Yoga Sūtra – Opening Invocation (Samādhi Pāda)

This is a traditional mantra used to cultivate gratitude and reverence prior to chanting the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali.

  • वन्दे गुरूणां चरणारविन्दे
  • संदर्शितस्वात्मसुखाव-बोधे।
  • निःश्रेयसे जाङ्गलिकायमाने
  • संसारहालाहलमोहशान्त्यै॥
  • आबहु पुरुषाकारं।
  • शङ्खचक्रासि धारिणं॥
  • सहस्र शीरसं श्वेतं।
  • प्रनमामि पतञ्जलिम्॥
  • योगेन चित्तस्य पदेन वाचां।
  • मलं शरीरस्य च वैद्यकेन॥
  • योऽपाकरोत्तं प्रवरं मुनीनां।
  • पतञ्जलिं प्राञ्जलिरानतोऽस्मि॥
  • ॐ परमात्मने नमः|
  • श्रीपातञ्जलयोगदर्शनम्
  • अथ समाधिपादः||
  • vande gurūṇāṁ caraṇāravinde
  • saṁdarśitasvātmasukhāvabodhe
  • niḥśreyase jāṅgalikāyamāne
  • saṁsāra hālāhala moha śāntyai
  • ābahu puruṣākāraṁ
  • śaṅkha cakrāsi dhāriṇaṁ
  • sahasra śīrasaṁ śvetaṁ
  • pranamāmi patañjalim
  • yogena cittasya padena vācāṁ
  • malaṁ śarīrasya ca vaidyakena
  • yo’pākarottaṁ pravaraṁ munīnāṁ
  • patañjaliṁ prāñjalirānato’smi
  • Oṃ Paramātmane namaḥ
  • Śrīpātañjalayogadarśanam
  • Atha samādhipādaḥ

Īśvara Praṇidhāna – connection to the unknown

The final niyama, Īśvara-pranidhāna, can be understood as devotion to God, connection to the unknown, connection to the Universe, etc. This practice is of the utmost importance for aspirants along the path of yoga.

It’s extremely important to note that Īśvara is a completely neutral Sanskrit word for God. Patañjali is not asking yogis to follow his God, or any specific religion. In fact, Patañjali is guiding the aspirant to connect to something of their own choosing, which is greater than themselves.

Īśvara-pranidhāna is the practice of complete surrender of oneself to a higher power. Surrender in thought, action and deed without expectations of personal benefit or reward. Devotion and surrender to God leads to a more open heart chakra and allows Prāṇa to flow freely and unrestricted along the central channel of the body.

As an ongoing exercise, continue to journal and meditate on what devotion to God means to you. And, when is it necessary to practice Īśvara-pranidhāna? Can your posture practice be a tool to connect to and understand God?


We have been exploring each of the Yamas (mahāvrata) as well as the Niyamas and trying to understand how we can start to integrate the lessons of these guidelines in our posture practice and our daily lives. Share how you’re experiencing and practicing truthfulness today and everyday with our Ashtanga community and read what others are learning by following #yogafoundationschallenge on IG.

Through the lens of our practice, we can start to view our patterns and reactions as a means to known them and adapt/change them as needed. I encourage you to practice with extra care over the next few weeks and journal about your experience on and off the mat. This will give you an additional tool to process the ideas and concepts we’ll explore throughout the challenge.

Tag @bellapranayoga in each entry along with #yogafoundationschallenge and #bellapranaashtanga to be entered in a drawing to win:

  • Mysore Practice Rug
  • Yogi Assignment by Kino MacGregor
  • 4 oz bottle of Mahanarayan Oil
  • PLUS 10% off workshops with Ajay Tokas in July 2020

See the remaining schedule below and follow the tag #yogafoundationschallenge on Instagram to hear experiences from our community as well as share your own. Now, you take practice 🙂

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Always looking, never seeing

by: Jessica Lynne Trese
What would it mean to stop looking and actually SEE?

I have spent the majority of my life looking for something. Looking for approval, looking for love, looking for validation, looking for happiness, looking everywhere for what was missing in my heart, for what was missing in my life. I looked to others, I looked to money, I looked to partners, I looked to material possessions…basically, I looked outward.

This constant LOOKING finally led me to a yoga mat.

I was looking for peace of mind, looking for something more in my life, looking for a healthier body. As I began practicing yoga regularly, my pattern of looking outward for validation and happiness continued. I would look for approval, look for new poses, look for the next accomplishment.

All of this looking was to fill something that was missing in my life.

And where did this get me? I found pain, suffering, frustration, loneliness and isolation.

But, with the help of some really amazing teachers along the way, I was led to turn inward and observe. I finally learned to calm down my monkey mind enough to start to see and witness my inner landscape.

Instead of looking outward to receive what I needed, I found a path to turn inward.

And there it was revealed, everything I was seeking was inside me all along. Like the tearful moment when Dorothy realizes she could have been swept back to Kansas at any moment, I found myself rushed with the overwhelming knowledge that I had everything I was looking for me inside me already.

तदा द्रष्टुः स्वरूपेऽवस्थानम् ॥३॥
tadā draṣṭuḥ svarūpe-‘vasthānaṃ ॥1.3॥

And then, the seer abides in His own nature.

By practicing yoga, you can lead your self toward bliss and supreme connectivity. Or, you can also be led toward more suffering.

The intention beneath your practice is what matters the most.

What are you looking for on your mat?

What do you SEE when you look within?



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What’s the deal with the drishti (dṛṣṭi)?

by: Jessica Lynne Trese

We hear it a lot from our teachers: ‘gaze hear, gaze there.’

But why?

Our yoga practice is meant to focus the mind, while healing the body and increasing our overall vital energy.

A combined concentration on these three practices opens the doorway to a moving meditation and allows our yoga practice to transform into a comprehensive healing system.

The poses are there for the health of the body. The breath allows us to connect to and increase our vital energy. And the dṛṣṭi (gazing point) is how we focus the mind.

Wherever your gaze goes, so does your mind. So, if your gaze is dancing all around the room, watching other practitioners, and/or watching yourself in the mirror; then your mind is also bouncing around, unfocused and distracted.

Give your mind the gift of focus and keep your gaze steady. When the suggested gaze is not possible, keep your gaze focused close by, either on your own mat or somewhere on your body.

focused gaze = focused mind



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Returning the Mat

by: Jessica Lynne Trese
Samasthiti Feet
I hadn’t practiced in 18 weeks and the idea of stepping back on my mat was a little overwhelming. I started practicing Ashtanga Yoga in 2007 and since then, I’ve never taken this much time away from my practice.

There are so many reasons we can get pulled away from our mat: injury, pregnancy, depression, illness and sometimes laziness. For me, it happens to be a joyous reason, but the idea of trying to ‘rebuild’ my practice after four and a half months off still brought up all of my old patterns of perfectionism and avoidance (if I can’t get it ‘perfect’ I have a history of just avoiding it).

Baby TreseIt is recommended that women rest from their Ashtanga practice during the first trimester of pregnancy. This is a very delicate time in the gestational process and most women are guided to let their bodies lead the process without adding a strong practice to the mix. For me, this hiatus began with standard first trimester rest, and then some complications led me from voluntary rest to limited activity as ordered by my Doctor. We also had a few more bumps in the road which kept me away from my mat for another month.

And then, it was time, little bundle was safe and healthy, and I was cleared to resume normal pregnant activity.

The first week back was tougher than I could have ever imagined. I tried, but all I seemed to be able to pull out of myself were sun salutations. And it wasn’t easy, most days I wanted to just quit practicing. My mind was distracted and disconnected, my body was stiff and resistant and my heart was unrestful as I moved through these familiar motions.

But after the first week of struggling, I finally started to feel excitement as I stepped on my mat each day, and with it along came some additional physical strength and stamina to practice more than only sun salutations. I’m in the process of reconnecting to my practice, and the moments of interconnectedness are beginning to grow again, slowly I’m seeing more frequent peacefulness in my practice.

19weeks Baby BumpI know I will never ‘get back to where I was,’ because that moment has passed and this moment is an entirely new experience. And I also know I will once again find ease and grace on my mat, a brand new and also familiar experience in each fresh moment, and in each familiar pose. I will once again grab my heels in kapotasana, and find lightness as I drop back, it will come.

But it won’t come as a RE-creation of what was. It will come as a simultaneously familiar and entirely brand new experience as I move through my practice each day.

General guidelines for practicing Ashtanga Yoga during Pregnancy





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Mindful Assisting & Adjusting

with: Jessica Lynne Trese (Moore)

After practicing yoga with a teacher a few times, you’ve probably experienced the way hands-on help in the room can bring you into a deeper experience on your mat. And sooner or later, you’re bound to receive help that doesn’t feel good, throws you off balance or maybe even hurts.

As teachers and students of Yoga, we want to learn how to help people journey deeper on their mat, without causing them suffering. Assisting and adjusting can be a practice, which leads students toward deeper experiences on their yoga mat. And when approached mindfully and knowledgeably, teachers can safely guide their students deeper.

Learn how to individually assess students in order to effectively assist them in their yoga practice. We’ll learn how to safely guide our students deeper into poses and lead them further along the path of yoga. This workshop will cover assisting and adjusting poses commonly seen in Vinyasa classes as well as poses from Ashtanga’s Primary and Intermediate series and is appropriate for both teachers and students as a way to deepen their understanding of the poses, the goal of Yoga and the students experience within the poses.

