The Root Chakra
By Ajia Forrester

 

Mula means Root and Adhara means Support. Muladhara is the first Chakra of our Physical body, located at the base of the spine. Knowing what it represents and what it takes to keep a healthy and balanced Root Chakra is important, not only for our day to day encounters, but also for our own personal wellbeing.

 

The Muladhara chakra is also known as the Kundalini or Base Chakra. Its main responsibility is to maintain our physical body; it maintains our immune system and our energy levels. It is also responsible for our basic survival needs ie. Food, Shelter and Protection and is the base for all of our personal relationships as well as our feeling of safety. By having a balanced first chakra you will feel grounded, secure, stable, full of life and very optimistic even during life’s trickier situations.

 

If there is too little energy flowing through this Chakra, you will feel nervous, unwelcome, emotionally, frail/fragile, insecure and have an inability to make money for the basic necessities. Having too much energy flowing through this energy source will cause you to be greedy andover focused on making more money. People with an over active root chakra are often materialistic, resist natural change and can be very possession orientated. Some of the Physical and Mental symptoms can be; constipation, sciatica, bone disorders, eating disorders, and gastrointestinal disorders. An unbalanced Root Chakra can also be caused by many past or present environmental issues ie. a fearful environment, abandonment, traumatic birth, physical abuse and distorted/controlling religious beliefs.

 

Feeling like you might have a case of the Muladhara blues? Have no fear, YOGA IS HERE!

 

There are many different ‘Remedies’ for the wellbeing of our base Chakra. However practicing the Yoga Asana’s (postures) can be done from home at absolutely no cost (because if you are unbalanced, we already know you’re probably not willing to pay for anything ‘extra’ are you?) and will also help produce endorphins, which believe it or not are the feel good hormones of our physical body.

 

Since the root Chakra also controls our fight or flight reflexresulting in too much or too little energy running through the hips, we can imagine how tight your hip flexors must be! So on that note practicing Warrior 1 or Virabhadrasana 1 will help release this area of tension as well as focusing on grounding your physical and mental bodies.

 

If you are feeling one of the Physical symptoms of an unbalanced root, locust or shalabhasana pose is considered one of the most important of the toga asanas for it greatly helps in the flushing of toxins through our body. This posture will have the most benefit for the kidneys; the kidneys beingthe meridian for the Muladhara Chakra. Another posture benefiting the balance of the root chakra is… that’s right…everyone’s favorite… corpse pose or savasana! This posture is particularly beneficial because the our entire body is in contact withthe earth, making the goal of grounding oneself easier than in most or the other postures in Yoga.

 

The Muladhara Chakra has been said to hold the great Kundalini Shakti or greatest spiritual potential. Kundalini is the mythological sleeping serpent at the base of all our 7 Chakras and the goal is to let her rise to the top, upon which we are said to achieve complete enlightenment. By practicing Kundalini Yoga, we awaken the powerful energy sleeping within. Also if you are affected by your sense of smell, the right aromatherapy can be used to help stabilize the first chakra. In this case, that would be Cedar and Clove.

 

I believe everybody has experienced times of doubt and unease and being able to recognize this on our own terms as well as being armed with personal and potential coping mechanisms could be a huge advantage and step forward in our prescription dependent society.

 

Ajia Forster

 

Ajia is currently a student in the Feel Good Yoga Teacher Training program.

In tackling the topic of “My Goal in Yoga” I tried to keep it simple, but a soul-searching journey rarely is. Instead, it is personal and complex and has evolved since I started practicing, and even more since I started this yoga teacher training program. When I first started doing yoga, I would only admit to myself that I wanted a good way to stretch out my stiff back. I was still much too attached to my ego to acknowledge a desire to heal on a deeper, more spiritual level. The path leading me to yoga had already been a long, meandering misadventure, dominated by pleasure seeking of all kinds.

 

When I was eight years old, my mother sat my older sister and I down, and calmly explained that she didn’t want us as her children anymore. She would pay us an allowance to buy our own groceries, and we could live in her house as boarders. Not long after this, my sister ran away, and I didn’t see her again for eight years. Having never known my father, or any other adult role models, I was left without any great sense of ‘connection’. I even remember cursing the notion of a loving, all powerful god looking over us, and insulated myself against an isolated childhood. For many years, I avoided the past by dreaming of a future where I was happy, confident, and successful. Rarely did I dwell in the present moment.

 

Yoga has given me back a sense of connection, a much deeper connection than I could have ever hoped for as a child. Yoga has given me a reason, and the opportunity to practice Ahimsa, and Niyama, to treat my body as a temple instead of an amusement park. Embodying the yogic philosophy, celebrating my connection to all things, and sharing the gift that is Yoga, this is my goal. I’ll explain how three different branches of yoga can help me achieve this.

 

I personally am not drawn to Guru Yoga and this may be due to attachments to my ego. I can only one day aspire to practice Karma Yoga, devoting myself completely to others. Bhakti Yoga brings the focus of our devotion to a god, which is still a difficult relationship for me to be comfortable with.

