Namaskar - July 2017
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namaskar<br />
A VOICE FOR THE YOGA COMMUNITY OF ASIA <strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong><br />
TWELVE YEARS IN A CAVE<br />
Part two of an interview with Buddhist nun<br />
Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo..................................p16<br />
WANT TO TEACH AT A FESTIVAL<br />
Five tips for securing a yoga festival teaching gig<br />
and making it an enjoyable success..................p19<br />
DHYANA & DHARANA<br />
Six contributors share their explanation and<br />
experience on these close cousins..............p28<br />
Summer’s here, Samrat Dasgupta at the beach in Phuket. Photo by Siuman Yuen
2 NAMASKAR
NAMASKAR - JULY <strong>2017</strong><br />
LETTER FROM<br />
THE EDITOR<br />
Four of us shaved our heads to<br />
raise money for a dog charity.<br />
It was a really fun way to help<br />
beings other than ourselves.<br />
The charity we supported is called Sai Kung<br />
Strays. Based in Hong Kong it cares for 100<br />
dogs, and looks for foster families and homes<br />
for even more. If you feel inclined to support<br />
the cause, visit www.justgiving.com/<br />
shaveforstrays<br />
The experience was also an opportunity to<br />
think about some of the non-asana teachings<br />
of yoga. Aparigraha, non-attachment, is the<br />
first thing which comes to mind. To let go<br />
something which so defines most of us is a<br />
scary thing. But it’s a safe scary, afterall there’s no risk of getting hurt and your hair grows<br />
back. There’s a truthfulness (satya) to having no hair. This is it, no hair to hide behind or to<br />
distract anyone from seeing the true, whole me. Then there’s the saucha, or cleanliness, of<br />
being bald. It feels fantastic, especially in the hot, humid summer of Hong Kong. It’s super<br />
easy to keep clean, no shampoo or hair products of any kind necessary. In a way there’s less<br />
consumption. And I feel a sense of contentment (santosha), at doing something which feels so<br />
comfortable even if less socially acceptable, instead of always doing what’s more accepted but<br />
less comfortable. (Wearing high heels or make-up to name just two.)<br />
Sometimes the teachings of yoga seem so distant and irrelevant to us. It takes time and effort<br />
to see the connection between our everyday lives and what we read about in yoga philosophy<br />
text. I hope the seven Dristi articles on Dharana and Dhyana prove informative and inspiring<br />
in making some connection to spirituality for some readers.<br />
Equally inspiring is the second part of Tia’s interview with Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo. I<br />
particularly loved reading about the unexpected connection between her and Hot Yoga’s<br />
creator Bikram Choudhury!<br />
We celebrated the tenth anniversaries of Asia Yoga Conference and BaliSpirit recently. Thank<br />
to the organisers of both events for their valuable contribution to our yoga community.<br />
And finally I thank our contributors, advertisers and volunteers for their generosity with this<br />
issue.<br />
On the cover - Samrat Dasgupta teaches at Pure Yoga<br />
in Hong Kong. He also offers regular workshops,<br />
immersions, retreats and teacher training courses.<br />
samrat.dasgupta@pure-yoga.com<br />
In This Issue<br />
DRISTI - DHYANA & DHARANA<br />
FLEX YOUR MENTAL MUSCLE 29<br />
HOW TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE 31<br />
TRAINING OUR MIND 32<br />
A SOMATIC APPROACH 33<br />
CLIMBING TO MEDITATION 34<br />
ROAD TO SAMADHI 36<br />
MASTERY OF MIND 36<br />
SPECIAL FEATURES<br />
JETSUMNA TENZIN PALMO 17<br />
Noted Tibetan Buddhist nun talks to Tia about<br />
yoga and Buddhism<br />
TEACH AT YOGA FESTIVALS 19<br />
Sarah shares top tips from travelling teachers<br />
QUESTIONS FOR A YOGI 24<br />
Art of Living Foundation’s Rishi Vidhyadhar<br />
talks to <strong>Namaskar</strong><br />
REGULAR CONTRIBUTIONS<br />
KULA UPDATES, WORKSHOPS,<br />
RETREATS, TEACHER TRAININGS 6<br />
PHOTO ESSAY 14<br />
AYURVEDA 23<br />
MUDRAS 43<br />
BOOK REVIEW 43<br />
TEACHER TRAINING 44<br />
RECIPE 47<br />
DIRECTORY 52<br />
ABOUT NAMASKAR<br />
ADMINISTRATION Carol Adams, carol@caroladams.hk<br />
NEWS EDITOR Wai-Ling Tse, wailing.tse@gmail.com<br />
CIRCULATION Angela Sun, angela.sun@gmail.com<br />
EDITOR & PUBLISHER Frances Gairns, fgairns@netvigator.com<br />
<strong>Namaskar</strong> provides a voice for the yoga community in Asia and<br />
around the world. The publication is an opportunity for<br />
practitioners on a yogic path to selflessly offer their knowledge,<br />
learnings and experiences with others.<br />
We welcome unsolicited submissions, therefore the opinions<br />
expressed within these pages are not necessarily those of <strong>Namaskar</strong> or<br />
its volunteers.<br />
Articles and photographs in <strong>Namaskar</strong> are contributed at no<br />
charge. Advertising income covers production, distribution,<br />
administrative costs and discretionary contributions to selected<br />
charities and causes.<br />
<strong>Namaskar</strong>, is published quarterly in January, April, <strong>July</strong> and October.<br />
About 5,000 copies are printed and distributed for free to yoga<br />
studios, teachers, fitness centres, retail outlets, cafes and yogafriendly<br />
outlets. Mostly distributed in Hong Kong, with 1,500 copies<br />
mailed to readers in 32 other countries.<br />
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 3
CONTRIBUTORS<br />
ANDY WILNER<br />
He looks forward to reuniting with<br />
Hong Kong practitioners this<br />
November, offering detailed<br />
workshops, daily practice,<br />
philosophical banter and laughs.<br />
dylanyo@gmail.com<br />
GABRIELLE MCMAHON<br />
Andy teaches yoga at pure yoga in<br />
hong kong. andy@pure-yoga.com<br />
AXEL HEBENSTREIT<br />
Gabrielle’s life work is yoga,<br />
meditation & natural living. She<br />
created bebliss 10 years ago and<br />
works with groups and individuals<br />
inspiring them to live their best<br />
life. gabrielle@bebliss.com.au<br />
teaches sanskrit and mudras for<br />
yoga for the yoga alliance and<br />
british wheel of yoga. She has<br />
written 15 books on bhakti yoga.<br />
kinkaridasi@hotmail.com<br />
LOGANATHAN PANDIAN<br />
chefmoy@allnood.com<br />
RONJA EICK<br />
HANSAJI JAYADEVA<br />
YOGENDRA<br />
Axel lives and works as a freelance<br />
photographer as well as an<br />
independent web designer.<br />
www.lichtseelen.com<br />
DYLAN BERNSTEIN<br />
An ERYT 500, physiotherapist,<br />
acupuncturist educated both in<br />
India and Hong Kong, Loganathan<br />
has been practicing yoga since<br />
child hood. He has been teaching<br />
since 2009 and conducts yoga<br />
teacher trainings.<br />
yogahkn@gmail.com<br />
Ronja thought she hated dancing<br />
until she happened upon a<br />
spiritdance soulsong class, and her<br />
life changed forever. She is<br />
currently studying music and dance<br />
at the Orff Institute near her home<br />
in Germany.<br />
SARAH MILLER<br />
Dylan has just returned to teaching<br />
yoga worldwide after a threemonth<br />
sabbatical through Africa.<br />
Hansa is the director of The Yoga<br />
Institute and a life coach. She was<br />
the country’s first and only female<br />
yoga guru to be invited by the<br />
Government of India’s first<br />
International Day of Yoga.<br />
info@theyogainstitute.org<br />
KRISHNAA KINKARIDAS<br />
Krishnaa lives in london. She<br />
studied with B.K.S. Iyengar and<br />
now runs classes in London and<br />
MOISES MEHL<br />
Moy is a yoga teacher and advocate<br />
of the raw vegan food lifestyle.<br />
The head chef of nood food, he<br />
was inspired by his grandmother,<br />
who was an agro-ecologist,<br />
vegetarian, soy and raw food<br />
pioneer, yogi and writer in their<br />
home Mexico. He qualified as a<br />
certifed Raw Vegan Chef and is<br />
studying for a Master’s Degree in<br />
Raw Vegan Spiritual Nutrition.<br />
4 NAMASKAR
Sarah is an author and<br />
transformational speaker. She is<br />
founder of The Unapologetic You<br />
and host of the podcast series on<br />
forgiving. When she is not writing,<br />
she is making friends with the<br />
person next to her in a cafe<br />
somewhere or headed to a body of<br />
water to learn. www.saramiller.me<br />
TIA SINHA<br />
has been studying and practicing<br />
the traditions of yoga and<br />
Buddhism ever since. Since 2015,<br />
she has been training in somatic<br />
meditation. She teaches yoga<br />
at Yoga in Common Singapore and<br />
is the co-founder of the Still<br />
Space. vaishaliiyer@ymail.com<br />
VALERIE FANECO<br />
namaskar<br />
Now on-line at:<br />
www.issuu.com/namaskarasia<br />
Back issues still at:<br />
www.issuu.com/caroladams<br />
Tia worked for Star TV in hong<br />
kong. In 2006, she took time off to<br />
study yoga and meditation. Tia<br />
taught Hatha yoga to the nuns of<br />
Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo’s nunnery,<br />
has been meditating under<br />
Jetsunma’s guidance and has<br />
translated some of Jetsunma’s<br />
talks and her biography, Cave in the<br />
Snow into Hindi.<br />
onlytia2@yahoo.co.in<br />
VAISHALI IYER<br />
A yoga therapist and teacher<br />
trainer certified in the tradition of<br />
T. Krishnamacharya, Valerie has<br />
been teaching for 18 years, training<br />
teachers for 10 years. She<br />
translated Frans Moors’<br />
commentary of the Yoga Sutra into<br />
English. She lives and works in<br />
Singapore. www.beinginyoga.com<br />
VINOD SHARMA<br />
October’s dristi:<br />
Successful & Spiritual<br />
• As yoga teachers, what can/should we do to balance our<br />
commercial success with our spiritual growth?<br />
• As the owner or manager of a yoga studio, what measures can/<br />
should I be taking to ensure the spiritual teachings of yoga are at<br />
the core of our offering, rather than the need to pay our bills?<br />
• Should our industry be more regulated for the integrity and<br />
longevity of yoga’s teachings?<br />
• Case studies - which teachers or schools seem to have found the<br />
right balance?<br />
If you’d like to contribute, please email fgairns@netvigator.com with<br />
the idea for your article.<br />
Contributions are also welcome on other topics. Final articles are<br />
welcome before September 10.<br />
Vaishali completed her 250-hour<br />
yoga teacher training in 2011 and<br />
Vinod is a qualified Ayurvedic &<br />
homeopathic consultant and an<br />
experienced yoga instructor<br />
practicing in Hong Kong for over 25<br />
years. sharma@ayuryoga-intl.com,<br />
www.ayuryoga-intl.com<br />
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 5
KULA<br />
Updates<br />
International Day<br />
of Yoga<br />
21 June<br />
The third International Day of<br />
Yoga was held all around the<br />
world on Wednesday 21 June.<br />
The intention of this day,<br />
mandated by the United Nations,<br />
is to raise awareness worldwide<br />
of the many benefits of practicing<br />
yoga.<br />
HONG KONG<br />
Free Guided<br />
meditation: Isha<br />
Kriya<br />
Saturdays and Sundays<br />
Isha Kriya is a simple yet potent<br />
process that has the potential to<br />
transform the life of anyone<br />
willing to invest 21 minutes a day.<br />
Daily practice of Isha Kriya<br />
brings health, dynamism, peace<br />
and wellbeing. A powerful tool to<br />
cope with the hectic pace of<br />
modern life.<br />
For more information<br />
(852) 5920 0385 /<br />
hongkong@ishafoundation.org<br />
www.ishafoundation.org/hk<br />
Kids Open House<br />
Day<br />
26 August (1-4pm)<br />
Flex studio, One Island South<br />
Flex’s instructors will teach free<br />
classes in kids yoga, aerial<br />
fitness, aerial arts and aerial<br />
yoga, and Allegro Pilates. Suitable<br />
for children aged 6 and up.<br />
For more information<br />
(852) 2813 2212 /flexhk.com<br />
/ flexhk.com/cms/flex-appeal<br />
Candlelight Yin<br />
Yoga class with<br />
David Kim<br />
22 September (8:15-9:30pm)<br />
The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan<br />
For more information<br />
info@yogaroomhk.com /<br />
www.yogaroomhk.com /<br />
(852) 2544 8398<br />
Special Outdoor<br />
Silent Disco Yoga<br />
Class with David<br />
Kim & The Yoga<br />
Room<br />
24 September (6:30-8pm)<br />
Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park<br />
For more information:<br />
info@yogaroomhk.com /<br />
www.yogaroomhk.com /<br />
(852) 2544 8398<br />
Revamped Yoga,<br />
Pilates & Fitness<br />
at The Landmark<br />
Mandarin Oriental<br />
A new ‘Wellness Series’ concept<br />
offering a breadth of holistic<br />
wellness events started in May.<br />
Offering an enhanced range of<br />
specialist Yoga and Wellness<br />
classes, from Pre-Natal Yoga and<br />
Spinal Health Yoga to Inversion<br />
Yoga and Primal Movement.<br />
Karen Dew, a newly- authorised<br />
Ashtanga teacher, will offer Pre-<br />
Natal Yoga, Spinal Care Yoga and<br />
Mysore Yoga programmes; while<br />
Nadine Bubner will continue to<br />
offer Hatha Yoga.<br />
A streamlined Yoga and Pilates<br />
schedule providing additional<br />
capacity for private fitness and<br />
yoga sessions will be introduced.<br />
The finale before summer will see<br />
the debut of Olympic medalist<br />
trainers’ sessions jointly<br />
presented with Joint Dynamics in<br />
the redesigned fitness centre.<br />
For more information<br />
mhkg-spa@mohg.com /<br />
(852) 2132 0011<br />
Fonting Yu won two passes to Asia Yoga Conference in June.<br />
Yoga Instructor<br />
Openings<br />
Yoga Privates is a provider of<br />
private Yoga, Pilates and<br />
personal training sessions and<br />
are seeking registered,<br />
experienced instructors to join<br />
their team.<br />
For more information<br />
info@yoga-privates.com /<br />
www.yoga-privates.com /<br />
(852) 6504 4280<br />
AYC for Free<br />
Fonting Yu was the lucky winner of two Asia Yoga Conference tickets<br />
from the quiz in April’s issue of <strong>Namaskar</strong>. Here she shares a little<br />
about herself:<br />
“I first developed a love for yoga after coming across Jivamukti Yoga<br />
Studio in NYC.<br />
From NYC to Shanghai to Hong Kong, Yoga has continued to become<br />
an indispensable balance to the busy pace of city living and for<br />
providing inspirational principles for daily life. I am especially<br />
grateful to <strong>Namaskar</strong> magazine for giving me the chance to see Sharon<br />
Gannon and David Life this year at AYC! I look forward to connecting<br />
with other members of the yoga community in HK and evolving my<br />
practice.”<br />
6 NAMASKAR
KULA<br />
Workshops<br />
HONG KONG<br />
Mindfulness for<br />
Children with<br />
Margaret<br />
3, 5, 7, 10, 12 and 14 <strong>July</strong> (3:45-<br />
4:45pm)<br />
The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan<br />
Mindfulness is the art and<br />
science of paying attention to the<br />
present moment. It is a life skill<br />
that can support you in your<br />
everyday life. This course<br />
introduces children to<br />
mindfulness and how it can help<br />
them.<br />
For more information<br />
info@yogaroomhk.com /<br />
www.yogaroomhk.com /<br />
(852) 2544 8398<br />
Hammock Yoga<br />
for Kids with<br />
Cindy<br />
3 <strong>July</strong>-7 August (6 Mondays:<br />
2:30-3:30pm)<br />
The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan<br />
This summer program is suitable<br />
for kids of 10-15 years. Exploring<br />
Yoga in the aerial hammock in a<br />
fun way and learn mindfulness<br />
and self-regulation strategies to<br />
help today’s teen develop both<br />
mentally and physically.<br />
For more information:<br />
info@yogaroomhk.com /<br />
www.yogaroomhk.com /<br />
(852) 2544 8398<br />
Living in<br />
Harmony with the<br />
Seasons: Summer<br />
with Holly<br />
27 August (3-6pm)<br />
The Yoga Room, Sheung wan<br />
A Singing Bowl session with The Yoga Room & Sound Therapy HK<br />
This workshop begins with an alllevel<br />
vinyasa flow practice to get<br />
your energy flowing, followed by<br />
discussion on some traditional<br />
Chinese medicine theories such<br />
as the five elements, their<br />
corresponding seasons and the<br />
meridians. As well as exploring<br />
the relationship between<br />
seasonal changes and your yoga<br />
practice, and will end with a<br />
relaxing yin and myofascial<br />
release practice. Cost: HK$580<br />
For more information:<br />
info@yogaroomhk.com /<br />
www.yogaroomhk.com /<br />
(852) 2544 8398<br />
Singing Bowl<br />
Workshop<br />
The Yoga Room & Sound<br />
Therapy HK<br />
27 August (0:00am-6:30pm)<br />
Sound Therapy HK Center, Wan<br />
Chai<br />
Benefits of sound therapy<br />
towards body, emotion, mind and<br />
spirituality and the theories<br />
behind, and basic techniques of<br />
playing a singing bowl and selfhealing<br />
techniques will be<br />
detailed. A 30-minute group<br />
sound spa will also be included.<br />
For more information:<br />
info@yogaroomhk.com /<br />
www.yogaroomhk.com /<br />
(852) 2544 8398<br />
A Weekend of<br />
AntiGravity<br />
Workshops with<br />
Tamer Begum<br />
The Yoga Room<br />
11 November - AntiGravity®<br />
