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Inside<br />
APRIL20<strong>08</strong><br />
DRISTI SACRIFICE<br />
The Sacred Sacrifice, 8<br />
Why is sacrifice seen as a bad thing in the<br />
West? How is it seen in the East? Frank<br />
shares his own remedy.<br />
The Place of Sacrifice in<br />
Yoga, 9<br />
Paul tells us that sacrifice is just part of life<br />
and becomes its own reward.<br />
The Sacred Magic Ingredient,<br />
11<br />
Clayton likens sacrifice to Tapas.<br />
Too long a sacrifice<br />
Can make a stone of the<br />
heart.<br />
W. B. Yeats, Easter 1916<br />
SPECIAL FEATURES<br />
YOGA POEM, 11 A young Canadian yoga<br />
teacher share his love in verse.<br />
VIEWING PRACTICE, 13 How Buddhists<br />
maintain the correct view of practice.<br />
PAUSE IN LIFE, 21 Why pausing for a<br />
moment is important.<br />
FOR TEACHERS, 26 Iyengar teacher Peter Scott<br />
on teaching and spiritual obligation of<br />
teachers.<br />
YOGA POEM, 33 Patanjali’s Eight Limbs in<br />
verse<br />
REGULAR<br />
CONTRIBUTIONS<br />
NEWS, 5<br />
WORKSHOPS, 6<br />
RETREATS, 6<br />
TEACHER TRAININGS, 7<br />
CLASSIC TEXTS, 19 This issue, our resident<br />
scholar, Alex, provides a very brief overview<br />
of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.<br />
RETREAT REVIEW, 15<br />
YOGA 101, 24<br />
BOOK REVIEW, 18 & 28<br />
About Namaskar<br />
Namaskar provides a voice for the yoga<br />
community around Asia. The publication is a<br />
vehicle for practitioners on a yogic path to share<br />
their own knowledge, learnings and experiences<br />
with others.<br />
Namaskar, is published by Yoga Services Ltd,<br />
quarterly in January, <strong>April</strong>, July and October.<br />
We welcome unsolicited submissions, therefore<br />
the opinions expressed within these pages are<br />
not necessarily those of Yoga Services Ltd.<br />
Namaskar is distributed at no charge through<br />
yoga studios, fitness centres, retail outlets, food &<br />
beverage outlets and other yoga-friendly<br />
locations throughout Hong Kong and Asia.<br />
For more information, to contribute or to order<br />
Namaskar, please contact:<br />
Frances, Editor at fgairns@netvigator.com /<br />
+ 852 9460 1967<br />
Jenny, Deputy Editor at<br />
jenthomas@netvigator.com /+852 9889 2022<br />
Deadline for July 20<strong>08</strong> issue:<br />
June 10, 20<strong>08</strong><br />
CROSSWORD, 31<br />
RECIPES, 29<br />
HATHI YOGI, 29<br />
TEACHER & STUDIO LISTINGS, 34<br />
3
My sincere apologies for the delay in getting this issue out. Instead of working away at the<br />
computer I was driving around the beautiful South Island of New Zealand in a camper<br />
van with my family. How ironic it is for me then that our dristi is sacrifice!<br />
namaskar<br />
I hope you enjoy reading the three articles about sacrifice in these pages. Frank talks about<br />
how sacrifice has developed negative connotations and shares his own practice to combat<br />
this. Clayton talks about how sacrifice makes us stronger. And it was Paul’s example of a<br />
having child teaching us the upside of sacrifice which particularly resonated for me, as I’m<br />
six-month pregnant with our second child.<br />
Another IVF baby, and a baby brother or sister for Abigail due in the third week of July.<br />
Two babies under two, I think my practice will be taking on a whole new perspective - one<br />
much less physical and much more emotional and spiritual. Which is why I found Kim’s<br />
piece about the Buddhist view of practice so helpful.<br />
There are loads of other wonderful articles in the issue: Gaelle’s interview with acclaimed<br />
Iyengar teacher Peter Scott; Fish’s review of a snowy Canadian ashram Peggy’s explanation<br />
of the importance of pausing in life and; Swami Saraswati’s discourse on Kirtan. As well<br />
there’s all the regular features: our resident scholar Alex introduces the Yoga Sutras; Tia<br />
brings us a crossword, book review and comic; and Life Café generously shares an easy and<br />
healthy recipe. Thanks to all our contributors, as well as Jenny and Nigel for the sacrifices<br />
they make to support this publication.<br />
Finally, if you haven’t already registered for the Asia Yoga Conference 3 rd – 6 th July in Hong<br />
Kong, I encourage you to do so. Even if you just attend one of the complimentary events,<br />
such as John Friend’s keynote address, please show your support for yoga in Asia.<br />
FRANCES GAIRNS<br />
Editor<br />
SOMETHING TO SHARE?<br />
IF THERE IS SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE YOGA COMMUNITY IN HONG KONG AND<br />
ELSEWHERE (WE DISTRIBUTE AROUND ASIA AND EVEN FURTHER AFIELD), PLEASE EMAIL<br />
4<br />
FGAIRNS@NETVIGATOR.COM
NEWS<br />
BIKRAM STUDIO OPENS IN BALI<br />
The first Bikram hot yoga<br />
studio opened in Bali,<br />
Indonesia recently. The studio<br />
is in the Istana Kuta Galleria in<br />
Kuta Legian.<br />
Mony Suriany and Jack Farras,<br />
both Bikram certified teachers,<br />
are the owners Yoga @ 42<br />
degrees in Jakarta and this<br />
studio in Bali. For more<br />
information, call (62) 261 769<br />
040 or visit<br />
www.bikramyogajakarta.com/<br />
bikrambali.htm<br />
YOGASANA NOW YOGA MALA<br />
Ashtanga Vinyasa is back on at<br />
the former Yogasana, which reopened<br />
on 1 st February under<br />
new ownership as Yoga Mala.<br />
The owners, a group of former<br />
students and teachers from<br />
their class schedule are afternoon<br />
and evening Yin and Hatha<br />
classes as well as free weeklyguided<br />
meditation open to the<br />
general public. For more<br />
information, call (852) 2116<br />
<strong>08</strong>94 or visit<br />
www.yogamala.com.hk<br />
YOGAYOGA OPENS IN HONG KONG<br />
A 14,000 square foot studio<br />
opened its doors in Causeway<br />
Bay, Hong Kong in January.<br />
YogaYoga offers a wide variety<br />
of yoga practices from the more<br />
common Hatha to the lesser<br />
known Kaya Shuddhi and<br />
Patanjali Yoga. With over 150<br />
classes a week there’s sure to be<br />
something for every level of<br />
practitioner. Teachers are from<br />
India, Canada, Hong Kong and<br />
Japan.<br />
YOGA MALA TEACHERS (L TO R) JOLENE, LILY, CHEUK NA, LINDZAY<br />
0055. To learn more about the<br />
Kirtan, please go to page 24.<br />
COMPLIMENTARY MEDITATION &<br />
SATSANG WITH SWATHI MAA<br />
Swathi Maa will lead be leading a<br />
meditation and satsang in<br />
Central every Friday 7:30 - 9:15<br />
pm at networkCARE Hong<br />
Kong, 8A Winning Center,<br />
46 - 48 Wyndham Street, Central<br />
Hong Kong. If you’d like to<br />
join the class or would like more<br />
information, call (852) 9286<br />
1363 or email<br />
swathimaa@mailworkds.org<br />
BUDDHIST MEDITATION AT YOGA<br />
MALA, HONG KONG<br />
Yoga Mala hosts free meditation<br />
classes every Tuesday 11 am –<br />
noon and Fridays 7 – 8:30 pm.<br />
The class is based upon the<br />
teachings of Master Nan Huai<br />
Chin (www.nanhuaijin.org), and<br />
usually taught by Ken Pang who<br />
has been studying with Master<br />
Nan since 1992. The practice<br />
YOGATHON FOR CHARITY<br />
Hong Kong’s first yogathon<br />
will be taking place at the Happy<br />
Valley Racecourse 7 th June, 11<br />
am - 8 pm. The event will raise<br />
money and awareness for the<br />
Hereditary & High Risk Breast<br />
Cancer Programme, a new<br />
charity formed by Hong Kong<br />
Sanatorium and Stanford<br />
University.<br />
Co-organised by Yoga Yoga,<br />
Living Yoga, Seasons Fitness<br />
and Anahata Yoga, participants<br />
will be guided on the day<br />
through their practice by various<br />
professional yoga instructors.<br />
For more information, visit<br />
www.hkyogathon.com<br />
FREE TALKS AT YOGA CENTRAL,<br />
HONG KONG<br />
To promote yoga, healthy<br />
lifestyle and responsible living,<br />
Yoga Central is holding a series<br />
of free talks on Friday evenings<br />
6 - 6:45 pm at 4/F Kai Kwong<br />
House, 13 Wyndham Street<br />
Central.<br />
May 9 th The path of Raja Yoga, a<br />
different approach to yoga<br />
May 30 th Beginners’ Kit to Yoga<br />
June 6 th Meditation for<br />
Relaxation<br />
June 13 th Toxic Free Life<br />
June 20 th Beginners’ Kit to Yoga<br />
For more information, call<br />
(852) 2982 43<strong>08</strong> or visit<br />
www.yogacentral.com.hk<br />
Yogasana, took on the challenge<br />
of running the new studio after<br />
it was clear Hong Kong still<br />
needed a simple place to practice<br />
Ashtanga, particularly Mysore<br />
yoga. Yoga Mala’s Mysore<br />
instructors, Lindzay Chan and<br />
Cheuk Na, both trained under<br />
Yogasana director Michel<br />
Besnard for many years and are<br />
well respected for their<br />
dedication and responsibility to<br />
their students. Also on offer in<br />
COMPLEMENTARY KIRTAN AT PURE<br />
YOGA, HONG KONG<br />
Join Yoganidhi and other<br />
Kirtan lovers for some yoga for<br />
the heart on the last Friday of<br />
every month at Pure Yoga in<br />
Central, 7 – 9 pm. Chanting<br />
kirtan is an active, effortless<br />
meditation that helps you<br />
dissolve thoughts, getting you<br />
out of the pre-occupations of<br />
everyday life. Pre-registration<br />
required, please call (852) 2971<br />
ONE OF YOGAYOGA’S COMMON AREAS<br />
concentrates on the cultivation<br />
of the breath, and explorations<br />
of the body’s chi meridian<br />
system. For more information,<br />
please visit call (852) 2116 <strong>08</strong>94<br />
or visit www.yogamala.com.hk<br />
5
WORKSHOPS<br />
RAVI SHANKAR IN HONG KONG<br />
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will be<br />
leading a three-day workshop in<br />
Hong Kong <strong>April</strong> 29 – May 1.<br />
This 6-hour workshop, Health<br />
and Happiness, will cover yoga<br />
and meditation with breathing<br />
to eliminate physical and<br />
emotional stress. The visit<br />
marks the first time this<br />
important teacher is leading a<br />
course in Hong Kong. He has<br />
been invited by the HK<br />
Institute of Education and the<br />
workshop will take place at the<br />
Caritas Centre, Caine Road,<br />
Central, Hong Kong from 6:30<br />
– 9:30 pm and costs $700. For<br />
more information, visit<br />
www.artofliving.org.hk<br />
KRIS NELSON AT YOGA @42,<br />
JAKARTA<br />
LA-based Anusara yoga and<br />
Tantric meditation teacher Kris<br />
Nelson will be in Indonesia 3 rd<br />
– 4 th May for a weekend<br />
workshop cryptically titled “The<br />
Unfolding Path of Awakening.”<br />
The cost for the full workshop<br />
is $135, but classes may also be<br />
attended individually. For more<br />
information call (62) 21 719<br />
7379 or visit<br />
www.bikramyogajakarta.com<br />
TWEE MERRIGAN AT PURE YOGA,<br />
HONG KONG & SINGAPORE<br />
Prana Flow Yoga and Trance<br />
Dance is the title of the master<br />
class series hosted by Twee<br />
Merrigan at Pure Yoga’s Hong<br />
Kong and Singapore studios, 7 th<br />
– 8 th May and 9 th – 11 th May<br />
respectively. A student of Shiva<br />
Rea, Twee’s master classes evolve<br />
from her original studies of<br />
Hatha, Tantra + Ayurveda and<br />
her continued studies with her<br />
teacher. For more information,<br />
call (852) 2971 0055, (65) 6733<br />
8863 or visit www.pureyoga.com<br />
VIKAS MALKANI IN SINGAPORE<br />
Vikas Malkani will be leading a<br />
four-session course on<br />
mediation at the Soul Centre in<br />
Singapore on 12 th , 13 th , 26 th &<br />
27 th May from 7 – 9 pm and<br />
costs S$250. The goal of the<br />
course is to teach people some<br />
simple, yet powerful tools and<br />
techniques to create their own<br />
happiness and joy. Vikas is a<br />
disciple of Swami Rama of the<br />
Himalayas and is the author of<br />
The Little Manual of<br />
Meditation. For more<br />
information, visit<br />
www.soulcentre.org<br />
BRANDON BAYS IN HONG KONG<br />
“The Journey to Freedom” - An<br />
Evening with Brandon Bays will<br />