 

In a way, I had been engaging in parts of the first stages of Jnana yoga for years, seeking out a true spiritual reality, realizing that the illusions of the material world would never satisfy me, or ease my suffering. Jnana yoga is the Yoga of Knowledge, a very philosophical path that had led me through all the classical philosophers and their explanation of existence. It still amazes me that ancient yogis realized what science is only now demonstrating to be true. Perception, and our attachment to it, is the source of so much confusion and suffering. Quantum physics shows us that the smallest building blocks of the universe occur in many places at the same time, and our observation of them changes their behavior, making them appear to be constant. Only by releasing expectation and quieting the mind, can we experience the true nature of the universe. As Carl Jung explains, the conscious mind is not intended to be a vehicle for the comprehension of Unity. The mind can witness this experience, but will not partake of it, for the nature of consciousness is to concentrate, and by definition, to separate. I hadn’t yet learned the importance of meditation and true detachment.

 

Jnana Yoga, in its’ classic form, is a bit esoteric, and demands a level of devotion that would be hard to maintain in modern family life. It is considered the most difficult path, yet is also the most direct path to self-realization. It has seven stages:

 

Subheccha – The desire for truth. It is a state of powerful yearning for spiritual realization.

 

Vicharana – The stage where teachings are put into practise, through meditation and self-inquiry.

 

Tanumanasi – A transformative stage where the attachment to physical desires and emotions lessens and the mind can begin to focus on more selfless and spiritual goals.

 

Sattvapatti – The stage where mind has become pure and the truth of Absolute Self can be perceived.

 

Asamsakti – A state of complete detachment to outside circumstances, where one is able to experience bliss, yet still perform voluntary actions. Liberation while still in the body.

 

Padartha – A state of being so immersed in the Absolute, that one will only engage in action when absolutely necessary, having almost no concept of internal and external.

 

Turiya – The final state that moves past the fluctuations of waking, dreaming, sleeping. Liberation without a body.

 

So, the pursuit of knowledge by itself is not a path towards enlightenment. The realization that we are not separate from the rest of the universe is just a starting point. One would still need to incorporate meditation, mindfulness, and detachment to pursue a yogic path and continue to move towards a state of enlightenment.

 

This is why Hatha has become such a part of my life. As a kapha, I have a tendency towards depression and stagnation. Practicing asana and pranayama helps me immensely in preparing for meditation. Purity of mind and body are necessary to integrate the spirit. Hatha Yoga is an excellent way to balance and heal ourselves, and tap into the vast source of energy all around us, Prana. It can be gentle and restorative, or strenuous and athletic. Hatha Yoga was supposedly passed to Parvati from Shiva, but thanks to Krishnamacharaya, has become the most accessible form of yoga, easily practiced with little or no spiritual connotation, while still providing incredible health benefits. It helps me to address my bad habits and aversions, while allowing me to overcome that feeling of disconnection that is usually the source of my distraction and dissatisfaction. Through this teacher training, I hope to bring the gift of Hatha yoga to others, so they might find comfort and healing on their own journey, be it a physical, emotional, or spiritual one.

 

Now that I am dedicating myself to yoga as a long term path, embracing its values and practices, I am drawn towards Ashtanga Yoga, the more classical and comprehensive form of yoga. The Eight Fold Path lays out, not only a path to enlightenment, but a way to spread love and joy to those around us, and provides a guide for making better choices on a daily basis. The Eight Fold Path is also called the Eight Limbs of Yoga.

 

Yamas – Our relationship to others and the world around us. This includes Ahimsa (Non-violence), Satya (Truthfulness), Asteya (Non-stealing), Brahmacharya (Non-lust), and Aparigraha (Non-possesiveness).

 

Niyamas – Treatment of ourselves. This involves Saucha (Purity), Santosha (Contentment), Tapas (Disipline), Svadhyaya (Self -Inquiry), and Isvarapranidhama (Living with an awareness of the Divine).

 

Asana – The practice of yoga postures to prepare the body for meditation.

 

Pranayama – The mindful manipulation of the breath, to strengthen and balance the nervous system, and increase overall Prana, or life force.

 

Pratyahara – Withdrawal of the senses for increased inward focus during meditation.

 

Dharana – The focus of the mind without distraction. The first step of true meditation.

 

Dhyana – The uninterrupted flow of concentration, stilling the mind and observing the true self.

 

Samadhi – Union with the Universe. Completion. Awareness with detachment. Enlightenment.
The path of the yogi is a not always an easy one. We must face our fears in order to move past them. There are many obstacles to overcome, but also many helpers to guide and encourage us along the way. Patanjali himself lists nine different obstacles in the first chapter of the Yoga Sutra: Sickness, Apathy, Doubt, Laziness, Carelessness, Distraction, False vision, Non-Attainment, and Instability. We need to have patience with ourselves, remembering that our path is not always straightforward. Our practice may wax and wane, like the phases of the moon. There is a form and style of yoga to accommodate anyone’s needs and aspirations. If we practice Faith, Contentment, and Determination, yoga can help each of us to achieve our own personal goals.

 

By Heath Griffey

 

Heath Griffey is currently enrolled in Feel Good Yoga Teacher Training program. He is also halfway through the Feel Good Pilates Teacher Training program.

Are you a beginner to yoga? No problem!

 

By Jenny Hindley

 

Are you intimidated to start yoga, thinking that you’re not “flexible enough”, or not “fit enough”? Don’t worry! There is a yoga class out there for everyone, regardless of age or fitness level.

 

Want some tips for your first class??

 

It is normal to be nervous for your first class. Starting something new can be scary, but rest assured that there is nothing to worry about! Ideally, we breathe in and out through the nose in yoga, but it is even more important not to hold your breath. Remember that yoga is not competitive. This can be difficult to remember because so much in our culture and society is. Here are a few more important tips before you head to class:

 

• Find a class that will be suitable for you. Choose a level 1 class to begin with until you get to know the teaching style in the class.

