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Hatha Yoga is essentially a self-practice, so as teachers, we are being most direct and to the point when we create opportunities in our classes for students to explore for themselves and experience self-connection and direction. This means getting them to make their own decisions about such things as how long to stay in a pose, how to respond to non-specific movement queues, such as "move your spine like a snake" or invitations to "make the movement your own, it doesn't matter if it looks the same or different as anyone else". We could even let them to know that the standard alignment for poses which is usually recited by teachers is just a template and that the ease, stability, concentration, & relaxation in a pose trumps specific alignments. Trumps, get it? I don't either but man, the US election is everywhere I look on the internet these days! ExampleOne of my favorite ways to set up this kind of learning experience is to lead a vinyasa sequence of about 3-5 poses. Here's a pretty standard one many teachers use.  Here's what to do... 1. If necessary demonstrate or explain the sequence step by step first, or lead the sequence slowly with key points of each pose in as few words as possible. 2. Lead the class through the sequence as vinyasa 3-5 times, conveying rhythm in the flow by the pace and rhythm of your cues and breathing in and out of each pose. ...Exhale, step forward Inhale, Warrior I Exhale, Warrior II Inhale, Reverse Warrior (not shown, from Warrior II back hand down to the leg, other arm up) Exhale, Side Angle Inhale, Hands Down Exhale, Step back to Plank & Down to Chaturanga Inhale, Updog Exhale, Downdog... 3. Repeat the sequence, now holding each position 3-5 breaths. Give additional cues and adjustments now and any insightful commentary relevant to what is being practiced(external or internal!) but as usual, use as few words as possible. 4. Now instruct the students to repeat the sequence on their own, with no queues. Tell them to relax more in each pose and breath deeply for as long as they feel able. Tell them when they are done to rest in Child's Pose, or Mountain Pose, or other asana depending on the direction you want to take. Tell them to focus on the sensations within.  In this format, any sequence of Asana can become a powerful entry into a flow state of concentration for the student, even if they walked into your class and had never performed a single yoga pose or that sequence. And, by the last round of practicing this sequence, they would be doing it completely on their own. Also, you will neatly have an opportunity to invest more into observing your students' practice since you don't need to talk or think about what to say, and as everyone knows...theres something magic about action in silence.
Namaste Om George Anthony
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 First.... What does "to align" mean?a·lign v.tr. 1. To arrange in a line or so as to be parallel: align the tops of a row of pictures; aligned the car with the curb. 2. To adjust (parts of a mechanism, for example) to produce a proper relationship or orientation: aligning the wheels of a truck. 3. To ally (oneself, for example) with one side of an argument or cause: aligned themselves with the free traders. v.intr. 1. To adhere to a prescribed course of action. 2. To move or be adjusted into proper relationship or orientation. All of these definitions suggest "to align" means to make separate things relevant or to reveal relationships amongst things or parts. This requires a very important ability. Discernment. To discern anything requires seeing division or difference, which leads to counting, comparing, contrasting, noting, and assuming perspective. Speaking of counting...where did we get the system of numbers we use for counting and describing the various aspects of nature such as time, distance, and frequency...? Our base 10 counting obviously comes from our 10 fingers and toes. Perhaps ancient humans looked on their own body and wondered what is the highest number of "parts" they have which are easily countable. Obviously it fingers and toes. And where does all the 12 and 60's come from in our measurement of time? For example, 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 12 hours of day, 12 hours of night, 12 months of the year, 12 signs of the zodiac...etc. Using these numbers for measurement came from the ancient Sumerian system of counting(which they wrote was given to them by other wordly beings). Higher numbers (past 10) were calculated by multiplying the 12 knuckles on the fingers of one hand with the five fingers including the thumb on the other. 12 x 5 = 60. This means that many of the numbers we chose for discerning or dividing space and time were derived from relationships of the human body. Sounds like a way to make things relevant? To learn more about all these connections definitely give this video a watch!
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This symbolism in our fingers is a way to see the actual underlying process. How are we seeing reality? Does the mind leap out into distinction... If it does, is the new information that is received used to solidify the seperation or distinction, or is it used to create a new more complete picture of inclusion and relevance, a more complete image of yourself.
Practicing yoga is building(or activating?) a system which brings more and more parts back to relevance to the One.