be held at the Hong Kong City<br />
BRANDON BAYS<br />
Hall 10 th June at 7:30 pm.<br />
Tickets are available from<br />
URBTIX for HK$350.<br />
Brandon is the author of “The<br />
Journey” a mind-body healing<br />
book which guides readers to<br />
find emotional and inner<br />
freedom, physical health and the<br />
ability to live life to their fullest<br />
potential. She claims to have<br />
healed a basketball-sized<br />
tumour in 6 ½ weeks naturally,<br />
with no drugs or surgery. For<br />
more information call (852)<br />
6044 8840 or visit<br />
www.thejourney.com<br />
RETREATS<br />
CLAYTON HORTON AT YOGA THAILAND, KOH SAMUI<br />
Director of Greenpath Yoga in San Francisco, Clayton has been a<br />
student of yoga for over 20 years. He will be leading an Ashtanga<br />
retreat 3 rd - 10 th & 17 th - 24 th May at Yoga Thailand. For more<br />
information, visit www.yoga-thailand.com/clayton.html<br />
SONJA RZEPKI AT YOGA THAILAND, KOH SAMUI<br />
Graduate of New York’s Centered Yoga, Sonja has been involved in<br />
health and wellness since 1994. She is leading an Ashtanga retreat<br />
31 st May - 7 th June and a Prenatal Yoga Intensive for Yoga Teachers<br />
7 th -14 th June at Yoga Thailand. For more information, visit<br />
www.yoga-thailand.com/sonja.html<br />
6<br />
GABRIEL AZOULAY AT KAMALAYA, KOH SAMUI<br />
Yoga and Thai Massage teacher Gabriel Azoulay will be leading a<br />
five-day Ashtanga and yin yoga retreat at Kamalaya on Koh Samui<br />
10 th – 15 th June. The programme includes three meals a day, all yoga<br />
programmes, resort accommodation, airport pickup and drop off.<br />
Starting price: 58,700 THB. For more information, visit<br />
www.rejuvenationaz.com or www.kamalaya.com/yoga-thailand-10<br />
ERICH SHIFFMAN AT BEGAWAN GIRI, BALI<br />
Guided from Within is the name of the retreat Erich Shiffman will<br />
be hosting 11 th – 17 th August at COMO Shambhala’s Begawan Giri.<br />
With over 40 years of yoga experience in the traditions of<br />
Krishnamacharya, Desikachar and Iyengar, Erich is a deeply
TEACHER TRAININGS<br />
ANAHATA TRAINING, HONG KONG<br />
Yoga teachers Yogananth Andiappan, Dr<br />
Babu and Anurag will be leading a 100-<br />
hour, eight-week teacher training in late May.<br />
It will follow the syllabus of the Asana<br />
Andiappan College of Yoga & Research<br />
Centre of South India, which was<br />
established in 1950. The programme can be<br />
accredited towards the 200-hour Intensive<br />
Teacher Training which will be held in<br />
October. For more information, call (852)<br />
2901 2901 or visit www.anahatayoga.com.hk<br />
ANUSARA TEACHER’S IMMERSION, JAKARTA<br />
Kris Nelson will be back at Yoga @ 42<br />
degrees, the Bikram Yoga studio in Jakarta<br />
leading a teacher’s immersion from 5 th – 9 th<br />
May, 9 am – noon & 1 – 4 pm daily. The<br />
course, which costs $550, promises to<br />
deepen attendees understanding of the<br />
Anusara method which leads to mastery in<br />
teaching. For more information call (62) 21<br />
719 7379 or visit<br />
www.bikramyogajakarta.com<br />
TEACHER TRAINING AT PURE YOGA<br />
The Foundation - Preparing to Teach is a<br />
four-week full-time course which will<br />
immerse students in the tradition of<br />
Anusara Yoga and help to develop the<br />
fundamental skills necessary to teach. This<br />
comprehensive and life transformative<br />
programme will be lead by Pure Yoga’s<br />
Founding Teacher Patrick Creelman. Patrick<br />
brings his extensive background of Anusara<br />
Yoga training from John Friend, together<br />
with a international teachers who will<br />
present on a wide variety of topics including<br />
Yoga Philosophy, Sanskrit and Ayurveda.<br />
The dates are 26 th May – 21 st June in Taipei,<br />
14 th July – 9 th August in Hong Kong, and<br />
13 th October – 8 th November in Singapore.<br />
For more information, please email<br />
events@pure-yoga.com<br />
AADIL PALKHIVALA IN TAIWAN<br />
Aadil Palkhivala will be leading a Purna<br />
Yoga teacher training at Space in Taipei, 22 nd<br />
– 28 th June. The course is for students with<br />
at least six months of asana practice, and<br />
will focus on learning how to teach asana<br />
and pranayama. It will also cover Purna<br />
Yoga meditation, anatomy and nutrition.<br />
For more information, call (886) 2 2773<br />
81<strong>08</strong> or email:<br />
teachertraining@withinspace.com.tw<br />
HOT YOGA TRAINING, THAILAND<br />
Coming to Koh Samui 3 rd – 31 st October is<br />
Absolute Yoga’s 200-hour Hot Yoga teacher<br />
training . The five-teacher team will guide<br />
trainees through an intensive the Yoga<br />
Alliance certified programme. For more<br />
information, visit www.teachhotyoga.com<br />
STEPHEN THOMAS IN THAILAND<br />
At Absolute Yoga from 3 rd – 28 th<br />
November is Stephen Thomas, leading a<br />
200-hour Yoga Alliance certified teacher<br />
training programme on Hatha Flow.<br />
Potential trainees should have six to 12<br />
months regular practice before considering<br />
applying. For more information, please visit<br />
www.teachhathayoga.com<br />
REJUVENATING THAI YOGA TRAINING<br />
Interested in learning Thai Yoga, a.k.a. Thai<br />
Massage? Gabriel Azoulay will lead you<br />
through a step-by-step yogic routine, based<br />
on the principles of Traditional Thai<br />
Massage as taught and highlighted by Pichet<br />
Boonthume. This sequence is based on the<br />
relationship of lower body and upper body<br />
in regard to the spine. While traditional Thai<br />
Massage lacks on shoulders and upper body<br />
work, this sequence addresses shoulder and<br />
neck range of motion. If you are interested<br />
in having a training at your spa, center, or<br />
studio, email gabriel@rejuvenationaz.com<br />
passionate teacher. He teaches students how to use asana,<br />
pranayama and meditation to move into stillness. Erich produced<br />
Ali McGraw’s yoga video “Yoga, Mind and Body” and is the author<br />
of his own book “Yoga, the Spirit and Practice of Moving into<br />
Stillness”. For more information email res@cse.comoshambhala.bz<br />
ERICH SCHIFFMAN<br />
KIM ROBERTS AT KAMALYA, KOH SAMUI<br />
Following on from the success of her first retreat last year, Ashtanga<br />
teacher Kim Roberts will be leading a second entitled “Developing<br />
Maitri” 6 th – 12 th September at Kamalaya, Koh Samui in Thailand.<br />
The retreat will integrate Buddhist meditation and teachings on<br />
compassion with the practice of Ashtanga yoga. For more<br />
information, email papayayoga@gmail.com<br />
7
DRISTI SACRIFICE<br />
The Sacr<br />
acred<br />
Sacrif<br />
acrific<br />
ice<br />
FRANK JUDE BOCCIO<br />
THE ENGLISH WORD “SACRIFICE”<br />
has its roots in a Latin word that also gives<br />
us the word “sacred.” In contemporary<br />
culture, the idea of sacrifice, perhaps because<br />
it is often so misunderstood, is not at all<br />
popular. It is replete with images of<br />
martyrdom and going without something<br />
one desperately wants to keep.<br />
When we look up the word in any English<br />
dictionary, among the various meanings and<br />
usages, we read the following pertinent<br />
definitions: “an act or action of making an<br />
offering of animal or vegetable life, of food,<br />
drink, or incense, or of some precious<br />
object to a deity or spiritual being;<br />
destruction or surrender of something for<br />
the sake of something else.”<br />
The Sanskrit word translated as “sacrifice” is<br />
yajna and is one of the cornerstones of all<br />
the traditions that have their basis in Vedic<br />
culture. Through sacrifice – of ghee,<br />
animals, such as the horse sacrifice wherein<br />
hundreds of horses were sacrificed, and<br />
...approach your daily life in the Vedic spirit of<br />
continued sacrifice...<br />
even of humans – the ancient Indians<br />
sought to win communion with and secure<br />
the blessings of the deities. According to<br />
the Vedas, the world itself is built upon the<br />
principle of sacrifice, with the primordial<br />
Being, purusha, sacrificing itself to bring<br />
forth the cosmos. Similarly, through the<br />
understanding of the micro-cosmos<br />
mirroring the macro-cosmos (“as above, so<br />
below”) life, in order to perpetuate itself<br />
and the balanced harmony of the cosmos,<br />
depended on the ritualistic sacrifice of<br />
individual life forms.<br />
From this early understanding, the<br />
Brahmanas and the first Upanishads<br />
developed the idea of relating to existence as<br />
a continuous sacrifice. This led to a rejection<br />
of the outer forms of ritualistic sacrifice,<br />
and the development of the notion of the<br />
inner or spiritual sacrifice as the dedication<br />
of one’s life to a higher, cosmic purpose.<br />
The idea of sacrifice came to be understood<br />
as the sacrifice of the ego or of a selfcentered<br />
relationship to the world. Karmayoga<br />
especially came to be understood as<br />
essentially action performed in the spirit of<br />
sacrifice or self-surrender.<br />
In the Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna extols various<br />
forms of sacrificial action from offerings to<br />
the deities, to the surrender of the senses<br />
into the fire of self-restraint and even<br />
pranayama, as sacrifice. He says (at 4.33) that<br />
the sacrifice of wisdom is superior to<br />
material sacrifice which epitomizes the Yogic<br />
spirit in general.<br />
Today, there are yogis who continue to offer<br />
animal sacrifice in India, though most<br />
practitioners who partake in ritualistic<br />
sacrifice limit their offerings to incense,<br />
flowers and vegetative forms of food. In<br />
Buddhist Yoga, offerings may be made to<br />
various bodhisattvas such as Quan Yin, but<br />
they may also be offered to beings that<br />
suffer, such as Hungry Ghosts or simply to<br />
all sentient beings. Every morning while I<br />
light my incense, I repeat the following gatha<br />
(meditation verse) that helps remind me of<br />
the purpose of my practice and though I<br />
may practice alone, it also reminds me I am<br />
not separate from all beings, and that I<br />
practice for the awakening of all:<br />
In gratitude, I offer this incense to all<br />
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas throughout<br />
space and time. May it be fragrant as Earth<br />
herself, reflecting our careful efforts, our<br />
wholehearted mindfulness, and the fruit of<br />
understanding slowly ripening. May all<br />
beings be companions of Buddhas and<br />
Bodhisattvas. May we awaken from<br />
forgetfulness and realize our true nature.<br />
At the end of formal practice, I recite the<br />
following gatha, which contextualizes the<br />
whole of my formal practice as a “sacrifice:”<br />
Whatever merit I may have generated<br />
through my practice this morning, I now<br />
dedicate all of it to all sentient beings<br />
throughout the world. May my thoughts,<br />
my words, and my deeds be of benefit to<br />
the world.<br />
And then, throughout the day, whenever I<br />
find myself lost in day-dreaming, reveries<br />
of the past, or fretting about the future, my<br />
practice of letting it go and returning to my<br />
8
eath and full-bodied presence is a form of<br />
sacrifice. Seen in this way, renunciation and<br />
sacrifice is not giving up anything other than<br />
delusion and suffering!<br />
Also, interestingly enough, when I do this, I<br />
find the other meaning of the Latin word<br />
from which we get the word “sacrifice” is<br />
made evident. I find whatever deed I may<br />
be doing, however mundane, when<br />
approached in this attitude of selfsurrender,<br />
becomes sacred. Washing dishes,<br />
feeding my cats, cooking for my family,<br />
pulling weeds in the garden, writing this<br />
essay can all be experienced as sacred when<br />
performed with this understanding.<br />
