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namaskarA VOICE FOR THE YOGA COMMUNITY OF ASIA January 2015
TAKING RELIGION OUT OF YOGA
Make yoga culturally & religiously sensitive to
keep it in schools ................................ ..........p26
BACK IN THE RING
Ashtanga yoga & community service part of the
road to recovery from drug abuse....................p18
YOGA & MUSIC
Six views on the controversial subject of playing
music in yoga class.........................................p28
Photo courtesy of Heather Bonker photography
2 NAMASKAR
January 2015 3
NAMASKAR - JANUARY 2015
ABOUT NAMASKAR
ADMINISTRATION Carol Adams, carol@caroladams.hk
NEWS EDITOR Wai-Ling Tse, wailing.tse@gmail.com
CIRCULATION Angela Sun, angela.sun@gmail.com
EDITOR & PUBLISHER Frances Gairns, fgairns@netvigator.com
Namaskar provides a voice for the yoga community in Asia andaround the world. The publication is an opportunity forpractitioners on a yogic path to selflessly offer their knowledge,learnings and experiences with others.
We welcome unsolicited submissions, therefore the opinionsexpressed within these pages are not necessarily those of Namaskar orits volunteers.
Articles and photographs in Namaskar are contributed at nocharge. Advertising income covers production, distribution,administrative costs and discretionary contributions to selectedcharities and causes.
Namaskar, is published quarterly in January, April, July and October.About 5,000 copies are printed and distributed for free to yogastudios, teachers, fitness centres, retail outlets, cafes and yoga-friendly outlets. Mostly distributed in Hong Kong, with 1,500 copiesmailed to readers in 32 other countries.
LETTER FROMTHE EDITORAs this marks the start of 13years as editor, here’s at littleNamaskar history.
In This Issue
DRISTI - YOGA & MUSIC
COMING HOME 28
Music in yoga, you can feel it in your bones
MUSIC IN YOGA CLASS 31
Several teachers tell why not
TRANSFORMATION 32
Music can heal
NO MUSIC IN IYENGAR 33
Why this style of yoga avoids music
KIRTAN 34
The many levels of singing
ESSENCE OF YOGA 35
To align to the music is to align to life
SPECIAL FEATURES
BACK IN THE RING 18
Yoga & service helps recovering drug users
STICKING WITH YOUR EXERCISE 20
10 tips for new year’s fitness resolution
WORKPLACE YOGA 23
Get your daily yoga, even at the office
THE BEAUTY OF CEREMONY 24
Setting intentions for the new year
NEO-HINDUISM 26
Taking the religion out of yoga
YOGIC TEXTS 42
Explaining an excerpt from the Book of
Liberation
REGULAR CONTRIBUTIONS
KULA UPDATES, WORKSHOPS,RETREATS, TEACHER TRAININGS 6PHOTO ESSAY 14
I HEARD OFF THE MAT 17MUDRAS IN BRIEF 38MYTHOLOGY 38
BOOK REVIEW 45RECIPE 51DIRECTORY 53
On the cover - photo provided by Heather Bonker,
photographer and freelance yoga teacher based at
Radiantly Alive, Bali (www.heatherbonker.com)
Namaskar started life in October 1999 asthe newsletter of the Yoga Society ofHong Kong .
The Society had been formed by Linda Shevloff, Martha Collard, Vivian Eakin and Kathy Cook
to promote yoga in general and, through membership fees, bring international teachers to
Hong Kong.
The newsletter was called Salutations until January 2001, when it was renamed Namaskar.
There was only one yoga studio in Hong Kong at that time - Yoga Central. And the 10 or so
teachers in Hong Kong taught privately. Over the next five years, yoga in Hong Kong grew
tremendously. With numerous yoga studios established, there were fewer practitioners
paying to join the Society and in 2006 it ceased to operate.
By then, Namaskar was the only tangible product of the Society. So together with friend and
fellow yoga teacher Jennifer Rockowitz, we registered Namaskar officially as a business and
tried to keep the magazine going. Thanks to the support of advertisers, Namaskar is able to
continue. Everyone is a volunteer, so all writers, photographers, circulation and
administration contribute their efforts at no cost. Namaskar is run on a break-even basis,
with annual discretionary donations to charities and social causes.
Over the years I have thought of stopping many times. At times, I have resented the work, felt
hurt by critics, worried if we could pay our printer, guilt-ridden about lost family time. But
mostly I’ve been thrilled by the generosity of contributors, loved the feedback of readers,
excited to learn and, thankful to practice patience with all whom I communicate with on behalf
of Namaskar.
Together with Wai-Ling, Carol and Angela, our mission is to provide a voice for practitioners
on a yogic path to selflessly offer their knowledge, learning and experience to others. Regular
readers will notice Namaskar seldom features asana articles. There are many excellent
resources for how to do adho mukasvanasana/Downward Facing Dog.
While many readers may be focused on asana , we hope by learning about the experiences of
fellow practitioners, you will be inspired to expand your practice beyond asana.
Namaskar also strives to facilitate a kula of sorts. Through these pages to introduce you to
fellow practitioners around the corner and around the world. How fun is it to bump into
someone at AYC, whose article you’d read here. So thank you to all our contributors,
advertisers and readers, may 2015 be filled with new connections!
4 NAMASKAR
CONTRIBUTORSANA FORREST
Medicine Woman, creatrix of
Forrest Yoga and author of Fierce
Medicine, Ana has been teaching
for nearly 40 years. She will be at
Asia Yoga Conference in Hong
Kong, June 2015.
www.forrestyoga.com
BARBARA PASSY
Barbara is a Chicago-based yoga
teacher and writer.
barbara.passy@gmail.com
BRETT SCHULTZ
Brett lives and works in Hong
Kong. In his spare time he enjoys
reading Sanskrit and Pali texts.
brett.shults@gmail.com
GAELLE FOULON DAFFNER
Gaelle practices and teaches
Iyengar Yoga in Hong Kong.
gaelle@yogartbloomers.com
HEATHER SHERIDAN
Heather teaches yoga for
relaxation and Teen Yoga at the
Club at The Repulse Bay in Hong
Kong.
heathersheridan@cdnis.edu.hk
INNA CONSTANTINI
Inna is a yoga teacher and freelance
writer based in London. With a
background in media and public
relations, she experimented with
various yoga paths before deciding
to trade her desk for a yoga mat.
innayoga@gmail.com
JACK HARRISON
Jack has been a yoga teacher,
singer and folklorist for the past 30
years. He blends the three
together in his Yoga Music
Workshops. He is also a lecturer at
the University College Galway,
Ireland. www.jackharrison.com
JAMES BOAG
James teaches yoga philosophy,
Indian mythology, Kirtan and their
practical application around the
world, including in Mysore where
he continues to study Sanskrit.
www.jamesboag.com
KRISHNAA KINKARIDAS
Krishnaa lives in London. She
studied with B.K.S. Iyengar over
several years in Mumbai and Pune
and now runs classes in London
and teaches ‘Sanskrit and Mudras
for Yoga’ for Yoga Alliance and
British wheel of Yoga trainee
teachers. She is the author of nine
books on Bhakti Yoga.
kinkaridasi@hotmail.com
LISA KAZMER
Lisa is a yoga teacher, birth doula
and writer. Originally from the US
she has recently relocated from
Hong Kong to Singapore and
specializes in teaching prenatal
yoga, beginners, and seniors.
www.lisadevi.com
LUCAS ROCKWOOD
Lucas is the founder of YogaBody
Naturals, YogaBody Fitness
Studios, and Absolute Yoga
Academy. www.YogaBody.com or
www.AbsoluteYogaAcademy.com
MOOSA AL-ISSA
Moosa is Executive Director of Life
January 2015 5
Café and Director of Just Green
Organic Convenience Stores in
HK. Moosaalissa@gmail.com
NATALIE MACAM
Natalie is a yoga teacher who leads
charity yoga treks to the Himalayas
in Nepal every year.
www.tigerwaveyoga.com
SAMRAT DASGUPTA
Samrat has been practicing yoga for
over 20 years. He teaches at Pure
Yoga in Hong Kong.
samrat500@yahoo.com
SHANNON FRANCES
Living in the jungles of Malaysia for
several years, Shannon balances
her dry, technical career with an
exuberant engagement in yoga.
Combining an experimental
approach to the multifaceted
techniques offered by yoga and a
voracious appetite for reading, she
has eagerly explored the
philosophy and practice of yoga.
She is the author of The Tiny
Hatha Yoga Philosophy.
farmer@peafarm.net
SUE YEN WAN
Ying has been a freelance Yoga
instructor since 1998. Striving to
honour, the mind body and spirit
provoking self awareness to be in
the present moment.
yogabug@netvigator.com
www.sueyenwan.com
SWATI PANDEY
Swati is a teacher of Samkkya Yoga
living in Kuala Lumpur, Malayasia.
supratim.swati@gmail.com
TIA SINHA
Tia, who spends most of her time
in retreat, teaches yoga asana,
philosophy and Tibetan Buddhist
techniques of meditation.
onlytia2@yahoo.co.in
namaskar
on-line at:www.issuu.com/caroladams
April’s dristi:Tantric yoga
Some things to think about forthis dristi:• What is Tantric yoga• Which modern yoga stylesare most influenced by Tantra• A brief history of Tantra• Main teachings of Tantra• Why is Tantric yogaassociated with sex
If you would like to contributean article on this subject, orothers, to Namaskar, pleaseemail Frances atfgairns@netvigator.com withyour thoughts first. That way wecan let you know if anothercontributor is already coveringthat angle. Final articles arewelcome before March 1.
WAI-LING TSE
Wai-Ling teaches and practices
yoga, mindfulness, therapy and is
News Editor of Namaskar. She
loves connecting with people in
everyday life through yoga, nature,
food and music.
yogawithling@gmail.com
YOSHI ANWAR
It is the natural world in all its
vibrant purity that breathes
through the artworks of the home-
grown Singaporean photographer,
Yoshi Anwar. A yogi himself, his
work has increasingly gestured at
something unparalleled and
ethereal, something beyond
physical. He has been featured in
international yoga publications and
campaigns. Instagram:
@yoshianwar
6 NAMASKAR
KULAUpdates
“Thank YouMother India”Global CampaignNon-profit Yoga Gives Back
(YGB) invites all the Yoga
communities to host just one
fundraiser class between now
to31 Januaryto help more
mothers and children in India.
This annual global campaign
raises the majority of the funds
for YGB’s programs in India,
which is now funding more than
500 mothers and children with
micro loans and education funds.
For more information
info@yogagivesback.org /
yogagivesback.org/tymi
Charitabledonation as abirthday present?With the excesses of Christmas
now behind us, the question is
how to make the holiday season
less about overindulgence and
more about goodwill and
kindness to all. Charitable gifts
demonstrate to our younger
generation that real happiness
does not come from having
things, but from giving and
sharing. For your loved one’s
next birthday, anniversary or
next Christmas, why not make a
donation to Yogi Yum Yums (or
any worthwhile charity).
For more information
yogiuday_harmony@yahoo.es
AUSTRALIA
Evolve YogaFestival17 January
Following the sellout Evolve
Festival in Melbourne on 23
November 2014, the next event
will next be held at Byron Bay.
Evolve Melbourne was held at
Abbotsford Convent with over
400 yogis coming together to
practise and connect for learning,
fun and Evolve-ment! The
program in January includes
numerous styles of asana classes
for all levels, wellness and healing
workshops, spiritual
development and philosophy
sessions, energizing kirtan plus
activities for kids and a vibrant
market place.
For more information
www.evolveyogafestival.com.au
HONG KONG
Free MindfulnessIntroduction12 & 13 January(7-8pm)
Sol Wellness, Central
If you are stressed and weary
then MBSR could be just what
you are looking for. This is an 8-
week course developed by Jon
Kabat-Zinn at the University of
Massachusetts in the 1970s.
MBSR uses a variety of practices
and has been proven clinically to
reduce stress and anxiety and
increase quality of life.
For more information (852) 2581
9699 / info@sol-wellness.com/
www.sol-wellness.com
New in Southside- De-stress YogaAberdeen Boat Club
Join Chan Cudennec every
Thursday at 9am at the Harbour
Room.
For more information (852) 2581
9699 / info@sol-wellness.com/
www.sol-wellness.com
Little Yogis’ OpenHouse18 January (2-5pm)
Little Yogis, Wang Chuk Hang
Explore Hong Kong’s first and
only dedicated Kids’ Yoga studio.
There will be Yoga and cooking
activities. Suitable for ages 18
months to 10 year olds.
For more information (852)
25623688 /
info@littleyogishk.com
Raw Food classes@Sol Wellness20 January- LifeFood Breakfast
5 February- LifeFood Chinese
New Year Asian Fusion
10 March - LifeFood
Mediterranean Flavour
Vegan, raw and living food is a
lifestyle that is sustainable,
rejuvenating and revitalizing.
Learn how to make delicious and
healthy snacks and meals from
different parts of the world.
For more information (852) 2581
9699 / info@sol-wellness.com/
www.sol-wellness.com
Superfood &Detox OpenHouse24 January (10:45am-12:45pm);
12 February (6:45-9:15pm)
I-Detox, Central
A crash course in self care.
Topics covered include why
certain foods should be avoided
to support the body’s natural
detoxification. Upgrade your diet
with “Superfoods” and how to
avoid common weight loss traps.
For more information(852) 3904
1072 / office@i-detox.com/
www.i-detox.com/superfood-
open-house
Beyond YogaWorkout WearComes to FlexLoved by the Yoga community for
its ultra-soft fabrics, and sexy yet
functional styles, Beyond Yoga is
coming to Flex Studio this
January!
For more information (852)
28132212 / info@flexhk.com
The Art of DyingAwareness Talk31 January (7-8:30pm)
Life Management Yoga Centre,
Tsimshatsui
Conducted by renowned clinical
hypnotherapist Dr. Yuvraj
Kapadia. He will explore what
happens at death, understanding
the processes that take place at
the time of death and what we can
do for the souls that have
departed.
For more information (852)
9238 7379/
info@soniasamtani.com/
www.allaboutyoucentre.com
Byron Yoga’s John Ogilvie was a primary
teacher at Evolve Yoga Festival in
Melbourne.
January 2015 7
Raw & RichWomen’s TempleInitiation Day7 February
A new offering for women: the
monthly Women’s Temple Group
provides a counterpoint to Hong
Kong’s hectic and yang-oriented
lifestyle. It’s a space to connect
with the body, with the feminine
and with other women. There will
be an introduction afternoon
during which women can get a
taste of what this nourishing and
rejuvenating gathering is about.
For more information
www.rawandrich.com / (852)
9633 5573 /
corinne@rawandrich.com
“Portraits of aSoul” Exhibition26 February-31 March
LuxDiscret Lifestyle Studio
An unique opportunity to have
your own art photography - a
portrait of your true self
accompanied by a poem of your
soul.This unique collaborative
project is the brainchild of the
German face reader, Eric
Standop, and British portrait
photographer, Richard Pilnick.