Fitness Flips, Tricks and Safety<br />
Tips Fusion Workshop<br />
12 November - AntiGravity®<br />
Aerial Yoga and Restorative Yoga<br />
Yin/Yang Workshop<br />
For more information:<br />
info@yogaroomhk.com /<br />
www.yogaroomhk.com /<br />
(852) 2544 8398<br />
Svastha Yoga:<br />
Therapeutic<br />
Foundations<br />
Programme<br />
17-21 November (8am-4pm)<br />
The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan<br />
The program is a part of the<br />
advanced 300 hour Svastha Yoga:<br />
Therapeutic Essentials Program<br />
registered with the Yoga Alliance<br />
and delivered in 7 intensive<br />
modules. Each module can be<br />
attended independently.<br />
Module 3: Internal Medicine &<br />
Breath: Anatomy, Physiology, and<br />
Sequencing of the Breath,<br />
Respiratory and Cardiovascular<br />
Disorders with Dr. Ganesh<br />
Mohan.<br />
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 7
For more information:<br />
info@yogaroomhk.com /<br />
www.yogaroomhk.com /<br />
(852) 2544 8398<br />
INDIA<br />
Morning Mysore<br />
& Immersions<br />
with Dylan<br />
Bernstein<br />
10 December-20 January 2018<br />
Samata, North Goa, India<br />
For more information<br />
dylanyo@gmail.com /<br />
www.stillnessinaction.com<br />
SINGAPORE<br />
Adjustment<br />
Workshop with<br />
James Figueria<br />
22, 23, 29, 30 <strong>July</strong><br />
The Yoga Shala<br />
James is authorized (Level 2) by<br />
the Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga<br />
Institute (KPJAYI) in Mysore,<br />
India. With over 25 years of<br />
teaching experience behind him<br />
as a former USA Gymnastics<br />
men’s coach, and fitness trainer,<br />
For more information<br />
theyogashala@gmail.com<br />
TAIWAN<br />
Pranayama<br />
Weekend<br />
Workshop with<br />
Ranjan Kumar<br />
Singh<br />
8-9 <strong>July</strong><br />
Learn how to practice pranayama<br />
more safely with some practical<br />
techniques, and develop a deeper<br />
understanding of different<br />
pranayama methods.<br />
twenty-one teachers highlighted<br />
by Yoga Journal magazine helping<br />
to shape the future of yoga,<br />
Marla will help you advance your<br />
practice forward where the<br />
precise actions are coordinated<br />
to create the “symphony of life”.<br />
For more information<br />
www.withinspace.com<br />
Iyengar Yoga<br />
Intermediate<br />
class with Marla<br />
Apt<br />
29 September<br />
This class will cover a variety of<br />
poses to challenge you and<br />
deepen your knowledge of<br />
asanas. It is a perfect<br />
opportunity to elevate your<br />
practice safely and effectively<br />
with the refined Iyengar<br />
methods.<br />
For more information<br />
www.withinspace.com<br />
Yoga of<br />
Relationship:<br />
with Richard<br />
Freeman & Mary<br />
Taylor<br />
4-10 November<br />
Yoga is relationship; the<br />
continuous joining together of<br />
complimentary opposites<br />
resulting in layers of concentration,<br />
connection and insight.<br />
Explore Ashtanga yoga in its most<br />
vital, philosophical, and<br />
meditative form as only Richard<br />
could present in his uniquely<br />
insightful and whimsical way.<br />
Together with his wife, Mary, the<br />
depth and richness of their close<br />
to a century of combined yoga<br />
experience is beyond compare.<br />
Mindfulness meditation,<br />
pranayama, chanting and<br />
philosophy talks will be included.<br />
For more information<br />
www.withinspace.com<br />
The Forgotten<br />
Intimacy: Pelvic<br />
Floor Awareness<br />
with Leslie<br />
Howard<br />
11-15 November<br />
Reconnect with your mula (root)<br />
with the foremost pelvic floor<br />
expert in yoga. You will learn to<br />
locate, assess, soften, stretch,<br />
strengthen and exercise the pelvic<br />
floor muscles, discuss mula<br />
bandha, abdominal health and<br />
how to properly utilize the pelvic<br />
floor to create the correct<br />
foundation in asana and everyday<br />
movement. This is the true<br />
meaning of “core work.”<br />
For more information<br />
www.withinspace.com<br />
TURKEY<br />
Deeper: a 100-hr<br />
Immersion into<br />
Yoga with Dylan<br />
Bernstein<br />
6-29 October<br />
YogaSala, Istanbul<br />
For more information<br />
www.yogasala.com<br />
UNITED KINGDOM<br />
Weekend<br />
immersion on The<br />
Bhagavad Gita<br />
with James Boag<br />
10-12 November<br />
Merchant City Yoga, Glasgow<br />
James will focus on key, practical<br />
and inclusive teachings of the<br />
Gita: The ‘secrets’ of the yoga<br />
tradition; How you can<br />
transform difficulties into<br />
opportunities; Yoga as balance<br />
and skillfulness.<br />
For more information<br />
www.merchantcityyoga.com<br />
For more information<br />
www.withinspace.com<br />
Iyengar Yoga<br />
Workshop with<br />
Marla Apt -<br />
Rhythm of Action<br />
30 September-1 October<br />
Space Yoga, Taipei<br />
Don’t miss this wonderful<br />
opportunity to study with the<br />
former President of the Iyengar<br />
Yoga National Association of the<br />
United States! As one of the<br />
Richard Freeman & Mary Taylor will be in Taiwan at Space<br />
8 NAMASKAR
KULA<br />
Retreats<br />
Tabata Ogilvie leads women’s retreats in Byron Bay<br />
AUSTRALIA<br />
Women’s Retreats<br />
in Byron Bay<br />
September & November<br />
Byron Yoga Retreat Centre has<br />
initiated Women’s Health and<br />
Yoga Retreats. Facilitated by<br />
Tabata Ogilvie, the Women’s<br />
Retreat is a powerful opportunity<br />
for you to Connect, Accept, Let<br />
Go, Set Intentions and Nourish<br />
Yourself. The June and August<br />
weekends are sold out so book<br />
early for the September or<br />
November dates.<br />
For more information<br />
www.byronyoga.com<br />
CAMBODIA<br />
Yoga and Self-<br />
Discovery Retreat<br />
with Janet Lau &<br />
The Yoga Room<br />
13-19 August<br />
Navutu Dreams, Siem Reap<br />
This retreat offers a wellrounded<br />
program exploring ways<br />
to apply a meditative yoga<br />
practice to everyday actions such<br />
as walking, sitting, talking, and<br />
listening. Through these<br />
practices, we begin the process of<br />
healing. This will be an<br />
opportunity to learn more about<br />
meditation, mindfulness,<br />
spirituality, and living a more<br />
joyful and peaceful life.<br />
For more information:<br />
info@yogaroomhk.com /<br />
www.yogaroomhk.com /<br />
(852) 2544 8398<br />
Journey of<br />
Transformation<br />
15-21 October<br />
Song Saa<br />
Hosted by Flex Studio, this<br />
extraordinary journey will<br />
introduce participants to the<br />
Song Saa Foundation and its<br />
successful integration of<br />
philanthropy into a profitable<br />
business model.<br />
Daily yoga, led by Flex Director<br />
Heather Thomas Shalabi and<br />
instructor Michelle Ricaille - will<br />
ready body and mind to be open,<br />
creative, focused and receptive.<br />
Suitable for all practitioners,<br />
even beginners.<br />
For more information<br />
Kristine@flexhk.com /<br />
flexhk.com/cms/training-andretreats/<br />
(852) 2813 2212<br />
CHINA<br />
Mongolia Yoga<br />
Retreat<br />
29 <strong>July</strong>-7 August<br />
Jivamukti yoga in the Mongolian<br />
wilderness with internationally<br />
renowned teacher Emma Henry.<br />
Experience yoga, camp-fire<br />
kirtan and desert meditation.<br />
Sleep in luxury yurt camps and<br />
enjoy delicious vegan food. The<br />
perfect mix of yoga, healthy food<br />
and adventures. Horse riding,<br />
rafting, camel treks and hiking.<br />
For more information<br />
jools@reclaimyourself.co.uk /<br />
www.reclaimyourself.co.uk<br />
Return to Nature -<br />
Qing Cheng<br />
Mountain Yoga<br />
Retreat with Shiva<br />
Wang<br />
31 August-3 September<br />
Qing Cheng Mountain, Sichuan<br />
Escape the crowds and take a<br />
break at the magnificent spa<br />
resort, Six Senses Qing Cheng<br />
Mountain; visit the famous<br />
UNESCO World Heritage of<br />
Dujiangyan Irrigation System, the<br />
Taoist Pilgrim site in Qing Cheng<br />
Mountain, and the biggest<br />
Buddha statue in the world at<br />
Mount Leshan with Pure Yoga<br />
teacher, Shiva Wang.<br />
For more information<br />
www.pure-yoga.com<br />
Kamalaya’s co-founder Karina Stewart<br />
Awakening to<br />
your Essential<br />
Self Retreat with<br />
Karina Stewart<br />
5-13 August<br />
30 September-8 October<br />
Karina Stewart, Kamalaya cofounder<br />
and Master of<br />
Traditional Chinese Medicine,<br />
will facilitate two small group<br />
retreats Awakening your<br />
Essential Self later this year.<br />
With over 30 years of experience<br />
in the Asian healing and spiritual<br />
traditions, Karina’s approach to<br />
integral health and life-renewal<br />
inspires people to discover<br />
themselves in new and heartening<br />
ways. Within the group setting<br />
and one individual consultation<br />
each, Karina will gently guide<br />
participants in experiential<br />
practices and processes to<br />
discover, release and transform<br />
emotions, habits and patterns<br />
that no longer serve a fulfilling<br />
lifestyle.<br />
For more information<br />
www.kamalaya.com/awakeningretreat.htm<br />
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 9
INDIA<br />
Mother India -<br />
Journey of<br />
Discovery with<br />
James Boag &<br />
Yoga United<br />
16-24 January 2018<br />
Kerala<br />
James teaches yoga and applied<br />
yoga philosophy globally. Known<br />
for his inspiring, inclusive and<br />
engaging teaching style and<br />
holistic approach, his workshops<br />
and retreats include live<br />
storytelling, a principle-based,<br />
practical and inclusive style of<br />
asana/natural movement work,<br />
meditations and kirtan; all<br />
informed by years of practical<br />
exploration and dedicated study<br />
of Sanskrit and traditional yoga<br />
texts. Nestled between the<br />
Keralan backwaters and the<br />
Arabian sea, the resort, Cherai<br />
Beach, is situated in spectacular<br />
surroundings and within easy<br />
reach of Cochin, the ancient spice<br />
trading port.<br />
For more information<br />
www.yogaunited.com<br />
INDONESIA<br />
Full Moon Rising<br />
Retreat with<br />
Ocean and TT<br />
4-8 October<br />
Bali<br />
A magical retreat for the soul and<br />
bring lightness to your senses. A<br />
time to harness your inner<br />
adventurer and bring forth your<br />
bold and fearless self, with aerial<br />
yoga and yoga swing.<br />
For more information<br />
www.pure-yoga.com<br />
Yoga and<br />
Meditation<br />
Retreat with<br />
Charlotte Douglas<br />
13-17 October<br />
Love Life HK, Ubud, Bali<br />
Unwind the body, mind and soul<br />
with Charlotte, an experienced<br />
yoga teacher and yoga therapist.<br />
Starting the day with a gentle<br />
meditation before moving into an<br />
invigorating yoga practice, as well<br />
as nourishing the body with<br />
delicious food, rest the mind and<br />
soul in the surrounding nature<br />
Charlotte Douglas leads a yoga & meditation retreat in Ubud, Bali<br />
and finish each day with a deeply<br />
restorative evening practice.<br />
For more information<br />
(852) 6680 0340 /<br />
charlotte@lovelifehk.com<br />
NEPAL<br />
Tour Mount<br />
Kailash with<br />
Nirmal &<br />
Gabrielle<br />
September<br />
Experience of a lifetime, tour of<br />
the holy Mount Kailash, and feel<br />
your energy soar with Nepalese<br />
Yogi, teacher and Guru, Nirmal<br />
Gyawali and Gabrielle McMahon.<br />
All ages and abilities welcome.<br />
For more information<br />
gabrielle@bebliss.com.au /<br />
bebliss.com.au<br />
THAILAND<br />
Ashtanga Yoga<br />
Therapy Retreat<br />
with Michele<br />
Loew<br />
29 <strong>July</strong> - 5 August<br />
Samahita Retreat, Koh Samui<br />
This week-long session of<br />
philosophy study & practice will<br />
count as 20 hours of Yoga<br />
Alliance CEUs and credit towards<br />
Michele’s 500 hr. Teacher<br />
Training program. This is a<br />
YACEP approved course.<br />
Michele Loew has been a student<br />
and teacher of yoga since 1998. As<br />
owner and director of The Yoga<br />
Space in Portland, Oregon, and<br />
teaches their 200 & 500 Hr. Yoga<br />
Alliance Certification programs.<br />
For more information<br />
www.samahitaretreat.com<br />
From the Ground<br />
Up: Inversions<br />
with David Tilston<br />
23 - 30 September<br />
This retreat is designed to help<br />
you build confidence in your<br />
hands and increase the<br />
capabilities of your own body<br />
through breath work, led vinyasa,<br />
hand balancing and mobility.<br />
For more information<br />
www.samahitaretreat.com<br />
Yoga & Drawing<br />
with Sarah Pierroz<br />
7 - 14 October<br />
Cultivate an experience of<br />
peaceful expression. We will tune<br />
into breath and move the body to<br />
explore the nature of motion and<br />
stillness within, with guided<br />
classes at the start of the week<br />
and then moving into assisted self<br />
practice.<br />
For more information<br />
www.samahitaretreat.com<br />
Samkhya-Yoga<br />
Retreat<br />
22-28 October<br />
26 November-2 December<br />
Wise Living Yoga Academy,<br />
Chiang Mai<br />
Yoga is an integral part of a<br />
composite Samkhya-Yoga<br />
Philosophy, the oldest<br />
philosophical system in the<br />
world. This retreat includes<br />
theory and practice of Yoga<br />
techniques, vegetarian meals in<br />
residential basis.<br />
For more information<br />
(66) 825467995 /<br />
info@wiselivingyoga.com /<br />
www.retreats.wiselivingyoga.com<br />
Samkhya &<br />
Bhagavad Gita<br />
Retreat<br />
22 October-4 November<br />
26 November-9 December<br />
Wise Living Yoga Academy,<br />
Chiang Mai<br />
In this retreat, besides the study<br />
of Samkhya and many traditional<br />
practices and techniques, the<br />
student will be lead to dive deeper<br />
into Yoga as the Bhagavad Gita<br />
will be explained in the view of the<br />
Four Paths of Yoga, namely Raja<br />
Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga<br />
and Karma Yoga.<br />
For more information<br />
(66) 825467995 /<br />
info@wiselivingyoga.com /<br />
www.retreats.wiselivingyoga.com<br />
10 NAMASKAR
KULA<br />
Teacher Trainings<br />
October & 8-17 December<br />
60-hr Speak Your Truth:<br />
scheduled for 2018<br />
The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan<br />
Suitable for those who are ready<br />
to teach, already teaching, or<br />
those who want to gain more<br />
clarity of their life’s purpose and<br />
learn to cultivate harmony within<br />
and without.<br />
For more information:<br />
info@yogaroomhk.com /<br />
www.yogaroomhk.com /<br />
(852) 2544 8398<br />
enquiry@anahatayoga.com.hk<br />
AntiGravity TT<br />
with Tamer<br />
Begum<br />
The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan<br />
AG Fundamentals 1 & 2 on 14-17<br />
September<br />
AG Aerial Yoga 1 on 14-15 October<br />
AG Aerial Yoga 2 on 21-22<br />
October<br />
AG Restorative Yoga on 4-5<br />
November<br />
Byron Bay, Australia<br />
AUSTRALIA<br />
One Year 800-hr<br />
TT in Byron Bay<br />
Live, work and study yoga in<br />
Byron Bay! International<br />
participants can qualify for a 12<br />
month student visa when they<br />
sign up for Byron Yoga Centre’s<br />
fully accredited 800-hour course.<br />
This is one of the highest<br />
qualifications in yoga teaching<br />
recognised in Australia and<br />
internationally. Students attend<br />
two days a week and those on a<br />
student visa can work for up to<br />
20 hours each week.<br />
For more information<br />
www.byronyoga.com<br />
CHINA<br />
Kids Yoga TT with<br />
Karen Wightman<br />
8-10 September Module 1<br />
Pure Yoga, Shanghai<br />
Are you ready for a more<br />
fulfilling Yoga career? Make a<br />
difference in the lives of children<br />
and their caregivers.<br />
For more information<br />
www.pure-yoga.com<br />
HONG KONG<br />
300-hr Advanced<br />
Yoga TT with Ann<br />
da Silva & Keiki<br />
To<br />
7 <strong>July</strong> - Master Curriculum<br />
(mandatory)<br />
30 September- 8 October Yoga<br />
Therapy TT<br />
8 April-6 May 2018 - Yin &<br />
Restorative Yoga TT<br />
29 September-7 October 2018 -<br />
Prenatal & Pregnancy Yoga TT<br />
The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan<br />
Suitable for yoga teachers with<br />
200-hr foundation training.<br />
Modules can be taken<br />
individually.<br />
For more information:<br />
info@yogaroomhk.com /<br />
www.yogaroomhk.com /<br />
(852) 2544 8398<br />
200-hr & 300-hr<br />
Yin Yang Vinyasa<br />
Yoga TT with<br />
Janet Lau<br />
90-hr Yoga Sutras: 19-29 <strong>July</strong><br />
150-hr Mindfulness: 23-29<br />
100-hr Prenatal<br />
Yoga TT<br />
22 August - 28 September<br />
Anahata Yoga’s accredited<br />
prenatal yoga teacher training<br />
covers all stages of pregnancy,<br />
delivery as well as days of early<br />
motherhood. A practical and<br />
interactive course which<br />
will equip yoga enthusiasts to<br />
teach prenatal yoga safely by<br />
providing strong knowledge in<br />
anatomy and physiology.<br />
For more information<br />
www.anahatayoga.com.hk /<br />
enquiry@anahatayoga.com.hk /<br />
(852) 2905 1822<br />
300-hr Yoga<br />
Therapy TT<br />
1 September, <strong>2017</strong> - 29<br />
