namaskar jan 2011

namaskarA VOICE FOR THE YOGA COMMUNITY OF ASIA JANUARY 2011

Ishvara PranidhanaYoga in EdinburghSugar Cravings

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Special FeaturesKarma Yoga, 19 Vicky reports on ateacher using kundalini to help cancerpatients.

Five Elements, 21 Just how do thebalance or imbalance of these elementsaffect us? Yogesvara explains.

Yoga in Shanghai, 27 Indra Devi,the first lady of yoga had a studio here inthe 1930s, Benjamin updates us on thecity’s yoga development.

Happiness in the Here & Now,32 Thich Nhat Hahn returned to HongKong after three years, graciously sharinghis recipe for happiness.

InsideJANUARY 2011

Dristi Ishvara PranidhanaDeDeDeDeDevvvvvoooootion ttion ttion ttion ttion to the Lo the Lo the Lo the Lo the Lororororord, 10d, 10d, 10d, 10d, 10Frank demystifies Ishvara Pranidhana usingPatanjali’s Yoga Sutras as the base.

Surrender to God, 12Surrender to God, 12Surrender to God, 12Surrender to God, 12Surrender to God, 12Clayton takes a simple approach to acomplex subject.

WWWWWherherherherhere we we we we we fe fe fe fe find Tind Tind Tind Tind True Jorue Jorue Jorue Jorue Joyyyyy,,,,,1313131313Don breaks it down and explains what theresult of this niyama can be.

DeDeDeDeDevvvvvoooootion, Ttion, Ttion, Ttion, Ttion, Trusrusrusrusrust &t &t &t &t &HumilitHumilitHumilitHumilitHumilityyyyy, 14, 14, 14, 14, 14Paul gives lots of real life examples.

The Ultimate Goal, 16The Ultimate Goal, 16The Ultimate Goal, 16The Ultimate Goal, 16The Ultimate Goal, 16A research student of yoga, Jeremy takes avery thorough approach.

FFFFFrrrrrom the Bhagaom the Bhagaom the Bhagaom the Bhagaom the Bhagavvvvvad Gitad Gitad Gitad Gitad Gita,a,a,a,a,1818181818Sankirtana uses the BG as the basis of hisexplanation.

About NamaskarAbout NamaskarAbout NamaskarAbout NamaskarAbout NamaskarNamaskar provides a voice for the yogacommunity around Asia. The publication is avehicle for practitioners on a yogic path to sharetheir own knowledge, learnings and experienceswith others.

Namaskar, is published quarterly in January,April, July and October.

We welcome unsolicited submissions, thereforethe opinions expressed within these pages arenot necessarily those of Namaskar or its staff.

Namaskar is distributed at no charge throughyoga studios, fitness centres, retail outlets, food& beverage outlets and other yoga-friendlylocations throughout Hong Kong and elsewhere.

For more information, to contribute or to orderNamaskar, please contact::Carol, [email protected]

Wai-Ling, News Editor & Copy [email protected]

Frances, Editor & [email protected] /+ 852 9460 1967

Deadline for April 2011 issue:March 15, 2011

Regular ContributionsNEWS, WORKSHOPS, RETREATS & TEACHERTRAININGS, 5PRACTICE SPACE, 30MYTHOLOGY IN A MINUTE, 31WORKSHOP REVIEW, 35TEACHER’S VOICE, 35DIET, 37BOOK REVIEW, 39RECIPE, 40SPIRITUAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION, 41CROSSWORD, 43HATHI YOGI, 44TEACHER & STUDIO LISTINGS, 46

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namaskar

SOMETHING TO SHARE?If you have something to share with the yoga community in Asia and elsewhere (wedistribute around the World), please email [email protected]

It was a bit of a gamble suggesting Ishvara Pranidhana as the dristi for this issue. Wethought we might get one or two articles at most. So imagine our joy when six yogis sentin their interpretation of this complex and very personal niyama. The articles from Clayton,Don, Frank, Jeremy, Paul and Sankirtana range from very straightforward to ratheracademic. If you read them all, you ought to have a fully understanding.

Lawrence Pradhan in Anjanenasana (shot by Nitai Holt) graces our cover. From his strongfoundation, he has the confidence to soften his heart, reaching back and up, offering hisheart to something greater. What a fitting image to accompany our dristi.

Thanks to their contribution as well as those of Amy, Benjamin, Carol, Claudia, Maya,Moosa, Tia, Ursula, Vicky, Wai-Ling, Yogesvara and all our advertisers for making thisanother lovely issue.

With the relocation of our copy editor Joanna to India last year, we find ourselves a bitshorthanded. If you have experience or interest in editing and writing writing, and havesome time on your hands, please drop me an email ([email protected])

Having spent the last five years trying to get pregnant, being pregnant and having anewborn around, one of my new year’s resolutions is to invest more in my own yogaeducation. So imagine my excitement to see that Ashtanga teacher David Swenson and yinyoga teachers Paul & Suzee Grilley will be in Asia this year. David needs no introduction,but the Grilleys are perhaps less known here. The Yin practice and their teaching have beenso important to me that I plan to attend their workshops and trainings in Hong Kongand Singapore. Even if you do not currently practice Yin, I am confident you will benefitfrom their teachings. And if you do teach or practice Yin, then you should seize thisopportunity to study with teachers who are as close to the source of yin yoga as you willfind today.

Frances GairnsEDITOR

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NEWS

MONTHLY KIRTAN AT PURE YOGA,

HONG KONGKirtan is a Bhakti Yoga practiceof chanting Sanskrit mantraswith music. Mantras carrysound vibrations that have apowerful healing effect on alllevels of our being. ChantingKirtan is like an active,effortless meditation that helpsyou dissolve thoughts,releasing you from thepreoccupations of everyday life.It is wonderful for stressrelease, mental relaxation,creating inner peace and calm,and cultivating joy and bliss.

Chant and unite with others inyoga for the heart - a musicalmeditation journey held onevery last Friday evening of themonth. It’s a complimentaryevent open to all.

For more information call+852 2971 0055.

AWARDS FOR KAMALAYA KOH

SAMUI, THAILANDThe Kamalaya WellnessSanctuary & Holistic Spa, KohSamui was honoured in fiveseparate spa awards worldwidefor 2010. They were namedone of five winners of the“Favourite Destination SpasInternational’ category of theSpa Magazine 2010 Silver SageReaders’ Choice Awards in theU.S. The other four awardswere SpaFinder Readers’ ChoiceAwards; the 7th Annual CrystalAwards Asia Pacific; the 4thAnnual TATLER UK SpaAwards; and the 8th AnnualThailand Tourism Awards.

Kamalaya is located amid alush, tropical landscape on thesouthern coast of Koh Samui.

For more information visitwww.kamalaya.com

NEW HOT YOGA STUDIO,

SINGAPOREUpdog Studio is the first andonly hot yoga studio fitted

with full facilities in the EastCoast area. The 5,000 sq ftspace caters to families andindividuals alike.

Located at 902 East CoastParkway, Block B, #02-05APlayground@Big Splash.

For more information visitwww.updog-studio.com orcontact [email protected] / +65 64400282.

DIWALI CELEBRATION AT KARMA

YOGA, HONG KONGOn 6 November Karma Yogaheld a party for members andguests to celebrate Diwali; thefestival of lights, with up to200 participants. It was a fun-filled evening with livelyperformances by members andteachers.

4TH ANNUAL BALISPIRIT FESTIVAL23-27 MarchThe BaliSpirit Festival is aspiritually charged event thatcelebrates yoga, dance andmusic and the synergy ofglobal cultural collaborationthrough the arts. This annualcelebration brings to Bali awealth of talented andrespected creative masters fromaround the world, merging theindigenous and rich cultures ofIndonesia in the spirit of

learning, collaboration and thecelebration of our creative andspiritual diversity.

Featuring top-notch yoga anddance instructors alongsideincredible world musicians,BaliSpirit is one of the mostcomprehensive and dynamicFestivals of yoga, dance andmusic known internationally.

Some of this year’sinternational headliners include:Spiritual Leader Pujiya SwamiChidanandjMark Whitwell (Heart of Yoga)Yogaswari and Cat AlipDouglas (Jiivamukti Yoga)Danny Paradise (AshtangaYoga and Shaminism)Uma Inder (Tantra Yoga andAyurveda) Tara Judelle (Anusara Yoga)

Early bird tickets are availableonline.

For more information visitwww.balispiritfestival.com

STUDIO AVAILABLE FOR HIRE,

HONG KONGStudio Bliss is a newlydecorated practice room,located in Tsim Sha Tsui. Acomfortable and quiet space of500 sq ft with wooden floors,large mirrors and musicfacilities.

For more information call+852 9196 0395 or visitwww.studio-bliss-hk.com

HKU MASTER OF BUDDHIST

STUDIES 2011-12 – HAPPINESS

IS…In the process of acquiringproper understanding offundamental Buddhistteachings and their relevance incontemporary society, you mayalso learn more about yourselfand the path to true happiness.

Programme Objectives:• to offer quality teaching onthe fundamental

understanding and in-depthanalysis of Buddhism.• to elucidate on the applicationof Buddhist teachings inmodern societies

Areas of Study:• history and doctrines ofvarious Buddhist traditions• contemporary Buddhism• Buddhism as applied incounselling, palliative care andpsychotherapy• scriptural languages andtextual studies

Closing Date of Application: 1March 2011Course Commencement:September 2011

For more information visitwww.buddhism.hku.hk, call+852 2859 2847 or [email protected]

B.K.S. IYENGAR’S 92ND BIRTHDAY

CELEBRATIONOn 14 December 2010, worldrenowned Yogacharya B.K.S.Iyengar celebrated his 92ndbirthday. A puja ceremony(ritual) was conducted at theRamamani Iyengar MemorialYoga Institute (RIMYI) inPune where over 400 of hisstudents, from around theworld, attended.

Following the puja, some ofMr. Iyengar’s first studentsshared stories from the earlyyears of his life as a teacher.Some of these students havebeen practicing with him forover 40 years. One student,now in his 90’s, highlighted hisgenius; and another long timestudent shared some stories ofMr. Iyengar as a family man.

Mr. Iyengar addressed thestudents at the birthdaycelebration, speaking about thepractice of asana. In his talk, hesaid, whilst he did asanas atone stage for his health, asanaswere to be practiced for morethan only health. Elaborating

Karma Yoga students &teachers perform at the studio’sDiwali celebration

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on the meaning of brahmacarya,Mr. Iyengar said brahmacaryawas making the Soul, the Self,flow in the body. He said“asanas have the beauty, thegrace of awakening thedormant being to becomingsomething so that youexperience the illuminativequality of the Seer”. The keybeing how the asanas werepracticed.

THE YOGA RAJ - NEW YOGA

STUDIO IN BRISBANE, AUSTRALIAThe Yoga Raj is a new yogastudio in Brisbane whichteaches Sakshin GhatasthaYoga classes at the BrisbanePowerhouse and New FarmState School. For more information visitwww.theyogaraj.comor www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=173486309333805&index=1

THE HATHA YOGA PRADIPIKA WITH

SUMATI MARUT, CINDY LEE AND

CASSANDRA DELARIOSPure Yoga Singapore - NgeeAnn City7 - 9 January

The most famous book onyoga ever written is the YogaSutra; but there is nothing inthe text about how to do thespecific poses or asanas ofyoga. The source for all thesystems of yoga followed inthe world today is called Lighton the Yoga of Sun andMoon, or Hatha YogaPradipika. The Indian yogiSwatmarama wrote thiscomprehensive explanation ofthe entire physical and spiritualpath of yoga about 500 yearsago.

For more information,enquiries, or to register visitwww.pure-yoga.com or [email protected]

MEDITATION COURSES WITH VIKAS

MALKANISoulCentre Academy, SingaporeJanuary & May

Vikas Malkani is the author of“The Little Manual ofMeditation” and “The LittleManual of Happiness”

Benefits of Meditation practiceinclude a calm mind, stress-freeliving, regulated bloodpressure, stable emotions,control of anger and freedomfrom depression and anxietyjust to name a few. Improvedfocus and concentration as aresult of meditation create astronger immune system. Thisleads to complete relaxation ofthe nervous system and animproved flow of life energy inthe body.

‘Meditation Made Simple’ - 18,19 , 25, 26 JanuaryLearn how to stay positive in anegative time, and bring outthe best from within yourself.

WORKSHOPS

Learning meditation fromVikas will give you the solidfoundation and tools you needto stay positive everyday ofyour life and to become strongand stable within regardless ofexternal changes. ‘Meditation in Action’ - Makemeditation practice an integralpart of your daily life10, 12, 24 and 26 May

This course will make thepractice of meditation anessential and integral part ofyour daily life. You will feelstrong and stable on themental and emotional levels,and your body will benefit too.

For both workshops you canchoose either morning orevening sessions:Morning Sessions - 10 am tonoonEvening Sessions - 7-9 pm

Meditation taught atSoulCentre Academy is totallynon-religious.

For more information call +65-98752372; +65-81287418; [email protected] orvisitwww.soulcentre.org,www.soulkids.org

COUPLES BIRTH PREPARATION

WORKSHOPThe Yoga Room, Hong Kong22 January, 26 February & 19March

Workshop with childbirthspecialist, Peggy ChiuHeld 3 - 6 pm on 22 January;26 February; and 19 March.Cost: HK$500 for yoga roommembers; HK$550 for non-members per workshop.

For more information call+852 2544 8398 or visitwww.yogaroomhk.com

FAMILY WARRIOR FLOW WITH

KOOKHEE ANDERSSON AT FLEX,

HONG KONG9am SaturdaysLed by talented KookHeeAndersson, this unique classallows parents to bond withtheir child(ren) in a fun anddynamic class. Kids as youngas 6 years old can join parents(at half-price) in this 75 minuteVinyasa flow class, to get theweekend off to a great start. Sweat, giggle, stretch, flow andrelax with your loved ones!

