Namaskar April 2012

namaskar 

A VOICE FOR THE YOGA COMMUNITY OF ASIA APRIL 2012 

Birth Christianity & Yoga Global Warming

2

Inside 

APRIL 2012 

Dristi Birth 

Born & Unborn, 12 

Birth is one of the links in the chain of 

suffering, Kimberley shares her story. 

Bir 

irth of f Awar 

arene 

eness, , 13 

Kim explains how the last four limbs of 

Ashtanga’s eight-limb path give birth to 

true joy. 

Yoga of f Bir 

irth, 14 

Julie compares her two birth experiences 

and the role of yoga in both. 

A path to the Divine, 16 

Doulas, Rosie & Justine write about 

different birthing methods. 

Regular Contributions 

NEWS, WORKSHOPS, RETREATS & TEACHER 

TRAININGS, 5 

MYTHOLOGY IN A MINUTE, 23 

CROSSWORD, 28 

CONFERENCE REVIEW, 32 

AYURVEDA, 35 

SSRF, 39 

BOOK REVIEW, 41 

RECIPE, 32 

TEACHER & STUDIO LISTINGS, 45 

Special Features 

A Sweet Life, 19 One man shows 

how he can do what he loves and help his 

community. 

Friends or Foes, 20 Can Christians 

practice yoga? Andrew explains. 

Yin Side, 27 AYC faculty Bernie Clark’s 

introduction to Yin Yoga. 

Reborn, 31 June’s experience with 

ovarian cysts are a re-birth of sorts. 

Children & Yoga, 36 AYC faculty 

Paul Dallaghan writes about his 

philosophy on raising children. 

Who reads Namaskar? 

5,000 copies are distributed for free in 

Australia, Cambodia, China, Czech 

Republic, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, 

Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, 

Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, 

Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, 

Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UK, USA, 

Vietnam 

If you would like to offer Namaskar to 

your students or customers, email 

fgairns@netvigator.com 

About Namaskar 

Namaskar provides a voice for the yoga 

community around the world. The publication 

is a vehicle for practitioners on a yogic path to 

share their knowledge, learnings and 

experiences with others. 

Namaskar, is published quarterly in January, 

April, June (coinciding with Asia Yoga 

Conference) and October. 

We welcome unsolicited submissions, therefore 

the opinions expressed within these pages are 

not necessarily those of Namaskar or its 

volunteers. 

Namaskar is distributed at no charge through 

yoga studios, fitness centres, retail outlets, food 

& beverage outlets and other yoga-friendly 

locations. 

For more information, to contribute or to order 

Namaskar, please contact:: 

Carol, Administration 

carol@caroladams.hk 

Wai-Ling, News Editor & Copy Editor 

wailing.tse@gmail.com 

Frances, Editor & Publisher 

fgairns@netvigator.com /+ 852 9460 1967 

Deadline for June 2012 issue: 

May 10, 2012 

3

namaskar 

Walking to and from the bus these past weeks, I’ve noticed little flowers blooming in the 

most unlikely places - in pavement cracks, in the rain gutter, from the remains of fallen 

leaves. Living in a busy city, I’m rather disconnected from the seasonal cycles of the natural 

world. But these bursts of orange, purple, pink and light green remind me that Spring is 

upon us, and life is strong. In nature this is a time of birth and in Christianity it’s a time 

for renewal. And those two together – birth and Christianity, were the inspiration the 

choice of cover photo of Katy Schaffer taken at Samahita Retreat, Thailand by Nigel 

Gregory. 

This issue’s dristi , birth, inspired more contributions that any before. So many in fact we 

were not able to re-print them all. I apologise to Cassandra & Carol for omitting their 

offerings and thank them, as I do Kimberley, Kim, Julie, Justine & Rosie, for sharing their 

experiences and learning with us. 

Thank you also to Andrew for his article comparing yoga and Christianity. I think it will 

put the minds of some interested practitioners at ease to read how much the philosophies 

have in common. 

I draw your attention to the story of Yogiuday and his new Yogi Yum Yums on page 19. 

All the profits from his enterprise are going to sending a few Rishikesh children to finish 

school and university. I encourage you to join Namaskar in making a contribution to this 

worthwhile endeavour. Hong Kong readers may be familiar with Yogiuday’s previous 

venture, XTC on Ice Gelato. All delicious flavours, though unfortunately loaded with 

white sugar! 

Coming up very soon is Evolution Asia Yoga Conference (7 – 10 June, Hong Kong), of 

which Namaskar is a media sponsor. As such we have three tickets to share with readers. 

Details of this are on page 27. We also have two articles by AYC teachers, Yin yogi Bernie 

and Ashtangi Paul. Please have a look at the programme at www.asiayogaconference.com. 

As well as plenty of asana, there are also pranayama workshops, philosophy lectures, 

demonstration, and plenty of free events for those who would like a sneak peak or aren’t 

in a position to pay. 

And finally, in addition to all contributors mentioned so far, thank you to Ana, Carol, 

June, Metta, Mindy, Moosa, Tia, Vinod and Wai-Ling for your time and energy. 

Frances Gairns 

EDITOR 

4 

SOMETHING TO SHARE? 

If you have something to share with the yoga community, please email 

fgairns@netvigator.com

NEWS 

TEACHING OPPORTUNITY 

Inspire Yoga, Hong Kong 

Inspire Yoga is expanding their 

team of teachers! They are 

looking for certified Yoga 

teachers who are creative, 

confident and responsible to 

host private and semi-private 

classes. Teaching experience is 

an advantage. Freelance and 

full-time teachers welcome. 

For more information 

info@inspireyogahk.com; 

+852 91673376 

YOGI TEA LAUNCHES IN KOREA & 

JAPAN 

Yogi Tea launched in Korea in 

2011 with the organic company 

Nedahan. Along with Jai Yoga 

Studio, World Gym Magic 

Pond and MF Fitness and 

Olive Young; they aim to 

spread Yoga and the message 

of health in Korea. 

In Japan, Yogi Tea also 

launched a campaign to 

promote Yoga and healthy 

living this year at the 2012 

Japan Supermarket Expo with 

Yoga demos by the 2008 World 

Yoga Champion, Ball 

Rattanapong, from Thailand. 


www.yogiteakorea.com 

FIRST KOREA YOGA FESTA 2012 

Seoul, Korea 

25-26 February 

The 1 st Korea Yoga Festa 

organized by Hot Yoga 

Academy in Daejeon 

(www.hotyogaacedemy.co.kr) 

was an exciting 2-day experience 

sponsored by Yogi Tea with 

Yoga workshops and classes, 

and many Yoga clothing 

booths on site. Some of the 

international teachers included 

Heeki Park, Santosh Kumar, 

Brian Campbell, Yogananth, 

Patrick Creelman, D. Sudhakar, 

Clayton Horton, Duncan 

Wong and Ya Ya Hamat Kaur. 

Yoga teachers from Korea 

included Sin Hee McCabe, 

Nadia, Kim Young Ho, Kim 

Yi Hyeon, Song Sun Ja, So 

Hyang and Tao. 


www.yogafesta.co.kr 

TUNG CHUNG YOGA 

Life Skills Foundation (LSF) 

launched community Yoga 

classes in March at Caribbean 

Coast Tung Chung in Hong 

Kong every Monday and 

Thursday 10-11am. LSF aims 

to bring authentic Yoga into 

your community by providing 

classes to suit your timings and 

at a venue convenient to you, 

whether at home, company, 

clubhouse, hotel, school or 

community centre. 

Their Yoga classes combine 

scientific techniques to achieve 

complete relaxation and 

revitalization for people of all 

ages and gender. Tung Chung 

Yoga classes cost HK$100 per 

class for an 8-class package; 

HK$120 per class for a 4-class 

package, or HK$150 drop-in 

rate. To register for the class 

email admin@lsfglobal.com or 

call +852 9465 6461. 


www.LSFglobal.com/ 

facebook.com/TCyoga 

SUNSET YOGA 

Repulse Bay Beach, Hong Kong 

Sunset Yoga class on the beach 

at Repulse Bay will start again 

on 14 April. Timing remains 

the same 5:30-6:30pm on the 

2nd Saturday of each month. 

This is a free Yoga class for 

charity taught by volunteer 

teachers and participance is by 

donation only. 100% of the 

proceeds collected will be 

donated to a local charity or 

worthwhile cause. All levels are 

welcome and bring your own 

mat. To register for the class go 

to Sunset Yoga on Facebook; 

email admin@lsfglobal.com or 

call +852 9465 6461. 

This event is organised by Life 

Skills Foundation and 

sponsored by Stephen James 

Luxury Organics, who will 

provide each participant with 

their own delicious and energyladen 

organic whole food bar. 

Patrick Creelman was one of the international and Korean 

teachers at the first Korea Yoga Festa in February 

Just bring your own mat to the free yoga class on Repulse Bay 

beach in Hong Kong. They take place on the second Saturday of 

the month 


www.LSFglobal.com/ 

www.sjluxury.com/ 

BODYTALK ACCESS TALKS AND 

SEMINARS WITH ANGIE TOURANI 

White Lotus Centre, Hong 

Kong 

April-August 

BodyTalk Access is based on 

the BodyTalk System, a holistic 

approach to healthcare which 

believes the body has the ability 

to heal itself in the vast 

majority of cases. Angie will be 

giving free talks as well as a 

range of seminars at various 

prices. The Access seminars 

teaches participants a series of 

simple techniques which can be 

used at any time, and anywhere, 

to improve health and 

Yogi Tea launched in Korea and 

Japan and is spreading their 

message of healthy living 

5

WORKSHOPS 

wellbeing. BodyTalk treatments 

are safe, effective and noninvasive 

as they rely on the 

body’s own healing ability and 

works at the cause of the 

problem. 


www.bodytalksystem.com.hk; 

angie@bodytalksystem.com.hk 

NEW FITNESS AND WELLNESS 

PROGRAMME AT MANDARIN 

ORIENTAL 

Jakarta, Indonesia 

Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta has 

launched a new series of 

Fitness and Wellness daily 

activities to encourage guests 

towards achieve peak physical, 

mental and emotional 

performance. 

The extended list of workout 

exercises which are available 

throughout the year include 

Morning Yoga Sun Salutations 

by the pool, Aqua Yoga; and 

breathing exercises. In-house 

guests can enjoy these new 

programmes on a 

complimentary basis, while 

local visitors to the hotel can 

join for USD 20 (net) per class 

depending on availability. 


www.mandarinoriental.com; 

+62 (21) 2993 8999; mojktfitness@mohg.com 

NEW TEACHER AND CLASSES AT 

SPACE YOGA, TAIWAN 

Steeve Petteau, from Belgium 

will be teaching Sivananda, 

Chanting and Meditation, 

Restorative and Basics classes at 

SPACE. Steeve has completed 

his 500-hour yoga teacher 

training in Sivananda school 

founded by Swami Vishnu- 

Devananda and is currently part 

of their teaching team that 

offers teacher training courses 

all over the world. 

The new Sivananda Yoga 

classes at SPACE includes 

pranayama and are slow paced, 

allowing for a full exploration 

of each pose. After warming 

up with sun salutations, the 

focus is on mastery of the 

twelve basic poses. It is a 

spiritual practice that 

invigorates the body and 

clarifies the mind, enabling one 

to practice meditation or other 

forms such as Karma Yoga. 


www.withinspace.com 

SECOND KOREA YOGA 

CONFERENCE 

The 2 nd Korea Yoga Conference 

will be held on 14-16 

September at the Coex this 

year. The organizers are Yoga 

Kula and Jai Yoga studios. 


www.koreayogaconf.com/ 

www.jaiyoga.co.kr 

Sanjukta will be co-teaching at 

White Lotus Centre 

WORKSHOPS WITH ANGELA 

FARMER 

Pure Yoga Hong Kong – Tsim 

Sha Tsui - 14-17 April 

Pure Yoga Singapore – Ngee 

Ann City - 21-24 April 

Finding Your Own Yoga 

Practice: Now is the time to 

trust the natural evolution of 

your personal Yoga practice. 

Two Days for Women: Yoga 

with a Difference: Celebrate the 

divine and miraculous fact that 

you are uniquely woman. 


www.pure-yoga.com; 

events@pure-yoga.com 

PRACTICAL TRAINING FOR YOGA 

THERAPISTS 

Adaptive Yoga for Children 

with Moderate Learning 

Difficulties 

White Lotus Centre, Hong 

Kong 

28 April 

Taught by Sanjukta Sharma & 

Carol Chapman and presented 

by Gecko Yoga in Hong Kong 

Carol will be co-teaching at 

White Lotus Centre 

AGAMAYOGA WORKSHOPS 

Koh Phangan, Thailand 

April-December 

Tantra 1, 17-21 April 

Their most popular workshop. 

Explore your sexuality from a 

Tantric perspective. 

Tantra 2, 21-25 May 

Follow-up to their popular 

Tantra 1 workshop. 

Kashmiri Shaivism, 1-5 June 

Explore the depths of this 

almost extinct philosophy. 

Intro to Tantric Rituals, 18-22 

June 

Go deeper into the amazing 

subject of Tantric Rituals. 

Yoga & Science, 16-20 July 

A new workshop that explains 

the mysteries of Yoga in a 

more scientific way. 


www.agamayoga.com; 

info@agamayoga.com; +66 

892 330 217 

Belgian yogi Steeve joins 

SPACE in Taiwan 

6 

Wai-Ling compiles and edits this 

section of news, workshops, 

retreats & teacher trainings. 

Email her directly on 

wailing.tse@gmail.com 

A one-day workshop to 

demystify Yoga therapy and 

present the common concerns 

for Yoga teachers, parents or 

educators working with 

children with learning 

difficulties. This training will 

help show which poses are 

suitable for the spectrum of 

children’s learning difficulties as 

well as their contraindications. 


info@geckoyoga.com; +852 

6973 1792 

BARON BAPTISTE PERSONAL 

REVOLUTION PROGRAMME WITH 

WENDY WYVILL 

Pure Yoga Hong Kong, Central 

- 5 May-13 June 

40 Days to Personal Revolution 

- based on the book by Baron 

Baptiste. A breakthrough 

programme to radically change 

your body and awaken the 

sacred within your soul. Sign 

up before 12 April to catch the 

early-bird discount!

Amarjit leads a mixed level 

workshop in Bangkok 




WORKSHOPS AT YOGA CENTRAL 

5-6 May Weekend Immersion 

Workshops by Peter Scott, SI3- 

certified Iyengar teacher 

1-2 July Holiday Intensives for 

Twists & Backbends by Sue 

Scott, JI3-certified Iyengar 

teacher 

8-Hr Personal Practice 

Workshops to start Iyengar 

Yoga at home 


www.yogacentral.com.hk 

MOVING FROM THE OUTSIDE IN 

WITH MATY EZRATY 

Pure Yoga Taipei, Pure Tower 

18-24 May 

This will be a weekend of 

master classes and Asana 

Intensives. 




THE SECRET OF ASANA PRACTICE 

II WITH AMARJIT KUMAR 

Bangkok, Thailand 

19-20 May 

This workshop brings you 

interactive presentations that 

will show you the best practices 

of inversion, backward and 

forward bend postures. You 

will master how to get into 

inversions safely and 

confidently; learn scientific 

techniques to improve 

flexibility without getting 

injured; and relieve tension and 

Chris will be teaching anatomy 

for yoga in SIngapore 

stress trapped in the muscles. A 

mixed-level workshop. 


www.anandayoga.hk 

staff.anandayoga.hk@gmail.com; 

+852-35639371 

YOGA AND ANATOMY WITH CHRIS 

KUMMER 

Pure Yoga Singapore, Ngee 

Ann City 

25-27 May 

A series of workshops to assist 

in building a stronger 

foundation for your actions as 

well as enlightening your 

understanding of Yoga 

practices. 


www.pure-yoga.com / or email 


YIN YOGA AND MEDITATION WITH 

SEBASTIAN PUCELLE 

Jakarta, Indonesia 

26-27 May 

The practice of Yin Yoga is to 

naturally evolve toward 

meditation, as the yogic path is 

to go toward an understanding 

of the nature of the mind. Yin 

Yoga spontaneously brings you 

closer to this understanding, 

the calmness and relaxed 

approach allow the practitioner 

to integrate more easily breath 

awareness, and the asanas are 

designed mainly to open the 

lower body which enables you 

to sit longer and lessen 

discomfort as you meditate. 