 

• Go in early and meet the teacher. Inform them of any concerns you may have. If you have any injuries or health concerns, please take the time to get the go ahead from your doctor before you proceed. Even then it is important to inform your teacher of your health concerns so they offer you modifications and other options for your safety, comfort and enjoyment.

 

• Don’t let your ego get in the way of your enjoyment or cause you to push past your limits. Your poses may not look exactly like the teacher’s poses or your neighbors. Yoga postures are to be done with the intent of feeling good on the inside and receiving tension release . Bodies are built differently, and everyone should look different. There is no perfect pose. In reputable yoga classes, modifications are encouraged and welcomed!

 

• Not everyone in yoga is “skinny and fit”. All types of bodies come to yoga, and there is no ideal body shape. There is also no such thing as “not flexible enough”. Like my point above, everyone’s poses are their own, and perfect for them!

 

• Come to class well hydrated, and don’t go in with an empty tummy (although you shouldn’t have a big meal right before). A little snack beforehand (something like yogurt, smooth the or fruit is ideal) and will make sure you make it through the class without getting hungry!

 

• Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing. Practicing yoga in clothing that is too tight may result in discomfort and make it difficult for you to enjoy your class.

 

• Listen to the intuition of your own body. Everybody’s body is different and you are the best expert on your own body. If you feel pain, stop. If you are concerned about injury, just take a moment, rest and resume the class in the next posture. Yoga is about developing awareness and not about making a pose look in any particular way. Your primary goal is to leave the class feeling better than you felt when you walked in.

 

• Let your mind be open. The class may be different from what you are used to, but you may find that you will enjoy it more than you expect!

 

• Remember that everyone in the class has had a first class once too! Don’t be concerned about not being knowledgeable about the poses. We all have to start somewhere!

 

• If you don’t enjoy your first class, don’t be discouraged! It may take a few different classes to find a type of yoga that resonates best with you!

 

When choosing a class, think about what your goals are. Some yoga is more about the practice of physical postures while others have both a physical and a spiritual goal. The spiritual goals are often be as simple as building confidence or self acceptance.
Read the following descriptions and choose classes that you think will give you the most enjoyment and help you achieve your goals. The following list describes the types of yoga that are usually perfect for beginners:

 

• Gentle Therapeutic Yoga: This class is designed to help release tension and promote relaxation. Anyone suffering from injury or illness can learn techniques to help deal with pain and calm the mind. Throughout the class, we explore different breathing techniques and learn postures that are restorative and healing. In addition, we make use of various yoga props such as foam blocks and bolsters in order to increase the benefits of certain poses. The class finishes with a meditation.

 

• Hatha Yoga: Hatha will help you to strengthen, stretch, tone and relax your entire body. Whether you are trying to feel more comfortable in your body, cope with work related stress, get in better shape or simply stretch tight muscles this hatha yoga class will help you achieve your goal. You will leave this class with a deep sense of relaxation, healthier breathing patterns and a body/mind that is completely free of tension.

 

• Hatha Flow Yoga: A typical class includes balancing postures to improve the health of the nervous system, spine strengthening postures and deeper, nourishing stretches on the floor. In this class hatha postures are sequenced to allow fluid movement from one asana to the next. Modified versions of postures are offered, making this class suitable for beginners and people with injuries. More challenging options are also offered to more experienced students.

 

• Yin yoga: Give your body the opportunity to fully rejuvenate in a relaxing yin yoga class. Hip opening postures are held longer than in a traditional hatha yoga class. Holding poses for 3-5 minutes encourages the connective tissue to feel more elastic, providing you with an increase of range of motion and a feeling of space within. This is a practice which stretches and re-balances even the most stubborn tendons, ligaments and fascia in the body. Old scar tissue melts away. The muscles on both sides of the body are lengthened and brought into harmony. This class also encourages a release of blockages, allowing energy to flow within our meridians. This is a practice which stretches and re-balances even the most stubborn tendons, ligaments and fascia in the body. Old scar tissue melts away. The muscles on both sides of the body are lengthened and brought into harmony. This class also encourages a release of blockages, allowing energy to flow within our meridians.

 

• Candlelight Gentle Flow: This is a class to relax, unwind, and relieve tension in the body, heart, and mind. This class will combine the mellow flowing sequence of classic hatha yoga with longer seated poses as well as breathing and relaxation exercises. A delightful way to end the week!

 

• Specialty yogas: Specialty classes include yoga for runners and prenatal yoga. These classes are tailored to a specific type of clients, and may be suitable for someone with injuries. If you are unsure if you should be doing yoga checking in with your doctor is always advisable though.

 

For more information about additional features of these classes, please go to our class descriptions page.

 

An important thing to remember is that Yoga is different from many other forms of exercise such as dance in that it is only important how the pose feels on the inside of the body, not how it looks on the outside. Relax, enjoy and accept yourself exactly as you are in the present moment.

 

By Jenny Hindley

 

Jenny is currently a yoga teacher trainee in the Spring 2012 Feel Good Yoga Teacher Training program.

Pranayama by Heath Griffey

 

The breath is our closest and most intimate connection to the universe. We can survive without food for weeks, without water for days, but without the nourishment of the breath, we can’t last more than a few minutes. Just as what we eat and drink becomes a part of us, how we breathe can become how we are. Calm and steady, shallow and weak, mindful, or so distracted that we sometimes forget to breathe at all.