For more information
www.luxdiscret.com /(852) 2898
0568 / info@luxdiscret.com /
www.portraitsofasoul.com
Peace of Mind:Ajahn Brahm’sHong KongTeaching TourBorn in London and graduated
with First Class Honours in
Theoretical Physics from
Cambridge University, Ajahn
Brahm is currently the Abbot of
Bodhinyana Monastery in
Serpentine, Western Australia
and The Spiritual Director of the
Buddhist Society of Western
Australia (BSWA), among others.
Between March 3 - 11, he will be
giving various public and private
talks, offering full-day
workshops, participating in panel
discussion and leading a four-day
retreat.
For more information
www.bodhinyana.com
Yoga MantraKirtan Night27 March (7-8:30pm)
International Yoga Institute,
Tsimshatsui
A musical chanting experience to
open your heart and awaken your
soul. Free entry (HK$40/person
for light vegetarian dinner).
For more information Sitarani
(852) 2369 6696
Seeking Yoga/Pilates InstructorsYoga Privates is an exclusive
provider of private Yoga and
Pilates sessions across Asia since
2008. They are seeking
registered, experienced
instructors to join their team.
For more information
www.yoga-privates.com /
info@yoga-privates.com / (852)
65044280
Evolution - AsiaYoga Conference11 - 14 June
Hong Kong
Headliners at this ninth
conference include Dharma
Mittra, Ana Forrest and David
Swenson, as well as many other
fantastic international and local
teachers.
For more information
www.asiayogaconference.com
Local Yogireleases yogacalendar“In Quest of the Infinite” is the
theme of Yogaraj C.P.’s 2015
calendar, which will be released
on 25 January. He plans to
present a copy of his calendar to
Indian PM Modi as a gesture of
thanks for proposing 21 June as
International Yoga Day.
INDONESIA
8thBaliSpiritFestival31 March-5 April
The annual BaliSpirit Festival
inspires and unifies the global
community through Yoga, dance,
Corrine Konrad starts up a women’s group,
Raw and Rich, in Hong Kong.
Buddhist teacher Ajahn Brahm gives
several lectures in Hong Kong.
Double scorpion - Yogaraj C.P. with his daughter Gia.
healing and the beat of world
music. In a synergy of global
cultural collaboration and non-
denominational spiritual
practice, the festival welcomes a
passionate and enthusiastic
global audience from over 50
countries to Bali each year.
For more information
www.balispiritfestival.com
THAILAND
Samahita LiveCapture the sounds of Samahita
with their new album recorded
during their pranayama and
music retreat with Sri.O.P
Tiwari. Featuring live sets by
musicians Jack Harrison
andDaphne Tse, plus a selection
of chants and yoga related tracks.
Releasedin January.
For more information
www.samahitaretreat.com
David Swenson, a superb teacher and really nice guy, joins AYC for the first time.
8 NAMASKAR
KULAWorkshops
AUSTRALIA
Yin/Insight YogaWorkshop -CompassionatePresence withSarah Powers17 January
Egg of the Universe, Sydney
Sarah will offer balanced Yoga
sequences with both Yin and Yang
Yoga methods including
pranayama. Also developing the
heart through focusing on loving-
kindness and compassion based
meditation practises.
For more information
info@eggoftheuniverse.com /
www.eggoftheuniverse.com/
portfolio/detail/sarah-powers
CHINA
Asana &Pranayama withPaul Dallaghan16-17 May
Pure Yoga Shanghai
Led by Samahita founder and
creator of Asia’s longest-running
yoga teacher training, Paul
Dallaghan.
For more information
www.pure-yoga.com.cn/en/
shanghai/
HONG KONG
Strengthen &Balance workshop17-18 January
Shakti Healing Circle
Samahita teacher Amy Arman will
co-host this workshop with
wellness coach Rowena Hunt.
For more information
www.amyarman.com,
www.rowena-hunt.healthcoach.
integrativenutrition.com/events-
rowena-hunt
Reshape YourBody, ReshapeYour LifeDetoxwith MichelleRicaille19-24 January
Flex Studio
You will be taught how to cleanse
the digestive system and liver
with special herbs and tonics
from the United States, and how
to control the mind’s cravings
and weaknesses through
pranayama and meditation.
Workshop includes daily lectures
and yoga practice; detox herbs
and supplements, healing energy
stone and gut cleansing
probiotics. Option to include
food intolerance test by HK
BioTek Lab.
For more information (852) 283-
2212 / info@flexhk.com
Strengthen YourCore Workshopwith Victor Chau25 January (2:30-5:30pm)
The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan
Learn the basic anatomy of the
core stabilizers, how to prevent
back pain and yoga poses to
strengthen the core.
For more information
www.yogaroomhk.com / (852)
25448398
Heal Your Life 6-week Program10 February, 3 & 24 March, 14
April, 5 & 27 May
This 6-week program originally
created by best-selling author
Louise Hays is based on her
philosophy of “You Can Heal
Your Life.” Explores beliefs
around change, forgiveness,
relationships, work, prosperity
and health.
For more information (852)
9238 7379/
info@soniasamtani.com/
www.allaboutyoucentre.com
PsychoPhysiologicalTrainingLife Management Yoga Centre
Wednesdays (11am-Noon; Noon
to 1pm); Saturdays (4:30-5:30pm;
5:30-6:30pm)
Self development courses on
stress, emotional, relationship,
mind and life management. A
certificate endorsed by LMYC
affiliated to The Yoga Institute,
India will be provided on
completion of the course.
For more information
life@yoga.org.hk / (852) 2191
9651 / www.yoga.org.hk
Ancient Thai(Yoga Massage)Workshop31 January (2-4pm)
Sol Wellness, Central
Michelle leads a detox workshop at Flex.
Samahita’s Amy will be at Shakti Healing
Circle in Hong Kong.
January 2015 9
Learn to work along the meridian
lines (prana nadis) and supply
the body with the vital energy
with Mona Choi, instructor of
ancient massage techniques.
For more information (852) 2581
9699 / info@sol-wellness.com/
www.sol-wellness.com
Yoga Workshopswith StephenEwashkiwThe Yoga Room, Sheung Wan
7 February - Get Up, Stand Up -
Standing Poses for all levels
(10am-12:30pm); Straighten Up
and Fly Right - Arm Balances and
Inversions for intermediate/
advanced (2 -5pm)
8 February - From Strength to
Strength: Hip Openers and Arm
Balances (All levels). 10am-
12:30pm; Backbending & Beyond
for intermediate/advanced (2-
5pm).
For more information
www.yogaroomhk.com/ (852)
25448398
The Power ofAshtanga Yogawith KinoMacGregor27 February-1 March
Pure Yoga
Yoga is a conscious effort to train
the mind to be fully present by
controlling the body, breathe and
mind in one harmonious moment.
For more information
www.pure-yoga.com /
events@pure-yoga.com
40-day PersonalRevolution withTryphena Chia28 February-8 April
Pure Yoga
40 Days to Personal Revolution -
based on the book by Baron
Baptiste. A breakthrough
programme to radically change
your body and awaken the sacred
within your soul.
For more information
www.pure-yoga.com /
events@pure-yoga.com
Nourishing theseed ofMindfulness withJanet Lau1, 7, 14, 21, 28 March
The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan
This is a month-long 25-hour
group mindfulness programme.
Meeting once every weekend , as
well as a regular yoga practice of
3-4 times a week during the
month (group or self practice).
For more information
www.yogaroomhk.com /(852)
25448398
Evolve Yourselfwith MarcusLeung23 May&28 June
Pure Yoga
This is a journey of self-discovery
through strong, intelligent and
conscious daily morning
practices and special workshops.
The immersion introduces the
concept of counter energy and
practical tips on how to harness
it to make your practice more
fluid, your body more balanced in
strength and flexibility, and
weight transfer during your
practice more effective.
For more information
www.pure-yoga.com /
events@pure-yoga.com
SINGAPORE
TheHeart of YogaTherapy withKausthubDesikachar24-26 April
Understand the holistic aspect of
Yoga Therapy in the tradition of
T. Krishnamacharya. Covering
the core principles of Yoga as a
complimentary healing approach,
mind-centred approach of Yoga
therapy, fundamental principles
of healing, and how Yoga fulfils
this role.
For more information
beinginyoga.com /
beinginyoga@gmail.com / (65)
98303808
TAIWAN
The Blossoming ofFreedom withDoug Keller24-25 January
Space Yoga, Taipei
Expand the energy behind your
individuality in this very practical
workshop. Experience the
freedom that lies in this
expansion (swatantrya) as we
become aware of our own styles
of movement, and learn to expand
our difficulties or contractions
into assets in our practice.
For more information
www.withinspace.com
A Therapeutic Eyewith Doug Keller26-30 January
Space Yoga, Taipei
Explore healthy movement in
Yoga and in life. Learn about
body structure and the kinds of
movement impairment that can
bring pain and injury, and how to
overcome these difficulties.
For more information
www.withinspace.com
The Art of SubtleAlignment withRichard Freeman4-5 April
Space Yoga, Taipei
Following an empty thread of
awareness through and between
postures, breaths, thoughts and
techniques is true Ashtanga Yoga.
Learn to use core techniques like
dristi and bandha to awaken a
subtle intelligence.
For more information
www.withinspace.com
Yoga Ruins YourLife with RichardFreeman6-10 April
Space Yoga, Taipei
Destroy ignorance and suffering
in your life with Yoga as Richard
guides you to rhythmically join
prana and apana in asana
practice, to open the core of the
body into the middle path in
pranayama, and to unravel the
subtle bodies in meditation.
For more information
www.withinspace.com
Advanced IyengarYoga with PeterScott21 April
Space Yoga, Taipei
For more information
www.withinspace.com
Evolve Yourselfwith MarcusLeung7 March & 5 April
Pure Yoga, Taipei
Marcus’ mini-tour of Asia sees
him teaching in Hong Kong and
Taiwan.
For more information
www.pure-yoga.com /
events@pure-yoga.com
Paul Dallaghan comes to Pure Yoga
Shanghai.
Janet leads a month of mindfulness at
Yoga Room.
10 NAMASKAR
KULATeacher Trainings
AUSTRALIA
AustralianCertificate IV inYoga TT1 February-20 March
Purna Yoga Retreat Centre,
Byron Bay
Full-time residential course run
by the Byron Yoga Centre and
recognised by Yoga Alliance and
Yoga Australia, it is also an
Australian Skills Quality
Authority accredited national
course. It includes the Level I and
2 combined 500-hour
qualification and additional
models covering first aid,
teaching for special needs plus
the business side of yoga.
For more information
www.byronyoga.com
CHINA
Kundalini YogaTT13-18 January - Level 2Module:
LifeStyles and LifeCycles
20-25 January - Module 2 of
Level 1 KYTT
Ajai Alai Kundalini Yoga
Community Centre, Shenzhen
If you are already a certified Level
1 Kundalini Yoga Teacher, you
might like to repeat the training
Level 1 with Ajai Alai Asia
International KY School to
consolidate the experience.
For more information chan@sol-
wellness.com /
satmukhsingh@gmail.com
HONG KONG
Yoga & Ayurveda200-hr TT withMas Vidal
30 January - 5 February & 6 - 12
April
Pure Yoga
Learning through practice
strongly adheres to an
experiential approach to learning.
For more information
www.pure-yoga.com /
events@pure-yoga.com
200-hr TTCertificate Course24 March-23 June & 30 June-22
September
Anahata Yoga
This course gives practitioners
and aspiring instructors the
chance to deepen their knowledge
of yoga philosophy and improve
on various aspects of their
practice. It is an open-level
training programme, suitable for
those who have never done Yoga
before as well as those who have
put in years of practice.
For more information
www.anahatayoga.com.hk / (852)
2905 1822 /
enquiry@anahatayoga.com.hk
Transformationwith SamratDasgupta3 April-17 May
Pure Yoga
For aspiring students and
teachers who are seeking a path
for personal transformation.
For more information
www.pure-yoga.com /
events@pure-yoga.com
3-day RainbowKids Yoga TT17-19 July (9am-6pm)
Rainbow Kids Yoga specialises in
kids and family yoga teacher
trainings. Lei will teach your
everything you need to know
about teaching kids in a fun and
safe environment.
For more information
happykidultyoga@gmail.com /
Vincent (852) 9765 3592 /
rainbowkidsyoga.net/trainings/
hongkong/
hongkong_training.html
Part-time HotYoga TT withFrances Gairns5 September - 20 December
Pure Yoga
Frances Gairns introduces
experienced hot yoga
practitioners to the possibility of
teaching. Held over 10 weekends.
For more information
www.pure-yoga.com /
events@pure-yoga.com
INDONESIA
Yoga for Kids TTwith Beta Lisboa& Guest Teachers
6-16 April
Taksu Spa, Ubud, Bali
This training will help yoga
teachers, educators and
practicing yogin parents to teach
children of all ages. Based on the
“Multiple Intelligences” theory of
Howard Gardner and Maria
Montessori’s, “Learning by
Doing”, you will experience the
multiple unique ways a child can
learn in a fun and playful way.
For more information
betalisboa.com/teacher-
trainings/95-hour-yoga-kids-
teacher-training/
100-hr Yin FascialYoga ImmersionIII9-19 May
Taksu Spa, Ubud, Bali
Explore the field of the subtle
body, meridians and chakras with
experienced practitioners, as you
take yourself on a journey of self
discovery and healing.
For more information
betalisboa.com/teacher-
trainings/yin-yoga-teacher-
training-3-2/
SINGAPORE
50-hr Hot YogaCET with CopperCrow11-19 April
Pure Yoga
A boot-camp for teaching a solid
Hot Yoga class for existing
teachers of other styles.
For more information
www.pure-yoga.com /
events@pure-yoga.com
Lei teaches people to teach kids yoga.
January 2015 11
TAIWAN
200-hr TT - LivingLab with BasiaGoingSpace Yoga, Taipei
1 May-7 June
A cross-section of required
knowledge such as pranayama,
meditation, major yogic texts,
philosophy and psychology of
teaching is covered. With the
focus on making the theory real
and relevant to your growth.
For more information
www.withinspace.com
THAILAND
Anusara YogaImmersion &200-hr TT withJonas WestringImmersion A: 21-28 January;
Immersion B: 30 January-6
February
TT: 11-25 February
Kaomailanna Resort, Chiang Mai
For committed yogins with a
strong desire to deepen their
practice, the immersion program
offers a comprehensive
curriculum of 100 hours. This is
followed by the 100 hour Art of
Teaching Program.
For more information
www.shantaya.org
50-hr StudyImmersion forTeachers withSimon Low & EijaTervonen24-31 January
Samahita Retreat, Koh Samui
Join the Yoga Academy faculty
and guest teacher Terry
McCarthy, specialist in muscle
restoration therapy, to learn the
skill to ‘see’ your students, being
able to look at your students as
they stand still and/or make
simple movements that reveal
fascial holding patterns and
habitual tendencies of moving.