Regular Price : IDR 1,300,000; 

Early Bird Price : IDR 1,200,000 


www.jakartadoyoga.com/ 

www.sebastianpucelle.com or 

call Yusni +6221 3100071/ 

+62888 896 7392 

FROM STANDING TO INVERTING 

WORKSHOP WITH PETER SCOTT 

SPACE Yoga, Taipei 

12- 13 May 

In this workshop you will learn 

the precise Iyengar method in 

standing poses and how 

standing poses can build 

awareness for backbends and 

inversions. It will also cover 

methodology for growing a 

backbend practice, techniques 

for holding inversions, as well 

as how to work with restorative 

poses. 



AN IMMERSION IN IYENGAR YOGA 

2 WITH PETER SCOTT 


14-18 May 

The focus here is to build 

towards the evolutionary 

inversion practice in Iyengar 

Yoga. We will develop the 

Inversions with methodology 

that can support and endure 

over a lifetime. Learning for the 

inversions will be based on 

standing poses and backbends, 

bringing actions and 

movements from those asana 

groups to enhance and enliven 

actions and directions for a 

strong and deep inversion 

practice. 



TRANSMITTING THE ASHTANGA 

LINEAGE WITH R. SHARATH JOIS 


31 May–3 June 

Don’t miss this rare 

opportunity to practice 

Ashtanga Yoga under 

Yin specialist, 

Sebastian, will 

be teaching in 

Jakarta 

the direct guidance of R. 

Sharath Jois, Pattabhi Jois’ 

grandson, Director and main 

teacher of K. Pattabhi Jois 

Ashtanga Yoga Institute 

(KPJAYI) Mysore, India. All 

classes will be ‘count-through’ 

guided classes, one of the 

traditional ways of teaching 

Ashtanga Yoga in KPJAYI. 



INSIGHT YOGA WITH SARAH 

POWERS 

3-6 May - Insight Yoga 

intensive at Yogayard, 

Beijing 


robyn@yogayard.com 

2-4 November - Insight Yoga 

workshop in Osaka, Japan 


spirityogastudio.com 

8-11 November - Insight 

Yoga Intensive in Tokyo 

Japan 

Continuing education for 

teachers. For more information 

www.underthelight.jp 

6-16 December - Insight 

Yoga retreat and teacher 

training in Koh Samui 

Thailand 


insightyoga@gmail.com 

7

RETREATS 

Helen will be at White Lotus 

Centre 

WEEKEND YOGA GETAWAY AT 

THANYAMUNDRA 

Thanyamundra, Thailand 

6-9 July 

Take a break and learn practices 

to stay calm and centered— 

morning Ashtanga Yoga and 

afternoon pranayama and 

meditation. 


www.papayayoga.com 

INTRODUCTION TO THE MOTOR 

DEVELOPMENT ANATOMY & 

PHYSIOLOGY OF CHILDREN 

White Lotus Centre, Central, 

Hong Kong 

September 

Taught by Helen Binge and 

presented by Gecko Yoga 

in Hong Kong. This series of 

courses is an introduction to 

children’s physical development 

for all people working with 

children and families in health 

and social care sector. Suitable 

for therapists, carers, parents 

and teachers alike, you can 

attend just one or all three. 

TOTAL IMMERSION YOGA WITH 

ADARSH WILLIAMS 

Samahita Retreat, Thailand 

7 – 14 April 

Focus on making our yoga mat 

practice a life practice. Using 

traditional and contemporary 

Ashtanga techniques, you will 

be guided through the 

complete practice of yoga 

postures, breathing, and 

meditation. Open to all levels. 


www.yoga-thailand.com 

ASHTANGA WITH JOHN SCOTT 

Purple Valley Retreat Centre, 

Goa, India 

14 - 20 April 

This workshop will reflect on 

the teachings of Shri K 

Pattabhi Jois, with each 

morning commencing with a 

favorite quote from Guruji. 

This 1% theory will set the 

focus to be explored through 

99% practice. The morning 

practice will be a combination 

of Vinyasa count and guided 

self-practice. The afternoon 

classes will take the morning 

Guruji quote plus one more to 

explore and develop an 

understanding of their deeper 

and very powerful meanings. 


www.yogagoa.com 

ASHTANGA YOGA AS A SPIRITUAL 

PATH WITH KINO MACGREGOR & 

TIM FELDMANN 


14 – 28 April 

Get the chance to practice with 

Kino and Tim in a beautiful 

beach front setting. Being so 

busy they rarely teach together, 

but when they do their unique 

styles complement each other 

perfectly. Open to all levels. 



ELBOW BEACH, BERMUDA OFFERS 

SERIES OF IYENGAR YOGA 

WEEKEND RETREATS 

Mandarin Oriental, Bermuda 

15 - 17 June & 30 November - 

2 December 

Elbow Beach, Bermuda will 

offer a series of Iyengar Yoga 

Weekend Retreats. The weekend 

retreat includes accommodation, 

two signature Mandarin 

Oriental massage treatments 

and a healthy lunch. 

Elbow Beach’s new custom 

Yoga studio, located at The 

Club at Fritholme, will play 

host to Iyengar yoga 

practitioners Richard Agar Ward 

(for June retreat), from the Bath 

Iyengar Yoga Centre in the 

United Kingdom and Marlene 

Mawhinney (for November 

retreat), President and Senior 

Teacher at Yoga Centre Toronto. 

The packages are USD 1,560 for 

the November retreats and 

USD 2,645 for the June retreat. 

For more information +1 (441) 

236-3535 or ebbdareservations@mohg.com 

MINDFULNESS YOGA & 

MEDITATION RETREAT WITH JANET 

LAU 

Dong Shan He, Yilan, Taiwan 

26-29 April 

This mindfulness retreat is a 

well-rounded programme in 

which you will learn ways to 

apply a meditative yoga practice 

into the way you walk, eat, sit, 

talk, listen, and much more. 




MINDFULNESS OF BODY: A YOGA 

AND MEDITATION INTENSIVE 

Thanyapura Retreat, Thailand 

2-30 June 

In this program, we will 

explore what it means to 

develop awareness of the 

subtle body, settling body and 

mind in order to ripen the 

fruits of practice. Daily 

dynamic yoga class, guided 

meditation, gentle physical 

movement and breathing 

techniques will be presented, 

followed by discussion, 

readings and plenty of time to 

practice meditation on your 

own. Come for one week or 

the whole month. 



EXPAND YOUR AWARENESS WITH 

GERALD DISSE & LINDA MUNRO 


28 April – 5 May 

During the Pranayama sessions 

you will be introduced to 

different yogic practices and 

breathing techniques to purify 

the body and the mind. In 

asana, for those who already 

have a Mysore practice, you will 

Cost: HK$600 per 3-hour 

workshop or Early bird for all 

three for HK$1,500. 



6973 1792 

Adarsh will be at Samahita 

Retreat in April 

Janet leads a mindfulness 

retreat in Taiwan in April 

Samahita’s diet & nutrition 

expert, Claudia 

8

do your self-practice under the 

guidance of Gerald & Linda. 

For the others, you will be 

given the tools to develop your 

personal practice. 



AWAKENING YOUR POWER, 

PURPOSE AND PASSION WITH 

RACHEL GREY & DORIEN ISRAEL 


5 – 12 May 

Transform your yoga practice 

and your awareness on this fun 

and explorative retreat, 

combining asana, breath work 

and personal development. 



BASICS AND BEYOND WITH 

ELONNE STOCKTON 


12 – 19 May 

Develop a strong foundation in 

the practice of yoga asana and 

breathwork -pranayama, while 

you discover where the practice 

of yoga comes from, learn why 

we practice yoga to begin with 

and have some fun! 



AN EDUCATION IN HEALTHY EATING 

AND LIFESTYLE FOR EFFECTIVE 

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT WITH 

CLAUDIA JONES 


19 – 26 May 

This retreat is designed to assist 

you in your transition to a 

Elonne teaches about the 

basics and more at Samahita 

As idyllic a setting as they come - Amankora in Bhutan hosts London-based Iyengar teacher Lorraine 

McConnon in July 

(image courtesy of Amanresorts) 

healthy lifestyle bringing with it 

the rewards of greater health 

and wellbeing. 



DETOXIFY BODY AND MIND AND 

DEVELOP A YOGA PRACTICE WITH 

CLAUDIA JONES 


30 June – 7 July 

The seven-day detox and yoga 

program is the ultimate 

opportunity to take your 

wellbeing to a new level. 



BORN TO RUN & DO YOGA WITH 

BORN TO RUN’S BAREFOOT TED & 

YOGI PAUL DALLAGHAN 


7 – 14 July 

The natural, uplifting force of 

running barefoot or minimalist 

goes hand-in-hand with the 

natural barefoot style of yoga 

practice. There will be morning 

runs led by Ted, short asana 

sessions post running to aid 

you post-run and keep the 

body open and injury free 

followed by “Born to Sit” 

sessions with breath and 

power of the mind. 


www.yoga-thailand.com. 

YOGA AND THE ART OF BEING 

WITH SHARYN GALINDO 


14 – 21 July 

In the world of multi-tasking, 

high technology and hectic 

schedules it is difficult to relax. 

morning practices will begin 

with meditation and 

pranayama , followed by asana 

practice. Afternoon sessions 

include: Q & A, more detail on 

philosophy, ayurveda, poses, 

breathwork, meditation and 

yin/restorative style asana. 



AMANKORA’S YOGA RETREAT 

Bhutan 

15-24 July 

Amankora’s Yoga retreat offers 

a unique experience of Bhutan 

– one of the last intact 

Buddhist cultures in the world. 

Explore sacred temples and 

monasteries, enjoy hikes and 

take time for daily meditation 

and individualised Yoga 

sessions with Lorraine 

McConnon, a London-based 

teacher with 25 years of Iyengar 

Yoga teaching experience. 


www.amanresorts.com; 

amankora@amanresorts.com 

AGAMAYOGA RETREATS 

Koh Phangan, Thailand 

April-October 

Crown Chakra Retreat, 6-15 

April 

A 10-Day Silent Meditation 

retreat that explores Sahasrara, 

the Crown Chakra. 

Serpent Power Retreat, 4-13 

May 


retreat that explores the secrets 

of Kundalini Shakti, the 

dormant energy in our being. 

Kashmiri Shaivism Retreat, 

6-10 June 


retreat using the techniques of 

our Kashmiri Shaivism 

workshop, which is the 

prerequisite for 

this retreat. 

Hridaya Retreat, 29 June-8 

July & 27 July - 5 August 

Two 10-day silent meditation 

retreat that focuses on the 

opening of the Spiritual Heart. 

Agama - Awakening the 

Spirit Retreat 

24 August-2 September, 21-30 

September, 19-28 October 

Agama Yoga’s new 10-Day 

Silent Meditation retreat that 

explores the awakening of the 

true Spirit. 


www.agamayoga.com,; 

info@agamayoga.com; +66 

892 330 217 

9

TEACHER TRAININGS 

INSIGHT YOGA TT INTENSIVE WITH 

SARAH POWERS 


21-29 April 

This advanced training will 

deepen your ability to teach 

both a receptive Yin style and 

an active flow or Yang style of 

Yoga with an interest in 

promoting a conducive inner 

environment for meditation. 



220-HOUR KUNDALINI YOGA TT 

PROGRAM 

Salesian Retreat, Cheung Chau 

3-7 May, 12-17 June, 7-12 

September, 16-18 November 

The Aquarian Teacher, KRI 

Level 1 (iSKY- International 

School of Kundalini Yoga) 

Kundalini Yoga facilitates the 

integration of body, mind and 

soul through achieving, 

maintaining and expanding a 

state of higher consciousness. 

This state is reached through 

asanas (physical exercises and 

postures), pranayama (breath 

control), meditation, relaxation, 

yogic philosophy and a yogic 

lifestyle as shared, taught and 

practised on this course. 

Instructors: Guru Dharam 

Singh, Darryl O’Keeffe, Amir 

Jaan, Simrit Kaur Maor and 

Han Ni Choong. Dates:. Fees: 

HK $22,000 (prepaid by 14 

April) or HK$24,800 


www.sol-wellness.com; www.isky.net; 

Chan@solwellness.com; 

+852 2581 9699 

ADVANCED HATHA YOGA TT WITH 

YOGANANTH 

Anahata Yoga, Hong Kong 

Level 1 : 5 May - 3 June 

Level 2 : 9 June - 8 July 

This intensive training takes 

teaching Yoga postures to new 

limits. Practice, explore and 

learn to teach some of the 

most advanced Hatha Yoga 

postures. Immerse yourself 

and set new heights in your 

10 

practice and explore the 

limitless possibilities of mind, 

body and spirit. 


www.anahatayoga.com.hk/ 

advanced2012/ 

hathayogal1theory.html ; +852 

2905 1822 or 

enquiry@anahatayoga.com.hk 

PRENATAL YOGA TT 

One Wellness Fitness Club, 

Singapore 

5-20 May (3 weekend course) 

Learn how to help pregnant 

women enhance their 

experience of pregnancy, 

childbirth. In this course, you 

will learn about the anatomy 

and physiology of the growing 

foetus and how this produces 

changes to the mother’s body 

during each trimester. You will 

also learn to lead and sequence 

a prenatal yoga class, be 

exposed to partner prenatal and 

hands-on assists and learn to 

market yourself as a prenatal 

yoga teacher. 

For more information +65 

6221 9663; 

enquiry@onewellness.com.sg 

CENTRED YOGA TT 


22 - 30 May; 22 - 30 June; 14 - 

21 July 

Led by Paul Dallaghan, Asia’s 

most respected and longest 

running Yoga Alliance 

Registered programme is 

offering a truly bilingual 

program at SPACE – with 

study material and classes in 

both English and Chinese. The 

course is conducted in three 

separate sessions with the first 

session starting in May, the last 

session in July will be held at 

Samahita Retreat, Thailand. 



CENTERED YOGA TT 

Koh Samui, Thailand 

26 May - 23 June 

Led by Paul Dallaghan since 

2000, this programme offers 

200 hour and 500 hour levels. 


www.centeredyoga.com 

UNIVERSAL® HATHA YOGA TT 

Pure Yoga Hong Kong, 

Langham Place; with Andrey 

Lappa & Will Lau - 26 May-6 

June 

Pure Yoga Singapore, Ngee 

Ann City; with Andrey Lappa 

& Copper Crow - 7-27 June 

Pure Yoga Taipei, Pure Tower; 

with Andrey Lappa - 23 June -4 

July 

This course is the first 100 

hours (Part 1) of the full 200- 

hour RYS Universal® Yoga 

Teacher Training Programme. 

The programme focuses on 

different sub-styles with 

practices that challenge 

experienced students and are 

accessible to all levels of 

practitioners. 


www.pure-yoga.com, or 

teachertraining@pure-yoga.com 

500-HR AGAMA YOGA TT 

Agama Yoga, Koh Phangan, 

Thailand 

28 May-18 August 

Learn how to teach Yoga in this 

very intensive, 500-hour+ 

Teacher Training on a tropical 

island paradise! 


www.agamayoga.com, email 

info@agamayoga.com or call 

+66 892 330 217. 

NEXT GENERATION YOGA TT FOR 

2-7 YEARS 

Amico Studio, Wanchai, Hong 

Kong 

11-13 June 

Taught by Jodi Komitor and 

hosted by Gecko Yoga in Hong 

Kong. This NGY Teacher 

Training is an inspiring 

programme that shares Yoga 

for rapidly growing and everchanging 

2-7 year old yoginis. It 

covers how to plan, sequence 

and lead fun, creative and 

educational Yoga classes; ideas 

for incorporating art, music, 

books, props and storytelling; 

themes, poses, group games, 

Yogananth is the teacher to see 

if you want to try and get into 

some extreme asana 

partner yoga, breathing 

exercises and relaxation 

techniques; and behavior 

management techniques for 

facilitating a classroom 

environment that is positive, 

safe and non-competitive. 

