Andrei Gromyko about making yoga legal in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Their talks went well (raised in Latvia, Devi spoke fluent Russian), and—in a business-woman’s coup—she gained permission to put out her books in Soviet Russia.

The yoga studio business, in particular, is a province where female ownership creeps toward 90%, and what was once funky, flakey and frankly spiritual in Yoga Journal before 1990, soon morphed into a fortnightly dose of yogasploitation in the form of healthminded gal culture: fatless foods, jogs with your dog, and ads for kickass yoga pants.

Guys are sure getting it, but this practice is a girley world more than ever, as the production of yoga sportswear, yoga tchotchkes and yoga potations is everywhere spearheaded by gentlewomen in capital gains mode.

Yoga has been propagating beyond India for more than 120 years now, and Lakshmi keeps culling loads of yogawares from her everfecund oven for everyone eager to own new yoga props, new yoga programmes, and new yoga ideas.

Relax lads, she’s got this. Don’t get me wrong!

Men still bring it in the “Yoga Industry,” but the ladies—like many-armed Kali—have a couple extra hands at the wheel.

The Hippie-dippie, DIY attitude of the 60s enriched yoga bigtime, even as the “industry” aspect of it remained infinitesimally small.

These Youth Movement years were a continuous cavalcade of riots, rock ‘n roll, and romps in the hay, but at some point in the fresh-minted 70s, the baby-boomers took a chill-pill and the “me-decade” took off.

Those years saw millions of lapsed long-hairs amping up their navel-gazing and re-upping their cult memberships. In 1975, six women—Rose Garfinkle, Jean Girardot, Judith Lasater, Janis Paulsen, and Rama Jyoti Vernon—and one dude—Willian Staniger—founded Yoga Journal,and it proved to be a clearing house for the hot new “Spiritual Marketplace” of the era.

Yoga Journal, July – August, 1979 (with Lilias Folan on the cover)

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YOGA STYLES

ACCESSIBLE YOGA

Yoga that’s Really for Everybody

BY HERSHA CHELLARAM

I clearly remember one of the first classes I taught after graduating from my 200-hour teacher training program in 2002: a woman with a wooden leg walked into the class I was substituting. Panicked, I took her aside to explain I was not equipped to accommodate her in the class. She said to me, “Honey, relax! I’ve been doing yoga for years. You watch me and maybe you’ll learn a thing or two.” I couldn’t take my eyes off her the entire class. She was magnificent. I didn’t know it then, but she planted the seed in my mind for making yoga more accessible to people who simply couldn’t keep up in a regular class.

to integrate a person in a [wheel] chair into a traditional mat class without anyone feeling excluded “We’ve gone the wrong way with yoga in general by over-emphasising the physical,” said Heyman. “I know we’re constantly demonising the commercial yoga industry, but there’s a basis for our complaints.

They’re using an aspirational marketing model showing people doing advanced yoga poses. They want us to aspire to be like those models, and for some people, it may draw them in. But for most people, it turns us away and makes us think we can’t do it. It’s a misunderstanding of what yoga is.”

Throughout my yoga teaching journey, I always came across students who needed special attention in class. In one prenatal yoga class, a woman in her 40s, who was pregnant for the first time came to class with half a titanium leg, edema, limited mobility, and a due date only four weeks away. Her doctor recommended she try yoga to help her relax. This was her first experience of yoga.

At that moment, I was truly grateful for my training because I could confidently accommodate her. She practiced the entire class in a chair while the other students practiced on a mat. This is the essence of Accessible Yoga — the ability to integrate a person practising in a chair into a traditional mat class without having anyone feel excluded or unworthy of receiving the benefits of yoga. She continued classes with me until her baby arrived.

When I moved to Hong Kong and started teaching children and adults with special needs and disabilities, the response of most people clearly showed yoga was inaccessible to them. They would say things like, “I’m in a wheelchair, how on earth does yoga work for someone like me?” Once they experienced the benefits of a complete and integrated yoga practice, the demand for this service became overwhelming. This prompted me to start YAMA Foundation, a non-profit in Hong Kong that brings yoga to underserved and vulnerable communities who cannot come to a regular class.

Accessible yoga is about supporting and educating yoga teachers and the general public alike about what yoga really is. There is a misconception in the world yoga is about doing complicated yoga poses. All yoga practitioners and teachers know yoga is so much more, but somehow we all feel we need to fit into that mould in order to “sell” yoga.

Hersha and Accessible yoga ambassedor Catrin Anderson

Of course, I needed some guidance and resources and looked to experts who were already doing this work. Through my service with the Integral Yoga Global Network, I met Rev. Jivana Heyman, an Integral Yoga Minister who had just founded Accessible Yoga, a non-profit organisation and international grassroots movement that supports the practice of yoga for people with disabilities, chronic illness, or anyone who does not feel comfortable in a regular yoga class. Heyman was planning his first conference at the time. We had a lot of synergy and so I jumped onto the Accessible Yoga movement, attended the first conference in 2015 and now offer his Accessible Yoga training programme.

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The Accessible Yoga training is designed to train yoga teachers how to bring people with different abilities into a yoga class. It’s about giving teachers skills on creating an inclusive yoga class, where teachers work together with the students to bring the experience of yoga to whatever body type they have. We hope teachers can learn how to integrate someone who may need a chair, or may have to stay lying down on a mat.

It’s time to share to the world the side of yoga that goes beyond physical postures and into the heart of practice — the process of reconnection to our inner Self, via healing the restlessness of our minds and opening the heart. This benefit is available to every single human being no matter, their age, ability, background, or circumstance.

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PRE-NATAL YOGA

TEACHERS’ TIPS FOR PREGNANCY YOGA

BY CHING YNG CHOI Just as every body is different, every pregnancy is different. Try things out for yourself and see what works and what doesn’t. Most importantly, listen to your own body. This seems to be the overriding opinion of the pre-natal yoga teachers I had the opportunity to talk with recently. Here they share their own experiences when pregnant, as well as advice they share with their pre-natal classes.

GETTING PREGNANT Bhakti Chiu, pre- and post-natal yoga teacher at Pure Yoga in Hong Kong suggests four factors to consider when trying to get pregnant: 1. Bio-mechanical approach: the alignment of the woman’s body is not optimized; its structure may need to be fixed by an osteopath, craniosacral therapist or another structural specialist of this kind.

2. Bio-chemistry: hormones, stress or diet

Bhakti Chiu

may prevent conception. A nutritionist or naturopathic doctor may help.

3. Emotional considerations: A fear, past trauma or another emotional blockage can be a huge obstacle. A somatic psychotherapist could be a good counsellor.

4. Scar tissue: It may come from some previous childbirths, and/or some blockage around the pelvic floor. An appointment with an Arvigo Mayan abdominal masseuse or woman’s health physiotherapist could lead back to the origin of the problem. In most cases, there are one or two angles to work on to tackle the problems with conceiving.