May my thoughts, my<br />
words, and my deeds be<br />
of benefit to the world.<br />
Perhaps you too can approach your daily life<br />
in the Vedic spirit of continued sacrifice and<br />
see if the act of surrendering self-regard<br />
doesn’t sacralize your daily routine, making<br />
every act a rite. Perhaps most challenging for<br />
a hatha-yogi who can, all too easily, fall into<br />
practicing with a strongly ego-centric<br />
mentality, can you approach your practice of<br />
asana as a sacrifice, giving up such selfcentered<br />
purposes, and offer the practice, in<br />
gratitude, to the liberation of all beings?<br />
And remember, as you are one of those<br />
sentient beings, all you really give up is the<br />
false sense that you are separate from the<br />
unitive reality of ‘things as it is.’<br />
Frank is an Interfaith<br />
Minister, Yoga-Dharma<br />
teacher and author of<br />
Mindfulness Yoga: The<br />
Awakened Union of<br />
Breath, Body and Mind.<br />
frankjude@<br />
mindfulnessyoga.net<br />
The place of Sacrifice in Yoga<br />
PAUL DALLAGHAN<br />
IN SOME MINDS THE THOUGHT OF SACRIFICE CONJURES UP IMAGES OF<br />
religious rites like offering an animal on the altar to please the Gods. In modern living, and<br />
one’s yogic journey, it’s as simple as “you can’t have your cake and eat it too.” Yet this seems<br />
to be today’s largest epidemic, driven by desire and determination to have it!<br />
We can consider sacrifice as “giving up something for the sake of a higher or more urgent<br />
one.” This is highly subjective and depends on where one is, both in spiritual development<br />
and in life. One thing for sure is that it follows natural law; whatever is achieved, earned or<br />
gained comes at the cost of one’s time, energy and effort. Simply, we can’t have it all, so we<br />
just have to learn how to prioritize. As we mature this will become clearer.<br />
Typically the initial experience of yoga is enjoyable and rewarding. It fits into one’s busy<br />
schedule. After a period of time we find it harder to make progress in a real sense. It<br />
requires a little more of us. Now the word sacrifice starts to enter the picture. It is similar to<br />
you keeping your job and studying for an MBA or PhD. Your social life would be tailored.<br />
What you read would be devoted to the subject matter. You would be more disciplined in<br />
the area of sleep and getting up and putting in actual study time.<br />
Sacrifice actually comes up in yoga under vairagya. Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras identifies two<br />
aspects to achieve “yoga”. Abhyasa or practice and vairagya or non-dependence, nonattachment.<br />
The initial seeds of this lie in sacrifice. Giving up some of your time and sense<br />
attachments for the sake of increased practice, study and growth.<br />
we can’t have it all, so we just have to learn how<br />
to prioritize<br />
The beautiful thing about yoga is that none of this should be forced. You have to come to<br />
it of your own volition. It must rise within you. Patanjali is clear on this from the outset.<br />
He opens the Sutras with a word ‘anushasanam’. This refers to the natural inner growth, the<br />
arising within. He is a psychologist supreme and understands exactly how the psyche<br />
works. Anything forced on the consciousness results in suppression, which later explodes,<br />
in the form of negative energy. It is a fine line though. Where to begin? This is why practice<br />
and learning is developed gradually over time. Don’t bite off more than you can chew, goes<br />
the saying. Initially it might mean going to a yoga class after work, instead of the bar with<br />
your co-workers. You are clear this does more for you and you are willing to give it your<br />
time, even though the class is challenging and you had to make an effort to get there.<br />
Inherent in sacrifice is a greater reward. But keep in mind the essence of yoga, ‘nishkama<br />
karma’. Engage in your deeds without seeking the reward. With such an attitude the<br />
9
DRISTI SACRIFICE<br />
thought of giving up something, sacrifice, barely registers. A good example is becoming a<br />
parent. What greater gift than a beautiful child born to you. Then comes all the work,<br />
broken sleep, no more movies, social outings or even leisurely reading. But you can’t<br />
consider that sacrifice. It’s our duty. And a gift. So much growth comes out of it.<br />
This is the place of sacrifice in yoga. You willingly take the step forward. You may not<br />
know what it fully entails but your full being is in accord with it. To give your growth this<br />
priority you don’t even realize the things you have dropped and have become secondary.<br />
And even when you do there is no grudge. This attitude is key. You step into it and then<br />
Engage in your deeds without seeking the<br />
reward. With such an attitude the thought of<br />
giving up something, sacrifice, barely registers.<br />
fully accept what comes your way. Just like with a child, once they’re born there are no<br />
options or personal conditions any more. If they get sick, drop everything else and devote<br />
to them. That is yoga.<br />
Some examples of sacrifice might be: not throwing out paper used only once, but taking<br />
the time to use the other side or recycle it. If feasible, deciding to walk the stairs and not<br />
take the lift to save energy. Then there are the obvious ones of going to bed early to be up<br />
for practice. Sticking to your commitment of morning practice. Not arguing with or<br />
criticizing your coworker but making an effort to work in a productive way. Perhaps, one<br />
chocolate instead of two. Okay, three instead of four! Still a sacrifice!<br />
Essentially, sacrifice in this sense is keeping an eye on all our actions big and small. Leading<br />
to a refinement in behavior and increased awareness.<br />
In my own journey I have seen myself go from a ‘scheduled in’ yoga practice to a ‘living it’<br />
yoga practice fully involved in the world. I have not minded dropping certain outings when<br />
it came to committing to be up early and do practice. As my life has evolved with children<br />
and a heavy work schedule, I have found strength from the discipline of staying with<br />
practice and watching myself at all times. As a result I have become more efficient.<br />
Today I don’t see it as sacrifice but just clear living, doing what has to be done and fully<br />
rewarded and satisfied as a result. I began with a personal interest in spiritual growth and<br />
let that direct me.<br />
Let your mind-heart-feelings converge. If you have an inner impulse in the direction of<br />
inner growth ,then pursue it. It will involve making it a priority in your life, giving up time<br />
and energy once used for other things. Soon your sacrifice becomes your reward .<br />
Paul is the director of<br />
Centered Yoga Institute<br />
& Yoga Thailand.<br />
www.centeredyoga.com,<br />
www.yoga-thailand.com<br />
10
POEM<br />
The Sacred Magic Ingredient<br />
CLAYTON HORTON<br />
THROUGHOUT TIME, HUMAN BEINGS<br />
have sacrificed food, animals and even<br />
human lives in an act of worship to appease<br />
the gods. In general, sacrifice can be regarded<br />
as a short term loss in return for a greater<br />
gain. Athletes, dancers and musicians are<br />
well aware of the time and energy needed to<br />
practice and perfect their art. An apprentice<br />
will earn a minimum wage for years while<br />
having the privilege of learning with the<br />
master. A student will study and practice for<br />
years before earning their degree. All of<br />
these are prime examples of sacrifice.<br />
This idea of sacrificing what we are, or what<br />
we have at the present moment, for what<br />
we are to become, is the alchemical magic<br />
ingredient in any formula for self<br />
transformation. The Sanskrit word for such<br />
a sacrifice is tapas, to burn or glow, referring<br />
to a process of burning away impurities.<br />
Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras (2:1) tells us the<br />
austerity, discipline, and hard work of tapas<br />
is one of the three foundations of our yoga<br />
practice (sadhana). The other two<br />
foundations of Sadhana are self inquiry<br />
(svadyaya) and surrendering to the internal<br />
divine (ishvara pranidana).<br />
Swami Satchitananda defines tapas as<br />
voluntary suffering for our own purification<br />
and development. Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in his<br />
book, Yoga Mala, describes tapas as<br />
observances performed to discipline the<br />
body and sense organs so our mind,<br />
intellect, ego, and faculty of discrimination<br />
will become purified, refined and perfected.<br />
Mr. B.K.S. Iyengar is known for saying an<br />
asana does not begin until we are ready to<br />
come out of it. A yogi will spend countless<br />
hours in focused meditation looking deeply<br />
at the nature and causes of his suffering;<br />
just as a jeweler will heat gold to burn away<br />
impurities. Generally speaking anything<br />
which is difficult, but somehow makes us<br />
better, stronger or more mature is regarded<br />
as tapas or tapasia.<br />
We are all born with certain gifts, but we<br />
must polish these gems so they germinate<br />
in reality, time and space. A strong sense of<br />
self inquiry and surrender are strong<br />
attributes in our sadhana, but it is the<br />
embracing of tapas or sacrifice that gets us to<br />
the studio to stand on our yoga mat or sit<br />
on our meditation cushion to do the work.<br />
Some shy away from discomfort, hard work<br />
and the fear of the unknown, but the<br />
inspired and awakened know we must<br />
sacrifice what we are today for what we are to<br />
become.<br />
The word sacrifice comes from the Latin<br />
root sacre or sacred. By taking action in our<br />
own growth and development we learn to<br />
make the transformational work of tapas a<br />
sacred process in the mundane game of life.<br />
Behold the jewel in the lotus of thy self and<br />
polish it.<br />
Clayton is the director of<br />
Greenpath Yoga Studio<br />
in San Francisco.<br />
www.greenpathyoga.org<br />
Loving now, , Loving Om<br />
DYLAN HADDOCK<br />
When this world is over<br />
you and I we are free<br />
to see all reality<br />
With gratitude in our hearts<br />
and our attitude is right now<br />
All that we can entertain<br />
All we know<br />
And right now<br />
I take this to be my own<br />
Responsibility<br />
My responses are ever always<br />
My abilty to respond<br />
Is ever showing love<br />
And I know<br />
That this world will ever grow<br />
Into love<br />
And<br />
We can always ever love<br />
Love our hearts<br />
And we can be ever open<br />
All reality<br />
We are Loving Now<br />
Loving Om<br />
This love is my sacrifice<br />
Does it suffice?<br />
Yes.<br />
Dylan is a Canadian,<br />
living and teaching yoga<br />
in Koh Lanta, Thailand.<br />
11
12
MY STORY<br />
A View of Practice<br />
KIM ROBERTS<br />
HIGH ON A HILL OVERLOOKING KATHMANDU SITS A<br />
Buddhist monastery called Pullahari. The seat of Jamgon Kongtrul<br />
Rinpoche, Pullahari is home to 300 Tibetan monks and a<br />
transitional community of Westerners who come each year to study<br />
the Buddha’s teachings. This year, we are studying a portion of the<br />
Uttaratantra Shastra, describing the importance of maintaining the<br />
correct view of practice. From this perspective of the teachings of<br />
the third turning of the wheel of Dharma, we could look at the<br />
practice of yoga. The Buddha was, after all, a yogi who developed<br />
his understanding of practice to the highest level.<br />
In order to have an experiential understanding of the nature of<br />
mind, which we could say is the ultimate goal, we must ensure our<br />