November, <strong>2017</strong><br />
Yoga and therapy may seem<br />
worlds apart, but through this<br />
course, participants will be given<br />
a good introduction to the two<br />
sciences as well as a solid<br />
foundation on which to build<br />
their knowledge.<br />
For more information<br />
www.anahatayoga.com.hk /<br />
(852) 2905 1822 /<br />
For more information:<br />
info@yogaroomhk.com /<br />
www.yogaroomhk.com /<br />
(852) 2544 8398<br />
30-hr Yin Yoga TT<br />
with David Kim<br />
21-24 September<br />
The Yoga Room, Sheung Wan<br />
For more information:<br />
info@yogaroomhk.com /<br />
www.yogaroomhk.com /<br />
(852) 2544 8398<br />
Evolve Yourself<br />
with Marcus<br />
Leung<br />
22 September-13 November<br />
Pure Yoga<br />
This programme will provide<br />
practical tips on how make your<br />
practice more fluid, your body<br />
more balanced in strength and<br />
flexibility, and make weight<br />
transfer during your practice<br />
more effective.<br />
For more information<br />
www.pure-yoga.com<br />
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 11
The Foundation<br />
Training for Yoga<br />
Teachers with<br />
Patrick Creelman<br />
& Rinat Perlman<br />
28 September-12 December<br />
Pure Yoga<br />
The Foundation is a 20-day, fulltime<br />
training programme. It<br />
offers a positive philosophy<br />
grounded in recognising life’s<br />
innate goodness combined with<br />
Universal Principles of<br />
Alignment.<br />
For more information<br />
www.pure-yoga.com<br />
Yin/Yang Yoga<br />
TT with Sarah<br />
Powers<br />
4-13 October<br />
Pure Yoga<br />
This intensive will deepen your<br />
ability to teach/practice both a<br />
receptive Yin style and an active<br />
flow with an interest in<br />
promoting a conducive inner<br />
environment for meditation.<br />
For more information<br />
sarahpowers.com/iyi/schedule-<br />
<strong>2017</strong>/level-i-teacher-trainingintensive-october-<strong>2017</strong>/<br />
Further: Genuine<br />
Inquiries into<br />
Yoga & Practice<br />
with Dylan<br />
Bernstein<br />
1-30 November<br />
Hong Kong<br />
For more information<br />
dylanyo@gmail.com /<br />
www.stillnessinaction.com<br />
Pre & Post-natal<br />
Yoga TT with<br />
Samantha Chan<br />
20-29 November<br />
Pure Yoga<br />
This course is delivered using a<br />
combination of face-to-face<br />
lectures, practicum, your own<br />
research, observation of classes,<br />
teaching practice and<br />
assignments.<br />
For more information<br />
www.pure-yoga.com<br />
SINGAPORE<br />
Tatva Yoga<br />
Prenatal Yoga TT<br />
28-30 <strong>July</strong><br />
The course covers anatomy and<br />
physiology of the pregnant human<br />
body, common discomforts of<br />
mothers to be and the poses,<br />
kneeling, standing, wall, inverted<br />
and restorative poses that will<br />
benefit both mother and baby,<br />
plus prenatal class sequencing<br />
and structure.<br />
For more information<br />
enquiry@onewellness.com.sg<br />
Tatva Yoga 200-<br />
hr Hatha Yoga TT<br />
4 August-17 September<br />
Taught over 7 consecutive<br />
weekends, this Yoga Alliance<br />
accredited course covers both<br />
theory and practice, includes<br />
posture clinics (focusing on 54<br />
basic and advanced asanas),<br />
lectures on pranayama, kriya,<br />
human anatomy and the history<br />
of yoga.<br />
For more information<br />
enquiry@onewellness.com.sg<br />
Yoga for<br />
Pregnancy, Birth<br />
& Baby TT with<br />
Michelle Papa<br />
9-17 August<br />
Pure Yoga Singapore<br />
This is a comprehensive and<br />
intensive training course for yoga<br />
teachers, aspiring yoga teachers,<br />
pregnant women, midwives,<br />
doulas and anyone interested in<br />
yoga during and after pregnancy.<br />
For more information<br />
www.pure-yoga.com<br />
Kids Yoga<br />
Training with<br />
Karen Wightman<br />
15-17 September Module 2<br />
Pure Yoga Singapore<br />
Are you ready for a more<br />
fulfilling Yoga career? Have you<br />
ever considered teaching<br />
children’s Yoga? Make a<br />
difference in the lives of children<br />
and their caregivers.<br />
For more information<br />
www.pure-yoga.com<br />
Pranayama &<br />
Meditation 30-hr<br />
CET with Michael<br />
& Aisah Sutton<br />
7-22 October<br />
Pure Yoga Singapore<br />
This program meets the<br />
requirements for Yoga Alliance<br />
30-hour Continuing Education<br />
Training (CET). Open to any who<br />
want to learn more about<br />
Pranayama and Meditation.<br />
Participants are required to be in<br />
good health, open-minded,<br />
committed to learning, and have a<br />
regular yoga asana practice.<br />
For more information<br />
www.pure-yoga.com<br />
Vinyasa Yoga TT<br />
New Angle Yoga, Singapore<br />
13 October-12 November<br />
Discover yourself, lead from<br />
your heart. Inspired by Baptiste<br />
Yoga TM , this 200-hour training is<br />
led by Dr. Trish Corley (US<br />
licensed physical therapist and<br />
yoga teacher) and is accredited by<br />
the Yoga Alliance.<br />
For more information<br />
www.newangleyoga.com<br />
Ashtanga Training<br />
& Workshop with<br />
David Swenson<br />
24-29 October<br />
Pure Yoga Singapore<br />
David Swenson is recognised<br />
today as one of the world’s<br />
foremost practitioners and<br />
instructors of Ashtanga Yoga.<br />
Come and discover an incredible<br />
experience of yoga, laughter and<br />
fun with one of the world’s<br />
foremost Ashtanga Yoga<br />
instructors!<br />
For more information<br />
www.pure-yoga.com<br />
200-hr Yoga<br />
Diploma Course<br />
November-June 2018<br />
Being in Yoga<br />
A seven-month course to learn<br />
yoga as an integrated physical and<br />
meditative practice, a philosophy<br />
and healing method, in the<br />
tradition of Krishnamacharya<br />
and TKV Desikachar. Detailed<br />
study of asana and pranayama<br />
techniques, including<br />
modifications, preparations,<br />
compensations. Course planning,<br />
sequencing, and teaching<br />
methodologies. Unlimited access<br />
to group classes (attendance and<br />
observation) for the duration of<br />
the program plus a one-week<br />
retreat in India.<br />
For more information<br />
beinginyoga.com /<br />
(65) 9830 3808<br />
The Foundation<br />
Training for Yoga<br />
Teachers with<br />
Patrick Creelman<br />
& Rinat Perlman<br />
16 November-14 January 2018<br />
Pure Yoga Singapore<br />
The Foundation is a 20-day, fulltime<br />
training programme. It<br />
offers a positive philosophy<br />
grounded in recognising life’s<br />
innate goodness combined with<br />
Universal Principles of<br />
Alignment.<br />
For more information<br />
www.pure-yoga.com<br />
Universal Yoga<br />
TT with Andrey<br />
Lappa & Copper<br />
Crow<br />
30 November-21 December<br />
Pure Yoga Singapore<br />
This 200-RYT course offers the<br />
full range of the yoga tradition<br />
and the practical modern<br />
methods for sharing this ancient<br />
practice with others. This<br />
programme compresses a vast<br />
array of yoga subjects and styles<br />
into a highly intensive course,<br />
offering a diverse training in the<br />
shortest time.<br />
For more information<br />
www.pure-yoga.com<br />
TAIWAN<br />
200-hr Yoga TT<br />
with Adarsh<br />
Williams<br />
5 August-3 September<br />
Space Yoga, Taipei<br />
This is a great opportunity to set<br />
up a clear base from which to<br />
practice, teach and live your yoga.<br />
Presenting the “way of yoga”<br />
rather than a particular yoga<br />
style, exploring the philosophy<br />
12 NAMASKAR
and methods of classical<br />
Ashtanga Yoga as well as<br />
contemporary modalities of yoga,<br />
science and wellness.<br />
For more information<br />
www.withinspace.com<br />
Module 1 Kids<br />
Yoga Training<br />
with Karen<br />
Wightman<br />
1-3 September<br />
Pure Yoga, Taipei<br />
Are you ready for a more<br />
fulfilling Yoga career? Make a<br />
difference in the lives of children<br />
and their caregivers.<br />
For more information<br />
www.pure-yoga.com<br />
Pre & Post-natal<br />
Yoga TT with<br />
Samantha Chan<br />
11-20 September<br />
Pure Yoga, Taipei<br />
This course includes face-to-face<br />
lectures, practicum, your own<br />
research, observation of classes,<br />
teaching practice and<br />
assignments.<br />
For more information<br />
www.pure-yoga.com<br />
Rainbow Kids<br />
Yoga TT<br />
6-8 October<br />
Space Yoga, Taipei<br />
A comprehensive, intensive and<br />
practical certification course,<br />
perfect for anyone who loves<br />
working with kids, and loves<br />
yoga. This fun-filled course will<br />
provide you with immediate<br />
tangible knowledge and tons of<br />
fabulous ideas to create original,<br />
captivating and fun yoga<br />
experiences for kids of all ages.<br />
For more information<br />
www.withinspace.com<br />
Ashtanga Training<br />
& Workshop with<br />
David Swenson<br />
13-22 October<br />
Pure Yoga, Taipei<br />
David Swenson is recognised<br />
today as one of the world’s<br />
foremost practitioners and<br />
instructors of Ashtanga Yoga.<br />
For more information<br />
www.pure-yoga.com<br />
Evolve Yourself<br />
Counter Flow<br />
with Marcus<br />
Leung<br />
9 December-11 February 2018<br />
Pure Yoga, Taipei<br />
This programme is a deep<br />
analysis of counter energy and<br />
will provide practical tips on how<br />
to harness it to make your<br />
practice more fluid, your body<br />
more balanced in strength and<br />
flexibility, and make weight<br />
transfer during your practice<br />
more effective.<br />
For more information<br />
www.pure-yoga.com<br />
Universal Yoga<br />
TT with Andrey<br />
Lappa & Copper<br />
Crow<br />
20 December-13 January 2018<br />
Pure Yoga, Taipei<br />
This 200-RYT course offers the<br />
full range of the yoga tradition<br />
and the practical modern<br />
methods for sharing this ancient<br />
practice with others.<br />
For more information<br />
www.pure-yoga.com<br />
THAILAND<br />
200-hr Classical<br />
Yoga TT<br />
9 <strong>July</strong>-4 August; 22 October-17<br />
November; 26 November-22<br />
December<br />
Wise Living Yoga Academy,<br />
Chiang Mai<br />
Wise Living Yoga Academy<br />
provides an “Ashram-like”<br />
environment, ideal for the full<br />
immersion experience in<br />
Traditional Yoga studies. This<br />
course provides foundation on<br />
Classical Yoga philosophy and<br />
practices, including meditation,<br />
asanas, pranayamas and simple<br />
kriyas. Programs are residential<br />
and include vegetarian meals.<br />
For more information<br />
(66) 825467995 /<br />
info@wiselivingyoga.com /<br />
www.teachertraining.<br />
wiselivingyoga.com<br />
Centered Yoga TT<br />
with Paul<br />
Dallaghan<br />
5 August - 2 September & 28<br />
October - 25 November<br />
Koh Samui<br />
A one-month residential training,<br />
which is preceded by pre-course<br />
assignments and preparation.<br />
This is an immersion in a focused<br />
learning environment — live the<br />
practice.<br />
For more information<br />
www.centeredyoga.com<br />
500-hr Advanced<br />
Yoga TT<br />
22 October-22 December<br />
Wise Living Yoga Academy,<br />
Chiang Mai<br />
This advanced course is<br />
conducted only two times a year.<br />
It covers the entire 200 hours<br />
program plus an additional of<br />
300 hours on Nature Cure,<br />
Shatkarmas, Ayurveda and<br />
Scriptural studies. The Ashram<br />
routine is followed and the<br />
trainees are guided deeper into<br />
their sadhana.<br />
For more information<br />
(66) 825467995 /<br />
info@wiselivingyoga.com /<br />
www.teachertraining.<br />
wiselivingyoga.com<br />
Marzena Kierepka teaches at Zenith Yoga, Hanoi<br />
VIETNAM<br />
200-hr Essential<br />
yoga TT with<br />
Marzena Kierepka<br />
8 September <strong>2017</strong> - 4 February<br />
2018<br />
Zenith Yoga, Hanoi<br />
The program presents<br />
foundation in the principals of<br />
asanas, pranayama,meditation,<br />
yoga philosophy, basic anatomy<br />
and teaching methodology. You<br />
will learn 40 basic poses deeply<br />
through alignment, safe way of<br />
using the props, adjustment.<br />
For more information<br />
www.zenithyogavietnam.com<br />
40-hr Advanced<br />
Yoga Teacher<br />
Training with<br />
Hart Lazer<br />
23 - 29 November<br />
Zenith Yoga, Hanoi<br />
In this module, emphasis will be<br />
on teaching clear and precise<br />
principles of alignment in both<br />
fast-paced movement practices<br />
and long-held supported<br />
practices.<br />
For more information<br />
www.zenithyogavietnam.com<br />
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 13
PHOTO ESSAY<br />
BALISPIRIT IS 10<br />
A decade of dance, music<br />
& yoga in Bali<br />
BY AXEL HEBENSTREIT<br />
BaliSpirit Festival’s 10 th anniversary was held in March <strong>2017</strong>. Over<br />
7000 people were drawn to Ubud, Bali’s cultural center to share in a<br />
transformational week of yoga, dance, healing and breathwork as well<br />
as devotional bhakti and world music evening concerts.<br />
I am very proud and excited to present my selection from this<br />
overwhelmingly beautiful festival. Most images are portraits because<br />
for me, the spirit of a festival is predominantly visible in the faces and<br />
body language of the people who co-create such an event with their<br />
presence, be it visitors, performers, volunteers, presenters or the<br />
organizers and crew.<br />
This festival shined with such artistry, attention to detail,<br />
professionalism, kindness and family feeling and I was so often left<br />
speechless. I would like to invite you to take a journey to this festival<br />
through my eyes as I feel I have captured the spirit well. For me as an<br />
artist everything aligned, the culture, the colours, the nature, the art,<br />
the beautiful people and artists, the locations and the light.<br />
14 NAMASKAR
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 15
16 NAMASKAR
INTERVIEW<br />
YOGA & BUDDHISM<br />
Talking with Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo<br />
BY TIA SINHA<br />
In the second part of this interview,<br />
Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo talks to Tia Sinha<br />
about her yoga asana practice in a remote<br />
Himalayan cave, the differences between<br />
Tibetan Yoga and Hatha Yoga and more.<br />
Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, a Tibetan Buddhist<br />
nun of British origin is a living legend. She<br />
ordained in 1964 in India at the age of 20. She<br />
became well known in the Buddhist world<br />
through her exceptional spiritual endeavour<br />
of meditating for 12 years (from 1976 to<br />
1988) in a Himalayan cave, 13,000 feet above<br />
sea level. Her biography, Cave in the Snow,<br />
written by journalist Vicki Mackenzie,<br />
chronicles her incredibly inspirational life.<br />
IN CAVE IN THE SNOW, YOU MENTION<br />
PRACTISING YOGA ASANA. COULD YOU<br />
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PRACTICE? WHO<br />
WAS YOUR TEACHER? HOW DID YOUR<br />
YOGA PRACTICE HELP YOU?<br />
Living alone in the cave required a lot of<br />
physical work such as chopping wood,<br />
shovelling away deep snow and carrying<br />
water. As a result I had quite severe lower<br />
back pain which was not helped by sleeping in<br />
a sitting position in a meditation box. So I<br />
realized that I needed yoga in order to deal<br />
with the back problems. I wrote to a<br />
bookshop in Delhi for their advice and they<br />
sent two books of which one was Bikram’s<br />
book on yoga. This was an early version and<br />
did not mention heat! This was fortunate<br />
because I was practising throughout the<br />
Himalayan winter. Anyway the first few<br />
months were agony - especially the cobra and<br />
all back bends.<br />
Nonetheless my body was telling me this was<br />
a ‘good’ pain and not to stop. Then one<br />
morning I woke up and moved and there was<br />
no pain! My body was completely without<br />
any aches and felt supple and strong.<br />
Throughout my retreat I continued with the<br />
hour and a half of Bikram yoga every day no<br />
matter what the weather and at the end of the<br />
retreat I could walk all the way down the<br />
mountain and back up again without even<br />
strain in my leg muscles (I had not moved<br />
from my cave compound in 3 years). Every<br />
cell in the body felt energized and alive.<br />
Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo (second from right)<br />
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN<br />
YOGA PRACTICED IN STUDIOS TODAY<br />
AND TIBETAN BUDDHIST YOGA?<br />
Tibetan yoga is very different from the<br />
traditional Hatha Yoga asanas. It is much<br />
more vigorous and active - not slow<br />
stretching. However kumbhaka [vase]<br />
breathing is emphasized.<br />
IS THE PRACTICE OF YOGA ASANA<br />
ALONE SUFFICIENT FOR ONE’S<br />
EVOLUTION?<br />
It has always been understood that yogic<br />
asanas are a preparation for the yogic<br />
meditation exercises. Of course using the<br />
asanas to develop mindfulness and relaxation<br />
can help to tame and train the mind but this is<br />
just a grounding for the more advanced<br />
meditation skills.<br />
