Contents:
Video of the Month – BKS Iyengar, Yoga Master
Article of the Month – How yoga philosophy can be useful in our everyday lives: The eight limbs of yoga (Part 3)
Upcoming Events; Yoga Room Summer Yoga Intensive
Yoga Students “off the mat” – Sean Hancock
Patanjali Yoga Sutra of the month
Quote of the Month
Previous newsletters

 

 

 

Video of the Month: BKS Iyengar, Yoga Master

This is a recent video about the life and practice of BKS Iyengar and shows some students of Yoga who all come from various backgrounds and have differing spiritual beliefs. It never ceases to amaze me how fortunate we are to be able to practice yoga on a daily basis.

 

Thanks to everybody for suggesting videos to watch and present in this newsletter.

 

 

 

 

Article of the Month – How yoga philosophy can be useful in our everyday lives: The eight limbs of yoga (Part 3)

 

To recap from the previous newsletter:

 

The 8 Limbs of Yoga

1 Yama (moral disciplines)
2 Niyama (rules of conduct)
3 Asana (poses or postures)
4 Pranayama (restraint or expansion of the breath)
5 Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses)
6 Dharana (concentration)
7 Dhyana (meditation)
8 Samadhi (absorption, spiritual enlightenment)

 

Growing off the mat as well as on it

Iyengar says, the “Yama and Niyama control the yogi’s passions and emotions and keep him in harmony with his fellow man” (p3 LoY). In the last two newsletters, we looked at the five Yamas, Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (right use of energy) and Aparigraha (non-greed or non-hoarding).

 

Niyama are the rules of conduct that apply to individual discipline, while yama are universal in their application. The five niyama listed by Patanjali are: Saucha (purity), Santosa (contentment), Tapas (ardour or austerity), Svadhyaya (study of the self) and Isvara pranidhana (dedication to the Lord) (p16 LoY).

 

This month, we look at the first Niyama, Saucha or purity/cleanliness:

 

My grandmother used to say, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”. It’s interesting to see Saucha as the first of the Niyamas (personal rules of conduct). When we take on an asana or pranayama practice, we’re using, creating and directing powerful energy. If we turn up on our mats with a sense of aggression instead of ahimsa (non-violence), self-denial instead of satya (truthfulness), laziness instead of tapas (discipline or burning passion), and impurity instead of saucha (cleanliness), then we’re not likely to progress as positively through our sadhana (practice).

 

If we take our ‘bad’ habits on to the mat with us, then our practice becomes a lot harder, and we have to sift through the ‘impurities’ or negativity we’ve picked up before reaping the benefits of Yoga. Of course, by impurities we’re not just talking about physical aspects. Saucha means cleanliness of body, mind, spirit and surroundings, all helping to direct us towards a pure and positive life.

 

Saucha (purity/cleanliness). The first Niyama. What it means.

Purity of blood is essential for well-being. While good habits like bathing purify the body externally, asana and pranayama cleanse it internally. The practice of asanas tones the entire body and removes the toxins and impurities caused by over-indulgence. Pranayama cleanses and aerates the lungs, oxygenates the blood and purifies the nerves. But more important than the physical cleansing of the body is the cleansing of the mind of its disturbing emotions like hatred, passion, anger, lust, greed, delusion and pride.

 

Still more important is the cleansing of the intellect (buddhi) of impure thoughts. The impurities of the mind are washed off in the waters of bhakti (adoration). The impurities of the intellect or reason are burned off in the fire of svadhyaya (study of the Self). This internal cleansing gives radiance and joy. It brings benevolence (saumanasya) and banishes mental pain, dejection, sorrow and despair (daurmanasya). When one is benevolent, one sees the virtues in others and not merely their faults. The respect we show for another’s virtues makes us self-respecting as well and helps fight our own sorrows and difficulties. When the mind is lucid, it is easy to make it one-pointed (ekagra). With concentration, we obtain mastery over the senses (indriyajaya). Then we are ready to enter the temple of our own body and see our real self in the mirror of our mind.

 

‘Pure’ thoughts don’t have to mean ‘pure’ in the sense of strictly thinking only of ‘holy’, or what we might consider ‘pure’ thoughts – it just means not thinking badly! We each have a choice in how we act, and by directing our thoughts towards positivity, we can add positivity to our own lives and to the world around us.

 

This concept applies in virtually all of the yamas and niyamas; our minds are very powerful, and what we choose to do with them has the ability to make a big impact. An ‘impure’ thought might be judging someone else badly in your yoga class because they’re unable to ‘perform’ postures as well as everyone else. It might come in the form of judging yourself for not achieving a goal at work, or impurities might arise when we get angry, stressed, worried or fearful about a situation. Remember: where attention goes, energy flows. You have the power within your mind to think pure thoughts, and therefore influence more purity within and without you. If there’s a problem in the world that you genuinely can do nothing about, then worrying and getting angry isn’t going to help; instead, choose to meditate and send positive, pure thoughts towards the situation and add some goodness to the world.

 

 

Applying Saucha to our yoga practice

General considerations

Our environment often reflects our state of mind. You’ll probably identify with the fact that when your bedroom or home is messy, your mind can often feel a little messy and cluttered too. When we’re surrounded by a clean environment, however, with clear surfaces, possessions that we need – not possessions we’ve hoarded over the years and can’t bear to get rid of – and the sense of having space to breathe, then we’re likely to feel a whole lot better and clearer in our minds.

 

Not only does having a clean place to practise in and a clean mat to practise on feel good, it shows a sign of respect towards our practice. Wearing clean clothes, having a clean and – if possible – dedicated yoga space to practise in allows us to approach each session almost like a clean slate, without anything to grab our attention and set off the chattering mind.

 

It’s pretty obvious that bathing and showering is a good idea as part of your daily routine – not only does being clean keep us healthy outside and in, but cleanliness indicates self-respect. Indeed, you are not your body, but our yoga practice does happen in this body, and keeping it healthy and clean is a good way of respecting our practice.

 

Iyengar says, it is difficult to practise in a distant country (away from home), in a forest, in a crowded city, or where it is noisy. One should choose a place where food is easily procurable, a place which is free from insects, protected from the elements and with pleasing surroundings. The banks of a lake or river or the seashore are ideal. Such quiet ideal places are hard to find in modern times; but one can at least make a corner in one’s room available for practice and keep it clean, airy, dry and pest-free.

 

Yoga school specific considerations

No one likes getting a whiff of smelly feet or armpits, or any other bodily functions… Yes, yoga is about letting go, but it’s also about being aware; aware of our surroundings and aware of respecting others’ precious practice time! It’s always a good idea to come to class feeling fresh, and taking a shower before an evening class can even help to wash the day off us a little, allowing the stresses and strains of the work day to drain down the plug hole of the shower before heading out to our yoga class.

 

Applying Saucha to our everyday life

Besides purity of body, thought and word, pure food is also necessary. Apart from cleanliness in the preparation of food it is also necessary to observe purity in how we procure it.

 

Eating healthily and organically is considered ‘cleanest’ for us. If foods contain lots of preservatives, additives and pesticides, our bodies have to work hard to detoxify and eliminate these unnatural chemicals before even being able to absorb the goodness from what we eat and drink.

 

However, it isn’t always possible to eat organic or to consume entirely un-processed food and drink, and to be honest, we shouldn’t pressurise ourselves to stick rigidly to food rules anyway. But remember that ‘you are what you eat’, so the cleaner our food is, the cleaner we’re going to be inside and out. It’s just about having awareness of what we’re consuming, and making conscious choices to enable us to live healthier and happier.

 

Food, the supporting yet consuming substance of all life, is regarded as a phase of Brahman. It should be eaten with the feeling that with each morsel one can gain strength to serve the Lord. Then food becomes pure. Whether or not to be a vegetarian is a purely personal matter as each person is influenced by the tradition and habits of the country where you are born and grow up. But over time, the practitioner of yoga has to adopt a vegetarian diet, in order to attain one-pointed attention and spiritual evolution.

 

Food should be taken to promote health, strength, energy and life. It should be simple, nourishing, juicy and soothing. Avoid foods that are sour, bitter, pungent, burning, stale, tasteless, heavy and unclean.

 

Character is moulded by the type of food we take and by how we eat it. Humans are the only creatures that eat when not hungry and generally live to eat rather than eat to live. If we eat for flavours of the tongue, we overeat and so suffer from digestive disorders which throw our systems out of gear. The yogi believes in harmony and eats for the sake of sustenance only. Yogis do not eat too much or too little. They look upon their body as the rest-house of their spirit and guard against over-indulgence.

 

Saucha in the mind

Saucha includes outer purity of body as well as inner purity of mind.

 

Saucha, or holistic purity of the body, is considered essential for health, happiness and general well-being. External purity is achieved through daily ablutions, while internal purity is cultivated through physical exercises, including asana (postures) and pranayama (breathing techniques). Along with daily ablutions to cleanse one’s body, the concept of Saucha suggests clean surroundings, along with fresh and clean food to purify the body. Lack of Saucha, such as letting toxins build up in the body, are a source of impurity.