view is in accord with our practice. What distinguishes a spiritual<br />
practice is the intention. We practice first to learn the boundaries of<br />
ego so we can disassemble it, or rather see it has never existed. In<br />
our normal view of the world, we create an image of ourselves and<br />
then struggle to maintain this illusion even though it is merely a<br />
construct of our conceptual mind. The first step on the path starts<br />
with seeing the empty nature of ego.<br />
Correct view is absolutely necessary for this to happen. While the<br />
ultimate understanding of this correct view is to realize the true<br />
nature of mind, we can look at the approach as a successive<br />
development of perspective.Depending on our level of<br />
understanding and capacity, we can take three different perspectives:<br />
the Buddha’s three turnings of the wheel of Dharma.<br />
SELF LIBERATION<br />
From the perspective of the first turning, sometimes called the<br />
Hinayana, the practice of yoga is a tool we can use to exhaust<br />
negative karma and cut our bad habits. From this perspective, we<br />
take things to be apparently real, and we work with the phenomenal<br />
world in order to purify our karmic afflictions to attain peace.<br />
The nature of samsara – cyclic existence through which confused<br />
beings wander until realization is attained - is suffering. Until we<br />
realize the ultimate nature of reality, we practice virtuous acts in<br />
order to cut our craving for anything that generates negative karma<br />
and thus keeps us enmeshed in this sea of suffering. We bring our<br />
attention back to our breath and our bodies back to our yoga mats.<br />
Returning again and again to awareness of the present moment in<br />
order to develop positive habits, we necessarily reduce our negative<br />
habits. At this level it is a simple as this: we are merely observing<br />
our habitual patterns.<br />
While we are practicing yoga, we are not engaging in harmful<br />
activities elsewhere. The danger in this perspective is falling into an<br />
eternalist viewpoint where we get attached to the positive acts<br />
A SCENE FROM LOSAR, THE TIBETAN NEW YEAR FESTIVAL<br />
designed to lead us out of attachment. In other words we could<br />
get attached to our practice or how it looks. This could have the<br />
unfortunate effect of strengthening ego. If we remain in this<br />
perspective, we may miss out on the potential for further<br />
deepening our understanding about the true and limitless nature<br />
of mind.<br />
REALIZING EMPTINESS IS WISDOM<br />
In the second turning of the wheel of Dharma, also called the<br />
Mahayana or Great Vehicle, we learn wisdom is seeing the empty<br />
nature of all phenomena. Everything composite and created is<br />
bound to fall apart again, therefore, impermanent. So, we can’t rely<br />
on phenomena to be consistent; they are untrustworthy reference<br />
points. Watch your practice from one day to the next. Many factors<br />
combine to create this thing we call practice: the food we have eaten,<br />
our current mental and physical state, the weather and<br />
environment, our ideas and understanding of practice, all of which<br />
change or evolve.<br />
So, emptiness does not mean nothingness. It means that nothing<br />
can exist in and of itself, in a bubble. Every form depends upon<br />
countless causes and conditions to come into existence. Thus all<br />
phenomena are illusory, without substantial or lasting existence,<br />
13
just like an asana or an obstacle preventing us from attaining an<br />
asana. When the practitioner sees this, liberation is attained. In<br />
practical terms, this means we no longer take mental obscurations,<br />
which we experience as confusion or obstacles, as real. Rather, we see<br />
these obscurations as mere fluctuations of the mind (chitta vritti),<br />
so they are no longer a source of attachment or confusion. We see<br />
through them just as we see through images in a dream or a movie.<br />
self, and the joy in helping others.<br />
The ultimate essence of reality is the total freedom from all<br />
conceptual fabrications. So from the ultimate point of view, all<br />
phenomena are simply the union of emptiness and luminous<br />
What does this mean to a yoga practitioner? That we should not be<br />
attached to any results we may attain through practice. We may enjoy<br />
our healthy bodies, but as much as we might try to work against<br />
time, inevitably, we are dust in the making. We cannot even hope for<br />
realization or enlightenment, since these too, are mere concepts. The<br />
more we grasp, the more our goal eludes us because there is<br />
nothing to attain. Detachment is the only appropriate response.<br />
However, there is a danger of falling into a nihilistic viewpoint.<br />
From the ultimate perspective, it is not enough to see that<br />
everything is empty of true nature. This is not an easy excuse to<br />
give in to our whims or practice only when and how we feel<br />
inclined. We must not conceptualize emptiness. For full and perfect<br />
enlightenment we must give up even our clinging to an idea of<br />
emptiness. Nihilistic conceptions are considered a more serious<br />
mistake than the realist conceptions that take phenomena to exist as<br />
they appear. As the great Buddhist saint Saraha warned:<br />
To consider the world as real is a brutish attitude<br />
To consider it as empty is even more savage<br />
CLARITY IS COMPASSION<br />
If our view is incorrect or incomplete, then so will our path be. If<br />
we are practicing simply to attain a state of bliss for ourselves, or if<br />
we use a concept of emptiness to justify the whims of ego, then we<br />
are missing a fundamental understanding of the laws of nature,<br />
namely that we don’t exist as we appear. We are simply a<br />
conglomerate of phenomena, or if you prefer, space and light. A<br />
lightshow. So what use to devote all this time to practice for<br />
something that will be over in the blink of an eye?<br />
We practice out of compassion. We see how we and those around<br />
us suffer from a belief in self, spending our lives striving to<br />
reinforce this self through social standing, fortune, position, and<br />
endless ways of creating a place in the world. Compassion begins<br />
with the simple desire to benefit others, through practice.<br />
Compassion in this sense is non-partial toward all beings. Our<br />
practice should not only benefit those in our immediate circle; we<br />
should love and care for all sentient beings as we would love our<br />
only son. Then here is the magic: once we begin to help others, this<br />
actually benefits us.<br />
A SCENE FROM LOSAR, THE TIBETAN NEW YEAR FESTIVAL<br />
clarity. Yoga practice is an amazing tool to experience this. Although<br />
our asanas are empty of lasting nature, they are luminous and<br />
bright. This union is our natural state, what remains when we have<br />
cleared away all the obscurations and concepts. What we uncover is<br />
the ultimate true nature, which is open, relaxed, spaciousness and<br />
peace. And peace is nirvana.<br />
Kim is currently on retreat. Check<br />
www.papayayoga.com for updates<br />
So the practice is twofold: to reduce self-importance and to benefit<br />
others. This is a natural response to understanding emptiness.<br />
Once we see self does not exist, we realize how silly it is to waste<br />
time strengthening a non-entity. We then naturally want to extend<br />
out to others. We see the futility in trying to maintain this image of<br />
14
RETREAT REVIEW<br />
Ashram Life, Quebec<br />
Style<br />
FISH TOPHER BOULTON<br />
WALKING MEDITATIONS HAVE DIFFERENT<br />
CHALLENGES AT ASHRAMS IN THE SNOW<br />
AFTER A LONG FLIGHT AND A<br />
moderate bus ride I finally arrived at the<br />
Sivinanda Yoga Camp in Val Morin,<br />
Quebec. I had come from two-weeks of<br />
visiting many family and friends and was<br />
looking forward to a week of reconnecting<br />
with myself. It had been far too long since<br />
my last visit to an ashram and I felt the<br />
calling for some time. I practice yoga fairly<br />
regularly but nothing I feel reconnects you<br />
like an ashram.<br />
5:30 - WAKE-UP<br />
Before sunrise is considered the most<br />
auspicious time to meditate. At this time in<br />
the morning your mind tends not to<br />
wander as much, it’s actually quite effective<br />
as long as you can stay awake. Sometimes it<br />
can be difficult to wake-up at 05:30,<br />
however, I seem to be a little more inspired<br />
to wake-up knowing the alarm “clock” is a<br />
bell that hangs high on a wooden structure<br />
in the middle of the ashram. A selfless staff<br />
member rings the bell manually. I find this<br />
wake-up call a little more personal than the<br />
electric alarm clock. Today in particular, I<br />
needed all the inspiration I could muster to<br />
get out of bed, after yesterday’s long travel.<br />
6:00 MEDITATION AND SATSANG<br />
Satsang is one of my favorite activities. I<br />
love to sing but am usually too shy to<br />
release a sound with people around.<br />
Somehow after a short time of listening<br />
and feeling the uplifting vibrations, I begin<br />
to feel more comfortable and begin to sing.<br />
At first with not much more than a squeak,<br />
but beforelong I just let it out. The<br />
vibrations from the singing seem to<br />
resonate through my body, stimulating my<br />
heart chakra filling me with love and<br />
confidence.<br />
8:00 ASANA CLASS<br />
Exhausted, I did not want to go to this<br />
asana class. Then I remembered something<br />
from a lecture - that we learn our greatest<br />
lessons and grow the most through<br />
consistency and/or suffering. This really hit<br />
home for me and over the years I have<br />
experienced its truth. I guess if everything<br />
was easy we would become stagnant like an<br />
old pond becomes covered with algae. It’s<br />
nice to look at but no one wants to swim in<br />
it. Learning and growing here I come!<br />
During this class I found myself enjoying<br />
the energy of the like-minded people in the<br />
room. The teacher’s voice guided us<br />
through the sun salutations. All moving<br />
together like a choreographed dance<br />
synchronized with the sound of our breath.<br />
My practice turned into more of a<br />
meditation, the asanas became effortless.<br />
Unfortunately this feeling did not last<br />
because I noticed across from me was a man<br />
I had encountered earlier in the week, he<br />
seemed to ignite my ego and I felt<br />
intimidated by his presence. Falling victim<br />
to my own ego I caught myself looking<br />
across the room to see how good his asanas<br />
were, sabotaging my own practice creating<br />
doubt and unsteadiness. I guess my lesson<br />
for the day was humility.<br />
16:00 ASANA CLASS<br />
During this asana class, it turned out I<br />
would be practicing beside the mystery man.<br />
However, this time I was able to experience<br />
the situation in a whole new way. I tried to<br />
look at him as a friend and the egostimulated<br />
intimidation I felt earlier<br />
vanished. I was able to take this as an<br />
opportunity to practice beside someone I<br />
could learn from like a mentor or a teacher.<br />
In doing this, my practice seemed to turn<br />
into more of an offering or a gift to<br />
mankind, bringing feelings of harmony,<br />
balance and steadiness into my practice. It’s<br />
funny the senseless blind tensions we can<br />
build up in various situations. If only we<br />
confront them with a kind and open heart,<br />
they would cease to exist.<br />
8:00 ASANA CLASS<br />
Another morning yoga class and guess who<br />
my teacher was? His name is “JP François”<br />
and yes he is the same gentleman I had the<br />
ego struggle with. I really enjoyed his class;<br />
he seemed to have a lot of passion in his<br />