For more information
www.samahitaretreat.com/
simon-immersion-2015.html
Yin & Yang Yoga200-hr TT with
Simon Low14 February-15 March
Samahita Retreat, Koh Samui
Led by Simon Low, founder of
The Yoga Academy and one of
Europe’s most renowned Yoga
teachers. Promoting ‘movement
within stillness’ and ‘stillness
within movement’, Yin and Yang
Yoga is gaining increasing
appreciation among practitioners
all over the world.
For more information
www.samahitaretreat.com
200-hr Yoga TT8 February-6 March; 3-29 May; 7
June-3 July; 12 July-7 August
Wise Living Yoga Academy,
Chiang Mai
The Academy provides an
“Ashram-like” environment, ideal
for the full immersion experience
in traditional Yoga studies. All
programs are residential and
include vegetarian meals.
For more information (66)
825467995 /
info@wiselivingyoga.com /
www.teachertraining.wiselivingyoga.com
Centered Yoga TTSamahita Retreat, Koh Samui
2-30 May 2- 30; 25 July-22
August; 31 October-28 November
Founded by Paul Dallaghan since
2000, Centered Yoga is Asia’s
most respected and longest
running Yoga Alliance Registered
Program, offering both 200 and
500 hour levels. Courses
include yoga, asana, pranayama,
ayurveda, anatomy, philosophy,
Sanskrit and chanting.
For more information
www.centeredyoga.com
200-Hour BryceYoga TT5-29 July
AbsoluteYogaAcademy, Koh
Samui
Briohny Smyth and Dice Iida-
Klein are known for their fun and
playful classes, and ability to
teach inversions to all levels
For more information
www.TeachBryceYoga.com /
info@AbsoluteYogaAcademy.com
200-hr Hot YogaTTFebruary, June & October
AbsoluteYogaAcademy, Koh
Samui
Learn to teach Absolute Hot Yoga
series. This course is ideal for
Hot Yoga lovers who are serious
about learning the real-world
teaching skills needed to start
teaching professionally.
For more information
www.TeachHotYoga.com /
info@AbsoluteYogaAcademy.com
200-hr VinyasaYoga TT1-29 March
AbsoluteYogaAcademy, Koh
Samui
Delve deep into the classic
Vinyasa Yoga sequences with
Michel Besnard. This course
provides students with a solid
foundation in the original
Vinyasa-Flow sequence, the
Ashtanga Yoga primary series,
with emphasis on individual
attention, alignment, sequencing
for public classes, and self-
practice.
For more information
www.TeachFlowYoga.com /
info@AbsoluteYogaAcademy.com
500-hr AdvancedYoga TT withMichel Besnard1-29 August
AbsoluteYogaAcademy, Koh
Samui
For teachers who are ready to
take their career to the next level,
this advanced course goes
way beyond basics with advanced
anatomy, history, philosophy,
adjustments, teaching skills,
business skills, Ayurveda,
women’s Yoga and more!
For more information
www.500HourYogaTraining.com
/
info@AbsoluteYogaAcademy.com
TURKEY
100-hr Yin FascialYoga Immersion I17-28 August
Karakaya Retreat Center,
Bodrum, Turkey
This program will provide you
with a powerful healing journey,
full of self-development and self-
discovery. Includes Yin Yoga,
self-myofascial release and
myofascial release therapy.
For more information
betalisboa.com/teacher-
trainings/yin-yoga-teacher-
training/
Simon Low will be at Koh Samui teaching two TTs.
12 NAMASKAR
KULARetreats
INDONESIA
Anchoring a NewBeginning Retreatwith Shubhraji29 January-1 February
Desa Seni, Canggu, Bali
A weekend of insights, meditative
practises and effective tools to
anchor transformational changes
in your life. Includes spiritual
teachings, meditation workshops
and satsangs with Shubhraji.
Free Yoga classes and one free
Desa Seni signature massage,
cultural program, all vegetarian
meals and airport transfers.
For more information
info@namahom.org /
www.namahom.org
Beach YogaRetreat6-9 May
Trikora, Bintan Island
Join Chinggay for an invigorating
and refreshing retreat on the
private beaches of Trikora.
Breathe in fresh ocean air, flow
to the sound of waves, release
your inner beach warrior while
you find tranquility in your
practice.
For more information
anwar@sadhanasanctuary.com /
(65) 6238 9320 /
www.sadhanasanctuary.com
INDIA
“This is My Year”Yoga Retreat withKevin Naidoo &Rachael Fallon13-20 January
Samata Holistic Center, Goa
Resolve to be happy and healthy
in the New Year by pampering
yourself on and off your mat.
Offering twice-daily Yoga
sessions, mindfully combining
asana, meditation and pranayama
tools to get you into a state of
bliss and purpose for the year
ahead.
For more information
www.supersoulyoga.net/yoga/
the-journey/retreats/this-is-my-
year/
Yoga & AyurvedaGoddess Retreatwith Sarah JanePerman & SaharaRose22-28 January
Join Sahara and Sarah for a
journey of Yoga, Ayurveda, music
and elemental dance activation to
transform your life, connect with
your heart and find your way
back to radiance!
For more information
www.goagoddessretreat.com
HormoneBalancing Retreatfor Women withTina Nance &Brendt Reynolds7-13 February
Samata Holistic Retreat Center,
Goa
Tina (The Yoga Barn, Bali) and
Brendt (Acupuncture, AACMA
Member) will facilitate and guide
you to cultivate tools to alleviate
pre-menstrual tension, anxiety,
depression, irritability, weight
gain and mood swings. Yoga asana
practises to alleviate menstrual
discomfort, such as cramps,
lower back pain, heaviness and
fatigue. As well as learning the
physiology and psychology of our
hormonal cycles from the
perspectives of contemporary
western medicine, Traditional
Chinese Medicine (TCM) and
Ayurveda.This retreat is open to
all women.
For more information
tinananceyoga.wix.com/goa-
womens-retreat
Iyengar Retreatwith Mette Orum-Nielsen18-28 February
Mette was born in Denmark, lived
in Israel and California, where
her Yoga journey started in the
eighties. She met her indian Guru
and followed her for years. She
became Junior III Intermediate
Iyengar Yoga teacher and now
teaches daily in Copenhagen and
runsinternational Iyengar Yoga
teacher training programs.
For more information
www.samatagoa.com/
international-retreats
Pilgrimage to theHeart of Yoga: AYoga Gives BackRetreat22 February-1 March
Shreyas Retreat, Bangalore
Prepare for a life-transforming
experience of Yoga and Ayurveda
with Yoga Gives Back (YGB)
Ambassador Mariko Hirakawa at
the world’s finest Shreyas
Retreat. Includes an overnight-
trip to the Deenabandhu Trust
Home, a spiritual haven for 100
orphaned children, which YGB
supports.
For more information
info@yogagivesback.org /
yogaretreatsinindia.com
Yoga in theHimalayas withSamresh Kesyap &Punam Rai28 February-7 March (Pure Yoga
Singapore)
Join Chinggay for a beach yoga retreat on
Bintan Island.
Shubhraj will be leading a retreat in Bali.
January 2015 13
The Himalayas offer an
environment conducive to a
profound Yoga and meditation
experience. Being away for a few
days from our usual humdrum
life, we have more time for self-
reflection. This retreat explores
Yoga in a natural and quiet setting
with a feel of ashram living.
Offeringasana, meditation, group
discussion, satsang, bhajan,
kirtan, leisure and numerous
other activities.
For more information
www.pure-yoga.com /
events@pure-yoga.com
TraditionalAshtanga Retreatwith PhilippaAsher5-15 March
Samata Holistic Retreat Centre,
Goa
A rare opportunity to work with
one of the few certified Ashtanga
Yoga teachers and advanced
practitioners in the world. The
centre has temple-like yoga
space, organic agriculture,
boutique accommodation and a
wellness centre, making it a
perfect oasis for immersion into
a deep Yoga practice and
meditation. Suitable for
beginners and established
practitioners of the Primary,
Intermediate or Advanced series
of Ashtanga Yoga.
For more information
www.supersoulyoga.net/yoga/
the-journey/retreats/
traditional-ashtanga-yoga-
retreat/
Yoga & AyurvedaCultural Retreatwith DarioCalvaruso28 March-6 April (Pure Yoga
Hong Kong)
An intensive programme and
practice supported by
personalised Ayurvedic
treatments, delicious food,
relaxing and cultural activities.
The Yoga and Ayurveda Cultural
Retreat is five days of cultural
and healing activities.
For more information
www.pure-yoga.com /
events@pure-yoga.com
NEPAL
Vinyasa Yoga &Tibetan Buddhismwith Cory Bryant2 - 12 March
Jivamukti teacher Cory Bryant
returns to Yoga Nepal to lead
another journey of breath,
movement and mind.
For more information
www.yoganepal.com
Yoga & ZenMeditation withSamanthaOstergaard &Robert Thomas16 - 26 March
Join Zen priest Robert & yoga
teacher Samantha through
classical hatha yoga, dharma
discussions and meditative
practices focused on cultivating
moment to moment awareness of
the body, breath and mind.
For more information
www.yoganepal.com
Charity YogaAdventure Trekswith NatalieMacamEverest Base Camp Yoga Trek 28
March-12 April
Manaslu Yoga Trek 1-18 October
These treks combine eastern and
western philosophies of Yoga,
meditation and pranayama with
the physical endurance of two
weeks of trekking and
exploration in the highest
mountain range in the world.
Join other like-minded
individuals with a spirit of
adventure for a once-in-a-
lifetime experience as you hike
through beautiful landscapes,
visit historical and spiritual
monuments, and get to know the
rich culture of the people who
call this land home.
For more information
www.nepalsocialtreks.com /
natrageous@gmail.com
SRI LANKA
Align & FlowAyurvedic YogaRetreat withRajeev Kahn1-15 March (can book 1 or 2
weeks)
Ulpotha, Sri Lanka
Yoga twice daily with Rajeev,
teacher at Pure Yoga, Hong Kong.
Includes swimming, professional
massage treatments, locally
grown Ayurvedic organic
vegetarian food, optional
Ayurvedic treatments. There will
be no electricity, cell phones,
computers, shoes, walls,
distractions.
For more information
www.ulpotha.com /
rajeev.kahn@pure-
international.com
Connect with nature trekking through Nepal with Natalie.
Rajeev will be in Sri Lanka at the back-to-
nature Ulpotha.
Cory Bryant leads a retreat in Nepal.
THAILAND
Restore Relax &Recharge Retreatwith Nora Lim &The Yoga Room30 April-3 May
Phuket
A unique blend of Yoga,
meditation, adventure and
relaxation. Restore the body,
mind and spirit and enjoy a mid-
year recharge with invigorating
yoga practices. All levels of yoga
practitioners are welcome.
For more information
www.yogaroomhk.com /(852)
25448398
14 NAMASKAR
Azmi, Sadhana Sanctuary, Singapore in Matsyendrasana/fish pose
Patrick Beach (www.patrickbeach.com), freelance yoga teacher based in Oregon in Koundiyasana/Pose dedicated to the Sage Koundiya
Lyris, freelance yoga teacher, Singapore in Bharadvajasana/
Bharadvaja’s twist
Dylan Werner (www.dylanwerneryoga.com), freelance teacher
based in Los Angeles, in ardha padma eka hasta parsva
bakasana/half lotus one arm side crow
January 2015 15
To me, photography is more than just pressing the shutter button, or capturing an
image for the sake of it.
To me, it is about making emotional connections. As a creator of art, I want to
bridge this connection, between my subject and my viewer. Ultimately, I want my
art to evoke emotions and provide inspiration to anyone who comes across it.
I have always been passionate about photography, and ever since discovering yoga,
I found myself naturally bringing these two elements together as a form of my art –
“Asana Art” (or, as I call it - Asanart).
Being a lover of nature and fascinating architecture, I like to place my subject – the
Yogi – in landscapes that compliment the asanas and breathe life into them. Yoga,
in my perspective, is not only a traditional practice – it is an evolving one. The
modern and contemporary touches in my art hopefully honour the glorious spirit
of this ancient tradition.
Other than to illustrate the grace and beauty of every asana, I want to convey how
yoga is for everyone – regardless of race, culture, religion, status or gender. It is a
universal language, just as photography is.
PHOTO ESSAY
ASANA & ARTBY YOSHI ANWAR
Vivian, Sadhana Sanctuary, Singapore in Vrschikasana/scorpion pose
Hana, freelance teacher, Singapore in Bhujapidasana/shoulder pressing pose
Yoga & architectureintersect in Singapore
16 NAMASKAR
January 2015 17
India Appoints Ministerof YogaPrime Minister Narendra Modi has created a
ministry of yoga and alternative therapies for
the country this week. Reuters reports the
AAYUSH portfolio will include traditional
medicines and practices of ayurveda, yoga,
naturopathy, unani, siddha and homeopathy.
50 nations back Modi’scall for InternationalYoga DayNEW DELHI: One of PM Narendra Modi’s
first global imprints could come soon with
the fructification of his proposal - which he
announced in his UNGA speech — for an
International Day of Yoga. As many as 50
countries - US, Canada and China have signed
up for co-sponsorship of a draft resolution
which India’s UN mission is preparing for
declaring June 21 as International Yoga day.
Yoga Prevents ProstateEnlargementA tiny gland, the size of a walnut, it is found at
the base of the bladder in men that secretes
an alkaline fluid during ejaculation. There are
a number of postures and yogic techniques
that can help in preventing and controlling
prostate-related problems. Regular yoga
practice strengthens and tones the muscles
in the pelvic region. The stretching and
contracting involved in yoga postures shunts
huge quantities of blood to the region — the
abdominal organs, kidneys, spleen,
intestines, bladder — and the gland remains
healthy from the increased blood circulation.
‘Yoga Joes’ Inspires Mento try YogaIt’s not very often you see your child’s
favorite little green soldier throwing a yoga
pose, but that’s exactly what these toys from
creator Dan Abramson are doing. Called
“Yoga Joes” these small green men can be
seen in positions such as downward-facing
dog, child’s pose, and even crow pose. “I
made Yoga Joes to inspire more young boys,
men, and military folks to consider yoga,”
explains Abramson.
One Pose a day mayimprove ScoliosisScoliosis - a condition in which the spine
curves to the side - affects around 6 million
people in the US and is accountable for more
than 600,000 doctor visits each year.
Although scoliosis can affect all age groups,
onset is most common between the ages of
10-15. Each year, around 30,000 children and
adolescents with scoliosis are fitted with a
brace that is worn for around 23 hours a day,
helping to straighten the childen’s spines as
they grow. In their study, Dr. Fishman and
colleagues set out to determine the
effectiveness of one basic yoga pose - known
as the side plank - on 25 participants aged 14-
85 with idiopathic scoliosis.The side plank
involves lying on one side of the body with
straight knees, and propping up the upper
body with the elbow and forearm.