PRACTICING WHEN PREGNANT Ginger Diaz, Bikram Yoga teacher and owner of two studios in Manila Bikram Yoga Alabang and Evolve Yoga & Fitnes, shares

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modifications she made in her Ashtanga practice from the fifth month of her pregnancy: 1. Marichyasana twists modified by turning to the opposite side, to leave room for the belly.

2. Backbends could not be as deep, and no drop backs.

3. Legs or knees apart during fold-over postures to give space to the belly.

4. No lying down on the stomach.

5. Inversions cautiously to prevent falling.

6. Halfmoon back bends and camel, hands on the lower back.

7 . No jump back in vinyasa 8. Knees down in chaturanga.

9. Savasana may be modified to lying on the side instead.

Ginger Diaz

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AYURVEDA

INTRODUCTION TO AYURVEDA

Doshas, Pita, Vata & Kapha Explained

BY QUINN TAPLIN

Ayurvedavsprings from the ancient Indian system of health. Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word comprising ayur which means life, and veda which means science and or knowledge.

Together the word means life knowledge.

Common disorders when vata is dominant include constipation, aching joints, dry skin hair and nerve maladies. Frequent travel especially by air and over use of stimulating drugs cause usually instability.

Ayurveda dates back 5,000 years, developed within the Vedic period. The Ayurvedic method of holistic health emphasizes balancing and uniting body, mind, and spirit to prevent and treat disease. Its primary focus is harmonizing the body within nature through right thinking, herbs, natural therapies, remedies, correct food intake, meditation, yoga, movement and body cleansing. It’s philosophy enables us to protect and sustain our mental and physical health and longevity.

Vata types are best when they have a routine and often respond positively to more rest and relaxation. Helpful foods are warm, heavy and comforting, while daily self-care includes oil massage. Quick guidelines for a vata dominant are to keep warm, practices that things which increase relaxation, avoid cold, rest lots and stick to a routine.

Ayurveda emphasizes prevention and supports the maintenance of health through careful attention to balance of an individual’s life. According to the Ayurvedic system, each individual is unique and thus giving each of us different characteristics on the physical, mental and emotional level, known in Sanskrit as Prakrti. Many influences in and outside us affect our state (Prakrti), whether lifestyle, emotions, environment, relationships or diet. When we understand these elements, we can take necessary steps to reduce the causes of imbalance to revert back to their original prakrti.

Our doshas regulate our functions right down to the core of our most complex of cellular processes. Ayurveda identifies three basic principles that make up our basic biology and the ecology of nature around us vata, pitta and kapha.

VATA – THE FORCE BEHIND MOVEMENT, SPACE & AIR Vata is the movement of all bodily activities, most prominent during change of season.

Conscious considerations are needed to ground this moving energy. A person who is vata usually is very active and restless, which can lead to fatigue. When vata dominates one’s constitution, the result is increased anxiety and fear which lead to instability.

PITTA – THE FORCE OF FIRE, FIRE & WATER Pitta types can be described by heat and fire.

The Pitta force is warm, piercing and disquieting. When this force is dominant, the individual has a strong metabolism, consistent digestion and large appetite.

Although hot, these individuals love spicy foods and hot liquids to kindle their fire.

Perspiration, clamminess, oiliness and warm feet and hands are common and they have the ability to churn this heat into hard physical labor without much fatigue. During the summer, pitta people find themselves aggravated and short tempered. As the season reverts back to a cooler climate, pitta disorders calm and the element lessens.

Including sweet and cooling foods will help pitta drastically. Guidelines to help a pitta balance are to avoid excessive heat and establish a cooling practice to keep the potential fires under control.

KAPHA – THE FORCE OF LUBRICATION, EARTH & WATER Kapha is the energy that forms the body’s stable shape, the stickiness that keeps the body together, while supplying the body with lubricative fluids to move.

Kapha dominant individuals are usually strong, grounded, heavy, tolerant, loving and caring. Their slow metabolism means they gain weight and become lethargic easily.

Kapha individuals tend to be stuck within

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their own body. Their skin is thick and smooth, with little perspiration and their body is usually soft and attractive.

When kapha’s become out of balance, they are susceptible to attachment, self-indulgence and bitterness. Well connected to the water source, they tend to pick up on diseases that over stimulate mucus and congestion, causing headaches, diabetes, influenza and lethargy. They tend to be most agitated during the full moon because of the increase in water withholding in their body.

The winter is most important for kapha’s lifestyle and diet. Guidelines to help a kapha in their path to balance is to limit the amount of food in general; avoid greasy and high fat foods completely; and take foods which induce lightness. Cooked grains and fresh vegetables are best, and avoid anything that creates excess mucus and heavy liquid viscosities should be avoided completely.

Kapha individual’s need to stay active with a routine that is fluid and changing. In general, kapha dominants have very little influence from vata and pitta, so it’s important to stay on track with a balanced lifestyle.

TO CONCLUDE Work towards balance and health are as important as following ayurvedic guidelines in helping the energy of mind, body and spirit flow harmoniously.

To enjoy complete health, we need to live in harmony with ourselves and the universe.

To progress, changes need to be made which can only be made by you. The definition of a healthy and happy life is constantly evolving, while medical advances and technologies change the way we think and perceive our world and state of health.

However, the more we consider Ayurveda, the more we are convinced the balance of diet and lifestyle does indeed lead to a happier and healthier life. As scientists and researchers are coming to discover, healing and health is not the result of one specific western medicine but the balance of the whole.

Abigail, photo by Philippe Guillo

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DRISTI - REST

LEARNING TO REST In a World Addicted to Unrest

BY CASSANDRA KISH

REST & PAIN............. 28

MAGIC OF SHAVASANA.............29

NON-STRIVING TO REST............................31 August 2018

RESTING WITH BREATH...........................32

REST THROUGH STRESS........................33

This week I visited a friend in Rome, Italy. I had never been to her house before and was really looking forward to the visit. She has been taking my classes in Paris, France for about a year and we really get on well.

It is funny knowing someone from classes is not at all like knowing them outside of the yoga environment.

So my plane lands in Rome and she is there waiting for me with a big smile and her little dog.. we laughed and greeted each other and started walking to the car. She walked so fast the rollers on my luggage started to fray. I was thinking “kriky, what’s the rush” and her little dog who is 17 years old was literally gliding two or three inches above the ground, I can’t even explain that one, centrifugal force entered my mind, but that is from moving in a circle, isn’t it?

When we got to the car I looked for a Kleenex in my purse to blot the sweat streaming down my face. I didn’t find one and just thought “Screw it, I’ll do a couple of Bikram postures and call it a practice”.

I thought I would try to quell her evident stress to arrive somewhere. So I ask “are we meeting someone?” I barely get the last syllable out of my mouth and the car flies out of the parking lot. She has been talking the whole time to me and at the same time sending texts on her phone. At this point I am just trying to keep my hair inside the car, and the window was only cracked open a tiny bit.

I made a couple of tries for the seatbelt, but the best “spinal twister in the world” couldn’t have succeeded. She takes me for a tour of the city, shouting out monuments that were long behind us. Two hours later I spill out of the car clutching for anything solid. My first thought was “All the yoga she has done is definitely not working”.