 

Pranayama is the mindful manipulation of the breath. We can use it to calm, invigorate, meditate and even to heal ourselves. As my yoga practice continues to blossom, my understanding of the breath and it’s role in our interconnectedness also continues to deepen. I feel connected through time to an age of intuitive wisdom, with ancient yogis passing on these same techniques to eager students. Right now we live in an amazing age, the age of the global village, where we can easily understand how we all, literally, share the same breath.

 

I had a hard time deciding on a favorite Pranayama. I am still amazed by the immediate and pronounced effects of Kapalabhati, Skull Polishing Breath. Very energizing, it can be a little intense before a relaxation. I marvel at the wisdom behind the proven benefits of Nadi Shodhana, Alternate Nostril Breath. It balances the entire nervous system, including the two hemispheres of the brain. I thought it might be more impressive if I chose one of the more exotic pranayama, such as Bhramari, Bee Sounding Breath, or Shitali, Cooling Breath.

 

Ultimately, I had to choose Dirgha Pranayama, Three Part Breath. It is deliberate enough to keep my attention focused on the breath, but not so intricate that I’m focused on counting or keeping the order of steps correct. I can relax and enjoy the rhythmic nature of the breath, like the inevitability of the tides. It’s simple enough to incorporate or transition to other types of pranayama, such as Ujjayi , Conqueror Breath, or Equal Ratio Breathing, to deepen the focus and smooth the breath. It’s a great starting place for those new to pranayama, and a good warm up for a more challenging technique or a simple meditation. It can be practised throughout the day, ideally in the morning and evening, on an empty stomach, but it’s available wherever and whenever you feel the need to catch your breath. In Dirgha Pranayama, we learn to focus on the three chambers of the lungs. We isolate the lower abdomen, up to the ribs, or the belly. The middle chest, which is the rib cage up to the sternum, and the upper chest, clavicles and shoulders.

 

Sit or lie comfortably, with a neutral, naturally curved spine. Close your eyes and take a few normal breaths, bringing attention to the depth and timing of your breath. Then, slowly inhale into the belly, inflating it like a balloon. On the exhale, deflate the balloon, pulling the belly button towards the spine and contracting the abdominals to completely empty the lungs. Next, place your hands on the ribs, and feel them expanding and lifting with the breath. Exhale completely, and relax the ribcage and hands. Finally, inhale into the chest and shoulders, opening your heart and feeling light and spacious. Exhale completely, drawing in the naval, and releasing any tension before inflating the belly with fresh oxygen and prana, continuing the cycle. Focus on smooth, even and effortless inhales and exhales. We’ll do three cycles and then complete the entire movement in one long slow breath, from belly to shoulders, and back down again, expelling any stale air. Continue for as long as you are comfortable, and take a break if you get dizzy or light-headed.

 

Three Part Breath can help us increase our lung capacity, focus our awareness of the breath and increase oxygen levels in the blood. It aids digestion and elimination, reduces stress, strengthens the abdominal muscles, heart and lungs and can help us develop a deeper, more regular breathing pattern.

 

By Heath Griffey

 

Heath is currently a participant in the Feel Good Yoga Teacher Training program.

My Personal Journey to a Health, Happiness and Yoga
by Rebecca Swinburnson

 

Not so long ago I was your average teenage girl with long green hair, piercings, and in a relationship with a metalhead. I worked full-time as a barista and I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life.

 

From the Beginning

 

I was born and raised on a on a hobby farm fifteen minutes outside of small town Sooke B.C. Growing up I was very athletic and a meat eater. My father used to tell me that if you couldn’t kill something yourself, you shouldn’t eat meat. I knew that I never ever could kill anything myself. So I announced that I was vegetarian at age eleven. Three days later I caved for a can of ravioli.

 

Searching for Answers

 

During puberty, when my body began to change, I went from 110 pounds to 150 by the time I was fourteen. I worked out a lot, drank skim milk, ate whole wheat bread and consumed a lot of cheese and meat and ate fast food as well. Nothing I ate ever seemed to make a difference, by age sixteen I began to hate my body. I was dieting and it wasn’t working. I exercised and saw no results. I was constantly comparing myself to my friends. As a past academic student, I began to prioritize the wrong things during high school and became discouraged about my future.

 

A Spark Ignited

 

I first became turned onto to a healthier lifestyle when I began researching the benefits of teas that I could up sell products at work. I was fascinated by the wealth of benefits offered from herbal teas. I studied and memorized them and increased my company’s tea sales by 50%!

 

Shortly after, my company hired a girl who was a vegan. As someone who had tried various diet changes, I struggled with a bad body image and was becoming increasingly frustrated I had always admired, and been extremely curious of veganism, however, I didn’t have the confidence I could become one myself.

 

Education Leads to the Action

 

During high school, I researched animal cruelty for class project. Undercover slaughter house videos and factory farms left me feeling ashamed and sad. I resolved to be more mindful of what I ate and quit eating red meat. A few months later, I cut out white meat and then, eventually, fish as well.

 

Though I had made this commitment to animals, I still didn’t know anything about nutrition,

 

An Up Hill Battle to a Healthier Me

 

I thought that my metabolism was slow, that my body stored fat easily, that I had to eat very little to be thin. So at age sixteen I went from 157 pounds to 120 pounds. The sadness and self-punishing I felt when I started my weight loss didn’t go away with the pounds, but in fact increased.