Yoga very Effective forthe Pain of ArthritisRegular yoga practise can reduce the agony
and stiffness of osteoarthritis and even slow
the progression of the disease. An
orthopaedic surgeon recommends yoga as an
effective natural remedy for the condition,
characterised by the degradation of the
cartilage on the joints. “Small and easy
lifestyle changes in your everyday routine can
be effective in protecting your knee joints and
slowing the progression of osteoarthritis,”
says Simon Moyes, consultant orthopaedic
surgeon at The Wellington Hospital in
London’s St John’s Wood.”
Hot Yoga may Take youtoo DeepHot yoga — doing yoga in a studio heated to a
sweaty 40c — has many celebrity fans, from
Andy Murray to Gwyneth Paltrow. It
combines the toning and stretching of yoga
with a cardiovascular workout. The hot
temperatures kick into action your body’s
cooling mechanism, boosting blood flow to
the skin, so that heat from the blood can
escape through the skin’s surface (this is why
we go red when we’re hot).This boost in
circulation raises your heart rate, and can
also loosen muscles. However, this can make
you feel more flexible than you really are, so
you are more likely to push your joints
beyond their natural stop-point, warns
physiotherapist Sammy Margo.
Yoga effective for PainWorldwide, one in every five adults suffers
from chronic pain. Pain relief medication
helps, but could have deleterious effects over
the long term. Some healing modalities, such
as acupuncture or massage, may provide
relief. Perhaps less well known, is the right
kind of yoga can also be very helpful in
reducing or eliminating pain. Various studies
have shown that yoga and meditation can
reduce back pain, as well as that of arthritis,
carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia and
other conditions. Simply learning deep
breathing techniques in a gentle yoga class
will induce relaxation and release endorphins
— the body’s natural painkillers.
Additionally, yoga’s mindfulness practices
help reduce the emotional distress
associated with pain, which can change how
the pain is perceived.If you’re dealing with
chronic pain and have “tried everything”
except yoga, consider finding a very gentle
class or some one-on-one therapeutic
sessions.
Now, a yoga mat to Helpyou Perfect your poseA California-based startup has created a yoga
mat called SmartMat, which would help one
track and adjust their postures.
The mat, US$297, looks just like any other
yoga mat. It consists of a Piezoresistive
(electromagnetic) layer combined with
SmartGrip Surface Technology that give the
users a layer of sensors for tracking their
position. With this, after people input their
body data and calibrate the device, SmartMat
would track their postures to determine if it
matches the proper form. In case the person
is not in a proper position, the mat would
instruct them via the accompanying iOS or
Android app to adjust the body positioning.
Though the SmartMat, which can be charged
via USB and has a 6 hour battery life, comes
with a pre-set collection of moves that it will
track, if the moves are not enough, it has an
additional collection of programs for
tracking and assisting users with their
routine.
I HEARD IT OFF THE MAT
YOGA & RESEARCH IN THE NEWSCONPOLED BY SUE-YEN WAN
18 NAMASKAR
In November 2014, Ashtanga yoga teacher
and documentarian, Alex Medin came to
Purple Valley Yoga Retreat in Goa, India with
15 reformed drug users who have chosen
change through yoga and volunteering.
In addition to daily practice, the group
helped renovate the local Assagao Union high
school and WAG (Animal Welfare in Goa).
Their visit forms part of a documentary on
how yoga can help substance dependent or
ex-substance dependent persons,
reintegrate into the community and how it
can be used as a tool in different institutions.
The visit to Goa is part of “Back Into The
Ring” a project and documentary which
started in 2013 as an alternative to dealing
with issues such as drug abuse. The original
participants from 2013 now work in
rehabilitation centres in Norway, where they
teach yoga and provide support to other
people finding their way back into society.
R. Alexander Medin has taught yoga for 15
years and has a versatile background within
sports, arts and culture. He was educated at
the Ballet Academy in Sweden (1990) and has
an MA in Sanskrit and Indian Religions
(SOAS, London 2004). He was certified by
Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in 2002 and has
continued his higher studies of Sanskrit at
the Sanskrit College in Mysore, India.
He has taught yoga all over the world, helped
set up yoga centers in Europe and Asia and
published numerous articles on yoga in
leading yoga magazines.
Since 2009 he is a resident of his native
Norway and is co-founder of Puro Yoga in
Oslo. In Norway he has helped integrate yoga
in many prisons and is the founder of
www.gangsteryoga.no and “Yoga for Life”, a
non-profit organization bringing yoga to the
underprivileged and those struggling to find
integration and meaning in life. Alexander
has made four documentary films, “Yoga for
Gangsters” (2011), Mysore Magic” (2012),
“The Healers” (2012) and “Kumbhamela”
(2014).
We were lucky enough to speak to Alex about
his latest initiative.
TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT BACK IN
THE RING
Back In The Ring started as a trial to
investigate if it would be possible to help
drug addicts recover and improve their lives
through yoga. Following positive results with
many of the participants and their
willingness to expand the project, it made
sense to further develop it for a second year.
IS THIS THE FIRST TIME FOR THESE
VOLUNTEERS COMING TO GOA, INDIA?
Yes, some of them have never been outside of
Scandinavia.
HOW DO LOCALS RESPOND WHEN
THEY MEET THEM?
In general, all Indians have a very friendly
approach to our participants. Although some
are suspicious in the beginning, when they
see with what vigour and enthusiasm the
group is working - free of charge, without
expecting anything in return - many people
admire their commitment and dedication.
IN A WIDER SENSE, WOULD YOU CALL
THIS TAKING YOGA OFF THE MAT?
HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO THE
GREATER CONCEPT OF YOGA?
Yoga is to do good and be good. The greater
concept of yoga is to find clarity of mind, if
you are not kind to others and see the value
of service it is difficult to grow and people
tend to get stuck in their own little selfish
bubble. Real yoga is of course beyond all the
daily exercises we do on a mat, however the
postures we do will hopefully expand our
horizon and give us a gradual insight of
something greater than ourselves. By helping
and serving others we pacify some of our
own ingrained selfish patterns (kleshas) and
this brings us closer to a balanced state of
mind (Samadhi).
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS ABOUT THE
PROJECT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE
WITH PEOPLE?
Yoga is a powerful tool that can heal and
transform. One just has to be patient, endure
some challenges and difficulties, then new
perspectives will open. And of course when
you take on a group of heroin addicts and try
to teach them yoga; Patience, Stamina and
Perseverance are three words you should
always repeat like a helpful mantra.
WHAT IS THE FUTURE VISION?
We will see. Right now many of the
participants from last year are taking
initiatives to offer this to others. The
Norwegian Government, various rehab
institutions and private people have already
approached us. So let’s just say there are
many dialogues about what could happen. We
just continue doing our thing, one step at the
time, one practice at the time, and let our
gradual insights in yoga guide our
understanding. Slowly and steadily I guess,
that is our path and vision. One cannot rush
anything. Give people the tools to explore
what truly matters, then disturbing obstacles
will naturally melt away.
For more information visit: www.backinthering.com
KARMA YOGA
BACK IN THE RINGRecovery through ServiceBY INNA COSTANTINI
Alex Medin (third from right in back row) and the 2014 Back in the Ring group in Goa
January 2015 19
20 NAMASKAR
Recently, I had a homework assignment for
my Raja Yoga Teacher Training that required
me to have fun. While it sounds simple, there
are times I feel I’m too busy to have fun. I’m
an introvert whose “fun” times are not
jumping into a pool with my clothes on.
Instead, my fun lies in doing the things I love
and taking care of others.
One such moment this week came at the end
of a 14-hour workday. I still had to teach a
75-minute yoga class. Tired as I was, I
decided I was going to embrace the class. It
was my first time teaching an all-male group.
I decided to challenge their physical
limitations and yet have them focus on being
compassionate to their selves by listening to
their body.
There was a time, in my last decade, that I
would not have recognized my ability to have
fun and be compassionate when I exercised.
Prior to hitting 40, I was hard on myself. I
appeared to have it all—large American home
in a nice neighborhood, three children, a dog,
a part-time job at an ivy-league university, a
strong, healthy body that carried me through
distance races and hot yoga classes, but what
I didn’t have was peace.
Everything I did came from fear, guilt and
shame—not love. I feared I was not a good
enough mother, counselor or wife. I didn’t
look good enough, eat well enough, exercise
often enough. I compared myself to others—
how I looked and what I had.
It took entering a new decade to realize by
accepting I was full of guilt and shame, I was
suffering. And by accepting my suffering and
working through it, I could learn
compassion. Through compassion, I could
start to accept I was enough, and I have
learned by taking care of my mind, I can
embrace and have fun taking care of my body.
So, here are some options to consider when
it comes to taking care of your body:
1) FIND THE THING YOU LOVE AND DIG
DEEP
If it’s yoga, try different styles. Fall in love
with your practice, whatever that may be, and
take time to nurture that love, as you would
any precious relationship.
2) MAKE THE TIME AND TAKE THE TIME.
For me, the time is 20 minutes a day for
breathing and meditation. I run, practice
yoga or hike nearly every day. I make it my
priority: by taking care of myself, I am taking
care of my family. Happy wife=happy life.
3) GIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF
COMPASSION
Approach exercise from a positive
perspective. Part of my journey was to focus
on how exercise helped my emotional
wellbeing. If I’m down, I remind myself of the
emotional benefits of exercise, I feel better
after working out, and I am at peace. In the
past, if I bullied myself into working out, I
was left feeling lazy and resentful.
4) AVOID PROCRASTINATING AND
PLAN AHEAD
Procrastination is the fear of thinking we
can’t do something. It’s important not to let
fear hold you back. By setting realistic and
attainable goals, we replace that element of
fear with hope. Start by going to the gym
twice a week for 20 minutes or try a gentle
hatha yoga class, and put it on your calendar
to hold yourself accountable.
5) RECOGNIZE YOUR OWN
COMPETITIVE STREAK
How does your competitiveness serve you?
Do you get on the elliptical machine and look
at the person next to you to see how high her
level is or how long she has been going? Stop.
Cover the display with a towel and listen to
your body. Is it saying, “I can go a little bit
farther and move a little bit faster.” Or, “I
need to slow down.” Listen to your body
rather than look at the numbers.
6) CONNECT WITH A FRIEND OR GROUP
In yoga, we call it a sangha. A sangha is a
supportive community. I love my hikes with
my girlfriends—it’s a time to decompress and
solve the problems of the world. I do better
going to a yoga class than practicing on my
own. It gives me new ideas to draw from, a
different perspective and a sense of being
connected to others.
7) TREAT YOURSELF
I call it my “treadmill candy.” I don’t have
much time to watch TV, so I download
something juicy. Be it “Homeland” or
“TedTalks”, I tailor my candy to my mood.
8) DRESS THE PART
On my days off, I wake up and put on exercise
clothes rather than lie around in my jammies.
It’s much easier to motivate when you’re
ready to go.
9) SLEEP
Since starting a regular meditation practice 2
½ years ago, I sleep great. Practicing
meditation and mindful exercise clears the
clutter in your brain. Through non-striving
and letting go, sleep comes naturally.
10) PRACTICE SELF-COMPASSION
And use it to avoid suffering, fear and guilt.
a. Quiet the self-critic in you and steer clear
of “should” statements.
b. Practice mindfulness—become aware of
how you are feeling right here and right now
without judgment.
c. Recognize you are not alone in your
suffering. We all feel the basic emotions of
fear, sadness, anger and loneliness.
d. Be kind—your desire is to be at peace with
life. Recognize the behaviors that disturb
your peace and overcome them by being kind
to yourself and others.
e. If you think it is fun, it becomes fun.
Whether you are a seasoned athlete or a
beginning yoga student, I challenge you to
embrace exercise as an opportunity to have
fun, explore new ways to move with your
body, calm your mind and learn to let go of
your fears and suffering and replace them
with love and self-compassion.
MOTIVATION
STARTING & MAINTAINING ANEXERCISE ROUTINE10 tips for taking care of yourselfBY HEATHER SHERIDAN
January 2015 21
22 NAMASKAR
January 2015 23
If you work in an office for any length of time,
then it’s odds on that within the rhythms of
your day you are sitting for the majority of
your time. You might have a cubicle which
limits the amount of movement in your space.
You might never see sunlight if your cube is in
the center of a floor. And when you
compound chair time with computers and
phones, our bodies and our minds are
wrenched and held in shapes that were
unimaginable to our ancestors. Add in
situations rife with stress, uncertainty,
conflict, and confusion to this mix.
Some of the results that I experienced
personally included high levels of cortisol
that at the very least damage our fight or
flight responses, headaches, obesity, poor
posture, weakened eyesight inability to focus,
and depression. I also found by teaching a
few simple poses, I can change this situation
and improve relationships, productivity and
outlook for the entire day.
In my office classes, newbies to yoga show up
as well as seasoned teachers. We all share one
goal—to tie the music of yoga to the
sometimes hardened beats of the workplace
— and to design a transformation in our daily
lives.
Our wrists and hands are great examples of
small areas that are often overlooked yet are
key to effective management of our work
lives. Wrist Stretches, which can be done at
any time of the day and in any location are a
pose that focuses specifically on that area.
Align head with sacrum when standing or
seated. Inhale fully and deeply. Continue with
that breath. Extend left arm in and spread
fingers as wide apart from each other as
possible. Flex fingers back toward self and
down toward ground. Feel wrist bones open.
Exhale and grab pinky finger with opposite
hand—right at root of finger—and gently pull
it back. Keep extended arm slightly bent.
Repeat with other fingers. For thumb,
however, turn hand palm side up and reach
for thumb from below with opposite hand.
Then, gently traction thumb with hand. Keep
breath strong and even. Target entire chest
and collarbone region. Shoulders and
shoulder blades stay down and away from
ears. We can make more space for what we
need in our bodies and in our lives with
practices like these.
In my office classes, as long as there is room,
I have found standing sequences are very
successful. Colleagues like moving around
and trying new things. No mats? No problem.
Most offices are carpeted and chairs and
tables can be moved with prior planning in
most cases. Warrior 1, Warrior 1 with eagle,
and Warrior 1 with archer are three poses
YOGA STYLES
WORKPLACE YOGAA few simple poses to improve your dayBY BARBARA PASSY
that fit well together for a vignette in the
office. They are easy to follow which is key
for new students. Since we stay in these
poses for an extended period, their benefits
of improved circulation, reduced tightness,
and deeper breath become apparent quickly.
Other poses I use regularly in my work
classes include neck releases-which enable
colleagues to generate a sense of relaxation
very quickly since our necks and jaws are a
key area for stress to accumulate. For a basic
neck release, standing or sitting, on exhale,
slowly send left ear toward left shoulder.