I realized in our over stimulated lives, many of us have become addicted to the high level of stimulation and literally have lost the ability to relax. With so many looking for anti-age creams and fixes, the evident answer is right in front of us.

Anyway back to my friend. We get to her house, which was magnificent, she is quite a famous Psychiatrist. A stressed out stimulus addicted shrink certainly raises questions, but ok, moving briskly forward. When we enter the house her husband is there, sitting quietly reading a book. I thought “bloody Hell, it is like Thich Nhat Hahn and The Devil wears Prada trapped in the same house.”

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He was the calmest, gentlest man I have ever met. Just as I am regaining my wits the butler opens a door and two giant Labrador Retrievers come shooting out of the kitchen.

They must have thought I was a bird because they come flying at me. I am not afraid of dogs and get along quite well with animals so that wasn’t a big deal. But who could live in such mayhem?

The lives we create for ourselves, when we meet all the conditions of “the Dream Life” can be unmanageable. I think learning to shift gears is necessary to guard a good level of health both physically and mentally.

There are lots of resources out there. I personally like yoga and Emotional Freedom Technique tapping and I do a lot of Christie Marie Sheldon energy clearings. I think we get so used to the crazy pace, we just think it is normal. A huge percentage of the world population is in the same boat so it solidifies our belief this is all good.

I think it is very important to take stock of where we are in our lives and how does that compare to our goals. Then take steps to get back on track if needed. I read the yoga magazines and the advice to “have a cup of tea and sit quietly isn’t enough. I think we have issues to clear before we can be at peace.

that the patient had a most worrying wife.

She was incessantly talking to him day and night, and there were continued contentions between them upon domestic affairs.” The patient started to recover after following John Hilton’s advice to stop talking, and the wife to write on a chalk board what she wanted to tell her husband.

When we rest, the physical body recuperates lost energy and restores body, mind and emotions to a state of normalcy.

In contrast, yoga and its sister science Ayurveda emphasize the effect of rest on the mind and inner emotions. Ayurveda considers three factors for maintaining life and health – food (ahara), sleep (nidra), and good conduct (bramacharya).

Nidra is most important of the three because it is said to affect body and mind, whereas ahara affects just body and bramacharya affects just mind.

Looking at yoga nidra from a modern Western science perspective we discover the conscious relaxation of nidra causes brain wave activity to slow from predominantly beta waves, to predominantly alpha waves. As this happens the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems become more balanced, leading to release of serotonin, which amongst other things helps to relax the brain and regulate sleep.

DRISTI

REST & PAIN

Views from West & East

From dominant alpha waves, the conscious melts to a theta-dominant state which is REM sleep state or dream state. When theta is the dominant brain wave, there is feeling of calmness. Delta brain waves are the fourth level of consciousness, experienced in very deep sleep or extremely deep meditation.

There is also a fifth type of brain wave – Gamma, which is associated with strong feelings of gratitude, often measured in experienced meditators like monks and nuns.

BY LOGANATHAN PANDIAN “Rest is a most important therapeutic agent in the cure of accidents and surgical diseases,” so said Queen Victoria’s surgeon, John Hilton, in the 1860s during his series of 18 lectures entitled “Rest and Pain”.

Interestingly one of the cases which led to his theory was from observing a patient who continued to suffer pain when breathing, even though there was no sign of injury. John Hilton, who was also President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, “observed NAMASKAR

With regular nidra we can guide ourselves to the inner states of conscious and remove inner emotional disturbances. As well our endocrine glands which are usually working overtime producing all sorts of hormones can have a rest and our body can repair the cells which are damaged and remove toxins from our body. All these things help remove anxiety and improve mood.

Yoga sutra 1.35 Svapna-Nidra-Jnana Alambanam-Va says one pointed knowledge of awareness and concentration or meditation can improve the state of rest.

Shavasana en masse at BaliSpirit 2018, photo by Axel Hebenstreit

DRISTI

MAGIC OF SHAVASANA

Best Part of Yoga?

‘what am I meant to be doing right now?’, ‘is there a specific way I should feel at this point?’, ‘what’s the point of this anyway?’ and the classic, ‘can I fall asleep now?’ With this in mind, here are a few thoughts and pointers on this most magical of poses and how to approach it.

One of the things that makes yoga is special is the way it ends. Most, if not all sessions close with a few minutes of total rest, lying on our backs with the arms and legs out, in the posture known as shavasana. I happily confess it is one of my favourite poses.

SETTING UP FOR SHAVASANA First things first: shavasana is meant to be comfortable. For many of us, lying on the floor with just a sticky mat underneath us is an unfamiliar position to be in. We are much more used to lying on softer surfaces, like beds, which mould themselves to the shape of our bodies. Lying on the floor is going to feel different, but it doesn’t need to be uncomfortable. Given your body is unique, it is worth taking the time to ensure you’re able to relax into the posture fully, either by making adjustments or using props.

At the same time, I know for many it can be a challenge. It doesn’t help we’re often not taught what shavasana is for, or how to practice it; meanwhile everything else in yoga is usually explained and broken down for us in a lot of detail. Questions can arise, such as

1. Traditionally, shavasana is done lying on the back, feet separated enough so the legs are loose and relaxed and the feet themselves can flop out to the sides. Mat-width usually works for me, though more or less may be better for you. Some people also like to drape

BY VAISHALI IYER

August 2018

the legs over a bolster at the knees to help release the lower back, or have a low blanket under the sacrum and tailbone to soften the contact of the floor.

2. The arms are usually by the sides, 1-2 feet out from the sides of the body so the shoulders can relax and the shoulder blades rest on the mat evenly. It’s up to you whether to turn the palms up or down, but make sure the fingers are soft and relaxed (ie. don’t grip!). Some people prefer to bend the arms and place the hands over the lower belly—this can be a nice way to feel centered and to invite a deeper belly breath.

3. The back of the head can rest on the mat or on a support such as a rolled-up blanket or low pillow, in such a way the neck stays long and the head stays in neutral alignment.

Occasionally I drape a scarf (or eye pillow) over my closed eyes to block out the light and help my face relax too. In colder climates you can also cover yourself with a blanket.

4. Once you are in the posture, scan through the body and notice if you’re holding on or tensing up anywhere. Sometimes you may be

able to let go without extra support, and other times you may need to adjust your position or use an additional prop.

Each time you end your practice and come into shavasana, let it be fresh: check in with your body and adjust, rather than doing it by rote and assuming things are always the same. After asana practice, take a minimum of 5 minutes in shavasana, or longer if you have the time.

You can come into shavasana at any other point during your day or night; it doesn’t have to be done only at the end of an asana practice. I often take shavasana when I first get into bed at night, when I’m feeling fatigued during the day or in the pool after swimming (a floating shavasana).

has profound meaning. A corpse cannot move, so one of the ways we can take shavasana is as an initiation into deep stillness. Once we have set ourselves up and achieved our maximum level of possible comfort, we remain still and don’t fidget. The more we relax, the easier this becomes; and, despite what we may think, the more effort we put into trying to not to move, the more tense we get, and the harder it is to be still.

