..active people moving into stillness...

About Yoga

FAQ

Is Yoga a religion?

It is a philosophy that began in India an estimated 5,000 years ago. The father of classical Ashtanga yoga is said to be Patanjali, who wrote the Yoga Sutra. These scriptures provide a framework for spiritual growth and mastery over the physical and mental body. Yoga sometimes interweaves other philosophies such as Hinduism or Buddhism, but it is not necessary to study those paths in order to practice or study yoga.

It is also not necessary to surrender your own religious beliefs to practice yoga.

Do I have to be flexible to do Yoga?

Many people think that they need to be flexible to begin yoga, but that's a little bit like thinking that you need to be able to play tennis in order to take tennis lessons. Come as you are and you will find that yoga practice will help you become more flexible.

This newfound agility will be balanced by strength, coordination, and enhanced cardiovascular health, as well as a sense of physical confidence and overall wellness.

How many times per week should I practice?

Even if you only practice for one hour a week, you will experience the benefits of the practice. If you can do more than that, you will certainly experience more benefits. Don't let time constraints or unrealistic goals be an obstacle, do what you can and don't worry about it. You will likely find that after awhile your desire to practice expands naturally and you will find yourself doing more and more.

How is yoga different from stretching or other forms of exercise?

Yoga is unique because we connect the movement of the body and the fluctuations of the mind to the rhythm of our breath. Connecting the mind, body, and breath helps us to direct our attention inward. Through this process of inward attention, we learn to recognize our habitual thought patterns without labeling them, judging them, or trying to change them. We become more aware of our experiences from moment to moment. The awareness that we cultivate is what makes yoga a practice, rather than a task or a goal to be completed. Your body will most likely become much more flexible by doing yoga, and so will your mind.

What's the meaning of "Namaste"?

The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. Namaste literally means, "I bow to you."

To perform Namaste, we place the hands together at the heart chakra, close the eyes, and bow the head. It can also be done by placing the hands together in front of the third eye, bowing the head, and then bringing the hands down to the heart. This is an especially deep form of respect.

We bring the hands together at the heart chakra to increase the flow of Divine love. Bowing the head and closing the eyes helps the mind surrender to the Divine in the heart. One can do Namaste to oneself as a meditation technique to go deeper inside the heart chakra; when done with someone else, it is also a beautiful, albeit quick, meditation.

We are all one when we live from the heart.

Savasana - Corpse Pose

Savasana is a pose of total relaxation, making it one of the most challenging asanas.

To practice Savasana, start by aligning the body. Make sure that your two sides are resting evenly on the floor and that your ears are equidistant from your shoulders. Physically relax the muscles and bones. Imagine that the mass of your body is sinking down into the floor, then spreading out like a puddle of oil. Next calm the senses. Soften the root of your tongue. Cradle your eyes in their sockets and turn them down to gaze at the heart. Release the inner ears to the back of the skull (yet keep them alert to the sound of the breath). Smooth the skin at the bridge of the nose and melt it toward your temples.

Finally, surrender any and all psychological effort (or at least as much as you can). Even as you lie still on the floor, you'll discover that you're still trying, wondering what to "do" in this posture. Drop your brain to the back of the skull. Rest, abide in yourself, just as you are."

What does "Namaste" mean?

The gesture Namaste represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us that is located in the heart chakra. The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. "Nama" means bow, "as" means I, and "te" means you. Therefore, Namaste literally means "I bow to you."

We bring the hands together at the heart chakra to increase the flow of Divine love. Bowing the head and closing the eyes helps the mind surrender to the Divine in the heart. One can do Namaste to oneself as a meditation technique to go deeper inside the heart chakra. For a teacher and student, Namaste allows two individuals to come together energetically to a place of connection and timelessness, free from the bonds of ego-connection.

Ideally, Namaste should be done both at the beginning and at the end of class. Usually, it is done at the end of class because the mind is less active and the energy in the room is more peaceful. The teacher initiates Namaste as a symbol of gratitude and respect toward her students and her own teachers and in return invites the students to connect with their lineage, thereby allowing the truth to flow - the truth that we are all one when we live from the heart.

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Hatha Yoga

We are much more effective at whatever we do and life is more joyful when we have a healthy vehicle of expression to work through. Hatha Yoga includes physical postures, breathing exercises, and visualizations, which balance the autonomic nervous system and the acupressure meridians. These subtle energetic fields hold the blueprint and are considered a corollary aspect of the physical body.