Consider this yoga asana sequence concept...
Practicing yoga is building(or activating?) a system which brings more and more parts back to relevance to the One.
Consider this yoga asana sequence concept...
Straight Line Poses
Straight lines, kind of like the number 1.. bring main parts into direct relationship. Simple and direct, a line is the shortest distance between two points.
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From simle to complex...
Curved Poses
In the curve there are at times more details to be aware of, and less obvious points of reference. Often you need to compare many sensations and go by the feeling to create balance and maintain evenness.
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This was the general theme and concept of my class this morning. Many good balanced classes already go in this way but maybe you didn't notice, or maybe now you can try it out in your own practice or in your classes if you are teaching. Start with straight line poses, then move to curved poses, then do poses that combine the two. The focus would follow the theme, being more direct and to the point in the beginning, and more open to interpretation space, and silence near the end. Of course, finish with the simple and naturally leading to the oneness practices like Shavasana and seated meditation to absorb these experiences into a new One.
Love and Oms,
George
Staying Awake all Night to Awaken
Maha Shivaratri is an ancient tradition, the Great night of Shiva, in which the astrological alignment before the new moon creates the ideal influence on raising and accumulating energy in the human subtle body. Practitioners of yoga and those using Shiva as a symbol for shedding off limitations and immerging into a broader sense of self stay awake all night and engage in meditative practices and ritual.
Shiva is also called the Adiyogi, or first yogi. A yogi is a master in the art of concentration. Shiva, or the Adiyoga is the proto-being which put it's(His) attention into each singular aspect of nature completely until it's inner mechanics were revealed and the manner in which it could lead to Yoga or union, was realized in every possible way. Have you heard this expression...?
"Where attention goes, energy flows."
Well, when attention keeps going to the same place in a fixed way with consistency & intensity, the accumulating energy will "pierce" or "overflow" the limits of the object or aspect of nature which is being focused on. In the processes of nature we see this as a geyser or volcano erupting, water moving from the Earth's surface to the sky to build up into clouds and rain back down...All of these processes are cyclical and create transformation within their environment. This process is the subtle symbol of Shiva, and why he is often called "The Destroyer". Shiva is building energy to critical mass through concentration, overflowing the old paradigm to actualize new possibilities and more connections. This is the science of revealing the source of nature, which is also the source of the self. This is the art of Yoga.
Things we truly yearn to achieve in our life require dedicating our full energy and limiting the things with which we distract ourselves. Distractions obscure the most satisfying and relevant use of energy for self development, connection, and realization as human beings. Often times we even perceive these distractions as "treats" that we think we deserve, or "breaks" that are earned because we think we've done enough already. Treats and breaks can be good, but it is important that they do not scatter the true focus in our lives. The process of life does not seem to be about self-pleasure and escapism..it seems to be about application of presence, effort, and exponentially increasing interdependency. This is why applying our effort to these causes "puts us in the flow of life" where even though effort is increased...it can seem easier and more healthy than just loafing around and trying to enjoy your individuality which is a hopeless cause in the end. For the human being especially, this is service, this is dharma, this is our higher calling.
Shiva Lingam & Representations of Transformation
All of these processes of consciousness and nature have multiple symbols, stories, and techniques, for individuals of varying constitutions, beliefs, and abilities to work with these processes more consciously. This is one of the strengths of the yoga tradition; the recognition of a singular underlying process which can manifest in many forms.
Maha Shivaratri is an ancient tradition, the Great night of Shiva, in which the astrological alignment before the new moon creates the ideal influence on raising and accumulating energy in the human subtle body. Practitioners of yoga and those using Shiva as a symbol for shedding off limitations and immerging into a broader sense of self stay awake all night and engage in meditative practices and ritual.
Shiva is also called the Adiyogi, or first yogi. A yogi is a master in the art of concentration. Shiva, or the Adiyoga is the proto-being which put it's(His) attention into each singular aspect of nature completely until it's inner mechanics were revealed and the manner in which it could lead to Yoga or union, was realized in every possible way. Have you heard this expression...?
"Where attention goes, energy flows."