The question we could explore is: when you get the urge to move or fidget, is there some underlying tension, distraction or discomfort—whether physical or not—that you can sense underneath that urge? And is it possible to relax through or around the tension and let go of it, without having to

INTEGRATION & ASSIMILATION Shavasana is also a chance to pause and find stillness after practice, before we re-enter the world. It is the resting place that lies between the realms of practice and ordinary life. It harmonises and integrates our actions on and off the mat at a somatic and subconscious level.

One of my favourite ways to work with shavasana is to take it as a chance to soak in the residue of the practice. To me this means allowing the energy that has been activated, opened and released through asana to be absorbed deeply into the body and mind.

Stillness and relaxation are a pre-requisite for this kind of integration. When integration happens, it is deeply restful and healing for the whole organism, which is why shavasana can sometimes feel more relaxing than sleeping.

You could think of it as a kind of accelerated sleep cycle, in which the body and subconscious mind are given the space to process and assimilate whatever has happened during the practice period.

Let the attention move about —your stillness is undisturbed.

Notice and acknowledge this simple fact.

Then on that day, in that moment when the mind strikes again, this fact will remain unchanged, for you will know that nothing of significance is happening.

Nothing can alter your being.

Relax in the full joy of this knowing.

Here you are not a traveller on the way to some place.

Not even Nirvana.

There are no maps for the omnipresent.

Here you simply are and have always been, O Limitless One.

WHAT SHAVASANA IS NOT ABOUT Before we go any further, just a quick aside that may help you get a better picture of shavasana. Even when you’re familiar the posture, engaging with its true purpose is not always easy. Here are some common ways we drift away from the essence of shavasana: 1. analysing, evaluating or judging our practice; 2. daydreaming, reflecting or getting distracted in thinking; 3. planning out the rest of our day or night, or getting lost in worries, agendas, and future projects; 4. falling asleep, though if this happens it may be what our body needs or a sign that we need to rest more

If you recognise yourself in any or all of these tendencies – don’t worry! These are normal activities of the mind and they happen to all of us. Take note of your habits and later on, you can explore what they may reveal about you. In the moment, just use your intention to gently bring yourself back to your bare experience and rest there.

STILLNESS & RELEASE Now we’ve established the form of shavasana and dispelled some basic assumptions, we come to the heart of the matter: what is shavasana really?

The word shav means corpse – so shavasana is the posture of a corpse, or dead body.

Rather than taking this as morbid, I’d encourage you to explore the metaphor, as it 32

Mooji, from Writing on Water

move? Sometimes it’s yes, and other times no It is up to you to discover what’s going on and respond appropriately.

On another level, the metaphor of the corpse reminds us of the ultimate release; namely, death. Shavasana encourages us to let go—of our practice, if we’re doing it after asana, or of whatever has come before during our day that we are still carrying with us. When we come into shavasana after a yoga session, we acknowledge and accept the end, or the death, of our practice. It gives us the chance to let go of everything we’ve accomplished on the mat and see what remains. As a practice, it is incredibly liberating, and frees us from sticking to our ideas, hopes and fears about what we could and couldn’t do. It is a gesture of total acceptance and surrender—the practice is over, I did what I could, and now I’m moving on.

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For me, the easiest way to enter this process is to rest my awareness in the totality of the body during shavasana (this is a cue I give very often in my classes). It is easier to do this after an asana practice as we are already attuned and present within the body, so we just have to stay there and let the magic happen. If distractions arise, let them go, return to the body and move the attention towards the backline or the back of the body, where there is more space and openness to rest in. In general, it is best to stay with the whole body, during shavasana, but sometimes we may be called to certain areas that are hurt, affected or in need of closer attention. The key is to trust the body and trust how we feel.

BEING AT REST Shavasana is a profound opportunity to train in being, rather than doing. We come into the posture as a gesture of our willingness to let go completely and not do anything for a few minutes—again, in keeping with the way dead bodies don’t do much. It is a teaching in non-striving: in seeing that, for these precious few moments, things are alright, as they are.

DRISTI

NONSTRIVING TO REST

Try Less Hard

BY MARGARET VAN

Has this ever happened to you? There is a stubborn knot and you really want to untie it.

You are so determined it becomes even tighter and more of a mess. Or you really want your loved one to be a certain way, and you do everything possible to make it happen but with limited or no success. Sometimes we try too hard because we’re so driven by habit and conditioning, yet we forget there is a natural order to things and we cannot force others to change. The same principle applies when it comes to rest and relaxation. The harder we try the more difficult it is to find repose.

I come from a family of refugees who fled China in the late 1940’s. They strived to survive. As I ponder my family history more mindfully, the compassion in me prevents me from gravitating towards judging and complain-

A flower cannot be opened with a hammer.

Daniel Mead, If You Would Grow

ing, which I would have prior to any mindfulness training. Instead of disliking my inherited tendency to strive, I see the positive in my ancestors’ efforts. They had to struggle, start from scratch and stay afloat to provide for the rest of us. After all I am the beneficiary of their hard work. They taught me the value of discipline and perseverance while giving me the privilege to take time and discover more wholesome ways to go about living and working.

These days we all face a similar challenge in our modern society. How do we balance between striving and not making enough effort? When everyone around us is accelerating, telling you they’re busy, curled up over their laptops or smartphones, how do we know when to uncoil from mass behaviour without feeling left out? Our digital world is constantly bombarding us with stimuli to crave something that we don’t really need, at least not right away. If we’re not careful, there’s hardly a moment left when we’re free from clinging.

A fine cellist must embody mindfulness as she executes the most exquisite sound by placing

Photo by Bonnie Kittle on Unsplash

August 2018

just the right amount of pressure sliding the bow up, down and across. When we practice being mindful of the body and breath, we notice the slightest thought of wanting, for example, elicits a contraction in the body, a shortening of the breath and tension in the mind. As the saying goes: If the body lets go, the mind lets go and the reverse is true.

How do we practice mindfulness with an attitude of Non-Striving? Mindfulness allows us to see more clearly when we’ve strayed from the moderate path, so we can readily take a step in or out. Let’s say you have something important to discuss with a friend. You’d start by setting an intention, asking yourself:

• What am I hoping to convey to my friend?

Why? • Do I have any expectations of how the conversation will go?

• Am I trying to prove (that I’m right or have the answers) or • Am I trying to connect with my friend, be ready to listen and respond with openness?”

• How will I relate to what I connect to?

• How will I receive my experience?

Photo by Elena Loshina on

Mindfulness is ultimately about learning to relate to ourselves and our experiences, may they be pleasant, unpleasant or neutral, with kindness and acceptance. It is about how we connect to and receive each moment as it arises.

Pausing to take a deep breath, inhaling and exhaling. Stepping out of the habitual state of ruminating, anticipating and wanting, checking in with ourselves: How is my breath?

How does my body feel?

Am I moving too quickly?

Am I holding on too firmly?