Location: Yogani Studios, Tampa, FL
Date: Now on January 9, 2016
Times: Saturday – 12:00-2:30pm
Cost: $45

sign-up-now-button2




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What does it really mean to practice non-attachment?

by: Jessica Lynne Trese (Moore)

Vairagya, non-attachment, gets thrown around a lot during yoga classes and discussions on yoga philosophy. But what does it really mean to practice non-attachment?

Often times, non-attachment gets interpreted as indifference. As students we hear ‘practice non-attachment’ and we think, ‘ok, I just need to stop caring about everything.’ WRONG.

To me, non-attachment can only be practiced in the presence of pure connection. Non-attachment means connecting to the present moment, without trying to control it.

Connection is the key to non-attachment.

In order to practice non-attachment, we must reside within the exchange of energy in each and every moment without trying to control it. We must give our energy freely, with kind and honest intentions, and genuinely experience what each moment has to offer.

We Are All ConnectedIt’s possible the whole reason we are here on this earth is to CONNECT. Maybe our purpose is solely to connect to our Self, to connect to each other, to connect to the Divine, which is present in and around all of us. Connection could possibly be the goal of our entire journey. Honest connection, without trying to control what comes back to us, but accepting what comes for exactly what it is.

And when we roll out our mat everyday, the goal is not to preform asanas but to connect to the Divine within our hearts even when our situation seems impossible.

Live This MomentAnd when we fail, when we are faced with a task which appears unfeasible we find the strength to continue wholeheartedly, and without attachment to the outcome of our efforts.

We practice the poses to feel and experience the present moment within each pose, and when we don’t catch the bind or stick the landing, we accept the outcome without remorse, judgment or anger. And when we do manage to accomplish the impossible, we accept it graciously, and then move on to the next moment with joy in our heart.




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Ashtanga Opening Mantra

By: Jessica Lynne Trese (Moore)

Sharath&Guruji OpeningMantra“Samasthiti.”

At this sound, we all join together. Wherever we each were in the practice, now we are all here together, at the top of our mats. Uniting our energy together through sound, the vibration of ‘om’ moves through the room, moves though our hearts.

GaneshThe Ashtanga opening mantra is a call to practice. A recognition of the teachers who have come before us and an acknowledgment of the work we are here to do on our mat. This practice is not merely yoga poses. We are here to overcome the cycles of physical and mental suffering in our lives. Our goal is to no longer be bound by the poison this suffering flushes into our hearts.

And with time, devotion and consistent practice, we will start to experience peace. We will start to find the neutral ground which allows us to be fully present in each moment of our lives. And in those moments of pure connection, we are able to connect to the Divine in every thing.

This mantra is a reminder of why we’re practicing.

So, next time your teacher calls “samasthiti” let your chant be a vow to yourself, a reminder to connect to the Divine, and a reminder that the practice is much more than simple (and not-so-simple) yoga poses.


Om
Vandē gurūṇāṃ caraṇāravindē
Sandarśitasvātmasukāvabōdhē |
Niḥśrēyasē jāṅgalikāyamānē
Saṃsārahālāhalamōhaśāntyai ||

Ābāhu puruṣākāraṃ
Śaṅkhacakrāsidhāriṇam |
Sahasraśirasaṃ śvētaṃ
Praṇamāmi patañjalim ||
Om

Translation

om
I bow to the lotus feet of the Supreme Guru
which awaken insight into the happiness of pure Being,
which are the refuge, the jungle physician,
which eliminate the delusion caused by the poisonous herb of Samsara (conditioned existence).

I prostrate before the sage Patanjali
who has thousands of radiant, white heads (as the divine serpent, Ananta)
and who has, as far as his arms, assumed the form of a man
holding a conch shell (divine sound), a wheel (discus of light or infinite time) and a sword (discrimination).
om



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Some Truth About Ashtanga Yoga

By: Jessica Lynne Trese (Moore)

Sometimes Ashtanga Yoga can get a bad reputation in the yoga community. It’s called the ‘fitness yoga’ and all the students are closed-minded because they practice the same ‘routine’ everyday. And Ashtangis are known for being a little over the top with our adherence to ‘the rules of Ashtanga.’

Is Ashtanga Yoga ‘fitness yoga?’

No, not the way most people think of fitness routines. Our asana practice (postures) is meant to heat up the body, to cleanse, purify and enliven the physical body from the inside out.

A more fitting description would be ‘body healing yoga’ because we find balance, ease and health throughout the physical body from the physical asana practice.

Are we closed-minded because we practice the same ‘routine’ everyday?

Not even close! We open our minds, and hearts up to the subtle nuances of in-depth study. Ashtanga Yoga is used as a tool to turn inward and by taking the same ‘route’ inward each day we can start to notice the more subtle changes in the body. We can start to notice the more subtle changes in our hearts.

Taking a different route inward everyday you can miss the subtle changes in YOU!

Are we over the top in following ‘the rules of Ashtanga’?

Not really. Yes, there are some rules/guidelines that we stick to. Ashtanga Yoga is a tool for Self-transformation, and the rules/guidelines show us how to use this tool.

Simply by surrendering to the ‘rules’ of Ashtanga Yoga our transformation begins. The ‘rules’ show us what to do and when we let the mind surrender to this method, it can finally rest and stop trying to control every single thing. Then we can start to truly experience the present moment; the moment is no longer colored by the mind’s wish to have it be something else.  Presence and stillness can reside within the mind.

All those who practice the Ashtanga Yoga method for a long time, without break and with devotion have experienced the way the practice allows the light in our hearts to shine. Illuminating the present moment with acceptance, peace, gratitude and joy.

And the most amazing part of this practice is the Ashtanga Yoga Community. Our community spans the globe, and no matter how far one of us travels, if we find another Ashtanga student, we will have found a piece of our heart. Even if we don’t speak the same language, we can speak to each other through the language of our practice. A global community of people, each one dedicated to working on being the best version of their own Self as possible.


 



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Yoga Brings Out The Worst In Me…

By: Jessica Lynne Trese
Hate, fear, anxiety, anger, doubt, judgement – they all come flooding to the surface and they bring up all of my buried crap along the way. The more I practice yoga, the more I find my personal pain coming to the surface – and I LOVE it!!!

I went to my first yoga class after the um-teenth friend suggested I just try it. The suggestions always came up during discussions of spirituality and the meaning of life. Inevitably, the conversation would lead to this recurring phrase: ‘You know, you should really try yoga.’

So one day I did. And it was awesome! I felt great! All of the sudden, I had never felt better in my body. I was calmer, more present and had more energy. I was hooked! Yoga would be in my life forever.

I had no idea how choosing to include yoga in my life would transform my heart and soul. Yoga has allowed me to experience the peace of truly being comfortable with who I am.

This experience of yoga has not always been pleasant, and it doesn’t always feel good. There has been pain. There has been anger, fear, doubt, frustration and more. At the same time, it has been the most wonderful addition to my my life and has brought me more overall health, happiness and joy than anything I’ve ever tried before!

This practice of yoga continues to dredge the lake of my soul and shines light into the darkest corners of my heart, revealing all the shadows I have buried away, and had hoped to never see again. Having to re-experience this past pain is not easy.

My regular Ashtanga practice teaches me to observe my internal fluctuations. I’ve learned to watch the emotions and feelings as they come to the surface and instead of allowing myself to get wrapped up in all the pain and suffering I’ve buried, I am able to remain neutral… well neutral-ish.

Before yoga, neutral wasn’t possible for me. I was easily weighed down by experiences of sadness and grief. I would look for ways to burry and numb these feelings so I could just go back to feeling happy.

But because of the work I do on my yoga mat each day, I now realize when these feelings come up, it’s more than just a time to be reminded of the pain, it’s also an opportunity to release the pain once and for all.

If I can watch the emotions and pain as they come up, without holding onto them, they can finally be released. I can finally let them go, one at a time. And all of the sudden I am no longer weighted down by that pain and my heart is lighter.

Yoga has given me freedom. Freedom to be happy. Freedom to be who I am without the weight of past suffering. Freedom to experience and receive pure LOVE from the world around me. Freedom to give love to the world around me. Freedom.



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Catvāri cringe

By: Jessica Lynne Trese (Moore)

In Ashtanga Yoga, we do most of our practices in the Mysore room. This personal and healing practice initiates a deep moving meditation. Each day we have the opportunity to travel along the path inward, learning about ourselves and finding the grace to approach the tight spots with ease and balance. It’s beautiful.

Then there are the led classes… Many Ashtanga teachers would recommend attending a led class once a week as a way to tap into the pace and rhythm of the vinyasa count. Led classes ask students to start and end together and try to keep a collective pace for the duration of the class. This pace is held within the vinyasa count.

Ekam Inhale.
Dve Exhale.
Trīṇi Inhale head-up.

Here it comes…. Our dread in led classes, the outrageous Catvāri Exhale. Where our teacher expects us to pause and complete the exhale while hovering in chaturanga, and it seems like we’re staying here FOREVER before the teacher releases us into the sweet expansion of up-dog.

Why does this pose have to be such a big deal?
Why can’t we just slide right into up-dog and hang out while everyone catches up?
What is our teacher really asking us to practice here?

Maybe what our teacher is trying to get us to practice has absolutely NOTHING to do with chaturanga.

Maybe what our teacher is trying to get us to practice is something much more powerful, much more liberating than any single yoga pose.

Maybe our teacher is trying to get us to practice presence.

Our teacher’s simple request. Try to reside with this moment, and absorb all that is this moment. Then, we will move on to the next moment together. Linking moments of presence together with the breath.

There is a deep peace, which can be experienced when surrendering to the present moment. Allowing for the experience of the present moment, without rushing is liberating. Freedom in the present moment.