Extend right arm away from body and find
where your shoulder and right side of neck
receive the most comfortable stretch. It’s
not a big singing stretch—it’s a soothing hum
that allows for new room in that clenched
area. You can either glide your bottom teeth
away from your top teeth and keep your lips
closed(we call this “jaw glide lip slide”) or
perform figure eights with your jaw very
slowly. These two jaw poses will help to
unravel what might be years of stored up
tightness.
No mats? No problem. Most officesare carpeted and chairs and tablescan be moved
24 NAMASKAR
The fields of Ceremony are deep and vast. I
use Ceremony to connect to my Spirit. It
inspires me. Part of my inspiration is
learning to celebrate my successes and assess
where I need to get my life in balance.
Ceremony brings clarity about what to do
next, whether it’s dealing with grief or how to
craft the next chapter of life. It’s also about
setting a guiding intent.
To sit in Ceremony is to make a conscious
decision to shift into sacred space. Ask for,
and listen to guidance from your Spirit or
Jesus, or whomever you listen to.
People start thinking about their Spirit and
head for Ceremony when they’re in trouble
or dying. Use Ceremony more often! Not just
to fix what’s wrong — include savoring your
gratitudes for what’s working well. Then,
focus on bringing in more of what you want
to live with.
A really useful principle of Ceremony is
‘Design of Energy’. This is literally the action
of deciding and creating what you want in
your life, as well as choosing how to dance
with the big forces and experiences that are
beyond your control.
When working with Design of Energy, ask
yourself: “What are the brilliant filaments I
want to weave into the masterpiece of my
own life?”
THE DESIGN OF ENERGY
If you want something in your life—and we all
do—then what are you doing about it? Do
something! Instead of saying “if I pray to the
Sacred Ones, they will bring me my
motorcycle”, put your desires in your
prayers and your intent and take action. Each
action builds a road to the future you desire.
Here are some good steps:
• Start a motorcycle fund, add to it daily.
• Find your closest motorcycle course
• Sign up and take the course
• Get your motorcycle driving license
• Talk to friends who ride motorcycles
• Go honestly inside and talk to your fears.
Find out what they need to be eased. Then
they don’t sabotage you in an attempt to
protect you. Do what is needed to alleviate
your fears. What safety agreements do you
need to build into this Design of Energy? For
example; agree to wear a helmet; ride sober;
stay off your bike if emotionally distraught.
These are some of my rules that helped move
the sabotage out of the way, so I could have a
motorcycle and enjoy that brilliant filament
into the weave of my life.
That’s a start. You need to take action and
not be like a two-year-old waiting to be fed by
the big momma in the sky.
Be your own problem-solver. I really like
that. I depend on my resources, which
includes prayers, asking for help and taking
actions I’m capable of each day.
Design of Energy is crucially important in
Ceremony and living the life you truly desire.
I challenge you to care enough to experiment
with designing the life you deeply desire.
People can get really hung up on having
everything perfect in their Ceremony. They
end up falling all over themselves. Bring in
some playfulness. It’s ok. It’s your ceremony.
If you get mixed up and light your candles in a
direction other than what you read in some
book…it’s alright! Your Spirit will be
delighted by your learning process.
A VERY SIMPLE CEREMONY
1. Get up in the morning (go pee first so
you’re not distracted by your bladder). Sit up
straight. Take 10 deep breaths.
2. Focus… Go deep inside.
3. Feel for setting your intent. The intent
could be for the next few minutes, the next
hour or for the whole day:
• ‘I want to stay connected to every breath’
• ‘I want to breathe into my low back and
release the pain’.
• ‘I want to spend 30 minutes on my yoga
mat, be present and not flake out.’
• ‘I want to feel that I’m a part of the
natural Beauty all around me’
• ‘I want to speak the truth today about
what is precious to me’
If all of these sound enticing to you, practice
just one each day. Doing all of them at the
same time is too much. When you forget,
because you will, don’t punish yourself for
forgetting. Instead, remind yourself to
reconnect to your intent, in your daily
activities — especially yoga!
Set your intent with Ceremony, and your
whole life will have purpose. That in itself
builds your gratitude.
My daily intent this year is: ‘I will feel love 3
times today’. I’m excited to quest for all the
different ways I can get love to move through
me. I choose to focus my breath and actions
to nourish and grow my neuroreceptors for
love, joy, delight and ecstasy.
As you grow in ceremony, you become more
adept at it. Just like in any other skill.
Ceremony builds our relationship to our
Spirit. The biggest commitment we can make
is to our own Spirit, which is a commitment
to love.
My dear reader, practice and build skill in
bringing 100% of yourself into your personal
Ceremony. You are the vital, precious heart
of your Ceremony.
Join Ana and members of Descendance in 2015 for life-
enriching Yoga Ceremony —including Ana’s world-
renowned Foundation & Advanced Teacher Trainings.
They will be Hong Kong, Australia & New Zealand.
Visit: www.forrestyoga.com/events for more information.
Check out Descendance at: www.descendance.com.au
INTENTION
THE BEAUTY OF CEREMONY Building Relationships with our Spirit BY ANA FORREST
Ana Forrest
January 2015 25
26 NAMASKAR
When I was growing up, I suffered from
attention and anxiety problems, so yoga
could have played a formative role in my
youth, but I was never introduced to it; and
unless things change, I don’t see it as an
option for most kids any time soon.
Here’s the problem.
From the military and professional sports
athletes, to stay-at-home dads and high-
powered lawyers, yoga has crossed all divides
at scale with the exceptions being kids, youth
and people of faith.
Yoga teachers insist yoga is not a religion,
and yet many of the same teachers include
chants, prayers, and references to Hindu
religion in classes no matter who they’re
teaching. You could argue most teachers
don’t know the meanings of the words
they’re using, but that doesn’t change their
origins.
You’d never learn “Noah’s pose” or an “Ode
to Allah posture” in a yoga class, it would be
completely inappropriate, and yet we find “
Hanumanasana” (Hanuman is a Hindu god)
and “Virabhadrasana” (Virabha, a Hindu
warrior created by Shiva) taught every day in
public classes.
A yoga teacher would never ask students to
say “Amen” or “Shalom” at the end of a class,
yet it’s common practice to oblige students
to say “Om” or “Namaste” as class finishes.
Yoga studios are often decorated with
statues of Hindu deities, and though rarely
Hindu themselves, teachers often wear
sacred jewelry or clothing depicting sacred
figures that can be off-putting to some
potential students.
Neo-Hindu references are so common in the
yoga world, most students stop noticing; but
school administrators, people of different
faiths, and parents often do take notice. It’s
not because they are ignorant or close-
minded. It’s simply because in their world
view, they are interested in yoga as a secular
practice—or else not at all.
So what’s wrong with Hinduism or neo-
Hinduism?
Absolutely nothing. I’m a huge fan of
everything that uplifts individuals and
communities, but if we want to open up the
wonderful world of yoga to people of all
faiths, and particularly to younger people
everywhere, it makes sense to consciously
remove any signs of religion while teaching
yoga in secular settings such as schools.
OPINION
YOGA ISN’T RELIGION, BUT...Why Neo-Hinduism Might Kill Yoga in SchoolBY LUCAS ROCKWOOD
As a yoga teacher and a father, I get excited at
the possibility of my children learning yoga
with their friends in school—instead of with
my friends in my yoga studio. I’d love to see
my daughter get as excited about yoga
postures and breathing as she is about dance
and gymnastics; but since they don’t teach
yoga in her school, the kids don’t practice it
on the playground. It’s really that simple.
In recent years, there have been some
inroads made with after-school programmes
and even in-school yoga classes pioneered by
forward-thinking teachers; but with very few
exceptions, there have been simultaneous
backlashes from parents and administrators
with religious concerns about these
programs. It’s my belief yoga will never reach
a critical mass with kids until the teaching
community modifies what has become
“standard practice” and removes neo-Hindu
references so yoga can be shared without the
potential to offend or estrange new students.
While yoga is for everyone, religion and
spirituality are highly personal and should be
left up to the individual. Rather than
compromising the teachings of yoga,
modifying classes to make them completely
secular is a culturally-sensitive and
sophisticated way to make yoga universal and
open to all.
January 2015 27
28 NAMASKAR
Samantha Rodgers (www.bodysamantix.com) in ardha chandrasana/half moon, photo by Bruce Parrish
January 2015 29
DRISTI - YOGA & MUSIC
COMINGHOME
I find myself through yoga& music.
BY NATALIE MACAM
MUSIC IN YOGA CLASS
Several teachers share
their thoughts................31
TRANSFORMATION
Music, like yoga, can
change you deeply.... .....32
IYENGAR & MUSIC
Why there’s no music in an
Iyengar class..................33
KIRTAN
Singing the glory of our
potential...........................34
ESSENCE OF YOGA
Becoming one with the
yoga & music..................35
30 NAMASKAR
I love music. I love yoga. When I hear an
amazing track list behind a yoga class, or even
live music during class, my practice seems to
extend beyond my physical boundaries in
ways I cannot describe verbally. Ultimately, I
leave the class lighter in my body, peace in my
mind, inspired in my heart and at home in my
body. I think I would be hard-pressed to find
someone who hasn’t had at least one
experience of the healing power of music and
truly feeling in your bones the presence of
something bigger than yourself.
For a more in depth look at the embodiment
of yoga and music, I interviewed Christine
Jugueta, a Filipino-American Yoga Teacher,
recording artist, and singer/songwriter for a
Yoga Teacher/Musical Artist perspective on
music and yoga and how they go hand in hand.
Christine Jugueta is the co-founder, musical
director and a workshop leader of “Kapwa
Yoga”, a new teaching inspired by the Filipino
spirit and Indigenous wisdom of the
Philippines. (www.christinejugueta.com.)
WHEN MUSIC IS PLAYED IN A YOGA
CLASS, HOW IMPORTANT IS THE
MUSIC?
A lot of people use music in their yoga class,
music is prescribed to the students just as
much as the poses. Whatever is going
through these student’s ears and whatever
their vibrations are, is going to influence the
practice. You have to be mindful and skillful
of what music you play and there is an
inherent responsibility in that.
That’s why we have a Yoga Music Genre
that’s why those chants are meaningful
because they compliment the practice and the
yoga philosophy.
CAN YOU SPEAK ABOUT “AUM” AND
IT’S SIGNIFICANCE?
A lot of spiritual and religious accounts say,
“in the beginning there was the word”. And
in the yoga philosophy the first
consciousness is “aum”. Regardless of what
that vibration is, it is sound. Even that
teaching in and of itself tells you the first
existence was sound, and that first existence
of your home – the home of the universe.
What I find so amazing in Indian music is
that the sound of the drone, tanpura or what
you would hear from a harmonium is this
underbelly of sound, a straight note a hum
underneath this kind of sacred singing. But
the hum is the reflection of the sound of the
universe, the sound of all that is, all that was,
and all that ever will be.
There is that great sacred sound that is the
key to entering into a topic of yoga and music
is to just to attune to that as a meditation is
an act of coming home to oneself, you are
encouraging healing in your body. By simply
hearing and paying attention to the hum of
the earth, the way the environment sounds,
your body attunes to it and changes the cells
in your being.
THERE IS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT
MUSIC IN YOGA CLASSES. HOW IS
MUSIC SIMILAR TO YOGA?
Music is so powerful, and in a lot of ways,
what yoga does it gives music the
opportunity to be its dharma. The purpose
of music is actually to heal, bring
communities together, to help people
process emotion.
There is the listening of music and the doing
of music, and that leads me to emphasize the
Filipino-American yoga teacher, singer, songwriter -
Christine Jugueta
work of music is listening, and in your
breathing. And it’s so similar to yoga in that
respect. You have to be paying attention to
your body, to listen to your body and in
order to do that, you have to breath.
Practice is through the breath and it’s the
same thing with music.
In fact of our expressions in life, our
thoughts, speech, actions, is actually an
expression of the song we vibrate. And if we
were more conscious of that, we might be
singing our song a little bit differently. All
life is music as all of life is yoga.
AS A MUSICAL ARTIST AND A YOGA
TEACHER, WHAT ARE YOUR PARTING
WORDS OF WISDOM ON MUSIC AND
YOGA?
Basically we want yoga to be the way we live,
it’s the philosophy of living, it’s not that we
are just doing these poses. Our music
enhances that, the more we master that, the
more we embrace yoga more fully, the more
we will see yoga in our music.
So we might feel a little afraid to play Foo
Fighters in a yoga class, but you can, and
furthermore you can hear yoga in a Foo
Fighters song if you open your being to it. So
both yoga and music are not only practices,
but they are things that are teaching you
things all the time. At any moment in your
life when you are just sitting on the sidewalk,
there is a yoga lesson. You can learn
something about sound and music if you
listen and breath. Yoga helps us have a
physical response to life, when the sound
enters our being, not only do those affect us
on the cellular level, but they enter our
dream and psychic life. They work on a
really deep sub level, and yoga does as well.
January 2015 31
Music is popular in yoga classes these days.
The controversial question is whether music
has a place during asana practice. I discussed
this topic with a few of yoga teachers and
share their, and my, opinions here.
Personally I do not use music in my classes,
though I am not against it. I prefer my own
practice to be in silence which helps build my
dharana (concentration) and drishti (focus).
As a teacher, it is always good to teach what
we practice and that’s one reason I don’t play
music during practice. I do however
sometimes play calming music during
shavasana, because music can be helpful in
deepening the sense of relaxation.
According to Dr. Ganesh Mohan - “When
practicing yoga, inner awareness of one’s
own body and mind is important. How is my
body? How is my mind? Students should be
encouraged to stay in touch with this. Music
is neither necessary nor appropriate in every
yoga class. Music is powerful. It can shift
awareness, energy, and mood. Music that
distracts from present moment awareness,
disturbs the energy, or impairs the mood, is
unsuitable in a yoga class. However, if chosen
wisely, music can calm the mind, balance the
emotions, and steady the energy.
Consequently, music can be selected and
used judiciously, only if it supports the
intention and flow of the class”
There was a time I did play music in classes,
to follow the convention of other teachers.
But I realized it was difficult for me to feel
connected to the students’ energy, because of
the disruption of the music. Without
external noise, it was much easier to lead
them by the breath and body awareness to a
deeper part of their practice.
Mas Vidal, Director of Dancing Shiva Yoga &
Ayurveda says - “Music can surely be an
inspirational tool for spiritual
transformation, or even for enhancing asana
practice, although the quality of the music
needs to be carefully examined. According to
Hatha-Raja Yoga traditions focused on using
asana as a preparation for a higher
meditation, modern music if not sattvic
(pure) can become an obstacle to pratyahara
or sensory withdrawal. Hearing loud music
or music produced under tamasic (heavy)
and rajasic (stimulating) states of mind will
only do the same to the listener. What junk
food does to the body so do junk impressions
have on the mind. He continues: “My
responsibility as a yoga teacher is to teach
student how to transcend their senses, to
realize we are not the body or the mind. To
me, music can create attachments and limits
sensory withdrawal. I endeavour to teach my
students to rely on will power, discipline and
a reflective mind to journey towards inner
bliss. The music is already playing within us,
it’s all a matter of Divine attunement.”