Can I lighten the grip a little?

DRISTI

REST WITH BREATH

Pranayama that Calms

BY GABRIELLE MCMAHON

With clearer seeing of how we are, we move on, one step at a time, gradually and lightly.

Here’s the remainder of Mead’s poem:

The various practices of pranayama are a wonderful way to offer ourselves a deep rest on many levels.

Be patient, not demanding Accepting, not condemning Nurturing, not withholding Self-marveling, not belittling Gently guiding, not pushing and punishing For you are more sensitive than you know Mankind is as tough as war yet delicate as flowers We can endure agonies but we open fully only to warmth and light And our need to grow is as fragile as a fragrance dispersed by storms of will To return only when those storm are still So, accept, respect, and attend your sensitivity A flower cannot be opened with a hammer.

Pranayama is defined as: Prana which means breath and Ayama which means restraint, so to restrain, regulate, control the breath.

Effortlessly, I let go and rest.

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There are three types of pranayama: exhalation (rechaka), inhalation (pooraka), and retention (kumbhaka).

By creating calm and stillness within the mind and body through breathing techniques, we enable the body to rest.

Caution: pranayama is a powerful tool to aid the body, but must be used with caution or not at all for some physical, mental and emotional restrictions individuals may have.

We must all practice ahimsa, no harm, even to ourselves.

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“By proper practice of pranayama, all disease are eradicated. Through improper practice, all diseases can arise.” 2:16 Hatha Yoga Pradipika EXHALATION The benefits of various practices for our mental health are well researched, Brahmari pranayama, the humming bee sound is well regarded for its calming and soothing benefits. The deep low-pitched sound of the black bee is replicated by a humming sound.

By using the thumbs to block off the ears and the others fingers to close off the other senses, you can go deeply within to hear only this humming sound as it massages your central nervous system, bringing a deep inner peace to the mind and emotions.

Breath in through your nose and then working to your own breath capacity with a relaxed jaw, gently hum the breath out, through slightly apart teeth and lightly closed lips. Aim for a smooth, continuous humming sound, without straining. After several rounds sit quietly feeling the positive subtle vibrations flowing throughout your body.

Anger, mental tension, anxiety and insomnia can be relieved, offering the mind and body a rest. Post operation, pranayama can also promote healing and deeper relaxation.

Some pranayama that focus on the exhalation can be invigorating and heating, so remember not to over strain, or compete with others.

For the desired benefit of pranayama is for the yogi to attain steadiness of prana, this vital energy, for purification and eradication of all disease, to ultimately achieve union with oneself.

Why be unhappy about something if it can be remedied?

And what is the use of being unhappy about something if it cannot be remedied?

INHALATION There seems to be less focus on the inhalation, compared to retention and exhalation practices, however sheetali pranayama is a wonderfully cooling and relaxing practice especially when feeling the heat both from within and from the external environment.

By drawing in the breath through your curled-up tongue it quickly begins to cool and calm your mouth and throat. This fresh and cool air being sucked into your body cools the blood vessels throughout the lungs. Just a couple of rounds can quickly reduce the sensation of heat in your body leaving you more relaxed and centred for the task ahead.

It is also a great tranquilizer, aiding in sounder sleep as well as a muscle relaxant.

RETENTION Have you considered by retaining your breath it can be regarded as a rest? If we consider it possible, then we can open our minds to Kumbhaka pranayama. Keeping in mind there should be no strain or discomfort as that would create tension in your body rather than resting and relaxing it, to bring a greater union of the mind body and spirit.

“By stopping the prana through retention, the mind becomes free from all modifications. By thus practicing (this yoga), one achieves the stage of raja yoga (supreme union) 2:76 Hatha Yoga Pradipika One way of practicing Nadi Shoden pranayama is with a ratio of 1:4:2, with the retention being four times the length of the inhale and twice as long as the exhalation. Use your right fingers to open and close the nostrils as you control the prana, you can begin with a less difficult count such as inhale left 3, retain 12, exhale right 6, inhale right 3, retain again for 12 then exhale left 6, for one cycle then repeat. Keep your body, shoulders relaxed and observe a greater sense of calm and peace, perhaps a steadier and slower breath rate after several rounds. Rest here, then transition into a lovely meditation sit.

“The whole system is controlled by becoming aware of the nature of the breath and by restraining it. When the breath is restrained, nervous pulses are stopped in different parts of the body and the brain wave patterns are harnessed. The longer the breath is held, the greater the gap between the nervous pulses and their responses in the brain and mental agitation is curtailed” Prana Pranayama Prana Vidya by Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati

Shantideva

DRISTI

RESTING THROUGH STRESS

5 Questions to Help

BY KIM ROBERTS Do you know how to relax when stress overwhelms you? Even if you do, if you are reading this, it probably goes right out the window when the s**t hits the fan.

Here’s one major perspective shift that always helps me remember how to relax Give Yourself A Break!

I know, it’s revolutionary. But so often when I feel overwhelming stress, it’s because I am putting pressure on myself. There are only so many hours in a day and only so much I can do. I am not in charge of the universe, and if things go haywire I am not always able to ensure outcomes.

What I am able to control? My attitude. And so are you.

When stress overwhelms you, ask yourself these questions: 1. IS IT LIFE THREATENING? Sometimes the best way to shift your perspective is to take a giant step back. Are you stressing out over something that is not that important in the long run? If it is lifethreatening, what are the steps you can take to work constructively with the situation.

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2. IS IT PERMANENT, OR IS THERE SOMETHING YOU CAN CHANGE? This is sort of a rhetorical question, because everything is impermanent. Some things take longer–perhaps lifetimes–to change. But if we can telescope our perspective out to the most vast view, things can often seem less burdensome.

3. IT IS REAL? Is there really a problem? Or are you creating stress by imagining a result that may or may not happen? Anxiety is a product of this latter way of thinking.

Is it truly a problem if your undesired result comes to fruition? Sometimes we need crises in our lives to force change that might not otherwise occur. Are you resisting a pathway that naturally aligns with your best interests?

4. WHAT ARE YOUR CHOICES? Often the simple act of identifying choices can release the sense of inevitability. Because we always have choices. They might not be our first choices. It might be a question of choosing between the lesser of two evils. But knowing we have a choice is empowering.

5. DOES IT ULTIMATELY AFFECT YOUR HAPPINESS? Your state of mind is unrelated to external events. I know it may not always feel this way.

But you have the choice about whether or not to get swayed into emotional reactivity or not. Our mind is like the sky, and events (thoughts, emotions, ideas) that arise in the mind are like clouds. The sky is always clear, spacious and accommodating, even if it happens to be covered over by thick clouds.

When you can learn to ally with the sky behind the clouds, you begin to experience each cloud as a temporary event. The stress we often feel over life’s events usually dissipates just as easily as a cloud in a deep blue sky.