To sign-up for this class, call+852 2813 2212; [email protected]; or sign-uponline www.flexhk.com on theSchedule page.

B.K.S. Iyengar at his 92nd birthday celebration in Pune, India

Kook Hee leads family yogaat Flex in Hong Kong

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GROUNDING YOUR SELF-

PRACTICE WITH SUDHAKAR

DHEENANPure Yoga Hong Kong -Central13-27 February &28 February-14 March

Celebrate the new year with anew concept in yoga practice.Building on the foundation ofDheesan Yoga, Journey ofYoga is a ContinuousEducation for Students (CES).Its a series of courses and aperiod of self-practice thatprovide powerful learningopportunities for aspiringstudents who want to furtherimprove and refine their yogapractice and comprehension.Students will learn thefundamental classic yogaprinciples and Dheesan yogatechniques and how to applythem to their practice, gainingtrue benefit from yoga.


A WILD LOTUS EVENT: THE 108-

HOUR ANUSARA IMMERSION WITH

PATRICK CREELMANPure Yoga Singapore - NgeeAnn City24-27 FebruaryPure Yoga Hong Kong -

Central2-6 MarchPure Yoga Singapore - NgeeAnn City18-22 May

Time to grow...PatrickCreelman, a certified Anusarayoga teacher and yogaprogramme director for PureYoga across Asia, is currentlyoffering a 108-hour, three-partimmersion into Anusara yoga,an in-depth journey into thestudy of Anusara yogaintended to help students reachnew heights in their ownpractice. All dedicated anddeeply curious yoga students,teachers, and aspiring yogateachers are welcome!


FULL MOON KUNDALINI SERIESThe Yoga Room, Hong Kong27 February

Full Moon in Virgo - Yoga forPurification and Healing withKRI certified yoga instructor,Neil IrwinHeld from 2 - 6 pm on 27February. Cost: HK$450 forYoga Room members;HK$500 for non-members.

For more information call+852 2544 8398 or visitwww.yogaroomhk.com

YOGA SUTRA INTENSIVE WITH

GESHE MICHAEL ROACHPure Yoga Hong Kong - TsimSha Tsui15-17 March

This 3-day intensive covers allthe main ideas of the YogaSutra, and teaches you how toapply them in real life. It willbe taught by Geshe MichaelRoach, who is the firstAmerican to be awarded thedegree of “Geshe” or “Master”in a Tibetan monastery, after

more than 20 years of study—including many spent on bothinner and outer yoga. GesheMichael is the author of a newtranslation called The EssentialYoga Sutra (Random House,2005), as well as How YogaWorks (2005), a detailedexplanation of the text, andThe Tibetan Book of Yoga(Three Leaves Doubleday,2005).


WINGS OF THE HEART: SHOULDER

THERAPEUTICSGuangzhou, China17 March

Led by Ansuara teacher LoisNesbitt.

For more information [email protected]

YOGA AND ANATOMY WITH CHRIS

KUMMERPure Yoga Singapore - NgeeAnn City23-24 April

Patrick offers a three-partAnusara immersion at PureYoga in Hong Kong & Singapore

China-based Anusara teacherLois Nesbitt

Delve deep into the YogaSutras with Geshe MichaelRoach in Hong Kong

Learn tools and receivepowerful knowledge thatenables you to lead an active lifethat improves with time. Therefinement of movement andyoga practices can transformyour yoga from exercise totherapy, self-improvement andhealth insurance. Yoga anatomyis about exploring your bodyand taking more ownership ofit. The workshop will be veryinteractive with movement tounderstand the relationshipwith yoga and anatomy. Theworkshop will be posture-cliniccentered.


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TEACHER TRAININGSRETREATS

SACRED WATER YOGA RETREAT

WITH WENDY WYVILLDesa Seni Village Resort - Bali,Indonesia5-11 February

Wendy invites you to a playfulretreat where she will sharetechniques of pranayama andchakra tuning, demystifymeditation and deepen yourasana practice. Then stepoutside your comfort zone andlearn to surf! For more information,enquiries, or to register visitwww.pure-yoga.com or [email protected]

ANUSARA® YOGA IMMERSION I &

II WITH JONAS WESTRINGKaomai Lanna Resort, ChiangMai, Thailand9 - 26 February

Through the practice ofAnusara® Yoga studentsprogress rapidly andpowerfully. In this residentialretreat format, you will have theopportunity to dive deeply intopractice without the hustle andbustle of city life. Students willexpand their personal yogapractice, deepen theirstudentship, and enjoy a retreatsetting. Immersion I 9-16 Feb;Immersion II 18-25 Feb

For more information visitwww.shantaya.org

TRAINING IN KATHMANDU, NEPALJoin a team of highlyexperienced, qualified anddedicated teachers on a uniqueprogram held in theKathmandu valley of Nepal ina beautiful retreat centre locatedin the sacred mountains ofHimalaya.

This is a 300-hour/6 weekYoga Teacher Training Coursewhich includes a 200-hourYoga Alliance Certified Trainingprogram. In the additional twoweeks, you will:• Get certified in Thai Massage• Benefit from an introductionstudy of Ayurveda andNutrition “Yoga and the SacredFire - the Science of Agni”• Build 50 hours of TeachingExperience

For more information visitwww.yogi-nomad.org YIN YOGA TRAINING AND

MERIDIAN WORKSHOP WITH PAUL

& SUZEE GRILLEYTrue Yoga, Singapore12 - 17 February

Yin Yoga Teacher TrainingEnergetic Anatomy & Theory(Chakras & Meridians)This is a 30-hour Yoga AllianceTeacher Training course issuitable for anyone who wishesto practice or teach yoga from ascientific and energeticperspective. The weekendworkshop outlines theanatomy of meridians and isan excellent introduction forthose new to the subject. Theremaining four days expand onthese basics and include chakratheory, pranayama practice andmeditation. This course on“Chakras and Meridians” is acomplement to the course“Anatomy of Yoga”. They canbe taken in any sequence.

Yoga Asana, Anatomy &Meridians Workshop12-13 February (12–5:30pm)12 Feb - Yoga Asana &

Anatomy; 13 Feb - Yoga Asana& MeridiansEach day includes asanasessions and lecturepresentations about bones,muscles and meridians.

Yin Yoga Teacher Training :Energetic Anatomy & Theory(Chakras & Meridians)12–17 Feb (12-5:30pm daily,inclusive of both weekendworkshops) Key topics include:Pranayama and MeditationPhysiology, medicine,psychology and humanspiritualityChakras, Meridians and ChiTwo traditions of the energeticanatomyLearning model: Shravana,Manana, NididhyasaChi/pranaFasica and MeridiansMeridian pathwaysChakras and the physical bodyChakras and emotionsChakras and thoughtsBreath and ConcentrationMantra practice

A certificate of completion willbe awarded only to those whoparticipate in the full six-dayYin Yoga Teacher Training.

Cost: Yoga Asana & Anatomy(12 Feb) S$235Yoga Asana & Meridians (13Feb) S$235Yin Yoga Teacher Training (12 -17 Feb) S$1,435

For more information andregistration call +(65) 6733 9555or [email protected]

200-HOUR ANUSARA YOGA

TRAININGTheOrangeRoom Yoga &Pilates Center, Shanghai, China14 February-31 May

Uniquely designed classschedule (Mon, Wed & Fri, 9am - 2:30 pm) ideal for thosewho need to take care of the

household and allow them tostrike a balance between familycommitments and personaladvancement.

Spread-out learning (Feb-May):gives ample time to absorbknowledge.

Faculty are all experienced intherapeutic works: BenjaminFinnerty, Chris Kummer,Wayne Mateski, Dr. Sylvie Huand Patricia Liao. Cost: Pay by 20 January:RMB20,000 or RMB22,000after 21 January. For more information visitwww.theorangeroom.cn

YOGA ANATOMY TRAINING WITH

PAUL & SUZEE GRILLEYPure Yoga Hong Kong - TsimSha Tsui20 - 24 February

In an effort to meet thegrowing demand for training inyin yoga and anatomy Suzeeand Paul have developed a 30-hour, non-residential programthat is presented all over theworld. This course introducesthe 20 basic poses of yin yogaand how they are practiced. Allthe fundamental anatomicaland philosophical concepts arecovered. It transforms the wayteachers see a roomful ofbodies practicing asanas.


200-HOUR ASHTANGA VINYASA

AND PRE-NATAL YOGA TRAINING

COURSESThe Yoga Room, Hong Kong

Ashtanga Vinyasa training withregistered teachers Master Paaluand Satya from Singapore

Program 1: Intensive WeekdayClasses

IJonas Westring is leading twoAnusara immersions in Thailand

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28 February-25 MarchProgram 2: Part-time IntensiveWeekend Classes26 February-4 AprilCost: HK$30,000

25-hour Pre-natal Yoga TeacherTraining with Ashtanga Vinyasatraining with renowned teachertrainer Marie Martin fromAustralia

Dates: 15-17 MarchTime: 9-5pm (Fri to Sat); 9-6pm (Sun)Cost: Early BirdHK$4,000 (before 15 March);Regular HK$4,500

For more information call +8522544 8398 or visitwww.yogaroomhk.com

ANUSARA YOGA TEACHER

TRAINING: PART ONEYamayoga, Xian, China22-29 March

Be part of the first AnusaraYoga Teacher Training in China.

For more information [email protected] [email protected]

ASHTANGA YOGA TEACHER

TRAINING WITH DAVID SWENSONPure Yoga Hong Kong - TsimSha Tsui25 March-3 AprilPure Yoga Singapore - NgeeAnn City25-30 April

As in all courses run by DavidSwenson there is sure to beplenty of laughter and fun aswell as an incredible depth ofknowledge shared. Participantsare certain to learn more thanthey ever imagined possible in aweeklong course and have agreat time in the process. Don’tmiss this opportunity. For more information,enquiries, or to register visitwww.pure-yoga.com or [email protected]

KIDZYOGA IN SCHOOLS INTENSIVE

TEACHER TRAINING (ITT)Hong Kong28-31 March

The KidzYoga way, 4-dayintensive experiential trainingwill equip anyone who wantsto bring yoga to students of allages in schools. Witheducational-based yoga toolsand techniques, participants willlearn how to seamlesslyintegrate yoga in the classroom,PE, and start a Yoga Club, thatwill foster beautiful minds,healthy bodies andcompassionate students. Thisteacher training is perfect forparents, school teachers, yogateachers, nurses, OTs, PTs, andchild-focusedprofessionals. Yoga experienceis beneficial, but not arequirement for this training. Course fee is HK$ 7,500 (EarlyBird paid before 15 Februarymidnight) or HK$8,500. Heldat the Prince Hotel,Gateway, TST, Hong Kong.

For more information contactGrace Hetherington +852 98616227/ [email protected] or visitwww.kidzyoga-asia.com

ANUSARA YOGA IMMERSION: PART

TWONingbo, China31 March - 6 April

Curious to visit China?Expand your horizons bothon and off the mat! This 100-hour Anusara Yoga Immersionis divided into two parts of 50hours each, takes you deeperinto Anusara practice andphilosophy.

For more informationemail [email protected] [email protected] TRAINING WITH

CLAYTON HORTON

Boracay, Philippines1-31 May

200-Hour Yoga TeacherTraining. Finding strength inhis Ashtanga Vinyasabackground, Clayton is amodern green warrior. Heteaches students and studioshow to practice and teach withan eco-conscious.

For more information visitwww.greenpathyoga.org

ASHTANGA TEACHER TRAINING

WITH PAUL DALLAGHANSamahita Yoga Thailand18 June-16 July

Led by Paul Dallaghan since2000, Centered Yoga is Asia’smost respected andlongest running Yoga AllianceRegistered Program at both 200and 500 levels.Now accepting applications forthe Foundation level.

For more information visitwww.centeredyoga.com

Credited with popularising Yinyoga in the West, Paul & Suzeeteachers will be leadingworkshops and trainings atTrue Yoga in Singapore & PureYoga Hong Kong this February.Amazing opportunity to learnfrom the source.

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Dristi Ishvara Pranidhana

DeDeDeDeDevvvvvoooootion Ttion Ttion Ttion Ttion Tooooo

TTTTThe Lhe Lhe Lhe Lhe LororororordddddPoep Sa Frank Jude Boccio

ÎSHVARA-PRANIDHANA HAS LEDto much confusion, misunderstanding,controversy and even antipathy amongmany yoga students. And it all begins withthe way this concept is introduced byPatanjali in YS: I:23: îshvara-pranidhânâd vâtranslated into English as “Or samadhi isattained through dedication to the Lord.”It’s primarily that word “Lord” that pushessome people’s buttons!

But this aphorism has generatedcontroversy throughout history because theword “or” seems to suggest dedication tothe Lord is an alternative to the otherapproaches of taming the mind Patanjalioffers. Unfortunately, most traditionalYoga authorities reject this interpretation,considering dedication to the Lord asfundamental to all forms of Yoga, but thefact remains there have always been schoolsof anîshvara-yoga, with Buddhism beingperhaps the most popular.

What compounds the confusion andaversion is the mistranslating of the termîshvara as “God,” which is truly unfortunateand inappropriate since the Lord (îshvara) isneither the creator, nor the sustainer, northe destroyer of the Cosmos (prakriti).

Indeed, the Cosmos is entirelyindependent of the Lord’s existence. ForPatanjali, the primary function of the Lordseems to balance his emphasis on effort byinjecting the notion of grace into Yogapractice. The medieval commentator,Shankara Bhagavatpâda asserts this sûtrarefers to, and introduces Bhakti-Yoga intoThe Yoga-Sûtra. In the Bhagavad-Gîtâ (4.11),Krishna implies in whatever yogic practiceone may partake, Krishna understands it asa form of worshipping the Divine. Thisexplanation goes beyond the concern ofPatanjali, but does allow for the possibilityof a theistic approach, and I wish to makeclear I am not denying the possibility ofsuch an approach, but merely saying thisdoes not seem to be the intent of Patanjali.