Practice, practice.

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Conference Notes with R. Sharath Jois – November 29, 2014

Conference Notes
by: Sara Moncivais

Hatha Yoga Pradapika says “The water- the sweat that you get- through effort- don’t waste that sweat,” you try to rub it into your body so that the good minerals from the sweat will open the pores for more sweat and toxins to come out. It all will come outside.

Only when you put effort in will the sweat that comes inside—

Nowadays, you know, there is lots of yoga. Hot yoga, this yoga, that yoga—as soon as you step inside the room you start sweating. We are not talking about sweat like that, that is just artificial sweat because of the humidty the room has. So everyone who goes there says, “Oh! I sweat so much!” There are so many things that are not good in that kind of room. Why we always say don’t close those windows, don’t close too many windows? The air should come inside. Especially when so many people are practicing, you need some fresh air inside. If we don’t open the bad air won’t cycle out. It will keep cycling here. So your exhalations are someone else’s inhalations. So you are exchanging breath. You exhale and she inhale.

Air should come, especially when so many people are practicing. A little bit opening should be there so that the fresh air is coming inside. A mantra says, “Many different states of yoga they teach you asana, make you stay in asana for long time—trikonasana you will be stuck like this—you are not moving anywhere. When we were children we used to play statue game—have you played this? Someone would get in one posture, oh, statue, he has to stay there. So this vinyasa we do generates so much heat inside, heat means the energy, which is in the form of internal heat we say. So that once we generate that, all the toxins will come out through the sweat and through exhalation. Many times many people don’t like to put mat, they like to do on the floor. The floor also you shouldn’t do. Asana means a platform also, a place where you sit is also called asana, so once you sit or when you’re doing asana you shouldn’t do it on the floor. There should be some carpet or some mat because whatever energy you generate will drain. The earth will take all those energy.

In Brahamin ritual you will see that no one does any prayer on the floor directly, be sure to put something in between. So that the energy will stay within you. Exactly like that, when you do it outside in the open air. I’ve seen many workshops, they do open air. That as well you shouldn’t do. Why? Again, there is wind outside. The wind will take all your energy. Whatever energy you have generated the wind will take all your energy. So it is very important where you do, what you do and how you do it.

So this is all, oh and yogis frequently traveling. Now there are frequently traveling yogis—travelingyogis.com—but yogis they have to stay in one place, they shouldn’t move too much. A certain place where you practice, that place will generate good energy by doing it every day. Not only will you generate good energy within you, you will also generate good energy in that place around you. One place always doing, oh I’m bored with this place!—you can’t change. This is all, oh, don’t start fighting from next week! “Oh, this is my place!” Don’t push out of the way.

For everything there is a karma, we say, karma means systematically you have to do. Once we generate those energy and once all this sweat is coming through that energy and working out- just doing primary series is lots of hard work—you’re all doing hard work. So that through that hard work sweat comes. Don’t waste that sweat, try to rub it back to your skin. It’s not massage, just rubbing, that’s all. The body becomes strong. Strong means you can go and lift Chamundi Hill. It becomes sturdy and stable and the organs will become healthier. And body becomes very light. If you see for many years of practice you lose weight. Your body will become lighter—when you practice for many years. When you are starting your body feels so heavy because your body is not flexible, your muscles are not flexible. Everything feels so tight. Some body builders you see, they can’t even move. Because there is no flexibility, yoga brings—the asana expecially—bring this flexibility. Why you need this flexibility?

Student: To take the hardships of life.
Sharath: You get flexibility there will also be lots of hard.

Why you need flexibility, stability? Why? So, the more flexibile you are, that doesn’t mean you are big yogi, that is another thing. Why do we do so many asanas to bring stability? So we can sit still in one place. If you ask a body builder and ask him to put padmasana, first of all he can’t put padmasana but he can’t sit still! He can’t sit with crossed legs, he’ll want to remove it.

And to bring calmness within us. To bring a calmer mind, a calmer body. How to relax our body, relax our mind. So that is why we have to do asanas more. That is the reason for doing asana, it is not for showing off, “Oh, I can do this asana.” The more asana you do, the mare familiar you get with the asana. Especially when you get new asana, you get more familiar everyday. Each time you do you get more familiar with that and you get more comfortable with the asana. So that is what first effortlessly we do, when you do asana first easily then there is no effort. If there is no effort in an asana your mind also will become very calm. Is it not true? So once you are sitting in padmasana and nothing is hurting you in padmasana, then automatically your mind becomes very calm. Everything within becomes very calm. You get absorbed within you. Have you felt that in your asana. Sometimes when you go deeper, deeper means when you go deep within your asana you totally get absorbed within that asana. Everything becomes still there. You go and watch a movie you get so involved in the movie, you feel you are in the movie. Nowadays there are good theatres now, IMAX, you go IMAX they make you fall from the sky. You start moving—you get so involved with that movie you feel that you are in that movie and forget everything else. You forget what you are, who you are, where you came from. You are watching only for three hours. Is it not true? You go to a movie you get so involved. So this asana is, and you need to have like love towards that also. You totally get absorbed in that asana, then all the nonsense around you will stop.

I realized this in 1997. Until then I didn’t realize this. I had to do a demo in Australia. With hundreds of people watching. Then I realized the power of asana. Totally when you involve yourself in the asana, it doesn’t matter. 100 people are watching or 100,000 people are watching you, it doesn’t matter. Dhyana is happening inside there. So for that, it is very important that you do it everyday. Generate that energy within you. Generate that focus within you, generate that concentration within you so these kind of realizations can happen through that.

If you have any questions.

Q: What about practicing asana in sacred spaces, like temples? Is that OK? No.
S:
Where is your energy? It’s good to take videos. When you take video, if you take here (gestures to shala) you can’t impress many people. Do Natarajasana over here (points to moldy corner).

Temple is here, within you. Try to realize this temple which is within you. That is what yoga means. To realize this temple within you. The inner atma, what we say, this is not different from the Supreme soul. Everything is one. You think, you go to the temple, you think, “I’m very spiritual, I go to the temple,” but in your mind there is lots of delusions going on, “how can I cheat this guy, beat this guy—this guy is going further—how can I beat him?” So many thoughts, which there is no point in going to the temple if you really don’t want, if something is not calling you to go into the church. I’ve seen so many children going and crying going to the temple. Crying because they have been forced to go to the temple. That’s the good thing in yoga in India—Indians can get yoga very well—why? Because, from the childhood in our house especially they never took to temple because temple was in my house. The priest was in my house. My grandfather generated that, he always used to do japa in my home. Never used to go there. The temple was within him. First we have to correct here, then there will be a meaning to go to the temple. If you don’t correct here and then go to the temple whatever you do, it’s nonsense. Just in front of the idol you say, some difficulty comes in your life and then you will run to the temple. “Oh God, save me from this difficulty and I’ll put food for one hundred people,” once everything is alright they will forget. I mean, not you, I’m talking generally. It’s human nature like that. Only when we have difficulty we go to the temple, to the god, and ask him to help.

She asked one question and I… create your own temple. Actually in temple you are not supposed to show your leg to the god. In Indian temple when you are doing so many asanas you are not supposed to show your feet to the god. You’re not supposed to show your back to the god.

Q: What do you suggest to people who have a teacher that travels a lot? Or that they have to travel to their teacher and teacher might not be there?

S: Then he is not a good teacher. Teacher should have dedication, stay in one place, TEACH, then he becomes a good teacher. If I keep traveling everywhere all the time, where is your pilgimage? Nowhere. You have to come somewhere. I’m sleeping only four hours to teach you all yoga. To teach you the system which has come from thousands of years, so if your teacher always traveling then he is not a good teacher, he can’t generate a good environment, he can’t build up—establish something. This the meaning of temple also, this can be a temple. The yoga temple, they say. Because everyday we all come here, we generate good energy here. I think you all come with good heart, with good energy, with good intention. This is the temple. If I keep traveling I can’t build temples many places. I travel to bring them here. For six months you come here. Authorization is given here, they have to put the effort to come and learn here. Come to the source, learn, realize, experience.

Q: Will you be teaching here next season? We are worried.

S: That I don’t know. You can’t predict yogis. Sometimes self Sadhana is also very important. You know what I mean? Self-study is also very important. When there is always giving there is no time to…I’m a student, also a yoga student. I’m a little senior than you—much more senior than you—but still I am a student. What student has to do? Student always has to study, learn. Try to get more knowledge. Himalaya I am teaching next year. One week. I can’t go to Himalayas because I have two children. Two children and a wife. Family dharma.

According to Indian philosophy there are four to five different stages in your life. Until teenager brahmacharya, means celibacy, then you get married and become grihastha, that’s the family man/woman who raise a family, then comes, after settling your children into life—that means they earn their own money and have their own family—then you go to vanaprastha, that is when vhairaghya, means non-attachment, when you slowly detach everything you give everything to your children. Then in the last stage, sanyasa, you leave everything, you put attention towards the divine more and try to slowly get totally detached from everything. This is the four stages, some say five stages, your childhood is one stage. Each stage should be accepted, “OH I don’t want to get old! I want to be young!!” You practice yoga, you will be younger than others, but one day the cycle has to go. The cycle nobody can stop. Some people are scared, “Oh I get old I die,” you have to. Nobody knows where we go when we die. These are the North and South pole you can say, the North pole you take birth and South pole you die, in between this—the journey between—what you do that matters. What work you do. That will stay forever. If you become so violent and do everything, people will be scolding you every generation. Oh there was one guy who killed so many people, these crazy people, everyone will start scolding, but if there is one Ghandi. Ghandi brought peace to the world. He didn’t bring freedom to the country he brought peace to the world. Through ahimsa, you can do miracles. He got independence not through fighting, through peace he brought freedom. He will be remembered, for I don’t know how many generations, for good things he will be remembered. I think there is no big yogi in modern yoga, he’s the biggest yogi we’ve ever seen, ghandi. I know you’re all doing asanas everyday, but what is the purpose of doing that, that is very important. The transformation should happen within you, it should change you, put more knowledge in you to understand this life. Then the purpose will be served, asana. Otherwise it will be same. It’s like going to work. Have you seen in New York, everyday they are walking to the office. Next day same guy is walking and he goes, (imitates being at computer) his life is not beyond that. There is no life beyond that, never goes to nature or to forest or experience anything else. Only thing is money- it is important, but you shouldn’t get attached to that.