Cost: HK$6,200; Early Bird by 

1 May HK$5,550 

If you sign up for both 2-7 

year olds and 8-13 year old 

courses the total price is 

HK$10,900; Early Bird $9,300 


info@geckoyoga.com 

NEXT GENERATION YOGA TT FOR 

8-13 YEARS 

14-15 June 



Kong 

This is a comprehensive 

exploration of Yoga for the 

maturing minds and budding 

bodies of 8-13 year old yoginis. 

Includes planning sequences, 

themes, partner poses, props, 

music, breathing, chanting, 

child development and 

anatomy, behaviour and 

management techniques. 

Cost: HK$6,200; Early Bird by 

1 May HK$5,550 

If you sign up for both 2-7

personalised approach to Yoga 

and help you develop the skills 

you will need to teach a variety 

of people taking into account 

their occupation, life stage, and 

state of health: whether it is a 

15-year old on the school 

basketball team, or a 70-year 

old grandmother not doing 

any other regular exercise. 

Vijayarama is offering a full 

and part time diploma course in 

yoga teaching 


www.pure-yoga.com or 


One of Asia’s most respected 

Ashtanga teachers, Paul, will 

be leading teacher trainings at 

SPACE in Taipei and at his 

home studio, Centered Yoga 

year olds and 8-13 year old 

courses total price is 

HK$10,900; Early bird $9,300 


info@geckoyoga.com 

THE FOUNDATION - PREPARING 

TO TEACH WITH PATRICK 

CREELMAN 

Pure Yoga Hong Kong, Tsim 

Sha Tsui - 16 June-8 July 

Transformation is the goal by 

way of theoretical learning, 

academic study, strong physical 

practice, live teaching, weekly 

quizzes and journalling - this is 

a professional step towards 

being a fully accredited Yoga 

Teacher and a huge leap into 

your own empowerment. 


www.pure-yoga.com / or 


NEXT GENERATION YOGA TRAIN - 

THE - TRAINER FOR 2-7 YEARS 

White Lotus Centre, Central, 

Hong Kong 

18-21 June 



Kong. The NGY Train-the- 

Trainer (TTT) program is a 4- 

day intensive training with Jodi 

Komitor. You will learn how 

to lead NGY Teacher Trainings 

for 2-7 year olds, how to 

successfully set up your own 

Stephen will be teaching at 

Centered Yoga this November 

NGY Teacher Trainings and 

expand your kids Yoga 

business. Bookings is essential 

as only 6 spaces available. Cost: 

HK$10,000. 



6973 1792 

YOGA TT DIPLOMA COURSE IN 

HONG KONG 

June 

This is a 200-hour Teacher 

Training (RYS-200) with Parttime 

and full-time modules 

taught in Hong Kong by 

Vijayarama Raju. The approach 

is authentic and traditional and 

will equip you with the 

foundational skills as a Yoga 

teacher of yourself and others. 

In line with the University 

standard, the “anatomy and 

physiology” session will be 

taught with the assistance of a 

medical practitioner. 

The goal is to enable you to 

develop an individualized selfpractice, 

and to acquire a 

thorough understanding of 

Yoga as a scientific way of 

dealing with life challenges at 

physical, emotional and 

spiritual levels as well as the 

skills in applying ancient Yogic 

techniques as a path to holistic 

health. You will also learn 

Yogic massage, Yoga nidra 

(psychic sleep) and practice of 

mindfulness. 

The course will be conducted in 

English with Chinese support. 


www.homeofyogaindia.com/ 

www.houseoflight.com.hk; 

carol@homeofyogaindia.com; 

+852 9873 0359 / 3595 2134 

VISION OF YOGA - THE ART OF 

TEACHING WITH SUDHAKAR 

DHEENAN 

Pure Yoga Taipei, Pure Tower - 

7-29 July 

Pure Yoga Hong Kong, Central 

- August 

The Art of Teaching is a 20-day 

foundation in Hatha Yoga 

inspired (Dheesan Yoga) 

training. This course is the first 

step in equipping yourself with 

the essential knowledge of 

yogic traditions, the history of 

yoga and the know-how of 

designing a class and a 

sequence. It will open students 

to a greater depth in the 

spiritual and philosophical 

aspects of yoga, and in 

understanding their challenges 

in life, their practice and the 

path of growth. Sign up before 

7 June to catch the early-bird 

discount! 




SVASTHA YOGA OF 

KRISHNAMACHARYA WITH DR. 

GANESH MOHAN 

Pure Yoga Hong Kong, Tsim 

Sha Tsui - 14 July-5 August 

Krishnamacharya’s central 

principle was that Yoga must 

be made relevant to the 

student. Consequently, this 

programme will emphasise a 

CULTIVATING EMOTIONAL BALANCE 

TT WITH DR. ALAN WALLACE 

16 July-20 August 

Thanyapura Retreat, Phuket, 

Thailand 


www.cultivatingemotionalbalance.org 

200-HOUR HATHA YOGA TT WITH 

DEV KAPIL 

17 August-30 September (7- 

weekends course) 

One Wellness Fitness Club, 

Singapore 

Develop your knowledge and 

deepen your understanding of 

Hatha yoga as you practice, 

explore and learn to teach 54 

basic and advanced postures in 

this 200 hours teacher training 

led by Dev Kapil. 

For more information +65 

6221 9663; 

enquiry@onewellness.com.sg 

HATHA VINYASA 200 HOUR TT 

WITH STEPHEN THOMAS 

Koh Samui, Thailand 

8 November - 6 December 


www.centeredyoga.com 

11

Dristi Birth 

Born & Unborn 

Kimberley Reid 

WHEN MY FIRST BABY WAS BORN IN 

Melbourne, Australia, her heel prick test 

came back abnormal. This test is standard 

procedure in Australia although it is fairly 

harrowing for new parents. A nurse spikes 

your three-day old baby in the heel and 

squeezes the flesh until your baby screams 

in outrage and enough bright blood 

appears to make a red stain on a card. The 

bloodstain is then sent off to a 

sophisticated lab and screened for genetic 

abnormalities including some profoundly 

debilitating conditions that would 

condemn you and your child to a very 

different life than the one you had planned. 

After this first screening test, there were 

series of further interventions – make our 

two-week old to pee in a cup, more blood 

tests, the horror of children’s hospital, 

surely one of the saddest places on earth. 

During this longest month of my life, I 

had a coffee with a middle-aged friend. An 

old hippy, confirmed bachelor with a 

philosophical bent, he didn’t take much to 

babies and I think rather resented this new 

maternal incarnation of his erstwhile party 

friend. 

Watching me cling and fuss over my little 

bundle with vigilance heightened to the 

edge of hysteria, he was moved to muse 

about the curious way parents distil and 

concentrate ferocious quantities of love and 

12 

Kimberley is a yoga 

student and mother 

currently living in 

Cambridge 

Massachusetts. 

protectiveness into one individual when so 

many children, adults and other creatures 

abide in utter indifference. 

This whimsical little speech struck me as 

the height of pomposity and perversity 

and I heard it as some kind of violence 

against my undefended angel and my 

natural feelings as a mother. 

I couldn’t pause then to reflect on what it 

meant that all my hopes, my energies; my 

universe had contracted into the welfare of 

this small person. Nothing before or since 

had seemed more intimate or precious to 

me, everything else in the world receded 

before my greed for the baby to be well, to 

be perfect. 

At that time it was unthinkable but now, 

living with my lovely, lanky, foal of a 

daughter, I read this as a parable of the 

Buddhist concept of birth into suffering 

and the potential antidote for that 

suffering. 

In Buddhism, (in this respect similar to the 

philosophy in the Yoga Sutra II.13) birth is 

one of the links in the chain of suffering. 

Whenever something is born, it is 

necessarily set for suffering and death. 

“Where birth takes place, quite naturally are 

fear, old age and misery, disease, desire and 

death, 

As well a mass of other ills. 

When birth’s no longer brought about 

All the links are ever stopped.” 

- Venerable Nagarjuna 

Taken literally, the idea that physical birth 

from a mother leads to pain is hardly news 

to anyone cast in either role in the process; 

and the inculcation of birth into the chain 

of dependent arising – the core Buddhist 

principle of causality - doesn’t seem to 

offer much insight or give rise to any 

redemptive possibility. 

But the concept of birth in the dharma isn’t 

physical birth and suffering (dukka) is not 

(only) to be equated with physical pain. The 

word “birth” refers here to a psychological 

process of attachment unaccompanied by 

awareness. This is clinging and thirsting for 

the false ideas of “I, me, mine,” and all the 

attendant insistence that things must be 

the way I want and should not be what I 

fear, abhor or hate. This is birth as a 

suffering self. 

Kim’s newborn baby, apaprently not too 

pleased with the heel prick test! 

In the moment with my philosophical 

friend, I was born as the mother avenger, 

jealous owner of the perfect, sacred child 

wielding the most powerful will to control 

and hold on that I had known my whole 

life until then. This was the suffering of 

the mother. 

Buddha dharma says a person who does not 

separate and identify with self in this way, 

is not “born” and so is free from suffering 

- whether she is a mother, millionaire, a 

beggar, a yogi, or whatever. 

Intriguingly, the experience that brought 

me a glimpse of freedom from birth as a 

craving self, was during the physical birth 

of this same baby. Of course, as a first 

baby, the process went on for hours and 

was full of blood, struggle and fear. But 

there was a moment - a series of moments 

- when a stillness and quiet descended. I 

won’t say, “I was quiet” because that’s not 

how it was experienced. There was no “I” 

present; just deep concentration, entering 

into a process you can’t stop. Waiting, 

breathing, being ready. Then, a deep letting 

go, opening up and the process unfolding 

under its own power into its fruition. 

This is a glimpse, nothing more. And yet 

the experience presents a passage to another 

way of being, sometimes called the unborn 

Buddha mind, that flickers tantalisingly in 

meditation or in asana when we 

momentarily stop trying to get better and 

rest into the pose. 

From this place its not impossible to 

conceive of the fierce love I have for my 

little girl radiating out in brightness to all 

the lonely beings with wishes of peace, 

protection and freedom from suffering.

The Birth of Awareness 

Kim Roberts 

IN THE EIGHT-LIMBED PATH OF ASHTANGA YOGA, IT IS SAID THE FIRST FOUR LIMBS ARE 

techniques we can practice, whereas the second four limbs arise after sustained effort and 

discipline, and with a little sprinkling of grace. This may lead to some confusion, as in 

most Buddhist traditions, these limbs that address various states of meditation are taught 

as specific practices in and of themselves. So what does it mean to develop mindfulness 

and awareness, the final limbs of pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi? 

too soft, I can learn to be strong. The 

antidotes are not the medicine; they are 

journey we take to awareness. Without 

imbalances, there would be no journey to 

take. So we should also bow to our 

weaknesses, in gratitude. 

Without imbalances, there would be 

MINDFULNESS 

Yoga asana practice— with mindful 

breathing— is a wonderful tool to tame the 

mind. You will probably notice as you try to 

no journey to take 

follow the breath, the mind wanders. Mind 

has a tendency to get distracted. If you allow 

your mind to play itself out long enough, loudly enough, and keep coming back to the 

breath, eventually it will wear itself out, somewhat like an unruly beast, or a hyperactive 

child. Keep showing the mind who is responsible by returning again and again to the 

breath. Not in an overly authoritarian way, but in a kind, knowing way. A wise way. Tell 

your mind, “I know all the tricks you will use to try to dissuade me from paying proper 

attention to the breath. You are very clever. But I am wiser than you.” 

Observing is the hardest task of all, and the most important. It gets even harder when 

sitting still for meditation. But the more you practice, the more subtle detail you will 

observe. It is excruciatingly slow and tedious work at times. The mind is elusive. Tame it 

once, and it is easier to tame again, but it is never a done deal. There is always a discipline, a 

precision required to bring the mind back to rest. Calm abiding requires a gentle touch, and 

dedication is essential. This is how to develop mindfulness, the discipline of staying on 

task with full presence. It is a noble accomplishment and useful for all sorts of activities, 

like performing yoga asana, or operating heavy machinery. 

But according to some traditions, this will only alleviate emotional suffering temporarily. 

AWARENESS 

For that we need awareness, which arises through insight. Awareness is something that 

happens naturally when you are fully engaged. Say you are in conversation with your 

beloved, and he or she is telling you all the reasons you are so wonderful. Chances are you 

are so riveted by these words you are not in the slightest way distracted by the child 

screaming in the restaurant, or the clatter of plates as the waiters rush about, or the sound 

of traffic outside. Mindfulness is what keeps your ears tuned in to the words; awareness is 

your total focus on the present situation. Essentially, there is no effort involved in 

awareness—the effort to stay focused is mindfulness. 

Do not underestimate the power of awareness. When you start to discover the bliss of 

settling the breath into the body, and the awareness into the breath, it is such a joy to 

experience that distraction becomes less interesting. Eventually awareness is not about 

disciplining ourselves to stay undistracted, as much as it is about settling completely in the 

experience of the practice—the present moment— so everything else seems less interesting. 

Awareness is observing, without agenda. If something is lovely or horrible, awareness 

stays present. Judgment is a sure sign awareness is lacking. Judging is a refusal to engage 

directly and personally; it is a refusal to take responsibility for one’s own experience. Practice 

sets the parameters—creating a container in which awareness germinates. But without 

disciplined attention, awareness will elude us. 

Through practice, we put ourselves under 

the microscope, and then use the data for 

further inquiry. You have options here: you 

can run away and criticize the practice, in 

essence killing the messenger. Or you can 

muster your courage, face your demons and 

try to learn something from them. 

It is said the human body is a microcosm 

to the larger macrocosm of the universe. 

Each reflects the other perfectly and down 

to the smallest detail. Begin by switching 

your allegiance from looking outside to 

inside. By understanding your internal 

world in depth, you have access to the 

secrets of the universe. Becoming aware of 

your own particulars allows you the 

freedom to choose consciously to engage in 

behaviors and patterns, rather than being 

dragged along by a lifetime’s worth of 

momentum. So when full awareness finally 

awakens, we can rest undisturbed and 

joyful no matter what the moment brings. 

Kim Roberts, pilgrim, 

writer, teacher, directs 

the yoga program at 

the new Thanyapura 

retreat in Phuket, 

Thailand. 


In practice, we learn our own individual tendencies, which are different from everyone 

else’s. Then, once we know a bit more about our patterns, we can apply the antidotes 

necessary to bring us back into balance. If I am an internal spiraller, I need to emphasize 

the external spiral. If I am too strong, then softening will balance the equation. If I am 

13

Dristi Birth 

The Yoga of f Bir 

irth 

Julie Choi Trepkau 

Did Mother Nature 

make a mistake since I 

seemed unable to birth 

without medical 

interventions 

14 

WHEN I BECAME PREGNANT WITH OUR FIRST 

child at 35, I’d had a six-day-a-week 

Ashtanga practice for seven years. I had a 

lot of practice breathing myself to a 

comfortable place and that prepared me 

very well for labor. So I thought! 

I did yoga breathing throughout the 30- 

something hours of active, unmedicated 

labor. That is, until I “ran out of time” at 

the birthing center (time limit to give birth: 

24 hours) and I was transferred to a 

hospital. There, they hooked me up to 

various drugs to speed up my labor and 

numb me from the intensified pain of 

induced labor. When that didn’t work after 

2 hours, the doctor decided I needed a 

cesarean section. My daughter, Leilani, was 

finally out of my body and into my arms, 

strong and safe at 9 pounds. 

Although ecstatic to meet our baby girl, 

part of me felt dissatisfied with my birth 

experience, and I wondered what went 

wrong. Was there something wrong with 

me that I was incapable of birthing my 

baby? Did Mother Nature make a mistake 

since I and so many other women seemed 

unable to birth their babies without 

medical and technological interventions? I 

pushed these uncomfortable questions 

aside, said “thank you, universe,” for 

gifting me with a healthy baby and a swift 

recovery, and jumped into the chaotic bliss 

of motherhood. 

Two and a half years later, I became 

pregnant with our second child. I wanted 

another shot at birthing the way nature 

intended, and the way it felt right for me. I 

had done my homework and knew my best 

chances for giving my baby a gentle entrance 

into this world, without unnecessary 

interventions, was to deliver at home. As 

long as my baby and I were healthy during 

the pregnancy, I would stay home for his or 

her birth. 