When we look at this “Lord” that Patanjalipostulates, we see it is nothing like what weare generally inclined to think of when wethink of “God.” As Georg Feustein pointsout, Patanjali’s conception of the Lord ismost “peculiar and problematic.” Patanjalitells us îshvara is a “special self ” (purusha).What makes îshvara “special?” Ishavara is apurusha that has at no time ever been caughtin the activity of prakriti, specifically defined

as being untouched by the “causes ofaffliction” (kleshas) whereas all otherpurushas somehow do become“ensnared.”(YS: 1:24: klesha-karma-vipâka-âshayair aparâmrishtah purusha-visheshaîshvarah. “The Lord is a special Spirit [whois] untouched by the causes of affliction,action, [action’s] fruition and the [karmic]deposit.”)

The next two aphorisms say further aspectsof Ishvara’s “specialness,” making him aunique purusha among all other purushas, isthat tatra niratishayam sarvajna-bîjam (In Himthe seed of omniscience is unsurpassed)and pûrveshâm api guruh kâlena-anavacchedât(“[The Lord] was the teacher even of theearlier [Yoga masters] because of [His]nonlimitation by time).

Patanjali is saying in these two aphorismsthat the Lord, unlike other purushas, isnever subject to ignorance, and thus isintrinsically omniscient. Before liberation,all other purushas are afflicted withignorance, though containing the potential‘seed’ for omniscience. Of course, this iswhere logic breaks down in Patanjali’steachings, for when one finally realizes thetranscendent purusha, Patanjali says onerealizes it was never really “bound!” Thus,if our transcendental Self/purusha is alwaysfree, the entire drama of suffering andliberation occurs only on the stage of themind. Each of our purushas are naturallyomniscient as is îshvara!

In the following aphorism, Patanjali saysthe Lord, being eternal, is the guru of thefirst yoga teachers. Traditionally, this hasbeen understood as the revelation of yogictruth in the purified minds of the firstgreat yogis.

We needn’t believe in divine revelation, norin the notion of îshvara as synonymouswith “God,” to practice Yoga, and weneedn’t avoid or throw away the concept ofishvara-pranidhana. In fact, the concept ofishvara-pranidhana can still be a valuable one,and even a central one, for the successfulpractice of Yoga even for the most secularof yogis among us.

The word pranidhâna has been translated as“application,” “exertion,” “respectfulbehavior toward,” “submission to,”“orientation to” and “dedication.” ChipHartranft, in his translation andcommentary on The Yoga-Sûtra speaks of

the practice of opening

to what is greater

than oneself

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Even atheists can embark on this opening

by appreciating their own

dependence on the cosmos

îshvara as “pure awareness” untainted bythe afflictions of ignorance and self-identity, and the yoga-practitioner orientsherself to this pure awareness beyond allegoic mental formations:

Îœvara . . . is neither god nor puruºa in theusual sense but rather a divine mirrortoward which people throughout the agesmight turn in order to catch a glimpse oftheir own true nature and its possibility ofcomplete freedom from prakrticentrapment. (p. 12)

If we take the purpose of Yoga practice tobe the transformation of the “individualpersonality,” and for the deludedidentification with the ego to be seenthrough and transcended, then we can seeishvara-pranidhana as the practice of openingoneself to what is sensed or understood tobe greater than oneself. What this“something greater” is certainly need not beconceptualized as a Higher Being, God orSelf. Again, as Feurstein notes, even atheistscan “embark upon this opening-up” by“appreciating their own relativeinsignificance and dependence on thecosmos itself.”

While Vyasa explains ishvara-pranidhana asthe practice of a special kind of love orintention by which the Lord becomesinclined to favor the yogin, I like to focus onthe Mahayana Buddhist conceptualizationand practice of pranidhana as specifically thetaking of the Bodhisattva Vow, which isthe first step on the path of theBodhisattva. With this vow, the yogin andyogini make the firm, determined resolutionto attain enlightenment, not merely foroneself, but for all beings. Thus, one’swhole life and practice becomes “other-centered,” rather than focused on oneself.This is a wonderful way to devote one’s lifeto something larger or greater. In doing so,one is honoring the spirit of the practice ofishvara-pranidhana, in offering up all thefruits of our actions and efforts for theliberation of all beings.

The next time you begin your Yogapractice, whether it is to sit in meditation,practice asanas, cook a chocolate cake orchant a mantra, take a few moments tovisualize all those throughout the worldwho suffer (which truly includes all of us),and perhaps especially those who haven’tthe good fortune to be able to practice anyreal spiritual path, whether as a result of

poverty, ignorance or oppression of anykind. Dedicate your practice to theliberation of all these being. Hold backnothing. Give it all away!

Frank is an interfaithminister, yoga-dharmateacher and author ofMindfulness Yoga: TheAwakened Union of Breath,Body and [email protected]

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Surrender to GodClayton Horton

WITHOUT IT, OUR YOGA PRACTICEis said to be only “half baked”. But what isishvarapranidhana?

Ishvarapranidhana is one of the five Niyamas(observances) listed in Patanjali’s eightlimbed path of Ashtanga Yoga.Ishvarapranidhana is a part of our practicethat can be discussed and investigated tobetter understand the nature of our trueeternal Self.

Commonly regarded as “Surrendering toGod”, this Niyama deserves a bit moreexplanation. Ishvarapranidhana is more thanjust bowing to an icon on the altar. It is anattitude and a way of being which allowsone to identify with the eternal aspects ofone’s own self, rather than identifying withthe everchanging mind and body.

Ishvara is known as divine awareness,absolute consciousness, the eternal witnessthat lies within each of us. Pranidhnaindicates aligning with, applying one’s selfto, surrender, devotion and dedication.

Ishvarapranidhana can be regarded asorientating and aligning ourselves with ourown internal eternal divinity. An exampleof this is surrendering our mind and egoto witness our true self.

Patanjali states this surrendering of theactive mind with dedication and devotionallows one to attain and perfect Samadhi;union with the divine. Advancedpractitioners of yoga and meditation willagree surrendering the activities of themind is crucial in attaining deep states ofmeditation and beyond.

taking direction is a humble way to surrender

Patanjali begins the second chapter of theYoga Sutras by defining what a real yogapractice is.

He states along with Tapas, (discipline) andSvadyaya (self study), ishvarapranidhana isnecessary for a grounded and completeyoga practice. Surrendering has the capacityto reduce our own personal suffering,improve our quality of life and our yogapractice.

Yoga practitioners can integrate this niyamainto their lives in a multitude of ways.One is to surrender our own individualneeds and desires to serve andaccommodate our immediate community.Taking direction from a guru, teacher, orsomeone with greater knowledge thanourselves is a humble way to surrender andshow respect. Letting go of your plans,projections, agendas and opening up yourmind and heart and asking or praying fordirection is also a form of isvarapranidhana.

“Not my will, but Thy will” is a commonphrase that demonstrates humility andsurrender. Relinquishing desires of thesenses and accepting one’s fate / followingpersonal destiny (dharma) is a nobleexample. Not being attached to the resultsor fruits of your labor is a classic form ofishvarapranidhana that is helpful in reducingstress and suffering in the workplace.

Quieting the chatter of the mind duringmeditation and witnessing the beauty andsilence within, known as the “peace thatpasseth all understanding” is perhaps oneof the greatest examples of all.

Clayton is director ofGreenpath Yoga.www.greenpathyoga.com

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WWWWWherherherherhere we we we we we fe fe fe fe find Tind Tind Tind Tind True Jorue Jorue Jorue Jorue JoyyyyyDon Peers

THERE IS A STORY ABOUT A JOYFUL LITTLE GIRL PLAYING IN THEconcourse of a railway station, running between the benches and a mountain of bagswhich contained her family’s possessions. Walking through the station, a kindheartedwoman, watching the child at play, felt overwhelming sorrow for the poor child, nothaving a home, just a bench to call a bed and a bag of used toys.

Approaching the little girl, she offered money and kind words, “You poor dear not havinga home to live in,” to which the little girl replied, “I do have a home, just not a house,”and continued her joyful play.

When we are alienated from our true home or Nature, we are in the state of anxiety orsuffering (Duhkha). Ishvara Pranidhana is coming home: here we truly stop worrying aboutthe house and its trappings. It is impossible to underrate the importance of IshvaraPranidhana; Patanjali uses it three times verbatim and refers to its qualities six more times inthe Yoga Sutras, more than any other concept or practice.

DEFINING ISHVARA (GOD)Many of us have an automated memory response to the word God, which links to apositive or negative relationship we each have had. Our definition is made from memories,education, experiences, culture and many other influencing social factors.

In the last two centuries, God has become a term mainly associated with the adherents anddogma of religion - usually the most unattractive face of religion.

The essence of God is not found in the outward face of God (the house); this is but themental conjuring of our mind to spiritual experience. Others see God as the mother, thefather, universal energy, soul, consciousness, or pure awareness (Sat-Cit-Ananda). All are thefaces of God, reflected in the world around us (the home).

A home is not found in four walls or a facade but within an accepting, peaceful, nurturinglove that allows us to grow, and our wonder and joy to flourish. In yoga, this home iscalled the Self or we may call it a higher purpose in life, the human movement of self-actualization that Abraham Maslow noted in his ‘Hierarchy of Needs’.

Chip Hartranft in his transliteration of the Yoga Sutras, tells us “Ishvara is a divine mirror...allowing one to catch a glimpse of one’s own true nature.”

Our true nature is the reflection of our personal Ishvara, when we establish an honestrelationship with Ishvara; we start to explore Pranidhana, a relationship based in attention,honesty, trust and love.

DEFINING PRANIDHANAThe Cologne Sanskrit lexicon defines Pranidhana as: attention, respectful conduct, profoundreligious meditation, abstract contemplation of; vehement desire; prayer. More moderntranslators use the word surrender.

To pay true attention to our Ishvara brings the process of stillness. If we stop in our busylives and pay true attention, our world also slows, creating a deeper awareness in everyaction and moment. This attention brings stillness and silence to the mind, and we trulystart to see the seer in his/her own nature (YS 3:1)

If we are truly attentive in our practice, the stillness will allow awareness to grow. Clarityand acceptance in the now develops. In bringing contentment and surrender, fear is stilledand joy blossoms. Stop, and pay attention to a flower or your loved one. Notice the

calmness, stillness and openness withinthat brings you into a vacuum of fullness(sunyata).

SURRENDERFor the majority of us, the asmita (‘I’nessor Ego) is the motivator of our worldcreating the perception and actions in it.The ego manufactures our life story andour story becomes our view of life. Ourstory is our life. To quote Eckhart Tolle:“We do not have a life, we are life.” Herelies the distinction and the Avidya.

Surrender of our ego is difficult as many ofus find it hard to separate truth and ego.Fear is the motivating and controlling factorof this ego, playing an important part ofour life.

The fear of “not fitting in”, of “notmeasuring up” of “not being liked”,needing “xyz “ to be cool, means wemove to the beat of another’s drum. Whatwe believe will make us safe and happyneeds to be protected, or we believe we willbe empty or nothing. The fear isestablished by a strong sense of ego.

Surrendering this ego is a fear we all face inour practice: losing the identity we havecreated in Ishvara. The problem with manyof us is we don’t know how to surrendernor want to, as the cost seems too high.Letting go takes us to a place where the egoserves no purpose, a falsely perceived placeof the unknown. But the unknown is justthe home we have forgotten.

Surrender is a difficult term for many of us,with connotations of defeat or giving up.The motivation behind surrender must beclear (not for the fruits). Surrender is notpassive as Krishna teaches us in the Gita:“Be active but not attached to outcome”.Active surrender is found in practice.

From the theory to the practice; for what isYoga but practice:

1. Give attention to sensation during asana,respect the sensation, let go of tension anddeepen the awareness, allowing silence tocome.

2. Give attention to breath in pranayama. Itis the breath that shows us the intelligenceand subtlety of energy. Learning the softacceptance and surrender in Kumbhaka,deepening this art into Kaivalya.

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3. Pay attention in meditation, letting itgrow into concentration and deeperawareness. Stillness and silence becomingour friends and accepting the distractionsand letting them go.

As we sit in stillness and silence, thepresence of Ishvara reveals itself. “The voiceof God can only be heard in silence” - BedeGriffiths. The very nature of the stillnesswill deepen within, silencing the ravenousego and allowing the mind to settle intodeeper realms of silent consciousness.

The more awareness we develop, the morereality is unveiled (samyama) and we becomepresent in every moment of living,compassionate to ourselves and others(who are but extensions of ourselves andof Ishvara). In this attentiveness wesurrender to Ishvara, allowing our ego to fallaway and the fear that protects this ego. Aswe develop compassion, we find itdisassembles the ego.

For what is true compassion? “Do not unto others which would causepain if done to you” – Mahabharata.

“Consider others as yourself ” – Buddha

“Hurt not others in ways that you yourselfwould find hurtful.” – Confucius

“Do not do unto others what you wouldnot have them do unto you” - Rabi Hillel

“Do unto others as you would have themdo unto you” – Jesus.

“Hurt no one so that no one may hurtyou” - Mohammed.

In all the great traditions, we see theGolden Rule of equality and oneness.Acceptance of life allows the beginning ofgrowth. We are not spiritual seekerslooking for fulfilment in the future butdivine in the present, waiting to wake up.The practice is in the moment ofawareness, with us in the here and now.Ishvara pranidhana is realising home is alwayswith us. It is here we find true joy.