I had one friend like this—but he’s a nice guy—very rich, business, business. I took him to the forest, to Africa, there was lion next to him, he was so afraid. Three of them, there was lion next to me and he was advising me, “Come this side! It will come and catch you!!” I said, “No, nothing will happen,” it was just laying here in the safari. It was very calm, he was looking at me, very calm.

Once we went to Africa with Gurujji and it was same thing, there were five lions sleeping here. He was very calm. Shraddha was young, “Oh great-grandfather, come this side, lion will catch you!” He say, “Oh nothing will happen.”

If you are peacefully sitting everything becomes peaceful. If you become violent than everything becomes violent. Why do people become violent? Because you are violent. Otherwise everything will be calm. If everyone stays calm, there will be no conflicts at all. Everything will be going smoothly. This calmness has to come in everyone. Getting attached to too many things can also be difficult.

The state of equal—to maintain that is called yoga also. All this equally accepting is called yoga. Sukha Dukha, two extremes of life. One is happiness one is sorrow. One is the good things of life. You don’t want the bad things but want the good things, is impossible. You should accept both the things equally. Every New Years, what we do, we bring neem leaf and bring jaggery and we mix both and we give to everyone. So that in this year, at least, whatever comes we should accept it equally. Neem is so bitter, jaggery so sweet. Life is always. I advise my student, yoga is like four wheel drive. Land Rover. It has terrain management. I like cars so much! There are three, four, five different modes. There is one to go down the hill, it manages and adjusts everything so that it doesn’t slip. For off roading there is one, for smooth road there is one. Yoga is also like that. It doesn’t have dial to move, but automatically it will move. Terrain management is within you!

Has anyone gone to Africa. Africa is poorest, I think, country. In remote places people don’t have clothes to wear, but they have so much joy within them! Went to some small place and they have small, small huts, but they have so much joy within them! They don’t have anything, but they have joy.

Whenever you feel stressed out, sing a Bollywood song. That’s what I do at home. When my wife and I fight I just sing songs. Bollywood song. (I kid you not, he starts to sing. I kid you not again, people cry).

Such a good meaning in there. There is always, we feel our life is finished, but there is always things new. New things to know, new things to realize, new things to know. All the time there is something that beats within you, heartbeats that will bring more life to yourself. You think you are dead, but you are still alive. So many things to know. I can’t say I know everything.

Led Full Primary: Igniting Your Practice

by: Jessica Lynne Trese

Ekam Inhale…

Two words, two languages, one breath, one practice.

Hearing those two words inspire a moment of spontaneous meditation for me. For a moment, I can feel the mat beneath my feet, I can feel Sharath’s presence on the stage nearby. The grace of surrender floods my system and ease fills my heart.

Surrendering to the pulse of Ashtanga Yoga, surrendering to the pace of the vinyasa count allows me to dive into the waters of the moving meditation. Stilling the mind and calming the body. The next 90 minutes are a concentrated experience of Breath, Bandhas and Dṛṣṭi.

Then rest, peace and tranquility pervade the physical, energetic and mental bodies. Stillness abounds.

The Ashtanga Full Primary.

#takepractice



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Conference Notes with R. Sharath Jois – November 2014

Sharath Conference #3
Notes by: Sara Moncivais

Last conference we spoke about three things, asana, breathing, and concentration (drishti). These three things are very important in our practice. Why not bandhas? Uddhiyana, mula, jalandhara bandha. These three, jalandhara means locking the chin, mula is the anus, and uddiyana bandha is below the navel. That is where we lock or contract.

This mula bandha is described in Hatha yoga Pradapika and many texts. These three bhandas, especially mula bandha, is very important. Mula is the source, the base. One verse says, always mula bandha. All the time, when walking, sitting, running, when you shouldn’t do…you know that. Many people come, their first day, oh I want to know all the bhandas! Mula bandha—they don’t even know what it is. People telling, I know some senior student, they giving lecture and they don’t even know what mula bandha is, “Oh, yeah, anus contraction, yeah,” how to do that? How long it will take? What is that?

There’s so many things. The philosophy behind mula bandha no one knows. What is the philosophy behind mula bandha is, that that is the source to control the mind. There’s lots of verses which says, “If you master in mula bandha, even an old person will become young.”

This is another verse that says, “What is the source for this whole existence?” Without the air, nobody can live, fire, earth, ether, space. This fire is very important, without this nobody can survive. What is the source for this fire? I know many of you don’t want to believe in God, because it’s scary, to believe in God. Yeah, I’ve heard it so many times, “Ah, God, I don’t want, no…” So what is the source for this fire? It is the God, the Supreme Energy. This is the Supreme Soul, the Supreme Soul is the source for this fire.

How do you think this is created? There should be someone who created all these things. Created water, created air. Bringing life. This would be some energy, which is there. Energy, we can just feel it, just like yoga. Yoga you do asanas, but real yoga happens within you. Which you feel inside. So, like that is the source for the energy, the fire. What is the source? He’s just giving an example, like how I give all the time, masala dosa. So what is the source for this? To control the mind. Mula bandha is the source.

He says, “Mula bandha, he who masters it becomes the greatest yogi, the king of all the yogis.” Raja yogi means, the king of all the yogis. Many commentaries have been written on mula bandha, it doesn’t come, “Oh, I pay shala fees for one month in Mysore and I practice everyday seriously, but I didn’t find mula bandha,” It’s not possible, like that to get. It’s practice. It takes one year, two years, three years, so then you keep on practicing. Like on English man said, “Practice makes man perfect,” my wife the other day she said, “Man has to work to become perfect, but women are already perfect.”

Let’s say everyone perfect! So, how perfection comes? Only through practice. Nowadays it is all fast, fast food, you get everything fast. Everything is take away, no process to cook, or to do anything. Processing the new generation, they don’t like. Masala dosa to go. The process to make masala dosa is two days process, it’s not one day. They have to grind it, leave it the whole night, it gets fermented, long process. So yoga is also a process which should happen. Mula bandha, asanas also. To master an asana it takes time. You have to give the time, if you don’t give the time you won’t know what yoga is. So everything is mula bandha also, it takes one, two, or three years. It might take longer. Day by day when you practice you become more familiar with your asana practice. Then my grandfather always used to teach—if you go to other yoga straightaway the first day they will teach you ten, fifteen asanas straightaway. That asana, this asana, there’s no method.

Here in this state of yoga we always progress slowly, slowly, step by step. Once we master one asana then we move on to next asana. When we practice two to five years then we can realize what we are doing, until then it is just practice, more physical.

How to realize beyond your physical practice? Once we get more clarity within us, the yamas, niyamas, asana. This one subject itself, it takes forever, to learn the purpose of doing it. So many people, they get very confused. Many people who don’t have proper knowledge of yoga, you can stragihtaway know the difference—people who don’t have in-depth knowledge or experience, meaning once you do asanas for many years with devotion—it just becomes physical. Many people they don’t want to do. Asana becomes ego. Ego because you have ego, already, here what we are doing—yoga—to get rid of this thing. These people who don’t have proper understanding of yoga, you can straight away make out they don’t have experience in the system, in yoga. Straightaway—philosophy anyone can talk with a book, “Oh yeah, this is yoga,” but the in-depth experience is only through practical experience and thoughts which come in your practice, and finding answers within you and through the help of your guru. Then you get better clarity within you. Then better understanding will come. Anyone can quote sutras. Lots of translations in English—they say, “Yeah, I know,” anyone can quote sutras. My son, Sambav, can do that.

What is behind Citta Vritti Nirodah—how to do that? Have you realized that or not? You realize that, you gain Saddanah, in-depth knowledge to realize that. You do Saddanah, then only you get better understanding. Exactly for anything in yoga, as I told you, you can purchase certificate, but that won’t make you a yogi. It’s good to put on your wall and they advertise everywhere, “Yogi! Yogi John,”

Long time back I met one student, a wife of one of my friends, she said, “Oh! I am practicing yoga for four years now,” and she is asking me,” What is this? What is that?” I said, “Your teacher didn’t teach you? “ She said no, “I don’t do ashtanga yoga I do hatha yoga.” Me, “Oh OK, what is hatha yoga mean? Can you explain me?”

“Oh, don’t ask me all those things!” So in five years practicing with someone they don’t even know what hatha yoga means and she is asking all the questions to me. Unfortunately these things are happening, some people learn some asanas, they have bendy body, and they say, “I’m a yoga guru.” You see it in the paper. There’s no respect for the yoga guru, they don’t have any respect.

