Namaskar Oct 2012

Conference
A Reminder on Yoga & Happiness at Asia Yoga Conference
Rachel Jacqueline
“Am I happy with what I am doing? Is
what I’m doing contributing to confusion,
to happiness, to peace? What will I be
remembered for when I die?” questions
Danny Paradise to a group of budding
yogis on a Saturday afternoon during the
Asia Yoga Conference in June.
His long, greying hair - pulled forward over
his blue tie-dyed shirt and swept off his
face with a fading bandana – is the only
physical sign he’s been practicing yoga for
over 36 years. He speaks and moves with a
childlike energy of someone half his age.
Danny Paradise
Along with 40 other students sitting on
odd yoga mats – splashes of colour against
the gray of Hong Kong’s Convention and
Exhibition Centre – I quietly contemplate
the words of the vibrant yogi.
To be honest, happiness was not my first
reaction to the inconceivable number of
yoga offerings in the AYC schedule.
Instead, I was overwhelmed. How was I
going to make the most out of the
weekend of yoga from the mind-boggling
selection on offer?
Bernie Clark’s Yin Yoga, or Scott Blossom’s
Shadow Yoga? Or listen to Bo Forbes
speak on Yoga Therapy? What is Jivamukti
Yoga, Karma Yoga, OM yoga, or the
Kaivalya Method? And how could I miss
Shri Rajpal’s final lecture outside of India?
For those of you not in the know, the
AYC offers four days of inspirational yoga
practice, philosophy and psychology in
Hong Kong each year. One may choose to
attend single days or indulge in a full
weekend emersion into everything yoga.
This year 46 yoga teachers gathered from
around the globe to share their love,
passion and insights over 7 - 10 June.
The brilliance of the AYC is it brings the
world of yoga in its differing forms and
interpretations together in one place over
one weekend: Hatha, Ashtanga, Vinyasa,
Sivananda, Bikram, Anusara, Vini,
Kundalini – the list goes on.
The frustration, however, is the volume on
offer, forcing choices and sacrifices. In some
ways, it also seems like the world of yoga
has become divided, commercial and, well,
at times a little confusing.
Reading the AYC schedule also reinforced
just how little I seemed to know. Yoga has
always been in my life since the age of ten
when my mother (now an Iyengar yoga
teacher) started practicing, but I hadn’t even
heard of or contemplated some of the
classes and teachings. I was curious, but at
the same time, there was a silly, ego-led
anxiousness in my stomach: would I be
out of my depth amongst a sea of yoginis
on another plane of consciousness?
My worries had quickly dissipated during
my first session: a talk on Yoga Philosophy
by Carlos Pomeda. No knowledge was
assumed – only one’s passion for yoga - as
Cindy Lee
Carlos led us playfully through the world
of yogic Gods. He explained everything in
an engaging and insightful way, with a
humour and approachability entwined into
his teaching like his neatly folded legs.
Bernie Clark’s session on Yin Yoga further
melted my concerns. Bernie took us
through the most inspiring and soothing
two hour journey through the world of
Yin Yoga – the opposite of the more
intense yoga our busy lives tend to gravitate
towards. We created balls of energy with
our hands and relaxed into a calm space not
often possible when practicing higher
energy Yang forms of yoga.
And Cindy Lee’s Om Yoga, which lead me
through a very mindful yoga practice,
brought me back to the fundamentals: the
breathe and remaining ever in the present.
The AYC unifies the many possibilities of
yoga in one forum, allowing for play and
discovery. While it may seem that there are a
myriad of teachers, teachings and practices
on offer, each practice I attended was
another way to unlock and tap into another
layer of myself. Though the mediums may
be different, the messages were universal.
Danny’s parting words that afternoon were
full of encouragement and gentle
reminders:
Happiness is something
that you create within
yourself
But, leaving the weekend equipped with
new yogic chants, balls of energy in my
palms to tap into at any time, the feeling of
lifting from prasarita into a handstand
(assisted, thanks Danny!) and a smile, I was
also reminded of the importance of having
yoga along for that inner journey. Yoga –
whichever way you like it – is always there
to lead a helping hand towards the creation
of happiness and, ultimately, a better you.
Rachel threw in the
life of a lawyer earlier
this year to pursue
her passion for
writing, the outdoors
and a healthy
lifestyle, which she
believes includes a
regular yoga practice.
www.hkadventurebaby.com
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