Don has been practicingsince 1993. He completed a3-year teacher training atYoga Synergy in Australiawith Simon Borg-Oliver.Don teaches at Yoga SpaceSingapore.www.akashayoga.asia

“COMPLETE SURRENDER IS LIKEfalling from a tall tree without flinching amuscle,” said the great sage Ramakrishna150 years ago. His point was clear, howmuch you cling to life, possessions, agendaor try to control the uncontrollable, exhibitpatterns of fear and selfishness.

Surrender implies complete trust, openingto the Divine plan of where, and how, lifetakes you. More than letting go or goingwith the flow, it is pure trust that carriesyou, raising something within throughyour heart. It is mostly explained asdevotion par excellence. Such devotiongives rise to grace, which is the lift within.This is Ishvara Pranidhana.

Ishvara Pranidhana is the most frequentstatement in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.This element is essential to a yoga practice,to life, to anyone working on themselves.The philosophy of yoga as presented byPatanjali accepts the theory of Samkhya asan explanation of evolution. But for it allto make sense and work in practical lifeterms this element of Ishvara is introduced.

Often Ishvara is taken to mean “God”. Ifthis were the case, yoga would be like otherreligions which tell you to follow a God.Which if you don’t, you could not callyourself a follower of this religion. This isnot yoga. Yoga offers a philosophy for lifeand provides us with a practice and meansto understand ourselves within thischanging world. There is no dogma, nostatement saying you must believe or dothis. In fact Patanjali freely uses “va” whichmeans “or”. Ishvara is your personalapproach to the Divine. You choose whatis personal for you: Jesus, Buddha,Krishna or your experience in nature.

DeDeDeDeDevvvvvoooootion, Ttion, Ttion, Ttion, Ttion, Trusrusrusrusrust &t &t &t &t &Paul Dallaghan

Active surrender is

found in practice

Surrender implies pure

trust, it carries you,

raising something

within your heart

15

What could help you understand is pranidhana, devotion, or rather its effect, that inner riseto grace. Ishvara resides in your own heart, usually blocked by the dirt of prejudice,selfishness and fear. A connection with it causes a rise, an opening you could not makehappen. Ishvara has a personal meaning for you that may not register with someone else.Though the human ego wants everyone to accept their way of belief because “it is correctand the only way”. The fact is the journey within, the effect from working on yourself, isan extremely personal, intimate affair.

Think of the trust and love a baby has for itsmother. To that baby its mother is Ishvara.The baby is crying and frustrated, but whenMama comes and picks it up it changes,relaxes and completely trusts how motherwill carry it. As we grow up we come againstmany similar frustrations, doubts and fears.These trap us even with all the yoga we do. Our heart cannot sprout. When you find yourconnection, when you can trust and be free, the love in the heart grows and grows. This isIshvara Pranidhana. Apply it when you are not sure what is happening next in your life, ifyou doubt the change coming to you, if you are resisting it. You can’t help but worryabout the future, become a little negative and insecure. Pause. Manage yourself and trustthe process. Put faith in your belief through the connection you are establishing to theDivine. It’s ok. There is an element of unknown. Hand over your fear and worries to yourbelief. And do appropriate action at the same time.

Ishvara Pranidhana comes up under kriya yoga and as one of the niyamas. As a kriya itemphasizes something devotional for you to do. Perhaps a ritual each day or some formof mental recitative practice. Ceremonies, rituals, practices can be learnt along with mantrasthat serve as a vehicle for you to offer to “your Ishvara” and thus connect. This process is toreveal the seed of it in the heart. Our arrogance will tell us it is rubbish or I can sit andopen my heart. Be careful here as the ego is deceptive. No matter who we are a medium isneeded to initiate a connection with grace.

If you want to meet a good friend today, you will contact them through a “medium” ofphone or email. Then using the appropriate “vehicle” you travel to where they are. After aperiod of time employing the vehicle to bring you to them you are finally together. Thisfeeling is hard to describe as it is more in your heart. Yet it came from an effort, a doingand you employed mediums and vehicles to bring about this “union”.

Ishvara Pranidhana as a niyama is more of the attitude of devotion you carry with you andlive your life with. See the Divine in all, be open, humble, gracious and respectful. Let go,let be, trust. Do you try to force a situation because it must be your way or you are afraidfor it to go another way? Sometimes we don’t even realize when we do this. This does notsuggest complacency, however, where whatever happens. There are times when you haveto stand up and be firm. Even then ready to accept the outcome. Put this into practice nexttime you are on the train feeling tense about whether you will be on time. Or when you areon a plane and there is a bout of turbulence. How do you feel then or can you ‘trust’?

For Patanjali the best expression of Ishvarais the Pranava. This is OM. It is the ultimatepurusha, above all others, untainted by time,never bound, eternally free, unlimited.Through realization one may become likeIshvara but Ishvara differs as it was neverbound to prakrti in the first place.

To receive the grace, the pranidhana, youneed to repeatedly chant this sound ofIshvara, Om, chant and feel it within you,without the mind wandering here andthere. Then your consciousness mergeswith the sound, intensifying the innerexperience. In the Sadhana Pada of YogaSutra, Patanjali highlights this by explainingthat from Ishvara Pranidhana samadhi isattained: “Samadhi-siddhir ishvarapranidhanat” (PYS II.44)

This devotion means surrendering allthoughts to the Divine, merging with theDivine. But it is dependent on the otheryamas and niyamas.

The different practices of yoga needdevotion and true trust to bear fruit. Whenyou practice, aim to merge your attentioninto what you are doing. Add an elementof mantra repetition to your practice anddo it wholeheartedly, mindfully. Gracecomes, the process of yoga deepens. Oneof my favorite sutras offers the approach:“Tajjapas tadartha bhavanam” (PYS I.28)

Repeat, repeat, repeat, whether it be themantra or another form of practice, andwith feeling, a connection, nevermechanical. This feeling, connectionthrough repetitive practice is the process ofIshvara Pranidhana.

Paul is the director ofYoga Thailand andCentered Yoga.www.yoga-thailand.comwww.centered-yoga.com

HumilitHumilitHumilitHumilitHumilityyyyy

See the Divine in all, be open, humble, gracious

and respectful

16

WHO IS ISVARA?Sutra 1.24 describes Isvara as a special soul(purusa visesa) who is untouched by theobstacles to the practice of yoga (listed laterin 2.3 as ignorance, ego, attachment,aversion, and the will to live), karma, thefructification of karma, and subsconsciouspredispositions.

Edwin Bryant traces the word Isvara to theroot is, to have extraordinary power andsovereignty. In the Atharvaveda (c. 1000B.C.E.), Isvara refers to a personal butunnamed god. In contrast to the wordbhagavan, which would seem to refer to adefinite, personal divine being such as Siva,Visnu or Krsna, Isvara seems to be more ofa philosophical category – undefined as toparticulars to encompass whatever divinebeing the yoga practitioner might prefer.

Sutra 1.25 describes Isvara as all-knowing. Insutra 1.26 we read he was the teacher of theancients, because he is not limited by time– thus Isvara is also eternal. Isvara wouldalso seem, then, to be actively involved inthe world as a communicator ofknowledge (teacher of the ancients) and asa dispenser of grace in assisting hisdevotees in their yogic practice towardssamadhi. According to sutras 1.27-28, Isvaramakes himself available in the sound om.

WHAT DOES PATANJALI MEAN BY SURRENDER?Bryant translates pranidhanat as devotion,dedication. For Ramamurti S. Mishra it issurrender of individuality andidentification, and goes on to relate thissutra to the practice of meditation onIsvara:

Perfection is attained positively by directingthe force of attention, chittam, to Ishvara,Saguna Brahman, by means of self-surrenderof the individual personality and identitywith the properties of Ishvara. Bymeditation on Ishvara with devotion, love,and knowledge, self-consciousness iselevated and in the light of Ishvara,mindstuff of a meditator is enlightened.

Bryant’s commentary on the Sutras also

refers to an “Isvarizing” of the mind andpersonality of the practitioner ofdevotional bhakti yoga, parallel to thegradual “sattvicizing” of the yogi’s bodyand lifestyle through constant practice ofthe eight limbs of kriya yoga.

How then does one practice this devotionto Isvara? Sutras 1.27-28 indicate Isvara isrepresented by the mystical syllable om, andrepetition of this syllable should beperformed while contemplating itsmeaning. Om can be repeated audibly,softly, or silently. The bhakti traditions ofIndia have incorporated om into the japamantras directed to differentmanifestations of Isvara; thus whiledevotees of Siva, Visnu, or Krishna mightrepeat om namah Sivaya, om nama Narayanaya,or om namo bhagavate Vasudevaya respectively,all these mantras include, and are perhapseven generated by the syllable om.

Traditionally, the energy of sound vibrationis considered to be a powerful force, whichcan penetrate, mould, and changeseemingly solid matter. In addition, thesound of a word is considered to containthe energy of the person or thing itrepresents. Thus, repeating the name ofGod, whether or not the practitionerunderstands or believes the powercontained in the words, has an effect on thepractitioner’s body and mind.

The commentators on the Sutrasunderstood this as a “sattvicizing” of thepractitioner’s mindstuff, making her or himmore receptive to God, and thus creatingconditions conducive to a face-to-faceencounter with God. Ramamurti S. Mishrahas this to say about om, the sonicrepresentation of God:

“This sentient Absolute Teacher, Ishvara, isan Absolute Principle of Consciousnesswithout name and form. It is radiatingand shining everywhere. Symbolically it iscalled Om … Ishvara is Om, supreme music… The entire universe is penetrated by thissupreme music. In an individual it ismanifested as a ringing sound in one’shead. By meditating on it, yogins feel

TTTTThe Ultimathe Ultimathe Ultimathe Ultimathe Ultimate Goe Goe Goe Goe Goal oal oal oal oal of Yf Yf Yf Yf Yogic Progic Progic Progic Progic PracticacticacticacticacticeeeeeJeremy Maine

IN SUTRA 1.23, PATANJALI PRESENTS ISVARA PRANIDHANA, SURRENDER TO GOD, AS A MEANS FOR ATTAININGsamadhi. Who is this Isvara? What does Patanjali mean by surrender? Why surrender to God? What results from surrender to Isvara?

Isvara, a special soul

untouched by the

obstacles to the

practice of yoga


17

increase in intensity and volume andultimately they realize that the entireuniverse is vibrating in nadam … As in therelative world there is no distinctionbetween the name and the substance whichis named, so there is no distinctionbetween nadam and Ishvara. Therelationship between sunlight and sun isanalogous to that between nadam andIshvara ... Ishvara is like the sun. Pranava,nadam, Om is like the sunlight.”

It would seem meditation on om, both asthe sonic representation of the Divine andas the constant hum of the physicaluniverse, is an invitation to a personalencounter with the common underlyingSource – the basic mystical experiencefound (often hidden) at the core ofreligious practice: whether Sufism in Islam,Kabbala in Judaism, or prayer of silence inthe Christian tradition.

The practice of japa, mantra repetition,appears again in sutra 2.44, where Patanjalistates svadhyaya (study of scripture anddevotional repetition of om) leads to therevelation of one’s personal deity (ista-devata). Gregor Maehle comments:

“Which deity that is [ista-devata] is notspecified. The practice of yoga is open to

all faiths. According to yogic teachings, alldeities are but representations of the oneSupreme Being. Because there is only one,they cannot be representations ofsomebody else. The Supreme Being is aprojection of the formless absolute.Because that is difficult to comprehend, it isacceptable to project an image onto theSupreme Being. This image is one’sishtadevata, one’s meditational deity. Themeditation deity will enable us to develop aclose personal relationship with theSupreme Being. However, as the BhagavadGita states, “Whatever deity you worship,you always worship me.”

In the Indic context of Patanjali’s place andtime, ista-devata refers most likely to Siva,Visnu or one of his avatars such asKrishna. However, Patanjali’s descriptionthe yoga of devotion is far-sightedly open

and inclusive of whatever manifestation ofthe Divine the individual practitioner’scultural-karmic-prakrtic makeup andconditioning might indicate.

Devotional surrender to Isvara parallels themessage of the Bhagavad Gita and its pathof bhakti, devotion. In the Gita, Krishnaenjoins Arjuna to act in the world whilegiving up all desire for the fruits of hisactions. By surrendering his expectations ofreward or punishment, Arjuna has theopportunity to freely do what he knows ishis duty without getting caught up inthoughts of attachment or aversion. This“giving up” is surely an element of Isvarapranidhana – the practitioner of yoga, seeingthe road towards samadhi fraught withdifficulty, gives up trying to get there on hisor her own power, and seeks the assistanceof Isvara, the Supreme Teacher.

WHY SURRENDER TO GOD?This path of devotion and total dedicationto Isvara seems, at the outset, to be anoptional one, as indicated in sutra 1.23 bythe concluding va, meaning “or,” as if thepractitioner of yoga could either meditateon Isvara or on something else. Indeed,according to sutra 1.39, “Or [one can attainsamadhi] from meditation upon anything ofone’s inclination.” However, Patanjali

seems to indicate devotional meditation onIsvara, as opposed to meditation on anotherobject, can accelerate the devotee’s progresstowards samadhi. Isvara pranidhana seemsthen to be the most expedient path; thissentiment is echoed in Bhagavad Gita 12.1-4,where Krishna tells Arjuna the best devoteeis the one engaged in (bhakti) yoga,although the practitioner who is focused onthe individual self will also attain Krishnain the end (Bryant 85).

Whereas the first chapter of the YogaSutras, Samadhi pada, focuses on meditativepractice towards the attainment of samadhi,the second chapter, Sadhana pada, describes amore action-based practice – kriya-yoga –which is perhaps intended for practitionerswhose minds are not yet refined enough todistinguish the subtleties of the various

samadhis outlined in the first chapter. Kriya-yoga, the path of action, consists of self-discipline, study, and dedication to God(sutra 2.1); Isvara pranidhana is therefore anecessary, non-optional ingredient in kriya-yoga, whereas it would appear to beoptional in the meditative path described inchapter one.