 

I partied all of the time and had a really bad attitude. Things began to snowball and by age nineteen every time I drink, I would black out, I never exercised, I barely ate anything and when I did, it was junk food. I was severely depressed. I would think back to when I was on an amazing path and I felt that I couldn’t relate to that person anymore. I felt desperation to find her, to restore my reputation, to become ‘good’ again.

 

A Harsh Reality & Hope

 

Finally, it came to a point where I felt that I was no longer proving a point but only damaging my future.
I started eating regular meals, got a job and stopped partying all of the time. Just with that slight change in mentality, my path shifted, and things began to shift for the better. However, my metabolism had slowed so much from deprivation that I gained back a lot of weight, very quickly, and all as fat, because I wasn’t eating healthily or exercising.

 

Some friends and I decided to start hiking every day. 20 days later, I was a new woman. My muscles were rebuilding themselves and I felt amazing. I got a full time opening job at a café and quit drinking so that I could quit smoking.
I met a vegan lady who touted all the health benefits of veganism and claimed that it was easy. She also brought to light many incidents of animal cruelty that occur with vegetarian friendly products as well. I decided, one day, cold turkey, I was going to do it. And I did. I became as vegan as the veganest vegan you ever met for eight straight months.

 

I lost weight immediately. But I gained energy and I felt absolutely amazing. It was like a whole new world was opened to me. Instead of worrying about what I had to cut out of my diet to be thin and trying to accept a body that I didn’t really like, I had to start thinking about what I had to include in my diet to make sure I was getting the proper nutrition and started having to read labels and become aware of what I was eating. I started drinking smoothies and salads, and then I began to run.

 

I kept growing as a person in health and activity level. I gained an immense amount of self esteem, and started to study nutrition, cooking my own meals and juicing. I even took up boxing and exercise classes.

 

Healthier, but Still Not Quite Happy

 

I started doing hot yoga every day and I absolutely loved it. I had never thought of myself as flexible before but my body responded and changed so quickly. However I didn’t find my happiness this time. I was anxious and constantly striving for perfection. I constantly compared myself to others and always, in my own mind, I lost. My friendships were on the rocks as I was trying to create a new image of myself; someone that prioritized exercise and healthy eating and didn’t go out.

 

After a while I started to realize that when I left the hot yoga studio, a lot of the time I felt substandard. I thought I should be going more often, that I should be doing more in the postures, that I should be fitter.

 

Getting to the Source

 

On the search for my happiness, I emailed a Hatha Yoga studio and asked to start an energy exchange for research purposes. At first, I still preferred hot yoga. It seemed that nothing more efficiently exercised my muscles. I soon started to realize that every time I left the Hatha Yoga studio, I just felt a glow of happiness.

 

I discovered so much of myself, during my own practice, and from other teachers. The number one thing I discovered that contributes to my current and future health was that I was so competitive and goal oriented. The reason true happiness had eluded me was because I was always, always striving, never satisfied. Underlying all of this, I discovered, was a deep seated fear of inadequacy and failure.

 

In my Hatha practice, I faced this. I hugged myself into so many little balls and just said “You are perfect, right here, right now.” I cried during Savasanas. I stopped running so hard, started wandering and day dreaming instead. I stopped striving to reach my edge during my yoga practices. I had really positive feedback from quite a few people about my practice.

 

Helping Myself by Helping Others

 

When I began my yoga teacher training at Feel Good Yoga and Pilates, magic began to happen.

 

I let the past go and began to respect myself and know myself as a responsible, somewhat introspected fitness nerd.
I watched a lot of documentaries that shocked and abhorred me about animals in suffering and I was crushed. I cried and cried and suffered a compassion burn out. But I was able to build myself back up stronger, knowing that if I plug into this suffering and let it harm me, I am less likely to spread light and positivity, and will be weaker for helping their cause, as well as denying the true joy we should all feel for having Life.

 

I asked the Universe to let me help. And she provided. Today, I teach a heated fusion Power-Yin Flow class and a Karma Class every week for donations to support local causes. I just got asked to be director of a newly created volunteer group that deals with spaying and neutering wild cats and providing animals in need with food.

 

I practice my yoga with dedication every day. I play with a tai chi energy ball and do work with auras and slowly, glimmers and flashes of extraordinary things become concrete over time. I feel energy shaking down my legs and exiting through my feet in certain yin postures. I can feel and move energy with my hands. After an intense practice, sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, and my whole body is vibrating. I don’t know what’s happening, but I know that it’s good.

 

Finding My Health & Happiness

 

Yoga is one of those things we must practice with diligence, and commitment to see improvement. Like many new habits we try to form, maybe first we regress. The path to our true selves is not straight uphill, but paved with many pitfalls. To meet our limitations and failures with understanding and without attachment, this is yoga. To see the closing of a door as a possibility to open more, and that regression or relapse is just one more chance for a beginning.

 

Happiness lies within and isn’t contingent on any person, place or thing. We can spend our whole lives searching for fulfillment without ever being satisfied. Truthfully, it’s about finding, and acting in accordance with our true Selves, our true Needs. Searching the Chitta, our subconscious, and learning to distance ourselves from the voice of Ahamkara, the Ego, Desire and Aversion, and the Illusion of Separation.

 

Finding the truth is finding that all things are one, and that peace comes with being part of it all.

 

By Rebecca Swinburnson

 

We are proud to say that Rebecca is a graduate of the Feel Good Yoga Teacher Training Program.