 

Saucha goes beyond purity of body, and includes purity of speech and mind. Anger, hate, prejudice, greed, pride, fear, negative thoughts are a source of impurity of mind. The impurities of the intellect are cleansed through the process of self-examination, or knowledge of self (Adhyatma-Vidya). The mind is purified through mindfulness and meditation on one’s intent, feelings, actions and its causes.

 

Recommended reading
• BKS Iyengar’s Light on the Yoga Sutras.

Acknowledgements
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaucha
• https://www.ekhartyoga.com/articles/the-niyamas-bringing-saucha-into-your-life
• BKS Iyengar’s Light on Yoga.

 

 

 

Upcoming Events

 

Yoga Room Summer Yoga Intensive

When: 4th – 23th December, 2017
 
6–7.30am every day (except Sun 10th and 17th)

 

Where: Yoga Room, James Street, Burleigh Heads

 

Price: $295.

 

This intensive with Maurice will run for 18 days. Each 1.5 hour session will be designed to develop the concept of balance of body, mind and breath to the yoga practice. Experienced students and beginners alike will take their practice to a deeper level.

 

Click here for more details, or us. Or call 0431 837 244 if you have any questions.

 

 

 

 

 

Our Yoga Students “off the mat” – Featuring Sean Hancock

 

In this section of the newsletter, we introduce Yoga Room students and showcase some of the amazing things they do off the mat. We encourage you, where possible, to support their endeavours.

 

Sean Hancock, who in his ‘off the mat’ life runs Hancock Guitars, a family business building custom guitars, has been practising yoga now for three years and been a student of the Yoga Room for six months.

 

His journey with yoga began after he heard about all the benefits, such as flexibility, strength and relaxation. He had become tired of the gym routine and was looking for a different form of exercise.

 

Currently attending yoga classes around twice a week, Sean finds the biggest benefits to be around physical and mental relaxation. He often goes to a class feeling built-up tension from work and a busy life and after class, he feels more relaxed, has more energy and is physically and mentally more balanced.

 

Sean is one of that rare breed of native Gold Coasters and in his spare time, he enjoys the best of the Gold Coast offerings, the beach and surfing. He also likes going out for a coffee, and is an aficionado of the Game of Thrones.

 

Having previously attended a different studio, Sean found the benefits of Yoga Room classes suited him better. He feels he is learning a lot more about the practice, and making improvements with the guidance and personal advice about how he needs to improve his practice. “The difference is massive at the Yoga Room! I’m learning new things every session and the improvement in my practice, strength, flexibility and posture has been dramatic. I can see where I want to be and have a goal to work towards,” Sean said.

If you are thinking about buying a guitar, or you need your current one serviced or repaired, Hancock Guitars is worth a visit. They are a long-time Gold Coast business, established for 25 years. Apart from building custom guitars, they also do repairs and servicing of guitars.

 

Check out their website Hancock Guitars and Guitar tech.

 

Or the Facebook accounts associated with these.

 

You can contact Sean on mobile 0408 106 866

 

 

 

 

Patanjali Yoga Sutra of the month

 

Chapter 2 Verse 40
Saucat Svanga Jugupsa Parair Asamsargah||40||

 

“Cleanliness of body and mind develops disinterest in contact with other for self-gratification.”

BKS Iyengar. Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Pg 145

 

 

 

Quote of the month

 

“Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world.”

George Bernard Shaw

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Yoga Room Burleigh Heads
quentrio.vip

+61 438 837 244

 

 

Contents:
Video of the Month – BKS Iyengar, Ultimate Freedom
Article of the Month – How yoga philosophy can be useful in our everyday lives: The eight limbs of yoga (Part 2)
Upcoming Events; Yoga Room Spring Yoga Intensive and Paul Watson English Channel Swim
Yoga Students “off the mat” – Damien
Patanjali Yoga Sutra of the month
Quote of the Month
Previous newsletters

 

 

 

Video of the Month: BKS Iyengar, Ultimate Freedom

This video of BKS Iyengar is definitely worth watching. It is in black and white and shot in 1976 at the YMCA in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It begins with a short, powerful introduction by Guruji on the physical, mental, and spiritual freedom yoga brings.

 

He then demonstrates various fundamental asana, along with some play-by-play commentary and exposition on proper alignment and form as well as on the therapeutic and anatomical benefits of the postures, delivered as he performs the poses.

 

 

 

 

Article of the Month – How yoga philosophy can be useful in our everyday lives: The eight limbs of yoga (Part 2)

 

To recap from the previous newsletter:

 

The 8 Limbs of Yoga

1 Yama (moral disciplines)
2 Niyama (rules of conduct)
3 Asana (poses or postures)
4 Pranayama (restraint or expansion of the breath)
5 Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses)
6 Dharana (concentration)
7 Dhyana (meditation)
8 Samadhi (absorption, spiritual enlightenment)

 

Growing off the mat as well as on it

Last month, we looked at the first two of the five Yamas, Ahimsa (non-violence) and Satya (truthfulness).

 

This month, we look at the remaining three Yamas: Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (right use of energy) and Aparigraha (non-greed or non-hoarding).

 

Asteya (non-stealing). The third Yama. What it means

Asteya means much more than not taking something that doesn’t belong to us. It implies not to steal, or cheat, or unethically manipulate for our own gain. Asteya goes beyond actions; it also implies not stealing through speech, writing, or even in our thoughts. Asteya arises out of the understanding that all misappropriation is an expression of a feeling of lack. To steal or want to steal expresses lack of faith in ourselves. In stealing from another, we are also stealing from our own potential to develop. Instead of seeking to fill our own emptiness, we look to take from another who we perceive as having what we lack.

 

Gandhi considered asteya as a human right to property without fear. In Gandhi’s view, asteya follows from ahimsa (non-violence), because stealing is a form of violence and injury to another.

 

Applying Asteya to our yoga practice

A feeling of not being good enough may propel us beyond healthy boundaries in our practice on the mat. By practising mindfully, we can learn to move towards how an asana feels rather than how it looks. This requires us being in the present moment, allowing ourselves to be open and accepting how our practice is at that moment. Our practice can then be defined not by the postures we are able to do, but by the awareness we bring to them.

 

Practising asteya on the mat involves not only us, but our fellow students in a class. The yoga room is a sacred space and for many, it may be the only place they can find peace. Arriving to the class on time, moving mindfully and quietly, not disturbing the peace of those already in the room—not stealing their peace—allows others to focus on whatever they need to at the time.

 

Applying Asteya to our everyday life

If the root cause of asteya is a feeling of lack, a feeling of ‘I’m not good enough’, and we believe that appropriating something belonging to someone else will satisfy this lack, then by practising the feeling that we do have enough and we are enough in ourselves, we can move towards achieving a feeling of satisfaction, ‘fullness’, wholeness and happiness.

 

Whenever those feelings of lack, want or desire arise, repeating the mantra ‘I am enough’ may help.

 

Brahmacharya (right use of energy). The fourth Yama. What it means

Brahmacharya literally means ‘going after Brahman (Supreme Reality, Self or God)’. It has been translated variously as ‘to walk with God’, ‘to move in truth’, ‘to merge with the one’.

 

The practice of brahmacharya is most often associated with celibacy, but there’s a lot more to it. Many spiritual traditions and religions have struggled with the dilemma of how to use sexual energy wisely. Practising brahmacharya means using our sexual energy to regenerate our connection to our spiritual self, not using it in any way that might harm another. Manipulating and using others sexually leads to pain, jealousy, attachment, resentment and hatred.

 

However, considering brahmacharya purely as energy, rather than specifically as sexual energy, it means merging our energy with ‘the one’. It means using our energies mindfully and wisely, and experiencing our interconnectedness with all life. Brahmacharya also implies moderation and balance—in our work, our play, our relationships with others, not forgetting our relationship with ourselves.

 

Applying Brahmacharya to our yoga practice

One way of practising brahmacharya on the mat is to set an intention at the beginning of our practice by identifying something in our life that feels out of balance—it may be finances, a relationship, our job, how we relate to food and exercise, or something else. Once we identify this, we can make a positive statement about bringing balance to it. For example, ‘I want more work/life balance’. During the class, we can then devote the energy of our yoga practice to making this intention a reality.

 

Again, practising brahmacharya involves leaving behind our thoughts of past and future, and giving our full attention to the present moment. By creating clear intentions while we practise, each breath brings us closer to experiencing those intentions in the world of form.

 

Applying Brahmacharya to our everyday life

Bahmacharya—right use of energy—is useful to consider in our everyday, often overly busy lives. There seems a societal expectation to always be busy, to always be doing. By becoming aware of this ‘doing for doing’s sake’ we can step back and think about the nature of what we’re doing, and whether all the activities we’re engaged in are using our energy in the best way for us. Indications of frenetic activity may be that we have little energy, little space to breathe, no time to stop and smell the flowers, to do things that are nourishing to our bodies and minds. By becoming aware of this, we can take the opportunity to spend a few moments a day to stop and breathe and find a little peace.