Admittedly practicing in silence can be
challenging. Music can be an external trigger
which allows the individual to let go and be
present. Music can increase endorphins and
distract our minds from thoughts.
For a beginning student, music can often
lessen the vrittis (mental fluctuations). And
the new student forgets the duration or
intensity of class when tuning into the
harmony. Soft instrumentals or low
background mantras should be used during
this early stage of practice. Bear in mind
music is very personal. A song which is
supportive for some, may be repulsive for
others. So we should avoid music with lyrics.
Master of Wellness, Naturopath, Yoga
Instructor and Therapist Chandrika Gibson
says - “ I enjoy music that adds to the
contemplative ambience of a class. Because
of the effect of music on the mind I would
avoid emotive lyrics and dramatic
compositions, they potentially disturb the
vrittis. I’m not personally a fan of trance/
dance music for yoga, I prefer more mellow
instrumental music with Sanskrit chanting.
Depending on the environment I also think
it’s appropriate to practice pratyahara in
silence, however if there’s a lot of
background noise, soft music is helpful to set
the inward focused mood.”
A question is whether we should use an
external aid or austerity (tapas) to for
calibrating our minds? Isn’t yoga a spiritual
discipline towards the internal harmony of
body, mind and spirit? Ultimately there isn’t
any right or wrong answer, and what’s
important for the practitioners is to find
their own purpose of practice and self-
realization of their true nature.
After sharing thoughts from different
teachers above, you may have already come to
your own conclusion. My view is one should
create his own melody through the cadence
of his own inner divination and tranquility of
breath, which guides our body’s speed and
movements. This movement might be altered
with the rhythm of music. If one is practicing
for pratyahara (withdrawal of senses) which
is the authentic reason of asana practice, he
will not be listening to the music or sound
anyway. Rather he will be receding inwards,
away from the sense of hearing.
Here is a final quote from Ashtanga teacher
David Swenson - “In Ashtanga Yoga we use
the sound of our breath as the guide for our
practice. It soothes the mind and acts like an
internal mantra to keep us focused and
present. This keeps us engaged and cognizant
of the quality, texture and energy of our
breath. Breath is our music! If someone is
practicing at home alone and they need
inspiration to get on to the mat and a little
music helps them, then go for it! Overtime
maybe they can wean away from the external
stimulus of music and return to the god-
given music of our life, breath!”
DRISTI
MUSIC INYOGACLASSiPod or mybreath?BY SAMRAT DASGUPTA
our breathsoothes the mind,an internalmantra to keep uspresent
32 NAMASKAR
I witnessed an amazing transformation at a
funeral recently. A neighbor arrived, seating
herself inconspicuously in the corner of the
hot, crowded room. After a few moments,
she began to chant, instantly providing a
focus for all present. Gradually, other voices
joined and the room was charged with a
loving embrace that supported mourners and
began the long process of easing the grief.
It is no wonder music in its various forms is a
part of most spiritual and religious rituals.
Scientists are discovering the power of music
is firmly grounded in our biochemistry.
Researchers are actively trying to untangle
the health-enhancing mechanisms of music
by examining neurochemicals such as
dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin. The
latter, the “love hormone,” is involved in
forming emotional and social bonds and may
enhance the feeling of connection and
affiliation music can facilitate. Music has
been used for healing since ancient times and
continues to be used in clinical settings for
pain management, relaxation and other ways
of improving well-being.
The healthful effects of music are exploited
by many spiritual and social activities by
calming, arousing and forming a warm sense
of connection between participants.
Although, most Western-style yoga studios
use music only to generate atmosphere
during classes or by occasionally chanting
OM, the various forms of Indian spiritual
practices, on which modern yoga practices
are based, use music in many ways, including
mantras, chanting, song, drama, dance and,
naturally, inspirational music. In addition to
moral and spiritual redemption, many claims
about the use of yogic chanting and mantra
repetition include the acquisition of magical
powers, such as invincibility, invisibility and
the power to fly. The theory behind this is
that sound, being an energetic and spiritual
vibration, can be used to manipulate prana,
which is also a vibration. And, as everything
is made of prana, a skilled practitioner can
bend the laws of space and time to her or his
liking. In fact, it is said the universe was
brought into being by the vibrations of the
primal mantra.
In one of my workshops, I investigate the
effect of mantra using an explorative
approach based on Tara Fraser’s Easy Yoga.
I ask participants to repeat bija mantras
(lam, vam, ram, etc.) as well as devotional
mantras (such as “Om Namah Shivaya”) and
closely observe where in their bodies they
sense any changes. Although, many
participants feel the effects of different
mantras in different locations in their
bodies, I have so far not seen any
correspondence to the traditional chakras.
However, I have noticed long-term
practitioners are more sensitive to the effect,
suggesting yoga practice enhances body
awareness. This ability may correlate with
the formation of health-enhancing patterns
in the brain, generating holistic gains.
So far, no one participating in my workshop
has learned to fly or become invisible.
However, most participants report a
energizing or calming effect from the
workshop. Modern yoga practices provide a
vast collation of mind-body techniques that
go beyond reductionist approaches,
incorporating and delighting all the senses.
These approaches, although difficult to
confirm scientifically precisely because of
their holistic nature, have generated huge
amounts of anecdotal evidence for the
health-improving benefits of yoga. In the end,
isn’t it our own experiences that confirm the
benefits of yoga?
DRISTI
TRANSFORMATIONThe powerful interface of yoga & musicBY SHANNON FRANCES
January 2015 33
Years ago, in my school book profile, in lieu
of favorite music I listed “my inner music”.
Not really cool, but a true foreshadowing of
my current life as an Iyengar practitioner and
teacher. To my knowledge, Iyengar yoga is
never taught with music and most of us
practice in silence.
The most obvious reason is concentration:
music is a source of distraction. In class and
practice we strive to go inwards, to achieve
penetration of the koshas, the layer of our
being. This process is so arduous and subtle
we need 100% of our attention, we need to be
completely immersed. BKS Iyengar
described this as “meditation in action.”
Heart beat, blood pulse, breath flow and
rhythm, subtle skin movement against the
muscles…we listen to an organic symphony,
so subtle any outer sounds come as a
distraction. BKS Iyengar used a beautiful
music metaphor to describe our practice
“use the body as an instrument, the fibers
inside are the strings. So we have to tune
those strings to the sound…. the element of
either which is nothing but sound. So we have
to get the fine tuning of each fiber.”
Another reason for avoiding music in yoga is,
I believe, revealed in Light on Yoga Sutras,
Sutra II.3 where he lists “musical mode,
sound emission” among the translation for
Raga. Why would musical mode be
associated with suffering?
Because music is a source of pleasure and
therefore of attachment. It influences our
senses directly and therefore our physical
body: some tunes will make us move more
easily, carrying our energy, others will induce
relaxation. When used systematically in class
and practice, music becomes part of our
Pavlovian conditioning and we find ourselves
lost without it. Our tapas depend on it.
Tunes can also get stuck in the mind, playing
over and over again without us being able to
stop them and that can be rather mentally
painful: for a while, as soon as I unrolled my
mat, my mind, playing tricks on me, would
start humming Lady Gaga!
According to Georg Feuerstein’s History of
Yoga, music came in yoga through devotional
sounds called mantras, a practice developed
mostly by the tantric tradition. Music as
tunes (with or without words) was
introduced in Yoga by the West. Sharon
Gannon and David Life were precursors and
started playing and chanting devotional
music in yoga classes over 20 years ago. Our
rampant Western culture grafted itself on
that trend and nowadays anything goes;
sometimes, the louder the better.
When he visited Hong Kong prior to the
China Summit in 2011, after being regaled by
an Asana demonstration, Guruji told the
performers (I paraphrase) he enjoyed their
offering but their music had been too loud
and strong and music should support the
asanas, not the other way around. Right
there he gave us a hint of how music could be
used in practice. Carrie Owerko, a US senior
Iyengar teacher who also performed for
Guruji echoes that message. “In yoga we are
cultivating a balance, integration, and
harmony within ourselves and with the
surrounding environment. Rhythm,
lyricism, the dynamics of movement and
stillness, are all aspects of music, language
and the expression of the innermost spirit.
In fact our very breath is like a type of music
and an expression of our very life force or
spirit (inspiration, expiration) and so a type
of language or a way in which we reveal our
innermost selves. The skillful integration of
music and yoga can be a beautiful
collaboration if approached with sensitivity,
curiosity and respect”
The Iyengar tradition may not use modern
music much but it is still very “sound rich”.
Each class opens with the chanting of Om
followed by the invocation to Patanjali and
the Guru which creates a powerful
communal resonance as well as an individual
resonance to awaken the inner guru.
Prashant Iyengar, BKS’s son is fond of Beeja
mantras and he regularly teaches their use to
align the body physically, balance it
organically (each sound corresponds to an
element) and connect body, breath and mind.
During a recent trip to Pune I had the
opportunity to experience this technique and
was astonished to feel how, when chanting
silently “ram, ram, ram,” my mind and breath
attended to my pelvic region while “wam,
wam, wam” took me to my chest!
One sound we do focus on is the sound of our
own breath in Pranayama. Two years ago,
while delivering a workshop to the members
of the Hong Kong Iyengar Association,
Jawahar Bandhara used a beautiful musical
metaphor that shed a bright light on the
different pranic breaths: he showed us how
in Ujjayi I we tune to our breath to let our
own Prana rhythm emerge and how the other
pranayama such as Ujay II and III or vilomas
are modulation of that base “bit” as we
elongate, shorten, or repeat to create
various breath melodies .
Guruji enjoyed music very much and
famously befriended the violin maestro
Yehudi Menuhin. Although he did not mix
music and yoga he used the principle of music
in his practice using ssanas for the notes and
sequences as scales to tune in his “inner
music,” the melody of life.
Peering into this subject, I grew curious of
what music can bring to my yoga and may
follow Carrie’s advice on exploring how
skillful integration of music and yoga can
contribute to hearing my inner music.
DRISTI
NO MUSIC IN IYENGAR YOGABut still Sound RichBY GAELLE FOULON
we strive to go inwards, to achievepenetration of the koshas...we need100% of our attention
34 NAMASKAR
In a traditional kirtan, a bard-like leader
‘tells’ stories to illustrate the kirti - the glory
– of the Lord; or, we might say, of the divine
qualities that are our own potential. The
import of these stories is then embedded
more deeply in the audience through
participative singing, communal and call and
response, in which the names and phrases
sung encapsulate so many of the great
qualities illustrated in the glorious story.
And there are many names, and many
phrases. Sometimes people ask: if in Indian
Philosophy, God or the Supreme is One, why
does He/She/It have so many names?
When asked this at a kirtan, I often give the
example of love.
Imagine you are deeply, wildly in love… Now,
describe the beloved. Will one word do? Will
one thousand? Of course not, like all the
greatest things we can experience as humans,
love is beyond words. And that is the whole
point about God, the Supreme, Pure
Consciousness. It is beyond name and form,
which always and only limit and contain. But
this God, this Supreme, this Consciousness,
is limitless and uncontainable, so one word
can’t really convey it. However, thinking back
to the example of love, we do have so many
beautiful poems and songs which somehow
manage to evoke something of the wonder
and greatness of what it means to be in love,
what this mysterious, formless force can do
to a person, what it can bring to a human life.
And so it is with the Supreme and the
beautiful divine powers that it holds. When
we sing certain words, and hear certain
archetypal stories, it rouses within us a
certain quality of feeling. The words, the
richly evocative names of the Supreme that
we sing in kirtan songs and chants, kindle
our feeling (bhava) and invite us to relish
(rasa) a particular quality of experience.
However, as a yoga practice or technique
kirtan works on many levels at once. All yoga
practice techniques cultivate our capacity to
be focused and centred, while still open to
the wonder all around us.Yoga practices then
help us develop the art of doing whatever we
are doing with every part of ourselves.
In asana, for example, we work from the
gross to subtle to invite all parts of our
system into whatever we are doing, to
participate in the maintenance of balance. We
use our emotional intent, our mental focus,
our sensory curiosity and receptivity, with
the breath, to foster a space of balance within
and through the physical body.
In walking meditation, we may use the
feedback of our feet against the ground, our
skin against our clothes and the air, our
breath and the rhythm of each step flowing
into the other to deepen our awareness of
our body-encased conscious system as a
place of real and potential dynamic
equilibrium.
DRISTI
KIRTAN &YOGAPRACTICESinging asmeditationBY JAMES BOAG
Different sounds of yoga music - from the soothing vocals of Daphne Tse (above)...
January 2015 35
In seated meditation, with the body held
stable (asana), the breath subtle and refining
(pranayama), the senses consciously
connected to their animating source
(pratyahara), we then concentrate
(dharana) and channel the powers of the
subtler realms of our awareness to flow
towards the object of meditation (dhyana).
In each of these examples of yoga techniques,
we are using a support: balancing the body-
held system in whatever orientation we find
ourselves, observing the locomotive
movement of our body, focusing on the
object of our concentrated meditative
awareness; to facilitate integrated or ‘yogic’
experience. As we do this, we expose all the
parts of our system to the joy and fullness of
cohesion. With regular practice, this space of
centred, integrated awareness becomes more
familiar, and so we notice more readily when
we come away from it.
The practice of kirtan is a beautifully
efficient way to invite this yogic experience.
When we sing, it’s a physical act, so the body
is engaged. As soon as we sing, we work with
the breath. In fact, singing can be a very
pleasing, accessible and joyful means to
practice pranayama – the extension and
refinement of the life force. The mind and
intellect are also involved: paying attention to
the sounds, the words, the melody. When we
sing wholeheartedly, our emotions are also
engaged. Very readily then, the practice of
call and response chanting, frequently
referred to as kirtan, invites the glorious,
integrated experience of yoga. When we do
give ourselves wholeheartedly to the practice
of kirtan, we come to understand what it
means and why it is referred to by this name.
Kirti means glory. When we sing, with all
parts of ourselves, it can bring forth a feeling
of glory. However, really, all yoga practices
are forms of kirtanam – telling the glory of
our latent potential to the more superficial
levels of our awareness, training us to make
even the simplest of our day-to-day actions
glorious expressions of integrity and
efficiency, teaching us to live the path of
authentic action, a path what will almost
certainly be trying, and searching, but which
is the way to recognise our unique selves.
DRISTI
ESSENCEOF YOGABecome theyogaBY JACK HARRISON
For me, music is at the essence of yoga; in
fact, it is at the essence of everything. At the
...to the trance-inducing beat from a new breed of DJs (above from BaliSpirit Festival 2014).
core of all we know, matter or energy, is
rhythm and space; the whole universe is
dancing, wonderfully described by the tantric
term “Spanda”—shimmering delight.