I dove deep into my yoga practices as 

preparation for this beautiful birth. Since 

both my body and my baby had been in 

optimal health for a low-risk, natural 

delivery, I knew it was my mind I had to 

prepare. During hours of mat time, 

meditation practice, research into the facts 

of birthing, and exploration of my 

emotional and mental space, I realized I 

believed, deep down, there really was 

something wrong with me and Mother 

Nature. I feared even for a healthy mama 

and baby, medical technology could do a 

better job. Once I knew this seed of doubt 

existed in me, I had something to work 

with. I knew what needed to be released. 

By the time our baby was ready to come, I 

was ready, having worked through my 

issues and ready to experience this birth no 

matter how it played out. My body received 

this acceptance; I breathed, relaxed and 

opened, and I reached the second stage of 

labor (the pushing stage) very quickly. 

The six hours we were in the second stage 

dragged on. It was exhausting, painful, 

beyond intense, and tremendously tough 

on my mind. The “I” that was perceiving 

this pain was also resisting it, thereby 

resisting the birth itself. I knew my 

resistance was extending the labor and I 

needed to go deeper and surrender. 

My midwife kept telling me to “go into the 

pain.” I tried to allow what I perceived as 

pain to happen, instead of running away 

from it, which I couldn’t do anyway. At 

one point, I was afraid, but of what, I 

don’t know. My midwife reassured me 

“even if you feel afraid, the baby will still 

come.” With great compassion, she held 

my hands, looked me in the eyes, and told 

me only I could bring this baby out. 

So I let it all happen: I allowed any feelings 

I had, physically or emotionally to flow. My 

mind found a place in the backseat and 

allowed my body, my instinct and my 

intuition to take over. I assumed any 

position that felt right, and made any 

sound that came out. Baby Kanoa finally 

slid out and took his first breath outside 

of me as I half-kneeled and half-squatted 

(on my yoga mat) - and I scooped him up 

into my arms. Suddenly, the pain fell away 

and I was as high as a kite. And so it 

happened Baby Kanoa was born in the 

loving familiarity of our own home, with 

my husband and two midwives present. 

My hands were the first to touch him. 

My birth experiences were quintessential 

yoga practices in self-study and releasing of

the mind, on focusing on each moment 

and letting go into that very moment no 

matter what that moment offered. They 

were about allowing my controlling mind 

to step back so my body and my baby 

could do their jobs. Birthing, like yoga and 

life, is about being open, aware of, receptive 

and present to each moment’s experience 

and relaxing into it. It’s about honestly and 

directly facing what is front, and going 

straight through it with total acceptance. 

Only by letting go can true transformation 

miraculous moment as it passes, loving 

fiercely in the midst of the truth that all of 

these moments will end. 

My practice continues to serve me well as I 

transition to being a mama to two, with all 

its glorious and messy cacophony of 

contradictions. Aviva Jill Romm put it 

beautifully: “Motherhood is raw and pure. 

It is fierce and gentle. It is up and down. It 

is magic and madness. Single days last 

forever and years fly by ... Be gentle with 

Birthing, like yoga and 

life, is about being 

open, aware, receptive 

and present to each 

moment’s experience 

and relaxing into it 

Whether by natural or C-section, the birth is a good warm up for the real practice of being 

a Mum. 

unfold. Birth, like yoga and life, is about 

being present and surrendering to God, to 

Spirit, to the Universe. 

While my first birth experience prepared me 

for my second, the sum of these 

experiences laid the foundation for the yoga 

of motherhood - which is a whole new 

chapter in this epic adventure. The 

language of of parenting includes words 

such as bonding and attachment, which are 

obviously the opposite of letting go. As a 

mother, I now find myself attached to the 

pleasures of human existence even more 

than before. Strongly bonded and attached 

to my children, to my husband, my family, 

like nothing before in my life, I am at a new 

stage in my practice: to embrace each 

yourself as you travel, dear mother. Don’t 

miss the scenery. Don’t miss conversation 

with your traveling companions. Laugh at 

the bumps and say “ooh, aah!’ on the 

hairpin turns. Buckle your seat belt. You’re 

a mom!” 

Julie is a Hamburgbased 

yoga student 

and teacher, 

sometimes writer, 

seeker and lover of 

life. She is also mama 

to Leilani (3.5) and 

Kanoa (3 months), 

partner Joern, and 

passionate about 

exploring the women’s 

rites of passage of 

pregnancy, birth and motherhood. 

www.juliechoitrepkau.squarespace.com 

15

Dristi Birth 

Bir 

irth a path to the Divine 

Rosie Matheson & Justine Baruch 

WHEN WE ALLOW IT, THE EXPERIENCE OF BIRTH TEACHES US SO MUCH: TOTAL SURRENDER, THE 

interconnection of breath, body, and mind; the power of intention; and the true nature of 

unconditional love, all of which are found in the teachings of Yoga. There are many paths 

to the divine, and Yoga is commonly acknowledged to be one of them, however, less 

widely understood is the spiritual path that birth offers. When birth is honored and 

experienced with awareness there is no disputing it provides one of the most mindaltering, 

connected experiences available to us in a lifetime. It is a time when women can 

shine in their full power, transforming into primal goddesses, birthing not only their 

babies, but also themselves as mothers. Men, protective and strong, find not only greater 

amazement for the feminine but also for their own vital nature as the masculine. They 

shine their strength in stillness and their ability to literally and metaphorically hold firm in 

the moment. They birth themselves as fathers. From this interaction, aware beings are 

brought forth into the care of empowered men and women. 

Unfortunately, the powerful potential of the birth experience is often lost and the majority 

of our children are born under different circumstances. We birth our babies in sterile 

rooms, under fluorescent lights, hooked up to machines that tell us what our bodies 

already know, but we are not taught to listen to. Our men stand by, feeling helpless, 

looking to the doctors for cues as opposed to looking to their women and themselves. 

Our babies are met by strangers and, all too often, steel instruments. We are educated to be 

thankful only for (what immediately appears to be) healthy babies and healthy mothers. We 

have forgotten ceremony, initiation, and connection to that which is sacred. We have 

forgotten the meaning of birth. This is an invitation to remember. 

The path of conscious birth encompasses all the steps in the journey of becoming a parent: 

conceiving with intention, returning our trust to the intelligence of our bodies, our babies, 

and our beings; bringing our children into this world in the most natural and empowering 

way possible; and parenting with full awareness and unconditional love. Much of how our 

babies perceive, and therefore respond to the world is learned while they are in the womb, 

and during the birth process itself. By shifting the way we birth we have the potential to 

shift the way we exist as humanity, and to move closer to a peaceful world. 

birth teaches us total surrender and the 

true nature of unconditional love 

Like many elements of today’s society, being 

pregnant and giving birth have become 

factory line procedures. We go through the 

motions without thinking about what we 

are doing. We spend more time researching 

our health insurance choices or stock 

investments than we do finding out how 

we want to give birth. Conscious birth is 

about bringing the reins back into our own 

hands and acting from the innate 

knowledge within. 

STEP 1: CONCEPTION 

There are many ancient methods for 

conception that carry with them wisdom 

and opportunity for greater connection. 

There is an African tradition of singing a 

soul’s welcome prior to conception to create 

a loving relationship with the baby even 

before merging physically. Dr. Eugene 

Jonas, a Czech psychiatrist and gynecologist, 

revived how to recognize the moment of 

peak fertility for a woman through her 

relationship to the moon. 

The Yogic teachings of Shiva Swarodaya 

offer insights on how the flow of prana 

through the body affects the conception of 

a child. In addition to these time-honored 

methods, there is plenty of basic 

information about diet and health we can 

mindfully apply to bring maximum 

wellbeing to ourselves and our babies: 

eating an alkalized diet; rejecting 

preservatives, caffeine, alcohol, sugar, etc.; 

increasing the intake of folic acid to set up 

optimal conditions for the development of 

our babies’ nervous systems and spinal 

health; and keeping cellular phones out of 

our pockets and computers off our laps to 

minimize exposure to harmful radiation. 

All increase the resonance and performance 

of the temple in which we live. 

STEP 2: PRENATAL CONNECTION 

We work on our emotional and mental 

wellbeing not only for our own 

development, and for the radiance that 

comes from self-study, but also for the 

good of our babies. From the moment of 

conception a mother initiates her child in 

how to experience the world. Parenting 

begins here, as we are already teaching our 

babies what it is to be loved and connected, 

how to deal with stress and emotions, and 

16

what to expect on arrival. By working with transformation and acceptance, when negative 

emotions arise we have the opportunity to teach our unborn children to be able to take 

painful and inferior mindsets and shift them into superior ones. Learning to trust 

ourselves and our innate body knowledge is another precious lesson worth sharing. 

However, the vast array of prenatal tests imposed upon us does not deepen this trust. It is 

important to take the time to research which of the standard procedures (ultrasounds, 

glucose screenings, cervical checks, etc) are relevant, which are not, and which are potentially 

harmful. We gain empowerment simply in the act of questioning and in doing so we come 

back to listening to our own intuitive wisdom. 

STEP 3: BIRTHING 

When we let our bodies unleash their magic, birth can be an ecstatic experience. The 

hormones that move through us when we give birth are the same as the hormones that are 

released when we orgasm or reach peak experiences of meditation. Our bodies intelligently 

deliver us natural opiates (pain killers) and endorphins, namely beta-endorphin and 

oxytocin. However this is unable to occur when we disturb the process by employing 

outside interventions such as inductions or epidurals. Our bodies are no longer able to 

support us as they were designed to, therefore outside assistance is required resulting in one 

intervention leading into the next. This understanding helps us to see how we have 

reached the current statistic of one in three babies born by cesarean. In addition to diverting 

us from experiencing our journey to the fullest, interventions typically diminish the 

connection between our bodies and our babies, which can provoke feelings of 

abandonment in the baby as it is now working somewhat alone. 

Rosie (left), an Agama Yoga student, is a 

doula, regularly holds birth and pregnancy 

information nights, assists women who have 

had trouble conceiving, and is a yoga 

teacher with an emphasis on fertility and 

prenatal/postnatal care. 

Justine(right), is a senior Agama Yoga 

teacher and a doula. She is also an adept in 

the science of tantric sexuality, and she and 

her partner regularly present tantra 

workshops. 

There are numerous ways we can support ourselves in maintaining our alignment with the 

flow of natural birth. Finding out where we feel safest to birth, and why, is essential to our 

journey. At present there are three main options: home births, birthing centers, and 

hospitals. [Editor’s note: home births are not legal in some countries] It is only by taking 

the time to deeply investigate each of these options that we are truly able to determine our 

preference. Whichever we choose, it is vital that we have the liberty to move our bodies to 

our own instinctive rhythm. This is particularly crucial in a hospital environment where we 

might have to request minimal fetal monitoring or decline the common policy of “nil by 

mouth,” instead opting to eat and drink as we feel, creating no need to receive fluids 

through IV. In doing this, we preserve physical freedom and remain in tune with ourselves, 

relying on our bodies to inform us of our needs. Unrestricted movement also allows us to 

be active in our poses and to work with gravity to find the most accommodating positions 

for labor and birth, such as squats or being on our hands and knees. When we are not 

limited by monitoring cords we are less likely to end up working against gravity by lying on 

our backs, which generally is the most uncomfortable birth position and unfortunately, the 

most common. 

Many of us fear the pain of childbirth so we quickly turn to medicine to numb it; however, 

there are natural methods to help manage the pain. In addition to movement, gravity and 

leaving room for our own hormonal dispense system; we can use breath, sound, massage, 

warm water, and loving encouragement from our birth team. These gentle aids support us 

effectively while allowing us to stay present with our bodies, babies, and experiences. 

Doulas are another valuable instrument. They offer knowledge, experience, comfort and 

strength. Most importantly, when we find the right ones, they provide unwavering and 

contagious trust in our own abilities to birth beautifully. 

By working with these tools we create the best possible circumstances for nature to guide us 

towards ecstatic birth. We gain strength in ourselves, and pass on the legacy of empowered 

birth. With this understanding we can approach birth fully prepared, from a place of 

knowing and surrender to the lessons birth offers to us on this sacred path to the divine. 

hormones that move 

through us when we 

give birth are the same 

as when we orgasm 

17

18

Karma Yoga 

A Swee 

eet t Life 

Yogiuday 

I HAVE BEEN LIVING PART TIME, FOR SEVEN 

years, and full time, for the past two years, 

in Rishikesh, north India. Down the lane 

from where I stay is a children’s home and 

school where I have been helping since I 

came here. The school only goes up to 8 th 

class and after that the children need to go 

to outside school and somehow find 

funding for that. After school, university is 

virtually impossible unless they get a 

scholarship or find a sponsor. 

All these children come from impoverished 

backgrounds, some have no family, some 

come from absolutely nothing. To see 

them now, it’s hard to understand this as 

they all have healthy food and water, warm 

clothes, excellent education and medical care 

and so much love from so many 

international volunteers. 

As these children grow up, their higher 

education becomes critical so they can 

become valuable members of society. One 

year ago I decided to sponsor one of the 

boys for his 9 th class as he entered outside 

school, but I quickly realized so many of 

the kids were deserving of this possibility. 

Four months ago I started a new business 

from which all profits go to an education 

fund for as many children as possible. 

Yogi Yum Yums sells sweets and treats 

without white sugar, white flour, eggs or 

microwaves and with as much organic 

ingredients as possible. All items are made 

by me and sold at our ashram, Anand 

Prakash Yoga Ashram, five days a week. I 

make many kinds of halva, which are 

sesame honey based. Eternal Bliss is a 

cashew cardamom halva; Sweet Jean is 

cinnamon oat; Koko Kali is an organic 

chocolate halva and Instant Samadhi is 

date, walnut, sesame and ghee. Some of 

the flavours are very popular and others are 

specialties such as Black Lotus, which is 

lotus seed and black pepper, or Imli 

Crunch, which is a salty tamarind halva. 

I also have various yoghurts such as a sweet 

cinnamon fig lassi or very rich, condensed 

yoghurts either sweetened with honey or 

unsweetened with masala, rose or saffron. 

Medicinal amla, hot tamarind and coconut 

are some of the chutneys available and 

topping off the list for popularity is Maha 

Shakti a heavenly mixture of organic cocoa, 

honey, organic puffed brown rice and 

organic puffed amaranth. There is also 

NOTella, full of ground cashews, cocoa 

and honey to satisfy any Nutella addict, but 

without the sugar and chemicals. 

Part of Yogi Yum Yums work is to educate 

for healthy eating. White sugar is not 

necessary and is very dangerous. 

Unprocessed honey is far superior. And 

sweets need not be considered unhealthy 

when made properly. 

So with Yogi Yum Yums, everyone wins. 

Guests get healthy sweets, the children get a 

better education and I am allowed the 

opportunity to be of service. 

Yogi Yum Yums is now sponsoring four 

children for school and also saving for their 

university. If the business does well, more 

children will have a similar opportunity. 

The cost for one child’s schooling for one 

year is approximately USD700, depending 

Kulkeet and Uday both start ninth class this 

April, with tuition paid for by Yogi Yum 

Yums 

on the school. For university it will vary 

greatly depending on choice of study, 

school, inflation etc…but I am hoping to 

save at least USD2,000 per student per year 

including everything. If you can be of help 

in any way, through donation or 

fundraising or spreading the word I 

White sugar is not necessary and very dangerous 

appreciate your kind efforts and thank you 

sincerely on behalf of the children and the 

communities they will one day help. A little 

money can go a long way and helping 

others is a great opportunity to wash away 

difficult karma. 

A Yogi Yum Yums recipe to convince you 

of the sweetness of life. 

CHOCOLATE HALVA 

1. 260gr sesame, white: put in food 

processor for a little while, but not too 

long or the oil will seep out and the halva 

will become heavy and oily. 

2. Then add 50gr cocoa powder (organic, 

freshly ground is how I make it) and 110gr 

honey (unpasteurised, field fresh is best): 

process again, not too long. 

3. Put in a tray or roll into balls. Refrigerate, 

or not, as you like. 

This halva is not too sweet but you can 

alter the sesame, cocoa and honey amounts 

to suit your personal taste. 

You may contribute to this education fune 

through this blogsite: http:// 

solotravelerblog.com/yogi-yum-yums/ 

Yogiuday sells his handmade “healthy” sweets from the Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram in 

Rishikesh, India, five days a week for two hours each day. All profits go to helping local 

children finish school and go onto university 

Or if you would like to make a larger 

donation, please write to me at: 

yogiuday_harmony@yahoo.es 

19

Religion 

Yoga & Christianit 

tianity – 

Friends or Foe 

oes? 