 

It is also useful to be aware of how we feel physically and energetically in certain situations. Some people may drag our energy down, while others make us light. This awareness helps us make choices about who we wish to spend our time with.

 

Aparigraha (non-greed or non-hoarding). The fifth Yama. What it means

Aparigraha often translates as ‘non-greed’, ‘non-possessiveness’, ‘non-attachment’. It refers to keeping the desire for possessions to what is necessary or important, depending on our life stage and context. It involves exercising self-restraint to avoid the greed and avarice of material gain through hurting, killing or destroying other life forms.

 

In exercising aparigraha, we demonstrate an awareness that in abstaining from appropriating objects, or even objectives, ‘just because’, we understand the disadvantages of their acquisition, maintenance and loss, our attachment to them, or our harming of them.

 

Applying Aparigraha to our yoga practice

In our competitive world, it may be a challenge for us not to compare our practice to that of the person on the mat beside us. We may lose sight of the reason we came to class. We lose focus. Our practice strays from connecting with ourselves and being present, to being ‘better’ than the person on the mat next to us, or pushing ourselves beyond what our body is ready for at the time. This is where ‘non-greed’ and ‘non-attachment’ come in.

 

It can be useful to shift our focus from ‘becoming’ something in our yoga practice to simply ‘being’ in it, enjoying the practice in and of itself, without forcing or pushing ourselves beyond our capabilities, or comparing ourselves to someone else. While progress in our practice is rewarding, it can be equally rewarding to let go of specific goals and simply enjoy the practice.

 

Applying Aparigraha to our everyday life

Some of the ways we can apply aparigraha involve the physical possessions we own, our food and our thoughts.
Hoarding material possessions may bring heaviness into our lives and an energetic ‘baggage’ of attachment to those possessions; we worry about losing them, we spend time maintaining them, all the while believing that these objects bring us happiness. We seldom need all these ‘things’ that surround us; by selling some of them or giving them to charity, we can lighten our load and live a less cluttered life, in home and in mind.

 

By applying aparigraha to our diets, we can be more aware of what and how much we eat, and learn not to be wasteful with food choices. Many of us in Australia are among the small percentage of the world’s population fortunate enough to have sufficient to eat. What we can learn is to acknowledge when we have had enough. We can also learn to buy only what we need so that we do not waste food.

 

Finally, by practising ‘non-hoarding’ in our thoughts, we can experience the happiness and joy of the changing situations in our life—a new relationship, a new project, a trip overseas—and enjoy each experience fully and completely in that moment, without projecting ourselves into the future and becoming anxious about what will happen when the situation is over. Just as summer becomes autumn becomes winter which turns into spring, so our life situations go through constant flux. By accepting this and not ‘hoarding’ these experiences, we can appreciate a feeling of freedom not available to us when we try to hang onto those situations.

 

Ultimately, aparigraha is about letting go.

 

Recommended reading
• BKS Iyengar’s Light on the Yoga Sutras.

Acknowledgements
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteya
• https://www.ekhartyoga.com/articles/the-yamas-asteya-non-stealing
• http://lorienyoga.com/brahmacharya-and-the-quest-for-balance/
• https://www.ekhartyoga.com/articles/the-yamas-brahmacharya-right-use-of-energy
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aparigraha
• https://www.ekhartyoga.com/articles/aparigraha-practicing-non-attachment

 

 

 

Upcoming Events

 

Yoga Room Spring Yoga Intensive

When: 11th – 30th September, 2017
 
6–7.30am every day (except Sun 17th and 24th)

 

Where: Yoga Room, James Street, Burleigh Heads

 

Price: $295.

 

This intensive with Maurice will run for 18 days. Each 1.5 hour session will be designed to introduce and develop the concept of balance of body, mind and breath to the yoga practice. Experienced students and beginners alike will honor the balance of excitement and calm, inner stillness and dynamic motion, activity and acceptance.

 

Click here for more details, or us. Or call 0431 837 244 if you have any questions.

 

Paul Watson, English Channel Swim

 

Paul Watson is about to swim the icy waters of the English Channel to help raise awareness of the disastrous problem of Domestic Violence in Australia.

 

Visit the everydayhero website to help support this worthy cause..

 

 

 

 

 

Our Yoga Students “off the mat” – Featuring Damien

 

In this section of the newsletter, we introduce Yoga Room students and showcase some of the amazing things they do off the mat. We encourage you, where possible, to support their endeavours.

 

Damien started practising yoga at the Yoga Room in June 2016. It was the first time he had ever done yoga. “I’ve just done my eighty-fifth class,” he said recently. “I said I’d give myself a year and do a hundred classes after I had two disks in my neck replaced with synthetic disks. They spontaneously collapsed in April 2016. After surgery, I was going to rehab and I didn’t enjoy it at all so the physio suggested I try yoga. And it’s gone from there.” Damien currently averages around two classes a week and plans to continue with yoga after he reaches the hundredth class.

 

Damien has discovered tremendous benefits from yoga, after having led a strenuously physical life. He spent thirteen years in the Melbourne police force. “It was a hard life physically. We had no physios, you just put up with the injuries and kept going.” Since starting yoga, he has noticed a myriad of benefits, from sleep improvement, a decrease in nerve pain (which he experienced for years, even before the collapse of the disks in his neck), improved movement, and less stiffness and pain.

 

His life has improved so much through the practice of Iyengar yoga that he does around forty-five minutes a day practice at home, including on the days he goes to class. He has even set up ropes at home, and uses other props as well to support him during his practice.

 

Born and raised in Melbourne, Damien only moved to the Gold Coast a couple of years ago. He initially came here on business, loved it and stayed. Now, he splits his time between here and Melbourne, where he owns a business, a compliance and R& D test laboratory. They test ballistics products such as vehicles, bullet-proof vests, cockpit doors, and red light cameras for defence, police forces, manufacturers of ballistics products, and most governments around the world. Damien also owns a cattle farm outside of Melbourne and goes there to work on the farm as often as he can.

 

In his spare time, he enjoys the beach life, swimming, running, and playing AFL. He loves reading, mainly biographies, likes rock bands, and is an avid listener of talkback radio.

 

 

 

 

Patanjali Yoga Sutra of the month

 

Chapter 2 Verse 38
brahmacaryaprati??h?y?? v?ryal?bha?38||

 

“When the sadhaka is firmly established in continence, knowledge, vigour, valour and energy flow to him.”

BKS Iyengar. Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Pg 143

 

 

 

Quote of the month

 

“Energy is a bit like money: if you have a positive balance, you can distribute it in various ways, but according to the classical laws that were believed at the beginning of the century, you weren’t allowed to be overdrawn.”

Stephen Hawking

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Yoga Room Burleigh Heads
quentrio.vip

+61 438 837 244

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]]> march-2017/ Wed, 15 Mar 2017 07:16:54 +0000 ?p=1670 Namaste   The Yoga Room is excited to host a Weekend Workshop with Gulnaaz Dashti. Gulnaaz is as close as you can get to the teaching from the Iyengar Institute without making the trip to India. She has studied directly under BKS, Geeta and Prashant Iyengar for over 20 years. She has been teaching at […]

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Namaste

 

The Yoga Room is excited to host a Weekend Workshop with Gulnaaz Dashti. Gulnaaz is as close as you can get to the teaching from the Iyengar Institute without making the trip to India. She has studied directly under BKS, Geeta and Prashant Iyengar for over 20 years. She has been teaching at the Iyengar Institute for the last 14 years.

 

Also in this newsletter we take a deeper look at the yogic philosophy as outlined in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. We will look at the eight limbs of yoga starting with the first two Yamas (ethical precepts).

 

Due to the teacher training schedule there will be no Yoga Bali Retreat this year. For those of you wishing to participate in the Bali Retreat in 2018 the dates have been set for 16th to 28th July.

 

Enjoy the newsletter and keep practising.

Maurice

 

 

Contents:
Video of the Month – Gulnaaz Dashti, Yoganjali
Article of the Month – How yoga philosophy can be useful in our everyday lives: The eight limbs of yoga (Part 1)
Upcoming Events; Gulnaaz Dashti Weekend Workshop
Yoga Students “off the mat” – Susie Tagarro
Patanjali Yoga Sutra of the month
Quote of the Month
Previous newsletters

 

 

 

Video of the Month: Gulnaaz Dashti, Yoganjali

Next month we are excited to be hosting a weekend workshop with Gulnaaz Dashti.

 

Gulnaaz Dashti has studied directly under BKS Iyengar, daughter Geeta and son Prashant for over 20 years. She has been teaching at the Iyengar Institute in India for the last 14 years and runs therapeutic classes.

 

Gulnaaz will be teaching in Melbourne, Perth Sydney Darwin and on the Gold Coast. Don’t miss a unique opportunity to learn from senior Iyengar teacher who has spent many many years at the source of Iyengar yoga.