Isvara pranidhana appears again in sutra 2.32,listed along with cleanliness, contentment,austerity, and study of scripture as one ofthe five observances (niyamas) describing theyogi’s moral practice. Here again, devotionalsubmission to God seems to be a non-optional element in the practice of kriya-yoga.

WHAT RESULTS FROM SURRENDER TO ISVARA?As discussed above, the practitioner ofyoga, repeating om and fixing his mind onGod, surrenders the work of treading theyogic path to God, and in time attains aclear vision of his own soul (individualpurusa) in light of his experiencing thenature of God (the supreme purusa) inmeditation. In sutras 35-45, Patanjali liststhe benefits the practitioner attains fromthe practice of the moral restraints andobservances (yamas and niyamas); sutra 2.45states practicing devotional submission toGod results in the perfection of samadhi.Of all the moral practices, only Isvarapranidhana promises a non-material benefit– and one that is after all the ultimate goalof yogic practice.

A native of the UnitedStates, Jeremy lives inTrondheim, Norway, wherehe is exploring the overlapbetween the practices ofclassical piano, musiceducation and Ashtangayoga. He studies yoga withAlex Medin in Oslo.

practicing devotional submission to God

results in the perfection of samadhi

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EIGHT PROGRESSIVE STEPS LEADto the attainment of samädhi, the ultimategoal of yoga. The first and second stepsboth have five subdivisions. Here wediscuss the fifth subdivision of the secondstep, niyamah: çauca-santoña-tapaù-svädhyäyeçvara-praëidhänäni (Sutra 2.32).

The previous subdivisions we discussedwere cleanliness, satisfaction, austerity, andself-study. The fifth is perhaps the mostpuzzling directive. It evokes the notion ofthe Éçvara (controller) and suggestssubmission (praëidhänäni).

Patanjali already used the word Éçvara intexts 1.23-27 and said the syllable OM isthe Éçvara and by mediation on the soundOM one will achieve enhancedconcentration. He reassured in text 2.45that perfection in meditation (samädhi)comes from resolute devotion to the Éçvara(samädhi-siddhir éçvara-praëidhänät).

To better comprehend this fifth directive,let us look at the goal of yoga practice:samädhi. The word is closely related to theword samähitam, which means “the state inwhich all questions are answered,” or “thestate in which one is established in one’strue nature.” In samädhi one casts off alllimitations and causations; one enjoyseternal bliss and happiness. Yogis knowsamädhi as a mystical fulfilment ofindividuality and existence.

What function does the Éçvara have in theattainment of samädhi? Éçvara meanscontroller. The Bhagavad-gita often uses theword Éçvara in combination with anotherword to qualify the extent or type ofcontrol: mahä-éçvaram (5.29; 10.3; 13.23);parama-éçvara (11.3; 13.28); yoga–éçvara (11.4);mahä-yoga-éçvaraù (11.9); viçva-éçvara (11.16).

In contrast, in text 15.8, Éçvara refers to theindividual living entity. He is described asÉçvara in the sense he has the free will todirect his destiny. Therefore, everyone canbe considered an Éçvara, or controller, but

the tiny controllers are still controlled by others in various ways. There is, however, acontroller who is the ultimate controller and beyond any control: Éçvaraù paramaù. He is thecontroller of everything (sarva-käraëa-käraëam). It is not correct to assess all Éçvaras as equal,when in fact the difference is huge.

In my study of different yoga teachings I regularly encounter this misconception. WhenPatanjali says one should focus on the Éçvara, some readers conclude they must focus onthemselves. But does he really instruct this? We can understand samädhi as a union betweentwo; a link, expressed by the word yoga, whose English derivative is “yoke”. In thisversion the tiny Éçvara links with the Éçvarah paramah.

One reason many misunderstand the proper meaning is they assume dismantling the falseego results in an absence of ego. They think when Patanjali describes the two stages ofsamädhi (sabija and nirbija) – one with and the other without “seeds,” or desires – he is

indicating there is a state of existencewithout any sense of individuality.

However, sabija can also mean the sense ofindividual interest separate from the Éçvarais retained and the seeds of desire andattachment still remain in a latent form. In

contrast, in nirbija, or seedless samädhi, the individual’s consciousness is completely unitedwith the Éçvara. Individuality is not absent, but there is no more separate interest from theÉçvara. The yogi surrenders all separate interests to serve only the interests of the Éçvara. Inthis way he is nirbija and gains entry into the eternal spiritual realm (Vaikuntha).

If the yogi identifies the Éçvara with his own self, there is a chance to merge into thespiritual effulgence, the Éçvara-sayuja. This type of samädhi is the desired destiny for many.

We discover a devotional union with the Éçvara and a non-devotional one. The Bhagavad-gita compares different yoga systems and concludes the devotional approach is the best(6.47). Persons who practise devotional yoga, approach the Éçvara in the mood of service:praëipatya - offering obeisances; praëipätena - by approaching a spiritual master (Bg 4.34).

The Gita further declares (4.11): ye yathä mäà prapadyante täàs tathaiva bhajämy aham: “As theyapproach Me (the Éçvarah-paramah), I reward them accordingly.” Those who desire to mergeinto the spiritual effulgence are awarded that impersonal status, and those who aspire toloving friendship attain that state.

In any case, éçvara-praëidhänät, surrender to the Éçvara, is a method for protecting oneselffrom the dangers of attachment, false identification, and the idea of “I am the doer.” Inmy practise, I listen carefully to the sound of the Maha-Mantra. It is a transcendental realitylike the syllable OM, and I do not allow my attention to wander. If it happens I think ofsomething else while vibrating the spiritual sound, I essentially deem these thoughts asmore real and important, and this amounts to self-deception. The benefit from thisdistracted type of meditation is meager.

However, if the practise of éçvara-praëidhänät is done attentively, if I chantattentively, I’m spiritually surcharged to face my daily work without therisk of getting entangled in or attached to any mundane situation. Thustemporary existence becomes a happy samädhi experience ending in eternity.

Sankirtana holds a degree as yoga teacher from the Vrindavan Institutefor Higher Education. He works with a travel agent in Beijing to takeChinese yoga students to Risikesh, Bodhgaya and other holy places inIndia. [email protected]

ÉçvÉçvÉçvÉçvÉçvararararara-pra-pra-pra-pra-praëidhänäni: aëidhänäni: aëidhänäni: aëidhänäni: aëidhänäni: As underAs underAs underAs underAs underssssstttttood frood frood frood frood from the om the om the om the om the BhagaBhagaBhagaBhagaBhagavvvvvad-gitad-gitad-gitad-gitad-gitaaaaaSankirtana Dasa

Bhagavad-gita compares yoga systems and

concludes the devotional approach is the best

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Kundalini and Cancer CureVicky Wong

EVE CHARANPAL KAUR CHAN OFFERS FREE KUNDALINIyoga to cancer patients, survivors and their families in Hong Kongevery Saturday 8 – 9 am at Shakti Healing Circle in Central. “I havealways wanted to practise seva [selfless service] but working infinance, there’s nothing much I can do,” Eve says.

Kundalini may not be the most popular form of yoga but it is verytransformative and healing. Two of Eve’s aunts succumbed tocancer after conventional treatment, but her father has recoveredafter a regime of super food concentrates, detoxing and alkalinzinghis system. “I also forgave him without him knowing it,” Evesmiles. That is the power of healing which does not necessarily liein surgery, chemo or radioscopics which can ruin the entire bodysystem afterwards.

Eve offers Kundalini yoga classes to all affected by cancer: patients,families, doctors and nurses. She teaches them meditation to helpthem be emotionally stable to cope with stress. Kundalini yoga cansupport cancer patients’ immune system and detoxify their bodiesby building up inner heat which increases blood circulation. It isproposed that cancer is related to repressed issues. Throughmeditation people can explore this often unknown territory, look at

what is really going on and unlock their unconscious mind.It also helps balance the chakras. For example, breast cancer issupposedly related to energy blockages at the heart chakra which isabout passion, compassion, unconditional love, openness andacceptance. Healing power and awareness lie within ourselves - yogaand meditation is the doorway to the greater awareness aboutourselves, our relationship with ourselves and the world. Scientificresearch of mantras and meditation at Harvard has seen patientsrecovering from depression and diabetes through Ayervedic dietand Kundalini yoga.

Everyone is a teacher with universal wisdom within our heart, saysEve. “Kundalini is the door to the potential every human beinghas at the bottom of their spine; it is like a telephone line thatconnects to the universe. Once you have awakened this, you will beone with all and be submerged in a total sense of bliss and peacewhere the ego dissolves. There will be no more separation; itmakes your heart sing and you feel love, blessed and grateful.”

http://kundaliniyogaiam.wordpress.com/2010/09/05/free-healing-kundalini-yoga-classes-for-cancer-patients-survivors/

Vicky has been a travel and lifestyle journalistand is now focusing on dharma and socialconsciousness. She started her yoga journey twoyears ago after meeting Geshe Michael Roach.

Karma Yoga

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Steve Merkley

THE WORLD’S MOST CHERISHEDspiritual traditions are concerned most withpractical results. Teachers and students alikewant to know: does the practice work? Dothe methods reveal the fruits of the view?Is it possible to experience radicaltransformation in the span of one life?

Of the traditions that prioritize in this wayall are in agreement on the foundation oflife: the Five Elements. And, despite theculture of origin and minor semanticdifferences, each of these traditionsemphasize practices that harmonize andbalance the gross and subtle experience ofearth, water, fire, wind and space.

As stated by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, inHealing with Form, Energy and Light: The FiveElements in Tibetan Shamanism, Tantra, andDzogchen, “An understanding of theelements forms the basis of medicine,astrology, the calendar, and psychology, andit underlies the spiritual traditions ofshamanism, tantra, and Dzogchen” (alongwith Indian Tantra, Vajrayana Buddhism,Daoism, etc).

But, what if we are not so intent on theawesome promises of these traditions –full and radical enlightenment in onelifetime? What if we are not interested inan all-consuming spiritual path? If these“enlightenment-systems” are really so greatwhat can they do for us, the people in themiddle? How can these practices improvethe lives of those who hold down 9-to-5s,have a few kids, and might like to dothings with our free time other thanmeditate? How about the regular, sincere,hard-working folk of the world whosimply want to be healthy and happy? Canthe technologies of enlightenment thathave been developed, refined and perfectedfor millennia help us, too? Absolutely.

Thankfully, this adept wisdom is perfectlyapplicable to our every-day lives. In fact, itis suited just for us – every single one ofus. All of our experience, whether we knowit or not, is an aggregate of the FiveElements. When we view life through thislens things get a lot easier to work with.The beauty of this view is that we don’tneed to take things too personally - because

they’re not personal! We beat ourselves upthinking, “Damn, I’m such an ass forlosing my temper like that.” But, we arenot asses and there is nothing wrong withwho we are – we simply have imbalancedelements. In this case of anger, I have toomuch of the principle energy of fire in mysystem. It is 100% inevitable that thisexcess will express as anger. It’s a simplereality. We complicate things with ourstories of “he said, she said” and “thishappened because of that.”

This principled, supra-personal view is notan excuse to shirk personal responsibilityfor the lives we live. In fact, it empowers uswith more responsibility. This way is notgoing to make us perfect, but it is going toresult in the confidence that our situation isworkable. We no longer need to be

overwhelmed by life and our sincereyearning for a measure of peace is withinreach. Before, we were like dogs chasing ourtails trying to figure out, “why?” Or, wewere like rats on a wheel spinning the sameold story of shame and guilt. But, now,we have a wider view of reality.

EARTHWhen earth element is balanced I amstable. When there is too much earth I amstubborn. When there is not enough earthI am a flake.

WATERWhen water is balanced I am content.When there is too much water I am tooattached and over-emotional. When thereis not enough water I am needy andmalcontent.

FIREWhen fire is balanced I am clear,enthusiastic and jovial. When there is toomuch fire I am critical, judgmental and easyto anger. When there is not enough fire Iam lackluster and dull.

Health & Happiness: Harmonizing the Five ElementsYogesvara Sarasvati

each of these traditions emphasize practices that

balance earth, water, fire, wind and space

Health

WINDWhen wind is balanced I am calm,energetic and powerful. When there is toomuch wind I am anxious. When there isnot enough wind I am tired and afraid.

SPACEWhen space is balanced I am accepting ofthings as they are, I am accommodating, agood host for all. When there is too muchspace I am ungrounded, confused –“spaced out.” When there is not enoughspace I am claustrophobic, stubborn andhave a closed mind.

Living this view is liberating. By doing so,we are really able to work our situation,moment-to-moment. We become ourown doctor, our own shrink, and our ownmentor. We can create and choose our

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methods. We don’t need to take the book’sword for it.

It is such a relief to know there are real,concrete, and even simple things we can doeach day to cultivate harmony and balanceof the Five Elements. Doing so issynonymous with saying we, ourselves,have some measure of control concerningour own sense of health and happiness.Remember, it is not personal.

Just as much as excess fire will always comeout as anger, so too, will balanced elementsalways express as an overall experience ofhealth and happiness unruffled by theinevitable difficulties we all face in life.

This view does not claim to eliminate life’sinherent “problems,” but it will likelyreduce them according to the principle “like

external environment in order to balanceour inner world. We can eat the right foodsthat will increase one element and decreaseanother. We can exercise in a way that willgive us what we really want and need, asense of equanimity and dynamic energy.And we can, if we are so inspired, deepenour experience of the subtle aspects of lifeby meditating on these five great principlesof existence.