The word Hatha means willful or forceful. Hatha yoga refers to a set of physical exercises (known as asanas or postures), and sequences of asanas, designed to align your skin, muscles, and bones. The postures are also designed to open the many channels of the body, especially the main channel - the spine, so that energy can flow freely.

Hatha is also translated as "ha" meaning sun and "tha" meaning moon. This refers to the balance of masculine aspects: active, hot, sun, and feminine aspects: receptive, cool, moon, within all of us. Hatha yoga is a path toward creating balance and uniting opposites. In our physical bodies we develop a balance of strength and flexibility. We also learn to balance our effort and surrender in each pose.

Hatha yoga is a powerful tool for self-transformation. It asks us to bring our attention to our breath, which helps us to still the fluctuations of the mind and be more present in the unfolding of each moment.

Scientific studies have shown Yoga an effective remedy against stress, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, depression, obesity, aging, anxiety, back pain, gastrointestinal disorders, migraine headaches, neck pain, etc.

Practicing Hatha Yoga:

Flushes out physical, mental, and emotional toxins.

Gently tunes up and balances the intestinal organs and glands.

Brings the physical body into a more perfect state of health.

Increases flexibility, strength, balance, and stamina.

Regular practice of Hatha Yoga brings the vital energies of the physical, emotional, and mental bodies under conscious control.

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Yoga Styles

Forrest Yoga. Forrest YogaThe Forrest Yoga asana intensives are one of the most vigorous and demanding yoga practices around. Through a carefully constructed and rigorous series of yoga asana, Forrest Yoga opens you up to an amazing quality of feeling that lives inside each of us.

The pillars of Forrest Yoga are Breath, Strength, Integrity and Spirit. Forrest Yoga helps you connect to your core - getting strong and centered. It uses heat, deep breathing and vigorous sequences to sweat out toxins. The long holds in the pose progressions help you flush, oxygenate and rejuvenate every cell.

As a beginner to Forrest Yoga, you learn to breathe deeply and connect in feeling with your body. As you progress, you get proficient at safely tailoring each pose to work best for you; particularly with physical and emotional injuries.

Forrest Yoga does not require strength or flexibility; it only requires that you bring a willingness to learn how to feel authentically and respond honestly.

To learn more about Forrest Yoga and its founder, Ana Forrest, go to: http://forrestyoga.com/.

Ashtanga. The practice of Ashtanga is a fast-paced series of sequential postures practiced by yoga master K. Pattabhi Jois, who lives in India. The system is based on six series of asanas that increase in difficulty, allowing students to work at their own pace. In class, you'll be led nonstop through one or more of the series, there's no time for adjustments. You'll be encouraged to breathe as you move from pose to pose. Be prepared to sweat.

Power Yoga. In 1995, Bender Birch set out to challenge Americans' understanding of what it really means to be fit with her book Power Yoga (Fireside, 1995). Bender Birch's intention was to give a Western spin to the practice of Ashtanga Yoga, a challenging and disciplined series of poses designed to create heat and energy flow. The common thread is a rigorous workout that develops strength and flexibility while keeping students on the move.

Iyengar. From his home in India, B.K.S. Iyengar reigns as one of the most influential yogis of his time. At 80 years old, he continues to teach thousands of students from all over the world, encouraging them to penetrate deeper into the experience of each pose.

Poses are typically held much longer than in other schools of yoga, so that practitioners can pay close attention to the precise muscular and skeletal alignment this system demands. Also specific to Iyengar is the use of props, including belts, chairs, blocks, and blankets, to help accommodate any special needs such as injuries or structural imbalances. Using props gives the student support, allowing them more freedom to breathe deeply into the pose."

ISHTA. ISHTA, an acronym for "Integrated Science of Hatha, Tantra, and Ayurveda", is the yoga brainchild of South African native Alan Finger, who currently runs workshops at his yoga studio in Irvington, New York. The sequence of postures is designed to help students integrate their individual sensations with a life energy force that's beyond sensing and perceiving. It's a tool for visualization and a way to become more fully oneself."

A typical ISHTA class mixes flowing Ashtanga-style asanas with the precise method of Iyengar, while including Pranayama and meditation exercises as well. Classes begin with warm-up poses and gradually build to a more challenging practice.