COULD WE HAVE SOME WORDS OF<br />
ADVICE FOR YOGA PRACTITIONERS,<br />
PARTICULARLY THOSE LIVING IN BIG<br />
CITIES?<br />
It is very important to have a regular yoga<br />
practice so the body acclimatizes and<br />
remains supple. So a few minutes every day<br />
is probably more helpful than an hour or two<br />
once a week. Of course in Hong Kong many<br />
people live in small apartments but still there<br />
is always some space to practise. When I<br />
lived in the small cave I would move to<br />
different parts for different poses.<br />
Especially if we are sitting every day in front<br />
of computers it is essential to do stretching<br />
exercises. Our nuns in India also do half an<br />
hour of yoga stretching before breakfast.<br />
However it is also important to relax the<br />
mind so practise yoga with mindfulness,<br />
settling into the poses with calm awareness.<br />
Yoga was intended not just to make the body<br />
flexible but especially as an aid to cultivating a<br />
healthy mind in a healthy body. So during<br />
your yoga session also attend to the breath<br />
and maintain a relaxed attention.<br />
TWELVE YEARS IN A CAVE! SUCH A FEAT<br />
SEEMS UNTHINKABLE IN THE WORLD<br />
WE LIVE IN. IS A CAVE NECESSARY?<br />
The cave is not necessary but certainly<br />
prolonged periods of strict retreat can aid us<br />
in understanding and transcending our<br />
conceptual mind. In our ordinary life<br />
immersed in society there are too many<br />
distractions along with ways to avoid looking<br />
at the problems that lurk in the mind. In<br />
retreat there is no escape and we have to face<br />
and deal with whatever arises, whether<br />
blissful or terrifying. It is all empty<br />
phenomena but we have to experience and<br />
realize that.<br />
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 17
18 NAMASKAR
FOR TEACHERS<br />
TOP TIPS FOR FESTIVAL TEACHING<br />
How to take Yourself on the Road<br />
BY SARAH MILLER<br />
If you’ve ever dreamed of leading devoted and<br />
excited yogis from around the world in an<br />
exotic location, we’re going to break it down<br />
for you. We talked with Bali based yoga<br />
teacher and founder of Universal Empress,<br />
Nadine McNeil, as well as the power-couple,<br />
Sam & Sydel Weinstein, who have been<br />
training, teaching, and traveling<br />
internationally for 25 years.<br />
Using their combined 75 plus years of<br />
teaching, traveling and festival experience,<br />
we’ve compiled their favorite tips and tricks<br />
into a complete guide that will help you to<br />
show up fully aligned and ready to be present<br />
for each body, mind and soul who joins you<br />
on the mat.<br />
1. LAND THE GIG<br />
Go and experience the event. Nothing speaks<br />
better for you than your physical presence.<br />
While you’re there, connect with the<br />
organizers and let them know you’ll apply to<br />
teach for next event.<br />
When you apply: Start with your intention.<br />
Get clear on why you want to teach at a<br />
festival and what that special blend of<br />
experience only you can bring to the table is.<br />
What do you have that no one else does, and<br />
why does the festival need this?<br />
What relevant experience do you have<br />
teaching big groups or at similar events?<br />
What do these two combined mean for your<br />
presentation?<br />
Most festivals are looking for a special<br />
experience for their attendees. What about<br />
you and your teaching is unique? Focus your<br />
application around this.<br />
Do you research and connect with the history<br />
of the festival. How many years it has been<br />
running? What are the different components<br />
that it’s made of? Take a deeper look into any<br />
teachers who repeatedly return to the<br />
festival….feel into their style, their message,<br />
and what they bring to the mat.<br />
Also, get familiar with the culture and trends<br />
of the location it’s being held in. This will<br />
help you tap into the vibe of the local culture,<br />
the primary audience, and provide you with<br />
inspiration to prep for your teaching once<br />
you get the job.<br />
Take a look at your connections. How are<br />
you already a part of the festival community?<br />
Most of the line-up is selected through trust<br />
in the recommendations of their attendees,<br />
friends and other presenters. Do you know<br />
someone who can recommend you? Reach<br />
out and ask them to! This will make you stand<br />
out from the crowd. And yes, it is crowd. Big<br />
festivals get hundreds of applications.<br />
Apply ASAP. For an annual event, aim to<br />
apply a year in advance.<br />
2. INVITE YOUR TRIBE<br />
The Weinstein’s have found it particularly<br />
helpful to “promote the festival and yourself<br />
everyday on your website and Facebook. Talk<br />
about it at classes and have a sign-up sheet at<br />
your school.” In doing this, not only will you<br />
help to create a larger festival, you’ll cultivate<br />
a very well-received class.<br />
3. AIRPLANE/TRAVEL PREP<br />
Will you be traveling to teach? As fun as a<br />
change of scenery can be, it can also leave you<br />
feeling off balance and drained. In order be at<br />
your best during the festival, start preparing<br />
days ahead of flight or drive time.<br />
Nadine McNeil swears by Vitamin C and Zinc<br />
daily for a week prior to travel, and the<br />
Weinstein’s use a tea tree nose spray en<br />
route to protect against airplane/public<br />
space bugs.<br />
Nadine also recommends your own organic<br />
first aid kit and suggests items like: essential<br />
oils (lavender, peppermint, and tea tree),<br />
arnica cream, Tiger Balm, colloidal silver,<br />
and herbal teas for digestion. Having basic<br />
OTC medication like Tylenol is also smart to<br />
have on-hand. Nadine also sleeps with an eye<br />
mask when traveling, both on and off planes.<br />
And don’t forget your water. Bring your own<br />
empty bottle(s) and fill them up. Drink as<br />
much water as you can and make it a point to<br />
bring fresh fruit & snacks that keep you<br />
hydrated, nourished, and energized for the<br />
journey.<br />
Ssm Weinstein (seated right) teaching at BaliSpirit<br />
4. LAND AND ACCLIMATE<br />
Jet lag anyone? If anyone knows about this,<br />
it’s Nadine. She worked with the UN for 22<br />
years and suggests “if you wear a watch, set it<br />
to the current local time as soon as you land<br />
— it will help to balance you.”<br />
Get grounded by finding where you’ll be<br />
staying/sleeping and unpack your things.<br />
Then, surrender into your new environment.<br />
Get out and see what’s happening!<br />
Visit the area you’ll be teaching in so you can<br />
really get a feel for how you’ll set up. Think<br />
about how the room can help support people<br />
in relaxing, engaging, feeling comfortable and<br />
ready to enjoy their time there.<br />
Nadine has found it helpful to give yourself,<br />
“at least 48 hours to ‘land’ in your new<br />
territory.” During this period she<br />
encourages you to allocate plenty of time to,<br />
“connect with some of the main, known<br />
teachers within the community.” You can do<br />
this by, “attending a class or meeting<br />
teachers for a bit of socializing. Talk to<br />
people and engage the surroundings.<br />
Take ample time to be a part of the festival<br />
and share in the energy of the community<br />
that has shown up, but keep your<br />
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 19
oundaries. As tempting as it is to stay out<br />
and chat and dance, if you’re presenting it is<br />
imperative that you take ample time to rest.<br />
5. READY, SET, TEACH!<br />
On the day of your class, do what it takes to<br />
stay in your own center. Get up early so you<br />
can take things slowly and try not to<br />
schedule anything other than your<br />
presentation. Make your personal practice a<br />
priority. Eat foods that ground you. Stay<br />
hydrated. Double check your music playlist<br />
and take a look through your notes and<br />
sequencing.<br />
Arrive at your venue early to scope things<br />
out. Take note - your venue may not be next<br />
to a toilet so make sure you go beforehand.<br />
Use the time right before your presentation<br />
to become present to the experience of<br />
where you are and the message you are here<br />
to share.<br />
for you to set up a little info center. Sam and<br />
Sydel Weinstein recommend: “Have business<br />
cards with your email, website and other<br />
information, and a good looking notebook<br />
for students to write their emails. You want<br />
to make it incredibly easy to share with your<br />
students how they can come to your school,<br />
teacher trainings and retreats.”<br />
Be real with yourself. You may be a yogi, but<br />
you’re not superhuman. Have someone with<br />
you who can stand at your info table and help<br />
out with the business side of things before<br />
and after.<br />
You will have touched a ton of hearts and<br />
given your all for an amazing class….and your<br />
students are going to want to talk with and<br />
thank you. Mentally prep yourself for this<br />
ahead of time. Do what you need “to be<br />
present”, says Nadine. Attendees are often<br />
craving the attention of presenters. Be<br />
willing and prepared to expose yourself.<br />
Later, you can retreat to take care of you.”<br />
Remember the reasons you decided to take<br />
this journey in the first place, and allow<br />
yourself to have fun, be playful, and fill your<br />
cup with new experiences and relationships<br />
that are meaningful and inspiring.<br />
BONUS<br />
Taking the connections you make beyond<br />
the festival:<br />
Teaching at a yoga festival is not only an<br />
awesome experience, it can take your<br />
business to the next level if you plan<br />
appropriately.<br />
When you check out the space beforehand,<br />
make sure there is somewhere prominent<br />
Nadine McNeil (centre, facing forwards) leading a session at BaliSpirit<br />
20 NAMASKAR
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 21
22 NAMASKAR
AYURVEDA<br />
MIGRAINE FROM AN AYURVEDIC<br />
PERSPECTIVE<br />
Causes & Solutions<br />
BY VINOD SHARMA<br />
Migraine is a burning problem of the modern<br />
age, believed to affect at least one in 10 people.<br />
Generally, migraine results from excessive<br />
stimulation of the brain and pressure on the<br />
blood vessels. Migraine is usually associated<br />
with one sided throbbing headache, with<br />
nausea , vomiting and sensitivity/intolerance<br />
to strong light. These symptoms generally<br />
continue for a long time and recur often.<br />
In Ayurveda, we always try to find the main<br />
cause(s) of the issue and work on eradicating<br />
them.<br />
According to Ayurveda, migraine is the result<br />
of aggravation/imbalance of Vata dosha (air<br />
element) which could be due to suppressing<br />
one or more of the 13 natural urges that<br />
should not be suppressed, e.g. hunger, thirst,<br />
sleep, etc.<br />
Migraine can also be the result of aggravation<br />
of Pitta dosha (fire element), from extented<br />
exposure to hot sun or insufficient intake of<br />
water.<br />
Thirdly, migraine can also be from<br />
accumulation of excessive Kapha dosha<br />
(water element), due to incomplete<br />
evacuation. This results in formation and<br />
accumulation of Ama (toxic mucus) within<br />
one’s system.<br />
The first step is to find out the exact cause of<br />
this problem. Merely taking pain killers will<br />
not help in the long term. Pain killers may give<br />
temporary relief but in the long run they may<br />
cause more serious problems.<br />
So the question is - how do we find out the<br />
exact cause of the migraine?<br />
To correct Vata imbalance, prevent further<br />
aggravation of Vata or reduce the chances of<br />
it going out of sync in future, one should not<br />
suppress any of the 13 natural urges, e.g.<br />
hunger, thirst, etc.<br />
We should try to understand what happens if<br />
we ignore our hunger due to being “busy with<br />
very important work”. Our main objective in<br />
earning money is to have good food, decent<br />
clothing and proper shelter for ourselves. Of<br />
these basic necessities, the most important<br />
one is to have good food to maintain our<br />
health and give us energy to work. It is<br />
therefore ironic that many ignore our hunger<br />
in the name of work.<br />
When we are hungry, the Pachaka Pitta<br />
(digestive fire) in our stomach/bile is strong.<br />
If we do not supply food to pacify this<br />
digestive fire, that same fire will start<br />
burning the healthy tissues, called sapta<br />
dhatus (seven sustainers – plasma, blood,<br />
muscles, etc.) in our body. This will have a<br />
depleting effect on our health and energy.<br />
At first, this fire will burn plasma and the<br />
blood tissues in our body. Both these tissues<br />
are water element. When they are burnt, it<br />
will cause a drying effect on our system,<br />
resulting in aggravation/accumulation of<br />
excessive Vata (air element) in our body.<br />
When Vata is aggravated, it will put more<br />
pressure on the blood vessels, arteries,<br />
veins, brain, neurotransmitters, which can<br />
lead to headache/migraine.<br />
Similarly, for correcting Pitta dosha and<br />
preventing accumulation of Kapha (mucus),<br />
one should take some precautions like drink<br />
enough (not too much) water, particularly on<br />
hot days and specially when in the hot sun.<br />
But Ayurveda warns against drinking cold<br />
water and carbonated drinks. This could be<br />
harmful and could cause headache/migraine<br />
due to formation and accumulation of mucus<br />
in one’s body. How?<br />
According to Ayurveda, when our body gets<br />
hot, especially from within, we should not<br />
drink plain water (what to speak of cold<br />
water/carbonated drink). Because that water<br />
will have an evaporating effect causing<br />
formation of mucus. And that mucus will<br />
accumulate around the sinus, causing<br />
congestion in that region - this will result in<br />
disturbed oxygen supply to the brain<br />
resulting in migraine.<br />
And for eliminating Ama (toxic mucus) from<br />
our body, correcting the functioning of the<br />
digestive and excretory systems is required.<br />
For this, fasting is recommended in<br />
Ayurveda. This may sound somewhat<br />
contradictory, as earlier I said one should<br />
not ignore hunger and now I am saying<br />
fasting is recommended to cleanse/eliminate<br />
toxic mucus from our system.<br />
However, there is a vast difference between<br />
fasting and starving. Fasting means to<br />
willingly abstain from food for a certain predetermined<br />
period of time, while starving<br />
means to avoid food even when our body<br />
needs it. When we fast, the digestive fire in<br />
our body will be engaged in burning the toxic<br />
matter within our system. Whereas when we<br />
starve, undirected digestive fire will start<br />
burning the healthy tissues in our body.<br />
Besides some specific factors like those<br />
mentioned above, there are some general<br />
factors which can also cause migraine, like<br />
stress, sound pollution and air pollution.<br />
Ayurveda gives some general remedies to deal<br />
with migraine and also help prevent it :<br />
1) Start your day by getting up during the<br />
Vata period (2 to 6 am) preferably before<br />
sunrise. Drink at least half a liter of warm<br />
water on an empty stomach immediately<br />
after waking to pacify Vata.<br />
2) Have a light breakfast during Kapha<br />
period (generally between 6 and 10 am) to<br />
reactivate the digestive system and open up<br />
stomach muscles which have remained<br />
contracted for several hours during sleep.<br />
3) Have a proper lunch during Pitta period<br />
(between 10 am and 2 pm), preferably around<br />
noon or 12:30 pm, but not later than 2 pm.<br />
This is because from 2 pm, Vata period<br />
starts again and if we have lunch around/<br />
after 2 pm, this will disturb air circulation in<br />
the stomach and lower abdomen, resulting in<br />
bloated and uncomfortable feeling.<br />
4) Try to have a short nap (for about 15 – 20<br />
minutes) during the Vata period (2 - 6 pm).<br />
5) Have a light snack and/or a hot herbal<br />
drink, or just honey water (add 1 tablespoon<br />
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 23
of pure honey in a glass of room temperature<br />
water) around 4 or 4:30 pm, to keep Vata (air<br />
element) pacified/regulated.<br />
6) Eat early and keep dinner very light, like<br />
vegetable soup. Do not avoid dinner,<br />
especially if you are staying up late at night to<br />
finish your work/ assignments.<br />
7) Sleep early, and if you really need to stay<br />
up late, drink hot/warm water at regular<br />
intervals, to pacify Pitta (which becomes<br />
strong again from 10 pm) and prevent any<br />
Vata imbalance caused by the dehydrating<br />
effect of Pitta.<br />
8) Rub some pure sesame oil on the soles of<br />
your feet before going to bed, to induce and<br />
maintain uninterrupted sleep.<br />