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IN BRIEF

MUDRAS

BY KRISHNAA KINKARI If sleep can be regarded as resting from toil, then we all spend at least one quarter of our lives doing it! So it is surprising that many people never feel rested. Yoga places immense importance on rest: intense activity is always balanced with stillness, most importantly of the mind. There are the asanas that promote rest, Pranayama methods that emphasise the still periods between in and exhales and the product of both, the perfect stillness of Dhyanam, meditation.

The regular practice of Mudra will always effect rest, whatever the focus of the particular mudra. The very tangible effect of the gesture plus the still position plus the concentration is readily experienced. The practitioner intends to make a change of the consciousness through these actions. It is a well-known saying, “A change is as good as a rest. “Unfortunately nowadays many regard change of geographical situation essential, but such shifting can be extremely unrestful when it involves air flights and all that goes with them.

The heart travels with us everywhere and dominates our mind all the time: through mudra we change the direction of the thought towards the inward journey and the peace therein is constant, uplifting, comforting and transformational. Our hands become the agents of enlightenment and opening.

Through mudra you choose the relationship of your body with the five elements in balance and alignment. This is very important in this age of digital dominance. The breath and the spirit then find regenerative harmony.

BHUMISPARSHA MUDRA (The gesture of touching the Earth) Within the explanation of this mudra I would like to give the example of plants.

There are some remarkable plants on this earth. I like to cultivate succulents which can live in soil, water or even with neither, a little like airplants which thrive only on air!

Their remarkable tenacity is a super lesson for all yogis! In fact these plants are yogis: In the Srimad Bhagavadgitaji chapter 12 versus 18/19; “One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equipoised in honour and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who avoids wrong association, is silent and self-satisfied, who craves for no particular residence, is fixed in knowledge and of a humble devotional nature, is very dear to Me.”

A small fragment of such a plant will, on contact with the earth, take root and regenerate itself with little help needed: they contain their own moisture and are thus quite independent: if a leaf breaks off it will slowly but surely grow into another plant.

If we maintain similarly a good, mutually respectfully, connection with the earth we can maintain and sustain our being without too much external intervention.

In this Bhumisparsha Mudra our fingertips, like the tap root of the plant, touch the earth: each of the bodily elements has a chance to regenerate and refresh: this spreads connectively to every system of the body and brain. The mudra promotes unwavering firmness, teaches skilful means, opens up the heart to the reception of wisdom from a higher source,transforms anger,stress and tension into wisdom and allows the spread of clarity to the extremities of the whole body,our own personal vehicle of enlightenment.

Bhumisparsha is very prevalent in Buddhist iconography.

METHOD • Sit comfortably but upright in a cross legged or kneeling position.

• The right arm goes straight down with the hand palm inwards to the body, letting the fingertips touch the earth.

• The left hand is rested in the lap or on the top of the other knee palm up, forefinger and thumb-tips touching and fingers facing across the body not outwards.

• The chin is slightly aimed down to the well of the throat, shoulders relaxed.

• Eyes closed, eyelids, cheeks, jaw, lips and tongue relaxed

BOOK REVIEW

THE PRINCE & THE ZOMBIE, TIBETAN TALES OF KARMA

by Tenzin Wangmo REVIEWED BY TIA SINHA In this desolate region, there are no people and you will not find a place to rest, not even a place the size of a prairie-dog dropping. So to make this long journey a little more pleasant, I propose two solutions. Either you, who are a living being, tell me a story, or I, who am a dead being, will tell you one.” - Zombie Ngodrup Dorje, He Who Fulfills All Dreams Fantastic, fascinating tales narrated by a zombie (a dead being) to a prince who was entrusted with the task of capturing him are the content of this gripping book.

To relieve a prince of the negative consequences of his evil actions, a sage meditating in a cave in the mountains of Tibet instructs him to capture a zombie inhabiting a cremation ground far away in India. If the prince is able to bring the zombie to the sage, the four hundred and twenty-four diseases in the world that have remained incurable in the world will be conquered. And thus, the prince will be relieved of the consequences of his negative actions.

The task of journeying to India, finding and capturing the zombie and carrying him back

August 2018

IN BRIEF

MEDITATION WORKSHOP Qi Inside Me

BY FRANCES GAIRNS Busy and polluted Jakarta may not spring to mind when considering a meditation workshop. But the seven days I spent there learning qi gong meditation were extremely calming and cleansing.

to the sage’s cave in Tibet is no less than a Herculean one, fraught with danger. The zombie is wily. He is a master storyteller and captivates with his engrossing tales, compelling his listeners to comment on the stories or ask questions. But if the prince who captures him utters a single word to the zombie, the zombie, with his magical powers, is able to escape, flying back to his cremation ground in India.

Known as the Vetalapancavimsati in Sanskrit, these zombie stories are engrossing teaching tales that originated in ancient India but have become popular in the Buddhist culture of Tibet and in other Asian cultures. Adaptations of these tales have even been aired as the Vikram Aur Vetala television series in India, highly popular with children. The Tibetan version of these stories conveys Buddhist values, particularly those related to karma (the law of cause and effect), the causes of happiness and suffering. Yet these stories are engrossing and never preachy. And they are sure to delight children as well as older folk.

For these are tales of princesses, musicians and beggars, horses with Garuda eyes, Nagas and other fantastic beasts. These are tales of deceit and trust, infidelity and loyalty. These are tales of noble acts of kindness and boundless generosity. These magical adventures were narrated to the author, Tenzin Wangmo who has compiled these stories in English, by her father when she was growing up in Germany. Tenzin Wangmo has done us all a great service by sharing these delightful tales with us.

I have studied yoga for 25 years, and have learned the asana practice is preparation for meditation. I have meditated regularly for about six years and felt what I thought was qi/prana moving through me. However I hadn’t come across a teacher in this area. So when I heard the experiences of some friends who had attended this course previously, I thought it might be the thing for me.

Although it was two years between hearing about the course and actually going to Jakarta.

Budiman Handjaja is an ethnically-Chinese Indonesian. He studied Western Physiology in London and started learning qi meditation from Mainland Chinese Prof. Li Shao Bo about 15 years ago. He teaches the course weekly in Bahasa Indonesian, and every other month in English.

I found three aspects of the course particularly helpful:

• The combination of Western and Chinese anatomy. He explained the nature of qi/prana and Traditional Chinese Medicine from a Western anatomy perspective.

• The structured five-stages of the system: exhale and concentrate on Solar Plexus; mind and breathing go down to Dan Tian; regulate breathing and concentrate on Dan Tian; open up Du, do not assist and; Yuan Shen accumulates energy, nurtures life mechanism. Of course understanding these five stages requires much more explanation, best left to Budiman in person!

• The very physical experience of qi /prana movement. After sitting for about 45 minutes to an hour, the feeling of qi/prana in various parts of the body was obvious to all 40 students there. In one 90-minute session I had the most intense qi/prana experience of my life. Something akin to what I’ve read about Kundalini awakening in yoga.

The goal of the training, like yoga, is better physical, mental and emotional health.

Supporting this, the objectives are to bolster our reserves of qi/prana; to Tung Guan, which literally means to open the gates and;

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to learn the skills and confidence needed to maintain a daily practice.