Yoga is said to be as old as civilization, but what evidence do we really have to support this claim? The earliest archaeological evidence we have of Yoga’s existence are stone seals from approximately 3000 BCE that depict figures of Yoga poses.

 

However, scholars have reason to believe that Yoga existed long before and have traced its lineage back to Stone Age Shamanism in the pre-Indus Valley circa 5000 BCE. The Shaman is considered a precursor to the Yogi by many historical experts. Similar to the yogic culture, the shamanistic culture revered the sacred art of altering one’s awareness or consciousness in order to enter non-ordinary realms of reality.

 

Like Yoga, Shamanism aimed to heal practitioners and alleviate human suffering. The biggest difference between Shamanism and Yoga is that Yoga is for the most part perceived to be an inwardly focused practice, while Shamanism was more of a community oriented practice where practitioners also acted as religious mediators. Also, unlike most historical and contemporary Yogis, Shamans used rituals of loud drumming and practices of sacrifice and psychotropic drugs to create shifts in their perceptual field in order to communicate with the spirit world.

 

Shamanism is not a religion, but rather a spiritual practice that at one time was practiced on every continent of the world. Shamans can be male or female — there is no god and there are no rules and this is what differentiates it from a religion. The word Shamanism is a tungus word from the tungas tribe of Northern Siberia. It means “someone who travels to non ordinary reality to obtain information”.

 

Shamanism still exists in the world today. This is because of its ability to shift its nature with the changing of times and to adapt itself to the changing needs of people. Shamanism (like yoga) is continually evolving to reflect the needs and culture of the day.

 

In vedic times, the shamans were the gateway to the higher consciousness. They would travel in their minds with a goal to either serve themselves, their community or a member of their community. Their purpose was often to gain practical knowledge and for healing. An example of such a purpose might be to find food… a Shaman would travel at a higher level of consciousness to find where a herd of buffalos were grazing. They would then go back to their community and would then physically map out where the herd was. The community members would then go hunting through the use of this map. Modern-day yogis would say that the shaman is simply accessing untapped stores of intuition only available at deeper levels of consciousness.

 

Altered states

 

The drum is called the SHAMANS HORSE and the constant beat of this drum can move the brain waves into a Theta State. This is a state where the mind is more receptive and connected with invisible worlds or the imagination. A Shaman practice would begin with a common entry point whether it would access the upper worlds, lower worlds or middle world regardless of culture. They would travel in the middle world to find lost objects such as in the instance of the buffalos. The Ayahuasca and Paodi are two potentially dangerous plants that Shamans sometimes use to reach a somewhat similar altered state. Nowadays these plants are common ingredients in psychedelic drugs.

 

There are many variations of shamanism throughout the world; and several common beliefs are shared by all forms of shamanism. These beliefs are as follows:

 

Spirits exist and they play important roles both in individual lives and in human society.
The shaman can communicate with the spirit world.
Spirits can be benevolent or malevolent.
The shaman can treat sickness caused by malevolent spirits.
The shaman can employ trance inducing techniques to incite visionary ecstasy and go on “vision quests.”
The shaman’s spirit can leave the body to enter the supernatural world to search for answers.
The shaman evokes animal images as spirit guides, omens, and message-bearers.
The shaman can tell the future, scry, throw bones/runes, and perform other varied forms of divination.

 

This is a photograph with a SHAMAN and his drum:

 

 

By Sheri Hooper

 

Sheri Hooper is a graduate of the Feel Good Yoga Teacher Trainingis program!

Channeling the Power of the Yoga Goddess, Living Life’s Dharma

 

Within the scope of Tantra there are one hundred and eight hand gestures or mudra’s, and many more mantra’s with which to combine Asana and Pranayama’s for building strength and courage to take on life’s purpose for us. Here are a few selections for channeling each Goddess…

 

Mudra’s:

 

Lakshmi Devi Mudra

 

 

Place hands in Anjali Mudra (prayer position). Part the fourth fingers. Place the second fingers behind the fourth fingers. Bring the fingertips of the second fingers toward the tips of the thumbs. Touch if possible. Cross the fifth fingers. The first fingers face outward, beside one another.

 

Parvati/Shiva

 

 

The Abhaya, or fearlessness gesture is one of the most commonly depicted mudras, representing benevolence and the absence of fear. The gesture confers onto others the same freedom from fear, so this mudra can also be interpreted to mean “fear not”. The gesture is made with the right hand raised to shoulder height, with the arm bent and the palm facing outward. A Buddhist legend tells of when the historical Buddha was being attacked by an angry elephant, he simply held up his hand in the fearlessness gesture and calmed the raging animal.

 

Saraswati

 

 

The Vitarka mudrā (“mudrā of discussion”) is the gesture of discussion and transmission of Buddhist teaching. It is done by joining the tips of the thumb and the index together, and keeping the other fingers straight very much like Abhaya and Varada mudrās but with the thumbs touching the index fingers.

 

Kali

 

 

The Varada mudrā (“favourable mudrā”) signifies offering, welcome, charity, giving, compassion and sincerity. It is nearly always shown made with the left hand by a revered figure devoted to human salvation from greed, anger and delusion. It can be made with the arm crooked and the palm offered slightly turned up or in the case of the arm facing down the palm presented with the fingers upright or slightly bent.