9) If the migraine is due to excess heat,<br />
regularly massage your scalp with virgin<br />
coconut oil during the day and at night before<br />
going to bed.<br />
10) If the migraine is due to dryness in the<br />
body (especially in and around the head), do<br />
oil pulling for about 10 minutes in the<br />
morning with pure sesame oil, adding a little<br />
rock salt to it.<br />
11) If migraine is due to congestion in the<br />
sinus region, then use Ayurvedic nasal drops<br />
(e.g. shadbindu oil) and/or practice the Yogic<br />
techniques to cleanse the sinus, called Jala<br />
neti, followed by Sutra neti. Also, applying a<br />
mixture of pure honey and black pepper<br />
powder and/or dry ginger powder will help<br />
to pacify headache due to its warming effect<br />
on that area.<br />
INSIGHT<br />
EIGHT QUESTIONS FOR<br />
A YOGI<br />
Teaching by Example<br />
In Hong Kong recently was Rishi Vidhyadhar,<br />
a senior and prominent faculty of The Art of<br />
Living Foundation, who graciously shared<br />
his thoughts on eight random questions from<br />
<strong>Namaskar</strong>.<br />
Art of Living an international nonprofit<br />
educational, charitable, and humanitarian<br />
foundation, founded by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar<br />
and dedicated to serving society by<br />
strengthening the individual.<br />
HOW DO YOU FEEL AND WHAT DO YOU<br />
SAY WHEN THE PERSON/PEOPLE YOU<br />
ARE WITH START TO SPEAK BADLY OF<br />
ANOTHER PERSON?<br />
Life is of opposites. I take up the opportunity<br />
to educate people.<br />
WHAT DID YOU HAVE FOR BREAKFAST?<br />
Koki which is oat flour, oil, coriander, chili,<br />
salt and pepper made into a pancake.<br />
12) Have a balanced diet per your doshic<br />
proportion to avoid any imbalance of one or<br />
more of the thre doshas.<br />
13) If you need to go out in the hot sun in<br />
summer, make sure you drink enough water<br />
before going out. However, please refrain<br />
from drinking water immediately after<br />
returning from outside or after remaining in<br />
the hot sun, as this can actually cause<br />
headache/ migraine. You should wait for at<br />
least 10 minutes and allow your body to<br />
become cool before you drink water. If you<br />
cannot tolerate the thirst, then drink warm<br />
water or any hot herbal drink, but never cold<br />
plain water/drink.<br />
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST MEMORY OF<br />
WANTING TO SEEK A MORE SPIRITUAL<br />
LIFE PATH THAN MOST OF THE PEOPLE<br />
AROUND YOU?<br />
In 1992, I was 30 years old. I was in the textile<br />
and yarn business. I had financial success but<br />
I wanted more. Then in 1998 I attended an<br />
Art of Living course, and immediately<br />
became full time.<br />
WHAT IS THE OPTIMUM TIME TO<br />
MEDITATE PER DAY OR WEEK FOR A<br />
BEGINNING MEDITATOR?<br />
Twenty minutes in the morning and evening,<br />
under the guidance of a master.<br />
Is there any limit to the amount of time one<br />
should spend with a loved one?<br />
You should always balance the time you<br />
spend with others and by yourself.<br />
UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES, OR AT<br />
WHAT POINT, SHOULD A YOGA<br />
TEACHER CONSIDER ESTABLISHING<br />
THEIR OWN SCHOOL OR STYLE OF<br />
YOGA?<br />
For me, spreading the word of my master is<br />
enough.<br />
Rishi Vidhyadhar, Art of Living Foundation<br />
NAME THE BUSINESSMAN AND<br />
CELEBRITY YOU MOST ADMIRE.<br />
My father who was also in textiles and yarn<br />
and Albert Einstein.<br />
AT THE EARLY STAGES OF YOUR<br />
SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT, DID YOU<br />
REMOVE YOURSELF FROM THE<br />
COMPANY OF NEGATIVE OR DRAINING<br />
PEOPLE OR SITUATIONS?<br />
Yoga is like a lotus flower. In the water, but<br />
also out of it. You don’t have to leave<br />
anything.<br />
DOES THE WHOLE WORLD FEEL CRAZY<br />
TO YOU RIGHT NOW?<br />
The whole world is connected and the<br />
turmoil we face is the result of lack of Self<br />
Knowledge. We have to be one family, and<br />
celebrate the diversity.<br />
24 NAMASKAR
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 25
26 NAMASKAR
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 27
Debdatta Biswas in Paribarta Padanhusthasana. Photo by S.K. Wong<br />
28 NAMASKAR
DRISTI - DHYANA VS DHARANA<br />
FLEX YOUR<br />
MENTAL MUSCLE<br />
But first, look Deep within<br />
BY VALERIE FANECO<br />
DHARANA OR DHYANA<br />
How do we know which one ..........................31<br />
MIND TRAINING<br />
To stop overthinking......................................32<br />
BODY APPROACH<br />
In our body, in asana......................................33<br />
THE GATE TO MEDITATION<br />
Tools for understanding................................34<br />
ROAD TO SAMADHI<br />
Is it selfish to look inwards.............................36<br />
MASTERY OF MIND<br />
Hard work or a gift.........................................36<br />
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 29
When we introduce a topic, we often use a<br />
title or some sort of tag line. And when it<br />
comes to things and people, we like to give<br />
them labels: I am a yoga teacher, I have two<br />
kids, I like Italian movies…<br />
It was probably the same 2000 years ago<br />
when Patanjali composed the Yoga-Sutra, his<br />
famous treatise on Yoga. Therein Patanjali<br />
captures the attention of his students right<br />
from the beginning, introducing yoga in a<br />
brief sentence with a strong impact: yogah<br />
citta-vrtti nirodha, “yoga is the pacification,<br />
concentration and complete focus of the<br />
mind’s fluctuating activities”.<br />
The message is loud and clear: yoga has to do<br />
with the mind. The healthiest situation for it<br />
is calm and focus. Then what? Is our work<br />
done? Certainly not. Once it is in focus the<br />
mental instrument is merely fit to be<br />
sharpened through meditative practices.<br />
This process leads to the connection with<br />
pure Consciousness, yoga’s highest purpose.<br />
This sums up yoga’s general approach.<br />
Now, the method.<br />
Practice is made of eight components. The<br />
first five are considered “external” because<br />
they frame our behaviour: rules of conduct<br />
(yama), lifestyle choices (niyama), physical<br />
exercises (asana), breathing techniques to<br />
work with energy (pranayama) and control<br />
of the sensory functions (pratyahara).<br />
Breath and control of the senses are -<br />
relatively speaking - more “internal” than the<br />
first three because they require a certain<br />
amount of self-awareness.<br />
There are three more fully-fledged “internal”<br />
practices: concentration (dharana),<br />
meditation (dhyana), and the highest state<br />
where the meditator is completely absorbed<br />
in his object of meditation (samadhi).<br />
For maximum benefit these eight limbs are<br />
not to be practiced separately, one rung of<br />
the ladder leading to the next, as it has<br />
sometimes been said. Profound<br />
transformation happens when we are<br />
simultaneously engaged in all of them at the<br />
same time. Of course students usually start<br />
by working with posture and breath because<br />
they are more accessible for the majority,<br />
especially when they start at a young age<br />
(which was the case in Patanjali’s time). We<br />
never discard them entirely, but gradually<br />
increase the ratio of meditative practices to<br />
make our mind perfectly pure, eventually.<br />
“I cannot meditate because I cannot empty<br />
my mind!”<br />
How does one meditate? A number of<br />
methods have become popular in past<br />
decades. Many of them are modern<br />
adaptations of yoga’s techniques. The media<br />
praise its benefits and doctors acknowledge<br />
its contribution to physical and mental<br />
health. Some big firms make time for it in<br />
their employees’ working day, and some<br />
business meetings even start with a few<br />
minutes of meditation.<br />
Yet despite growing popularity meditation is<br />
generally considered difficult, especially by<br />
beginners who believe they must empty their<br />
mind in order to do it. But the idea one must<br />
empty the mind is incorrect. It leads many<br />
people to give up meditation soon after they<br />
started, coupled with the fact they jumped<br />
straight into it without having done the<br />
preliminary work of calming the mind. This<br />
would have the same effect as running a<br />
marathon if you never ran a step before in<br />
your life.<br />
As common sense dictates, you should start<br />
from where you are. The preliminary stage<br />
consists in appeasing what Buddhists call the<br />
monkey mind. It may take some time, and it is<br />
important to realise you cannot stop<br />
thinking, since after all the job of your mind<br />
is to think. A number of practical calming<br />
techniques are suggested in the Yoga-Sutra,<br />
but the list is non-exhaustive because (as<br />
Patanjali himself says - Yogasutra I.38), the<br />
possibilities are unlimited.<br />
STAGE ONE: TO CONCENTRATE<br />
(DHARANA)<br />
The first step is to choose an object that has a<br />
positive influence on you and make an effort<br />
to focus on it for some time. For example I<br />
might choose the lotus flower, a symbol of<br />
purity and harmony.<br />
I make an effort to focus on the flower, even<br />
if there are distractions such as sounds and<br />
other visual stimuli competing for my<br />
attention every now and then. Gradually, I<br />
manage to concentrate on it a bit longer, and<br />
the more I practice, the better I get. At some<br />
point (if I do it consistently) I can eventually<br />
stay focused on the flower for a few seconds<br />
without being distracted. But I should be<br />
aware it may take some time to get there.<br />
This is called dharana, concentration:<br />
training the mind to stay fixed on one thing<br />
and one thing only, instead of jumping from<br />
one thought to another by connections and<br />
associations, a typical pattern of the monkey<br />
mind.<br />
It would be wonderful to have gone this far!<br />
This pattern of concentration is an<br />
achievement in itself, so it would be fine to<br />
keep on applying it without taking any<br />
further step. But what happens when we take<br />
that next step?<br />
STAGE TWO: TO MEDITATE (DHYANA)<br />
When these few seconds of focused attention<br />
are gradually lengthened to a few minutes, it<br />
might evolve into something else: I am<br />
“grasping” this object. I start to acquire<br />
some of the flower’s attributes - peace,<br />
purity, harmony, coolness... It is difficult to<br />
describe this experience. At this point my<br />
mind is like a body of water with no waves,<br />
only ripples on the surface. I am deeply<br />
connected with my flower. I am so focused<br />
on it that I know it as I would know an<br />
intimate friend. Like a sponge, I have<br />
absorbed some of its intrinsic qualities.<br />
This deep connection is dhyanam,<br />
meditation. It is like moving towards the sun:<br />
the closer I get to it, the warmer I feel. But it<br />
is not a permanent condition and I cannot<br />
assume it will happen every time I attempt to<br />
do it, especially if I am attached to the<br />
memory of that state and try to replicate it.<br />
STAGE THREE: COMPLETE ABSORPTION<br />
(SAMADHI)<br />
Through sustained practice the meditator<br />
maintains this profound connection to the<br />
point where something else shifts, making<br />
him and his object of focus merge together. It<br />
is as if the boundary between the two of them<br />
has become non-existent. They are one.<br />
Several words have been used to refer to this<br />
transcendental experience but none of them<br />
can express what it truly is: beyond time,<br />
words and description. Even the wisest yogis<br />
do not attempt to do it. At this point, the<br />
mind of the meditator is not empty, quite the<br />
contrary. It is filled with the object and by the<br />
noble qualities that come with it.<br />
THE RAW INGREDIENT<br />
How do you choose an appropriate object of<br />
focus? Very carefully!<br />
No self-respecting cook likes to prepare food<br />
with second-grade ingredients. The end<br />
result might be edible but it would not be<br />
tasteful. Similarly, before you embark into<br />
meditation you should take your time to<br />
choose your object of focus, since you want<br />
to absorb its qualities at some point during<br />
the process.<br />
If it brings associations with unpleasant<br />
memories (smrti), if it triggers negative<br />
habits or subliminal patterns (samskaras and<br />
vasanas), or if you feel heavy, angry or<br />
imbalanced (tamas), it may be a sign that<br />
your meditation is not right for you. You may<br />
not even be aware of it and continue to<br />
“swallow” the poison without noticing its<br />
effect till further down the track.<br />
But it does not mean you should be afraid of<br />
trying! For concentration (dharana) or<br />
meditation (dhyana) to yield any benefit you<br />
first need to look deep within yourself and<br />
understand who you are, where you come<br />
from, and where you want to go. It helps you<br />
to choose the most appropriate “ingredient”<br />
for your meditation, a suitable object of<br />
focus. No matter how far you go with it, this<br />
first step is the most important one.<br />
30 NAMASKAR
DRISTI<br />
DHARANA & DHYANA<br />
How to know which we<br />
are experiencing?<br />
BY ANDY WILNER<br />
Many readers of <strong>Namaskar</strong> will be familiar<br />
with both of these terms, being two of the<br />
eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga expounded by<br />
Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. Interestingly,<br />
the first five limbs are all addressed in<br />
Chapter 2 of the Yoga Sutras – the chapter on<br />
Practice (Sadhana), whilst the final three<br />
limbs (dharana, dhyana and samadhi) are<br />
included separately in Chapter 3 – the<br />
chapter on Mystic Powers (Vibhuti). This<br />
separation may reflect the fact Patanjali<br />
considered these three limbs to be “internal”<br />
practices whereas the first five were<br />
“external”.<br />
So let us begin with dharana (the sixth limb),<br />
which means “concentration”. Patanjali just<br />
tells the reader: “Concentration is the fixing<br />
of the mind in one place” (Ch3. V1), without<br />
expanding as to the nature of the object, so<br />
we could concentrate on an external object<br />
such as a candle flame or alternatively on an<br />
internal object which we visualize. Again<br />
there is no further instructions given, so<br />
visualizing a physical object or maybe<br />
visualizing a personal form of God, for the<br />
theistically-inclined, are both perfectly fine.<br />
During dharana there is a clear separation of<br />
“subject” and “object” i.e. the perceiver<br />
perceives the object of perception.<br />
In the next verse in the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali<br />
then defines dhyana (the seventh limb),<br />
which means “meditation”: “Meditation is<br />
the one-pointedness of the mind on one<br />
image” (Ch3.V2). Unlike the earlier limbs,<br />
which are all separate discrete practices, the<br />
internal limbs are simply deeper states of the<br />
same practice. So, in meditation the image of<br />
the object on the mind remains<br />
uninterrupted and continuous. Here too<br />
there is still some separation between the<br />
perceiver and the perceived.<br />
However, the main difference between<br />
dhyana and dharana is in the latter, the mind<br />
can still lose its thread of concentration and<br />
become temporarily distracted, whereas in<br />
meditation the mind stays fully focused on<br />
the chosen object.<br />
As a side note per Edwin F. Bryant, a leading<br />
authority on the Yoga Sutras and other<br />
ancient Indian texts, readers will sometimes<br />
find dhyana used as a synonym for samadhi<br />
in some texts, but in the Yoga Sutras, the<br />
author is making a clear distinction that<br />
dhyana here is the penultimate limb, not the<br />
final one.<br />
The seven different types of samadhi<br />
outlined in Chapter 1 of the Yoga Sutras<br />
would require an extensive article in its own<br />
right, but suffice it to say once the meditation<br />
becomes so deep the meditator loses all<br />
sense of subjective self and becomes<br />
completely absorbed in the object, then the<br />
penultimate stage of total absorption has<br />
been reached. i.e. the perceiver (the mind)<br />
merges into the object of perception. The<br />
reader may wonder why the eighth limb is<br />
referred to here as ‘’penultimate”....is there a<br />
ninth?!<br />
Well actually yes. In this eighth limb of yoga<br />
we have attained samprajnata or sabija<br />
samadhi, but we are still in the realm of<br />
prakriti (nature) as the mind and the object<br />
are still both aspects of the manifest world.<br />
Per Christopher Wallis, a leading academic in<br />
this field and also a lifelong practitioner, his<br />
teacher Professor Sanderson of Oxford<br />
University makes a compelling argument that<br />