Traditional Chinese Medicine, just as yoga, is based on the idea we all have a life force energy flowing through conduits called meridians in the Chinese system or nadis in the Indian system. While there are numerous difference between the two systems, I was extremely encouraged most of the materials presented in Budiman’s lectures reinforced my yoga understanding.

Logistically the course is held in the function room of a service apartment building. Most overseas students stayed at the Ritz Carlton Hotel or Apartments. I opted for the less pricey Crowne Plaza Hotel, 15-minute walk away. The course runs 10 am – 4 pm and 10 am – 11 pm on the seventh day. Apart from the time with Budiman, students are expected to meditate at least three times daily on their own.

Budiman does an excellent job building up students’ meditation stamina. On the first day I sat for 90 minutes divided in 20-minute session. By the seventh day I sat for 5 hours, the longest single session being 90 minutes.

Though this may seem onerous to the reader, it was actually very doable in the context of the course. Students are strongly requested not to: exercise; do any pranayama exercises; have any bodywork or therapy; have sex; eat red meat, fried or spicy food and; drink anything cold.

It’s a totally different story once I returned to Hong Kong. Work and family demands can get in the way of meditating an hour a day. Prior to the course I was sitting comfortably in sukhasana or virasana for about 20 minutes per session. In this system one sits on the edge of a chair with feet on the ground and hands on lap, so it’s much easier to sit longer. A good thing as it takes me about 45 – 60 minutes before I start to feel the qi/prana flowing. Once this happens, it is easy to stay sitting longer. The sensations of qi/prana flow are so interesting and varied.

Now the real work begins! In the 48 days since I left Jakarta, I’ve meditated 36 days.

I’ll let you know in six months how it’s going.

For more information www.circulationofqiforhealth.org

August 2018

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August 2018

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IN BRIEF

WOMEN YOGIS IN INDIA Lecture by Sri Prasad Rangnekar

BY MELINDA JUANG Understanding yoga in a wider context of social reform and spirituality opens a fascinating window into the history, culture and society in India.

This was the intention of a recent talk on “Women Yogis in India” by Sri Prasad Rangnekar from Mumbai and held at a café in Yilan, a small city in Taiwan.

Sri Prasad Rangnekar has been practicing yoga for 30 years and teaching for 22 years around the world. He teaches yoga as a tool of self-transformation to make life more efficient, peaceful and happy.

Despite of India’s patriarchal tradition and the fact that a majority of Indian Yoga gurus are male, Sri Prasad Rangnekar said, “Women yogis have played a role of silent revolutionaries in shaping the spiritual and cultural fabric of India.” He pointed out they may not have got their dues in popularity but their contribution to the value system of India cannot be denied.

The cafe was packed with more than 80 participants from various walks of life, all excited to hear about this unusual topic on yoga. Sri Prasad Rangnekar talked about the lives, challenges and wisdom of women yogis over 300 years in medieval India.

Among these women was Saint Madalasa, who composed lullabies for her sons to plant the seeds of truth at their hearts; maidservant Janabai who rejected the norm and devoted herself to divinity and; Mutabai who became the first female Guru in India.

Sri Prasad Rangnekar

Through women yogis’ writings the audience learned of their struggles, their resilience and the profundity of their wisdom. One poem, “Caste Off All Shame”, from Janabai goes like this: Cast off all shame, and sell yourself in the marketplace; then alone can you hope to reach the Lord.

Cymbals in hand, a veena upon my shoulder, I go about; who dares to stop me?

The pallav of my sari falls away (A scandal!); yet will I enter the crowded marketplace without a thought.

Jani says, My Lord, I have become a slut to reach Your home.

This poem challenges social norm and gender inequality and is still relevant today. By glancing through the lives and writings of these incredible women, it is clear they recognized their limitations and yet still strived for spiritual growth.

At the end of talk, Kishoritai Amonkar sang a beautiful poem Janabai and led us through a heart meditation. In flowing melody, some cried, some curious and some inspired.

In this evening talk we learned of the grace of these female yogis who lived many hundred years ago. And today yoga brings us so much contact and exchange between different cultures. In the hearts of sincere seekers, certainly yoga is beyond gender, race, space and time.

More than 80 enthusiastic yogis crammed into the The Wonderfultree in Yilan, Taiwan to hear Sri Prasad Rangnekar talk about the history of women in yoga.

August 2018

RECIPE

STRAWBERRY MANGO SHAKE SUBMITTED BY MONICA PROCTOR Makes 1-2 servings INGREDIENTS 2 cups unsweetened almond, hemp, or coconut milk 1 cup strawberries 1 cup mangoes 2 tbps chia seeds 2 scoops vanilla vegan protein powder (optional) 2 cups spinach leaves (optional) 1tsp honey (optional, to taste) METHOD Blend all ingredients in a blender starting on low speed and working up to high until smooth. Add more or less ice or water to desired thickness.

MUNG BEAN RISOTTO SUBMITTED BY KAMALAYA KOH SAMUI Green mung beans are rich in complete plant protein, fiber, antioxidants and phytonutrients. Coconut milk can help to lower cholesterol levels and improve blood pressure, it also gives the risotto a creamy texture and slight natural sweetness.

Makes 1 portion INGREDIENTS 100 g Mung beans, cooked 20 g Pumpkin, peeled and diced 20 g Carrot, diced 20 g Asparagus, diced 20 g Long beans 20 g Onion 200 ml Coconut milk 5 ml Truffle oil 10ml Olive oil 3g Garlic, crushed 10 g Spring onion 1g Sea salt 1g Black pepper 3g Sunflower sprouts METHOD 1. Soak the mung beans overnight and drain the water before using them the next day. Add fresh water and cook them for about an hour until they become soft.

2. Then bring the coconut milk to simmer and add the cooked mung beans, garlic, pumpkin, long beans, carrot and asparagus. Simmer for approximately 5 or 10 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.

3. Add sea salt, pepper, truffle oil and chives to finish.

4. Put the risotto in a bowl and garnish with sunflower sprouts.

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August 2018

DIRECTORY

Guide to yoga studios & teachers

ANAHATA VILLAS & SPA RESORT Ubud, Bali, Indonesia s: group retreats, yoga for private & corporates. Yoga studio available for rent. l: Indonesian & English t: (62) 361 8987 991 / (62) 811 8748 910 / (62) 811 1442 233 f: (62) 361 8987 804 e:salesexecutive@anahataresort.com / info@anahataresort.com w: www.anahataresort.com ANAHATA YOGA 18/F Lyndhurst Tower, 1 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong s: Hatha, Ashtanga, Yoga therapy, Yin and more. Groups & privates t: +852 2905 1822 e: enquiry@anahatayoga.com.hk w: www.anahatayoga.com.hk Anna Ng Privates d: Hong Kong s: Hatha yoga l: Cantonese t: +852 9483 1167 e: gazebofl@netvigator.com Ariel Tang Yoga & Healing d: Hong Kong, Asia E-RYT500+, Yin Yoga Teacher Trainer, Certified Jivamukti, Reiki Master Teacher; Teacher Trainings, Retreats, Workshops s: Yin, Jivamukti, Yin Yang, Anatomy, Meditation, Life Teachings l: English, Cantonese t: +852 91868225 e: info@arieltang.com w: www.arieltang.com B.K.S. IYENGAR YOGA ASSOCIATION OF MACAU 174, Rua de Pequim, Edif Centro Com. Kong Fat, 7A, Macau s: Iyengar t: +853 2882 3210/6662 0386 48