teaching. It turns out he really is my teacher,<br />
I love when things work out like this.<br />
16:00 ASANA CLASS<br />
Wow! What an amazing class. I think I<br />
experienced every major emotion there is,<br />
ups, downs, highs, lows, impatience,<br />
patience, ego and humility all before even<br />
15
16
17
getting into the backbends. Once I reached<br />
the backbends however, I felt complete<br />
steadiness and oneness between body,<br />
breath and mind. I went so deep into locust<br />
that I began to feel scared something was<br />
going to break. I didn’t feel any pain or<br />
discomfort but I just didn’t think my body<br />
could actually bend like that. By the end of<br />
the class I was buzzing with such intensity I<br />
thought people could hear it. It felt and<br />
sounded like the sound you might hear<br />
when walking under a massive power line, I<br />
felt I was floating, walking on air.<br />
Spectacular! I feel this was an experience one<br />
can only reach in an environment like this. I<br />
am so lucky to have felt it, although even<br />
now I do not fully understand what it is<br />
that I have experienced.<br />
No T.V., no computer, no electronic<br />
entertainment. Meditation, Satsang, asanas,<br />
HIS TIME AT THE ASHRAM HELPED FISH GO DEEP<br />
INTO HIS BACKBENDS<br />
karma yoga, lessons on scriptures, yoga<br />
philosophy, general morals and internal<br />
inquiry. This is life at the ashram in a<br />
nutshell. If you can surrender to the<br />
process, the lifestyle here will begin to break<br />
through some barriers and slow the mind<br />
down enough to allow you to begin to<br />
analyze and observe your thoughts and<br />
reactions before or while they are<br />
happening. This can help you to learn how<br />
to adjust, contemplate or anticipate a<br />
potential negative experience and possibly<br />
turn it into a positive experience, just by<br />
changing your perspective. Essentially you<br />
become an observer instead of a victim.<br />
Originally from<br />
Winnipeg, Manitoba in<br />
Canada, Fish now lives<br />
in Whistler, British<br />
Columbia, where he<br />
teaches yoga and is<br />
writing a book called<br />
Long Road Through<br />
India, based on his year<br />
travelling through India.<br />
BOOK REVIEW<br />
Yoga, A many<br />
Spendorous ous Path<br />
by y Elise e Ever<br />
erar<br />
arda<br />
da<br />
REVIEWED BY IVOR THOMAS<br />
IF YOU READ ONE BOOK ON YOGA IN 20<strong>08</strong>, MAKE THIS<br />
the one. It is a remarkably clear and precise map of the yoga<br />
terrain, and an accurate compass for practitioners at any level.<br />
For those of us who have become obsessed with asana, or “doing”<br />
yoga, the book is a clarion call “to live” yoga. In essence this calls for<br />
a transformation of ones spirit and drives by enfolding Yoga’s<br />
wider evolutionary-spiritual concepts into ones practice.<br />
Modestly, the author claims no book can explain what yoga is. In<br />
many senses this seems correct, yet, her book seems to go much of<br />
the way in doing so. In essence the book is a master class in yoga.<br />
Despite the complexity of the yoga field, from its ancient wisdom<br />
and texts to it its multiple methods the writer clearly distils core<br />
concepts without overpowering the reader with Sanskrit words.<br />
The book is arranged in 12 chapters over 263 pages. A useful plus is<br />
the glossary at the end, which provides English translation of the<br />
Sanskrit terms used in the book.<br />
Those who have been daunted by the thought of exploring classical<br />
yoga texts in their original form will find joy and comfort in this<br />
book. Its structure and content provide easily navigable paths into<br />
the stuff of yoga literature. Both an immediate stimulus and an<br />
abiding reference, this book would bless any bookshelf. So go read!<br />
18<br />
Ivor Thomas, a Welshman living and practicing in Tasmania, Australia.<br />
photo courtesty of Tony Chan
CLASSIC TEXTS<br />
Yoga Sutr<br />
utras of f Pat<br />
atanjali<br />
anjali<br />
R. ALEXANDER MEDIN<br />
ALONGSIDE THE HATHA YOGA PRADIPIKA AND THE BHAGAVAD GITA, THE YOGA<br />
Sutras of Pantanjali is commonly viewed as one of the key texts of yoga. In this third and last of three<br />
articles, Sanskrit scholar and Vendanta student Alex Medin introduces us to these important books.<br />
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are<br />
considered to be a source of<br />
authority. There may be many<br />
styles of Yoga out there, but<br />
whatever does not comply with<br />
Patanjali has great difficulty in<br />
claiming weight and authority to<br />
their arguments.<br />
It is of the common belief that<br />
Patanjali was not the originator<br />
of the Yoga Sutras, but rather a<br />
compiler of already existent<br />
schools. Historical evidence of<br />
textual sources has never been a<br />
forte in India, but modern<br />
scholarship has suggested the<br />
compilation of the Yoga Sutras<br />
could be before the influence of<br />
the Buddha or after. The<br />
conflicting theories argues over<br />
whether the Buddha was<br />
influenced by the yogic tradition<br />
or vice versa.<br />
A sutra is a memory devices that<br />
summarize the philosophical<br />
thoughts of a particular school.<br />
All the philosophical schools of<br />
India are written in sutra forms<br />
that were to be memorized and<br />
learnt by heart for the<br />
preservation of the tradition.<br />
They were further expanded<br />
upon with a Bhasya, a<br />
commentary that explains the<br />
meaning of each sutra more<br />
thoroughly.<br />
The classical definition of sutras<br />
is that: “they must be concise,<br />
unambiguous, meaningful,<br />
comprehensive, devoid of<br />
superfluous words and<br />
faultless.”<br />
Patanjali divides his 196<br />
aphorisms into four chapters<br />
discussing various practices on<br />
Yoga. The first chapter titled<br />
‘Samadhi Pada’ is for the<br />
‘samahita-citta’ those of a<br />
composed mind that are<br />
receptive to the subtle practices<br />
of yoga which requires high<br />
levels of concentration.<br />
In the second chapter ‘Sadhana<br />
Pada’ are practices for the<br />
‘vyutthita citta’ those of a<br />
distracted mind that stand in<br />
needs of more radical practices<br />
to pierce the distractive layers of<br />
physical and mental ignorance<br />
that covers the inner soul of<br />
man. Here is also found the<br />
traditional eightfold path to<br />
Yoga, where the practitioner is<br />
suggested to develop each step<br />
firmly in order for the highest<br />
realization of Yoga to manifest.<br />
The third chapter discuss the<br />
various Siddhis, perfection one<br />
may achieve from the practice of<br />
Yoga and the final chapter<br />
investigates into the state of<br />
liberation.<br />
There are five main<br />
commentators who have<br />
expanded on the meaning of<br />
the sutras. Vyasa being the<br />
foremost followed by Vacaspati<br />
Mishra and Vijnana Bhiksu. The<br />
two more recent ones are Bhoja<br />
and Hariharananda Aranya.<br />
The sutras by themselves are not<br />
easy to comprehend and the<br />
help of the commentators are<br />
paramount to get a deeper<br />
understanding of the subject.<br />
Alex has been a student of yoga<br />
and Sanskrit for the past 12 years<br />
and divides his time between<br />
Hong Kong and India.<br />
19
20
21
MY STORY<br />
Be Still and Witness<br />
the Pause<br />
PEGGY CHIU<br />
DO YOU EVER WAKE UP FEELING<br />
frustrated, anxious and fearful? How about<br />
being engaged in a phone call without being<br />
fully present? The last time you were<br />
injured, was it something you could have<br />
avoided? If all of the above answers are<br />
yes, perhaps you need to learn to appreciate<br />
a slight pause in your life.<br />
We live in a busy city, hectic lifestyles, life on<br />
Blackberry, lunch on the go, talking on the<br />
phone 24/7, surrounded by noise. These<br />
stillness – the slight pause in between the<br />
transition from one moment to another<br />
22<br />
outward experiences have an internal affects on us, on our nervous and emotional systems,<br />
making us feel impatient, always in a rush, exasperated by our boss and families. Often<br />
these internal feelings manifest themselves as fear, anxiety, worry, frustration or anger. We<br />
don’t know why we get these feelings and it’s not a popular topic of discussion. Overtime,<br />
we continue to indulge ourselves with our packed schedules, too busy to slow down, no<br />
time to pause and we overlook how we really feel.<br />
A little pressure from our ego keeps us moving: “I must do this”, we think, “I must multitask<br />
to show I am capable”, “I must do it better and faster” and then what? Before we know it, our<br />
lives are engulfed with negative energy created by the constant pressure of “needing to be”<br />
and “must have done”.<br />
For many years, I dreaded this influx of emotions, not knowing how I got them or how<br />
to get rid of them. Curiosity exposed me to the study of life through yoga, meditation,<br />
Jungian psychology and Zen Buddhism. After many trials and errors, I discovered what I<br />
needed to break this cycle of suffering was to embrace and practicestillness – the slight<br />
pause in-between the transition from one moment to another. Usually you can find it<br />
between an ending and a beginning of something and vice versa.<br />
You are at work deep in thought and the phone rings. Naturally you pick up the phone<br />
with your hand while still looking at the monitor, you are having a conversation but your<br />
mind is neither completely with the person nor the computer. You hang up the phone and<br />
continue with the task at hand as if the conversation never took place. Our physical and<br />
mental transition is seamless from one task to the other. How many of us would say we<br />
are almost always fully present with a call like that? My guess is that the majority of us are<br />
not always fully present, that includes me!<br />
Most of the time, we let our minds drift<br />
from one moment to another without an<br />
intention.<br />
We have so many thoughts flowing<br />
through our minds sometimes it seems almost impossible to control and slow them<br />
down. When we engage in an activity without being fully present, we can hurt ourselves,<br />
physically or emotionally without knowing it. Think about the last time you had an injury.<br />
Were you aware of it happening or was your mind drifting somewhere else?<br />
Witnessing the pause in this in-between state is a moment of self-discovery. When we<br />
move from moment to moment, we want to move with awareness and knowing the<br />
intention of our actions.<br />
Rather than ignoring these moments, we pause and observe with our hearts. We invite<br />
space for us to feel and re-center before moving on to the next thing<br />
Through awareness of our intentions, we begin a process of acknowledging our<br />
weaknesses and cravings. We become aware of the different states of feeling in us such as<br />
wanting, confusion, fear, selfishness and anger. When we know what state our heart is in,<br />
we have a choice about the patterns we want to follow and co-create.<br />
Pausing in life brings us clarity, keeps us grounded, and cultivates profound calmness and<br />
awareness that nourishes our mind, heart and body. By practicing this in our daily lives we<br />
begin to be very honest with ourselves and more patient.<br />
We make the choice to be fully here, moment by moment. The space allows us to catch<br />
and break our habitual patterns. It is important to know and become intimate with your<br />
“in between state”. Next time there is a phone call, try taking a deep breath, gather your
thoughts and notice the pause before you answer it.<br />