Andrew Wilner 

SOME CHRISTIANS THINK YOGA IS INEXTRICABLY LINKED TO HINDUISM 

or Occultism and so participating in a yoga class conflicts with their 

Christian beliefs. This article attempts to address some of these 

concerns and suggests the two may be more similar than different. 

WHAT IS YOGA 

A good start is the definition found in the Yoga Sutras of 

Patanjali: “yoga is the restraint of the fluctuations of the mind.” 

(Ch.1 v.2) Only when consciousness becomes totally still, can it 

reflect true awareness, recognize its true nature and overcome 

suffering. This definition of yoga is very different from the concept 

of union between atman (individual spirit) and brahman (universal 

spirit) expounded in many of the Upanishads but resonates with 

what we find in the Bhagavad Gîtâ which states “yoga is perfect 

evenness of mind” (ch.2 v.48) and also “yoga is skill in action” 

(ch.2 v.50). Like Patanjali, the Bhagavad Gîtâ also states when “your 

mind is completely united in deep Samadhi, you will attain the state 

of perfect yoga” (ch.2 v.53). 

As we move forward into more recent yoga history, new schools 

emerged challenging Patanjali’s classical yoga view of duality. 

Schools emerged such as Sankara’s Advaita (non dual) Vedanta 

school which, whilst still a negative world view, argued there is only 

one reality, and ignorance causes us to be deluded by our own 

senses. Finally, Tantric schools sprung up, particularly around the 

eighth century AD which were also non-dualist but took a positive 

view of the world and argued if everything comes from the divine 

then so does life, so therefore it is not something to try to escape 

from but rather to embrace i.e. human life is a condensation of 

supreme consciousness, so all we have to do is recognize our true 

nature by expanding our own consciousness… simple huh? 

yoga is in religion, but religion 

is not in yoga - Swami Jnaneshvara 

Bharati 

Why is all of the above important in understanding yoga? Mainly 

because it demonstrates there is not one universally agreed 

philosophy. Indeed the Hatha Yoga practised today didn’t even 

exist in Patanjali’s day and his definition of asana was completely 

different from what is practised today. A more modern definition 

of yoga presented by Carlos Pomeda is yoga is the “union of the 

practitioner with the practice”. Carlos argues the practices help you 

address the existential dilemma, whatever you believe it to be… 

whether rebirth or greater understanding of the enormity of the 

love of Jesus. Hence yoga can be seen as a system of practices to 

develop our full potential during our lives – it is a science or 

philosophy rather than a religion: “yoga is in religion, but religion 

is not in yoga…” Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati. 

20

CONFLICT OR COMMONALITY BETWEEN YOGA & CHRISTIANITY 

If we return to classical yoga, there is great commonality with 

Christian principles. In particular, there is great resonance in the 

yamas and niyamas for Christians. The five yamas (non-violence, 

truthfulness, freedom from avarice, control of sensual pleasure, 

and non-covetousness) are consistent with the ethical principles of 

the Decalogue. Moreover, the personal observations of niyama 

(cleanliness, contentment, zeal, self-study, devotion to God) are 

very much in line with the teachings of the Bible. But the 

commonality is not just limited to the moral and ethical codes. If 

niyama are very much in line with 

the teachings of the Bible 

we return for a moment to the Bhagavad Gîtâ, we find four types 

of yoga, which also correspond to Christian teachings. 

a) The first is karma, the yoga of selfless action, in which the 

practising yogi focuses on serving others. This too is a 

fundamental tenet of Christianity per Jesus: “just as the Son of 

Man did not come to be served, but to serve…” (Matthew 20:28) 

Steve Merkley 

b) The second is jnana, the yoga of knowledge. On this path, the 

aspirant needs to use his discrimination (viveka) to determine what 

is truly eternal and what is temporal. The Bible also emphasizes 

exploration of reality to evolve one’s understanding of truth. Paul 

writes: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, 

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will 

be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing 

and perfect will.” (Romans, 12:2). 

c) The third type of yoga is bhakti , the yoga of devotion, which is 

usually associated with devotion and worship to a personal God. 

Many famous Christian mystics focussed primarily on love and 

devotion to God above all else. St John of the Cross believed love 

was the most important element in discovering our true nature: 

“In order to overcome our desires and to renounce all those things, 

our love and inclination for which are wont to inflame the will that 

it delights therein, we require a more ardent fire and a noble love – 

that of the Bridegroom. If our spiritual nature were not on fire 

with other and nobler passions, we should never caste off the yoke 

of the senses”. The Christian mystic work known as the “Cloud of 

Unknowing” written in the late 14 cAD also states: “By love he can be 

grasped and held, but by thought, neither grasped nor held.” 

d) Finally we come to raja, yoga of meditation. Also called royal 

yoga, the focus here is on concentration after body and mind have 

been cleansed. Again this type of deep concentration has also been 

practised by esoteric Christians, who focus their attention on Jesus 

in order to experience ‘union’ with Him. At this point it is worth 

turning our attention to Hatha yoga, which some see as a subset of 

raja yoga (raja yoga is sometimes referred to as the ‘Crown of Hatha 

Yoga’), but at the very least is complimentary to raja yoga, as Hatha 

yoga prepares the body for the spiritual part of Raja yoga. This is 

the form of yoga most prevalent in the West today and is based 

mainly on asana and pranayama practices e.g. Ashtanga Vinyasa, 

Iyengar, Bikram etc. 

21

Typically, Christianity in the modern age has not been focused on 

disciplining (tapas) the body, with obesity levels in churches no 

different from the secular world. Whilst Christians are strongly 

encouraged to steer away from drugs and cigarettes, there has 

tended to be less emphasis on gluttony. Nevertheless the Bible 

makes it quite clear: “Do you know that your bodies are temples of 

the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from 

God?” 1 Corinthians 6:19. So disciplining the body and exercising 

self control over what we eat is clearly an important teaching from 

the Bible. 

At this point it is worth turning our attention to two aspects of 

yoga that may cause the most debate with regard to their 

compatibility with Christianity. 

The first is the use of mantra in yoga classes and the second is the 

implications of awakening kundalini. In the Bible we find: “In the 

beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the 

word was God” (John 1:1). Many Christians however equate the 

‘Word’ simply with the ‘Bible’ but that seems to oversimplify. It 

seems sounds can also have divine meaning, and indeed many 

Christians today will ‘talk in tongues’. Furthermore, in early 

Christian times, monks used mantra to enhance their spiritual 

Can Christians incorporate yoga into their lives? 

experience. One of the most famous mantras used by Christian 

monks was the Aramaic word ‘Maranatha’ which translates as 

‘come Lord’ and is found in both 1 Corinthians 16:22 and 

Revelations 22:20b right at the end of the Bible. Ultimately, each 

individual has to determine whether they wish to engage in 

mantras and if so, what mantras they wish to chant. 

The second issue relates to the awakening of Kundalini, which is 

akin to arousing a deep well of energy that rises up the spine 

opening up the chakras. Some Christians have expressed concern 

this practice could result in exposure to occult influences: Swami 

Muktananda “A great deity in the form of my guru has spread all 

through me, as chiti and was shaking me… my whole body shook 

violently, just as if I were possessed by a god or a bad spirit”. 

Whilst this apparent reaction occurred for Swami Muktananda, in 

talking to Carlos Pomeda, who has taught this experience to great 

numbers of students, he had never seen this kind of reaction. 

Maybe the Bible was even referring to something similar to 

kundalini arousal in Matthew 6:22: “The light of the body is the 

eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of 

light”. Some contemporary translations of the Bible into English 

have treated this as meaning your eyes being clear, but that is not 

what was stated in the original Greek, and maybe Jesus was actually 

talking about one’s third eye located in the forehead which is used 

as a focal point in yogic meditation! 

22 

qualities of the heart can greatly 

help deepen anyone’s religious faith, 

highest virtues, and ability to offer 

themselves in devotional service 

So, the ‘Christian yogi’ should just stay in their comfort zone. For 

example, Anusara yoga founded by John Friend addresses the 

issue of whether this form of yoga is compatible with Christian 

faith in the FAQ section of their website. It concludes “these 

qualities of the heart (promoted by Anusara yoga) can greatly help 

to deepen anyone’s religious faith, highest virtues, and ability to 

offer themselves in devotional service of something greater”. 

However, it does go on to warn there could be a philosophical 

conflict as Anusara believes in the intrinsic goodness of all 

humanity, whereas some Christian denominations believe humans 

are inherently sinful (“original sin”) and the only way to salvation is 

through Jesus Christ. I argue there is no conflict of philosophical 

doctrine as there is no universally accepted definition of ‘original 

sin’ and has been characterized from a mere tendency towards sin 

without collective guilt to total depravity! 

For example, Thomas Aquinas in the 13th Century AD 

distinguished the supernatural gifts of Adam before the Fall from 

what was merely natural and said it was the former that were lost, 

privileges that enabled man to keep his inferior powers in 

submission to reason and directed to his supernatural end. Hence 

depending on one’s definition of original sin, one could consider 

the state of the ‘Fall of Man’ as simply being born into limited 

consciousness, which through the Grace of Jesus, the veil (Maya) 

of the unmanifest is lifted to recognize one’s true nature. So 

redemption through Jesus is not incompatible with the inherent 

goodness of humanity, and ‘original sin’ is equivalent to avidya or 

ignorance of who we really are; the Catechism of the Catholic 

Church even states: “As a result of original sin, human nature is 

weakened in its powers, subject to ignorance, suffering and the 

domination of death, and inclined to sin (this inclination is called 

“concupiscence”). 

In conclusion, I remind readers of Jesus’ most important 

instruction: “Love the Lord God with all your heart and with all 

your soul and will, all your mind and with all 

your strength” (Mark 12:30) and yoga gives 

you the tools to do so! 

Andy has been based in the Far East on and off 

for over 20 years. An ex-investment banker 

and now head hunter, he began to practice 

yoga more diligently in early 2008. When not 

practicing yoga, Andy also enjoys learning 

about different worldviews to better 

appreciate the perspectives of others. Born 

Jewish, Andy considers himself a Tantric 

Christian…if he had to be labelled at all.

Mythology in a Minute 

Dhruva 

Tia Sinha 

KING UTTANAPADA HAD TWO WIVES, SUNITI 

and Suruchi and a son from each wife, 

Dhruva and Uttama respectively. 

One day, Uttama, the younger son was 

playing with his father when Dhruva 

entered the room. When little Dhruva 

expressed his wish to play with his father as 

well, Uttama’s mother, Suruchi, scolded 

him. Perhaps she could get away with this 

because she was the preferred queen. 

A bewildered Dhruva ran to his mother in 

tears. Why was this happening to him, he 

wanted to know. Why couldn’t he play 

with his father when his younger brother 

was playing with him? Suniti replied only 

Lord Vishnu could give him the answer. 

Determined to find an answer to his 

question, the hurt Dhruva left home for 

the forest in search of God. He was only 

five years old. Gauging such strong resolve 

in one so young, Narada, Vishnu’s devotee, 

appeared before Dhruva and tried to 

dissuade him from this difficult endeavour 

at such a tender age. But Dhruva was 

adamant. Having tested his resolve, Narada 

advised Dhruva to meditate on the mantra, 

Om Namo Bhagawate Vasudevaaya. 

Little Dhruva meditated in the forest with 

all his heart. After six months, impressed 

by his perseverance and austerities, Lord 

Vishnu appeared before Dhruva and 

granted him a boon. But Dhruva wanted 

nothing for himself. All he asked for was 

the knowledge of a poem in praise of Lord 

Vishnu. Vishnu granted his wish. Dhruva 

returned to his kingdom and his family 

received him warmly. Dhruva was crowned 

at the age of six, ruling wisely for decades. 

In Hindu mythology, stars are named after 

sages and other realized beings. Dhruva’s 

achievement was so remarkable the pole 

star is known as Dhruva Tara. When one 

thinks of perseverance on the inner 

journey, Dhruva’s name springs to mind. 

Dhruva’s story inspires us to practice with 

zeal. It also shows us how hurt and 

emotional pain can be 

fuel on the path. 

Tia, who teaches Hatha 

Yoga to the nuns of 

Dongyu Gatsal Ling, 

Himachal, has, of late, 

been spending most of 

her time in solitary 

retreat at the nunnery. 

23

24

25

26

Yoga Styles 

Take a Walk on the Yin Side 

Bernie Clark 

THE DAY IS ENDING: THE SUN HAS SUNK BELOW THE HORIZON. FOR 12 

hours, maybe more, you have been on the go: moving, doing, 

thinking, planning. Now would be a great time to relax and 

unwind, but as the colour fades from the sky, lights turn on – 

artificial daylight extends our busy hours into the night. This is a 

perfect description of a yang lifestyle. How long can it go on? 

Nature will always find balance: for each hour of light, there will 

eventually be an equal hour of darkness. For every up there is a 

down, for every left a right. Balance demands busy times be 

complemented by quiet periods. But what happens if we go against 

this law of nature, and put off the required rebalancing? If we 

don’t seek balance ourselves, Mother Nature will impose it upon 

us, often through some severe illness or crisis that will force us into 

stillness. Why wait for that? Balance is always available: the yin-side 

of life is right here – all we have to do is let it in. 

Many people come to yoga to find a balance for their stressed lives: 

they don’t feel healthy. It is curious and ironic that their yoga 

practice is just a continuation of their yang pattern of living. Yoga 

becomes another job: a practice that needs to be worked on, 

improved, perfected. Eventually even yoga can lead to injuries and 

depletion: and when yoga no longer heals, then where do we turn? 

We turn yin-side. 

Yin Yoga is the other half: the balancing practice to the active, 

muscular, dynamic forms of yoga common today. Yin is quiet, 

deep and nourishing in ways that complement the yang forms. 

Let’s take a moment and define our terms. The taijitu symbol 

shown here is the symbol of balance, a symbol of the Tao. It is 

composed of two mutually embracing “fish” swimming together. 

The light fish is yang: yang represents qualities of brightness, 

elasticity, action, heat and looking outward. The dark fish is yin: yin 

represents the complementary attributes – darkness, plasticity, 

stillness, cold and looking within. To 

properly use these terms we need a 

context, and since we are talking 

about yoga, let’s use the body as 

the ultimate context. Tissues of 

the body that are hotter or more 

exterior are yang-like compared to 

tissues that are cooler and more 

interior, which are yin-like. 

Muscles, which love rhythmic and 

repetitive movements, are yang 

compared to our connective tissues, 

which includes our ligaments, joint capsules, 

bones, cartilage and the deep fascial networks of the body. 

All tissues need to be healthy for us to be balanced. We all know 

how great it feels to have a lovely, sweaty yoga practice: to stretch 

and strengthen our muscles. Just as important, however, is to 

exercise and keep healthy our joints and other connective tissues. 

While we can intuitively agree with this, it sounds dangerous – 

exercise our joints. Won’t that destabilise and harm the joints? Yes, 

if the form of exercise is yang-like: the joints, being yin tissues, 

require yin forms of exercise: they require Yin Yoga. 

Namaskar is pleased to have three 

tickets for this year 

ar’s Evolution 

Asia Yoga Con 

onfer 

erenc 

ence e to share 

with readers: 

One ticket for the first person to 

corr 

orrectly comple 

omplete e Tia’ 

ia’s 

Crosswor 

ord on page 28. 

8. 

One ticket for the first person to 

tell us which five teachers at this 

year 

ar’s s AYC C also o taugh 

aught t at the fir 

irst 

AYC C in 200 

007. 

One ticket for someone willing to 

write a conference summary for 

the October issue sue of f Namaskar 

ar. 

Please submit to 

fgairns@ne 

gairns@netvigat 

vigator 

or.com 

om 

Evolution Asia Yoga Con 

onfer 

erenc 

ence e tak 

akes 

place 7 - 10 June 2012 at HKCE 

CEC, 

C, 

Wanchai, Hong Kong. 

These are all-conference passes, good 

for all even 

ents excep 

ept t Sharath 

ath’s led 

primary series. 