 

Gulnaaz is a dedicated practitioner and a passionate teacher. She was granted a teaching position by Guruji (BKS Iyengar) to teach beginner classes in 1998, currently Gulnaaz is a senior teacher. Since 2003 Gulnaaz has regularly been teaching in Iran as well as Switzerland, Dubai and the USA.

 

Here is a link to a video file showing a brief introduction to Gulnaaz.

Click here to see the Gulnaaz Dashti, Yoganjali video.

 

 

 

 

Article of the Month – Article of the Month – How yoga philosophy can be useful in our everyday lives: The eight limbs of yoga (Part 1)

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali – 196 Indian sutras (aphorisms ) – were compiled before 400 CE by Sage Patanjali. They incorporate materials about yoga from older traditions. The Yoga Sutras refer to eight limbs of yoga, which offer guidance on how to live a meaningful and purposeful life.

 

The 8 Limbs of Yoga

1 Yama (moral disciplines)
2 Niyama (rules of conduct)
3 Asana (poses or postures)
4 Pranayama (restraint or expansion of the breath)
5 Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses)
6 Dharana (concentration)
7 Dhyana (meditation)
8 Samadhi (absorption, spiritual enlightenment)

 

Growing off the mat as well as on it

While our practice of yoga on the mat – i.e. the physical poses or asana – can increase our physical strength and flexibility and help calm our minds, when we learn to apply the same principles off the mat, we can grow, maximise our potential, be stronger, calmer, more flexible, and generally happier in our everyday lives. We can also learn the importance of kindness and truthfulness, using our energy in a positive way to benefit not only ourselves, but everyone and everything around us as well.

 

This series of articles will investigate the sutras and seek to apply them not only to our practice of yoga, but to our life in general. The articles are written as a beginner’s guide. They do not go into deeper aspects of the philosophy. Students wishing to delve deeper into the philosophy will find plenty of resources . Please see the end of this article for a selection.

 

This month’s article visits the first limb of yoga, Yama. As there are five Yamas, we only cover the first two in this first article, Ahimsa (non-violence) and Satya (truthfulness).

 

1. YAMA – moral disciplines – the first limb of yoga

What are Yamas?
Yama refers to restraints, moral disciplines or moral vows.
In BKS Iyengar’s Light on The Yoga Sutras, he explains that Yamas are ‘unconditioned by time, class and place’. No matter who we are, where we come from, or how much yoga we’ve practised, we can all aim to instil the Yamas within us.

 

There are five Yamas:
1. Ahimsa (non-violence)
2. Satya (truthfulness)
3. Asteya (non-stealing)
4. Brahmacharya (right use of energy)
5. Aparigraha (non-greed or non-hoarding).

 

Ahimsa (non-violence). The first Yama. What it means, and how we can apply it

Ahimsa means ‘not to injure’ and ‘compassion’; cause no injury, do no harm. Ahimsa incorporates non-violence towards all living beings—including all animals.
Ahimsa is inspired by the premise that all living beings contain the spark of divinity, therefore, to hurt another being is to hurt oneself. Ahimsa is associated with karmic consequences. Mahatma Gandhi strongly believed in the principle of Ahimsa.
‘Causing no injury’ applies not only to our actions, but equally to our thoughts and words. Ahimsa encompasses avoiding all violent means—physical violence, thinking violent thoughts, verbal abuse—anything that injures others.

 

Applying Ahimsa to our yoga practice

Even more broadly, Ahimsa applies to non-violence towards ourselves. Thinking of this in relation to practising yoga asana, we can apply Ahimsa by respecting our physical capabilities and limitations, rather than injuring ourselves through non-acceptance of these physical aspects. Also, by not berating ourselves (either through our thoughts or by verbally abusing ourselves) if we are yet unable to achieve a certain proficiency in a pose.
By overworking one side of the body in favour of the other, we are causing violence to both sides. The side that is overworking may be harmed from the over-extension. And the side that is under-extended may be harmed in that the cells are not being nourished adequately.
Ahimsa implies a level of acceptance of what is, rather than what could be.
.

 

Applying Ahimsa to our everyday life

Applying Ahimsa to our everyday life, an acceptance of what is encourages us to be gentler and kinder on ourselves, in thought, word and deed. This may include a conscious effort to think positive thoughts about ourselves, to repeat daily positive affirmations about ourselves and what we want to achieve in our lives, and pursuing a healthy lifestyle rather than abusing our bodies through over-indulgence in any way. We can then apply Ahimsa to others, being consciously positive, kind and gentler towards others in our thoughts, words and actions.

 

Satya (truthfulness). The second Yama. What it means, and how we can apply it

Satya means truth: being truthful in our thoughts, speech and actions. It is the virtuous restraint from falsehood and distortion of reality in our expressions and actions.
Satya is essential; without it, the universe falls apart and cannot function.
Truth and truthfulness are considered a form of reverence towards the divine, falsehood a form of sin. Satya applies not only to our past thoughts, words and deeds, but also to our current and future contexts as well.
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali state, “When one is firmly established in speaking truth, the fruits of action become subservient to him.” In Patanjali’s teachings, while we may not always know the truth or the whole truth, we do know if we are creating, sustaining or expressing falsehood, exaggeration, distortion, fabrication or deception. For Patanjali, Satya is the virtue of restraint from such falsehood, either through silence or through stating the truth without distortion.

 

Applying Satya to our yoga practice

Understanding how much effort is required in each asana is a part of Satya. If we are constantly pushing too hard in the posture, we are not being honest about the needs of the body. Alternatively, if we are lazy in the practice, saying the body needs rest when it would benefit from a more rigorous practice, we are also not being honest with the needs of the practice. The challenge is to recognise what is the appropriate amount of effort required for the practice. This recognition comes about through a consistent regular practice.

 

Applying Satya to our everyday life

To build a better relationship with the world around us and with ourselves, we need to be honest with ourselves first – in thoughts, words and actions. We also need to be honest with others in the same way.
A way to practise being completely truthful with ourselves is to create space and stillness and slow down the mind. Instead of reacting instantly to situations on a primitive and emotional level, we can instead choose to see beyond the trigger to the truth. Instead of acting from a place of fear and conditioning and reacting blindly to a stimulus – e.g. someone close says something that triggers us to respond with a knee-jerk reaction – we can aspire to being more like the Dalai Llamas, who have trained themselves to slow down their response to stimuli within the primitive, emotional brain and create a fraction more time to process situations, thus seeing them clearly and truthfully.
We can practise observing each thought as it arises, without getting caught up in it. Like most worthwhile things, Satya is simple but not easy. It takes practice.
Once we know we are not our thoughts, a gap is created between who we think we are (the ego), and who we really are (the I am).

 

Next week, we cover the last three Yamas, Asteya (non-stealing); Brahmacharya (right use of energy); and Aparigraha (non-greed or non-hoarding).

 

Recommended reading
• BKS Iyengar’s Light on the Yoga Sutras.

Acknowledgements
• Wikipedia
• https://www.ekhartyoga.com/blog/the-8-limbs-of-yoga-explained

 

 

 

Upcoming Events

 

Gulnaaz Dashti Weekend Workshop

When: Friday 21st April to Sunday 23rd April 2017
9:00am to 5:00pm

Where: Yoga Room, James Street, Burleigh Heads

Price: $310 Earlybird $275 by 31 March. A few places Only remaining.

 

Gulnaaz Dashti has studied directly under BKS Iyengar, daughter Geeta and son Prashant for over 20 years. She has been teaching at the Iyengar Institute in India for the last 14 years and runs therapeutic classes.

 

Click here for more details, or us. Or call 0431 837 244 if you have any questions.

 

 

 

Our Yoga Students “off the mat” – Featuring Susie Tagarro

 

In this section of the newsletter we introduce Yoga Room students showcasing some of the amazing things they do off-the-mat and encourage you, where possible, to support their endeavours.

 

 

Susie Tagarro, who has recently joined the Yoga Room, began practising yoga in 2008 when she was 14 or 15. Her mum’s interest in yoga got her started, and she also wanted to do some form of exercise.

 

A health science graduate, Susie’s studies included anatomy, physiology and nutrition. She also completed two years of medical school. She’s currently assisting Maurice by teaching the anatomy and physiology segments of his yoga teacher training course, The Art and Science of Yoga, as well as participating as a student in the teacher training.

 

In December, she attended a 200-hour yoga teacher training course in Rishikesh, India where she learnt to teach both hatha and vinyasa asana, sequencing of yoga postures, pranayama, theory and philosophy, therapy and meditation. She loved Rishikesh. “It’s a holy city at the foot of the Himalayas, considered the world capital of yoga with Mother Ganga flowing through it, a vegetarian alcohol-free city. The whole city is full of yogis and yogis in training. I stayed in a village called Laxman Jhula and everyone there was lovely and trusting. Even the street dogs and cows roaming the street were friendly! They all wanted a pat.”