Earlier this year, I had a chance to study with Sally Kempton, formerly known as Swami<br />
Durgananda, at a meditation workshop. She taught us to find the arch of breathe in<br />
between each inhalation and exhalation. See if you can catch the slight pause at the end of<br />
your inhale and just before you exhale and vice versa. Just notice the pause and let it go.<br />
See how that affects your body and mind.<br />
The truth is, we are always in transition. Life continually goes up and down with or<br />
without your control, so relax, be still and observe. When we pause, it allows us clear<br />
seeing, exploring our emotions and gives attention to the present moment. When you<br />
simply witness your feelings instead of reacting to them, you allow your life to unfold<br />
organically and you open a doorway to greater understanding.<br />
Most importantly, you develop your capacity to be free in an often challenging and<br />
turbulent world. Being mindful though is not about controlling the world, it is about the<br />
quality of awareness that you bring to each moment. Moments that when taken collectively<br />
make up ones life.<br />
Peggy is a student of yoga with a passion in Jungian psychology and<br />
Ayurveda. When she is not practicing, she teaches yoga privately or in<br />
small groups. Peggy118@gmail.com<br />
The space allows us to<br />
catch and break our<br />
habitual patterns<br />
23
YOGA 101<br />
Kirtan, Yoga for the Heart<br />
SWAMI NIRANJANANDA SARASWATI<br />
THIS ARTICLE IS EXCERPTED FOR US BY HONG KONG SATYANANDA YOGA TEACHER YOGANIDHI FROM AN<br />
article entitled “Realizing the Bhava (feeling) in Kirtan and Mantra” by Swami Niranjananda Saraswati from the Bihar School of Yoga India.<br />
It was first published in the Satyananda Yoga Magazine in 2004.<br />
Kirtan literally means ‘the continuous repetition of mantra’, which<br />
uses sound vibration to liberate energy and to raise consciousness.<br />
Kirtan and chanting, which are a part of mantra yoga, are an<br />
important part of yoga education. In ancient times words and<br />
music were used to attain an altered state of mind. Music was an aid<br />
to develop the mind, spirit, emotions and sensitivity. In this<br />
modern age different forms of music have developed, like rock,<br />
heavy metal, jazz etc; but until recent times music was used not to<br />
please the mind but to tranquilize the agitations of the mind.<br />
Not only does mantra expand the consciousness, but music also<br />
has that capacity. Music is a universal language - and many religions<br />
and philosophical systems throughout the ages have incorporated<br />
chanting with music as a practice.<br />
Both kirtan and music are a means of creating relaxation and<br />
harmony within. And for those who are devotional by nature,<br />
kirtan is a powerful and ecstatic yogic path through which bhakti or<br />
transcendental love, is awakened.<br />
Mantra is the unspoken language of the heart; it is something you<br />
feel from deep inside, something that comes up from the depths<br />
of consciousness to the surface of your mind. The proper use of<br />
mantra can evoke a particular sentiment and sensitize the mind to<br />
be receptive to many experiences, both internal and external.<br />
Although it is said that Rama and Krishna are the names of Indian<br />
gods, or Devi is the name of the goddess, this is only a religious<br />
interpretation. The word Rama is also the sound of a chakra, and<br />
yogis had knowledge of the word Rama in it’s different capacities<br />
long before Rama was born. Mantra predates religion: they<br />
represent the link between the individual nature and the divine.<br />
Kirtan is yoga for the feelings.<br />
24<br />
Kirtan plays an important part in yogic or spiritual life just as hatha<br />
yoga, raja yoga, meditation or kundalini yoga do. This is because we<br />
exist at different levels of experience simultaneously:<br />
(i) at the sensorial level, where experience comes only through the<br />
senses<br />
(ii) at the intellectual level, the rational mind, giving rise to likes and<br />
dislikes, aspirations and ambitions, etc.<br />
(iii) at the emotional level, the level of feelings, of sensitivity, being<br />
able to connect with something non- rational and being in tune<br />
with the energy that transforms sensitivity and feeling into<br />
emotion,<br />
(iv) at the psychic level, which includes latent impressions, ingrained<br />
attitudes and habits, samskaras and karmas that define character and<br />
self-identity, and<br />
(v) at the spiritual level, which can only be directly experienced when<br />
the other four levels are in harmony.<br />
In the process of yoga, we have to access and bring each level<br />
together little by little, rather than focusing on just one level or<br />
dimension - only the body or only the mind or only the feelings. If<br />
we are able to develop a fully comprehensive awareness, then<br />
according to the tradition, complete fulfillment, poornata, can be<br />
experienced in this life.<br />
Just as in this process, raja yoga, jnana yoga, kriya yoga or kundalini<br />
yoga may be important, to the same extent and intensity kirtan is<br />
also recommended. Why? What is kirtan? Kirtan is chanting of<br />
different names of the self, of which we are a part, an expression;<br />
we all express different manifestations and identities of the self.<br />
These names are composed in Sanskrit - an ancient pure language<br />
which is made up of a series of letters called aksharas, meaning<br />
sound syllables, or ‘imperishables’, and combinations of these<br />
vibrations form each mantra. Each akshara has a particular frequency,<br />
which affects the individual on many levels. Therefore according to<br />
the structure of the mantra a certain quality of awareness is<br />
awakened.<br />
Although the mantras may appear to indicate a manifest form of<br />
divinity, in which, for example Rama may invoke the image of<br />
Rama, and similarly for Krishna, Bhuddha and Christ, the mantras<br />
do not represent a personalized identity of the divinity but rather<br />
an expression of that force and energy. When you chant the names,<br />
it is the syllables that alter the patterns of the mind according to the<br />
different sound frequencies and vibrations, making it more clear,<br />
tranquil and receptive, more complete, thus increasing sensitivity<br />
and feeling. The sensitivity will help you connect with the source of
your being and then you experience yoga. This is the purpose and<br />
meaning of kirtan.<br />
Kirtan is both an art and a science. It is sung to evoke a feeling that<br />
is uplifting and pure. It is not so much the chanting of the name<br />
that is important as the awakening of the bhava, the feeling or<br />
emotion that is associated with it.<br />
Kirtan helps to achieve the state where one is able to express one’s<br />
feelings towards the pure nature in their purest form. This devotion<br />
is different from expressing a religious sentiment. It brings out the<br />
pure self and enhances the sensitivity, and one is able to connect<br />
with the pure being, and this equals yoga.<br />
Therefore, kirtan has a very prominent place in yogic life and in the<br />
lives of all spiritual seekers. Kirtan is yoga for the feelings. Just as<br />
hatha yoga is yoga for the physical purification, raja yoga is a yogic<br />
system for understanding the mind, Kriya yoga is a process of<br />
psychic awakening and kundalini yoga a process of kundalini<br />
awakening, kirtan is a process of awakening sensitivity.<br />
There needs to be passion when chanting Kirtan, In the beginning<br />
the mantras are repeated mechanically because one does not know<br />
how to connect with the bhava, the feeling. But when you know<br />
Kirtan literally means ‘the<br />
continuous repetition of mantra’<br />
how, then by combining the mantra with the bhava, the energy of<br />
the mantra intensifies. Mantra chanting only becomes fruitful when<br />
bhava is associated with it, just as a feeling is associated with a state<br />
of anger, jealousy or stress and tension, or with what you eat and<br />
drink, or with a friend or enemy, similarly a feeling is associated with<br />
a mantra. Therefore when you practice chanting and singing Kirtan<br />
you should also try to project the emotion associated with the<br />
mantra into it. Then when you chant or sing the mantra you are<br />
able to channel your emotions with full control, and that is quite an<br />
achievement for any human being.<br />
that an individual has for the divine. Those who understand the<br />
principle of Shiva will find this mantra very pleasing to their nature.<br />
They will relate to the bhakti, the aspect of surrendering with<br />
respect, gratitude and faith to a quality of the divine, which they<br />
have felt in their life. In the same way, different people have found<br />
their heart and soul connection with Rama or Krishna, Durga, Devi,<br />
Christ, Mohammed, Buddha, or Mahavir, which are all different<br />
images of the divine force.<br />
The literal meaning will stimulate a feeling in those people with that<br />
kind of nature. But for most people, mantras thought of in that<br />
way are seen as adherence to a belief system representing a religion.<br />
The expression of one’s sentiment towards something unique and<br />
pure becomes converted into a belief system, and that belief system<br />
becomes a religion. The extrovert nature of the human mind will<br />
always create a logical justification for everything, even if it is<br />
inaccurate and inappropriate.<br />
However, the revealed meaning of the mantra is different from the<br />
literal translation. The revealed meaning instantaneously leads you<br />
to the experiences of Shiva. That is why a teacher/guru cannot<br />
actually tell you the meaning, but they can help you to understand<br />
the meaning. It is like this with every mantra, whether chanting Hare<br />
Rama, Hare Rama; Jai Jai Rama, Sita Rama, or O Namo Bhagavate<br />
Vasudeva, or any other mantra. The meaning of the mantra becomes<br />
revealed when the bhava, intense feeling, becomes associated with it.<br />
So, in the end bhava is the real meaning of the mantra.<br />
Yoganidhi introduces Kirtan at<br />
Pure Yoga, The Centrium, Hong<br />
Kong on the last Friday of every<br />
month from 7 – 9 pm. It is free<br />
and you are welcome to join us<br />
even if you will be late arriving.<br />
If you wish to learn the<br />
harmonium, to chant or lead a<br />
kirtan please contact email<br />
Yoganidhi:<br />
yoga_nidhi@yahoo.com<br />
In the early stage, if you are repeating the mantra mechanically, it is<br />
not necessary to know the meaning of the mantra. But when the<br />
mantra is established in the mind and there is no effort to become<br />
aware of the mantra, then at that time the meaning of the mantra is<br />
revealed. The bhava becomes associated with the mantra and the<br />
meaning is revealed. It is realized intuitively; you recognize it as the<br />
underlying reality of the mantra. A guru can help you realize the<br />
meaning of the mantra, but not tell you. The meaning of the<br />
mantras being revealed and the telling the meaning of the mantra<br />
are two different things.<br />
Om Nama Shivaya translated literally means ‘I bow down to Shiva,<br />
I salute to Shiva’. Now the literal meaning can indicate an<br />
association through respect, faith, belief and devotion, the bhakti,<br />
25
FOR TEACHERS<br />
Peter er Scott t on<br />
Teaching<br />
GAELLE FOULON DAFFNER<br />
MELBOURNE-BASED IYENGAR TEACHER PETER SCOTT HAS DEVOTED 30<br />
years to the art and scienve of yoga. He teaches regular workshops at Yoga Central in Hong<br />
Kong. Here Gaelle Daffner, talks to him about teaching, spiritual responsibility and the<br />
business of yoga.<br />
GAELLE: During the 1992 Iyengar Yoga<br />