A guru removes all the darkness within us, all the obstacles within us, and takes us towards the brightness. Towards the jnana—the real brightness which we should have. The spiritual knowledge, removes all the ignorance in us, and takes us towards the brightness. To become a guru, this guru should have this experience for many years. This is called guru-shisha parampara. This is the lineage coming from a parampara. This is what happens when there is no parampara. (Gurus and yogi John’s everywhere, etc.) Paramprara means a teacher, a guru or master, a master, which is totally different from a teacher because their experience is in-depth on some subject. Mastering this technique, a student, devoted, the student also has some responsibilities. “Oh, I was in Mysore, I just wanted to do some yoga so I went to KPJ, I was going to Kerala, just passing Mysore, Kerala to do Pancha Karma,” He will be passing through and will never understand what yoga is.

Someone asked, “How do you recognize your guru?” A wise man asks. How to find the guru, he asks a very big master. The master says, “when you hate your guru when you see him the first time.” Then something in your mind says, “I can learn something from him,” but then something in your mind again resists. Finally, he becomes your guru.

Q&A

Q: What’s the process for developing this mula bandha?

A: There are many asanas. Now you are struggling with uth pluttihi, this is a very big tool. It’s a good tool to improve your mula bandha. Navasana, even jumping through and jumping back, one day I will show you how some people they go to handstand—this is not uth pluttihi—it doesn’t need any strength. As soon as you are mastering it is like flying, you can just jump through. It’s easy. The whole balance of your body will change once there is mula bandha, uth pluttihi is very important—it just means lift up, that’s all. Elevating your body, that’s uth plutthihi, so this one when you practice navasana try to pick up with your whole body off the floor. The feet don’t touch the floor. Once mula bandha comes uddiyana bandha will come. jalandhara bandha is mostly in pranaymana. It stops all the external air, these three bhandas will come. Right now, this things is to do, if you do mula bandha correctly you will find the other two. The source has to be strong. The foundation is not strong, then whatever comes through that will not be strong.

Q: I know of the Sutras, but I don’t know who Patanjali actually is?

A: Patanjali, there will be lots of people suffering with lots of diseases, so if Patanjali takes birth in his form with thousands of heads, people will get scared. That is why he takes form as both a human and serpent. To bring health to the people, the suffering people with diseases (physical or mental), the people are lost with delusion and confusion, lots of ignorance. He comes to preach yoga. Three things he brought is yoga for clarity, for concentration, to bring steadiness to the mind. He brought grammar, without grammar you won’t have better speech and understanding. He brought grammar. To cure diseases, he brought Ayurveda. There are two kinds of yogas— some diseases can be cured by asana practice. Some need Ayurveda.

Without grammar you won’t have better speech, without yoga you can’t have peace of mind, without Ayurveda you won’t have health—there are no side effects in Ayruveda it is all natural. Patanjali brought these three things. In the yoga sutras, yoga was before these sutras also, yoga was always there. The whole universe, the whole existence started and yoga started then. It came before Patanjali. All of this you see, the reminders start coming. Krishna he comes in the Bhagavad Gita and he teaches about yoga, Patanjali comes and he teaches about yoga. In the Bhagavad Gita it says, “Yoga is a very old knowledge and practice, which has come from a lineage, from parampara.” It has come from one generation, guru, to another, student.

There is no time when yoga started. It’s timeless. Why is it timeless? Because yoga can’t be seen, it can only be experienced. You can see me, as soon as I took birth. Yoga is all the experience, which happens within you, if you do in the proper direction with the proper ingredients. If you want to plant a rose plant you have to nourish the earth, the soil, you have to give many things.

If you nourish that soil, then automatically a flower will blossom. If you don’t, the plant will die. Is it not true? You don’t water it or nourish it and it will die. Like that, our body is here and our mind is there. What is the nourishment we have to give for the yoga to happen? Yoga is the flower that blossoms within you. What to do for yoga to blossom? We have to follow yama, niyamas, asana, pranayama. Yamas and Niyamas are very important in our practice, these are the nourishment. Then the yoga will happen. The first four limbs are external exercises. Now I’m doing Dhyana. You can’t say that. Some people want more attention, “Oh yeah, I went to this lady she was doing dhyana!” If you are in the state of dhyana nobody will realize, it happens within you! You can’t advertise, it happens within you! When you are in this state you get absorbed in the deepest meditation, all of your sense organs come together and you go to that deepest state of yoga. Meditation can be focused, drishti can be meditation, that’s all. Dhyana is where you withdraw all your sense organs and everything becomes one. Everything becomes one and you don’t know where you are, then everything becomes clear.

There’s no you and then that thing, everything becomes one. That is again, yoga. Yoga can be described as many things. Self-realization is the perfect word for yoga. Transformation happens when self-realization happens. Transformation happens when you follow yama and niyamas. It becomes clearer, day-by-day and year-by-year as you practice. If the transformation does not happen you are doing something wrong, you are making some mistakes.

Q: Why do injuries happen?

A: There’s lots of reasons. Overdoing it is easy to injure yourself, you do it here and you go home and do it again. You’re doing asana practice you just have to concentrate on asana practice. You can’t go and do bicycling for two hours and then come and do asanas. These are opposite things. When you’re doing asana you don’t need to do anything else. Your body is getting stiffer cycling. Here you are coming and getting flexible. When your body is getting stiff and flexible, stiff and flexible, then you are easy to hurt yourself. Everything in asana practice is opening.

I played lots of cricket when I was young, so when I came back to yoga I could feel that there was so much difference between cricket and yoga. I didn’t play after that. I had to go through so many pains in the practice. When you are getting flexible also you get pain in the body, so many changes. If you go to bad teacher, it is possible to get injured.

You have to allow your body to change. You see someone else doing a pose and oh you want to do!! Then you do and don’t give time for your body to change, then you hurt yourself. You should understand how to use the asanas. You can’t do all the asanas and you have to give time. The more time you give, the more you can perfect. You want perfection or you want to learn 100 asanas without any perfection? I would rather do ten asanas or twenty with perfection.

There’s lots of changes to happen in your body. This process should happen. Sometimes you get pain and it quickly goes away, sometimes you get pain and it doesn’t go away for years.

Once in 93/94, guruji taught me a deep back bending and I wanted to go deeper and deeper. It was eka pada raja kapotasana, you bring the leg behind you and catch the ankle with both hands, I was already deep—my heel was here (he points to his nose)—and I thought, “Oh, I can go deeper,” so I pulled and heard a tear here. I couldn’t lift my hand. The morning it happened, I came home, I could take deep breath, in the evening an institution came and wanted us to give demo. My grandfather said, “Yeah, tomorrow we will give, no problem,” I said, “Who is doing the demo? I’m injured, I can’t lift my hand or breath.” There was no one to do the demo, I had to do the demo. I don’t know how I did, but I did kapotasana. After that for one month I couldn’t move my body—even Surya Namaskara was hard! Sometimes we don’t put enough attention in asana practice. The attention should only be in asana practice, when your mind gets distracted, you’re physically here but your mind is somewhere else, many times you get injured like this.

The whole attention should be on your practice. It’s a kind of meditation also, which you learn and it automatically becomes a meditative practice. All of your attention is towards, “Oh what’s he doing? Oh she’s doing kapotasna,” then you go have coffee and discuss all the asanas. Concentrate on your practice. Put everything into your practice. Do that for one week, two weeks, two months and your practice becomes a meditative practice. You do that and your practice will change, you can feel this is not just physical exercise, but a spiritual practice. So many changes will happen within you when this happens.

I’ve done so many demonstrations. 5,000 or 6,000 people I have seen at demonstrations. As soon as I go to my postures I don’t know what happens around me. I’m not worried about how I can perform the asanas. It took many years of practice like that. Getting up at 1 o’clock everyday and practicing 2 or 3 hours I have developed that. As soon as I come to yoga practice my attention comes to my practice. This is what you have to develop within you. Once you develop that you can go to another level of yoga. You can straightaway experience something different.

Q: 99% of practice is not just for the practice, the yamas and niyamas also.

A: Guruji taught 99% practice but people didn’t understand what he was telling. Guruji’s English was very limited, but he learned so much over the years. Later on he became more fluent, but 99% practice many people think, “I have to do asanas here, I have to go home and do asanas, I have to do asanas there.” 99% practice, they didn’t have proper understanding what it was. The real experience only comes when we practice and we realize what it is.

Into The Shadows – the elusive search for happiness in Ashtanga Yoga

A question from a long-time student:

“Some days, the Ashtanga practice leaves me feeling peaceful, light and joyful. Then other days I’m left feeling grumpy, and tight with heaps of unpleasant feelings bubbling up inside. What the h*** is wrong with me?!?!”

Here are my thoughts:

The practice of Ashtanga Yoga shines a light in our hearts, it shines a light on our true Self. And it’s not until this light is shone that our darkest and deepest shadows are finally revealed. They are revealed as a part of the path to healing, a part of the path to happiness, but at first, they are often painful, and they sometimes cause sadness, frustration and/or anger.

Yoga is a practice of turning inward and connecting with the true Self, the light, the divine, the God within each one of us. But first, Yoga asks us to begin by calming our mind, trying to tame the monkey mind.

The monkey mind creates fluctuations in the mind like the ripples created from throwing pebbles into a lake; one thought, one pebble creates ripples that expand outward and continue rippling long after the pebble first broke the surface of the water. If we can start to calm these fluctuations, begin to still the waters of the mind, only then can we begin to see the true reflection of our Self. Only then can the light begin to shine, allowing us to see the shadows lying deep within.

While the initial work of calming the mind is crucial, it really is only the beginning of the journey. Once the mind is calm, then we’re finally able to actually see the shadows which have been buried in the depths of our consciousness. Like debris, which has settled on the bottom of the lake, long forgotten, these shadows are still there, shaping the landscape of our mind, and altering our behavior and thought patterns whether we realize it or not.