 

Since returning from India, she’s been teaching vinyasa asana weekly to a small group of people and particularly enjoys incorporating yoga philosophy in the classes. “I find it very interesting and helpful in life in general.”

 

Through practising yoga regularly, Susie has noticed a dramatic increase in her strength and flexibility. “The physical benefits I derive from yoga have given me the confidence to do other forms of physical activity. I’m more interested in walking, hiking and swimming, for example.” Susie also notices a marked psychological change from undertaking regular yoga practice. “It’s given me the confidence and made me more open to trying new things off the mat as well.”

 

She mentions inversions as an example. “I used to fear trying headstands then one day, one of my yoga teachers in India said, ‘You’re not going to magically get better at anything unless you practise it.’ In classes previously, I used to wish I could do an inversion without ever actually trying it. With my teacher’s comment, it clicked that it was my responsibility, not my yoga teacher’s. I have to do the work, have the discipline. So I started practising and now I’m getting better at them.”

 

Yoga has also contributed to her spiritual development. “I’m a lot more conscious of my thoughts, words and actions, particularly my thoughts and judgements about myself and others. I understand that everyone’s on their own journey and in realising this, I’m learning not to take other people’s reactions towards me personally. Their lives and circumstances dictate their reactions. I try to be more patient and understanding of people’s situations. Yoga has also made me realise that consciously trying to be a better person through my actions and thoughts – doing things in service of other beings – makes me much happier. In addition to this, if I’ve had a bad day or a disagreement with someone, I’m always able to find peace on the mat for that hour or hour and a half.”

 

She decided not to pursue a career in medicine as she wasn’t being fulfilled by it and it was causing stress-related issues. “I didn’t have time for any activities that improved my quality of life, including yoga, so I decided to change paths and incorporate into my career choice my passion for cooking, vegan food, healthy mindful living and wellness, including yoga.”

 

Susie has been vegan for four years and in December, she launched the website for her business, The Hippie Cook, a platform for plant-based living. Her website offers a wide range of free vegan recipes. She’s recently begun writing blog articles on topics such as veganism, minimalism, environmentalism, improving our environmental footprint, nutrition, yoga, etc. She also bakes vegan cakes and cupcakes for special occasions under the banner of The Hippie Baker. She’s been working on her recipes for several years and is currently working towards producing a recipe e-book of vegan meals, including their nutritional breakdown.

 

Susie’s website: http://www.thehippiecook.com.au
Instagram: thehippiecook
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehippiecook/
Mob: 0433 448 750
Email: thehippiecook@gmail.com
Susie would like to make a healthy offer to Yoga Room students: 12 healthy bliss balls for $12 (normally $30)

 

 

Patanjali Yoga Sutra of the month

 

Chapter 2 Verse 47
yamaniyamasanapranayamapratyaharadharanadhyanasamadhayostavangani||29||

 

“Moral injunctions (yama), fixed observances (niyama), posture (asana), regulation of breath (pranayama), internalisation of the senses towards their source (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), and absorption of consciousness in the self (samadhi), are the eight constituents of yoga.”

BKS Iyengar. Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Pg 134

 

 

 

 

Quote of the month

 

“Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become your character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”

Lao Tzu

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Yoga Room Burleigh Heads
quentrio.vip

+61 438 837 244

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]]> december-2016/ Wed, 14 Dec 2016 04:14:53 +0000 ?p=1320 Namaste   Of all the different types of teachers, “to be a yoga teacher is the hardest of all, because yoga teachers have to be their own critics and correct their own practice”. B.K.S. Iyengar ‘The Tree of Yoga’   After many years of requests from people wishing to participate in a teacher training program […]

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Namaste

 

Of all the different types of teachers, “to be a yoga teacher is the hardest of all, because yoga teachers have to be their own critics and correct their own practice”.
B.K.S. Iyengar ‘The Tree of Yoga’

 

After many years of requests from people wishing to participate in a teacher training program at the Yoga Room, I have decided to conduct a two-year training program called “The Art and Science of Teaching Yoga”. I’m still finalising the details of the program which will start in February 2017. There will be an information session in mid-January, so if this is something you’ve been considering then see below.

 

The Yoga Room website has been updated and the timetable is now live and you can book online.

 

Enjoy this newsletter and have a safe and happy Christmas.
Peace and love to you all

Maurice

 

 

Contents:
Audio of the Month – BKS Iyengar, Invocation to Patanjali
Article of the Month – Teaching Yoga
Christmas Timetable
Teacher Training Information Session
Upcoming Events; Autumn Morning Yoga Intensive
Yoga Students “off the mat” – Dan Hanson
Patanjali Yoga Sutra of the month
Quote of the Month
Previous newsletters

 

 

 

Audio of the Month: BKS Iyengar, Invocation to Patanjali

Many people ask about the chant at the beginning of the class.

The sage Patanjali is the author of the Yoga Sutras, one of the classical yoga philosophy texts and the basis of our practice. At the beginning of many of our classes, we chant this invocation to Patanjali to honour the ancient tradition of yoga and the lineage of yoga that we practise.

Geeta Iyengar describes another reason for reciting the chant: “We chant so that at the very beginning that feeling of sanctification comes from inside, with the feeling of surrendering oneself, because nothing can be learned in this world unless you have the humility to learn.”

Here is a link to the audio file on the official BKS Iyengar website. There is also an English written version of the Invocation.

Click here to visit the official BKS Iyengar website and listen to the Invocation.

 

 

 

 

Article of the Month – Teaching Yoga

Of all the different types of teachers, “to be a yoga teacher is the hardest of all, because yoga teachers have to be their own critics and correct their own practice”. So says B.K.S. Iyengar in the final chapter of his book ‘The Tree of Yoga’, entitled ‘On Teachers and Teaching’.

 

Yoga teachers must understand how the body functions, and they must know how to help their students and protect them.

 

The relationship between teacher and student is complex. It is at once close, and distant; it is “a two-way avenue between pupil and teacher involving love, admiration, devotion and dedication”.

 

Even at the time of writing his book (1988), Iyengar was dismayed at the trend of Westerners – which has only increased over the years – returning from short courses in yoga teacher training in India to teach yoga back in their own country. He emphasises that, “In the West, people go to classes without ever testing the calibre of the teacher. As the master tests the pupils, so too the pupils should test the teachers’ standards before accepting them as teachers.” He suggests that teachers must do their own practice, just as doctors must undergo proper training to give medicine. “This is known as an ethical discipline.” So, “Teaching with practice is ethical, but it is unethical when teachers teach without clarity in their postures.”

 

His method involved constantly moving around the room, correcting his students, and he says that while he could have chosen simply to sit at the front of the room and verbally instruct, to do so “would be creating a polarity between my pupils and myself”. He preferred to correct the pupils who were going wrong, “because they also should see the light that I have seen”.

 

Iyengar makes the point that many people call themselves gurus, yogis or yoginis, and says, “This is wrong. Teachers should not be called gurus, and gurus are not to be seen merely as teachers. A guru is one who removes darkness and gives light. One who protects his or her pupils always so that they may not become victims of circumstances, and makes them work more and more so that they develop humility, is a guru.”

 

He emphasises that to live spiritually is to live in the moment. In his method of teaching, he used to keep his students practising for anywhere from two to four hours. During this time, students’ minds were fully on their practice; they were fully aware of their body, mind, senses and intelligence. He says, “If, out of twenty-four hours, they remain spiritual for four hours, I can say I have done some good in this world!”

 

Iygengar always found the reference to the ‘Iyengar method’ uncomfortable. He only introduced certificates for teachers to create and maintain a uniform teaching system and to distinguish between genuine students trained by him or by his senior pupils from those who only claimed to have been. The certificate itself is not important, he says. “What is important is whether you are sincere, whether you are humble, whether you are compassionate.” He says that a teacher needs to be merciless as well as compassionate, and when to be one or the other, in order to help students with their problems.

 

He gives insight into fatigue when doing asana. “When my body is tired, I say my body is tired; I never say that I am tired. If my brain is tired, I do halasana and get back the energy, and if my body is tired, I do half halasana and rejuvenate the cells.” Therefore, if we are physically tired but we overstretch in the standing poses, then we will naturally become even more tired. He tells us to use our discrimination about what to do, when and how much.

 

Towards the end of the chapter, Iyengar poses the question, “When should a teacher end the class?” He says this is important, and that if he notices that the pupils cannot take any more, he simply tells them to stop. A mature teacher knows when to make a pupil stop. He tells us there are two types of teaching: teaching using intelligence, and knowing the physical and emotional weakness of pupils. The latter requires creativity in order to introduce a new style that works for them.

 

Finally, Iyengar exhorts teachers to remember that they learn as much from their pupils as the pupils learn from them.

 

(Source: The Tree of Yoga (1988), B.K.S. Iyengar, Shambhala Publications, Inc., Boston.)