Kundalini. The practice of Kundalini Yoga incorporates postures, dynamic breathing techniques, and chanting and meditating on mantras such as "Sat Nam" (meaning "I am truth"). Practitioners concentrate on awakening the energy at the base of the spine and drawing it upward through each of the seven chakras.

Bikram. Bikram Yoga was created by Bikram Choudhury and incorporates 26 individual poses performed in sequence in a room heated between 90 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit. This high temperature allows the body to become more flexible for stretching. The sauna-like effect also helps move the toxins out of your body through sweating.

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Meditation

Meditation is one of the five principles of yoga. It an important tool to achieve mental clarity and health.

Simple Meditation

Bring your attention to the breath moving through the nostrils, feel the sensation of air moving in and out - feel the warmth of the exhalation and the coolness of the inhalation. Let your breath be the center of your attention, filling your mind. Now bring your attention the the moments between the in and out breaths.

The mind is restless, do not expect the mind to stop thinking. Strategy is not to give them unecessary attention, reducing their power to distract. Simply witness the thoughts while maintaining awareness of the breath. Weave each breath into the next. You will learn to rest in a quietness that arises despite the thinking mind. Continue to feel the breath on the nostrils, relaxing the effort. Sense the simple presence of your being.

Through practice of non-attachment, the experience of steady, one-pointed concentration is deposited into the unconsciousness, becoming a new groove that supports your meditation.

Mindfulness Meditation

A practice Buddhists call vipassana, or sometimes called insight meditation. It is the art of becoming deeply aware of the present instant. Mindfulness means fully experiencing what happens in the here and now. It is the art of focusing our minds on what's happening in and around us at this very moment. Mindfulness helps you turn down all the noise in your head- the guilt, anger, doubts, and uncertainties that upset us moment to moment. It is a technique that encourages you to stop and smell the roses.

The key is not so much what you focus on but how you do it. What is more important is the quality of the awareness you bring to each moment. That awareness should be meditative in the sense of being a silent witness, accepting and nonjudgmental. It, however, does not imply resignation to abuse or injustice. It teaches acknowledgment of the moment-to-moment reality and prepares those who use the technique to respond to that reality less impulsively and more effectively.

Breath and Mantra meditation

A mantra is a tool for reflection and the cultivation of awareness, and is used for both concentration and contemplation on the Source.

The following meditation is based upon the mantra "so hum," ("I am that") used within the traditions of Tantra and Vedanta. Since "so hum" also indicates the sound of the breath, it is a mantra that repeats itself effortlessly.

Find a comfortable posture for meditation. Scan your body and relax any tension. Let your spine rise from the ground of the pelvis. Draw your chin slightly down and let the back of your neck lengthen. Bring your attention to the tidal rhythm of your breath, feeling the rise and fall of your inhalation and exhalation. As your focus settles on your breath, begin to employ the simple mantra "so hum." As you inhale, say "so" silently to yourself, and as you exhale say "hum." Keep your focus on the sensation of your breath while silently repeating the sacred syllables, "so hum." As you inhale, gently drawing your breath along the base of your throat, listen for the sound of "so." As you exhale, listen for the sound of "hum" as your breath is amplified in the throat.

Let your mind become absorbed in the sound of so hum, in your internal chanting and your actual breath. As if you were watching the waves of the ocean, let your mind be naturally drawn into presence and stillness. If a thought arises, come back to the mantra so hum. When you are finished, bring your hands together in anjali mudra (prayer position) and close with a moment of gratitude, reflection, or prayer to soak up the energy of your meditation into your being and life.

Transcendental Meditation

Transcendental Meditation is by far the most thoroughly researched in terms of its benefits for mental, physical, and social health. TM is a simple mental technique, easy to learn and practice. Anyone can learn it within a few days and can begin to experience beneficial results almost immediately. Since 1958, 4 million people have learned TM and over five hundred scientific studies have been conducted on it at over two hundred universities worldwide.

TM is one of the easiest meditation techniques to learn. When you learn TM, an instructor gives you a word or phrase-your personal mantra-which you promise not to divulge. You are told to sit quietly with your eyes closed and repeat the mantra over and over again for 20 minutes at a time once or twice a day. The mantra functions to focus your mind on a single idea, representing the "oneness" of the universe. You're instructed to assume a passive, accepting attitude while repeating your mantra. When distracting thoughts intrude, you're instructed to simply observe them, accept them and gently return your mental focus to repeating your mantra.

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