Ashtanga Yoga provides an opportunity to dredge this lake of the mind, an opportunity to finally remove the debris which no longer serves us, chipping away at the shadows which cause us suffering, this is the real work of Ashtanga Yoga, and this is the really really hard work of Ashtanga Yoga.

This is also the best work we can do for our Self, the best work we can do for our world.

As these shadows of our consciousness are revealed, in some way, we must re-experience them. We must accept that they are there, and then we have a choice to make. The choice to either continue carrying them around buried within our minds, allowing these shadows to shape who we are. Or we can start to release them, facing them honestly as we begin to clear away the debris, and let the light of the Divine shine on these shadows, filling our hearts and our lives with peace and light.

So, if you sometimes feel grumpy in or after your practice, maybe that’s OK – maybe it can be another way for us to heal if we let ourselves honestly surrender to the process of releasing past pain and suffering. But, it is our choice. We can choose to release the shadows and rise above the suffering of our conditioned minds. Or not, and continue to let these shadows rule our consciousness.

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“…and in all earnestness”

In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras – THE ‘how-to’ book for yoga, not only do the sutras define Yoga, they also provide a roadmap for our journey, shedding light on the obstacles that will arise and providing us with tools to overcome these obstacles.

In the second sutra, Patanjali informs us what goal of yoga is:
Yogaś chitta vṛtti nirodhaḥ | 1.2
“The restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff is Yoga.”
So basically the calming of the monkey mind is Yoga, this is why we practice. And, the rest of the sutras expound upon this single goal – calming the mind. For most of us though, the calming of the mind is not as simple as just flipping a switch and turning that internal chatter off. For this reason, Patanjali uses the rest of the sutras to show us how to accomplish the calming of the mind.

A few sutras in, Patanjali tells us how we can become grounded in this practice of calming the mind:
Sa tu dīrgha kāla nairantarya satkārāsevito dṛḍhabhūmiḥ | 1.14
“The practice becomes firmly grounded when well attended to for a long time, without break and in all earnestness.”

Here, the sage Patanjali tells us how to become firmly grounded in the practice of stilling the mind. First, we attend to the practice for a long time, dīrgha kāla. Second, we must practice without break, nairantarya. And lastly, the practice must be preformed in all earnestness, satkārāsevito. The first two requirements are fairly easy to comprehend – practice for a long time (maybe even lifetimes) and without break. But what does it mean to practice in all earnestness?

To me, that is the big question, how do we practice in all earnestness?

To practice Ashtanga Yoga in all earnestness we must practice with devotion, respect, austerity and faith. Each day when we roll out the mat, we must make a choice. The choice to practice with devotion. The choice to practice with respect. The choice to practice with austerity. The choice to practice with faith. Every time the mind begins to wander, we must continually bring it back to the tristhana method. Rising above the ego’s need for praise, and perfection, we practice not to gain poses or to be able to accomplish some physical feat. We practice to learn about ourselves, trying to uncover and overcome our unconscious patterns of conditioning.

When we allow our mind to be immersed in only the breath, the bandhas and the gaze we are able to transform our practice into a moving meditation. This moving meditation is a tool to overcome suffering. It allows us to begin to identify our unconscious conditioning, it allows us to begin to see the ways we bring suffering to others and ourselves. Without this step, we will remain caught in a continual cycle of suffering – samsāra, we will remain caught in the illusions of the ego.

Each day, when we roll out our mats, may we practice as a way to begin to know our Self, as a way to overcome suffering, as a way to bring more peace to the world through our own experience of internal peace.


* About Jessica

* Ashtanga Eco-Retreat, Costa Rica – May 25-31, 2016

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Guru Gratitude

The full moon of July is celebrated with a Hindu festival known as GURU PURNIMA. This is a day honoring spiritual and academic teachers and is mostly celebrated by hindus and buddhists as a way of thanking their teachers.

The full moon of July is also the anniversary of the birth of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, born on this day in 1915. Our beloved teacher, Guruji, the Father of Ashtanga Yoga was born on the day to honor our gurus.

Sri K. Pattabhi Jois a Guru, one who destroys/dispels darkness, the bringer of light, the guide on the spiritual journey of yoga. His eyes sparkled with peaceful joy and his smile invoked inspiration in all. His presence was humbling, comforting, and inspiring. He was a natural teacher and a true representation of yoga. And now, his grandson R. Sharath Jois continues to lead the Ashtanga tradition with honor and grace, our modern Ashtanga guru. Sharath’s teachings are honest and pure, wrapped in humor to inspire and motivate students from around the world, shining light into our hearts through the Ashtanga Yoga practice.

I am thankful for my teachers every day. I hear their words in my practice, inspiring me to roll out my mat, encouraging me to practice kapotasana one more time. And when I doubt the practice, when I doubt myself, I remember Guruji’s message to me “You, you come back, you take practice” and I do.

Thank you Guruji, thank you Sharath, thank you Ashtanga Yoga.

About Jessica

5 ways to find JOY!! Even when you’ve got the GRUMPS!!

We all have grumpy days, it happens sometimes. You wake up one morning and the day just lacks its usual luster. Where there is usually a warm, glowing, ball of beautiful life giving energy in the sky, you see the sun as merely a hot, bright, blinding headache instead. Not fun. And when you wake up feeling bummed it can easily change your entire day – usually for the worse.

What’s a normally happy human to do when all you’re feeling is grumpy?

 

Try these techniques and see if you can change your perception and as a result, change your grumpy mood into one that is a little brighter and more enjoyable!!!

  • 1. Change your scenery and get out in nature!!
    Just a few moments in nature can alter your mood significantly, find a beautiful spot to sit and breathe, even if you only have five minutes. Absorb the sunlight, observe the colors and textures painted on our earth, breathe in the fresh air and feel your connection to your surroundings! Can’t get outside today, that’s ok, just PRETEND!!!! Close your eyes and imagine a beautiful place in nature, maybe some place you’ve been before, or maybe some place you’re dreaming of visiting. Find a quite place to sit for five minutes, close your eyes and let your imagination paint a scene in nature for you to absorb and observe. Notice the colors of the landscape, imagine the sounds you would hear, and let yourself find stillness.
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  • 2. Spend time with people you love!
    Take a couple of minutes to call, text or visit with a friend or family member you care about. Ask them about their day, tell them you love them or send them a wish for success in their day. Sometimes stepping out of your head to connect with someone else is all you need to start feeling a little better!
  •  

  • 3. SING!!!!
    Turn up your favorite song and let it out!!!!!! Find a place where you can have privacy and let yourself get lost in a few of your favorite songs. Be silly. Dance. Sing. And don’t worry about how it sounds, how it looks or whether you’re singing the same words as the artist – just let yourself have fun and enjoy the experience of connecting to music!
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  • 4. Go for a walk!
    Whether it’s for five minutes or one hour, physical activity can change our state of mind for the better.
  •  

  • 5. Do something nice for a stranger!
    Random acts of kindness can really help elevate your mood, so even when you’re feeling grumpy, practice a random act of kindness and it might help elevate your mood. Hold the door open for the person behind you. Let someone go ahead of you in line at the store. Smile at a stranger.

No one really like being in a grumpy mood, so when you notice your mood starts to sail south, try to take steps to counter your mood and you might find you can rise above that grumpy mood before it ruins your day.

A yoga practice can show us the power of our perception. When we practice asanas (yoga postures) we are able to see how altering our view of a situation can change our experience. Suddenly a frustrating experience turns in o a beautiful opportunity to learn more about yourself, and the experience transforms from something you were resisting to something you’re embracing.

That’s pretty awesome, if we can learn to control our perception, we can ultimately control our reality, at least on some level that is. We learn to change our responses to events, feelings and even start to appreciate the lessons in the most challenging situations.

 

About Jessica

Upcoming Events & Workshops


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  • Yoga and the quest to Know it ALL!!!
    Yoga is a journey of Self-Discovery, a journey of knowledge. And along this path we will learn a LOT. The journey inspires curiosity and awakens a ‘thirst’ for knowledge within the practitioners…
  • Standing up from back-bending – a lesson in vulnerability
    The Ashtanga Yoga practice is an intense practice of Self-Discovery and HEALING and the journey is unique for each person. This practice is not only physically demanding, it’s emotionally demanding as well…
  • Keeping Guruji With You When You Practice
    Last summer, in one of Sharath’s conferences, he was talking to us about the importance of practicing with one teacher, when a student asked ‘What if jobs, family and finances won’t allow us to make it to Mysore to practice with you every year?’….
  • The Heart of Ashtanga Yoga: The Tristhana Method
    Asthanga Yoga method provides an opportunity for practitioners to practice releasing these distractions and focusing the mind on one single point. Thus, leading students on a path of Self-discovery…..
  • Ashtanga Yoga is a breath practice. Seriously, it REALLY is!!!!
    Walk in to any Mysore class around the world and the first two things you will probably notice are the breath and the postures. All the students in the room are moving at their own pace, with focused minds, graceful movements and the same deep, steady and even breath. There is a rhythm to this breath. It has an almost hypnotic quality, continually drawing students inward to the present moment. Allowing them to experience their yoga practice for all it is in each moment…
  • The Seven Words That Changed My Practice
    It was 2008, I was traveling in India for the first time and immersing myself in Ashtanga Yoga. I’ll be honest, when I first traveled to Mysore, I was not a dedicated Ashtanga practitioner. I LOVED Ashtanga Yoga, I just didn’t practice it 6 days a week. Yet, I was ready to dive in and see what it would be like to commit to the daily Asthanga practice.
    At this time, Guruji was still with us…

 

 

Yoga and the quest to know it ALL!