these eight “anga” (usually referred to as<br />
limbs) are actually indispensible “aids” in our<br />
practice of Yoga.<br />
Hence, the final culmination of these practice<br />
aids is the most profound level of samadhi,<br />
known as asamprajnata or nirbija samadhi,<br />
in which the meditation goes beyond the<br />
mind, and the object into which the mind has<br />
merged now dissolves completely leaving<br />
pure purusa (soul) to become aware of itself.<br />
At this ultimate stage purusa has decoupled<br />
from citta (the mind).<br />
If the previous paragraph seems a bit too<br />
esoteric for some readers, please feel free to<br />
completely ignore it, but I believe it is worthy<br />
of a mention, as most yogis are taught the<br />
eighth limb of yoga (samadhi) is the ultimate<br />
stage, but in this reading it is rather the final<br />
samadhi is the<br />
final practice to<br />
attain the<br />
ultimate stage<br />
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 31
practice in order to attain the ultimate stage.<br />
So can we skip the earlier limbs and get<br />
straight to samadhi? Apparently per Ch1.<br />
V23, this is possible by devotion to “Ishvara”<br />
(the Lord) whereby through the grace of<br />
God, samadhi can be attained. This concept<br />
was not new and can also be found in the<br />
Upanisads that pre-dated the Yoga Sutras.<br />
So it is fair to say Patanjali appears to have a<br />
theistic bent in his work and indeed he goes<br />
on in the following few sutras to explain the<br />
nature of Ishvara. It would appear whilst not<br />
claiming devotion to God is the only path to<br />
samadhi, Patanjali nevertheless encourages<br />
it, which is why he includes it in the practices<br />
of kriya yoga and indeed highlights it within<br />
the second limb of Ashtanga Yoga as one of<br />
the niyamas.<br />
So can we incorporate dharana and dhyana<br />
into our asana practice? In short, not really.<br />
Most asana classes are 60-90 minutes long<br />
and meditation accounts for 5-10 minutes of<br />
the total time (if included at all). Whilst some<br />
yogis claim that asana is a “moving<br />
meditation”, my own experience and my<br />
observations of students during asana<br />
practice is the attainment of such deep states<br />
of concentration is not achieved.<br />
DRISTI<br />
TRAINING<br />
OUR<br />
HUMAN<br />
MIND<br />
Dharana,<br />
Dhyana &<br />
Samadhi<br />
BY HANSAJI YOGENDRA<br />
the attainment of<br />
such deep states<br />
of concentration<br />
is not achieved [in<br />
asana practice]<br />
Asana is an external limb that acts as tool for<br />
the mind, together with pranayama and<br />
pratyahara, to help the yoga practitioner to<br />
prepare the mind for these deeper internal<br />
practices by calming down the chatter.<br />
Unless the yoga practitioner commits to a<br />
regular meditation practice, then I doubt<br />
they will get to experience the state of<br />
complete absorption into purusa, the<br />
process towards which is outlined by<br />
Patanjali...unless of course you are one of<br />
those deserving few who get “zapped” by<br />
God’s grace right in the middle of your<br />
headstand!<br />
Yoga believes the human mind needs training.<br />
Once upon a time there was a person<br />
travelling through a jungle. He was getting<br />
tried and decided to rest below a tree.<br />
Incidentally, it was a wish-fulfilling tree and<br />
suddenly his mind was active with thoughts,<br />
‘I am thirsty’ and suddenly pot of water<br />
appeared, he drank water and quenched his<br />
thirst. Then he thought ‘I am hungry, need<br />
food’ and food appeared. He was happy and<br />
satisfied his hunger. Now he thought let me<br />
rest for a while and then I will go further …to<br />
his surprise bed appeared and he slept and<br />
over slept. When he opened his eyes, it was<br />
pitch dark in the jungle and suddenly his<br />
mind was filled with fear. He thought, ‘I hope<br />
lion doesn’t come in front of me’ and lion<br />
appeared! Now, his mind filled with terror<br />
and he thought again, ‘I hope lion doesn’t eat<br />
me’ and guess what? He got eaten by the<br />
hungry lion!<br />
This is what human mind is, if it is not<br />
trained well, it destroys its own self.<br />
Overthinking fearful human mind is<br />
destructive. Hence, mind needs training and<br />
you need to train the mind by focusing on<br />
something.<br />
We need to pick our mind from everywhere<br />
by focusing on one object, this is the true<br />
essence of dharana. In the beginning the<br />
object is external, it can be a flower you like<br />
to see or breeze of air you feel on your skin<br />
or focus on any one sound you hear. So,<br />
dharana is when you slowly start to sit in one<br />
place and staring training your mind to focus<br />
on one particular object by using any one of<br />
32 NAMASKAR
your senses. Within few minutes of starting<br />
dharana most people’s mind starts to<br />
wander with different thoughts, for example<br />
I am getting late, I hope I catch the train in<br />
time, hope grocery store is open, where did I<br />
put my house keys etc. They might have only<br />
been sitting for two minutes, but they think<br />
it’s been a long time. So we start small with<br />
dharana, which can be concentration on any<br />
external object for short time with complete<br />
focus.<br />
The central idea is to be able to do this mind<br />
training for a very long period of time. It is a<br />
daunting task.<br />
We send our children to school. What are we<br />
aiming to teach them? When a child goes to<br />
school the first thing taught to them is to sit<br />
in one place and learn to listen to what<br />
teacher has to say. This is called dharana.<br />
When dharana is done for a long period of<br />
time it becomes dhyana or meditation.<br />
Dhyana is going from focusing of external<br />
object to the internal focusing, for example<br />
training mind to focus on heartbeat or<br />
breathe etc. The whole point is to keep<br />
focusing for a longer period of time.<br />
Chinggay in Downward Facing Dog. Photo by Anwar Sadhana<br />
DRISTI<br />
MENTAL PRACTICES<br />
Viewed from the Body<br />
BY VAISHALI IYER<br />
This is how we slowly train our mind. The<br />
idea is we remain without thoughts for a long<br />
period of time and this relaxes the mind. It is<br />
like a blank run and you are not thinking of<br />
anything. You are not worrying, you don’t<br />
have any pain or suffering, you are just trying<br />
to remain in a being state and aware state.<br />
This awareness is what is important by not<br />
allowing your mind to be running here and<br />
there is what we have to achieve.<br />
When you do dharana for a long time you<br />
train your mind for dhyana. When<br />
harnessing the power of dhyana by<br />
meditating for a long period of time by<br />
rejecting the external object or external<br />
perception and meditating purely on the<br />
internal leads to samadhi. Samadhi is<br />
achieved when you become one with that<br />
particular object.<br />
Last three steps dharana, dhyana and<br />
samadhi go together and you can’t separate<br />
them out. With consistent effort and training<br />
of the mind to focus and remain thoughtless<br />
they become very natural. Mind in such a<br />
state is totally free from worry, anxiety, and<br />
tension so the solution for all the problems<br />
in life is to become internal.<br />
Dharana, dhyana, samadhi empower your<br />
natural being by paving a transformative<br />
journey within. Patanjali reiterates everyone<br />
is capable of experiencing Samadhi, a<br />
profound moment where one unites with the<br />
higher reality, whole and fully aware, but<br />
without any thoughts or suffering. Ironically,<br />
we need the Yoga-journey to discover what<br />
was present within us all along.<br />
Patanjali’s ashtanga or the eight limbs of<br />
yoga are often taught as a step-by-step<br />
ascent, or a process of deepening<br />
interiorization which culminates with<br />
samadhi in formal sitting meditation.<br />
Many times we approach this framework<br />
sequentially, beginning with our action in the<br />
world, moving through asana and<br />
pranayama and only then into meditation. In<br />
this traditional understanding, the first two<br />
limbs happen “before” asana practice, and<br />
the final four limbs “after”.<br />
In other words, all of the other limbs happen<br />
around asana, and not during it. But what if<br />
we were to look at the eight limbs from<br />
within the container of asana practice? How<br />
would we apply them to our time on the mat,<br />
and is there any value to doing so? From my<br />
training in yoga and somatic meditation, I<br />
believe Patanjali’s framework is actually<br />
meant to be applied both on and off the mat.<br />
All eight limbs come into play during yoga<br />
asana, and at the same time, all eight limbs<br />
support us on our on-going broader spiritual<br />
journey.<br />
In this issue, we’re exploring the sixth and<br />
seventh limbs – dharana and dhyana. From a<br />
somatic [related to the body as distinct from<br />
the mind] perspective, dharana is a<br />
continuation of the fifth limb, pratyahara.<br />
Pratyahara describes the process of<br />
withdrawing our attention from the external<br />
world – what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch<br />
and think. This is usually done at the<br />
beginning of yoga asana practice, when we sit<br />
Patanjali’s<br />
framework is<br />
meant to be<br />
applied on and off<br />
the mat<br />
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 33
or lie down and gently bring ourselves into<br />
our inner experience using the breath,<br />
mantra, or meditation. In this way we let go<br />
of our external vantage point, in which we are<br />
looking out into the world, and slowly turn<br />
ourselves around to look inward. At the<br />
point of looking inward, we are practising<br />
dharana. Patanjali says dharana is directing<br />
the attention into one field or area (deshah<br />
bandhah chittasya dharana, YS 3.1). This<br />
area is the field of the felt body, which we<br />
know through the shimmer of sensations,<br />
feelings, emotions, moods, subtle tones and<br />
shifting, dancing energy. The felt body is the<br />
desha (field) to which we direct or bind<br />
(bandha) our attention (citta) during yoga<br />
asana. The next limb, dhyana, is a<br />
continuation of dharana – holding our<br />
attention continuously and directly within<br />
the field of the body (tatra pratyaya<br />
ekatanata dhyanam, YS 3.2).<br />
With this somatic, internal focus, we can<br />
begin our asana practice. Then, each breath,<br />
movement and posture is an invitation to<br />
deepen our attention to the body and liberate<br />
the life force held in its different parts. The<br />
more closely we enter the body, the more we<br />
can start to practice intuitively, moving in a<br />
creative flow of asanas as our body guides us.<br />
At times, we will be called to slow down and<br />
drop into the stillness of the deeper body.<br />
Here we may explore our forward folds, deep<br />
hip openers and inversions. At other times<br />
we will want to open out further into vivid<br />
energy, brightness and the sheer joy of being<br />
alive – taking us more vinyasa-style into<br />
standing poses, backbends, and arm<br />
balances. The important thing is we are<br />
guided by what we feel and not what we think<br />
or believe.<br />
We follow the prompting of sensations,<br />
energy and subtle awareness – this is how the<br />
body communicates and shows us where to<br />
go next.<br />
In Indian thought, the thinking mind is one of<br />
our six senses. Pratyahara, the foundation<br />
of dharana and dhyana, includes withdrawal<br />
of our attention from the domain of the<br />
thinking mind. This is because it the thinking<br />
mind just as “external” to our actual<br />
experience as our sight or hearing. We can<br />
see this clearly in our asana practice: there<br />
are times when our thinking interrupts our<br />
attention on the body and tries to take us<br />
somewhere else – into a memory, some<br />
pending project or some kind of mental<br />
analysis of the practice itself. The feeling of<br />
being captured by thought is much the same<br />
as the feeling of being distracted by a loud<br />
noise. Suddenly we find we are not in the<br />
body, and in fact, we are somewhere else<br />
entirely. This is often accompanied by a<br />
subtle tensing in the body, a feeling of<br />
discomfort or even the painful edge of a<br />
posture. At this point, we just deepen our<br />
breath, steady and soften our gaze and reenter<br />
the field of the felt body, reestablishing<br />
our dharana and dhyana.<br />
Through asana practice, we are turning our<br />
mind, again and again, to the inner, felt<br />
dimension of our body and our experience.<br />
Once we set the foundation of our asana in<br />
our felt experience of the body, then<br />
everything we do on the mat becomes an<br />
expression of our own life force. Over time,<br />
we start to sense the body as it truly is –<br />
totally alive, free, creative and boundless. In<br />
Patanjali’s words, this is the essence of the<br />
inner body starting to shine through (tad eva<br />
artha matra nirbhasam svarupa shunyam<br />
iva samadhih, YS 3.3), and the beginning of<br />
samadhi.<br />
DRISTI<br />
CLIMBING TO THE<br />
GATES OF<br />
MEDITATION<br />
The Question of Effort<br />
BY DYLAN BERNSTEIN:<br />
Dharana, concentration, and dhyana,<br />
meditation, play an absolutely vital role in<br />
many practices and lineages. Hordes of<br />
modern practicing yogis have come to adopt<br />
the Patanjali Yoga Sutra as something of a<br />
bible. Thusly, many know the terms and<br />
ideas within the context of Patanjali’s eightlimbed<br />
system. The pair also presents<br />
something of a contradiction. And like many<br />
paradoxes, we can peer into the mirror of<br />
their unresolved nature in order to peer into<br />
our own.<br />
Importantly, meditation is Patanjali’s<br />
seventh limb. From it, follows samadhi, a<br />
hugely valuable state, for it offers vivekakhyati,<br />
discriminative knowledge. Viveka is<br />
seen by some as the ultimate prize of<br />
Patanjali’s yoga. So, from this perspective,<br />
viveka-khyati is the ultimate reward,<br />
samadhi the most gracious means to that<br />
end, and dhyana the penultimate practice<br />
technique.<br />
We see a similar progression in Mahayana<br />
Buddhism’s approach to ultimate realization:<br />
full, complete Buddhahood. This ultimate<br />
prize can be approached through a set of<br />
perfections, or paramitas. The final and<br />
most valued paramita is wisdom, prajna.<br />
For many Mahayanists, wisdom is the most<br />
gracious means to Buddhahood. This prajna<br />
paramitas, or perfection of wisdom,<br />
paradigm values certain well-loved sutras,<br />
such as the Heart, the Lotus and the<br />
Diamond-cutter. The perfection of wisdom<br />
is said to crystalize the realization of<br />
emptiness, sunyata. And, more importantly<br />
for this article, the perfection listed just<br />
before wisdom is, indeed, meditation. So,<br />
from this perspective, Buddhahood is the<br />
ultimate reward, wisdom the most gracious<br />
means to that end, and dhyana the<br />
penultimate practice technique.<br />
In both Patanjali and Mahayana, meditation<br />
seems to be the gateway to the most refined<br />
understandings. From those lofty perches<br />
(either samadhi or prajna paramitas,<br />
depending upon your system), the final<br />
realizations can occur. I think it best to leave<br />
the comparison between samadhi and<br />
sunyata to another article, if not another<br />
author.<br />
From our widely-accepted gateway of<br />
meditation, we can trace both progressions<br />
back to the essential question of effort.<br />
Mahayanists list virya just before dhyana,<br />
that is, effort or vigor before meditation.<br />
Patanjali’s samyama complex begins with<br />
dharana or concentration. This<br />
concentration is usually seen as a more<br />
effortful, willful attempt to focus and<br />
refocus the mind when distracted. With<br />
34 NAMASKAR
time, the mind remains focused and needs no<br />
further re-focusing. Thus begins meditation.<br />
In either tradition, the listener is reminded<br />
of the importance of sustained, willful effort<br />
just before being taught the virtues of<br />
meditation.<br />
At this point, you may be tossing up your<br />
hands and thinking, “Well, that makes no<br />
sense. How can one glide into the effortless<br />
and open state of meditation by trying to<br />
squeeze the mind?” And so we arrive at a<br />
fundamental paradoxical question central to<br />
many transcendental teachings. How can we<br />
best pass through the gates of meditation?<br />
Shall we try to force down the doors with<br />
effort? Or are we better served to bide our<br />
time and somehow slip through effortlessly?<br />
I’d say both Patanjali and Mahayana give us a<br />
valuable clue here. First, apply the effort, and<br />
