Evolution Transformation through Yoga                                                            

Nov 17, 2006

Volume 3, Number 4

“When asked what gift he wanted for his birthday, the yogi replied:  "I wish no gifts, only presence.”

- Anonymous

Please send your feedback/appreciations on the classes to vikasayoga@yahoo.com; your suggestions, comments and certainly appreciation will help others to benefit from the service.

 FAQ

Precautions

Schedule

Fees

Class Audio

Appreciations

Recommendations

-          Books

-          Music

      Free Class Audio

Important

If you are new to the Yoga classes, please read the precautions. In a large class, it is not possible to pay individual attention. You should always seek the instructor’s advice before practicing. Drop an email before the class or come in early to discuss.

True awareness is within your grasp

Chapter 3, Verse 3 of the Yoga sutras state -

‘When the object of Meditation Only shines Forth in the Mind, As though devoid of the thought of even the Self (who is meditating), that State is called Samadhi or total absorption’ – from the translation of Yoga Sutras by Swami Hariharananda Aranya.

This is a beautiful definition of Samadhi. By the way, Samadhi is something not esoteric to the common man. You would have experienced Samadhi. You think I am joking? Not at all. You have to recollect situations when you were fully absorbed in the work you were doing? So, taking care of your baby or immersed yourself deeply in caring for a dear one. In those intense moments, you were not affected by anything external. The object that was getting your attention and yourself were just one and the same. Such confluence of the subject and the object or the seer and the seen is Samadhi.

With true Yogis, the situation is just more advanced. They can get into a state of Samadhi at will. You and I can experience it for a brief moment or for a few minutes at ta stretch. With yogis, the duration is not a limit.  

So how would you attain such a state of infallible concentration or absorption? By controlling the fluctuations of the mind. The mind is like a monkey – a very true statement. It jumps from one object to another. It doesn’t stop there; it keeps on going after other objects. By quieting the mind, you become more aware. It is important to ‘see’ more than to ‘process’ more. Processing is necessary only for a fraction of the duration of what you are seeing or being aware of. Processing or thinking itself is a barrier to seeing more. The more you see, the more it dwells. Practice quieting the mind more often and experience the deep quiet and peace you will feel. You will be with Him in those moments; in fact you will be Him.

Yoga at Plymouth Balvihar

Many parents have asked if an elderly person can attend the yoga classes. Given the constrained abilities of the elderly, they need more attention and hence a group class isn’t very suitable for them. If you know of an elderly person wishing to attend an yoga class, please reply to vikasayoga@yahoo.com. Based on the number of responses, we can have a special class on Sunday, Dec 3^rd.

PS: If you have any medical conditions, it is best to consult your doctor and your instructor personally to discuss what is appropriate for you. Personal one on one session(s) and not group classes may be necessary to determine what is right given your specific conditions, as the right prescription requires constant feedback, monitoring and corrections. Please ask your instructor for basic precautions before attending a Yoga class.

Your privacy is well respected. If you would like to unsubscribe to these communications, please reply to this email with the word 'Remove' in the subject; if you are part of an email group, please contact the group administrator.

Evolution Transformation through Yoga                                                            

Nov 11, 2006

Volume 3, Number 3

“Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way things turn out. ”  

- Art Linkletter

Please send your feedback on the classes to vikasayoga@yahoo.com; your suggestions, comments and certainly appreciation will help others to benefit from the service.

FAQ

Precautions

Schedule

Fees

Class Audio

Appreciations

Recommendations

-        Books

-        Music

Ash Aragam
Vikasa Yoga
1618 Cowpath Road
Snyder’s Square
Hatfield, PA 19440
Phone 215-514-3089
E-mail: vikasayoga@yahoo.com
We’re on the Web!
www.vikasayoga.com

Important

If you are new to the Yoga classes, please read the precautions. In a large class, it is not possible to pay individual attention. You should always seek the instructor’s advice before practicing. Drop an email before the class or come in early to discuss.

Detachment.

Chapter 1, Verse 15 of the Yoga sutras state -

‘When the mind loses desire even for objects seen or described in a tradition or in scriptures, it acquires a state of utter (vashikara) desirelessness that is called non-attachment (vairagya).’ re

How attached are you to the things around you? Will it hurt or bother you, say, if you loose everything you have? Can you live without the life-style you currently have? Is it a life-or-death situation that you achieve the goal you have in mind?

All above questions clearly tell you your sense of attachment. As Krishna said, you need to do whatever you have to and forget about the results. The results are not in your hand; it is His wish that dictates the final outcome. In the modern sense or for the atheist, it means there are too many variables and probabilities in reaching a certain point. The person can do only so much towards the goal. The bigger part of this exercise of achieving a goal and detachment is how do you deal with success or failure? Especially the latter.  