27

Tia’s Crossword 

The benefits of Yin Yoga go much deeper than our physiology: 

Yin Yoga will provide the missing balance mentally, energetically, 

emotionally and even spiritually. The practice itself is quite simple, 

but simple does not mean easy. The postures are passive: no 

muscular engagement. The poses are held in stillness, and they are 

held for long periods of time – anywhere from 1 to 20 minutes, 

providing no pain is felt. The challenge arises when the postures 

become juicy: there will be urges! The urge to come out early is 

especially educational: this is the time to go inside and explore what 

is really happening. And the joy! Oh my! The joy of coming out of 

the poses is what keeps people coming back to their Yin practice. 

Yin Yoga is starting to be taught in Yoga studios all over the 

world: it is becoming popular for one simple reason – it is needed. 

The reason people are beginning to find out about this simple and 

wonderful practice is due primarily to the efforts of a couple of 

teachers: Paul Grilley and Sarah Powers. Paul originally discovered 

Yin Yoga when he studied for one year with Paulie Zink, a master 

of Daoist Yoga and Kung Fu. Paul extracted from what he learned 

with Paulie the yin aspect of Daoist Yoga and started to offer it 

raw, on its own and separate from its yang-brother. Fortunately for 

us, Paul began to travel and wherever he went he spread the story 

of this missing aspect of yoga. 

One of the teachers who resonated with Paul was Sarah Powers, a 

formidable yangster. She too saw the logic in balancing her active 

Ashtanga practice with the subtle yin practice, and to this she added 

an exploration of the meditative benefits that Yin Yoga provides. 

Paul complemented Sarah’s offering with explorations of the 

anatomical and energetic benefits of the practice. 

My own contributions to the practice of Yin Yoga build upon Paul 

and Sarah’s work. Standing on their shoulders, and helped by my 

own background in the sciences, I have been able to delve deeply 

into the energetics and physiology of why the practice is so healing, 

from a Western medical perspective. From my interest in studying 

religions, mythology and psychology, I also use classes in Yin Yoga 

as a chance to explore the deeper psychic realms that lurk beneath 

everyone’s superficial consciousness through the telling of stories. 

It is a fascinating journey. The long held pauses in Yin Yoga give us 

a wonderful opportunity to go inside and see what is actually 

happening: psychically and physically. 

If you have not yet tried the other half of your yoga practice, do so 

before Mother Nature makes you. Seek the balance: as is taught in 

the Bhagavad Gita, balance is yoga. 

Bernie has been teaching yoga and meditation 

since 1998. He has a bachelor degree in 

Science and combines his intense interest in 

yoga with an understanding of the scientific 

approach to investigating the nature of 

things. His most recent book is The Complete 

Guide to Yin Yoga. He is also the creator of 

www.YinYoga.com. 

Bernie Clark’s schedule at AYC: 

7 June 5:30 – 7:30 pm Yin Yoga and the Physical Body 

8 June 5:30 – 7:30 pm Yin Yoga and the Energy Body 

9 June 5 – 7 pm Yin Yoga and the Mind Body 

10 June 5 – 7 pm Yin Yoga and the Whole Body 

This crossword pays homage to the 84 Mahasiddhas or spiritual 

adepts whose stories inspire us. Most of the information for the 

crossword is from the book, Buddhist Masters of Enchantment, 

The Lives and Legends of the Mahasiddhas, translated by Keith 

Dowman and illustrated by Robert Beer. 

ACROSS 

1. Jumble ‘Ana, Jug ran’! For a brilliant scholar who took to a life 

of debauchery due to boredom, and to spiritual practice due to 

disgust with this life of debauchery. (9) 

4. His grief at the premature death of his beloved young wife 

drove him to practice and eventually, Mahasiddhi. (9) 

8. Jumble ‘aka a Lapp’ to give a labourer who took to spiritual 

practice when, in one night, he lost to an epidemic, his wife and 

five little sons. (8) 

10. Jumble ‘a pilot’ to give Naropa’s guru found frying fish! (6) 

11. Jumble ‘pan oar’ to give a scholar famous for his Six Yogas. (6) 

12. Jumble ‘aka Lap’ to give a handsome man who was so pained 

by the effect of his beauty on others that he practiced in isolation, 

obtaining Mahasiddhi. (6) 

13. Academic who wasted a hundred years of his life teaching and 

in indulgence until one of his own realized students opened his 

eyes to spiritual discipline. (8) 

DOWN 

1. Jumble ‘Puna grain’ to give a Mahasiddha who was reviled by his 

family and named moron. (9) 

2. Jumble ‘I proud hag’ to give a bird catcher who repented and 

gave up his violent livelihood and became a Mahasiddha by 

meditating on birdsong. (9) 

3. Brahmin priest, secretly a Buddhist tantric who liked to feed 

crows and was eventually saved by them. (9) 

4. Jumble ‘koala pit’ for a peasant who became a Mahasiddha. (8) 

5. Jumble ‘a lank pita’ to give a rag-picker distressed by his life of 

toil and poverty, who was guided by a dakini to turn his trade into 

spiritual practice. (9) 

6. Jumble ‘Goa shark’ to give a cowherd who cared for a dying 

prince whose arms and legs had been cut off and attained 

Mahasiddhi. (8) 

7. Jumble ‘a patent’ to give a gambler who took to spiritual practice 

upon losing all. (7) 

9. Jumble ‘u pail’ to give a prince-turned-yogi who ate only the 

entrails of fish for 12 years. (5) 

First person to submit the correct solution to this crossword to 

fgairns@netvigator.com will receive an all-conference pass to Asia 

Yoga Conference 7 - 10 June 2012 at Hong Kong Convention & 

Exhibition Centre. 

28

29

30

My Story 

Reborn 

June Chan 

AS I WAS BEING WHEELED INTO THE OPERATING 

theatre to remove two ovarian cysts, I 

remembered what others had told me – 

their greatest fear was this moment would 

be their last seeing this colourful world. In 

contrast I felt unusually calm. Little did I 

know then, that through my pain, I would 

feel reborn! 

Just two weeks before, my doctor broke 

the news to me, after an ultrasound scan, 

that I had two ovarian cysts, one the size 

of a four-month foetus, and had to have 

them removed quickly. My doctor took care 

to explain that my cysts, called chocolate 

cysts [formed when a patch of endometrial 

tissue sloughed off and became implanted 

and enlarged inside an ovary] was 

fortunately begnin. These cysts can be 

genetic, hormonal or the result of 

endometriosis. 

I’d traced back over my teen years, recalling 

the hormonal disorder which resulted in 

my having two heavy flows a month. My 

first ultrasound scan at 16 revealed I had 

immature ovaries and the doctor suggested 

I take contraceptive pills. My mother 

decided instead to take me to a Traditional 

Chinese Medicine doctor. And after a short 

course of bitter herbal medicine twice a day, 

I thought I was cured. That was until last 

October, when menstural irregularities, 

lower abdominal pain and frequent 

urination sent me to this doctor. 

The night I told my mother about my 

condition, she burst into tears asking how 

this could happen to such a young woman. 

I’ve two relatives with the same condition, 

and both after years of treatments, 

eventually resorted to complete 

hysterectomies. While I was scared, I never 

questioned why this had happened to me. 

But seeing my family worry about me, 

broke my heart. 

I gave up job running my own publication 

and escaped to India for a yoga vacation. 

During my time there I learned to 

surrender to this situation over which I’d 

no control. And in this peace, I was 

inspired me to pursue yoga professionally. 

While the cysts certainly affected my daily 

life and yoga practice, I continued to practice 

daily up till the day before my operation. It 

helped - as I lay on the gurney in the 

hospital, I felt like I was in Savasana. 

The cysts were successfully removed, 

though there’s no guarantee they won’t 

grow back again. I’ve had to accept this and 

the fact my body is different than before. 

My doctor has already warned it will be 

difficult to become pregnant in the future. I 

will be on long-term medication to balance 

my hormone levels and I will need frequent 

medical check ups. 

After a month’s rest, I took my first yoga 

class. It started with Adho Mukha Svanasana. 

Cautiously I lifted my knees, lengthened 

my tailbone, pushed my upper thighs back 

and stretched my heels to the floor. Despite 

a regular practice of four years, I felt 

helpless. The sharp abdominal pain and 

lack of any core strength meant I couldn’t 

do many previously-easy postures. I felt 

like a complete beginner – a yoga baby. 

During that time, I kept reminding myself 

to “listen to my body because yoga is your 

own practice. Don’t compare or compete 

with others.” I also dealt with my 

rehabilitation, as the prescribed 

contraceptive pills didn’t work well for me. 

The practice of yoga and its theories helped 

me stay positive and surrender my 

frustration despite the odds. 

I changed my medication and continue my 

yoga routine everyday, but have shortened 

the duration and limit my movements. I 

manifested a mantra – Let go more to go 

deeper. After three months, I feel my body 

is slowly getting back to how it used to be. 

I feel reborn, learning to crawl, walk, run 

and practice yoga all over again. 

June is a former 

journalist who now 

teaches yoga at 

various studios in 

Hong Kong. 

chanjunews@gmail.com 

as I lay on the gurney 

in the hospital, I felt I 

was in Savasana 

31

Conference Review 

Yoga to Save 

the Planet 

Metta Anggriani 

YOGA CLASSES OFTEN START WITH SOME 

pranayama, breathing exercise. The yogic 

breathing brings awareness to our body 

and mind. To me, the practice of 

Pranayama is a practice of gratefulness for 

that which we usually take for granted. 

Similarly we often take our environment 

for granted. But attending The Climate 

Project Asia Pacific Summit last year in 

Jakarta, prompted me ask myself “what is 

happening to our world?” 

GLOBAL WARMING POLLUTION 

Regrettably, we have contributed to global 

warming. We are polluting our atmosphere, 

which is trapping heat and raising the 

temperature of the air, oceans and surface 

of the earth. The main pollution comes 

from greenhouse gasses. They are called 

greenhouse gasses because they trap heat 

coming up from the earth, similar to how 

the glass roof of a greenhouse traps heat 

inside. Energy from the sun, in the form 

of sunlight, enters the earth’s atmosphere 

and strikes the surface of the planet. Then 

choose the yogic way 

for saving energy, eat 

less meat 

32 

some of the energy bounces back into 

space in the form of heat (infrared 

radiation). The greenhouse gasses absorb 

infrared radiation, trapping the heat in the 

atmosphere. Carbon dioxide and methane 

are two greenhouse gasses that contribute 

almost 70% to global warming pollution. 

Carbon dioxide is produced whenever we 

burn something. The biggest source of 

carbon dioxide is burning of fossil fuels: 

oil, coal and gas. We burn gasoline in our 

cars. We burn coal to produce electricity. We 

burn gas and oil to heat our homes and 

run our factories. One way to end the 

climate crisis is to find new resources of 

energy. Wind, solar and geothermal power, 

for example, produces electricity without 

producing carbon dioxide. 

The second biggest source of global 

warming is methane. Methane is produced 

by hundreds of millions of cows and 

livestock – chickens and pigs. These 

animals produce methane when they digest 

plants. Most of if comes from cows 

belching. Methane also escapes from 

landfills and leaks in natural gas pipelines. 

Black carbon is the third biggest source of 

climate crisis. Unlike greenhouse gas, black 

carbon does not trap heat coming from the 

earth; instead it absorbs heat from 

incoming sunlight as it enters the 

atmosphere. The largest source of black 

carbon is the burning of forests and 

grasslands. As we know, this is a big 

problem for Indonesia as we burn forest to 

make room for farms, plantations and 

industrial / housing areas. 

GLOBAL WARMING SOLUTION 

When we know the cause of global 

warming, we know the solution is to 

sharply cut back on the global warming 

pollution that we put in the air. It can be 

done from the top level, i.e. our 

government can support the development 

of renewable energy (i.e. wind, solar, 

geothermal, biomass) and to minimize 

deforestation. Currently, Indonesia is the 

world’s third largest emitter of carbon, 

which emits 1.8 billion tons of carbon into 

atmosphere, primarily through 

deforestation. Our President, Susilo 

Bambang Yudhoyono, has pledged to cut 

greenhouse gas emissions 26-41% from 

the projected level by 2020. 

However, it doesn’t stop there. We can also 

contribute to a global warming solution at 

the personal level. We can save energy in 

every area of our lives – in our homes, 

businesses, transportation, etc. Whenever 

possible, we can practice being more 

efficient in using energy. Instead of driving, 

we can car-pool or use mass transport (and 

some are very efficient by cycling, e.g. the 

Bike to Work community). We can choose 

to use LED (light-emitting diodes) or DFL 

(compact fluorescent) lightbulbs that put 

out more lumens per watt. We need to 

turn electronic devices off, e.g. TVs, DVD, 

computers, not only putting them in 

standby or “sleep” mode. Or, if we want 

to choose the yogic way for saving energy, 

eat less meat. 

We can be creative about other solutions to 

protect the earth. We can start planting 

trees, recycling garbage. It is not about the 

cost. It is about choice, hope and 

willingness. When we make the choice, we 

begin to change our mind. We begin to 

think our cities as energy systems. We begin 

to see the links between fighting global 

warming and solving other problems 

humanity faces. We begin to feel 

responsible for future generations. Here 

everyone can be a leader to take actions. 

HOW DOES IT RELATE TO YOGA 

It is said yoga is the union of body, mind 

and soul, with the breath uniting all three. 

By focusing on our breath, we become 

aware of what is happening in our body 

when we practice asana. When the mind and 

the body connected, the soul is liberated. 

Practicing this awareness is like opening the 

third eye. It helps us understand not only 

ourselves, but also about how things relate 

to each other. It brings us knowledge and 

understanding of life. And when we put 

our knowledge into our daily activities, we 

gain wisdom. 

With wisdom, we understand a healthy life 

is not just about keeping ourselves healthy, 

but is also absolutely dependent on a 

healthy environment. 

Metta is a yoga 

instructor at Rumah 

Yoga Studio I Spa 

Jakarta and The 

Climate Project 

Indonesia presenter. 

As well she is a Compliance Officer. 

metta.mangala.yoga@gmail.com 

www.metta-mangala-yoga.blogspot.com

33

34

Ayurveda 

Ayurveda, Yoga & 

Fertility 

Vinod Sharma & Mindy Tagliente 

WHAT IS THE AYURVEDIC AND YOGIC 

PERSPECTIVE ON FERTILITY? 

Vinod : According to the philosophy of 

Ayurveda, men’s & women’s fertility 

depends mainly on:1) the Chakras - mainly 

the Manipur chakra, Swadishthan chakra & 

Muladhar chakra; 2) the endocrine glands 

eg. Pituitary, Pineal, Thyroid and 

Parathyroid and; 3) the quantity and quality 

of the Shukra Dhatu (the reproductive 

tissue). 

Firstly, to produce good quality eggs and 

sperms, it is important the chakras are 

properly aligned and the energy flow 

around the chakras is smooth, without any 

blockages. 

Though it is important for all the chakras 

to be strong and functioning optimally, the 

position and functioning of the Manipur 

Chakra (the Navel Centre/ Solar Plexus) is 

the most important. It is mentioned in 

traditional Ayurvedic texts that Manipur 

Chakra is the epicentre of 72,000 important 

Nadis (energy channels) in our body. If the 

Manipur chakra is dislodged, it is almost 

impossible for a woman to conceive and 

for a man to impregnate a woman. 

For example, when the Swadishthan (sacral/ 

second) Chakra becomes weak, it will have 

a very negative effect on the functioning of 

the ovaries and uterus in a woman’s body, 

which in turn will affect the quality of eggs 

produced. In a man, a weak sacral chakra 

affects the functioning of the testicles and 

genitals, thereby affecting the quantity and 

quality of sperms and even erectile power. 

Secondly, the endocrine glands eg. Pituitary 

and Pineal glands, affect the quantity and 

quality of hormones. If these glands do 

not function at an optimum level, the 

production of hormones becomes affected 

which directly affects fertility/virility and 

the emotions of an individual. 

Thirdly, the quantity and quality of sperms 

in men and the quality of ova in women 

depend on the quantity and quality of the 

seventh tissue, called Shukra Dhatu. 