e:yoga@macau.ctm.net w:www.iyengar-yoga-macauchina.com David Kim Yoga E-RYT 500+, Senior YogaWorks and YogaWise Yin Yoga Teacher Trainer; International TTs, Workshops & Retreats d: USA, Asia, Europe, Australia s: Yin Yoga, YogaWorks, Vinyasa Flow l: English, some Korean t: +1 310 480 5277 e: david@davidkimyoga.com w: www.davidkimyoga.com FLEX STUDIO Island South Shops 308-310 One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong s: Vinyasa, Power, Detox, Hatha, Pre-Natal, Kids Yoga t: + 852 2813 2212 f: + 852 2813 2281 e: info@flexhk.com Central 3 & 4/F Man Cheung Building, 1517 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong s: Detox, Power, Pre-Natal Yoga t: + 852 2813-2399 f: + 852 2812 6708 e: central@flexhk.com w: www.flexhk.com YOGA CENTRAL-IYENGAR CENTRAL s: Boutique studio with Iyengar Yoga classes; flexible timings for corporate wellness, schools, small groups and privates l: English, Cantonese, Mandarin, French, Malay t: +852 2982 4308 e: yogacentralhk@gmail.com w: www.yogacentral.hk

PURE YOGA Hong Kong 16/F The Centrium, 60 Wyndham Street, Central t: +852 2971 0055 25/F Soundwill Plaza, 38 Russell St, Causeway Bay t: +852 2970 2299 14/F Peninsula Office Tower, 18 Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon t: +852 8129 8800 9/F Langham Place Office Tower, 8 Argyle Street, Kowloon t: +852 3691 3691 4/F Lincoln House, TaiKoo Place, 979 King’s Rd, Quarry Bay t: +852 8129 1188 2/F Asia Standard Tower, 59 Queen’s Road, Central t: + 852 3524 7108 Level 1 The Pulse, 28 Beach Road, Repulse Bay t: +852 8200 0908 3/f Hutchison House, 10 Harcourt Road, Admiralty t: +852 8105 5838 7/F World Trade Centre, 280 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay t:+852 8108 7889 Shanghai 615 iapm mall, 999 Huai Hai Zhong Road, Xuhui District t: +86 21 5466 1266 335 Plaza 66 Mall, 1266 Nanjing West Road, Jing.an District t: +86 21 6279 1119 Singapore 391A Orchard Road, #18-00 Ngee Ann City Tower A t: +65 6733 8863

NAMASKAR

30 Raffles Place, 04-00 Chevron House t: +65 6304 2257 #06-02 Asia Square Tower 2, 12 Marina View t: 65 6100 8866 Taiwan 151 Chung Hsiao East Road, Sec 4, Taipei t: +886 02 8161 7888 4/f Urban One, 1 Qingcheng St, Taipei t: +886 02 8161 7868 Ling Yoga and Wellbeing, Private Yoga Teacher, Privates, Groups, Corporates, Free Yoga Community Event: Yoga in the Park with Ling www.meetup.com/ yogaintheparkhk d: Hong Kong, China s: Yoga Therapy, Sivananda, Hatha, Svastha, Mindfulness, Yin, Breathing (Pranayama), Guided Meditation, Total Relaxation (Yoga Nidra) l: English, Cantonese, Mandarin t: +852 9465 6461 e: yogawithling@gmail.com w: www.facebook.com/ yogawithling RADIANTLY ALIVE YOGA STUDIO Jalan Jembawan No. 3 Ubud, Bali, 80571, Indonesia l: English s: Radiantly Alive Vinyasa, Roll & Release, Qigong, Sky Yoga, Hatha, Ashtanga, Yin, Bhakti, Yoga Teacher Trainings, Yoga Therapy & Detox Programm, Healing sessions t: +62 (0)361 978 055 e: info@radiantlyalive.com w: www.radiantlyalive.com

namaskar SHAKTI HEALING CIRCLE 7/F Glenealy Tower, 1 Glenealy, Central, Hong Kong. s: Reiki healing classes, life coaching, Shamanic healing and workshops, Ayurveda, Feng Shui consultations, Angel Cards t: +852 2521 5099 e: info@shaktihealingcircle.com w: www.shaktihealingcircle.com SPACE YOGA s: Hatha, Ashtanga, Advanced, Flow, Yin, Yin Yang, Restorative, Hot, Yin/Meditation, Pranayama, Mat Pilates, Jivamukti, Universal, Myofascial Release Yoga, Mindful Yoga, Rope Wall Yoga, Yoga Nidra and Yoga Therapy l: English and Mandarin w: www.withinspace.com An-Ho Studio 16 F, No. 27, An-Ho Road, Section 1 Taipei, Taiwan t: +886.2.2773.8108 Tien-Mu Studio #5, Lane 43, Tian-Mu E. Road, Taipei, Taiwan t: +886.2.28772108 Sravaniya DiPecoraro d: Hong Kong s: Barefoot Philosopher Yoga, Vedanta, Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutras; beginners and advanced; ACBSP disciple (1971), YA ERYT500, Sivananda Certified (1991) l: English and Mandarin t: +852 9856 0799 e: info@barefootphilosopher.press w: www.barefootphilosopher.press

THE YOGA ROOM 3, 4, 6, 16/F (Studios) & 15/F (Office) Xiu Ping Commercial Bldg, 104 Jervois St, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong s: Hatha, Hot, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Candlelight Yin, Yoga Therapy, Jivamukti, Hammock Yoga, Mindfulness Yoga, Detox Yoga, Pre-natal Yoga, Pre-natal Pilates, Mat Pilates, TRX, Kids Yoga and Mum & Baby Yoga l: English, Cantonese t: + 852 2544 8398 e: info@yogaroomhk.com w: www.yogaroomhk.com THE COLLECTIVE, DESA SENI SCHOOL OF YOGA Jl. Subak Sari #13, Canggu, Bali, Indonesia s: Full service resort, Ashtanga, Embodied Flow, Hatha, Kundalini, Restorative, Tantra, Therapeutics, Yin, Yang, Vinyasa, Buddhist Meditation, Vedic Meditation. Teacher Trainings, Intensives, Privates, Workshops, specialising in hosting retreats. t: +62 361 844 6392 e: info@desaseni.com w: www.desaseni.com WISE LIVING YOGA ACADEMY 198 Moo 2, Luang Nuea, Doi Saket, Chiang Mai, Thailand s: Classical Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Yoga Therapy t: +66 8254 67995 e: info@wiselivingyoga.com w: www.wiselivingyoga.com

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