 

Mantra’s

 

“Lead me from ignorance to truth,”
Oṁ asato mā sad gamaya
Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya
mṛtyor mā amṛtaṁ gamaya
Oṁ śānti śānti śāntiḥ (Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.3.28)

 

Translated, means:
From ignorance, lead me to truth;
From darkness, lead me to light;
From death, lead me to immortality
Om peace, peace, peace

 

“Om Sri Durgaya Namah,” this mantra is of Goddess Durga the combined form of the powers of Lakshmi, Saraswati and Kali. By chanting this mantra you align yourself with your dharma. All of your physical, mental, economic obstacles can be solved.

 

“Om Aim Saraswatyai Namah” Godess Saraswati bestows the devotee with the memory, knowledge and the power of truthful speech.

 

“Om Tryambakam Yajamahe Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam Urvarukamiva Bandhanan Mrityor Mukshiya Mamritat Om,” This Mahamritunjaya Mantra of Shiva is used to protect and cure a devotee of disease and fear of death.

 

In combination with a balanced, steady focus, the yogic warrior can defeat obstacles of any kind in her path. Channeling the spirit and nature of those who possess the knowledge we want is a tried and tested practice. It begins within each of us as the birth of an idea.
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti…

 

by Claire Gunzel

 

Claire Gunzel is a student in the Feel Good Yoga teacher training program.

The Four Main Yogic Goddesses:

 

Who are these Hindu Goddesses and what do they represent?

 

Laksme (Lakshmi) is the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. Derived from Sanskrit it means, “goal,” and therefore embodies the main goals of life. She proudly displays them in each of her four hands; dharma (righteousness), kama (genuine desires), artha (wealth), and moksha (liberation from birth and death). The front of her hands represents the activity in the physical world and the backs of her hands indicate the spiritual activities that lead to spiritual perfection. In Hindu mythology, Laksme is the divine spouse of Lord Vishnu, providing him with wealth for the maintenance and preservation of creation.

 

Kali Durga (Divine Mother) represents the power of the Supreme Being that preserves moral order and righteousness. The Sanskrit word Durga means, “fort,” or a place that is protected and thus difficult to reach. Durga, also called Divine Mother, protects mankind from evil and misery by destroying evil forces such as selfishness, jealousy, prejudice, hatred, anger, and ego. She has eighteen hands which hold tools and weaponry which aide in defending mankind from all evil forces.

 

The sound that emanates from a conch is the sound of the sacred syllable AUM (OM), which is said to be the very sound of creation. A conch in one of the Goddess’s hands signifies the ultimate victory of virtue over evil and righteousness over unrighteousness.

 

Other weapons in the hands of Durga such as a mace, sword, disc, arrow, and trident convey the idea that one weapon cannot destroy all different kinds of enemies. Different weapons must be used to fight enemies depending upon the circumstances. For example, selfishness must be destroyed by detachment, jealousy by desirelessness, prejudice by self-knowledge, and ego by discrimination.

 

Saraswati is the Goddess of learning, knowledge, and wisdom. The Sanskrit word sara means “essence” and swa means “self.” Thus Saraswati means “the essence of the self.” Saraswati is represented in Hindu mythology as the divine consort of Lord Brahma, the Creator of the universe. Since knowledge is necessary for creation, Saraswati symbolizes the creative power of Brahma. Goddess Saraswati is generally depicted with four arms (some pictures may show only two arms), wearing a white sari and seated on a white lotus. She holds a book and a rosary in two of Her hands while the other two hands are engaged in the playing of a lute (veena).

 

Saraswati uses a swan as Her carrier. A swan is said to have a sensitive beak that enables it to distinguish pure milk from a mixture of milk and water. A swan, therefore, symbolizes the power of discrimination, or the ability to discriminate between right and wrong or good and bad. This indicates that one must acquire and apply knowledge with discrimination for the good of mankind, whereas, knowledge that is dominated by ego can destroy the world.

 

The four arms denote Her omnipresence and omnipotence. The two front arms indicate Her activity in the physical world and the two back arms signify Her presence in the spiritual world. The four hands represent the four elements of the inner personality. The mind (manas) is represented by the front right hand, the intellect (buddhi) by the front left hand, the conditioned consciousness (chitta) by the rear left hand, and the ego (ahamkara) by the rear right hand.

 

Parvati is born into human form as Shakti to awaken Shiva from his loneliness and isolation after the death of his first love, Sati; The Gods invoked the mother goddess who came them in the form of Kundalini, a coiled serpent, who said she would coil herself around Shakti to wean out his knowledge and energy for the good of the world.

 

Parvati is the ultimate Supreme Being, a benevolent Goddess who is depicted with four or eight arms riding a white tiger. Parvati is also one and the same as Sati who are both intrinsically tied to Shakti. She is also said to be Shakti’s master, as the only being able to restrain his immense sexual vitality.

 

To learn more about these goddesses and how to channel their power for overcoming spiritual obstacles, read my next blog entry.

 

Written by:
Claire Gunzel

 

Claire Gunzel is currently participating in the Feel Good Yoga Teacher Training program.

Bad knees, skiing and yoga
By Almira Haupt

 

I moved to Canada when I was just a little kid. My mother tells me that when we got here, I demanded that we get back on our plane and go back to the Philippines. I didn’t like it here – I missed my playmates, I couldn’t speak English, and it was cold! Not knowing what to do with her unruly, lonely, cold-hating, non-English speaking child, my mother hit upon an idea. She would enroll me in skiing lessons. Not only would it get me to learn to love the snow, I’d get in some exercise, make new friends, practice my English skills and become a true Canadian. What?!