from there, effortlessness may arise. We<br />
must certainly somehow draw ourselves to<br />
the gate, perhaps even knocking and calling<br />
out (if one were to have faith in a gatekeeper).<br />
Effort is required to allow the conditions for<br />
meditation to occur. We may have to shut off<br />
the distraction screens, arrange solo time<br />
away from our family, find a suitable seat.<br />
Some may even practice countless<br />
preparatory asanas in hopes of building a<br />
more comfortable seated posture. For some,<br />
the very engaging physical practice itself may<br />
prove to be the seat upon which meditation<br />
may occur. But no matter what the<br />
challenges, becoming receptive to meditation<br />
almost always takes some work. And then, if<br />
one is fortunate enough to enter into some<br />
form of deep meditation, effortlessness can<br />
be experienced.<br />
Please note my shortcuts here. Of course,<br />
neither Mahayana nor Patanjali present<br />
anything so simplistic as a multi-step<br />
sequence to go through. Instead the limbs<br />
and paramitas are all to be practiced<br />
simultaneously. But I do believe the order in<br />
which they are taught gives us some clear<br />
indication of the progression towards the<br />
subtle and refined realizations offered.<br />
Also, getting a taste of effortlessness doesn’t<br />
mean that the stage of effort can be<br />
abandoned. As any experienced meditator<br />
will report, there are moments which require<br />
more concentration and moments which<br />
stretch on without any need for redirection.<br />
As a professor in University of Hong Kong’s<br />
sublime Master of Buddhist Studies program<br />
once put forth, it’s like riding a bike. There<br />
are some moments when your body must<br />
pedal and push. Then, after that, there are<br />
moments when one can simply glide. I’d add<br />
first you better hop on and eventually find<br />
yourself on the seat!<br />
meditation seems<br />
to be the gateway<br />
to most<br />
understandings<br />
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 35
DRISTI<br />
ROAD TO SAMADHI<br />
Is looking in Selfish?<br />
BY GABRIELLE MCMAHON<br />
DRISTI<br />
MASTERY<br />
OF MIND<br />
Hard Work<br />
or Gift of<br />
Grace<br />
BY LOGANATHAN PANDIAN<br />
What are the qualities we need to reach that<br />
enlightened state of being, known as<br />
Samadhi? Can being selfish and inward<br />
thinking help us to reach Samadhi which<br />
then enables us to be completely selfless?<br />
DHARANA, DHYANA, SAMADHI<br />
“When the chitta, or mind-stuff is confined<br />
and limited to a certain place, it is dharana”<br />
(Raja Yoga, Swami Vivekananda 1982, pg 70)<br />
While dhyana is “When the mind has been<br />
trained to remain fixed on a certain internal<br />
or external object, there comes to it the<br />
power of flowing in an unbroken current,<br />
towards that object”. (Raja Yoga, Swami<br />
Vivekananda 1982, pg 83) Samadhi is “When<br />
one has intensified the power of dhyana as to<br />
be able to reject the external part of the<br />
perception and meditate only on the internal<br />
part, the meaning”. (Raja Yoga, Swami<br />
Vivekananda 1982, pg 83)<br />
DETERMINATION, DEDICATION &<br />
PERSISTENCE<br />
If you aim to discover yourself, to aspire<br />
towards self-realisation, then determination,<br />
dedication and persistence are all required.<br />
It also takes, I think, the ability to be<br />
somewhat selfish. Selfish, in my opinion, is<br />
just an internal focus, but generally it has<br />
negative connotations.<br />
To realize this ultimate goal of selfrealisation,<br />
we must commit to our ongoing<br />
practice as our higher level of conscious<br />
living will benefit all those around us and<br />
beyond. This is a daily commitment to a more<br />
wholistic or spiritual lifestyle.<br />
NEW NEURAL PATHWAYS<br />
We can use the eight limbs of Patanjali, as a<br />
guide to a more wholistic life. Although it can<br />
be challenging to live a more spiritual life, to<br />
bring our thinking in line with yamas<br />
(abstinence) and niyamas (observance). Such<br />
as no harm to ourselves or others, to live an<br />
honest life.<br />
It’s the discriminative discernment of<br />
whether to hand in a found item, to give away<br />
clothing you are hoarding, not intentionally<br />
kill an animal or speak unkind words. It’s not<br />
always easy, but definitely possible with daily<br />
positive reinforcement we can begin to create<br />
new neural paths.<br />
RIGHT LIVING<br />
Is it selfish to choose to be in good company,<br />
or only speak and do positive and uplifting<br />
actions? Our attachment to worldly<br />
materials and related thoughts, words and<br />
actions, keep us bound to the cycle of life<br />
without us reaching our full potential.<br />
DISCRIMINATIVE DISCERNMENT<br />
We face choices every day. Often we need to<br />
put ourselves first, to take time for ourselves<br />
so we have the clarity and peace of mind to<br />
make the right choices. This is not selfish,<br />
it’s necessary for us to become selfless. As<br />
our consciousness develops, we can have a<br />
greater ability to make the right choices, and<br />
even as we move into the more subtle limbs<br />
of dharana and dhyana we still continue our<br />
daily commitment towards the other limbs.<br />
These Right Living and discriminative<br />
discernment principles were taught by<br />
Shivapuri Baba, a great Saint of India.<br />
If the path to samadhi is the ultimate<br />
selflessness and for the wellbeing of all<br />
beings, then the ability to have an internal<br />
focus and a degree of, what could be viewed<br />
as, selfishness along the path is necessary.<br />
FIND YOUR TRUTH<br />
We cannot live the way others think is best,<br />
we must live our own truth. I understand<br />
“truth” is the ability to see the reality of the<br />
situation at it’s most profound level.<br />
LIVING IN BLISS<br />
There are many obstacles we face on this<br />
road to self-realisation, however the<br />
principles of Raja Yoga are a road map.<br />
We have to make some tough choices to do<br />
the right thing, but more individuals with<br />
higher levels of conscious living make for a<br />
more selfless, peaceful and compassionate<br />
society. And that is something to worth<br />
working for!<br />
Present day life can be challenging for many<br />
people because of pressure from job, family<br />
and relationships. If overthought, these<br />
conflicts may lead to depression, anxiety,<br />
anger and phobias, which in turn can lead to<br />
physical ailments. Mental peace is the path<br />
through which one can acquire vibrant<br />
health, spiritual growth and inner happiness.<br />
And yoga offers great tools to develop and<br />
master our concentration.<br />
The mind is naturally preconditioned to<br />
wander uncontrollably on its own, unless and<br />
until it is controlled through self-observation<br />
and deeper analysis.<br />
Dharana, dhyana and samadhi are practical<br />
ways to achieve this, and are dealt with<br />
extensively in Raja Yoga, the Ashtanga yoga of<br />
Patanjali.<br />
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra 3.1 Desa-bandhaschittasya<br />
dharana translates as Binding or<br />
rooting the mind (chitta) at one place, or<br />
mind attention at one point on either external<br />
or internal objects.<br />
deshah = place, object, point, spot, bandhah<br />
= binding to, holding, fixing, uniting,<br />
chittasya = of the mind, consciousness,<br />
dharana = concentration, focusing, directing<br />
attention<br />
In this way one tries to control the thoughts<br />
which arise from the mind, and not allow the<br />
mind to brood or get carried away by<br />
thoughts. Through constant and regular<br />
36 NAMASKAR
Singing bowls are yet another tool to practice meditation. Photo courtesy of The Yoga Room<br />
students who practiced<br />
dharana just three months,<br />
notice improvements<br />
practice one can increase the power of<br />
concentration gradually to the next level<br />
called dhyana.<br />
Initially while sitting for dharana one will<br />
have very short moments of concentration.<br />
Distractions of the mind are very common,<br />
and one should not to be frustrated. It is very<br />
natural to concentrate on a point for a while,<br />
be distracted from that point, then try again<br />
to bring the mind to focus on that point.<br />
Gradually as the practitioner increases the<br />
duration of concentration, there are brief<br />
moments of calmness and peace, which is a<br />
good sign of dharana practice.<br />
Many students who have practiced dharana<br />
regularly for even just three months, have<br />
told me they notice improvements in how<br />
they deal with day-to-day life challenges.<br />
They don’t have as many conflicts and feel<br />
more focused in the moment.<br />
Dharana can be practiced on external<br />
objects, such as a black spot on the wall, the<br />
tip of a candle flame while sitting in a dark<br />
room, or any time on any object in daily life.<br />
Or one can concentrate on internal chakras<br />
of the body.<br />
The most effective is to focus on Ajna chakra<br />
between the eye brows (Chidakasha<br />
Dharana.)<br />
The Bhagavad Gita mentions this in sloka<br />
4.3 SamprekshyaNaskikagram which<br />
means looking fixedly at the tip of the nose as<br />
a point of gazing without looking around will<br />
steady the mind and develops the power of<br />
concentration. This is Nasikagra Dristi or<br />
nasal gaze.<br />
According to Swami Sivanada says<br />
concentration is the only way to get rid of<br />
worldly miseries. Concentration purifies<br />
emotional blocks and allows for greater<br />
penetrative insights to do any work with<br />
greater efficiency.<br />
He insists on purifying the mind through<br />
pratayahara (control of sense organs)<br />
before starting the practice of dharana. If<br />
not, he says the impurities keep coming to<br />
the mental surface and disturb the<br />
concentration. So as a prerequisite one<br />
should know sense control prior to dharana.<br />
When one can maintain one pointed attention<br />
for longer, one is ready for the next limb<br />
called dhyana or meditation.<br />
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra 3.2 Thathra<br />
prathyayaikathaanathaa dhyanam means<br />
the flood of only one thought in that place<br />
(desha) is called dhyana.<br />
Tatra = there, therein, pratyaya = the cause,<br />
the feeling, causal or cognitive principle,<br />
notion, content of mind, presented idea,<br />
cognition, ekatanata = one continuous flow<br />
of uninterrupted attention (eka = one; tanata<br />
= continued directedness), dhyanam =<br />
meditation<br />
Another way to say this is dhyana is the<br />
repeated concentration on one object of<br />
concentration with no distraction, while<br />
with dharana, there are moments of<br />
distraction.<br />
Dharana practice during yoga asana classes<br />
During my yoga classes I emphasis dharana<br />
principles to my students by asking them to<br />
focus on particular body parts in a yoga<br />
posture. The number of thoughts can be<br />
reduced by focusing on the particular<br />
posture, body part, such as muscle, joint,<br />
chakra or other things like a point in the<br />
stretch, sensation of grounding or breathing<br />
patterns.<br />
In my personal practice I always combine<br />
sirasasana [headstand] followed by<br />
sarvangasana [shoulder stand] and<br />
matsyasana [Fish pose] then shavasana.<br />
Later I do kapalabhati followed by<br />
kumbhaka [breath retention] which helps<br />
me enter a prolonged state of mental<br />
quietness and serenity.<br />
DHARANA, DHYANA, NEXT STEP<br />
SAMADHI?<br />
Sage Vyasa Muni says even the subtler stages<br />
of yoga can be attained by the gift of grace;<br />
“Yoga is to be known by yoga, and Yoga itself<br />
leads to Yoga.” When one gets the grace of<br />
god or a guru he will not need sequential yoga<br />
practices to obtain the higher revelations.<br />
Samadhi is possible for those aspirants who<br />
obtain the power of dhyana through years of<br />
practice or who’ve been lucky enough to<br />
receive the gift of grace.<br />
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 37
38 NAMASKAR
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 39
40 NAMASKAR
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 41
42 NAMASKAR
IN BRIEF<br />
MUDRAS<br />
BY KRISHNAA KINKARI<br />
dynamically with the hands held away from<br />
the body and the elbows up, a little<br />
statuesquely.<br />
The subject matter of dharana and dhyana,<br />
stages 6 & 7 of Sri Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga,<br />
is very interesting and a major key in yoga<br />
practice.<br />
Dharana or concentration/focus is a goal<br />
which can be reached through practice and<br />
technique, whilst dhyana which is<br />
absorption of the mind in undisturbed<br />
meditation, is the subsequent experience of<br />
that goal. Here the mind has gone beyond the<br />
‘cittav[tti’ mentioned in the second sutra.<br />
Mudra as a practice is particularly pertinent<br />
to this goal because the employed techniques<br />
rewire the mind so the energy flows along the<br />
suitable channels and enjoys an undisturbed<br />
passage. There is a very good reason for the<br />
sequence taught by Sri Patanjali. Each of the<br />
eight steps supports the next. They are all<br />
contained within each other but become<br />
progressively subtle.<br />
Mudra solidifies the practitioners intentions<br />
and directs energy until it matures and then<br />
constantly naturally flows as it should and to<br />
where it should. Again, dharana leads to<br />
dhyana.<br />
For example: when you are learning how to<br />
do an asana, first you get the anatomy<br />
aligned; then you feel the dynamics and then<br />
you can sit in that ‘chair’ for a while and<br />
breath into it: then it has its desired effect<br />
and in itself become a vehicle of dharana<br />
leading to dhyana. In Sri Iyengarjis classes<br />
back in the 1970s we did three postures only<br />
in a two-hour class. Now, even approaching<br />
my 70s those postures are as simple as piethe<br />
whole being is aligned to that upward<br />
flow and the asana lives through the<br />
practitioner’s patience.<br />
Mudras are a direct way to experience the<br />
uplifting effect of a technique. They enlighten<br />
in the progression of intention to the<br />
delightful result of total quiescence.<br />
Towards this purpose we will examine<br />
Matangi, Shivalinga and Atmanjali mudras.<br />
MATANGI MUDRA<br />
Fold both hands in prayer position in front<br />
of the solar plexus with the palms pressed<br />
firmly together and the fingertips upwards,<br />
but not touching the body. Let the middle<br />
fingers remain upright whilst all the other<br />
fingers clasp each other.<br />
The time of practice is limitless. Physically all<br />
the elements are united the two sides of brain<br />
and body are balanced and the intention<br />
bonds with an uplifting flow. The breath<br />
needs to be smooth, rhythmical and long.<br />
This mudra can transport to the temple of<br />
silence within ourselves. No other method of<br />
transportation is needed: much time, money<br />
and botheration are spared! Self-healing is<br />
also facilitated! No movement is required to<br />
go on a luxury retreat which renders us<br />
totally refreshed! As a responsible yogi you<br />
are freed up to truly serve!<br />
SHIVALINGA MUDRA<br />
Hold your left hand at stomach level with the<br />
palms up and the fingers forming a bowl<br />
shape. The fingers of the right hand curl in to<br />
make a fist whilst the thumb is held upright<br />
(thumbs up sign).Place the right hand in the<br />
bowl of the left.<br />
Apart from the obvious encouragement of<br />
energy upwards this mudra can counter<br />
fatigue, frustration, apathy and depression.<br />
The thumbs up sign comes from roman times<br />
when it was used to indicate that a gladiator<br />
would be allowed to live, in the arena.So it<br />
gives the mind motivation to proceed to<br />
intelligence and then yogic consciousness<br />
with the determination fuelled by the<br />
gesture.<br />
Can be practised whenever and wherever<br />
needed!<br />
ATMANJALI MUDRA<br />
Place the palms of both hands flat together<br />
with the fingers up and in front of the solar<br />
plexus. It can be done with the elbows down,<br />
touching the body and head bowed or more<br />
This is a simple and well known gesture<br />
which is becoming widely used and popular<br />
to express gratitude and humility. These<br />
qualities will hopefully be assumed by the<br />
focus upon them and then truly become part<br />
of the yogis natural consciousness to pervade<br />
their whole being and transmit from them<br />
contagiously into the increase in universal<br />
awareness.<br />
BOOK REVIEW<br />
DON’T LOOK<br />
DOWN ON<br />
THE<br />
DEFILEMENTS,<br />
THEY WILL<br />
LAUGH AT<br />
YOU<br />
By Ashin Tejaniya<br />
REVIEWED BY TIA SINHA<br />
You can meditate anywhere, anytime.<br />