We become flexible in our bodies and calm in
our minds so we can contact the amazing
reality of living in the world. It is so easy to
forget the astonishing mystery of being here
and music, especially rhythm, helps to bring
us back to that, and then to express it fully.
Our reactions to music may be a memory of
the sound of cosmos from which we all came,
or the sounds of our mother’s heartbeat
before we were born, or the primeval sound
of rhythm which was probably the first
human communication and expression.
When we ally this with movement, breath,
focus, concentration and poetry, we can
come right into the beauty of the present
moment; no future, no past, just the sounds
and rhythms of where we are and the
astonishing fact of just being alive. The whole
function of yoga music, for me, is as Yeats
said, for the “dancer to become the dance”.
Jack’s latest album ‘Samahita Live, featuring Jack
Harrison, Daphne Tse and Friends’, was recorded at
Samahita Retreat, Koh Samui. Available from Itunes&
CD Baby.
36 NAMASKAR
January 2015 37
38 NAMASKAR
January 2015 39
IN BRIEF
MUDRASStrengthen the Heart’sResolveBY KRISHAA KINKARIDAS
With Spring fast approaching, the new year
brings new sankalpa (resolution). Here are
three mudras to help strengthen the heart’s
resolve to move forward with regular
practice, inspiration and motivation and
the attitude of surrender to the Divine as
recommended in Sri Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra,
chapter 2,sutra 1. Sri BKS Iyengarji
translated this sutra in his “Light on the Yoga
Sutras of Patanjali” as “burning zeal in
practice, self study and study of scriptures,
and surrender to God are the acts of yoga.”
Whenever I conduct Mudra Workshops I
call the worksheet Anukulasya Sankalpa,
Pratikulasya Varjanam (Sri
Vallabhacharyajis Pancasloki Treatise verse
4): “Always adopt that which is favourable to
your purpose [service] and stringently
renounce that which opposed to it.”
These simple techniques make the whole
process enjoyable. The Spring cleaning is
rendered a pleasant activity. The peace
arising from the state of ekagracitta (one-
pointed consciousness) is extremely
refreshing as positive energy activates
constant elevation.
VAYANA MUDRA
With the palms of the hands upturned touch
the thumb tip to the tips of the index and
middle fingers. The little and ring fingers are
kept straight.
The catalyst fire stimulates the air and the
ether elements allowing them to create the
space and the movement for the correct
circulation [of blood and of prana]. The
Vayana vayu is responsible for bringing
optimum circulation to the extremities so the
body is nourished throughout. Complete
cleansing into every corner!
APANA MUDRA
The Apana vayu moves downwards, carrying
out waste products from the body. The
thumb tip touches the tips of the middle and
the ring fingers. The air (index) and the water
(little) fingers are kept straight out. The air
for movement and the water for flow carry
the earth element waste through the space
thus empowered to carry it along. The
releasing is completed.
PADMA MUDRA (THE LOTUS FLOWER)
Put both palms together in prayer position.
Keep the tips of the little fingers and the
thumbs touching each other as well as the
heels of the hands. Then stretch the three
other fingers up and out making a shape like a
blooming lotus flower. Hold this mudra at
the heart but not touching the body. As usual
come to a smooth and long rhythmic breath
pattern. Hold for as long as possible.
This mudras represents the Lotus flower
which signifies purity and hence freedom,
openness to the Divine Force. The Lotus may
be born in mud but is never sullied by mud
nor water. We live in a somewhat messy
world, but should never be disturbed by it.
How merciful are the mudras that bring to
practicality the concepts of yogic principle in
such an accessible way.
MYTHOLOGY
DHARAMSALAThe Seeker’s DelightBY TIA SINHA
Dharamsala is located on a spur of the
majestic Dhauladhar range of the Outer
Himalayas, in Himachal Pradesh, India.
Today, Dharamsala and neighbouring areas
are a seeker’s paradise, living up to the
meaning of the word ‘Dharamsala’, the abode
of Dharma. Devi temples that Hindu pilgrims
flock to dot the neighbouring, and
picturesque, Kangra Valley. These Devi
temples include Chamunda Devi, Chintapurni
and Jwalamukhi, while a beautiful medieval
Siva temple is the pride of Baijnath.
Dharamsala has been the seat of the Tibetan
government in exile since 1959. One of its
towns, Mcleodganj, where His Holiness the
Dalai Lama stays, is so unmistakably Tibetan
that it is also known as Little Lhasa. At the
Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, one
can study Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and
practices in English and Tibetan under the
guidance of qualified Lamas. The Tibetan
language and script are also taught here. His
Holiness the Dalai Lama teaches periodically
at the Namgyal Temple, next to his residence.
These teachings are open to all. The teaching
schedule can be found on
www.dalailama.com.
Above Mcleodganj, in a forest near the
hamlet of Dharamkot are two Buddhist
retreat centres. A Vipassana Centre
(www.sikhara.dhamma.org) offers 10 day
long silent meditation retreats as taught by
the late SN Goenka. Three meditation
techniques are taught here, Anapana Sati
(concentration on sensations associated
40 NAMASKAR
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42 NAMASKAR
with the breath), Vipassana (developing an
insight into reality by scanning the body for
sensations and watching them impartially)
and Metta (loving kindness).
Next to the imposing gate of the Vipassana
Centre winds a tree-lined dirt path to the
Tushita Meditation Centre, a Mahayana
Buddhist centre under the aegis of Lama
Zopa Rinpoche. Tushita offers, apart from
retreats and other courses, an excellent 10
day long partially silent Introduction to
Buddhism course that provides an overview
of the Tibetan Buddhist path to
enlightenment and introduces several
meditation techniques for developing
wisdom and compassion. It is taught in
English by qualified western monks, nuns
and lay teachers. Many high Lamas teach at
Tushita regularly.
Downhill from Dharamsala is Siddhabari,
literally, the land of Siddhas or spiritual
adepts. His Holiness the Karmapa resides
here at Gyuto Monastery. Not far from
Gyuto, spectacularly located in the midst of
golden fields at the foothills of the
breathtakingly beautiful snow-clad
Dhauladhar range is Thosamling Nunnery
(www.thosamling.com), a quaint little
Dharma centre bursting with good cheer and
pink bougainvillea. Thosamling, run by
Western nuns, offers courses in Buddhism
and the Tibetan language to international
Buddhist women, and fabulous cookies and
cakes to all!
Past Baijnath, just off the road to Manali, in
the heart of the Tibetan settlement in Bir is
Deer Park (www.deerpark.in), a non-
sectarian study and retreat centre that offers
workshops, retreats and spiritual teachings.
Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo’s Dongyu Gatsal
Ling Nunnery (www.tenzinpalmo.com) for
nuns of Himalayan origin is located close by
in Tashi Jong. Jetsunma teaches at Deer
Park from time to time, as do many other
high Lamas.
A two hour drive from Deer Park via Mandi
transports one to Rewalsar, a little town in
the Himalayas built around a lake called Tso
Pema. A larger than life, imposing statue of
Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) seems to
guard over this gorgeous little lake town.
Above the town is Padmasambhava’s cave
with another larger than life-size statue.
Close by are footprints on a rock. Tibetans
believe these were left by Padmasambhava,
the powerful eighth century saint credited
with the spread of Buddhism in Tibet. Tso
Pema is a powerful and popular pilgrimage
spot for Tibetans.
Dharamsala is truly a seeker’s delight. The
entire region is dotted with monasteries and
temples and blessed by the presence of
realized Lamas and yogis. Come visit. A
warning - some visitors to this blessed land
have never left!
YOGIC TEXTS
ADVICEFROM THEBOOK OFLIBERATIONTwo-thousand-year-oldinstructions formeditation still valid
BY BRETT SHULTS
Yoga practitioners with an interest in the
philosophical or spiritual roots of yoga
sometimes turn for insight to classic works
of Indian literature. The Yoga Sutras of
Patanjali, the Bhagavad Gita, and the
Upanishads, for example, are regularly cited
as important yoga texts.
The Mahabharatais also an important yoga
text. This enormous Sanskrit epic is
structured around a war and what happens
to those caught up in that war – but it is
about so much more. The huge story of the
Mahabharata tells of the words and deeds of
heroes and villains, divine beings, and
legendary seers and holy men. Indeed, the
Mahabharata has been called an
encyclopaedia of Indian cultural lore, and the
“fifth Veda” because of its revered status.
The entire BhagavadGita, as many people
know, is actually part of the Mahabharata.
But other parts of the epic also contain
interesting and valuable perspectives on
various forms of yoga, and this is what makes
it an important yoga text.
Some of these perspectives come through
most clearly in the twelfth book of the
Mahabharata, in a section known as the
mokshadharmaparvan. This section is
sometimes called the “Book of Liberation”,
because in it a character named Bhishma, as
he lay dying of wounds received in battle,
speaks about how one attains liberation
(moksha). Here, as in other Indian texts,
liberation means final release from the
inherent troubles of life as we know it. The
character Bhishma is a wise a man, and his
great discourse includes accounts of what
other wise men, and wise women, and even
gods, have said about attaining liberation.
The Book of Liberation is thus a collection of
quite varied teachings. Although it does not
enjoy the prestige of other texts, scholars
and discerning readers consider the Book of
Liberation to be an important work which
offers rewarding insights into a range of
physical, mental, and spiritual practices as
they were understood in ancient India.
Many of those insights still seem fresh. The
passages I have translated below are from a
part of the Book of Liberation in which
Bhishma speaks of what he calls dhyanayoga,
the yoga or discipline of meditation (the
following passages are from section 12.188 of
the critical edition of the Sanskrit text).
Anyone who has tried to meditate will
probably be able to relate in some way to
what this text has to say.
Early in his talk on meditation Bhishma says:
yatha svanushthitam dhyanam tatha
kurvanti yoginah
Practitioners of yoga act so that [their]
meditation is well performed.
Bhishma then explains how to act. Sitting in
meditation and focusing the mind, being still
“as a piece of wood” (kashthavat), the
“person who understands yoga” (yogavid)
should be vigorous in withdrawing attention
from sensory distractions. Bhishma
reiterates:
pancavargapramathini necchec caitani
viryavan
and a vigorous one should not seek these
[things] which disturb the five senses.
Bhishma goes on to speak of the mind, with
the five senses as its “doors” (dvara) or
openings through which the mind interacts
with the world:
visamcari niralambam pancadvaram
calacalam
Moving here and there, without a foundation,
having the five [senses as] doors, unsteady –
purve dhyanapathe dhirah samadadhyan
January 2015 43
44 NAMASKAR
January 2015 45
mano ‘ntaram
in the first stage of meditation the skilful
person should concentrate the mind within.
But this is not easy, because:
tasya tatpurvasamruddham manah
shashtham anantaram
One’s mind as the sixth (i.e. together with
the five senses), so at first constrained,
afterwards
sphurishyati samudbhrantam vidyud
ambudhare yatha
will burst out, stirred up like lightning in a
cloud.
jalabindur yatha lolah parnasthah
sarvatash calah
Like a drop of water rolling about [while]
standing on a leaf, moving in every direction,
evam evasya tac cittam bhavati
dhyanavartmani
just like that is one’s mind in the course of
meditation.
samahitam kshanam kim cid
dhyanavartmani tishthati
In the course of meditation it stays focused
for some brief time
But, Bhishma then says, the mind tends to
move, like the wind. His advice is to maintain
composure and try again:
anirvedo gataklesho gatatandrir amatsarah
Without disillusion, with distress gone, with
lassitude gone, unexcited,
samadadhyat punash ceto dhyanena
dhyanayogavit
one who understands the yoga of meditation
should once again, through meditation,
concentrate the mind.
vicarash ca vitarkash ca vivekash copajayate
Deliberation, discernment, and
discrimination arise.
BOOK REVIEW
YOGA FORBREASTCARE: WHATEVERYWOMANNEEDS TOKNOWBy Bobby ClennellREVIEWED BY LISA KAZMER
I first met Bobby Clennell a couple years ago
when I attended her “Yoga for
Menstruation” workshop in New York City.
While I had heard “don’t go upside down
when you are on your period” a thousand
times before. It wasn’t until Bobby, a vibrant
woman in her seventies commanding the
room with the energy level of a twenty-
something, that I started listening to this
standard advice. From her I learned the way a
woman alters her yoga practice throughout
the many phases of her life, whether they be
the cycles of menstruation, pregnancy, or
menopause is way of honoring our body and
its relationship with nature. When we are in
right relationship with nature, energy can
flow. We are less stressed and in turn less
exhausted. Our intuition is developed when
we leave room in our minds and our yoga
practice for change.
On the heels of the internationally successful
The Woman’s Yoga Book and children’s yoga
book Watch Me Do Yoga Bobby’s newest
book, Yoga for Breast Care: What Every
Woman Needs to Know (Rodmell Press),
dives deeper into a women’s relationship
with her body and how yoga has the power to
bolster, restore, and maintain health. “Our
breasts are supersensitive” she writes “Like
the canaries that were once taken into coal
mines to register levels of toxic gas, our
breasts are early responders to stress and
imbalances in the environment. The chest
area—breasts, lungs, and heart included—is
attuned to our relationship within the family
and in the world around us.”
The impact of this book goes well beyond the
words on the page. Although her teaching is
based at The Iyengar Yoga Institute of New
York, Bobby has been traveling a lot — most
recently to China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong —
teaching her women’s workshops on Yoga
for Menstruation, Menopause, and Breast
Health. Across the globe, her workshops are
well received and students are grateful to
understand these topics more thoroughly. I
most recently caught up with her in India
while we were both attending a 10-Day
workshop with Geeta Iyengar in Pune. Ever
the eager student, this was Bobby’s 22 trip to
India to practice with the Iyengar family. In
2015 she will be traveling throughout the US
as well as to Jordan, Israel, Slovenia,
Malaysia, and Mexico—to name a few,
continuing to shed light on an intelligent
women’s yoga practice.
Well-researched and written from the heart,
the book begins with an introduction to
breast development, anatomical structure,
and the problems that may arise. She then
goes on to give an overview of many familiar
yoga asanas and their impact on breast
health. She has taken medical language as well
as precise yoga instructions and created a
manual which is easy to follow. Beautiful
illustrations which she has done herself are
liberally included to make Yoga for Breast
Care all the more user-friendly. The reader
could easily pair the information within this
book with an established yoga practice to
create sequences which heal the body and
nourish the soul. It’s an arsenal of
information for yoga teachers interested in
women’s health and breast health, and for
those leading yoga for cancer classes.
BOOK REVIEW
MAKINGPATANJALIPALATABLEby Manoj Kaimal REVIEWED BY SWATI PANDEY
All serious students of yoga and yoga
teachers will find this book invaluable. This
discourse on Samadhi Pada (Chapter 1) of
Patanjali’s Yoga sutras is broad and deep. It
connects the philosophy to practice on and
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off the mat which makes it very insightful for us yoga practitioners. It
is based on the original commentary by Sage Vyas (the author of
Mahabharata). The fact the author is a serious asana practitioner and
teacher, with association from a young age with Ashtanga Vinyasa,
Iyengar and Shivananda tradition makes his work especially appealing
for me. It is easy to relate the sutras to what we experience through
our asana journey.
