Tag: Daily Practice

Posted on

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


* About Jessica

* Ashtanga Eco Retreat – September 1-7, 2016

* Upcoming Events & Workshops

* Apprenticeship Program

You Might Also Enjoy:

Posted on

Yoga To Sleep Better At Night

sleepy-kitten
SLEEP BETTER

A restful night’s sleep is one of the greatest gifts you can give to yourself. Here are a few yoga practices that can help you sleep as soundly a tired out kitten!

All of these practices can be preformed either in your bed or on the floor of your bedroom. I suggest doing this sequence when you are ready to go to sleep, after all the household tasks are completed and you can turn in for the night. If any part of this routine makes you feel overwhelmed or if it feels unsafe at any time, please stop immediately and find a comfortable place to breathe deeply while the sensations dissipate.

Keep in mind the most important aspect of ANY yoga practice is the breath. Try for deep, steady breathing where the inhales are the same length as the exhales.

Breathe your way to more restful sleep!

Alternate Nostril Breath:

    *Take three deep breaths in and out through the nose
    *Use the thumb to block off the right nostril and breathe in through the left
    *Use the third finger to block off the left nostril and breathe out through the right
    *Repeat 9-12 times total
    *Use the third finger to block off the left nostril and breathe in through the right
    *Use the thumb to block off the right nostril and breathe out through the left
    *Repeat 9-12 times (the same number of rounds each side)
    *Take three deep breaths in and out through the nose

Legs Up the Wall:

    *Sit down right next to the wall
    *Keeping your hips as close to the wall as possible, lay down on your back
    *Lift your legs up the wall
    *Rest your hands on either side of the body or let them rest on your belly
    *Remain here for five minutes breathing through the nose as possible

Reclining Twist:

    *Bend your knees to your chest and catch the outside of the left knee with your right hand
    *Use the right hand to guide both knees to the right
    *Breathe 15 times through the nose as possible
    *Draw both knees back to the center
    *Catch the outside of the right knee with your left hand
    *Use the left hand to guide both knees to the left
    *Breathe 15 times
    *Draw both knees back to center

Seated Bound Angle Pose:

    *Sitting on the floor or the bed, connect the bottoms of the feet and make the legs shaped into a large diamond
    *Rest a pillow or two between your legs
    *Gently fold forward so your upper body can rest on the pillows with your head turned comfortably to one side
    *Stay here for 20+ long breaths

Final Resting Pose:

Posted on

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.


 


* About Jessica

* Upcoming Events & Workshops

* Apprenticeship Program

You Might Also Enjoy:

Posted on

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.


* About Jessica

* Ashtanga Eco Retreat – September 1-7, 2016

* Upcoming Events & Workshops

* Apprenticeship Program

You Might Also Enjoy:

Posted on

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


* About Jessica

* Ashtanga Eco Retreat – September 1-7, 2016

* Upcoming Events & Workshops

* Apprenticeship Program

You Might Also Enjoy:

Posted on

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

* Upcoming Events & Workshops

* Apprenticeship Program

You Might Also Enjoy:

Posted on

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, openly sharing his energy and his knowledge with hundreds of students each day. I remember when I went to the office to register for the first time, I was speechless. It was an incredible experience to simply be in his presence. His eyes were so filled with kindness, love, knowledge and compassion; and he touched my heart with his smile.

Each day, I practiced with Sharath, allowing myself to experience this beautiful practice from the source. I felt great. I was really connecting to the Ashtanga Yoga method, yet nearing the end of my first month in Mysore, I was unsure if I would be able to commit solely to Ashtanga Yoga upon my return to the States. I just wasn’t sure.

One day, waiting in the lobby for Sanskrit class to begin, I was sitting on the bench as Sharath was walking with Guruji to the front stage. When they passed the door, Guruji looked at me with his kind soulful eyes and he points to me and says ‘You, you come back, you take practice.’

I was left speechless once again! With my mouth agape I gasped ‘ok’ and frantically shook my head. It was in that moment that my committed relationship with Ashtanga Yoga was really born. I was in for the long haul. I already felt amazing physically, and knew the practice had healed countless students through the years, and those seven words from Guruji sealed the deal. This would be my practice. I would commit.

I’m still practicing Ashtanga Yoga, 4 years later, 6 days a week. There are days when I don’t want to, and there are days when I doubt the practice. It’s on those days when I hear Guruji’s words clearly in my heart. ‘…you take practice.’

And so I do. Even on the tough days, I roll out my mat and surrender to the rhythm, to the breath, to the practice…

Everyday is different, and everyday I am grateful for what this practice has given me.

‘…you take practice.’

You Might Also Enjoy:

About Jessica

© 2012-2023, Yoga Chikitsa, LLC

All rights reserved

Proudly powered by WordPress