 

For a while, I was convinced that my mother was trying to get rid of me by smothering me in countless layers of winter clothing, and then send me hurtling down a mountain with nothing but two pieces of wood strapped to my feet. But, eventually I learned that mother really does know best. I started to enjoy skiing, and even the cold snowy weather. In my teens, I was a devil-may-care skier, bombing down slopes at breakneck speeds. No matter how spectacular the wipe-out, I would get back up, shake off the snow, and continue on my merry way. Back then, I never noticed how hard skiing was on my knees. However, in my late thirties, I couldn’t ski as smoothly as I once did. Without the physical imperviousness of youth, every twisted knee, sprained ankle, and bruised muscle I had ever suffered came back to haunt me. Suddenly, I was getting swollen and stiff knees. I still loved to ski, but it had become a painful hobby.

 

Like every other sport, skiing can cause specific muscles to overcompensate, while other muscles become weak. At best, this adversely affects your performance; at worst, would leave you prone to injury. Since skiing stresses the hips and legs, most muscle imbalances resulting from the sport occur in the lower body.

 

In my case, my knees were causing me the most problems. My quadriceps were strong, but my hamstrings were tight and comparatively weak. This resulted in a lot of stress on my knee joints. (By the way, both the quadriceps and hamstrings affect the knee, and are opposing muscles). Knee joints actively function as shock absorbers during skiing, and the bent-knee position with the hips forward helps to cushion the impact. However, most of the pressure on the lower body is actually taken up by the quadriceps, gluteal muscles, and back muscles. If these muscles are weak, then the knees have to take up the excess pressure. Also, the adductor (inner) muscles of the thigh become shortened, further stressing the knee. Over time, the knee fatigues and becomes susceptible to injury.

 

Here’s where yoga comes in. Skiers can avoid knee injury by keeping the muscles around the knee elastic and lengthened to avoid strain on the joint. Lengthening the inner and outer thigh, hamstring, and quadriceps, ensures minimal strain on the knee. Many yoga poses are beneficial for skiers, and these include: downward dog (adho mukha svanasana), forward stretch (uttasana), hero pose (virasana), cobbler’s pose (baddha konasana), and wide leg stretch (prasarita padottanasana).

 

This is only a small part of how yoga can help skiers. Along with helping to prevent knee injuries, yoga stretches the hips and back, as well as strengthens the muscles around the ankle and feet. Determined to get the most of my ski season, I have made it a habit to practice yoga before and after hitting the slopes; and I have found that yoga has indeed helped me to enjoy skiing again.

 

Sources:
1. Baptiste, Baron and Kathleen Finn Mendola. Yoga for skiers. http://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/206
2. Biel, Andrew. Trail Guide to the Body, 4th edition. 2010

 

This article was written by Almira Haupt, one of our fantastic yoga teacher training graduates!

The story of the birth of Hanuman

 

Vrihaspati had an attendant called Punjikasthala, who was cursed to assume the form of a female monkey — a curse that could only be nullified if she would give birth to an incarnation of Lord Shiva. Reborn as Anjana, she performed intense austerities to please Shiva, who finally granted her the boon that would cure her of the curse.

 

When Agni, the god of fire, gave Dasharath, the king of Ayodhya, a bowl of sacred dessert to share among his wives so they may have divine children, an eagle snatched a part of the pudding and dropped it where Anjana was meditating, and Pavana, the god of wind delivered the drop to her outstretched hands. After she took the divine dessert, she gave birth to Hanuman. Thus Lord Shiva incarnated as a monkey, and was born as Hanuman to Anjana, by the blessings of Pavana, who thus became Hanuman’s godfather.

 

Sri Hanuman is considered to be the eleventh incarnation of Lord Shiva. He is a celibate god who is symbolic of strength, divinity, courage, knowledge and devotion. Reciting the Chalisa or Mantra helps to overcome fear and bless with courage and wisdom. Special Pujas of this monkey God is done on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanthi.

 

Hanuman is most well-known for his great heroic leap from the southern tip of India to the island of Sri Lanka. he makes this great leap in a heroic attempt to save the Princess Sita. In its full expression, this pose involves doing the splits with one leg forward and the other leg back, we celebrate this heroic act.

 

The following is a quote from the Ramayana about Hanuman’s great leap, retold by William Buck:

 

“It was the greatest leap ever taken. The speed of Hanuman’s jump pulled blossoms and flowers into the air after him and they fell like little stars on the waving treetops. The animals on the beach had never seen such a thing; they cheered Hanuman, then the air burned from his passage, and red clouds flamed over the sky . . .” (Ramayana, retold by William Buck).

 

The manta of lord Haumanan

 

“Maarutatulyavegam Jitendriyam

Buddhimataam Varistham,

Vaataatmajam Vaanarayoothmukhyam

Sriramdootam Saranam Prapadhye”

The Meaning of this mantra is as follows:

 

I surrender to Lord Hanuman whose pace is rapid like wind and quick as the mind, who is very intelligent, who has constrained his sense organs and who is the son of Vayu (Pawan), the chief of monkey tribe and the messenger of Shri Rama. His pace is as rapid as the wind and as quick as the mind.

 

By meditating on deities such as Hanuman we begin to understand, feel and believe that we have a greater, more heroic or higher purpose and how to channel strong, brave and transformative aspects of ourselves.

 

By Sheri Hooper

 

Sheri is a graduate of the Feel Good yoga teacher training program.