We can learn to recognize everything as amatrix of these five energies and ourselvesas an interconnected part of the web. Weare in a constant reciprocal relationshipbetween our experience of inner and outer.And if we follow our spirit into thesubtleties of this practice we can realize theultimate promise of these traditions – thatthere is no inner and outer. Eventually theborders fade and we realize we are One -our apparent differences are justshimmering permutations of the FiveElement lights.

And, best of all, because the origins of thisview come from traditions that are mostconcerned with practical results, along withthe philosophy comes countless practical

excess fire will always come out as anger,

balanced elements always express as

health and happinessattracts like.” When we are balanced, wholeand healthy we will attract and seekenvironments, people and situations thatare likewise. And, for those sticky situationsthat will always still arise in our lives we willhave the composure and energy to dealwith them appropriately. In life, “pain isinevitable, but suffering is optional.” Thepractice of harmonizing the Five Elementsyields that capacity to opt out of sufferingwhile becoming more alive than we haveever been.

Yogi is the co-founder ofEnergy of MInd Therapy(energyofmindtherapy.com). He works with clients bothonline and at KailashAkhara, Adi Yoga’s(adiyoga.com) residentialretreat center inNortheast Thailand.

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YYYYYoga in Shanghaioga in Shanghaioga in Shanghaioga in Shanghaioga in ShanghaiBenjamin Finnerty

SHANGHAI - A WORD PACKED FULL OF MEANINGaround the world today. This city on the delta of one of themightiest rivers in the world has seen its fair share of Spanda (thepower of expansion and contraction) over the centuries. As historygoes, it is usually thought of as one city unconnected to China’sgreat and ancient past. According to Wikipedia.org Shanghai wasnot even a city until 1292. The first wall Shanghai had was not evenuntil 1554 (a mere 400 years before my mother was born).According to most reading that you can do on Shanghai, it was arelatively unimportant fishing village prior to 1842 when the Britishtook their ships up the Yangtze and forced a treaty creating theBritish concession which was quickly followed by the French,American, and Japanese.

Less than 100 years later the notorious Shanghai of the 1930’s wasone of the most important ports in the world. In fact in 1939 thefirst yoga studio in Shanghai was opened by a Russian womannamed Eugenie Peterson. Indra Devi (as she was later named),who was married to a Czechoslovakian diplomat, was truly apowerful feminine force of Yoga in the world from then until herpassing in 2002 at the wonderfully experienced age of 102.

So what happened in the world of Yoga in the last 70 years since itsfirst foreign yoga teacher started? Let’s fast forward to the currentdecade, as yoga had a bit of a disappearing act shortly after TheFirst Lady of Yoga’s (as Ms. Devi was often called) studio was inbusiness.

Currently the yoga scene in Shanghai is abundant with choices and

Yoga Travels

The Orange Room in Shanghai

styles of yoga from teachers all over the world. Although, some ofmy favorite teachers in this city are Chinese, this article is going tofocus on the English speaking teachers.

The Orange Room is a studio that has been serving greaterShanghai since early 2006, and is a beautiful space about 15 minutescab ride from the center of Shanghai in the Hongqiao district nearthe Hongmei road. This road has some of Shanghai’s greatestrestaurants which this writer often enjoys. There are twowonderfully sunlit studios at the Orange Room, and after class youcan often have some home made cookies by Patricia Liao, one ofthe three owners as well as the primary teacher at the OrangeRoom. Originally Patricia started practicing yoga as a mean to relieveher sciatica pain. After beginning yoga practice Pat learned Pilatescould also be a great way to feel good, and so she began her Pilatespractice. After the joy and freedom Pat found she followed the pathto become certified for teaching both Yoga and Mat Pilates. “In myclass, I encourage practitioners to seek the possibilities. I strive tohelp them appreciate the unique beauty inside each of them,realizing that everyone may have a different body condition. I seethat each yoga or Pilates class is an opportunity for me to sharewith others. I attribute this notion to my teacher Steve Dodd, whohad taught me the beauty of sharing.”

Patricia’s style of teaching brings as much joy to her students as heramazing cookies bring to the writer of this article. Her personalityshows a true depth of wisdom as she guides her students throughboth yoga and Pilates classes, with a smile, never pushing herstudents beyond their limits. Her style reflects the missionstatement of The Orange Room in general as “a place thatwelcomes people of all sizes, shapes and abilities to practice yogaand Pilates.”

In addition to Pat’s Pilates and Hatha Yoga styles, the studio offers

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classes that are taught by teachers who have studied Anusara,Vinyasa, and many different modalities of Pilates. Teachers comefrom the greater Asia region, North America, and even from downthe road in Shanghai, and all the teachers speak English, and someChinese, Japanese, Cantonese, and even a little Shanghainese.

Another delightful gem of a yoga studio in Shanghai, is Yoga 109.About two years ago Yoga 109 opened up in one of Shanghai’shistoric buildings at the corner of Changshu road and Huaihairoad. Since then they have relocated to Fuxing Road in the heart ofthe deeply beautiful and tree lined French concession. Nestled awayfrom the street, this gorgeous space has two beautiful rooms thathave trees outside the windows, and if the windows are open youryoga practice is likely to be serenaded by the local songbirds. Withan international teaching team ranging from all over the world, thisstudio is an amazing retreat from the hustling and bustling city justa few blocks away.

This studio is host to some of the most beautiful and peacefulyoga classes in Shanghai. It is so rare in this city that one can findclasses that are a mixture of good yoga with a truly peacefulatmosphere, and as you may expect in such a serene space, you canenjoy a wonderful cup of tea before, after, or during your practice.Of course you can surely find a powerful workout at Yoga 109 aswell, teachers Lorraine and John both teach powerful styles ofFlow yoga that have been influenced by Anusara, Ashtanga and

Pranavashya. There is alsoofferings of Anusara Inspiredyoga at the studio, and certifiedAnusara teacher PatrickCreelman comes every so oftento take students to the next levelof their practice.

Both The Orange Room, andYoga 109 have 200 hour YogaAlliance Teacher Trainingprograms lined up for 2011 andcan be found atwww.theorangeroom.cn, andhttp://www.yoga109.com. If you have any questions please sendthem through the contact form on the website www.jayarasa.com,and I will be happy to introduce you to my favorite Chinesespeaking Yoga studios and/or teachers in Shanghai and manyother cities in mainland China.

Benjamin is 34-years-old and teaches at theOrange Room and Yoga Space. His inspirationcomes from amazing students, the sun thatalways shines and his teacher John [email protected]

Pat, one of the owners of theOrange Room

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Practice Space

I LOVE HONG KONG AND THE WAY LIFE HERE SURGESwith energy and electricity, though one thing I sorely miss abouthome is the Bristo Yoga School in Edinburgh. Practicing yoga inHong Kong is the ultimate antidote when nothing else has keptmy mind in the present and my feet on the ground. Livingamongst the pace and frenzy of Hong Kong, I have most urgentlyneeded and most keenly felt the deeply soothing power ofAshtanga yoga. But even so, my most favorite practice space is a farcry from the high rise studios of this buzzing city.

Two years ago I was a first-year university student with noexperience of yoga whatsoever. I wandered into Bristo’s humblestarting place. I experienced my first practice in a dimly-lit basementroom, underneath a care home for the homeless, a space rentedfrom an organization of monks. Its old heating system struggledto starve off the biting Scottish cold, but the amazing energy ofmy first teacher together with the Ashtanga practice quickly warmedme up and brought about the beginning of my yoga practice.

From this unlikely origin Bristo grew into something wonderful.Due entirely to the creativity and dedication of a partnership ofteachers, Bristo drew in more and more people from acrossEdinburgh. A small but very special city, Edinburgh is deservingof its reputation as one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, dubbedthe Athens of the North. Its ancient grandeur is set against abackdrop of rocky crags overlooking the sea. Bristo Yoga School isnested in the very centre of this, located across the road from thevenerated EdinburghUniversity,

which every summer becomes the hub of the International FringeFestival. Bristo’s major clientele of students make for an ever-flowing stream of fresh and excitable newbie yogis who quicklybecome a part of its regular make-up. What feels like a real lifesangha has grown up in this unlikely Scottish setting.

Amongst my favourite memories of the practice space are takingrefuge from the freezing dawn and opening the clunky door to jointhe 7 am Mysore class. A reluctant body quickly getting drawn intothe practice, encouraged by a fleeting smile of recognition offamiliar faces, an enveloping warmth, and the sound of soft musicand of strong ujjayi breathing. Thinking of the balmy calm of thestudio after a jammed packed night class as students rustle pasteach other on home and the lights are turned out, makes me yearnto get back.

In the past year Bristo has blossomed. The studio isunrecognizable; glowing lights illuminate the dark corners and afuchsia pick mural of intricate Indian art has taken over the largestwall. An extended reception area and a lovely lounge and workspace for the staff have been reclaimed from the big abandonedunused back rooms. In an exciting recent development before I leftfor Hong Kong in August, Bristo expanded to include holistictherapies such as massage and reflexology.

In August Edinburgh is home to the most vibrant, eclectic andexuberant arts festival in the world, the International FringeFestival. It lures crowds and performers from all over the globe,and in 2010 Bristo with the rest of the city embraced all the peopleand opportunity it brings. For the month of August Bristobecame The Yoga Garden, and was filled with flowers and plantswhich brought a burst of vitality. Bristro has helped to breatheyoga into the ancient city and is an immense asset which locals andvistors have discovered. Along with visiting the majestic castle andstrolling the infamous Royal Mile, next time you visit Edinburghstop by at Bristo for a class. It has come to be a feature of the citywhich for many is cherished equally as dearly.

Bristo Yoga School1 Bristo PlaceEH1 1EYEdinburghe: [email protected] +44 (0) 7904 390 546

Amy is spending one year in Hong Kong as part ofher degree in International Relations. She isenjoying taking advantage of all the wonderfullearning and travel experiences that Asia has tooffer. She continues as a student of AshtangaYoga to feel the benefits of regular practice inher life.

Scottish Scorpion, one of Bristo Yoga School’sprimary teachers - Karen

Ujjayi at Bristo - Antidote to Freezing in EdinburghAmy Doffegnies

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Mythology in a Minute

How Hanuman got his nameHow Hanuman got his nameHow Hanuman got his nameHow Hanuman got his nameHow Hanuman got his nameTia Sinha

A HUNGRY CHILD, ALL ALONE AT HOME LOOKED OUTthe window and spotted an enticing watermelon hangingseemingly within reach. Or so he thought. He darted out of thewidow like an arrow intent on its target, lunging at the lusciouswatermelon. No waxen wings like Icarus had he, no wingswhatsoever yet higher and higher flew he. And when the ravenouschild reached the sun, for that’s what the red fruit really was, hegrabbed it and hungrily gobbled it up.

Gobbling up the sun and themoon was Rahu the demon’sjob. This is how Rahu createdsolar and lunar eclipses. Howdare a mere infant trespass onRahu’s territory? An enragedRahu decided to hunt downthe little culprit. When thechild, who was none otherthan Hanuman, saw Rahuapproach, he mistook him foranother fruit, lunging at Rahuand making him flee in terror.

The world was enveloped in darkness and Rahu was on the run.Indra, chief of the gods, mounted his elephant and set out tointervene. Little Hanuman, in his feeding frenzy, mistook Indra’selephant to be yet another fruit and charged at him. A haplessIndra struck Hanuman down with his powerful weapon, thethunderbolt. Hanuman crashed to the earth, disfiguring his jaw.Jaw in Sanskrit is ‘Hanu’, thus the name, Hanuman.

When little Hanuman broke his jaw, his father, the powerful WindGod, Vayu stopped blowing in fury, paralyzing life on earth. Vayufinally relented when Indra and other such gods granted boons tothe already powerful Hanuman, making him mightier than ever. Toprevent the mighty Hanuman from wreaking further havoc on theplanet, ascetics whose meditation had been disturbed byHanuman’s innocent antics, made him blind to his own powers.Years later, Hanuman’s latent powers were to be reawakened whenLord Rama needed his help in locating and rescuing Sita from theclutches of the demon, Ravana.

Hanuman, who was part monkey, part man, thus played a criticalrole in the epic, the Ramayana. He also appears briefly in theMahabharata.

Another meaning of the word Hanuman is one who hasvanquished his ego. Hanuman’s character in the Ramayanasymbolizes devotion. The Hanuman Chaleesa or Forty Verses to

Hanuman, a popular praise to Hanumancomposed by Tulsidas, can be found on the lipsand in the hearts of many a Hindu even today.

Tia, a student of Buddhist philosophy and practiceat the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives,Dharamshala, teaches Hatha Yoga to the nuns ofJetsunma Tenzin Palmo’s nunnery.

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EVEN BEFORE THICT NHAT HANHstarted talking, his profound effect wasapparent. There was total silence, heavywith respect, from the 8,000 HongKongers and their mobile phones, as heentered the hall and seemed to glidetowards the stage.

Zen Master Thict Nhat Hanh, 84, is a poet,scholar and peace activist. Since taking hisvows at 16, he has dedicated his life topromoting mindful practice, humanitarianaid and world peace. So much so that in1967 Martin Luther King Jr. nominatedhim for a Nobel Peace Prize for his effortsduring the Vietnam War.

Since 1982 he has lived in France at PlumVillage, a Buddhist community heestablished to promote “The Art ofMindful Living.”

His talk at the Hong Kong Conventionand Exhibition Centre on 15 Novemberentitled “Happiness in the Here and Now”started with tale of the Buddha teaching agroup of businessmen to be happy simplyby practicing it.

According to Thay, as Thict Nhat Hanh isaffectionately called, there are three elementsto happiness – Mindfulness, Concentrationand, Insight.