Meditation is a marathon, not a 100m dash.<br />
When you interfere with the watching mind,<br />
insight cannot arise. Learn to watch<br />
objectively.<br />
You have to double check to see what attitude<br />
you are meditating with. A light and free mind<br />
enables you to meditate well.<br />
Ashin<br />
Tejaniya<br />
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 43
The Burmese Sayadaw, Ashin Tejaniya’s<br />
book contains guidance on understanding<br />
defilements. Defilements are not only the<br />
gross manifestations of greed, hatred and<br />
delusion but also all their friends and<br />
relatives, even the very distant ones.<br />
The book describes the correct attitude<br />
towards meditation. With wonderfully<br />
funny illustrations to emphasize various<br />
points, the myriad wrong attitudes that can<br />
arise from meditation are also described,<br />
often with great hilarity.<br />
Over 150 pointers to developing the right<br />
attitude towards meditation constitute<br />
almost half the book. Each and every one of<br />
these succinctly put pointers is hard-hitting.<br />
Each and every pointer could be a meditation<br />
in itself. Here is an example.<br />
‘Checking your attitude is also meditation.’<br />
And another.<br />
‘Why do you focus so hard when you<br />
meditate?<br />
Do you want something?<br />
Do you want something to happen?<br />
Do you want something to stop happening?<br />
Check to see if one of these attitudes is<br />
present.’<br />
TEACHER TRAINING REVIEW<br />
YOU CAN<br />
DANCE<br />
If you can Move<br />
BY RONJA EICK<br />
Three years ago, when I was 20, I wanted to<br />
go to Esalen to take a month-long work study<br />
in Gestalt Therapy. I applied, but the Gestalt<br />
program was full. A SpiritDance SoulSong<br />
group with Ellen Watson was happening<br />
during the same month, and they offered me<br />
to take that programme instead.<br />
I was imagining myself dancing like a real<br />
hippie with scarfs in my hands, spiraling<br />
across the room and singing songs about<br />
peace and love. I smiled, and my answer was<br />
short and honest: “Sorry, I am not dancing,<br />
please put me on the waiting list for the<br />
Gestalt Programme.”<br />
Two months later, I was at Esalen taking the<br />
Gestalt programme. I was very happy with<br />
my decision. I have never been a big dancer,<br />
and singing always made me nervous.<br />
One night, there was a SpiritDance SoulSong<br />
class in one of the big rooms. I had never<br />
heard of it before, and since my friends were<br />
in the class, I took courage and walked in<br />
alone. The music, which was making the floor<br />
vibrate, was metal music. I love metal music!<br />
I walked in, stood against the wall and started<br />
to move a little bit. When I realized no one<br />
was watching, I dared to move a bit more. No<br />
one looked at me; no one judged me. I<br />
stopped looking at them and danced. It’s<br />
hard to explain what happened. I guess it was<br />
the first time I truly danced — because I<br />
danced myself. And there was so much I<br />
needed to express. I went crazy!<br />
After that night, dance was my life.<br />
When I finally met Ellen, I knew she was the<br />
woman I want to learn from. She always<br />
makes us feel grounded. “We don’t have outof-body<br />
experiences here,” she says.<br />
I assisted and attended the SpiritDance<br />
SoulSong Teacher Training in 2014 and 2015,<br />
and Ellen Watson’s Esalen Massage and<br />
Touching Essence certification training.<br />
Now, back in Germany, I am attending the<br />
Orff Institute in Austria, studying music and<br />
dance pedagogy. I take drumming, singing<br />
and dance classes, I sing in a church choir,<br />
and I am learning to play guitar. I am sure<br />
what helped me so much can help others as<br />
well. I want to help people dance and sing. I<br />
want to help them become free. “If you can<br />
move, you can dance. If you can talk, you can<br />
sing.”<br />
Yet another.<br />
‘The meditating mind should be relaxed and<br />
at peace. You cannot practise when the mind<br />
is tense.’<br />
This is a rather light book about a subject<br />
that is not so light – meditation! A very<br />
practical and useful book indeed.<br />
Sayadaw U Tejaniya began his Buddhist<br />
training as a young teenager in Burma under<br />
the late Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw (1913–2002).<br />
After a career in business and life as a<br />
householder, he has become a permanent<br />
monk since 1996. He teaches meditation<br />
internationally and at Shwe Oo Min Dhamma<br />
Sukha Forest Meditation Center in Yangon,<br />
Myanmar. http://ashintejaniya.org/<br />
Easalen Institute, California<br />
44 NAMASKAR
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 45
46 NAMASKAR
RECIPE<br />
PRANA YOGI BARS<br />
Raw, Vegan & Delicious<br />
BY MOISES MEHL<br />
EQUIPMENT<br />
1 Food processor<br />
2 Mixing Bowls<br />
1 Pack of plastic wrap<br />
1 Tiramisu or similar square mold<br />
1 Scraper<br />
1 Spatula<br />
1 Kitchen Knife<br />
1 Cutting Board<br />
INGREDIENTS<br />
200g Sprouted Almonds<br />
100g Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds<br />
100g Cashew Nuts<br />
100g Cashew Butter<br />
40 g Chia Seeds (made into meal)<br />
150g Oats<br />
160g Raisins<br />
40g Goji Berries<br />
125g Dates, Medjool (soften in water)<br />
60g Maple<br />
60 ml Coconut oil<br />
60 ml Filtered Water<br />
1 tsp Cinnamon<br />
Pink Himalayan Salt or High Mineral Salt<br />
PROCEDURE<br />
Sprouting nuts and seeds<br />
Soak nuts and seeds in warm filtered water overnight to activate them<br />
and remove enzyme inhibitors.<br />
Step 1: Bar Caramel Ingredients<br />
In a food processor with the “S” blade, puree all the ingredients below<br />
until well incorporated.<br />
60 g Maple<br />
125g Dates<br />
20 g Goji Berries<br />
100g Cashew Butter<br />
40 gm Raisins<br />
0.5 g Salt<br />
60 ml Coconut oil<br />
60 ml Water<br />
1 tsp Cinnamon<br />
Step 2: Mix part of Nuts (excluding cashews)<br />
Add the 100g Almonds, 100g Oats and 50g Pumpkin Seeds.<br />
Process until resembles crumbs.<br />
Step 3: Mix by Hand in Bowl<br />
Transfer all the mixed ingredients into a mixing bowl, and add the rest of<br />
ingredients: 100g Cashews, 100g Almonds, 40g Chia meal, 120g Raisins,<br />
50g Oats, and 20g Goji Berries. Mix by hand until well incorporated.<br />
Step 4: Press and Refrigerate<br />
Cover your mold with plastic wrap, and place bar mixture inside.<br />
Use scrappers to compact and press evenly all over.<br />
Put in freezer for 2-3 hrs. Then remove and score into bite size portions<br />
and keep refrigerated and eat as you like.<br />
You may also dehydrate at 115F for 24 hrs. until desired moisture and<br />
crunchiness.<br />
Keeps refrigerated for 2-3 days<br />
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 47
DIRECTORY<br />
Guide to yoga studios<br />
& teachers<br />
ANAHATA VILLAS & SPA<br />
RESORT<br />
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia<br />
s: group retreats, yoga for<br />
private & corporates. Yoga<br />
studio available for rent.<br />
l: Indonesian & English<br />
t: (62) 361 8987 991/ 8987 992 /<br />
(62) 811 8748 910 / (62) 811 1442<br />
233<br />
f: +62 361 8987 804<br />
e: sm@anahataresort.com /<br />
info@anahataresort.com<br />
w: www.anahataresort.com<br />
ANAHATA YOGA<br />
18/F Lyndhurst Tower, 1<br />
Lyndhurst Terrace, Central,<br />
Hong Kong<br />
s: Hatha, Ashtanga, Yoga<br />
therapy, Yin and more. Groups &<br />
privates<br />
t: +852 2905 1822<br />
e: enquiry@anahatayoga.com.hk<br />
w: www.anahatayoga.com.hk<br />
ANANDA YOGA<br />
33 & 34/F, 69 Jervois Street<br />
Sheung Wan, Hong Kong<br />
s: Private and Group Classes :<br />
Yoga Therapy (neck, shoulder,<br />
back, hip, knee and joints),<br />
Hatha, Power, Ashtanga,<br />
Vinyasa, Detox, Yin Yang,<br />
Kundalini, Chakra Balancing,<br />
Pranayama, Meditation<br />
l: English<br />
t: (825)35639371<br />
e:<br />
adm.anandayoga.hk@gmail.com<br />
w: www.anandayoga.hk<br />
Anna Ng<br />
Privates<br />
d: Hong Kong<br />
s: Hatha yoga<br />
l: Cantonese<br />
t: (852) 9483 1167<br />
e: gazebofl@netvigator.com<br />
BEING IN YOGA –<br />
SINGAPORE<br />
Teaching yoga in the tradition of<br />
T Krishnamacharya and TKV<br />
Desikachar.<br />
s: yoga therapy (customized<br />
personal practice), teacher<br />
training (Yoga Alliance RYS 500<br />
hours+), in-depth yoga studies,<br />
small group classes for children<br />
and adults, workshops,<br />
meditation classes, Vedic<br />
chanting, continuing education<br />
for yoga teachers. Certified<br />
Teacher Trainer – Yoga<br />
Therapist - E-RYT 500<br />
RYS 500<br />
t: +65-9830-3808<br />
e: beinginyoga@gmail.com<br />
w: www.beinginyoga.com<br />
B.K.S. IYENGAR YOGA<br />
ASSOCIATION OF MACAU<br />
174, Rua de Pequim, Edif Centro<br />
Com. Kong Fat, 7A, Macau<br />
s: Iyengar<br />
t:(853)2882 3210/6662 0386<br />
e:yoga@macau.ctm.net<br />
w:www.iyengar-yoga-macauchina.com<br />
David Kim Yoga<br />
E-RYT 500+, Senior YogaWorks<br />
and YogaWise Yin Yoga Teacher<br />
Trainer;International TTs,<br />
Workshops & Retreats<br />
d: USA, Japan, China, Vietnam,<br />
Korea, Malaysia, Greece<br />
s: Yin Yoga, YogaWorks, Vinyasa<br />
Flow<br />
l: English, some Korean<br />
t: +1 310 480 5277<br />
e: david@davidkimyoga.com<br />
w: www.davidkimyoga.com<br />
FLEX STUDIO<br />
Island South<br />
Shops 308-310 One Island<br />
South, 2 Heung Yip Road,<br />
Aberdeen, Hong Kong<br />
s: Vinyasa, Power, Detox, Hatha,<br />
Pre-Natal, Kids Yoga<br />
t: + 852 2813 2212<br />
f: + 852 2813 2281<br />
e: info@flexhk.com<br />
Central<br />
3/F Man Cheung Building, 15- 17<br />
Wyndham Street, Central, Hong<br />
Kong<br />
s: Detox, Power, Pre-Natal Yoga<br />
t: + 852 2813-2399<br />
f: + 852 2812 6708<br />
e: central@flexhk.com<br />
www.flexhk.com<br />
IYENGAR YOGA CENTRAL<br />
s: Boutique studio with Iyengar<br />
Yoga classes; flexible timings for<br />
corporate wellness, small<br />
groups, and privates<br />
l: English, Cantonese, Mandarin,<br />
French, Malay<br />
t: +852 2982 4308<br />
e: yogacentralhk@gmail.com<br />
w: www.yogacentral.com.hk<br />
fb: Iyengar-Central<br />
MND STUDIO<br />
7/F Tack Building, 48 Gilman<br />
Street, Central, Hong Kong<br />
s: Hatha, Yin, Therapy,<br />
Ashtanga, Iyengar, Pilates<br />
Equipped yoga studio for groups,<br />
privates, aerial yoga classes and<br />
workshops.<br />
t: +852 5400 8824<br />
e: info@mndasia.com<br />
w: www.mndasia.com<br />
PURE YOGA<br />
China<br />
L6-615 iapm mall, 999 Huai Hai<br />
Zhong Road, Xuhui District<br />
Shanghai<br />
t: +86 21 5466 1266<br />
Hong Kong<br />
16/F The Centrium, 60<br />
Wyndham Street, Central<br />
t: +852 2971 0055<br />
25/F Soundwill Plaza, 38 Russell<br />
St, Causeway Bay<br />
t: +852 2970 2299<br />
14/F Peninsula Office Tower, 18<br />
Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui,<br />
Kowloon<br />
t: +852 8129 8800<br />
9/F Langham Place Office<br />
Tower, 8 Argyle Street, Kowloon<br />
t: +852 3691 3691<br />
4/F Lincoln House, TaiKoo<br />
Place, 979 King’s Rd, Quarry Bay<br />
t: +852 8129 1188<br />
2/F Asia Standard Tower, 59<br />
Queen’s Road, Central<br />
t: + 852 3524 7108<br />
Level 1 The Pulse, 28 Beach<br />
Road, Repulse Bay<br />
t: +852 8200 0908<br />
3/f Hutchison House, 10<br />
Harcourt Road, Admiralty<br />
t: +852 8105 5838<br />
Singapore<br />
391A Orchard Road, #18-00<br />
Ngee Ann City Tower A<br />
t: +65 6733 8863<br />
30 Raffles Place, 04-00 Chevron<br />
House<br />
t: +65 6304 2257<br />
Taiwan<br />
151 Chung Hsiao East Road, Sec<br />
4, Taipei<br />
t: +886 02 8161 7888<br />
4/f Urban One, 1 Qingcheng St,<br />
Taipei<br />
t: +886 02 8161 7868<br />
Ling<br />
Yoga and Wellbeing, Private<br />
Yoga Teacher, Privates, Groups,<br />
Corporates, Free Yoga<br />
Community Event: Yoga in the<br />
Park with Ling www.meetup.com/<br />
yogaintheparkhk<br />
d: Hong Kong, China<br />
s: Yoga Therapy, Sivananda,<br />
Hatha, Svastha, Mindfulness,<br />
Yin, Breathing (Pranayama),<br />
Guided Meditation, Total<br />
Relaxation (Yoga Nidra)<br />
l: English, Cantonese, Mandarin<br />
t: +852 9465 6461<br />
e: yogawithling@gmail.com<br />
w: www.facebook.com/<br />
yogawithling<br />
RED DOORS STUDIO<br />
21/f, 31 Wong Chuk Hang Rd<br />
s: Gong meditation and training,<br />
labyrinth facilitation and<br />
construction, kundalini<br />
therapeutic yoga and<br />
complementary practices to<br />
elevate energy. Multiple studio<br />
spaces available to rent.<br />
t. +852 21110 0152<br />
e. info@red-doors.com<br />
w. www.red-doors.com<br />
SPACE YOGA<br />
s: Hatha, Ashtanga, Advanced,<br />
Flow, Yin, Yin Yang, Restorative,<br />
48 NAMASKAR
Hot, Yin/Meditation,<br />
Pranayama, Mat Pilates,<br />
Jivamukti, Universal, Myofascial<br />
Release Yoga, Mindful<br />
Yoga, Rope Wall Yoga, Yoga<br />
Nidra and Yoga Therapy<br />
l: English and Mandarin<br />
w: www.withinspace.com<br />
An-Ho Studio<br />
16 F, No. 27, An-Ho Road,<br />
Section 1<br />
Taipei, Taiwan<br />
t: +886.2.2773.8108<br />
Tien-Mu Studio<br />
#5, Lane 43, Tian-Mu E. Road,<br />
Taipei, Taiwan<br />
t: +886.2.28772108<br />
Sravaniya DiPecoraro<br />
d:Hong Kong<br />
s: LifePath Yoga Philosophy,<br />
Vedanta, Bhagavad Gita, Yoga<br />
Sutras; beginners and advanced;<br />
ACBSP disciple (1971), YA E-<br />
RYT500, Sivananda Certified<br />
(1991)<br />
l: English and Mandarin<br />
t: +852 9856 0799<br />
e: info@lifepath.am<br />
w: www.lifepath.am<br />
THE YOGA ROOM<br />
3, 4, 6, 16/F (Studios) & 15/F<br />
(Office) Xiu Ping Commercial<br />
Bldg, 104 Jervois St, Sheung<br />
Wan, Hong Kong<br />
s: Hatha, Hot, Ashtanga,<br />
Vinyasa, Candlelight Yin, Yoga<br />
Therapy, Jivamukti, Hammock<br />
Yoga, Mindfulness Yoga, Detox<br />
Yoga, Pre-natal Yoga, Pre-natal<br />
Pilates, Mat Pilates, TRX, Kids<br />
Yoga and Mum & Baby Yoga<br />
l: English, Cantonese<br />
t: + 852 2544 8398<br />
e: info@yogaroomhk.com<br />
w: www.yogaroomhk.com<br />
KUNDALINI @SHAKTI<br />
7/F Glenealy Tower, 1 Glenealy,<br />
Central, Hong Kong.<br />
s: Kundalini, Reik healing, life<br />
coaching, Shamanic healing,<br />
Ayurveda, Feng Shui<br />
consultations, Angel Cards<br />
t: +852 2521 5099<br />
e: info@shaktihealingcircle.com<br />
w: www.shaktihealingcircle.com<br />
THE COLLECTIVE, DESA SENI<br />
SCHOOL OF YOGA<br />
Jl. Subak Sari #13, Canggu, Bali,<br />
Indonesia<br />
s: Full service resort, Ashtanga,<br />
Embodied Flow, Hatha,<br />
Kundalini, Restorative, Tantra,<br />
Therapeutics, Yin, Yang,<br />
Vinyasa, Buddhist Meditation,<br />
Vedic Meditation. Teacher<br />
Trainings, Intensives, Privates,<br />
Workshops, specialising in<br />
hosting retreats.<br />
t: +62 361 844 6392<br />
e: info@desaseni.com<br />
w: www.desaseni.com<br />
TRUE YOGA<br />
Singapore<br />
9 Scotts Road, Level 4, Pacific<br />
Plaza, Singapore 228210<br />
t: +65 6733 9555<br />
9 Scotts Road, Level 5, Pacific<br />
Plaza (Bikram Original Hot<br />
Yoga), Singapore 228210<br />
t: +65 6735 9555<br />
Taiwan<br />
337 Nanking East Road<br />
Section 3, 9 & 10/F, Taipei<br />
T: +886 22716 1234<br />
68 Gongyi Road, West District<br />
12 & 13/F, Taichung<br />
t: +886 43700 0000<br />
s: Ashtanga, Bikram, Flow,<br />
Gentle, Hatha, Kids, Power, Pre-<br />
Natal, Vinyasa, Yin, Yoga Dance<br />
w: www.trueyoga.com.sg /<br />
www.trueyoga.com.tw<br />
WISE LIVING YOGA<br />
ACADEMY<br />
198 Moo 2, Luang Nuea, Doi<br />
Saket, Chiang Mai, Thailand<br />
s: Classical Yoga, Hatha Yoga,<br />
Yoga Therapy<br />
t: +66 8254 67995<br />
e: info@wiselivingyoga.com<br />
w: www.wiselivingyoga.com<br />
namaskar<br />
4 times a year<br />
6,000 yoga practitioners<br />
32 countries<br />
DISPLAY ADVERTISING RATES & SIZES<br />
Outside back cover HK$25,000 210 mm x 297 mm<br />
Inside front cover HK$3,500 210 mm x 297 mm<br />
Inside back cover HK$2,700 210 mm x 297 mm<br />
Full page HK$2,200 210 mm x 297 mm<br />
1/2 page (horizontal) HK$1,500 180 mm x 133.5 mm<br />
1/2 page (vertical) HK$1,500 88 mm x 275 mm<br />
1/4 page HK$700 88 mm X 133.5 mm<br />
1/8 page HK$440 88 mm x 66 mm<br />
DIRECTORY<br />
Individual listing HK$640 for full or partial year<br />
Studio listing HK$1,300 for full or partial year<br />
PUBLICATION DATES, BOOKING & MATERIAL DEADLINES<br />
Publication date Booking Deadline Material Deadline<br />
January December 1 December 10<br />
April March 1 March 10<br />
<strong>July</strong> June 1 June 10<br />
October September 1 September 10<br />
NOTES<br />
Advertising materials should in black & white and submitted as 300<br />
dpi high resolution .tif files (no pdf or ai files please)<br />
Listings should be submitted as text only (approx 35 words)<br />
PAYMENT<br />
Payments should be made in Hong Kong dollars to:<br />
<strong>Namaskar</strong> c/o Carol Adams, Flat 101, Block L, Telford Gardens,<br />
Kowloon, Hong Kong<br />
INFORMATION<br />
Carol +44 75432 55886 / carol@caroladams.hk<br />
Frances +852 9460 1967 / fgairns@netvigator.com<br />
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 49
50 NAMASKAR
<strong>July</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 51
52 NAMASKAR