Convention in Sydney Mr Iyengar said “The<br />
teacher who is soft is not a teacher. A teacher<br />
who does not correct is not a teacher (...)<br />
Teaching demands friendliness,<br />
compassion, indifference and anger”. Could<br />
you comment on his words and tell us how<br />
you believe we can all improve as teachers<br />
independently of our specific yoga style and<br />
schools?<br />
PETER: Mr Iyengar, Guruji as I address him,<br />
is asking us to be forthright not timid, that<br />
true compassion lies in a level of honesty<br />
that requires the teachers, to ensure mistakes<br />
do not creep into their practice, or the<br />
students’ practice. Indifference (detachment)<br />
is required to our students’ emotional<br />
responses and hard-headedness. To me<br />
what he is saying is to cut through the dross<br />
that blocks concentration, otherwise we<br />
How much responsibility do you believe<br />
teachers have towards transmitting<br />
all eight limbs of yoga?<br />
observation, so that we can respond in the<br />
moment to create greater awareness.<br />
Teaching yoga is different to teaching other<br />
subjects, it is an experiential art. It is this<br />
spiritual experience we need to help our<br />
students imbibe, so they leave class with an<br />
uplifting experience.<br />
GAELLE: We all know it takes a lot of Tapas -<br />
zealousness - to practice. How much tapas -<br />
involvement- would you recommend a<br />
teacher put on teaching and what to do to<br />
keep the fire burning?<br />
PETER: Zeal in teaching often translates as<br />
pushing students physically, emotionally<br />
and mentally by prodding and pressing<br />
them into poses. We have to “work” the<br />
students to improve their understanding<br />
not their “doing”, to help them create the<br />
wisdom to learn, rather than the skill to<br />
proceed.<br />
It is our practice that “stokes the fire” and<br />
builds agni (fire), no matter what the path<br />
(marga). Patanjali devotes at least 30% of<br />
the Yoga Sutras to practice, its procedures,<br />
benefits and problems.<br />
miss what the natural intelligence is<br />
advising. Natural intelligence runs through<br />
our practice all the time but we don’t catch it<br />
we follow the channel of the mind: where<br />
we “think” we ought to be, or what we<br />
“think” we ought to do.<br />
In a talk he gave to an Intensive group at<br />
RIMYI in 1989 Guruji explained anger as:<br />
“Know that this temper is genuinely to<br />
burn out your ignorance. It is meant to<br />
constructively build-up, it is not a<br />
destructive apparatus. You may not like my<br />
weapon of anger, which is meant to build<br />
up and improve you. Where is your chance<br />
to improve, when I am gone?”<br />
As teachers, be indifferent to praise or<br />
acclaim from students, because to the ego it<br />
becomes glorification. Just as in practice, stay<br />
sharp in judgement of your own teaching.<br />
This sharpness needs to be directed to<br />
The first sutra of Sadhana Pada (II.1) defines<br />
kriya yoga as: tapas, svadhyaya and Isvara<br />
Pranidana. Hence, all three are important to<br />
observe in practice, teaching and life. These<br />
three components of yoga can be<br />
respectively likened to the three different<br />
paths: karma marga (path of action); jnana<br />
marga (path of learning and knowledge) and<br />
bhakti marga (path of devotion) make up<br />
our yoga marga. Following all three paths is<br />
most important.<br />
GAELLE: Recently, a US yoga journal’s<br />
journalists touring Hong Kong studios got<br />
surprised at how some teachers keep their<br />
instruction to a few words and counting to<br />
overcome the language barriers. Do you<br />
have any thought on teaching multicultural<br />
and multilingual classes?<br />
PETER: In teacher trainings we have the<br />
luxury of being able to slow down and<br />
26
explain things and therefore have them<br />
translated, which actually helps the group<br />
consolidate the original knowledge.<br />
However, in classes rhythm is tremendously<br />
important, and requires broader techniques<br />
of teaching. Demonstrations are the best<br />
way to get across any difficulty, whether<br />
through a difference in language or a<br />
difference in understanding. Remember the<br />
old adage: “a picture is worth a thousand<br />
words”. Yoga adjustments are also an<br />
important tool in helping students to learn<br />
and understand alignment, energy and sthiti.<br />
GAELLE: Many people in Hong-Kong practice<br />
yoga for its physical impacts and do not get<br />
exposed to the spiritual rules and aspects of<br />
yoga. How much responsibility do you<br />
believe teachers have towards transmitting<br />
all eight limbs of yoga? Any advice on how<br />
to incorporate the seven other limbs in our<br />
asana based class?<br />
PETER: This is true not only of Hong Kong.<br />
In many of his writings and interviews<br />
Georg Feuerstein rails against “modern”<br />
yoga teachers who do not include anything<br />
about the wonderful philosophy of yoga.<br />
Firstly, if we follow the yamas and niyamas to<br />
the highest possible levels we will inspire<br />
students with our personal behaviour and<br />
conduct and thus deliver examples of the<br />
most practical darshan.<br />
It is a fairly natural outcome of modern<br />
society that at first most people come for<br />
the physical benefits. Importantly, recognise<br />
this process as one of working through the<br />
layers of consciousness (koshas).<br />
Hence when teaching layer the instructions<br />
to gradually affect the deeper koshic layers,<br />
which leads to changes in students’ energies<br />
that helps refine the approach and<br />
understanding of yoga and why they come<br />
to class. This progression leads one through<br />
the paths of action, knowledge and<br />
devotion, and can be presented with only<br />
subtle adjustments in one’s teaching.<br />
GAELLE: Some medical professionals and<br />
newspaper have labelled yoga to be a<br />
dangerous practice that is to be avoided.<br />
What can we do to minimize injuries in<br />
class? Any idea on how we could correct the<br />
public opinion?<br />
PETER: Really in comparison to many other<br />
recreations I would think yoga to have a very<br />
As teachers, be indifferent to praise or acclaim<br />
from students<br />
low injury ratio. There is an excellent satirical<br />
(or lampoon) illustration in the magazine<br />
Australian Yoga Life where parents of young<br />
yoga students are attending a rugby game<br />
and the caption reads: “ I had to take my son<br />
out of yoga classes due to the injuries”<br />
Take on students who are not following<br />
correct methods and blazing away at their<br />
practice or on the other hand being dull and<br />
lazy. The best methods for dealing with<br />
injuries are notably alignment, and the ability<br />
27
BOOK REVIEW<br />
to not be a “soft teacher”.<br />
Communication is the best method to<br />
correct anything. Teachers need to correct<br />
students with true compassion and honesty,<br />
so students’ egos are neither stimulated nor<br />
disintegrated. With injuries always begin at<br />
the base don’t go straight to the injured<br />
area. Always communicate.<br />
GAELLE: In Hong Kong the market is<br />
dominated by a handful of large-scale<br />
studios and it has become increasingly<br />
difficult for smaller operations to survive let<br />
alone thrive. You own and manage a studio<br />
yourself in Melbourne. Do you have any<br />
advice to give to these small business<br />
owners and to teachers who dream about<br />
their own studio?<br />
PETER: An analogy with the “food industry”<br />
is valuable in relation to yoga studios. There<br />
are many levels of food outlet: street food<br />
stalls, franchised fast food outlets, cafes<br />
restaurants and fine dining, and there are<br />
many small family owned operations that<br />
comfortably exist in a ruthlessly competitive<br />
environment. This analogy helped me see<br />
that it is not important to “compete” with<br />
large scale or even small scale studios, what<br />
is important is to be true to yourself in the<br />
context of experience and learning.<br />
Beginning your own studio with little<br />
teaching or business experience is not going<br />
to work! Where as working towards your<br />
own studio in time and with understanding<br />
and experience will more than likely succeed.<br />
GAELLE: To sum up, if you had to give three<br />
recommendations to a freshly certified<br />
teacher, what would<br />
they be?<br />
Tia is a student of<br />
Sanskrit, Yoga and<br />
Buddhism. When in Delhi<br />
she teachers at the<br />
Sivananda Yoga Centre.<br />
28<br />
PETER: Sincerity, practice,<br />
and conscientious study<br />
with your teacher.<br />
Gaelle teaches at Yoga<br />
Central in Hong Kong.<br />
Living Dharma, Teachings of f Twelv<br />
elve e Buddhis<br />
uddhist<br />
Master<br />
ers by Jack Korn<br />
ornfield<br />
REVIEWED BY TIA SINHA<br />
Jack Kornfield, a ‘kalyana mita’ (name given<br />
to teachers in the Theravada tradition which<br />
means spiritual friend) spent many years in<br />
the 1960s traveling and studying in<br />
monasteries throughout Burma, Laos,<br />
Thailand and Cambodia. In these<br />
monasteries (which still exist), he studied<br />
with some of the greatest Theravada<br />
meditation masters of the twentieth<br />
century. In Living Dharma, Kornfield<br />
chronicles the lives and teachings of 12 of<br />
these Masters, including Venerables Achaan<br />
Buddhadasa, Achaan Chaa, Achaan<br />
Dhammadarao, Achaan Jumnien, Achaan<br />
Maha Boowa, Achaan Naeb, Mahasi<br />
Sayadaw, Mogok Sayadaw, Mohnyin<br />
Sayadaw, Sunlun Sayadaw, Taungpulu<br />
Sayadaw. The twelfth, Sayaji U Ba Khin of<br />
Burma was the Master of S.N. Goenka who<br />
set up Vipassana meditation centres in<br />
India and in many parts of the world.<br />
Kornfield’s odyssey through many<br />
Buddhist systems and teachers is detailed, deep and insightful. Outwardly, the teachings<br />
may appear different and even contradictory. “Just as the bending of leaves of grass and<br />
the skimming by of clouds indicate the presence of wind, so the words and teachings of<br />
these masters all point to the same experience, the same truth.”<br />
Meditation, the technique of purifying the mind and letting go, is essential to the practice<br />
of Buddhism, across sects, traditions and lineages. These masters teach the two kinds of<br />
meditation taught by the Buddha, concentration and insight. Concentration meditation is<br />
practised by fixing the mind on any single object and developing the ability to hold it there.<br />
Insight or process meditation is practised by calmly observing changes within one’s mindbody<br />
continuum.<br />
It is a little known fact that Gautama, who trained in and mastered several concentration<br />
techniques under the great Hindu masters of his time, taught, after his enlightenment,<br />
more than 40 concentration meditation techniques to his disciples.<br />
Kornfield cautions that those who claim to have established a ‘pure’ tradition or a ‘pure’<br />
sect can mislead people into misunderstanding the basic teachings of the Buddha. Purity<br />
does not exist within a tradition, within a method, or within a religion. Only one basic<br />
purity was taught by the Buddha, the purity which liberates, and that is purity of the mind,<br />
freedom from the three poisons of greed, hatred and delusion.<br />
The teachings of the masters may sometimes appear a bit too technical and even repetitive.<br />
But the stories of the lives of these masters and their insightful replies to questions posed<br />
by disciples lend freshness and novelty to this book. And Kornfield’s clear, lucid and often<br />
poetic style of writing brings the Dharma alive.