Inspired by Conference with R. Sharath Jois

11/10/13 – Mysore, India

Yoga is a journey of Self-Discovery, a journey of knowledge. And along this path we will learn a LOT. The journey inspires curiosity and awakens a ‘thirst’ for knowledge within the practitioners. We learn about our bodies, we learn to stretch our limits both physically and mentally and we learn to perform seemingly impossible feats of the body through its physical manipulation.

We also begin to learn more about our selves – what makes us happy, what makes us sad, what pushes us out of our comfort zones and we can even begin to identify our typical ‘programmed’ responses. Additionally, yoga teaches us to be a witness to our own actions, to see the way our actions impact our environment and the people around us.

Often, this perspective gives us the inspiration to learn EVEN more, to try to understand our place in the world and why people exist in the way they do.

This path of Self-discovery leads many practitioners to begin to learn and explore many new disciplines that seem to align with the practice of yoga, including Yoga Sutras, Philosophical studies, Ayurvedic medicine, Reiki, Meditation, Sanskrit Chanting, – just to name a few. These are extremely healing and powerful practices that open the doors of knowledge even wider, providing a flood of information for the practitioner to integrate into their daily lives, this is information that can also be used to help others along their own path of healing.

While, as students begin we to heal ourselves, and maybe we even start to help others heal along this path of Self-discovery; it can be easy for some to fall into the mindset of thinking they ‘know it all’.

In conference this week, Sharath was talking about what it’s like being a student, he mentioned the tendency for students to feel as if they know everything, and shared his insights with us. Please keep in mind, I’m paraphrasing what Sharath explained here – when I know there is more for me to learn, then the door to knowledge is opened. The man who thinks he knows everything cannot grow, because in his eyes, there is nothing left to know. While the man who knows everything, would never admit he knows everything, he will always be searching, exploring, and seeking to uncover more truth.

To me, this is a beautiful perspective. The idea that we will ALWAYS be learning, and that we are not expected to ever know everything is very liberating!!! Acknowledging that we will be wrong sometimes, that we WILL make mistakes, and that making mistakes is ok, it’s part of our process as humans; we make mistakes, we hopefully learn from them (eventually at least), and because of these mistakes we learn, we grow, and then we make different mistakes!!!

The more we learn and discover on this journey the more we see we have much still to learn. Embrace your knowledge, and at the same time, celebrate the opportunity to continue learning, to continue growing, and to continue exploring. The ability to change, adapt, grow and evolve is an amazing quality we humans possess – Let’s celebrate the fact that we can change – we can grow, and we can spend the rest of our lives doing just that, while making a few mistakes along the way!!

About Jessica
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  • Standing up from back-bending – a lesson in vulnerability
  • The Ashtanga Yoga practice is an intense practice of Self-Discovery and HEALING and the journey is unique for each person. This practice is not only physically demanding, it’s emotionally demanding as well. The practice leads students inward, toward their TRUE SELF, allowing them to live happier, more honest and peaceful lives. On this journey, students will no doubt encounter painful, challenging and even frightening moments. It is in these moments when we really learn the most about our self. It is through these painful, challenging and frightening moments when the real yoga happens and we can start to break down the conditioned patterns that we need to let go…

  • Keeping Guruji With You When You Practice
  • Last summer, in one of Sharath’s conferences, he was talking to us about the importance of practicing with one teacher, when a student asked ‘What if jobs, family and finances won’t allow us to make it to Mysore to practice with you every year?’….

  • The Heart of Ashtanga Yoga: The Tristhana Method
  • Asthanga Yoga method provides an opportunity for practitioners to practice releasing these distractions and focusing the mind on one single point. Thus, leading students on a path of Self-discovery…..

  • Ashtanga Yoga is a breath practice. Seriously, it REALLY is!!!!
  • Walk in to any Mysore class around the world and the first two things you will probably notice are the breath and the postures. All the students in the room are moving at their own pace, with focused minds, graceful movements and the same deep, steady and even breath. There is a rhythm to this breath. It has an almost hypnotic quality, continually drawing students inward to the present moment. Allowing them to experience their yoga practice for all it is in each moment…

  • The Seven Words That Changed My Practice
  • It was 2008, I was traveling in India for the first time and immersing myself in Ashtanga Yoga. I’ll be honest, when I first traveled to Mysore, I was not a dedicated Ashtanga practitioner. I LOVED Ashtanga Yoga, I just didn’t practice it 6 days a week. Yet, I was ready to dive in and see what it would be like to commit to the daily Asthanga practice.
    At this time, Guruji was still with us…

Standing up from back-bending – how I overcame my fears

When practicing Ashtanga Yoga in the Mysore room, students begin a deep and intense series of back-bending toward the end of Primary Series. It begins by doing your back-bends on the floor (urdhva dhanurasana) and then standing-up from this position. Next you learn how to move backward from a standing position to land in urdhva dhanurasana, and then come back up to a standing position again. And then repeat. And then repeat.

This was a HUGE challenge for me. For a while, I thought I would never be able to do it.

The Ashtanga Yoga practice is an intense practice of Self-Discovery and HEALING and the journey is unique for each person. This practice is not only physically demanding, it’s emotionally demanding as well. The practice leads students inward, toward their TRUE SELF, allowing them to live happier, more honest and peaceful lives. On this journey, students will no doubt encounter painful, challenging and even frightening moments. It is in these moments when we really learn the most about our self. It is through these painful, challenging and frightening moments when the real yoga happens and we can start to break down the conditioned patterns that we need to let go.

It is in these moments that we are able to grow as humans, for if we truly want to heal and move past the pain in our life, we have to stop locking it tightly inside our hearts, we have to let it rise to the surface. We have to stop denying its presence. Only then can these destructive patterns finally be released.

When I first began dropping-back a few years ago, I was fearless. I fell on my head, I jammed my fingers, I fell on my butt, I fell forward onto my knees – and, I still kept doing it, everyday. To me, it was fun; it was an adventure – ‘what’s going to happen this time’?!?! And eventually, I was able to control my decent and land in urdhva dhanurasana consistently, and sometimes even gracefully.

But, when it came to standing up from the back-bends I just couldn’t do it. I was terrified. And worst of all, I had no idea why I was so scared of this part of the back-bending sequence. I understood the mechanics of what I wanted to do; I just couldn’t find the path within me to articulate the movement. There was something blocking me, something beyond physicality. Something within me was holding me back.

Then, one night I dreamt of my practice. In my dream, I was practicing in Mysore, India with Guruji and Sharath in the room. When it came time for my back-drops, Guruji looked in my eyes and simply said ‘No fear, you stand up.’ My dream was so vivid, so real I can still clearly remember his voice, the look in his eyes when he said this to me. So, in my dream I took a big breath in, dropped back to my hands and then… I did it. I stood up from my back-bend!!!! Somehow, in my dream I found the way to send my pelvis forward, and engage my legs so I could stand on my own from back-bending. It was amazing!!!

I awoke with a wonderful feeling in my heart, I felt Guruji had come to me in my dream to help me. I had his guidance to show me I really could do it. And it was simple, ‘no fear, you stand up’. I was excited to practice that day, I was excited to see how my body responded to this new sub-conscious experience. At the same time, I wondered why I was so afraid of standing up for myself.

I was afraid to stand up for myself.

That was it, once again the practice shed light on a part of my life, a part of my heart, I had been avoiding up until now. I’ve always been nervous about standing up for myself and my feelings. I have always been unsure about sharing what’s in my heart. I’m afraid I won’t be able to convey my message clearly. I worry about what others will think of me. I afraid people will judge me for speaking up for myself. I worry people will see me as selfish or egotistical. I afraid of being told what I’m feeling is wrong.

It was then that I realized I was smothering this part of heart, the part that needed to speak-up, the part that needed to be heard. All because I was afraid of what other people would think. This pattern has been with me since childhood, I was taught that my feelings were wrong, I was taught not to trust myself, not to trust my heart.

But, the practice has allowed me to clear away the chaos of the mind (at least a little bit) so I am starting to find the confidence to share my heart in a way others can understand. The practice has allowed me to look inside my heart, inside my Self, to start to see who I really am – instead of seeing who I thought everyone else wanted me to be.

Finally, I’m starting to learn that it’s absolutely perfect to just be me.

I’m beginning to find the openness, the freedom that comes with letting myself be vulnerable and completely my SELF. And it is AMAZING!!!!!! And, I can also stand up from back-bends now, but it’s not about the poses, it’s about the experience, the JOURNEY inside that really matters.



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Keeping Guruji with you when you practice

Last summer, in one of Sharath’s conferences, he was talking to us about the importance of practicing with one teacher, when a student asked ‘What if jobs, family and finances won’t allow us to make it to Mysore to practice with you every year?’ The essence of Sharath’s answer was this: When you can’t practice with your teacher, place a picture of Guruji wherever you are practicing and he will be there. Sharath’s answers may seem simple, but they are truly powerful.

I often practice by myself, with no teacher. This leaves me on my own to complete my practice, to find the motivation to do each vinyasa, to find the stillness to practice breathing and presence in each moment. And honestly, it’s really hard sometimes. Sometimes I don’t want to practice, sometimes I feel doubt, and yes, sometimes I feel pain. Then I hear Sharath’s words: ‘place a picture of Guruji where ever you practice and he will be there’ and I practice anyway, with Guruji’s eyes smiling at me from his photo.

