UPCOMING EVENTS (click to read more)
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|  | | With Lorraine Aronson |
Articles
Our growing collection of yoga and life-related articles, poems and scribbles. Here are the latest additions: The Three Gunas
by Swami Shraddhananda
Restorative Yoga
Written on the wall of Mother Teresa's home in Calcutta, India, and attributed to herPeople are often unreasonable, irrational and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may deceive you.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and the Divine. It was never between you and them anyway.
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| What is Yoga?
The great sage Patanjali has defined Yoga as a means of controlling the fluctuations of the mind, the intellect and the ego. His system to attain this control is known as the Eight Limbs of Yoga or 'Ashtanga Yoga',( Ashta = 8), and is defined as follows:
1. Yama - Social discipline (social ethics)
2. Niyama - Discipline of the individual self (personal ethics)
3. Asana - Physical discipline through the practice of postures
4. Pranayama - Mental discipline through breath control
5. Pratyahara - Discipline of the senses through withdrawal
6. Dharana - Concentration
7. Dhyana - Meditation
8. Samadhi - Self-realisation
These eight components are all interwoven and lead to the same goal.
Books
Take a pilgrimage in your mind first.
There are many yoga and life-related books on the market these days, it is often difficult to know what to choose. Our book list has a few titles that may be of interest to you.
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| Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana on chair (two-legged inverted staff pose)
 Back Bend over the chair: Practice either with the toes up the wall or in the middle of the room.
Can also be an advanced restorative pose with strap around the thighs and bolster/blanket under the head.
| | Adho Mukha Vrksasana (handstand)
_5a64e552-b0c1-493e-870c-2fbe5207a386.jpeg) This exhilarating inverted posture builds the strength in the the arms, shoulders, and wrists. Breath is the key to attaining this level of body awareness and consistency. When incorporating it into yoga practice, try first by using a prop or wall to assist.
Not recommended for people with high blood pressure or any eye problem, e.g glaucoma. | | | | | Ardha Chandrasana (half moon pose)
 This is a standing balance pose that strengthens and improves overall body balance and concentration.
Benefits: Stretches and strengthens whole body, improves balance and co-ordination, helps relieve anxiety and fatigue. |
| Ardha Matsyendrasana (half lord of the fish pose)
_31613c94-9e17-4d36-b416-002bb28a739c.jpeg) Matsyendranath was a teacher of yoga. This twist pose, named after him, energizes the spine and stimulates the digestive fire.
Benefits: Stimulates the abdominal organs, stretches the shoulders, hips and neck. Also helps relieves menstrual discomfort, sciatica and fatigue.
Caution: Should not be performed with any spine injury. |
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| Salabhasana (locust pose)
 Salabha means grasshopper or locust. This back bend is effective in preparation for deeper back bends. (Note: There are different arm positions.)
Benefits: The posture strengthens the muscles of the spine, buttocks, arms and legs. Stretches and tones the shoulders, chest, abs and thighs. Improves posture. Stimulates abdominal organs. |
| Ardha Halasana (half plow pose, supported)
 Hal in Sanskrit means plow. This pose is normally entered from sarvangasana (shoulder stand).
Benefits: Calming. Stimulates abdominal organs and thyroid. Stretches shoulders and spine. Reduces fatigue. Helps insomnia.
Caution: If you have a neck injury, seek advice before attempting the pose. |
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| Ustrasana (camel pose)
 Ustra means camel in Sanskrit. This back bend can be a very challenging pose if you have tight shoulders and chest muscles and if you are stiff in the neck. Beginners are not advised to go all the way back to touch their ankles.
Benefits: Entire front body, ankles, thighs and hip flexors get stretched. Back muscles are strengthened. Abdominal organs are stimulated.
Caution: Not recommended if you have high or low blood pressure, low back or neck injury. |
| Bakasana (crow pose)
A squatting arm balance, the arms supporting the weight of the body, bent knees on the back of the upper arms. The height of the hips provides lightness, the head acts as a counter-balance.
Benefits: Strengthens arms, wrists and abdominal muscles. Stretches the back, improves balance. |
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| Utkatasana (fierce or chair pose)
 This pose is fierce (Utkata in Sanskrit), because it draws significant energy from and builds strength in the thighs and hips. This pose is considered to be a semi-standing squat with arms raised above the head.
Benefits: Builds strength and endurance in the legs and hips, improves balances, strengthens and tones chest and shoulders. |
| Garudasana (eagle pose)
_af0e4a2f-7e32-44e0-b10d-58b34975ce50.jpeg) A standing balance posture, involves crossing the non weight-bearing leg over the standing leg. The thighs and hips are engaged with the bend in the standing leg. The mid back and shoulders are opened as the arms cross and lift in front of the chest.
Benefits: Strengthens ankles and calves, stretches thighs, hips, shoulders and upper back. Improves concentration and balance. |
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| Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (upward facing dog)
_00c29fc0-43c5-48a4-bf9c-9a46091029c1.jpeg) Urdva=upward; Mukha=face; Svana=dog.
This is a back bending pose that challenges you to lift and open your chest.
Benefits: Strengthens arms, shoulders, spine, legs. Stimulates digestion and relieves fatigue.
Caution: Not advised during pregnancy or with wrist & back injuries. |
| Navasana (boat pose)
 Demonstrated by Mr Iyengar. "Nava" means boat in sanskrit. This is an abdominal and deep hip flexor strengthener.
Benefits: This pose strengthens the abdomen, hip flexors and spine. It also stimulates the kidneys, thyroid and digestive system.
Caution: Not advised if you have: heart problems, menstruation, pregnancy. |
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| Desiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant, as they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others you may become vain and bitter for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however be humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is, many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue, and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and stars. You have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you may conceive him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul. With all it's sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be careful. Strive to be happy.
Author Unknown. Found in Old Saint Paul's Church, Baltimore, 1692 |
| Some Previous Events @ Yoga 109
- Workshop: Iyengar & Yin Yoga - 5-hours
- Workshop: Yoga for Toddlers - 5-weeks
- Workshop: Introduction to Ashtanga Yoga - 5 weeks
- Yoga 109 Teacher Training, 200-Hours, Level 1
- Anusara Yoga Immersion 1 - Patrick Creelman
- Kids Yoga Teacher Training - Richard Furgerson
- Workshop: Yoga Anatomy - David Keil
- The Pilgrimage Yoga Weekend - Patrick Creelman
- Anusara Yoga Intro Weekend - Patrick Creelman
- Workshop: Introduction to Sanskrit - Josh Michael
- Workshop: Sushi Making in Shanghai
- Yoga Workshop: Postural Alignment
- Meditation of 108 Sun Salutations
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