Mindy: Stress can be one of the main 

causes of low fertility in today’s society and 

finding ways to release stress through yoga 

is a great way to improve fertility. Specific 

Yoga postures can help to stimulate and 

tone the reproductive organs and increase 

the production of hormones. In fact, Yoga 

for fertility is becoming ever more popular, 

as people are looking more and more to 

alternative therapies to be able to conceive. 

Adopting a more holistic approach to 

fertility by addressing one’s overall health 

can increase one’s chances of conception 

quite dramatically. 

CAN AYURVEDIC PRINCIPLES AND YOGA 

POSTURES ENHANCE FERTILITY IN MEN AND 

WOMEN? IF SO, HOW? 

Vinod: First we need to find out the main 

cause of infertility, i.e. whether it is caused 

by the dislodgement of the Navel Centre 

and poor functioning of the two lower 

chakras, or due to the weakness of any 

gland (pitutory, pineal etc.), or inferior 

quality of the shukra dhatu. 

If it is caused due to the dislodgment of 

the navel centre and weakness of the lower 

chakras and/or malfunctioning of the 

glands, then the navel centre should be 

realigned, the lower two chakras should be 

strengthened and the functioning of the 

glands should be optimised, through 

Ayurvedic methodology. 

If there is some problem related to the 

Shukra dhatu, it can be easily corrected by 

following a specific Ayurvedic diet and 

lifestyle, using some Shukral herbs (herbs 

that can enhance the shukra dhatu instantly, 

like Ashwagandha, Tribulus etc. for men and 

Ashoka, Shatavari etc. for women). 

Mindy: Apart from Yoga helping to 

generally relieve stress, there are many 

postures that can improve one’s fertility. 

Asanas that focus more on increasing fluid 

in the body are highly recommended. If 

men and women both have a good reserve 

of fluid in their body, then they can remain 

calm in any situation, responding to it, 

rather than reacting to it. For instance, a 

fluid motion in Bhujungasana (Cobra) can 

help to increase stimulate the lower chakras, 

especially the second chakra and increase the 

fire and water element in the body. 

For more meditative postures, which can 

help to calm an agitated mind, one can 

perform Janu Sirsasana or Pashimottanasana 

and hold for at least 10 long breaths. For 

further calming or cooling effect, one can 

adopt Sitari or Sitkari Pranayam techniques. 

Mindy has been 

devoted to yoga for 

over 14 years. She has 

been teaching Hatha, 

Ashtanga, Vinyasa, 

Iyengar and Kryoga 

around the world for 8 

years and founded 

Yoga For Life in 2007, 

Hong Kong’s leading 

private Yoga organization. 

Vinod Sharma hails 

from several 

generations of healers 

and is well versed in 

the ancient medical 

scienceof Ayurveda 

and Ayurvedic 

Panchakarm, Chakra 

Healing, and 

Homeopathic/ 

Biochemic Remedies. 

Vinod & Mindy are co-hosting an Ayurveda 

& Yoga workshop in Hong Kong 23 - 24 

May, 6:30 - 9:30 pm at Estoril Court 

Clubhouse, Garden Road, Midlevels. For 

more information 

mindy@yogaforlife.com.hk 

35

Family 

My Children and Yoga 

Paul Dallaghan 

I AM OFTEN ASKED: “AM I TEACHING MY KIDS 

yoga?” My typical response is: “they are 

teaching me yoga.” Tongue in cheek it may 

be but nevertheless much truth lies herein. 

What should I be teaching them and where 

does yoga fit in? Is it merely introducing 

them to the asanas and telling them to 

breathe? 

Anyone raising kids knows it is the seventh 

series! It requires sacrifice and tests your 

ability to be a normal human being, and 

not this ogre screaming over minor things 

that have accumulated here and burst out 

in one mass of frustration (whew). As 

Chekhov once said, “any fool can handle a 

crisis, it’s the day-to-day stuff that wears 

you down.” 

To me yoga is an opportunity for willing 

self-reflection, an effort to be nice, 

ultimately working on myself. And much 

of that has, and should be, spent and 

shared with my adorable children. The time 

taken to practice is the training on working 

on myself, refining the nervous system. 

Over years of practice I have seen a positive 

change in myself in handling and being 

with the children. It’s not the practice alone, 

but also the precious situations with the 

children to temper it, to mould it. In other 

words, the practices without corresponding 

life situations would be close to impotent. 

mean by the interaction with the children 

being the yoga lesson. 

The primary yoga with children is loving, 

caring and actually making sure we have 

time together. Second is the set of values I 

work on in my life that I aim to share with 

them. In terms of a yogi it is easy to hone 

the values from the yamas and niyamas. I am 

grateful to my kids (and wife) that I am 

able to look at these everyday, inculcate 

them, live them. 

Believing in ahimsa, I promise them I will 

not hurt them. I have to look at that on all 

levels: physical responses to mind games 

and emotional care. Am I living a life based 

on truth, honesty, or is it just when it’s 

convenient? Though these and the other 

values are often considered obvious they 

can easily be forgotten in the course of a 

day. To be kind, honest, respectful, loyal 

and faithful, and knowing what is enough 

is to share with your children. They will 

naturally have the opportunity to form 

their own values over time and have their 

own personalities, but these are universal 

and essential. 

I prefer to see signs of caring coming from 

my boys than them being the “best”. This 

may again seem obvious, especially to one 

not involved, but time and opportunity 

easily slip by. You have to make a clear inner 

resolve to “be” it at all times. This is one 

of the true values of what yoga has taught 

me and also what I have learned during my 

time with my parents. My wife and I have 

Anyone raising kids knows it is the seventh series 

not forced any formal religion on our 

children as they are exposed to many 

through our life and the community, but 

already they know certain Sanskrit mantras 

The big lesson here is my response to 

whatever it is coming up with the children, 

is actually the teaching I give them, the yoga 

I pass on. This is especially true in their 

formative years. In years to come will they 

remember their daddy’s 2,456 asana 

practices or the memories of being 

together, sharing, having fun, bonding? A 

thoughtless reaction borne from 

frustration, not properly channeled, sticks 

much stronger in a child’s memory. 

I have witnessed a particular stimulus 

frustrating me and from there I have 

observed the pre-existing pattern of how I 

could act. Fortunately, from awareness 

practice over the years, I see the two 

options inside and am able to channel that 

energy to respond in a more constructive 

manner. This may include a stern rebuke or 

a patient response to further explain. I 

stress this is a work in progress, by no 

means perfected. But that is exactly what I 

36 

The Dallaghans - a modern yoga family

as we’ll do them together at night when 

giving thanks. 

Finally we come to the techniques of yoga, 

the practices of asana and more. I know 

constructive skills learned at an early age can 

be invaluable throughout life. At the same 

time it is important for anyone, including 

my children, to come to a practice of yoga 

by their own volition. But my wife and I 

have the duty and opportunity to introduce 

these elements. Already the kids have 

played with yoga poses and are quite adept 

at using it as a term to get rid of me, 

“Papa, go do yoga”, if they don’t want me 

around (which of course is very rare). I also 

see they are a little young to properly engage 

in it yet. 

That is a popular question: what age 

should they start? Some say 8, others 12 or 

as long as the child can take care of 

themselves (through dressing, feeding and 

teeth brushing). So that leaves it a bit open. 

In my opinion it comes down to a certain 

amount of maturity to want to do 

something. At this stage soccer is much 

more valuable for them than yoga. It’s their 

primary choice and it really gets them 

moving. Of course in time they’ll find this 

stuff their parents do can help their 

football. 

As my specialty lies in the breath I am 

always aware of how I or others breathe. I 

have noticed the rapid breathing of my 

children as infants, to a more normal one, 

still quick, as young children. When they 

have been upset I have put my hand on 

their upper abdomen and tried to get them 

to be free there and breathe. I have tried 

but it is difficult because the emotion at 

that age overrides the rationality and a 

reactivity takes over. It’s almost an 

inevitable part of human growth. And at 

this young age to keep an awareness of the 

breath is almost impossible. It requires 

maturity. Yet if I can introduce an 

awareness of the breath early on I feel I 

have done some good for these growing 

boys. 

I break down the sharing of yoga with my 

children into different phases. Early on it is 

all about the care and love. These should 

dominate throughout life but naturally 

change color and shape. The sharing of 

clear, strong values is imperative to their 

growth and maturing, something that 

becomes more relevant as they get into later 

childhood and adolescence. Then finally, 

the practices themselves, that are initially 

play but later, really post-puberty, 

constructive and formational. From their 

mid-teens on it’s really up to them. 

I began yoga at 23. It would have been 

great to be exposed earlier but life had its 

own path of experiences. So it’s all about 

what I do with my life now. I hope to 

share yoga in all its ways with my children: 

through love, kindness and caring; with 

strong, clear values that carry them through 

life with integrity so they develop into 

adults of value to society and all beings 

everywhere; to the practices themselves, full 

of their own inherent wisdom and 

refinement that can help transform their 

nervous systems and enrich the children’s 

growing years into adult life. 

Paul is director of Samahita Retreat, Yoga 

Thailand. www.yoga-thailand.com 

Paul Dallaghan’s schedule at AYC: 

9 June, 10:30am - 12:30pm 

Pranayama: The Key Practice of Yoga 

10 June, 10:30am - 12:30pm 

Asana for Pranayama and Meditation 

37

38

Spiritual Science Research Foundation 

And the story begins 

Ana Prodanovic 

BIRTH HAS ALWAYS ENTHRALLED MAN AND 

held him in awe, amazement and wonder. 

One can see these emotions when one 

looks at a mother watching her newborn or 

a gardener tending his plants with 

satisfaction as they finally bear their muchawaited 

fruits or flowers. 

In India a girl is considered re-born when 

she gets married and goes to live in her 

husband’s family, since ideally she has to 

learn to adapt to their lifestyle. 

The Western world has come to accept 

karma and the theory of re-birth. There are 

a number of movies on this theme. The 

movie ‘Birth’ had Nicole Kidman as a 

young widow, Anna, meet a 10-year-old 

who claimed to be the re-incarnation of her 

husband. Now engaged to be married 

Anna can’t get the boy out of her mind. 

Her contact with him leads her to question 

the choices she has made in life. 

The birth of a new child brings a great joy 

to the family. From the spiritual perspective 

it is a chance for that soul to overcome its 

destiny, grow spiritually, and be liberated 

from the cycle of birth and death. As per 

the theory of destiny or karma, a child is 

born into a family where it has the 

maximum give and take account. Here life 

is viewed not from the perspective of that 

single life, but as a continuum of a series 

of lives. The theory of karma can be 

understood by Newton’s law of ‘every 

action has an equal reaction’, if an 

individual has given a lot of sorrow to 

someone in a previous life he/she has to 

be re-born to experience that sorrow from 

the same soul. In this way each individual 

soul is repeatedly born to experience 

sorrow or joy per his previous actions. 

One to wonder if there is a way out of this 

cycle of repeated birth and death. If one 

repeatedly failed high school and were 

made to study the same curriculum year 

after year, at some point one would realize 

the need to work harder to meet the grade 

and go to college. In the same way a soul 

needs to go beyond the monotony of the 

physical existence. When the turning point 

comes he realizes there is more to life than 

this mere physical existence. At that time he 

turns to spirituality to understand the 

meaning of life and death. 

There are some however who are disturbed 

in life and want to get out of their misery 

whether it is a physical illness, lack of a job 

or life partner and it is that, that makes 

them turn to God. There are still others 

who are curious to know about life, death, 

why are we born and why was the Universe 

formed, etc. However no matter what the 

reason, if we persevere the ultimate result is 

the achievement of Bliss. The material 

universe is temporary; hence it can only give 

temporary happiness. 

From the spiritual perspective birth is a chance 

for that soul to overcome its destiny, and be 

liberated from the cycle of birth and death 

Spiritual masters throughout the ages have 

guided aspirants to turn inwards and grow 

spiritually and experience Bliss. Spiritual 

Science Research Foundation (SSRF) 

provides a very simple tool to go inwards 

to experience this happiness - simply 

repeating the name of God as per the 

religion of your birth. 

Spiritual science believes the nature of the 

soul is Bliss. But unfortunately we are 

always searching for something that will 

give us never-ending happiness in the 

material world. Some believe they will get it 

from a promotion, others feel getting the 

person of their dreams will give it to them 

and still others feel owning a dream home 

will give them that much craved for 

happiness. However no sooner do we get 

that promotion do we realize the extra 

effort we have to put in at work, no sooner 

are we married to the person of our 

dreams, we see the chinks in his personality 

and after we get that dream house, we 

realize the extra effort and finance that is 

required of us. If we do not get what we 

desire we get depressed or angry. And if we 

see others getting what we want, we suffer 

from jealousy. As a result man is always 

riding the waves of joy and sorrow and is a 

mere puppet of external circumstances and 

his emotions. 

Man was born to lead a blissful and carefree 

life but the six foes of the soul (anger, 

jealousy, greed, lust, pride, arrogance) 

prevent him from experiencing it. Practicing 

spirituality to overcome these defects, as 

advised by the Path of the Guru’s grace, 

leads one to overcome defects that cause 

unhappiness and problems in worldly life 

and also to achieve the main purpose of 

one’s life - that is to grow spiritually. 

Ana is an 

anthropologist of the 

social aspects of 

health and illness. 

Over the last 8 years 

she has participated 

in research projects 

exploring the effect of 

the spiritual 

dimension on the 

individual and society 

as a whole. 

www.spiritualresearchfoundation.org / 

dr.zubin@spiritualresearchfoundation.org 

39

40

Book Review 

Why Meditate? 

by Matthew Ricard 

Reviewed by Tia Sinha 

To be free is to be the master of ourselves. It is not a matter of doing whatever comes to our head, but 

rather of freeing ourselves from the constraints and afflictions that dominate and obscure our minds – 

Matthew Ricard 

IN HIS SLIM, SIMPLE AND CLEAR BOOK, 

Matthew Ricard addresses three questions, 

the why, what and how of meditation. 

A practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism for 

over 40 years, Matthew, the son of a wellknown 

philosopher had the good fortune 

of living with and being trained by genuine 

Tibetan Buddhist masters of meditation 

like the late Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. 

Matthieu translates for the Dalai Lama in 

French, is a regular participant at Mind and 

Life Conferences where neuroscientists and 

practitioners of meditation present the 

latest research to the Dalai Lama, and is 

often the subject of tests done on the brain 

by neuroscientists to determine changes in 

the brain due to meditation. 

His book draws upon Tibetan Buddhist 

techniques of meditation. However, 

Matthew has taken care to present these 

techniques in a way that is not only nonsectarian 

but also non-religious. The 

approach of the book is of a scientist of 

the mind. 

Matthieu takes care to shatter several myths 

about meditation. Sometimes practitioners 

of meditation are accused of selfabsorption. 

But to regard as selfish a 

process whose goal is to root out the 

obsession with self and to cultivate 

altruism, would be like blaming an aspiring 

doctor for spending years studying 

medicine before treating others. 

He points out meditation is not an 

attempt to create a blank mind by blocking 

out thoughts, nor an attempt to endlessly 

analyze the past or future, nor a simple 

process of relaxation in which inner 

conflicts are temporarily suspended in a 

vague, amorphous state of consciousness. 

There is not much point in resting in an 

inner state of bewilderment. The relaxation 

that comes from meditation is connected 

with the relief that comes from letting go 

of hopes and fears, of attachments and the 

whims of the ego that never stop feeding 

our inner conflicts. 

Haste and meditation do not go together. 

There is no point in setting goals. There is 

no point in clinging to certain blissful 

experiences that may arise during 

meditation, just as one does not get off a 

train whenever one notices an interesting 

landscape but carries on till one reaches 

one’s destination. 

The goal of meditation is to free the mind 

from ignorance and suffering, 

transforming our experience of the world. 

This happens through transformation of 

the mind over years. The positive effects on 

health are a by-product of meditation, not 

the goal. 

To prepare the mind for meditation, the 

mind must first be turned toward 

meditation. This is done by thinking about 

four thoughts: the preciousness of human 

life; the fragility of human life and the 

transitory nature of all things; choosing 

beneficial actions and avoiding harmful 

actions and; the unsatisfactory quality 

inherent in ordinary life. 