Thay explains pebble meditation

HappineHappineHappineHappineHappinessssss in Hong Ks in Hong Ks in Hong Ks in Hong Ks in Hong KongongongongongFrances Gairns

Lecture

He explained “Mindfulness is always ofsomething. For example, if you breathe inand you know you are breathing in, thenthat is Mindful Breathing.” The benefit ofMindfulness is it helps us “To beestablished in the here and now. And thenyou can get in touch with the wonderful lifeyou are living.”

Several times during his talk, Thayreminded the audience that anyone andeveryone can learn Mindfulness.

From the Buddhist perspective, the energyof Mindfulness contains within it theenergy of Concentration and Insight.

While Mindfulness can be practiced inmany ways – while walking, chanting oreven cooking – it seems the easiest isthrough breathing. “When you breathe in,you touch the miracle of being alive. Whenyou breathe out, you celebrate life.”

This practice, he says, helps us realise theInsight “Life is only in the here and now.And in fact you don’t need to die to go tothe Kingdom of God or Pureland of theBuddha. In fact you have to be really alive.”

As we become stronger at our Mindfulnesspractice, just one breath is enough to releaseus from running into the future.

And only when we can be in the here andnow, Thay says, can we give our loved onesthe most precious gift – our presence.

Thay offered the audience three mantras.

The first “You look at your beloved in theireyes and say, ‘I am here for you’.” This isimportant he said because “You can not sayyou love them, if you are always absent.”

The second mantra he offered was “I knowyou are there and I am very happy.” This isimportant because for Thay, “To lovesomeone is to recognise their presence. Tobe loved is to be recognised as existing.”

The third mantra to be practiced when younotice someone is suffering was “Darling Iknow you suffer, that’s why I am here.”Thay observed “If you are suffering andyour beloved ignores your suffering, yousuffer more. So before even doinganything, the person suffers less becauseyou are there.”

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Thay then introduced the audience to a practice taught at his centreto young practitioners – the pebble meditation.

The young practitioners are instructed to look for four pebbles,clean them and put them in a bag.

He further explained “After breathing in and out, with threesounds of the bell, use your right hand to pick up the first pebble.It represents a flower. Then you call it a flower, then place it in yourleft hand. Breathing in I see myself as a flower, Breathing out, Ifeel fresh. Breathe in and out three times.”

“When you look at the face of a child, you see a flower,” Thayobserved, “whether they are awake or asleep. Human beings are likeflowers in the garden or humanity. We allow anger, fear and despairto destroy us and we are less beautiful than before. This practice offlower fresh is to help us restore our freshness, our flowerness.Just one minute of practice can help restore us, and your presencebecomes more enjoyable to your beloved.”

“Pick up the second pebble, the name is mountain. Breathing in Isee myself as a mountain. Breathing out I feel solid.”

Thay explained “A person without solidity or stability can not behappy. You can not count on him or her.”

The third pebble represents still water. “Breathing in I see myselfas still water. Breathing out I reflect thing just as they are. Thishelps to cultivate calmness.”

“When we know how to restore our own peace and tranquillity, wecan reflect things as they are, we don’t distort things anymore.However when we are jealous, angry or fearful, we loose our calm.What we see becomes a distorted image of the truth. When wehave wrong views, we make those around us suffer as well.”

The fourth pebble represents space. “Breathing in I see myself asspace. Breathing out I am free.” Space means freedom. He said“True happiness is only possible with space and freedom in ourheart. Those filled with fears and worries don’t have space in theirhearts. We are filled with our ideas and we want to impose ourideas. Without space in our heart, we can’t help anyone. If you lovesomeone, offer them freedom and let them be themselves.”

Thay ended the talk on the subject of suffering: “If you are able totake care of your suffering, you can find happiness.” He likenedsuffering to the mud that nourishes a lotus flower, without it,there can be no flower.

“Many believe to find happiness, you have to run from suffering.But we have to hold it close and look at it. This,” he says, “Willreduce it. And when you can do this, you can then help others.”

Afterall, he said, “If you are a good gardener, youcan look in the mud and see the flower.”

Frances is a mother of two, teaches at Pure Yogain Hong Kong and publishes Namaskar.

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Workshop Review

IyIyIyIyIyengar Yengar Yengar Yengar Yengar Yoga Woga Woga Woga Woga WorkorkorkorkorkshopshopshopshopshopWWWWWith Fith Fith Fith Fith Father Joe Pather Joe Pather Joe Pather Joe Pather Joe PererererereireireireireiraaaaaUrsula Tuck

FATHER JOE’S ARRIVAL IN HONGKong earlier this year was fortuitous forme. His workshop was one week beforemy assessment for Iyengar yoga certification- a demanding process that came at the endof three years of training.

It might have initially seemed a rough deal,but it turned out to be just what wasneeded to calm my mind of its nerveswhile working the body as required.

Father Joe, a Catholic priest and a seniorIyengar yoga teacher from Mumbai, was inHong Kong for three days. Father Joe,having worked with Mr. Iyengar andMother Theresa, told us stories of thesetimes and made it a humbling experienceto be with him.

Some of the main points of thisworkshop, “An Inward Journey,” were:

Create a yoga practice more female/mother-bound and less aggressive in nature. Thisrajasic tendency raises blood pressure andputs more a stress on the body.

A lot of work was done on the sacral area.Father Joe said our thoughts and actionsthroughout our life accumulated in this

area and needed to be released and openedusing appropriate poses.

The softening of the heart area was alsonecessary and this entailed supported andunsupported backbends.

The affects of the poses were felt with thedeepening of the pose through long holds.The timer was used for each long hold. Theface had to be relaxed and throat softened.There was a more meditative affect in thelong holds. I actually monitored a changein my pulse in our five-minute Setu BandhaSarvangasana, after a combination of chestopenings. I measured a decrease in mypulse, to below 60 beats per minute,showing a real calming of the heart andnervous system.

Father Joe said loving your body and beingfaithful to the cause is a sign of lovingyourself. These poses were moremeditative in nature using the breath.Chatushpadasana, Dwi pada ViparitaDandasana and Urdhva Dhanurasana weretaken successively for seven minutes intotal. The pain one felt had to be overcomewith the breath.

One evening Father Joe gave a talk on“Yoga and healing”, and showed a film.He talked of his charitable organisationcalled the KRIPA Foundation. We learnedabout recovering addicts and alcoholics andtheir success. KRIPA uses Iyengar Yoga

Father Joe, Catholic priest and Iyengaryoga teacher, was in Hong Kong leading aworkshop

and other systems to bring people fromvery low points in their life to being activemembers of the community.

We were happy to make a donation to thisworthy cause. And with warm hearts webid him farewell, till the next time.

Ushie received herIntroductory II IyengarYoga teaching certificateafter completing thethree year training at TheIyengar Yoga Centre ofHong Kong. She isspending January at theRamamani Iyengar YogaMemorial Institute.

Teacher’s Voice

Lawrence Pradhan

WHAT IS YOUR MOST CHALLENGING

ASANA AND WHY?There are many challenging asanas Iwant to get and Ardha Matsyendrasanalll is one of the challenging one for me. This asana has got a mix of allelements (eg. balance, hip opener, twist,back bend leading to an open heart).

WHAT HAVE YOUR LEARNED FROM THIS

ASANA?Ardha Matsyendrasana lll is an intense

asana. In the intensity, I tellmyself to stay open and

connect with the breath (as theSource) before putting myself in a strangelybeautiful position.

WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING

PART OF YOUR PRACTICE?The most challenging

aspect of mypractice isreminding

myself to goback to the basics. By

basic I mean having a steadybreath and a good alignment.

When I remember, I soften. This softeningallows me to open up to my practice or anypose.

Lawrence Pradhan teaches at Pure Yoga.

37

Health

SSSSSugar and Fugar and Fugar and Fugar and Fugar and Food Crood Crood Crood Crood Craaaaavings – Wvings – Wvings – Wvings – Wvings – WhathathathathatCauses Them, How to Beat ThemCauses Them, How to Beat ThemCauses Them, How to Beat ThemCauses Them, How to Beat ThemCauses Them, How to Beat ThemClaudia Jones

HAVE YOU EVER STOPPED TO SEE WHERE YOURcravings for particular foods are coming from? Most of us are usedto following up a food craving by eating the desired food withouteven questioning if it’s what we really want or what our body reallyneeds. But what is the impact on our health?

Today’s fast food world means a lot more people are eating on thego, making do with what is available and slotting meals into sparepockets of time. This often results in a poor diet of processedfoods, lacking in nutrients, but rich in fats and sugar. By switchingto a whole foods diet free from refined and processed foods andeliminating sugar one can easily beat the cravings.

WHAT CAUSES FOOD CRAVINGS?Eating a diet high in processed foods containing lots of salt, sugarand fats will create a desire to eat more, not just because of thetaste, but because they are low in essential nutrients. By eatingconvenience foods we are neglecting our body’s vital need forvitamins and minerals so the body will naturally ask for morefoods in order to meet its nutritional needs. Eating sweet foodscause a spike in the blood sugar level which is swiftly followed by acrash, creating a desire to eat more unhealthful foods and thus thevicious cycle has begun.

If we regularly choose to consume processed foods over whole,natural foods we cause the body to become overly acidic, creating animbalance in the intestinal microflora which ultimately depressesour immune system leaving us open to disease. To change thiscycle we need to return to a whole foods diet, low in sugar andunhealthy fats and rich in fresh, organic, natural produce. Animbalanced intestinal ecology can lead to conditions such asconstipation, diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, malabsorptionof nutrients and Candida, an overgrowth of yeast in the gut whichleft untreated can give rise to many health problems.

Another source of food cravings may be food allergies that causeus to crave the very foods we are allergic to. When we continueto eat these foods, we avoid the uncomfortablewithdrawal symptoms which arise when we cutthat food out of our diet. By repeatedly eatingthe same food we can cause a sensitivity

and finally an allergic reaction to the food. This demonstrates theneed for a varied diet, not only to prevent allergies but to ensure wetake in a broad variety of nutrients.

Regular dieting and restriction of caloric intake can also affect yourbody’s desires for certain foods. During a crash diet, the body isdeprived of essential nutrients and calories needed to sustainnormal functioning. When these needs are not met, the body willcrave the missing calories and nourishment. This supports thepremise that a steady transition to a healthy, balanced diet ispreferable for long term health over a quick fix, diet option.

SUGAR CRAVINGSConsumption of refined sugars leads to a rapid increase in bloodsugar levels followed by a dip. To metabolize sugar, your body usesyour supply of vitamins and minerals which is whyoverconsumption of sugar leads to the leaching of these vitalnutrients from your teeth, tissues and bones, resulting in furtherhealth problems. Refined sugar sources include white and brownsugar, sucrose and perhaps the less obvious fructose, maltose,lactose, dextrose and corn syrup among others. To successfullyreduce intake of these foods we need to become aware of the manyguises of refined sugar and carefully scrutinize ingredients in anypre-packaged foods to check for ‘hidden’ sugar sources.A healthy alternative is Stevia, a herb grown in South Americawhich is up to 300 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia has been shownto help reduce sugar cravings with no negative side effects.

IN CONCLUSION

• Eat a diet low in sugars and fats.• Eliminate processed foods. as they are high in fats and sugarand of little nutritional value.• To prevent cravings and food sensitivities, eat a varied, wholefoods diet to ensure you take in a broad spectrum of nutrients,vitamins and minerals.• Avoid nutritionally unsupported diet programs which will onlyincrease cravings for missing nutrients.• Be aware of sugar as a hidden ingredient in many foods andchoose the herb stevia to naturally sweeten your

foods and drinks.

Claudia is a committed student ofAshtanga yoga, Pranayama and

Meditation. She is SamahitaWellness’ Director at Yoga

Thailand.

39

Book Review

MANDALAS ARE PROBABLY AS OLDas humankind. In rudimentary form theyappear in some of the earliest marks madeby humans and are present again in someof the first scribbles of young children.

Mandalas are symbolic pictures used inmeditation. Important in most Easterntraditions, mandalas arise from the depthsof the unconscious, taking the meditatoron a wordless journey into the mysteriousrecesses of his mind.

The most basic of all mandalas is the circle,an intriguing symbol without beginning orend. The circle is also the form upon whichall mandalas are made. There can be nomandala without a circle, but once the circlehas been drawn, other elements can beadded to it.

Meditating on mandalas can help still andpurify the modern mind that is full ofimages from advertising, newspapers, etc.,created by the gross, common, thinkingmind. In a world bombarded by suchdisturbing images, meditating on mandalascan bring an element of serenity and purity.Mandalas are archetypes that help usconnect with our higher mind, the mindthat is true and is therefore the source of allgenuine happiness.

What makes David Fontana’s book special?For one, the mandalas presented in thisbook are just beautiful, some even

Meditating with Mandalas by David FontanaReviewed by Tia Sinha

breathtakingly so, with striking, vividcolours. The gorgeousness on every pagecould easily make one fall into the trap ofmistaking this tome for a coffee table bookthat merely titillates the eyes. However,David Fontana’s book is not a superficialstudy of the subject.

Fontana draws upon mandalas fromdifferent traditions, eastern as well aswestern, making the foray into the mind atruly eclectic journey. Apart from Hinduismand Tibetan Buddhism, mandalas arepresented from the Chinese, Japanese,Greek, Judaic, Celtic, Christian, NativeAmerican and Sufi traditions. Somemandalas are inspired by nature, withsunflowers, butterflies and dolphins atplay. Innovative and fun!

What lifts this book from a mere delightfor the eyes are the clear instructions, bothgeneral and specific to each mandala, onhow to meditate on these mandalas.Fontana suggests we begin with just fiveminutes of mandala meditation a day.Surely this is doable even for the busiestand the most harried?