On my first trip to Mysore I met Guruji. He touched my heart, changed my practice and changed my life with only a few words. I’m so grateful for the moments I had with Guruji. And the teachings I’ve received from Sharath are priceless, I hear his voice when I practice, I remember his encouragement, I see his smile.

In the grand scheme of things, our daily asana practices are the steps along the journey of Self-discovery that is Yoga. Asthanga Yoga is a journey inward, a journey to reveal your true Self. Along this journey, we will feel pain, we will experience doubt, frustration, and we might even cry. We will also find stillness, release anger, grow and evolve in ways we never dreamed possible. But we will only reap the benefits of this practice if we actually do it, if we actually practice.

And then, in the midst of those feelings of doubt and frustration, when we’re able to roll out our mat and practice anyway; the benefits of the practice are able to fill our heart, to fill our life!

And so, I practice. Even on the days I have doubt. And especially on the days when I just don’t want to. I roll out my mat, and light a candle beside Guruji’s picture and I practice. I see Guruji’s smile, I remember his words and I see the joy in his eyes and along with Sharath’s teachings woven into the fabric of my practice, I am able to continue a daily practice. I’m able to continue along this path of Self-discovery.



* About Jessica

* Ashtanga Eco Retreat – September 1-7, 2016

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The Heart of Ashtanga Yoga: The Tristhana Method

Ashtanga Yoga: A Moving Meditation

by: Jessica Lynne Trese
Rolling out your yoga mat is not always easy. Life is filled with thousands of distractions and responsibilities. As if that wasn’t enough, the mind has this amazing ability to create even more ridiculous distractions on top of all the real world worries of life. Given this, the idea of ‘quieting the mind’ can sometimes seem impossible! Despite all the distractions that manifest in life, the Asthanga Yoga method provides an opportunity for practitioners to practice releasing these distractions and focusing the mind on one single point. Thus, leading students on a path of Self-discovery.

The practice of Ashtanga Yoga combines three elements; three focal points known as the Tristhana Method. This three-pronged method allows the mind to be focused in the present moment and creates internal space for the body to be grounded. In the Ashtanga Yoga Method, the breath, the gaze and the postures are intricately woven together throughout the entire practice, leading students on this path of self-discovery by turning the senses inward.

Ujjayi Pranayama (breath), Asanas (postures and bandhas) and Dristi (gazing point) actively draw the senses inward allowing practitioners to move through the Asthanga series with complete awareness and presence, transforming the physical asana practice into a moving meditation.

The Tristhana method sets Asthanga Yoga apart from other systems of yoga. This focused energy is the gateway to the spiritual side of yoga. It is the doorway to Self-discovery!! By calming the mind through the Tristhana method, we are able to truly explore the layers of the Self without the delusions and distractions of the mind.

When you roll your mat out today, release your self-expectations, release you self-judgements. Dive in to the essence of the Tristhana method; continually drawing your mind and your senses back to the breath, the gaze and the postures. Continually drawing your mind back to the Tristhana method and the present moment. Continually reconnecting to your Self.


Contact Jessica to Book Today
Contact Jessica to Book Today

* About Jessica

* Ashtanga Eco Retreat – May 25-31, 2016

* Upcoming Events & Workshops

* Apprenticeship Program

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What’s so great about Mysore?!?!?!

Mysore is AWESOME, here are a few reasons why!!

This method of practicing yoga is unique, amazing, powerful, empowering, healing, transformative, personalized, safe and ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!!

Yes, Mysore classes can seem intimidating, elusive, even just down right confusing! Students who walk into the practice room for the first time might feel overwhelmed seeing all the students breathing and moving, deep in their own meditative practice, AND some of them are doing some really CRAZY asanas (postures)!

But, the truth is, Mysore Style is simple, pure and AMAZING!!!! Here are just a few of my favorite reasons:

You get to go at your own pace – this is HUGE!!!! You don’t have to keep pace with the teacher or the class; you can go at your own pace, whatever that feels like on that day!! Are you feeling super tired and run down, looking for a more therapeutic practice – you got it!! Are you feeling super jazzed and ready to tear your mat up – GO for it!!!

You don’t have to be on time – wait, what? Yes, that’s right, you arrive when you can and leave when you’re done!! The Mysore room will be open with a teacher for a block of time (generally 2-3 hours) and you come when you can to do your yoga practice, and leave when you’re done!!! How great is that?!?!?!

Your teacher teaches just to you, giving you a personalized approach to the Ashtanga Yoga method – This is a self-paced class, with one teacher in the room. This structure allows the teacher to be able to teach each student one-on-one! It’s like a private lesson, with the collective energy of a group class!!!

Ashtanga is a comprehensive practice – asana, pranayama, meditation even a little bit of chanting, all in one class!

Ashtanga is a practice of efficiency – combining all of these yogic practices into a 90ish minute practice allowing you to still have a family and a life while still living the yogic lifestyle.

Ashtanga is truly a class for ALL levels – since you receive individualized instruction from your teacher, this class honestly is appropriate for ALL levels!!! Whether you’re brand new to yoga or if you can throw your leg behind your head with ease, you’ll find a class that’s exactly what your body needs that day! Come and you’ll learn pose by pose, as your body opens and you will learn new, fun and challenging asanas as your body is ready!!!!

Ashtanga is a traditional practice – The Ashtanga Yoga Method has been around for a LONG time. Many teachers and students have practiced this method over the years, proving the healing benefits of the practice.

Try it today, you’ll learn a practice you can take with you anywhere, a practice for life!!


* About Jessica


* Ashtanga Eco-Retreat – Costa Rica May 25-31, 2016


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Ashtanga Yoga is a breath practice. Seriously, it REALLY is!!!!

by: Jessica Lynne Trese
Walk in to any Mysore class around the world and the first two things you will probably notice are the breath and the postures. All the students in the room are moving at their own pace, with focused minds, graceful movements and the same deep, steady and even breath. There is a rhythm to this breath. It has an almost hypnotic quality, continually drawing students inward to the present moment. Allowing them to experience their yoga practice for all it is in each moment. And then, allowing them to move on to the next moment without attachment to what has come before or what may be coming next.

“Ashtanga Yoga is a breath practice, the rest is just bending.” One of Guruji’s famous quotes. A student who first hears this from their teacher might be confused, frustrated or just roll their eyes. It is hard to imagine a practice that is so physically demanding can be simplified into ‘a breath practice’. It is a practice in controlling the breath. A practice in presence. A practice in being able to keep your breath steady, even and regulated no matter what position your body may be in.

That is why we do all the crazy asanas!! That is why we try to bind our hands in Marichyasana D, pull our feet behind our heads in Supta Kurmasana, and grab our heals in Kapotasana.

We put ourselves in challenging, uncomfortable and awkward situations on our yoga mats so we can practice breathing. Practice detachment. Practice presence in each moment. And, so we can develop the discernment to maneuver through these challenging, uncomfortable and awkward situations on our yoga mats with poise, grace, ease and hopefully without causing ourselves pain.

We practice this daily.

We practice this, so when we are in challenging, uncomfortable and awkward situations in life we are able to access some of this same poise, grace, and ease we have cultivated on our yoga mats. So we are able to breathe and hopefully maintain a clear mind and compassionate heart.

Sometimes life is going to be uncomfortable, and even painful, just as our physical asana practice can be sometimes. That is unavoidable. The Ashtanga Yoga method provides an opportunity for us to practice the way we manage these situations, by practicing breathing in all of those crazy postures. The physical asanas are the tools we use to practice breathing.

Practice BREATHING each day!












* About Jessica

* Ashtanga Eco Retreat – May 25-31, 2016

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OUCH!!!! When your yoga practice HURTS!!!

It’s been about six months, and I have been experiencing a string of injuries and ongoing physical pain in my body, my yoga practice and in my daily life. Consisting of a hamstring injury, a low back injury, knee pain, and continual discomfort on the entire left side of my body, and you know what?!?! It SUCKS!!!!

Using yoga as a method to explore my body (and my life), I have continued my daily practice. It is through this practice that I have begun to do the seemingly impossible!!!! I am actually beginning to feel genuine gratitude for my injuries! That’s right, gratitude!!!

Yoga is a practice of Self-discovery, a practice of presence, a practice of accepting your Self for who you are in each moment, flaws and all. Teachers and practitioners alike will confirm, emotional pains and blockages can and DO manifest themselves physically (usually as pain or excessive tension) in our bodies, and the practice of yoga brings these up to the surface for us to experience and hopefully one day release. And this physical pain is giving me a beautiful opportunity to explore and release some of those blockages!

After all, it is only when the light shines on a dark room that we are finally able to see the room’s shadows.

Practicing Ashtanga Yoga gives students a unique experience – a ‘constant’ in our daily lives. By practicing the same poses day in and day out, we are able to actually feel and experience the subtle and sometimes dramatic changes in our body that happen day-to-day. This provides students with an opportunity to cultivate a sense of objectivity and non-attachment to these daily changes allowing us to clearly see the areas where we have the opportunity to evolve and grow. And that’s what it’s all about.

And so, I keep practicing. Every day. Opening myself up and accepting the challenges presented to me. Acknowledging the times when I close my heart off. Accepting that even though I practice the same poses each day, they’re not going to feel the same every day. This is why I practice. It is this objectivity, this path of Self-discovery that makes yoga what it is.

Ideally, our yoga practice would feel like a dream everyday but it doesn’t… The trick is to keep practicing. Some days it might just be Sun Salutations but keep practicing. The only way to continue along our path of Self-discovery through yoga is to continue it.

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