Well, when attention keeps going to the same place in a fixed way with consistency & intensity, the accumulating energy will "pierce" or "overflow" the limits of the object or aspect of nature which is being focused on. In the processes of nature we see this as a geyser or volcano erupting, water moving from the Earth's surface to the sky to build up into clouds and rain back down...All of these processes are cyclical and create transformation within their environment. This process is the subtle symbol of Shiva, and why he is often called "The Destroyer". Shiva is building energy to critical mass through concentration, overflowing the old paradigm to actualize new possibilities and more connections. This is the science of revealing the source of nature, which is also the source of the self. This is the art of Yoga.
Things we truly yearn to achieve in our life require dedicating our full energy and limiting the things with which we distract ourselves. Distractions obscure the most satisfying and relevant use of energy for self development, connection, and realization as human beings. Often times we even perceive these distractions as "treats" that we think we deserve, or "breaks" that are earned because we think we've done enough already. Treats and breaks can be good, but it is important that they do not scatter the true focus in our lives. The process of life does not seem to be about self-pleasure and escapism..it seems to be about application of presence, effort, and exponentially increasing interdependency. This is why applying our effort to these causes "puts us in the flow of life" where even though effort is increased...it can seem easier and more healthy than just loafing around and trying to enjoy your individuality which is a hopeless cause in the end. For the human being especially, this is service, this is dharma, this is our higher calling.
Shiva Lingam & Representations of Transformation
All of these processes of consciousness and nature have multiple symbols, stories, and techniques, for individuals of varying constitutions, beliefs, and abilities to work with these processes more consciously. This is one of the strengths of the yoga tradition; the recognition of a singular underlying process which can manifest in many forms.
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Aum Namah Shivaya
My Maha Shivaratri Experience
My excitement was really high.. I had just one day to prepare as the day before March 7th, this years date of Maha Shivaratri, I was finishing assissting with the AcroYoga Lunar Immersion at Vikasa. I decided I was going to host the all night meditation night at Vikasa and get all the proper tools for a great experience. Yesterday I drove all over Lamai to buy a small decorative table, oil lamps, ghee, milk, find some stones for the linga, and clay(actually like playdough!) and a small spice grinding bowl to make my own shiva lingam. I ended up using a black tourmaline crystal my friend from Yoga Plus, Serine Goay, gave to me. Here's how it came together!
My excitement was really high.. I had just one day to prepare as the day before March 7th, this years date of Maha Shivaratri, I was finishing assissting with the AcroYoga Lunar Immersion at Vikasa. I decided I was going to host the all night meditation night at Vikasa and get all the proper tools for a great experience. Yesterday I drove all over Lamai to buy a small decorative table, oil lamps, ghee, milk, find some stones for the linga, and clay(actually like playdough!) and a small spice grinding bowl to make my own shiva lingam. I ended up using a black tourmaline crystal my friend from Yoga Plus, Serine Goay, gave to me. Here's how it came together!
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All night long meditative practices...sitting, standing, walking, chanting, offerings, stretching. It started with the company of 7 beautiful people. Over the hours some left and took a piece of fruit from the offering. One person stayed on until the morning. I was awake all night long and some parts felt like a dream, some hours went by like minutes... and some minutes went by like hours. When I couldn't sit I would walk. When I couldn't walk I would sit. All throughout the night in silence or chanting "aum namah shivaya" and periodically making offerings to the shiva lingam. It ended with a beautiful sunrise. Now I've been awake for nearly 28 hours with two sunrises passing through these eyes and I still don't feel especially tired... but... I'm excited to break I've been on since breakfast yesterday!
With Love and Oms,
George
With Love and Oms,
George
Maha Shivaratri is the Great night of Shiva. Shivaratri happens 12-13 times a year. It is the night before the new moon. Due to certain astrological influences, there is said to be an upsurge in the kind of energies in the human system that leads to expanded awareness and the ability to shed off past conditioning.
Tomorrow night I'll be leading Maha Shivaratri meditation at Vikasa Yoga Retreat, on an auspicious night which is said to have astrological influence on the human energy system to be the optimum for breaking old conditioned beliefs and realizing higher self awareness.
Join me at Vikasa Yoga White Hall 10pm - 6am March 7th, 2016!