An inspiring, thought-provoking orinsightful quote accompanying each gemof a mandala imbues each painting withnew layers of meaning. As does thegrouping of mandalas in themes such assacred patterns, nature, self and acceptance,kindness and love, inner strength and the

cosmos. As the cover suggests, there are 52mandalas here, one for each week of theyear if one wishes to follow Fontana’ssuggested plan.

In a nutshell, David Fontana’s Meditatingwith Mandalas is deep, beautiful, joyful.

Tia, a student of Buddhistphilosophy and practice atthe Library of TibetanWorks and Archives,Dharamshala, teachesHatha Yoga to the nuns ofJetsunma Tenzin Palmo’snunnery.

40

Recipe

Beer BatteredTempeh with AsianColeslaw

TEMPEH INGREDIENTS450 grams organic tempeh3 cups organic flour350 ml organic beer1 tsp. baking soda½ tsp. sea salt1 teaspoon paprika10 turns of fresh groundpepper2 litres of safflower oil

MARINADE FOR TEMPEH

INGREDIENTS½ cup lemon juice¼ cup Olive oil2 cloves fresh garlic minced1 tsp kelp powderChili flakes to tasteSalt to taste

COLESLAW INGREDIENTS1 lbs red cabbage finely sliced

1 bunch green onions sliced3 tbsp ginger minced¼ cup raw cane sugar¼ cup fresh lime juice½ cup olive oil2 tbsp soy sauce3 tbsp sesame oil

COLESLAW PROCEDURECombine the all dressingingredients in a medium bowltill thoroughly mixed. Add thecabbage and onion to the bowland toss till completely coatedwith the dressing. Reserve.

MARINADE PROCEDURECombine the ingredients andmix thoroughly. Reserve.

TEMPEH PROCEDURECut tempeh into 1-cm thickslices, place in a shallowcontainer in a single layer andpour over the marinade.Refrigerate for 4 hours turningthe slices once after 2 hours.

With tempeh on the menu whoneeds meat?Moosa Al-Issa

FIRST A WARNING: DO NOT TRY TO EAT TEMPEH RAW!Yes, it’s made from soy beans, but unlike tofu it definitely needs tobe cooked. Of Indonesian origin, tempeh has a unique texture anda depth of flavour often compared to meat and fish. Nutritionallyit is a complete protein and can be cut into a variety of shapes thenstir fried, pan fried or deep-fried. Tempeh is available in some Asiangrocery stores and organic stores.

41

Remove tempeh from themarinate. Heat a frying pan tomedium high heat add a littleolive oil. Cook the tempehslices till brown on each side.Remove from pan and cool.

In a medium bowl combine 2cups of flour with the bakingsoda, salt, chili flakes andpaprika and mix thoroughly.

Add the beer to the flour andmix just enough to combine.Don’t worry about small bitsof flour not combined withthe beer; to get the batter lightand crispy it is very importantnot to over process the batter.Heat the 2 litres of oil to 350degrees.

In a shallow bowl place theremaining 1 cup of flour. Coatthe tempeh slices in the flourand then dip in the batter andcarefully place the slices a few at

a time into the oil. Cook for 4minutes till golden brown.

Place even portions of thecoleslaw on the center of 4dinner plates and place twopieces of the fried tempeh ontop. Garnish with a sprig ofcoriander and a quarter of limeand serve.

Moosa isExecutiveDirector ofLife Cafe andDirector ofJust GreenOrganicConvenienceStores.

Spiritual Research Foundation

What is important?What is important?What is important?What is important?What is important?Maya Jairam

I RECENTLY CAME ACROSS AN ARTICLE ON LUXURYhomes in the US, and it made me wonder if people who areextremely wealthy were truly happy. Lasting happiness is theunderlying reason why we want to be rich right?

I have some very close family friends who are extremely wealthy.They own several aircrafts for personal use. In fact, when theirdaughter got married, they spent over US$3,000 per guest just onaccommodations, without breaking a sweat. This did not includethe favors and gifts bestowed upon those close enough to beconsidered family. But then I reflected - could their wealth ensuretheir daughter’s happiness in her future married life? And theanswer was a definite no. If wealth cannot ensure this basic need inour lives then why is there a fascination for the lifestyles of the richand famous?

For us common folk too materialism permeates our lives in oneway or the other. In fact for most people I know, their value systemand purpose in life revolves around making money, getting rid ofdebt or looking for some luxury that they think would make themhappy. And until I came in touch with spiritual science concepts Ihave to say I shared these same values and purpose in life.

Study of Spirituality under the Spiritual Science ResearchFoundation has shaped my opinions about what is actuallyimportant in life – from an absolute perspective. At the end of theday, when my time has come to leave this world, will it really havemattered how much money or debt I had? The only debt I shouldworry about is my spiritual debt or give-and-take account, becausethat will follow me from lifetime to lifetime. It will determine thelevel of happiness or unhappiness I will have to undergo in thislifetime and subsequent lifetimes. Spiritual practice is the only thingthat helps to burn our spiritual debt or give-and-take account orgive us the strength to bear it.

With this perspective, all our efforts in acquiring a livelihood andvarious luxuries if at all need to be geared to our true purpose oflife which is liberation from the cycle of birth and death and God-realization.

Maya has been doing spiritual practice under theguidance of SSRF since 2001. She works inbanking, as well as is very actively involved aschair of the Fort Collins city (USA) HumanRelations Commission. For more information onthe science of spirituality, please visitwww.spiritualresearchfoundation.org

Solution to Tia’s crossword on page 43ACROSS1. Aparigraha, 5. Satya, 7. Shaucha, 10. Brahmacharya, 11. Dhyana,13. Samadhi, 15. Santosha, 17. Svadhyaya, 18. PranayamaDOWN1. Ahimsa, 2. Asana, 3. Asteya, 4. Pratyahara, 6. Dharana, 8.Pranidhana, 9. Tapas, 12. Yama, 14. Ishwara, 16. Niyama

43

Tia’s Crossword

ACROSS1. Non-coveting or non-hoarding, a yama. (10)5. Truth, a yama. (5)7. Cleanliness or purity, aniyama. (7)10. Celibacy or moderation, ayama from jumbling ‘AChamba Harry’. (12)11. The seventh limb of yoga,meditation. (6)13. The eighth limb of yoga,liberation. (7)15. Contentment, a niyama. (8)17. Self-study, a niyama. (9)18. The fourth limb of yoga,control of energy throughbreath. (9)

DOWN1. Non-violence, a yama. (6)2. The third limb of yoga,physical postures. (5)3. Non-stealing, a yama. (6)4. The fifth limb of yoga, sensecontrol. (10)6. The sixth limb of yoga,concentration. (7)8. See 14 DOWN.9. Austerity, a niyama. (5)12. The first limb of yoga,social don’ts. (4)14 & 8 DOWN. Devotion orsurrender to God, a niyama. (7,10)16. The second limb of yoga,personal do’s. (6)

Solution on page 41

Here’s a crossword puzzle on the eight limbs of yoga.

44

NAMASKAR DISPLAY & LISTING ADVERTISING RATES FOR 2011

(IN HONG KONG DOLLARS)

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Advertising fees are payable in Hong Kong dollars only to:Namaskarc/o Carol Adams, 1/F 46 Leung Fai Ting Lower Road, Clearwater Bay,Hong Kong

For more information contact:Carol (852) 9137 9992 /[email protected] orFrances (852) 9460 1967 / [email protected]

46

Yoga Teachers & StudiosAMICO STUDIO2-4/F, 167-169 Hennessy RdWanchai, Hong Kongs: Hot, Hatha, Ashtangal: English, Cantoneset: (852) 2827 9233e: [email protected]: www.amico.com.hk

ANAHATA VILLA & SPARESORTUbud, Bali, Indonesias: various styles, group retreats,yoga for privates & corporates.Studio rental available.l: Indonesian and Englisht: (62) 361 745 3267f: (62) 361 989 7804e: promo@ anahataresort.comw: www.anahataresort.com

Michel BesnardYogasanas: Hatha Vinyasal: Englisht: (852)2511 8892 / 9527 6691e: [email protected]

Chris BroadYo Yogas: private, corporate Anusarainfluenced, yin & Ubuntu flowt: (852) 9307 1086e: [email protected]

Kathy CookRetreats, workshops, privatesd: Hong Kong, Bali &Thailands: Iyengar (Junior Intermediate)l: Englisht: (852) 6292 5440 / (62) 811387781e: [email protected]: www.yogawithkathy.com

George DovasThe Iyengar Yoga Centre ofHong Kongd: Sheung Wans: Iyengar Certified (JuniorIntermediate I)t: (852) 2541 0401e: [email protected]

FLEX1/F Regency Centre (Phase II), 43Wong Chuk Hang Road,Aerdeen, Hong Kongs: Iyengar, Ashtanga, HathaVinyasat: (852) 2813 2212f: (852) 2813 2281e: [email protected]: www.flexhk.com

IYENGAR YOGACENTRE INDONESIAJl. Kemang Raya 18D, Jakarta,12730, Indonesias: Iyengart:(62) 21 739 3101e:[email protected]: www.iyengaryogaindonesia.com

IYENGAR YOGACENTRE OF HONGKONGRoom 406 NewVictory House, 93- 103 WingLok St., Sheung Wan, HongKongs: Iyengart: (852) 2541 0401e: [email protected]: www.iyengaryogahongkong.com

IYENGAR YOGACENTRE SINGAPORE149B Neil RoadSingapore 088875s: Iyengart:(65) 9052 3102 & 6220 4048e:[email protected]: iyengaryogasingapore.com

Ming LeePrivates, workshopss: Iyengar Certified teacherl: English, Cantonese,Putonghuat: (852) 9188 1277e: [email protected]

LIFE MANAGEMENTYOGA CENTRENon-profit Classical Yoga Schoold: Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kongs: Patanjali yoga, Kids yoga,Seniors yoga, Corporatesl: English, Cantoneset: (852) 2191 9651t: (852) 6349 0639 (Chinese)e: [email protected]: www.yoga.org.hk

Master Lukes: yoga therapist for chronicdiseases, M.Sc.(Yoga therapy),P.T.D.N.Y.S.D.Y.SC.ED.,Y.I.C.,Experienced Hatha yogatherapist &instructor in Basics,Intermediate, Advance, Privatesl: Englisht: (852) 9763 4105e: [email protected]: www.namaste-yoga.com.hk

Ursula MoserThe Iyengar Yoga Centre ofHong Kong, Yoga Central, LRCd: Centrals: Iyengar Certified (JuniorIntermediate I)l: Englisht: (852) 2918 1798 / 9456 2149e: [email protected]

NAMASTE YOGASTUDIO8A, Minden House, 13 - 15Minden Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui,Kowloon, Hong Kongs: privates, Hatha, Iyengar,Sivananda, Satyananda, Kriya yogat: (852) 9763 4105e: [email protected]: www.namaste-yoga.com.hk

Anna NgPrivatesd: Hong Kongs: Hatha yogal: Cantoneset: (852) 9483 1167e: [email protected]

PURE YOGAHong Kong16/F The Centrium, 60Wyndham Streett: (852) 2971 005525/F Soundwill Plaza, 38 RussellSt, Causeway Bayt: (852) 2970 229914/F Peninsula Office Tower, 18Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui,Kowloont: (852) 8129 88009/F Langham Place Office Tower,8 Argyle Street, Kowloont: (852) 3691 36914/F Lincoln House, TaiKooPlace, 979 King’s Road, QuarryBayt: (852) 8129 1188Singapore391A Orchard Road, #18-00Ngee Ann City Tower At: (65) 6733 886330 Raffles Place, 04-00 ChevronHouset: (65) 6304 2257Taiwan151 Chung Hsiao East Road, Sec4, Taipeit: (886) 02 8161 7888

REAL YOGA176 Orchard Road #06-016/07The Centrepoint, Singapores: Hatha, Power, Ashtanga andGentle Yogal: Englisht: (65) 6734 2853w: www.realyoga.com.sg

SPACE YOGA26 / F, 27 An-Ho Road, Section1, Taipei 106, Taiwans: Hatha, Ashtanga, AnusaraInspired, Flow, Yin, Restorative,Power, Hot, Meditation,Pranayama, Virya Sadhana, andYoga Dancel: English, Mandarint: (886) 2 2773.8108e: [email protected]: www.withinspace.com

KUNDALINI YOGA @SHAKTI3/F 34 Wyndham Street, Central,Hong Kongs: Kundalini Yoga, Qigong,Guided Kundalini Meditation,Pilates (privates), Energy Healing,Life Coaching. Also Studio &Healing rooms for rentalt: (852) 2521 5099e: [email protected]: www.shaktihealingcircle.com

THE YOGA ROOM3, 4 & 15/F Xiu PingCommercial Bld, 104 Jervois St,Sheung Wan, Hong Kongs:Hatha, Ashtanga, Yin,Kundalini, Yoga Therapy, Pilates,Pre-natal, Mom & Baby, YogaKids, Belly dance & moret: (852) 2544 8398e: [email protected]: www.yogaroomhk.com

Wai-Ling TseFreelance, Privates and Groupsd: Hong Kongs: Sivananda certified, Hatha,Svastha Yoga, Power, Hot, Yin,Pranayama and Meditationl: English, Cantoneset: (852) 9465 6461e: [email protected]

YOGA CENTRAL4/F Kai Kwong House, 13Wyndham Street, Central, HKs: Iyengar, Hatha Vinyasa,Acroyoga, Mat-based Pilates,Privates, Corporate and Studiorental available.t: (852) 2982 4308e: [email protected]: www.yogacentral.com.hk

YOGA on CAINE ROAD@ COSMO KIDS1/F, Jadestone Court, 134-8Caine Road, Mid-Levels, HKs: family yoga, private yogat: (852) 2915-8138e: [email protected]: www.cosmokids.net

HK$500 for individual teacher & HK$1,000 for studio for theremaining three issues of 2011, [email protected] for details.

namaskar jan 2011

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