Archive for August, 2009|Monthly archive page
Diary: the Anatomy of Yoga
Filed under: ashram, diary, teaching, TTC, yoga | Tags: anatomy, asana, exercise, sivananda yoga, teacher training, yoga
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during lectures we sit in the traditional Indian way, without chairs. photo: Katalin Kurko
Harvard University did a classification of different body types and how they utilise their bodies. This technique was adopted by Swami Vishnudevananda who took it a step further with a more precise classification. We use a plumb line to look at our posture in profile. Both in the beginning and in the end of the course we take photographs of ourselves against a grid. My mother commented that my posture was very straight once I
Plumbline photo week 4.
came back from a 3-months yoga retreat in Sweden . This time it was really intersting to view people who are relatively new to yoga and how much 4 weeks affected them !
Today we discussed sitting postures and how important it is with flexibility in the hips if you are going to sit in a meditation posture, especially in full lotus and half lotus. If one have big strong thigh muscles there should be a big cushion under the buttocks so that the knees comes down to the ground WITHOUT STRAIN ! One has to be careful since in the beginning of a sitting your knees may touch the ground. Later on in the sitting you start to feel pain in the knees and then it is really a signal that your buttocks should be higher up on a cushion. There should never be any pain in the knees when doing meditation !
Keeping the muscles and tendons flexible throughout life can be done with yoga and that will slow down the aging process. Yoga can be a very gentle way to keep a good health and when I saw my grandfather doing the bridge position at an old age it made an imprint in my head that exercise will give you a long and healthy life.
yoga is to go with the body and accept limitations and to come back to a natural state of well being.
Sivanda yoga and why I like it
Filed under: ashram, meditation, religion, TTC, Uncategorized, yoga | Tags: ashram, meditation, sivananda yoga, teacher training, yoga
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the Italian group performing during the talent show. Theme: A tamasic yoga teacher and his class ( who wants his students to worship him ). photo: Katalin Kurko
Sivananda yoga is a complete form of yoga which contains everything you need to go on a deep spiritual journey. Ultimately you will get the realisation that we all are one and all religions leads to the same goal. It is possible for every person to become an instrument for God, whichever god you have an inclination to follow . Maybe you will not become a saint in this lifetime but this form of yoga contains a step by step approach to become a more humble and non violent person.
Maybe you have noticed that hatha-yoga as practiced in the west has a tendency to become dry and it feels like something is missing. The missing part is the spiritual/religious part. Through yoga it is possible to transcend the physical limitations and become enlightened. Sivananda yoga teaches chanting, philosophy as well as physical postures. There is a strong emphasis to make the asanas in an anatomical correct manner and the teacher corrects your posture in a very hands on approach.
here comes a short description on the different practices we do:
chanting/mantra - is something you cannot understand completely on a logical level. It is something you have to experience. Example: You sit in a meditation posture with your eyes closed and repeat the word Om. The vibration is going very deep into your existence. Since I am sceptical person I see it is like a scientific research. What kinds of emotions comes up when I chant “Om Namo Narayana” for example. Can it really be so dangerous to chant for world peace ? 
asanas - is to physically prepare the body for sitting in a meditation posture. Getting rid of tension. there is are many books available for asanas and it is already very well known in the west
pranayama - is to clear the nerves in the body through breathing exercises and prepares the body for true meditation. The ability to focus is greatly enhanced.
meditation- is to sit in a meditation posture and first focus on the posture and notice the body from inside. Then focus on the natural flow of the breath. The goal is to make the mind one pointed . When stillness is reached we can get to the bottom of the lake. The lake represents our subconsiousness and when the waves stop we transcend time and space.
karma yoga – is to do practical work like sweeping floors, cooking etc. The goal is to do this without expectation. Selfless service to the benefit of others.
Yoga to children the Sivananda way
You can go to the Sivananda centre in Austria for a shorter vacation with your daughter/son but there will be no special lectures for children and there is no special childcare when you are in class. Teaching to young children is different but children have the same kind of experiences as adults and age is not a big factor. Something they stress here, Sivananda Centre Austria, is that we are first of all a student of yoga even when we teach to others. The most important thing is to keep up our own sadhana, practice and study philosophy etc.
First you get experience with yoga as a student and then you get teaching in how to teach it. The last step is to specialise your teaching towards old people, children etc.
One of Sivanandas disciples wrote a good book about yoga:
Yoga Education For Children (Paperback) by Swami Satyananda Saraswati (Author)
the mystical journey continues
Filed under: ashram, diary, religion, teaching, TTC, yoga | Tags: ashram, journey, meditation, retreat, sivananda yoga, teacher training, yoga
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photo: Katalin Kurko
This path of yoga is something that feels true on a deeper level. Finally I get answers to many of my questions. We had evening lectures with an Indian philosopher this week . After a long day of lectures I reach a state which is close to dreaming and I see very vivid pictures in my head.
Part of the lecture was something like this:
… A woman goes to hairdresser for 3 hours. She comes home and her kid comes up to her and drag in her hair. It is alright ! the mother have love for the child. In the same way our love for god makes us accept all the things around us even the things that are not so pleasant …
The focus is clearly on Vedanta and hinduism but there is also room for other religion. Sivananda, The founder of this yoga tradition wrote a prayer which includes Jesus , Buddha, Muhammad, Krishna etc. and he described these people as very good teachers on the spiritual path. The teacher on this level has realized the underlying truth about reality and now he spend his time to communicate this teaching to his fellow man.
the main goal of this school is not to make us yoga teachers but to make us into messengers for peace throughout the world ! a messenger who understand the difference between being a spiritual seeker and a religious fanatic
High Altitude Yoga in Austria
Filed under: diary, TTC, Uncategorized, yoga | Tags: asana, sivananda yoga, teacher training
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photo: Katalin Kurko
photo: Katalin Kurko
When the weather is good we do asanas and pranayama outside. The view of mountains and the fresh air makes it easy to feel good and healthy. I remember the Sivananda ashram in Uttarkashi, India as a very positive experience. Now it feels like visiting an old friend, this school is part of the same organisation and I get the same good feeling. After many years with different types of yoga I understand why they do as they do here. The teacher make a joke sometime and everybody is laughing and the next moment everything is serious again. I used the possibility to consult with a Swami, spiritual teacher, yesterday and this was a very nice experience. The teachers address the problems you may encounter as a student or as a teacher. They pinpoint it accurately and we, the students , cannot help but to laugh about it. I am very happy with my TTC ,teacher training course, here in Austria !
At an early age I got interested in Buddhism and the prince who left his kingdom in the search for truth. How can I apply this story to my own life ? to be able to sit I took up the study of yoga. Is there a contradiction between yoga and science ? Sure we can get a theoretical understanding through books, but without the experience we are stuck. Why is it so hard to practice non-violence when the mosquito is landing on my neck ?