RECIPE<br />
water with ¼ teaspoons of sea salt for<br />
about 20 minutes till tender but firm. Drain<br />
and cool.<br />
Finely dice ½ cup of Jicama, carrot, red<br />
pepper and red onion<br />
Prepare a dressing by combining 3<br />
tablespoons of fresh lime juice with the ½<br />
teaspoons lime zest finely chopped, 1 small<br />
pinch of cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon honey<br />
and ½ cup olive oil and a small amount of<br />
salt to taste.<br />
Aztec Salad<br />
MOOSA AL-ISSA<br />
This is power house of a salad using the<br />
mighty Quinoa grain, revered by the ancient<br />
Aztecs, and combining it with a bean and a<br />
root vegetable to create a complete protein<br />
and carbohydrate balance. Yet this salad<br />
remains light and easy to digest, perfect for<br />
our community of yogis and yoginis. “To<br />
your health and the health of our planet!”<br />
INGREDIENTS<br />
1 cup organic black beans<br />
2 cups organic quinoa<br />
½ cup jicama<br />
½ cup carrot<br />
½ cup red onion<br />
½ cup red pepper<br />
1 small romaine lettuce<br />
3 tbsp fresh lime juice<br />
1 lime<br />
½ tsp lime zest<br />
1/2 cup olive oil<br />
1 tbsp honey<br />
cayenne pepper to taste<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
Combine the beans, quinoa, vegetables, the<br />
dressing and ¼ cup chopped coriander<br />
in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly.<br />
Place a whole lettuce leaf on each plate and<br />
spoon one cup of the salad on top of each<br />
lettuce leaf.<br />
Sprinkle with a small amount of chopped<br />
coriander and garnish with a small slice of<br />
lime<br />
Serves 6 people<br />
Moosa the new Executive<br />
Chef at Life Cafe.<br />
PREPARATION<br />
Soak one cup of organic black beans in two<br />
cups water overnight. Drain the water and in<br />
a small saucepan boil the beans in one litre<br />
of water with ¼ teaspoons of sea salt for<br />
about 50 minutes till tender but firm. Drain<br />
and cool.<br />
Boil 2 cups organic quinoa grain in 4 cups<br />
29
30
TIA’S CROSSWORD<br />
This crossword is dedicated to<br />
the 330 million Hindu gods and<br />
goddesses of whom a handful are<br />
featured here, and of these, a<br />
smattering of their varied<br />
qualities and aspects.<br />
The names of some of our deities<br />
lend themselves to unusual<br />
anagrams. The solution can be<br />
found on page 34.<br />
ACROSS<br />
1. Maman has Ruby! Jumble to<br />
give the six-headed son of<br />
1DOWN popular in southern<br />
India. (12)<br />
7. Fire god, a precursor of the<br />
Hindu Trinity. (4)<br />
8. Jumble ‘nadir’ to give the<br />
king of the gods. (5)<br />
9. Goddess of Dawn. (4)<br />
11. A pronoun standing for the<br />
Absolute Reality, beyond all<br />
gods and goddesses. (4)<br />
12. “I saw a star”. Jumble to<br />
give a goddess in white, the<br />
goddess of learning that even<br />
the Trinity bow to. (9)<br />
13. The perfect man, an<br />
incarnation of 17 ACROSS. (4)<br />
14. Jumble “gas a hen” for the<br />
god of wisdom and prosperity<br />
who plays the tabla and is bigbellied<br />
because of his fondness<br />
for the sweet laddoo. (7)<br />
17. The Preserver, representing<br />
the guna, sattva. The<br />
Dasavataras refer to his ten<br />
principal incarnations. (7)<br />
19. Indian Venus? Wife of 28<br />
ACROSS, also called Reva. (4)<br />
20. Mahishasuramardini, the<br />
powerful goddess who slew the<br />
demon, Mahishasura. (5)<br />
21. Swarga …., the abode of<br />
many gods. (4)<br />
25. Luminous god who fathered<br />
Kunti’s illegitimate son, Karna,<br />
in the Mahabharata. (5)<br />
26. Free, unbound, mother of<br />
the gods, sustainer of the earth,<br />
supporter of the sky. (5)<br />
27. God of the wind and father<br />
of 6 DOWN. (4)<br />
28. Hindu Cupid? God reduced<br />
to ashes by the third eye of 1<br />
DOWN. (4)<br />
29. The Supreme Being or Soul<br />
of the Universe who dwells in<br />
the city of the body. (7)<br />
30. Anagram of ‘u break’ gives<br />
the god of treasures to whom<br />
23 DOWN gave the magical<br />
flying chariot, Pushpaka. (6)<br />
DOWN<br />
1. The Destroyer, an ascetic god<br />
representing the guna, tamas. (5)<br />
2. Son of 18 DOWN and the<br />
goddess Tara. He symbolizes planet<br />
Mercury. In Hindi, Wednesday is<br />
named after him. (5)<br />
3. Jumble ‘papaya’ to give a god<br />
worshipped in Kerela, and born<br />
of a union between 1 DOWN<br />
and 17 ACROSS in the form of<br />
the divine enchantress,<br />
Mohini.(6)<br />
4. ‘Guru man’? Jumble to give<br />
Tamil deity of mountains, war<br />
and fertility. He is also known as<br />
Skanda, Karttikeya and 1<br />
ACROSS. (7)<br />
5. Jumble ‘Jaya Rama’ to give<br />
the Lord of Death, whose<br />
vehicle is a buffalo. (8)<br />
6. Popular Indian car, son of 27<br />
ACROSS and loyal devotee of<br />
13 ACROSS. (6)<br />
10. Goddess of wealth<br />
worshipped during Diwali. (7)<br />
12. Wife of 1 DOWN who<br />
immolated herself and was<br />
born again as Parvati.(4)<br />
15. One of the 1,000 names of<br />
17 ACROSS. (8)<br />
16. Fierce storm god, often<br />
identified with 1 DOWN. (5)<br />
17. Hindu Poseidon? God of<br />
the oceans, humbled by a single<br />
arrow shot by 13 ACROSS. (6)<br />
18. Hindu Dionysus? God<br />
named after an intoxicating juice,<br />
made popular in the west by<br />
Aldous Huxley’s ‘A Brave New<br />
World’. This god was<br />
worshipped as a god of healing,<br />
and later, as the moon god. (4)<br />
22. An incarnation of 17<br />
ACROSS sporting a plume, a<br />
flute and a discus, friend to<br />
Arjun and beloved of Mirabai,<br />
Radha and many gopis. (7)<br />
23. The Creator, representing the<br />
guna, rajas. (6)<br />
24. Born of the earth, tested by<br />
fire, she symbolizes the ideal<br />
wife. (4)<br />
25. Sanskrit term for gods (as<br />
opposed to demons). (5)<br />
27. Eight gods, each<br />
personifying a natural<br />
phenomenon. Three of these<br />
gods are Apa, Dhruva and 18<br />
ACROSS. (4)<br />
31
32
CROSSWORD SOLUTION<br />
from page 35<br />
33
YOGA TEACHERS & STUDIOS<br />
Sangeeta Ahuja<br />
Life Management Yoga Centre<br />
Non-profit Classical Yoga School<br />
d: TST<br />
s: Patanjali yoga, Kids yoga,<br />
Seniors yoga, Corporates<br />
l: English, Cantonese<br />
t: (852) 2191 9651<br />
e: life@yoga.org.hk<br />
w: www.yoga.org.hk<br />
Michel Besnard<br />
Yogasana<br />
s: Ashtanga<br />
l: English<br />
t: (852)2511 8892 / 9527 6691<br />
e: info@yogasana.com.hk<br />
Kathy Cook<br />
Kathy Cook<br />
The Iyengar Yoga Centre of<br />
Hong Kong, LRC, Privates,<br />
workshops<br />
d: Hong Kong<br />
s: Iyengar (certified)<br />
l: English<br />
t: (852) 6292 5440<br />
e: kcinasia@netvigator.com<br />
w: www.yogawithkathy.com<br />
FLEX<br />
1/F Woodleigh House<br />
80 Stanley Village Road<br />
Stanley, Hong Kong<br />
s: Iyengar, Hatha Vinyasa Flow,<br />
Ashtanga, Children’s yoga<br />
t: (852) 2813 2212<br />
f: (852) 2813 2281<br />
e: info@flexhk.com<br />
w: www.flexhk.com<br />
Ann Gowing<br />
Holistic practices<br />
s: Yoga, Pilates<br />
t: (65) 9777 6632<br />
e: agowing@mac.com<br />
IYENGAR YOGA CENTRE<br />
OF HONG KONG<br />
Room 406 New<br />
Victory House, 93 – 103 Wing<br />
Lok St., Sheung Wan, Hong<br />
Kong<br />
s: Iyengar<br />
t: (852) 2541 0401<br />
e:<br />
info@iyengaryogahongkong.com<br />
w: iyengaryogahongkong.com<br />
Ming Lee<br />
Privates, workshops<br />
s: Iyengar Certified teacher<br />
l: English, Cantonese, Putonghua<br />
t: (852) 9188 1277<br />
e: minglee@yogawithming.com<br />
Ursula Moser<br />
The Iyengar Yoga Centre of<br />
Hong Kong<br />
d: Central<br />
s: Iyengar certified<br />
l: English, German<br />
t: (852) 2918 1798<br />
e: umoser@netvigator.com<br />
Anna Ng<br />
Privates<br />
d: Hong Kong<br />
s: Hatha yoga<br />
l: Cantonese<br />
t: (852) 9483 1167<br />
e: gazebofl@netvigator.com<br />
PURE YOGA<br />
16/F The Centrium, 60<br />
Wyndham Street, Central, Hong<br />
Kong<br />
t: (852) 2971 0055<br />
25/F Soundwill Plaza, 38 Russell<br />
Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong<br />
t: (852) 2970 2299<br />
14/F The Peninsula Office Tower<br />
18 Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui,<br />
Kowloon, Hong Kong<br />
t: (852) 8129 8800<br />
9/F Langham Place Office Tower,<br />
8 Argyle Street, Kowloon, Hong<br />
Kong<br />
t: (852) 3691 3691<br />
9/F Langham Place Office Tower,<br />
8 Argyle Street, Kowloon, Hong<br />
Kong<br />
t: (852) 3691 3691<br />
4/F Lincoln House, TaiKoo Place,<br />
979 King’s Road, Quarry Bay,<br />
Hong Kong<br />
t: (852) 8129 1188<br />
391A Orchard Road, #18-00 Ngee<br />
Ann City Tower A, Singapore<br />
t: (65) 6733 8863<br />
30 Raffles Place, 04-00 Chevron<br />
House, Singapore<br />
t: (65) 6304 2257<br />
151 Chung Hsiao East Road, Sec<br />
4, Taipei, Taiwan<br />
t: (886) 02 8161 7888<br />
s: Hot, Power, Hatha, Yin,<br />
Ashtanga, Dance, Kids<br />
l: English, Cantonese<br />
e: info@pure-yoga.com<br />
Linda Shevloff<br />
The Iyengar Yoga Centre of<br />
Hong Kong<br />
d: Sheung Wan<br />
s: Iyengar Certified (Senior<br />
Intermediate I)<br />
t: (852) 2541 0401<br />
e: linda@<br />
iyengaryogahongkong.com<br />
YOGA CENTRAL<br />
4/F Kai Kwong House, 13<br />
Wyndham Street, Central, Hong<br />
Kong<br />
s: AcroYoga, Ashtanga, Hatha,<br />
Iyengar, KidsYoga, Pre-Natal &<br />
Mat-based Pilates<br />
t: (852) 2982 43<strong>08</strong><br />
e: yogacentralhk@yahoo.com<br />
w: yogacentral.com.hk<br />
NEW NAMASKAR LISTING AND DISPLAY ADVERTISING RATES FOR 20<strong>08</strong><br />
Outside back cover HK$20,000 (210 mm x 297 mm)<br />
Inside front cover HK$2,500 (210 mm x 297 mm)<br />
Inside back cover HK$2,000 (210 mm x 297 mm)<br />
Full page HK$1,500 (210 mm x 297 mm)<br />
1/2 page HK$900 (188 mm x 130.5 mm horizontal)<br />
(92 mm x 265 mm vertical)<br />
1/4 page HK$500 (92 mm X 130.5 mm)<br />
1/8 page HK$300 (92 mm x 63 mm)<br />
Yoga Yoga<br />
35/F World Trade Centre, 280<br />
Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay,<br />
Hong Kong<br />
s: Ashtanga, Hatha, Kundalini,<br />
Yoga Therapy, Raja, Pranayama<br />
& Meditation, Yin, Kaya<br />
Shuddhi and others<br />
t: (852) 2866 8168<br />
www.yogayoga.com.hk<br />
Crossword Solution<br />
from page 31<br />
ACROSS<br />
1. Subrahmanyam, 7. Agni, 8.<br />
Indra, 9. Usha, 11. That, 12.<br />
Saraswati, 13. Rama, 14.<br />
Ganesha, 17. Vishnu, 19. Rati,<br />
20. Durga, 21. Loka, 25. Surya,<br />
26. Aditi, 27. Vayu, 28. Kama,<br />
29. Purusha, 30. Kubera<br />
DOWN<br />
1. Shiva, 2. Budha, 3. Ayappa,<br />
4. Murugan, 5.Yamaraja, 6.<br />
Maruti, 10. Lakshmi, 12. Sati,<br />
15. Narayana, 16. Rudra, 17.<br />
Varuna, 18. Soma, 22. Krishna,<br />
23. Brahma, 24. Sita, 25. Suras,<br />
27. Vasu<br />
Individual Teacher listing HK$500 (January - October 20<strong>08</strong>)<br />
Studio listing HK$1,000 (January - October 20<strong>08</strong>)<br />
Advertisements should be submitted as high resolution .tiff or .jpg format(no .ai files please). Advertising<br />
fees are payable to:<br />
Yoga Services Ltd<br />
c/o Frances Gairns, G/F Flat 1, 12 Shouson Hill Road West, Hong Kong<br />
For more information call (852) 9460 1967 or email: fgairns@netvigator.com<br />
34
35
36