The work definitely has an academic flavor. However, it keeps the
seeker / the yoga practitioner constantly in mind and is refreshing in
its intent to not satisfy academic agenda but to really help the reader
grasp the sutras in a meaningful way. It will help in better learning and
understanding of the Samadhi Pada without feeling drowned in
academic writing! The stories and illustration alongside keep the
sutras throbbing with life. Having explored several other texts on the
sutras, this discourse on Samadhi Pada has given me a precision in
understanding that was not there before. The chanting CD that comes
with this book is a soulful rendition of the sutras! A wonderful guide
for those who want to learn chanting!
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RECIPE
WARM SALAD FOR THE COLDSEASONWarm Kale Salad with Grilled Vegetables& TofuBY MOOSA AL-ISSA
You will be loving your salad during the cold season in Hong Kong by
making some simple changes. By incorporating more substantial
vegetables, a solid protein, and serving it warm, the summer salad
becomes satisfying winter comfort food.
MARINADE/DRESSING
1/2 cup cold pressed olive oil
1 lemon juice and zest
1 orange juice and zest
1 cup basil leaves
1/4 cup hemp seeds
2 tablespoons brown miso paste
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Fresh ground pepper and sea salt to taste
Add all the ingredients to a blender and process on low speed, then high
speed until the mixture is smooth.
SALAD
200 grams kale leaves, cut into bite size pieces
5 small potatoes, halved and cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
I small sweet potato, halved and cut into1/8 inch thick slices
100 grams green beans, cut into two inch lengths
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch angled slices
1 bunch green onions, cut into 2 inch sticks
1/2 lbs extra firm tofu cut in 1/2 inch thick slices
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1/8 inch thick rounds
TOFU
Toss the tofu in a bowl with three tablespoons of the dressing. Reserve.
VEGETABLES
1 Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil
2. Add the potato slices to the water and cook until firm but done.
Remove from the water and reserve.
3. Repeat the process with the carrot, sweet potato slices and the green
beans
4. Heat a large non-stick or cast iron frying pan or grill pan to medium
high heat
5. In a bowl toss the zucchini slices with a small amount of the dressing
and place the pieces in the pan. Cook about one minute per side until
nicely browned. Remove from pan, cool and reserve.
6. Place the green onions in the pan with a small amount of olive oil and
cook for one minute until nicely browned.
7. Place the carrots in the pan with a small amount of olive oil and cook
each side until nicely browned
8. Add the slices of tofu to the pan and cook for about two minutes per
side. Remove from the pan and reserve.
9. Toss the potatoes and sweet potatoes with two tablespoons of olive
oil. Place in the pan and cook for three to four minutes until nicely
browned. Remove from the pan and reserve.
10. Warm the remaining dressing in a small saucepan until hot, place the
kale on four plates, drizzle the dressing over the kale and then top with
the tofu, sweet potato, carrot, zucchini, green beans, potato & onion.
Serve.
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DIRECTORYGuide to yoga studios& teachers
Alice MoulimoisPersonalized Yoga Instruction d: Hong Kongs: Traditional Ashtanga Vinyasa, Hatha, Mellow Flow, All levels,private and small groupsessions, intuitive bodywork ,Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consulting l: English, Frencht: +852 9822 6500e: amoulimois@gmail.comw: www.alicemoulimois.com
ANAHATA VILLAS & SPARESORTUbud, Bali, Indonesias: group retreats, yoga forprivate & corporates. Yogastudioavailable for rent. l: Indonesian & Englisht: +62 361 8987 991/ 8987 992 /+62 21 70743366 f: +62 361 8987 804e: sm@anahataresort.com /info@anahataresort.comw: www.anahataresort.com
ANAHATA YOGA18/F Lyndhurst Tower, 1Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, HongKongs: Hatha, Ashtanga, Yoga therapy,Yin and more. Groups & privatest: +852 2905 1922e: enquiry@anahatayoga.com.hkw: www.anahatayoga.com.hk
ANANDA YOGA33 & 34/F, 69 Jervois StreetSheung Wan, Hong Kongs: Private and Group Classes :Yoga Therapy (neck, shoulder,back, hip, knee and joints), Hatha,Power, Ashtanga, Vinyasa,Detox, Yin Yang, Kundalini,Chakra Balancing, Pranayama,Meditationl: Englisht: (825)35639371e:adm.anandayoga.hk@gmail.comw: www.anandayoga.hk
Anna NgPrivatesd: Hong Kong
s: Hatha yogal: Cantoneset: (852) 9483 1167e: gazebofl@netvigator.com
AUMNIE YOGA WEARHong Kong - Room 1601, 99Wellington Street, Centralt: + 852 3188 0973Shanghai - 60 Xinle Road, 3/FXuhui Districtt: +86 21 5404 3135Korea - 533-16 Sinsa-DongGangham-Gu, Seoult: +82 26959 2558Retail, Wholesale, Shop OnlineFree Shipping WorldwideYoga Clothing and Accessoriese: info@aumnie.comw: www.aumnie.com
David Kim YogaE-RYT 500+, Senior YogaWorksand Yin Yoga Teacher Trainer;International TTs, Workshops &Retreats d: Korea, Japan, Vietnam,Philippines, Sweden, Norway,USAs: Yin Yoga, YogaWorks, VinyasaFlowl: English, limited Koreant: +1 310 480 5277e: david@davidkimyoga.comw: www.davidkimyoga.com
BEING IN YOGA -SINGAPORE2 Turf Club Rd # 02-01(Turf Ciy,Singapores: yoga therapy (customizedpersonal practice), teachertraining (Yoga Alliance RYS 500hours+), in-depth yoga studies,small group classes for childrenand adults, workshops, soundmeditation, Vedic chanting,continuing education for yogateacherst: +65 9830 3808e valerie@beinginyoga.comw: wwwbeinginyoga.com
B.K.S. IYENGAR YOGAASSOCIATION OF MACAU174, Rua de Pequim, Edif CentroCom. Kong Fat, 7A, Macau
s: Iyengart:(853)2882 3210/6662 0386e:yoga@macau.ctm.netw:www.iyengar-yoga-macau-china.com
BRAIN & BODY YOGA1503 Keen Hung CommercialBuilding, 80 - 86 Queen’s RoadEast, Wanchai, Hong Kong (nextto LUXHOME)s: boutique yoga studio for holistichealing and mind body practicet: +852 3104 1156f: +852 3104 1157e: info@brainyoga.com.hkw: www.brainyoga.com.hk
FLEX STUDIO
ISLAND SOUTH
Shops 308-310 One IslandSouth, 2 Heung Yip Road,Aberdeen, Hong Kongs: Vinyasa, Power, Detox, Hatha,Pre-Natal, Kids Yogat: + 852 2813 2212f: + 852 2813 2281e: info@flexhk.com
CENTRAL
3/F Man Cheung Building, 15- 17Wyndham Street, Central, HongKongs: Detox, Power, Pre-Natal Yogat: + 852 2813-2399f: + 852 2812 6708e: central@flexhk.comwww.flexhk.com
GLEE YOGAPrivates, Groups, forCompanies, Schools &Communitiesd: Hong Kong, Chinas: Yoga for ProfessionalSwimmers, Professional Runners,Pre-natal, Post-natal,Hatha, Vinyasa, Hot, BabiesMassage Workshopsl: English, Cantonese, Mandarint: +852 93343303e: gleewise@gmail.com
Kathy CookRetreats, workshops, privatesd: Hong Kong, Bali & Thailands: Iyengar (Junior Intermediate 2)
l: Englisht: +852 6292 5440 / +62 811387781e:kcinasia@gmail.comw: www.yogawithkathy.com
KUNDALINI AT SHAKTI7/F Glenealy Tower, 1 Glenealy,Central, Hong Kong.s: Kundalini Yoga, Reiki healing,Coaching, Angel Cards. Alsostudio rental by day or hourt: +852 2521 5099e: info@shaktihealingcircle.comw: www.shaktihealingcircle.com
KUNDALINI @ SOL16/F Tin On Sing CommercialBuilding, 41-43 Graham St.Central, Hong Kongs: Kundalini, Yin-Yang, Hatha,Men’s, Mindfulness, Yindestress yoga, meditation,holographic healing, cancercoaching, stress/insomnia relief,detox/weight management,complete mind-body-soulservices.t: +852 2581 9699e: info@sol-wellness.comw: www.sol-wellness.com
LingYoga and WellbeingPrivate Yoga TeacherPrivates, Groups, Corporates,Free Yoga Community Event:Yoga in the Park with Lingwww.meetup.com/yogaintheparkhkd: Hong Kong, Chinas: Yoga Therapy, Sivananda,Hatha, Svastha, Mindfulness, Yin,Breathing (Pranayama), GuidedMeditation, Total Relaxation(Yoga Nidra)l: English, Cantonese, Mandarint: +852 9465 6461e: yogawithling@gmail.comw: www.facebook.com/yogawithling
PURE YOGAHong Kong16/F The Centrium, 60 WyndhamStreet, Centralt: +852 2971 0055
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25/F Soundwill Plaza, 38 RussellSt, Causeway Bayt: +852 2970 229914/F Peninsula Office Tower, 18Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui,Kowloont: +852 8129 8800
9/F Langham Place OfficeTower, 8 Argyle Street, Kowloont: +852 3691 36914/F Lincoln House, TaiKooPlace, 979 King’s Rd, Quarry Bayt: +852 8129 1188
2/F Asia Standard Tower, 59Queen’s Road, Centralt: + 852 3524 7108
Singapore391A Orchard Road, #18-00Ngee Ann City Tower At: +65 6733 886330 Raffles Place, 04-00 ChevronHouset: +65 6304 2257
Taiwan151 Chung Hsiao East Road, Sec4, Taipeit: +886 02 8161 7888
4/f Urban One, 1 Qingcheng St,Taipeit: +886 02 8161 7868
SADHANA SANCTUARYYOGA STUDIO103 Penang Road VisioncrestCommercial, #05-01 / 03Singapore 238467t: +65 6238 9320e: namaste@sadhanasanctuary.comw: www.sadhanasanctuary.comFacebook.com/SadhanaSanctuaryYogaStudio/
SOULMADE YOGA &TEAROOM40, Soi Chareonjai (Ekamai 12),Klongton-Nua, WattanaBangkok 10110, Thailands. Kripalu, Hatha, Prenatal,Workshops, Healing Arts (Aura-Soma, Bodytalk, EFT)l. English, Thai, Frencht. +66 2 3814645e. soulmadeyoga@gmail.comw: www.facebook.com/soulmade
SPACE YOGAs: Hatha, Ashtanga, Advanced,Flow, Yin, Yin Yang, Restorative,Hot, Yin/Meditation, Pranayama,Mat Pilates, Jivamukti, Universal,Myo-fascial Release Yoga andYoga Nidral: English, Mandarinw: www.withinspace.comAn-Ho Studio16 /f, 27 An-Ho Road, Section 1Taipei, Taiwant: +886 2 2773 8108
Tien-Mu Studio5 Lane 43, Tian-Mu E. Road,Taipei, Taiwant: +886 2 2877 2108
namaskarreaches6,000 yogapractitioners,across32countries,4 times a year.
DISPLAY ADVERTISING RATES & SIZESOutside back cover HK$22,900 210 mm x 297 mmInside front cover HK$3,200 210 mm x 297 mmInside back cover HK$2,500 210 mm x 297 mmFull page HK$2,000 210 mm x 297 mm1/2 page (horizontal) HK$1,300 180 mm x 133.5 mm1/2 page (vertical) HK$1,300 88 mm x 275 mm1/4 page HK$650 88 mm X 133.5 mm1/8 page HK$400 88 mm x 66 mm
LISTINGSCan include name, address, telephone, email, website, style andcertification, language of instruction. Approx. 35 wordsIndividual listing HK$580 for full or partial yearStudio listing HK$1,200 for full or partial year
PUBLICATION DATES, BOOKING & MATERIAL DEADLINESPublication date Booking Deadline Material DeadlineJanuary December 1 December 10April March 1 March 10July June 1 June 10October September 1 September 10
NOTESAdvertising materials should in black & white and submitted as300 dpi high resolution .tif files (no pdf or ai files please)Listings should be submitted as text only (35 words or less)
PAYMENTPayments should be made in Hong Kong dollars to Namaskar c/oCarol Adams, 72C Yung Shue O Village, Sai Kung, Hong Kong
INFORMATIONCarol (852) 9137 9992 / carol@caroladams.hkFrances (852) 9460 1967 / fgairns@netvigator.com
THE YOGA ROOM3, 4, 6/F (Studios) & 15/F (Office)Xiu Ping Commercial Bldg,104 Jervois St, Sheung Wan,Hong Kongs: Hatha, Ashtanga, Vinyasa,Candlelight Yin, Yoga Therapy,Baptist Inspired, MindfulnessYoga, Detox Flow, Pre-natal Yoga,Pre-natal Pilates, Mat Pilates andKids yogat: +852 25448398e: info@yogaroomhk.comw: www.yogaroomhk.com
TRUE YOGASingapore9 Scotts Road, Level 4, PacificPlaza 228210t: +65 6733 9555
10 Collyer Quay, Level 4, OceanFinancial Centre 049315t: +65 6536 3390
Taiwan563 Chung Hsiao East Road,Section 4, 1st & 2nd floorTaipeit :+886 22764 8888
337 Nanking East RoadSection 3, 9 & 10/F, Taipeit: +886 22716 1234
68 Gongyi Road, West District12 & 13 /F, Taichungt: +886 43700 0000
s: Hatha, Power, Ashtanga,Vinyasa, Yin, Gentle, Flow, YogaDance, Pre-natale: operations@trueyoga.com.sgw: www.trueyoga.com.sg /www.trueyoga.com.tw
Ursula MoserThe Iyengar Yoga Centre of HongKongd: Centrals: Iyengar Certified (JuniorIntermediate III)l: Englisht: +852 2918 1798 / 9456 2149e: uschi.moser51@gmail.com
WISE LIVING YOGAACADEMY198 Moo 2, Luang Nuea, DoiSaket, Chiang Mai, Thailands: Classical Yoga, Hatha Yoga,Yoga Therapyt: +66 8254 67995e: info@wiselivingyoga.comw: www.wiselivingyoga.com
YOGA CENTRAL - IYENGARCENTRAL2C Welley Bldg. 97 Wellington St.Central, Hong Kongs: Iyengar Yoga classes only,suitable for privates, smallgroups & corporate wellnessprogramst: +852 2982 4308e: yogacentralhk@gmail.comw: www.yogacentral.com.hk
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