Matthew stresses the need for an authentic 

spiritual master with many years of 

personal experience. ‘In truth, nothing can 

replace the exemplary power and 

profundity of transmission from a living 

master’. Such a being would also ensure 

the student doesn’t get sidetracked. Failing 

such an opportunity, Matthieu suggests 

studying with a person who is more 

knowledgeable than one and whose 

instructions come from an established 

meditative tradition. Failing this, Matthieu 

suggests getting help from a book, even a 

very simple one like this one that is based 

on trustworthy sources. This way, one is 

not misguided by a self-proclaimed teacher 

who invents techniques! 

Why Meditate comes to us from a writer 

and practitioner with impeccable 

credentials. The book is useful for those 

who have never meditated, would like to 

and do not know how to start. It brings 

clarity on techniques and intention to those 

attempting to tame, train, subdue and 

transform the mind through the arduous 

yet fascinating process of meditation. 

To conclude, in Matthieu’s words, it is a 

pity to underestimate the capacity we have 

to transform our minds. Each of us 

possesses the potential to free ourselves 

from the mental states that perpetuate our 

own suffering and that of others – the 

potential to find inner peace for ourselves 

and contribute to the happiness of all 

beings. 

Tia, who teaches Hatha 

Yoga to the nuns of 

Dongyu Gatsal Ling in 

Himachal, India, now 

spends most of her 

time in solitary retreat 

at the nunnery. 

41

Recipe 

Keep Me Warm Till Summer 

Moosa Al-Issa 

RICH SATISFYING DISHES REALLY HELP ONE GET THROUGH THE COOLER 

months in Hong Kong. I particularly love Asian curries with their 

great balance of sweet, sour and salty flavors. When making these 

dishes I use two basic techniques: 1) stewing and 2) stir frying to 

create the perfect curry. The end result is a deeply flavored curry 

with perfectly cooked, but still crisp vegetables. Most the 

ingredients you need to make this curry can be found in your local 

neighborhood street market so give it a try! 

HAI SCENTED LENTIL AND TOFU CURRY WITH ORGANIC QUINOA 

Curry Ingredients 

1 can organic Lentils, washed and drained 

1 lbs extra firm tofu, cut into ½ inch cubes 

2 medium yellow onions, peeled, halved and quartered 

2 medium Carrots, peeled, halved and cut on angle to ¼ inch slices 

3 large stalks Celery cut at a slight angle into 1/3-inch slices 

2 red peppers, stemmed, cored and cut into 1 inch squares 

1 small red chili pepper, halved, seeded and finely chopped 

1 cup Cherry tomatoes, halved 

1 Tbsp Lemon grass, root portion, finely sliced 

1 can coconut milk 

2 Lime leaves, whole 

3 cloves garlic, minced 

4 Tbsp ginger, minced 

3 limes, zested and juiced 

2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast 

2 Tbsp. liquid aminos 

2 Tbsp agave nectar 

Quinoa Ingredients 

2 cups quinoa, washed twice and drained 

3 cups water 

½ teaspoon sea salt 

Preparation 

1. In a medium pot add the quinoa, water and salt and bring to a 

boil on high heat. Cover the pot, turn the heat to the lowest 

setting and cook for 15-20 minutes until all the water is absorbed 

and the quinoa is cooked. 

2. In a large saucepan, add a small amount of oil and fry the cubes 

of tofu at medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes till nicely 

browned. Add half of the garlic & ginger, the chili and the lemon 

grass and fry for 2 minutes more. Add the lentils, liquid amino, 

coconut milk, lime juice, lime leaf, nutritional yeast and agave. Turn 

heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. 

3. Heat a large frying pan or wok on high heat, add 2 to 3 

tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan, (preferably one with a 

high burn point like grape seed oil) and add the remaining garlic 

and ginger and fry for a few seconds. Add the carrots, celery, onions 

and peppers and stir fry for 5 minutes till the vegetables are cooked 

but still crisp. 

4. Add the vegetables to the curry and the cherry tomatoes to the 

curry and cook for a few minutes. 

5. Portion the cooked quinoa on four plates and 

cover with the curry, garnish with chopped 

coriander and a wedge of lime and serve. 

Moosa is the Executive Director of Life Cafe and 

Director of Just Green Organic Convenience 

Stores in Hong Kong. 

42

43

44

Yoga Teachers & Studios 

AGAMA YOGA SCHOOL 

& ANANDA WELLNESS 

RESORT 

42/4, Moo 8, Srithanu, Koh 

Phangan, Surat Thani 84280, 

Thailand 

s: Tantra, Kundalini, 

workshops, retreats, 

meditation 

l: English 

t: (66) 892 330 217 

e: info@agamayoga.com 

w: www.agamayayoga.com 

AMICO STUDIO 

2/4/F, 167 - 169 Hennessy Rd, 

Wanchai, Hong Kong 

s: Hot, Hatha, Ashtanga 

l: English, Cantonese 

t: (852) 2827 9233 

e: studio@amico.com.hk 

w: www.amico.com.hk 

ANAHATA VILLAS & 

SPA RESORT 

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia 

s: group retreats, yoga for 

privates & corporates. Studio 

rental available. 

l: Indonesian & English 

t: (62) 361 8987 991 / 8987 992 

f: (62) 361 9897 804 

e: sm@anahataresort.com / 

info@anahataresort.com 

w: www.anahataresort.com 

ANAHATA YOGA 

18/F Lyndhurst Tower, 1 

Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong 

Kong 

s: Hatha, Ashtanga, Yoga 

therapy, Yin and more. Groups 

& privates 

t: (852) 2905 1922 

e: enquiry@anahatayoga.com.hk 

w: www.anahatayoga.com.hk 

B.K.S. IYENGAR YOGA 

INSTITUTE OF MACAU 

174 Rua de Pequim, Edif. Centro 

Com. Kong Fat, 7A, Macau 

s:Iyengar 

t:(853) 2882 3210 / 6662 0386 

e:yoga@macau.ctm.netw: 

www.iyengar-yoga-macauchina.com 

Michel Besnard 

Yogasana 

s: Hatha Vinyasa 

l: English 

t: (852)2511 8892 / 9527 6691 

e: info@yogasana.com.hk 

BODYWIZE YOGA & 

DAY SPA 

G/F & 2/F, 1 Wong Nai Chung 

Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong 

s: Private and group classes, Yoga 

for stress management, Couple 

yoga, Tantra yoga for couple, 

Jivamukti, workshops, retreats, 

spa, wellness consulting, holistic 

therapy, nutritional advice. 

l: English 

t: (852) 2838 5686 

e: info@bodywizeyoga.com.hk 

w: www.bodywizeyoga.com.hk 

Dario Calvaruso 

d: Hong Kong, Bali, Thailand, 

Europe 

s: Hatha, Vinyasa, Detox, Yoga 

Therapy, Yoga for Stress 

Management, Partner Yoga, 

Tantra Yoga for couples 

l: English, Italian 

t: (852) 9247 3938 

e: info@dariocalvaruso.com 

w: www.dariocalvaruso.com 

Kathy Cook 

Retreats, workshops, privates 

d: Hong Kong, Bali &Thailand 

s: Iyengar (Junior Intermediate 2) 

l: English 

t: (852) 6292 5440/(62) 811 387781 

e: kcinasia@gmail.com 

w: www.yogawithkathy.com 

Misa Derhy 

Yoga teacher and life coach in 

Dublin & worlwide 

Classes, retreats, workshops 

s: Hatha, Yin 

l: English, French, Czech, 

Spanish 

t: (353) 427 9117 

e: freehugyoga@yahoo.fr 

w: www.freehugyoga.com / 

fhytimes.com 

FLEX 

1/F Regency Centre (Phase II), 

43 Wong Chuk Hang Road, 

Aberdeen, Hong Kong 

s: Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin Yang, 

Core Power Flow, Kids Yoga, 

Yoga for special needs 

t: (852) 2813 2212 

f: (852) 2813 2281 

e: info@flexhk.com 

w: www.flexhk.com 

IYENGAR YOGA 

CENTRE INDONESIA 

Ruko Simprug Gallery 

Jl. Teuku Nyak Arif No 10W 

Jakarta 12220, Indonesia 

s: Iyengar 

t:(62) 21 739 6904 

e:info@iyengaryogaindonesia.com 

w: www.iyengaryogaindonesia.com 

IYENGAR YOGA 

CENTRE OF HONG 

KONG 

Room 406 New Victory House, 

93- 103 Wing Lok St., Sheung 

Wan, Hong Kong 

s: Iyengar 

t: (852) 2541 0401 

e: info@iyengaryoga 

hongkong.com 

w: www.iyengaryoga 

hongkong.com 

IYENGAR YOGA 

CENTRE SINGAPORE 

149B Neil Road 

Singapore 088875 

s: Iyengar 

t:(65) 9052 3102 & 6220 4048 

e:info@iyengaryogasingapore.com 

w: iyengaryogasingapore.com 

KUNDALINI YOGA @ 

SOL WELLNESS 

16/F Tin On Sing Commercial 

Building, 41-43 Graham St, 

Central, Hong Kong 

s: Kundalini Yoga, Detox, Raw 

& Living Food Nutrition, 

Holographic Health Scan, 

Ultrasonic Acupuncture, 

Corporate Wellness, Children’s 

Health, Body treatments, 

Homeopathy, Counselling, 

Kinesiology 

t: (852) 2581 9699 

e: info@sol-wellness.com 

w: www.sol-wellness.com 

Ming Lee 

Privates, workshops 

s: Iyengar Certified teacher 

l: English, Cantonese, 

Putonghua 

t: (852) 9188 1277 

e: minglee@yogawithming.com 

LIFE MANAGEMENT 

YOGA CENTRE HK 

Non-profit Classical Yoga School 

d: Tsim Sha Tsui 

s: Patanjali yoga, Kids yoga, 

Seniors yoga, Corporates 


t: (852) 2191 9651 

t: (852) 6349 0639 (Chinese) 

e: life@yoga.org.hk 

w: www.yoga.org.hk 

Ursula Moser 

The Iyengar Yoga Centre of 

Hong Kong, Yoga Central, LRC 

d: Central 

s: Iyengar Certified (Junior 

Intermediate I) 

l: English 

t: (852) 2918 1798 / 9456 2149 

e: uschi.moser51@gmail.com 

Anna Ng 

Privates 

d: Hong Kong 

s: Hatha yoga 

l: Cantonese 

t: (852) 9483 1167 

e: gazebofl@netvigator.com 

PURE YOGA 

Hong Kong 

16/F The Centrium, 60 

NAMASKAR LISTING AND DISPLAY ADVERTISING RATES FOR 2012 (IN HK DOLLARS) 

Outside back cover $21,000 210 mm x 297 mm 

Inside front cover $2,800 210 mm x 297 mm 

Inside back cover $2,300 210 mm x 297 mm 

Full page $1,800 210 mm x 297 mm 

1/2 page $1,050 188 mm x 137.5 mm horizontal / 90 mm x 275 mm vertical 

1/4 page $580 90 mm x 137.5 mm 

1/8 page $370 90 mm x 63 mm 

Teacher listing $530 (January - October 2012) 

Studio listing $1,050 (January - October 2012) 

Advertisements should be submitted as high resolution (300 dpi) tif files (no pdf or ai files please). 

Advertising fees are payable in Hong Kong dollars only to: Namaskar c/o Carol Adams, 1/F 46 Leung Fai 

Ting Lower Road, Clearwater Bay, Hong Kong 

For more information contact Carol on (852) 9137 9992 /carol@caroladams.hk or Frances (852) 9460 1967 

/ fgairns@netvigator.com 

45

Wyndham Street 

t: (852) 2971 0055 

25/F Soundwill Plaza, 38 Russell 

St, Causeway Bay 

t: (852) 2970 2299 

14/F Peninsula Office Tower, 18 

Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, 

Kowloon 

t: (852) 8129 8800 

9/F Langham Place Office 

Tower, 8 Argyle Street, Kowloon 

t: (852) 3691 3691 

4/F Lincoln House, TaiKoo 

Place, 979 King’s Rd, Quarry Bay 

t: (852) 8129 1188 

Singapore 

391A Orchard Road, #18-00 

Ngee Ann City Tower A 

t: (65) 6733 8863 

30 Raffles Place, 04-00 Chevron 

House 

t: (65) 6304 2257 

Taiwan 

151 Chung Hsiao East Road, Sec 

4, Taipei 

t: (886) 02 8161 7888 

Jenny Rockowitz 

Group and privates at Flex 

d: Wong Chuk Hang 

s:Yin Yang, Vinyasa, Hatha 

l: English 

e: info@flexhk.com 

w: www.flexhk.com 

Jenny Smith 

s:Children’s Yoga teacher: Hatha 

RYT200 & Radiant Child Yoga 

Program (RCYP) Facilitator- 

Kundalini 

l: English 

t: +852 6973 1792 

e: info@geckogyoga.com 

w: www.geckoyoga.com 

SHAKTI HEALING 

CIRCLE 

3/F 34 Wyndham Street, Central, 

Hong Kong 

s: Kundalini, Qigong, Guided 

Kundalini meditation, Yoga for 

beginners, Restorative 

t: (852) 2521 5099 

e: info@shaktihealingcircle.com 

w: www.shaktihealingcircle.com 

SPACE YOGA 

26 / F, 27 An-Ho Road, Section 

1, Taipei 106, Taiwan 

s: Hatha, Ashtanga, Anusara 

Inspired, Flow, Yin, Restorative, 

Power, Hot, Meditation, 

Pranayama, Virya Sadhana, and 

Yoga Dance 

l: English, Mandarin 

t: (886) 2 2773.8108 

e: info@withinspace.com 

w: www.withinspace.com 

w: www.yogaroomhk.com 

TRUE YOGA 

Singapore 

9 Scotts Road, Level 4, Pacific 

Plaza 228210 

t: (65) 6733 9555 

10 Collyer Quay, Level 4, Ocean 

Financial Centre 049315 

t: (65) 6536 3390 

Taiwan 

563 Chung Hsiao East Road, 

Section 4, 1st & 2nd floor 

Taipei, Taiwan 

t :(886) 22764 8888 

No. 337 Nanking East Road 

Section 3, 9th & 10th Floor 

Taipei, Taiwan 

t: (886) 22716 1234 

s: Hatha, Power, Ashtanga, 

Vinyasa, Yin, Gentle, Flow, Yoga 

Dance, Pre-natal 

e: operations@trueyoga.com.sg 

w: www.trueyoga.com.sg / 

www.trueyoga.com.tw 

Wai-Ling Tse 

Freelance, Privates and Groups 

d: Hong Kong 

s: Sivananda certified, Hatha, 

Svastha Yoga, Power, Hot, Yin, 

Pranayama and Meditation 


t: (852) 9465 6461 

e: wltse11@yahoo.com 

YOGA CENTRAL 

4/F Kai Kwong House, 13 

Wyndham St, Hong Kong 

s: Hatha/Iyengar clases, yoga 

teacher training workshops, 

private group classes, corporate 

health programs. 

t: (852) 2982 4308 

e: yogacentralhk@yahoo.com 

w: www.yogacentral.com.hk 

YOGA on CAINE ROAD 

@ COSMO KIDS 

1/F Jadestone Court, 138 Caine 

Road, Mid-Levels, Hong Kong 

s: Kids, Privates, Meditation & 

healing, studio rental 

t: (852) 2915 8138 

e: ask@cosmokids.net 

w: www.cosmokids.nets 

To list your details here for the 

two remaining issues of 2012 

(June & October), please 

contact Frances on 

fgairns@netvigator.com 

The cost is HK$530 for 

individual teacher & HK$1,050 

for studio. 

THE BREATHING ROOM 

42A Joo Chiat Place, 

Singapore 427766 

s: Prenatal, Vinyasa, Yin, Kids, 

and AromaYoga. 

t: (65) 8112 5827 

e: ashley@sacredfunk.com 

w: www.sacredfunk.com 

THE YOGA ROOM 

3 & 4/F Xiu Ping Commercial 

Bld, 104 Jervois St, Sheung Wan, 

Hong Kong 

s:Hatha, Ashtanga, Yin, Yin 

Yang, Hota, Vinyasa, Asana & 

Pranayama, Yoga Therapy, Pilate, 

Pre- & Post-natal, Mom & Baby, 

Yoga Kids, Belly dance & more 

t: (852) 2544 8398 

e: info@yogaroomhk.com 

46

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48

Namaskar April 2012

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