Typically common preparations for Maha Shivaratri will be reducing food tomorrow on the 7th, having a little meal in the morning and then only fruit the rest of the day, or complete fasting until the morning of the 8th. During the night one should hold strong to remain upright, either sitting or standing, or walking around the hall. One can meditate on silence, stillness, or focus on chanting Aum namaha Shivaya. If you have a mala bring it, it will help to keep awake! Also bring a meditation showl to keep cozy or protect from mosquitos! From 10:00 - 12:00 we will have music and a small puja at midnight.
Tomorrow night I'll be leading Maha Shivaratri meditation at Vikasa Yoga Retreat, on an auspicious night which is said to have astrological influence on the human energy system to be the optimum for breaking old conditioned beliefs and realizing higher self awareness.
Join me at Vikasa Yoga White Hall 10pm - 6am March 7th, 2016!
Typically common preparations for Maha Shivaratri will be reducing food tomorrow on the 7th, having a little meal in the morning and then only fruit the rest of the day, or complete fasting until the morning of the 8th. During the night one should hold strong to remain upright, either sitting or standing, or walking around the hall. One can meditate on silence, stillness, or focus on chanting Aum namaha Shivaya. If you have a mala bring it, it will help to keep awake! Also bring a meditation showl to keep cozy or protect from mosquitos! From 10:00 - 12:00 we will have music and a small puja at midnight.
Teaching Yoga for inmates has been shown to drastically reduce rates of reincarceration all over the world.
Most people turn to criminal acts or violence and even drug addiction a recent study shows, because of only one reason. Disconnection. They were unsupported in some way, treated badly, or felt lack in fulfillment of their basic human needs. It's an easy response to such conditions to shut down emotionally, to protect from further emotional suffering. However...this numbing of our heart's compass leads people to be able to commit unfortunate deeds with little or no remose, complicating their karma, and further isolating themselves from support networks.
It's sad too, but in many modern countries the prison system is also a mutli billion dollar industry, in which large corporations influence the political and legislation system, push laws that make it easier to detain or imprison people for more and more things which means they can build more and more prisons. Inmates are also employed for the pathetic wage of nearly 1-4$ per day which means more big profits for the industry selling their work even to companies like Starbucks, Boeing, and Victoria's Secret. See how much nonsense we stop supporting when we buy small industry, locally crafted products? This practice is also a threat to other established and emmerging industries where people could lose their jobs as they go to the cheaper labor of prison inmates.
It's sad too, but in many modern countries the prison system is also a mutli billion dollar industry, in which large corporations influence the political and legislation system, push laws that make it easier to detain or imprison people for more and more things which means they can build more and more prisons. Inmates are also employed for the pathetic wage of nearly 1-4$ per day which means more big profits for the industry selling their work even to companies like Starbucks, Boeing, and Victoria's Secret. See how much nonsense we stop supporting when we buy small industry, locally crafted products? This practice is also a threat to other established and emmerging industries where people could lose their jobs as they go to the cheaper labor of prison inmates.
 | For both of the reasons above it's the wise choice for us to help people avoid the suffering of disconnection, the shame of imprisonment, and the feeding of a corrupt system which detriments the well being of many lives in our world. |
Yoga has had such great effect to keep people out of prison because it reconnects them to themselves. Our emotional and physical bodies are very connected, and when one starts to move the body through the challenges of practices, we ellicit emotional responses... but we do it without the external trigger which cause those emotions. By persistent practice, we gain understanding and mastery over those situations which caused the emotions and are able to direct our lives with compassion and empathy. All people are our brothers and sisters and where and when we can, we should provide them the connection that heals old hurts and brings a brighter future.
When I have time I go to teach AcroYoga to the inmates on Koh Samui. I have to teach in my limited Thai language and we get by! A few other of my friends who teach have also been and many of the students there have really taken to the practice. AcroYoga is especially amazing because it brings even more that element of human connection that gives the human spirit strength.
George Anthony
George is the founder of Sajeeva Yoga School, and a practitioner and teacher on the journey of exploring life, truth, purpose, and
Self-relevance. He follows his passions with a service mind, and observes his life through the lens of the Yogic Yamas; peace, oneness, right knowledge, respect, and abundance.
George began practicing Hatha Yoga in 2005 and experienced radical shifting in perceptions and beliefs. The urge for transformation, practice and Self-inquiry, and the presence of great teachers has led him to wish to be clear He has taught Yoga as a physical, mental, and spiritually awakening discipline extensively in SEA since 2009.
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