 

 

 

Yoga Room Christmas Timetable

 

 

Please note there are no classes on Sunday 25th, Monday 26th, and Tuesday 27th December and also Sunday 1st and Monday 2nd January.

 

There is a General Class at 9:30am on Wednesday 28th, Thursday 29th, Friday 30th and Saturday 31th December.

 

The regular timetable resumes on Tuesday 3rd January.

 

Click here to see the Yoga Room Timetable and book a class.

 

 

 

Yoga Room Teacher Training Information Session

Maurice McCann (info@quentrio.vip)

 

“Thinking knowledge of the head combined with the experienced understanding of the heart should be the dharma of a teacher.”

B.K.S. Iyengar

 

A two-year teacher training program.

 

LEARN & BUILD

 

· Exemplary, well-tested practice and teaching
skills

 

· Deepened, authentic self-study and expression

 

· A clear understanding of how to communicate
the art and science of yoga through language,
demonstration, observation, correction
and adjustment

 

· Practical, effective experience in how the body
works, moves, feels, and knows.

 

· A foundational sense of connection to the yoga
community regionally, nationally, and
internationally

 

An information session will be held mid January us or call 0431 837 244 to register your interest.

 

 

 

Upcoming Events

 

2017 Autumn Equinox
Yoga Intensive

When: Monday 13th March to
Saturday 1st April 2017
(except Sun. 19th & 26th) 6:00am to 7:30am

Where: Yoga Room, James Street, Burleigh Heads

Price: $295

 

This intensive will focus on the Body, Breath and Mind connectedness with a strong focus on breath techniques for deepening the practice.

 

Click here for more details, or us. Or call 0431 837 244 if you have any questions.

 

 

 

Our Yoga Students “off the mat” – Featuring Dan Hanson

 

In this section of the newsletter we introduce Yoga Room students showcasing some of the amazing things they do off-the-mat and encourage you, where possible, to support their endeavours.

 

 

Dan Hanson, originally from Liverpool, UK, and now a Burleigh resident, has been a Yoga Room student for around 18 months. During this time, his practice has become regular, although he is not new to yoga. When he is not travelling, for work or pleasure, he attends Yoga Room classes between three and five times a week. When he is travelling, he tries to do a few poses to wake up in the mornings, or wind down in the evenings. He occasionally also gets to the self-practice sessions with Maurice.

 

Like many sportspeople who take up yoga, Dan’s love of extreme sports causes him to get injured more than he’d like to. He finds yoga helps improve his flexibility and resilience. “I also find it helps me get out of my head and into my body,” he says.

 

Aside from these benefits, “I get to give myself the biggest gift I can…attention and love.” Dan has worked as a dentist on the Gold Coast for the past eleven years. For the past two and a half years, he has been in private practice. Because of his profession, he can become very focused on helping others and it then becomes easy for him to neglect himself. By dedicating himself to yoga, “I get to take time out for just me and nobody else. This is new for me and I’m loving it.”

 

Dan is a qualified Buteyko Institute Breathing Educator. “I work with kids and adults when they have symptoms of breathing dysfunction such as asthma, allergy, snoring and sleep apnoea. This is not dentistry so I take my ‘dentist hat’ off to do it. However, I do it from a multi-purpose room in my holistic dental practice (Heal Dental Care) in Burleigh.

 

“This room is my ‘work playground’. From here I carry out lots of my passions in my working life. I use it as a post-op recovery space for babies who have been struggling to feed, when they have just had tongue and lip tie laser surgery, while they feed with their mothers, and of course the breathing clinic. I also use it for community health talks and men’s groups. I host my own men’s group there but also co-facilitate other men’s groups for the men’s wellbeing organisation.”

 

Dan’s work as a breathing educator inspired him to invent a great product called sleepYstrip. It helps to reduce snoring and dry mouth, and improves sleep by ensuring nasal breathing.

 

In his spare time, Dan loves to be in the outdoors, whether it’s walking his huge dog Obi with his wife Rach, or going kite-surfing in the crystal-blue Gold Coast waters. He also likes to spread vital information about his work in tongue tie surgery – helping breast feeding – and children’s facial growth to prevent the need for braces. “For these subjects I’m fortunate enough to travel the world lecturing to my own profession as well as to chiropractors and osteopaths. While I’m travelling lecturing I like to fit in side trips to cool destinations. Last year while lecturing in London I managed to squeeze in a snow-boarding trip to France. This year while at Tokyo Health Expo I did a sneaky snowboarding trip to Hakuba.”

 

Dan and his wife Rach both love to travel and do fun things together. This year they took up rock climbing. “It’s a great sport for couples as it requires complete trust and patience.”

 

If you would like to learn more about Heal Dental Care, the Buteyko breathing method, or Dr Dan Hanson, please visit:
www.healdentalcare.com.au or www.drdanhanson.com
To learn more about sleepYstrip, go to: www.sleepystrip.com

 

 

Patanjali Yoga Sutra of the month

 

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Chapter 2 Verse 47
prayatna?aithily?nantasam?pattibhy?m||47||

 

“Perfection in an asana is achieved when the effort to perform it becomes effortless and the infinite being within is reached.”

BKS Iyengar. Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Pg 150

 

 

 

 

Quote of the month

 

“We look forward to the time when the Power of Love will replace the Love of Power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace.”

William Gladstone 1809-1898

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Yoga Room Burleigh Heads
quentrio.vip

+61 438 837 244

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]]> september-2016/ Wed, 19 Oct 2016 14:22:10 +0000 ?p=788 Contents: Podcast of the Month – Living Yoga, Practising Life with Maurice McCann Article of the Month – July 2016: A New Chapter in My Yogic Journey Reflections on the 2016 Bali Retreat Upcoming Events; Spring Morning Yoga Intensive (starting next week) Yoga Students “off the mat” – Pete Crossley Patanjali Yoga Sutra of the […]

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]]> Contents:
Podcast of the Month – Living Yoga, Practising Life with Maurice McCann
Article of the Month – July 2016: A New Chapter in My Yogic Journey
Reflections on the 2016 Bali Retreat
Upcoming Events; Spring Morning Yoga Intensive (starting next week)
Yoga Students “off the mat” – Pete Crossley
Patanjali Yoga Sutra of the month
Quote of the Month
Previous newsletters

 

 

 

Podcast of the Month: Living Yoga, Practising Life with Maurice McCann

Instead of a video this month I have included a potcast of an interview I had with Deb Ozarko who describes herself as a cultural revolutionary, status-quo crusher, wannabe dancer, Ironman triathlon finisher, unapologetic vegan, voracious seeker of truth, radical critical thinker, and passionate lover of life. It was a lot of fun chatting with Deb. Check out her webpage http://www.debozarko.com/

Click here to listen to the podcast.

 

 

 

 

Article of the Month – July 2016: A New Chapter in My Yogic Journey

Just over a month ago I returned from attending classes at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (the Institute) in Pune, India. People are still asking me how my trip to India was. As with the four previous visits to the home of Iyengar yoga, the experience was profound.

 

Anyone and everyone who has attended classes at the Institute will tell you that it has changed their outlook on yoga and probably on their life.

 

The first couple of days there were extremely difficult for me. I had just finished teaching a retreat in Bali and spending a couple of days with a very special friend whom I had recently realised a deep love for. The monsoon rains were heavy and relentless and I felt alone, as there weren’t many people in the practice hall the first day and very few westerners in the first class of the month. I questioned my reason for being in India and my motives for practising and teaching yoga.

 

My previous two visits to Pune coincided with some significant life events for me. In August 2013, my mother died and I came back to Australia after only attending three classes. This opened the window for my return in 2014, and it was 20 August of that year that BKS Iyengar (Guruji) died. I was blessed to be present to say goodbye to this wonderful and amazing man and to witness his cremation. Added to this the separation from my wife in July 2015, and some of the apprehension I was feeling the first few days into the July 2016 visit seem understandable.

 

The Institute, although nothing much to look at, has an amazing feel and is one of the few places in the world where I feel very much at home. In the past, the presence of Guruji in the hall always brought a sense of reverence to everyone present. This time around, although his physical presence was absent, there was an even greater feeling that the great man was still in the hall as everyone worked at their own pace to deepen their practice of the art and science of yoga and to connect to their Self. Added to this the wonderful teaching of Prashant Iyengar and the other teachers there, and it is no wonder that profound changes occur.

 

A typical day consisted of a two-hour class and a three-hour practice session. On some days the practice session immediately followed the class. This provided an amazing opportunity to integrate the teachings of the class into the desired outcomes of the personal practice.

 

This was my fifth trip to the Institute and I’m just starting to understand that yoga is much more than a physical pursuit. I have always recognised that asanas are a way to access the mind and to quieten the fluctuations. I started practising yoga in the early 1980s as a way to deepen my spirituality. After studying some of the texts, I heeded the warnings not to go too quickly into the “mind stuff” and decided to work with the body and the breath to build a solid foundation for the more intense practices. Having practised for over 30 years, I still feel that the foundation is not yet secure enough to unlock the power of the mind. I have tasted some its power and with it some of the possibilities of the “madness” referred to in the texts. This has prompted me to be even more cautious and to continue building on the foundation of the body and breath whilst slowly integrating the power of the mind into the practice.