When you get carried away by success or failure, you become attached. Attachment is the ultimate poison to the mind. It clouds one’s thinking and awareness. Thus you will not be able to be your-Self once more. Take a hard look at things that you are attached to. Many women have asked me if love for a child is attachment. If the love is possessive, it is attachment; if it is nurturing it isn’t. Our purpose is to foster the child and instill values so that he or she can be his/her true Self later on. But if you are micro-managing every aspect of your child’s life or if you can’t sleep well if your child is on a field-trip, think seriously where your love should end.

Yoga and Oesteo-arthritis: Arthritis inhibits movement in joints; this in turn makes the joints more inactive. It is a vicious cycle. Thus you want to introduce some movement in the joints. A great Yoga sequence for this is pawana-mukthasana. This involves a lot of joints and is mild enough to be practiced by even the elderly. We will practice this in an up-coming class. For a great discussion of Yoga therapy to common ailments, please read Yoga Rx.

Yoga at Plymouth Balvihar

Adults Yoga class is at 3:00 PM this Sunday at the Chapel. Please try to come on time and settle down as noiselessly as possible. Non-members are welcome to attend class at Balvihar, by paying a nominal fee of $50 for the whole year.

PS: If you have any medical conditions, it is best to consult your doctor and your instructor personally to discuss what is appropriate for you. Personal one on one session(s) and not group classes may be necessary to determine what is right given your specific conditions, as the right prescription requires constant feedback, monitoring and corrections. Please ask your instructor for basic precautions before attending a Yoga class.

Your privacy is well respected. If you would like to unsubscribe to these communications, please reply to this email with the word 'Remove' in the subject; if you are part of an email group, please contact the group administrator.

Evolution Transformation through Yoga                                                            

Nov 03, 2006

Volume 3, Number

“Yoga is 99% practice and 1% knowledge. ”  

- Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois

Please send your feedback on the classes to vikasayoga@yahoo.com; your suggestions, comments and certainly appreciation will help others to benefit from the service.

FAQ

Precautions

Schedule

Fees

Class Audio

Appreciations

Recommendations

-        Books

-        Music

Meditation

What is Meditation? Before we answer this question, it is important to know where Yoga sees it. Meditation is dhyana, the sixth of the eight steps of Raja Yoga. The previous steps are Yama (restraints), Niyama (Principles), Asana (Postures), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyahara (Withdrawal of senses). Dhyana is followed by Dharana (Concentration) and Samadhi (Total absorption).

Leading to Dhyana is the practice of the certain simple aspects/rules and control of the physical being with postures and breath control. With the last three steps, once starts to gain more and more control of one’s mind.

Meditation has been confusingly stated as concentration, which itself is the next step. In Meditation, we keep the mind from dominating in its usual fashion and trying to rest attention on one object. We don’t absorb ourselves in that object, which becomes concentration. Say, you chose to use the breath as the object. We just notice as much of the breath as possible – its duration, the sound, the difference in temperature as it enters and leaves the body and so on. We just observer or become aware. We don’t think about any aspects of these qualities.

So what does Meditation do? It keeps the mind from over-doing its normal function i.e., thinking. Thereby, it gives the mind an opportunity to rest and thereby, recuperate. Think of the mind as a sponge. If it gets soaked in thinking, it can absorb no more. You need to empty it once in a while or often to keep it in great shape. That is what Meditation helps with.

You should practice meditation as often as you can. The principle of treating a weekly yoga class as your yoga practice being wrong applies even to meditation (or to any of the other steps). Yoga is 99% practice and 1% knowledge. In the weekly class and in your readings, you gain knowledge. When you go back, it is time to practice what you learnt.

Try practicing meditation for about 5 minutes before going to bed. I know, it is hard, but come on. Can’t you spare 5 minutes for what you know is a guaranteed better sleep? I think you can; you just have to try it.

Yoga at Plymouth Balvihar

Adults Yoga class is at 3:00 PM this Sunday. Please try to come on time and settle down as noiselessly as possible.

PS: If you have any medical conditions, it is best to consult your doctor and your instructor personally to discuss what is appropriate for you. Personal one on one session(s) and not group classes may be necessary to determine what is right given your specific conditions, as the right prescription requires constant feedback, monitoring and corrections. Please ask your instructor for basic precautions before attending a Yoga class.

Your privacy is well respected. If you would like to unsubscribe to these communications, please reply to this email with the word 'Remove' in the subject; if you are part of an email group, please contact the group administrator.