 

Since my first trip to Pune in 2005, I have heard Prashant say, “Body for the mind, breath for the mind and mind for the mind.” The “mind for the mind” has always been a challenge for me. Through some amazing pranayama classes conducted by Geetaji and Pranshantji, I’ve experienced the powerful effect the breath can have on the mind. I have experienced this in my own practice in asana and pranayama. The tools for allowing the mind to work for the mind have always been there for me. They are quite clear in the texts I read in the early 80s, and on my first trip to Pune the details of the techniques were clearly taught. I have been experimenting with these tools all this time; however, in this most recent visit, I decided to increase my efforts of learning how to utilise these tools. Now I can see how the mastery of these tools is the way forward on my journey of yoga. I’m feeling confident in the practice and am now just starting to integrate my understanding of these techniques into my teaching. It is wonderful to see the students taking some of these techniques on board in the class and in their practice. It is also inspiring to see that some students are erring on the side of caution (as emphasised in class) when working with these techniques… they are not advanced techniques. They are basic techniques that have subtle but profound outcomes.

 

It’s always important to ask the big questions and review one’s life path. Having reviewed my reasons for practising and teaching yoga, I’m excited to say I still feel blessed to have found this path and I offer my deepest respects to the teachers in Pune, especially Prashant S Iyengar, and my thanks and gratitude to my friends and family and to the students at the Yoga Room for your ongoing support.

 

Namaste

 

 

 

Reflections on the 2016 Bali Retreat

Pete Crossley (studio@fotomeida.com.au)

As a couple, we were looking for a holiday away with something different. Being occasional students of the Yoga Room, we thought it a good opportunity to get away and practise.

 

We decided to go with the flow of the group arrangements and see where it took us, in the spirit and philosophy of Iyengar.

 

This meant trusting in Maurice’s itinerary, arrangements and the people in the group (who we didn’t know), although we believed they would have a similar outlook or at least a shared interest in yoga. We met some great people who we have cemented good friendships with.

 

Our approach to this yoga retreat proved to be as enriching as the retreat itself. We were exposed to new experiences, environments and best of all, great people who had some great knowledge to share.

 

Being new and occasional students of yoga, we had in our minds that five hours of yoga a day was probably something we would not be able to manage, and so we decided to take it as it came and see what happened. Well, five hours of yoga a day did happen!! And best of all, it was tailored to the individual people in the group and was a terrific opportunity for almost one-on-one/small group tutorage at a high standard. The yoga was amazing and the discussions of yoga philosophy deepened our understanding of ourselves and our practice…absolutely invaluable.

 

The two different locations and retreats were simple, run by Balinese locals that Maurice had built a respectful and trustworthy relationship with over the years. That allowed us to relax and go with the flow. We were also able to undertake our own activities such as riding around the islands, swimming, massage, exploring, shopping and some fantastic snorkelling with the other yoga members arranged by Maurice …stunning scenery and all arranged with local Balinese people.

 

The food at the first retreat and surrounding restaurants was diverse and tasty, very much in line with Balinese culture as well as western style. The service and feasts we were provided with in the second retreat were outstanding and have helped reshape the way we feed our bodies and minds beyond the yoga retreat.

 

We are very grateful for the fantastic experience and were genuinely able to relax and focus thanks to our yoga mentor and holiday guide, Maurice. BEST HOLIDAY EVER!! (we are not sure how we are ever going to match it).

 

Jodie Paul (www.agelessandmindfull.com)

My time at this year’s 12-day yoga retreat in Bali far exceeded my expectations. I went wanting a relaxing holiday and to deepen my yoga practice, but what I received was much more.

 

The first six days of the retreat was in Nusa Lembongan, a small island off Sanur and only reached by boat. The island was a great way the begin the retreat. It gave me the time and space I needed to slow down and settle into the daily yoga routine of early pranayama (breathing) and yoga asana (postures) as the sun rose, and restorative yoga as the sun went down. I had time to myself during the day to relax and explore the island, if that’s what I felt like doing.

 

The next six days was at a retreat in the hillside village of Sideman, a couple of hours from Ubud, where I felt I could ‘go deeper’ into my practice. The environment was tranquil, extremely beautiful and without distraction.

 

As we were only a small group, the time we had with Maurice was invaluable because we had the time to explore, ask questions, and gain insight and understanding about yoga and the Iyengar method during our daily practice. The daily massages were pretty good too, as was the food that was organically grown and prepared by the local villagers working at the retreat.

 

I thoroughly recommend the Yoga Room Bali Yoga Retreat and can’t wait to go again next year. The best holiday I’ve had in a long time.

 

Thanks Maurice.

 

 

 

Upcoming Events

 

2016 Spring Equinox
Yoga Intensive

When: Monday 12th Sept. to
Saturday 1st October
(except Sun. 18th & 25th) 6:00am to 7:30am

Where: Yoga Room, James Street, Burleigh Heads

Price: $345

 

This intensive will introduce and develop the concept of balance of body, mind and breath to the yoga practice.

 

Click here for more details, or us. Or call 0431 837 244 if you have any questions.

 

 

 

Our Yoga Students “off the mat” – Featuring Pete Crossley

 

In this section of the newsletter we introduce Yoga Room students showcasing some of the amazing things they do off-the-mat and encourage you, where possible, to support their endeavours.

 

 

Pete Crossley, who attended this year’s Bali yoga retreat with his wife Joanna, has been attending yoga classes at the Yoga Room for the past six months. Joanna, who has been practising yoga for two years, believed it could be helpful for his flexibility. And she was right.

 

“I love how Maurice encourages students to focus on their individual practice,” he says. “This creates a unique experience where I get to focus on me – and I’m not distracted by engaging with others.”

 

Pete says he doesn’t currently attend enough classes, about one a month, but he feels the benefits nevertheless. Aside from more flexibility, he appreciates Maurice’s mentoring, and has experienced focus and an internal peace such as he has never experienced before.

 

Originally from Sydney, Pete moved to the Gold Coast 35 years ago. He has run his business Fotomedia for the past nine years with business partner Lincoln Williams. It is a boutique creative agency with studios in Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Fotomedia provides full campaign, video production, animation, brand, digital and print. They film and edit TV commercials and corporate videos, and create campaigns from inception through to delivery. As an example they have worked with the Gold Coast Titans for the last four years, coming up with creative concepts through to TV campaigns for each season.

 

Pete plays golf and surfs in his leisure time, and as a foodie, he loves cooking for his family and friends.

 

For anyone interested in the services that Pete’s business provides, you can call anytime on (07) 5535 4015 to discuss how they can help you, or drop in for a coffee to see their work. You can also email at and check out their website www.fotomedia.com.au

 

 

Patanjali Yoga Sutra of the month

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Chapter 2 Verse 49
tasminsati ?v?sapra?v?sayorgativiccheda? pr???y?ma?||49||
“Pranayama is the regulation of the incoming and outgoing flow of breath with retention. It is to be practised only after perfection in asana is attained.”

BKS Iyengar. Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Pg 152

 

 

 

 

Quote of the month

 

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed”

Albert Einstein

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Yoga Room Burleigh Heads
quentrio.vip

+61 438 837 244

The post September 2016 appeared first on Yoga Room | Burleigh Heads Yoga.

]]> june-2016/ Wed, 19 Oct 2016 14:21:53 +0000 ?p=786 Namaste Winter is here and I’m off to Bali for the annual retreat. All classes at the Yoga Room will continue as usual with some amazing locum teachers. The Yoga Room congratulates Dominik Mueller for successfully completing his teacher training and welcomes him to the teaching team.   The other exciting news is that I […]

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Namaste

Winter is here and I’m off to Bali for the annual retreat. All classes at the Yoga Room will continue as usual with some amazing locum teachers. The Yoga Room congratulates Dominik Mueller for successfully completing his teacher training and welcomes him to the teaching team.

 

The other exciting news is that I will be attending classes at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune (the heart and soul of Iyengar Yoga) for the month of July and very much looking forward to continuing my learning as a student again.

 

Also, the Yoga Room has moved premises. We are now 15 metres closer to the beach and on the other side of the corridor, still in the same arcade at the top end of James Street. The new room has more wall space and is more intimate than the room on the north-side of the building. Thanks to everyone who helped with the move.

 

The articles and videos in this newsletter look at Yoga as an Art and Science.

 

Keep coming to class and experience the wonderful teaching of all the teachers and I look forward to seeing you in class again in August.

Maurice

Contents:
Video of the Month – Questions on Science and Yoga with Kofi Busia
Article of the Month – BKS Iyengar; System of Practice
Upcoming Events;
Bali Yoga Retreat,
2016 Beginner Courses
Yoga Students “off the mat” – Dominik Mueller
Patanjali Yoga Sutra of the month
Quote of the Month
Previous newsletters

 

 

Yoga Video of the Month: Questions on Science and Yoga with Kofi Busia

In the American summer of 2002, upon a recommendation from a friend, I was very fortunate to attend a week-long intensive with Kofi Busia in Santa Cruz, California. I have followed his teaching ever since and always find his presentation of the subject insightful. This video was made in response to an article published in the NY Times in 2012 and shows some of the deeper meaning of yoga. Always good to remember yoga is not all about asanas and asanas are not all about stretching.

 

Click here to view this video.

 

 

Article of the Month – BKS Iyengar; System of Practice

This is the fourth of a series of articles we will run on B.K.S. Iyengar, paraphrased from the book 70 Glorious Years of Yogacharya B.K.S Iyengar (Commemoration Volume), Light of Yoga Research Trust Bombay 1990.

 

This fourth article covers Iyengar’s system of practice and the ‘creation of an art form’

Development of a System of Practice

According to Indian philosophy, darshana and religious truths must be experienced (darshana: the auspicious sight of a deity or a holy person). People hope that analysing the scriptures will lead to religious experiences. This has popular appeal and calls for little effort and less discipline. For Guruji, the sequence was always the other way around: ‘Experience first and explanation later’, is a hallmark of Iyengar.

 

Guruji was not an ‘ivory tower’ yogi, negating the body and the world. His method is an affirmation of the body and through it, the affirmation of spirit. He systemised the practice of Yoga to cater for the needs of ordinary men and women. Though demanding and exacting, this systematic approach appeals to people of all walks of life. It offers the best of both worlds. It strengthens the body and mind, enabling the practitioner to face life with courage and clarity. At the same time, it purifies and elevates, silently enlivening the spiritual dimension without setting up religious barriers.

 

Guruji made Yoga into a science, an art and a unique spiritual quest, refusing to turn it into a dogma, creed or cult. It is founded on universal ethical principles fundamental to all religions. The techniques he evolved are so universal that they are compatible with diverse religions and political systems.

 

In evolving his system of Yoga, Guruji started with the gross body, then went on to the subtler mind and subtler spirit. He emphasised practice and experience, leaving the speculative interpretation of the ultimate to the individual. The interplay between the gross and the subtle, between practice and experience – a recurring theme of his Yoga – is what had made the system so universal.

 

Creation of an Art Form

For yogis, unlike artists and scientists, creativity is not an occasional episode of their life. The mind freed from fear and longings unlocks creativity. In Guruji, as a true yogi, creativity flowed continuously, both with his body and mind. This can be seen by watching the unceasing innovations in his practice and teaching, the harmony, grace, strength, motion, vitality and inward serenity.

 

Yehudi Menuhin spoke of Guruji’s art. “His is an art that has been reduced to its simplest form because it requires no instrument at all except this first and most complex instrument of all: the body. There is no formal choreography, no script and no rule laid down for form. But all the rules of the choreographer, the artist and the writer are inherent in the body itself. However, it requires a lifetime of patient, dedicated and persistent effort to perfect this body.”

 

Robert Engman, a world-famous sculptor and former chairman of the graduate department of arts at the University of Pennsylvania, said after watching a demonstration by Guruji, “lyengar is a great man – a supreme artist.” Engman created a monumental bronze sculpture capturing the elegance and beauty of nature and named it After B.K.S. Iyengar. At the dedication ceremony, he proclaimed that Guruji’s performance was the most incredible physical and mental expression he had ever witnessed, barring none.

 

A leading American photographer, E. Simmonds, wrote to Guruji to say that ‘Iyengar was to Yoga what Renoir was to painting, Rodin to sculpture and Sterchen to philosophy’

 

Next month: Perfection of the teaching method; Iyengar as cultural ambassador of India; and his unique contribution to health and medicine.

 

Upcoming Events

 

2016 Bali Yoga Retreat

 

When: 13th to 25th June 2016

Where: Nusa Lembongan & Sideman, Bali

Price: Full Price AU$2,090 Shared or AU$2,390 Single

 

Retreat practice gives you the time to rest and to let go of your normal day-to-day routine. It gives you an opportunity to nurture yourself, restore a sense of balance and well-being.

 

Click here for more details, or us. Or call 0431 837 244 if you have any questions.

 

 

 

2016 Beginner’s courses

 

When: Starting Wednesday 29th June and also Tuesday 19th July

6 week course

Where: Yoga Room, Burleigh Heads

Price: $95

For anyone who has never done yoga before or is new to the Iyengar method.

 

See the website for details.

 

Book now! Places are limited. Call 0438 837 244, or

 

 

Our Yoga Students “off the mat” – Featuring Dominik Mueller

 

In this section of the newsletter we introduce Yoga Room students showcasing some of the amazing things they do off-the-mat and encourage you, where possible, to support their endeavours.

Many Yoga Room students will soon be seeing a new face at the front of the practice room.

 

Dominik (Dom) has recently completed his teacher training, and will be helping out by taking some of Maurice’s classes while Maurice is busy with this year’s Bali Yoga Retreat (June 13 – 25) and attending classes at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in India.

 

Dominik first started practising yoga about five or six years ago. At the time, he was living in Broadbeach, regularly visiting the local gym and training for a marathon. His leg muscles became very tight from all the running so he joined a yoga class at the gym to incorporate stretching. Quickly discovering the huge benefits, he then joined as many yoga classes as the gym had on offer. His yoga teacher at the time was Nicky, also an Iyengar certified teacher who has taught at the Yoga Room, and she recommended that he join one of Maurice’s classes. He joined the Yoga Room after moving to Burleigh about three years ago.

 

For Dominik, yoga provides the obvious physical benefits of a healthy body and a healthy posture, also “undoing all the imbalances daily life throws at us…at work, in the car.” More significantly, Dominik noticed the psychological and spiritual benefits gradually and now realises that yoga has changed his whole outlook on many things. Slowly and steadily he has changed his diet, often without being aware of it, to the point of gradually eliminating animal products from his diet altogether.

 

“The reason for that is the fact that I feel much more connected to the whole human and non-human cosmos. And I can only relate that back to yoga. It ultimately led me to the point where I decided to become a teacher guided by the desire to help people and take them on the journey I am currently on.”

 

The journey to becoming a yoga teacher has had the dual benefit for Dominik of helping others gain similar benefits from yoga practice, and deepening his own practice.

 

Off the mat, Dominik works for a luthier on the Gold Coast, Hancock Guitars (a luthier builds and repairs string instruments). Dominik enjoys working with this small, tight-knit team that custom builds guitars, and the company also has a repair business, GuitarTech.

 

Born and raised in Koblenz, Germany, a small town in the very west of Germany about an hour from the French border, Dominik came to Australia almost eight years ago to study business at Griffith University. After he completed his degree, he was sponsored to stay and hasn’t left Australia again. His parents, who run a successful car rental company in Germany, come to visit him here once a year.

 

Yoga and work take up a lot of Dominik’s time, but in his limited spare time, he likes to swim and bodysurf. He also reads and enjoys watching movies and TV series.

 

“Initially, I came to study in Australia to improve my English skills. But who would want to leave a beautiful place like this if you don’t have to?”

 

 

Patanjali Yoga Sutra of the month

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Chapter 1 Verse 49
?rut?num?naprajñ?bhy?manyavi?ay? vi?e??rthatv?t||49||
“This truth-bearing knowledge and wisdom is distinct from and beyond the knowledge gleaned from books, testimony, or inference.”

BKS Iyengar. Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Pg 95

 

 

 

Quote of the month

“We are sick with fascination for the useful tools of names and numbers, of symbols, signs, conceptions and ideas. Meditation is therefore the art of suspending verbal and symbolic thinking for a time, somewhat as a courteous audience will stop talking when a concert is about to begin.”
Alan Watts

Contents:
Video of the Month – Trikonasana with Dr. Geeta Iyengar
Article of the Month – BKS Iyengar; Widening Recognition
Upcoming Events;
Bali Yoga Retreat,
2016 Beginner Courses
Yoga Students “off the mat” – Jamie Agius
Patanjali Yoga Sutra of the month
Quote of the Month
Previous newsletters

 

 

Yoga Video of the Month: Trikonasana with Dr. Geeta Iyengar

From the Road to Bliss series of videos. Their description identifies the aim of the video to give you a taste of the uniqueness of Dr Geeta S Iyengar’s teachings. Not so many have the opportunity to go to India and experience the Living Tradition of Iyengar Yoga as taught by the Masters themselves. Notice how Dr. Iyengar brings to her teaching of Trikonasana the concept of Ekagrata (one pointedness of the mind). To quote her brother, Yoga Master Prashant Iyengar: “the mind needs to be taught the pose since the mind has to assume the pose too.”

 

Click here to view this video.

 

 

 

Article of the Month – BKS Iyengar; Widening Recognition

This is the Third of a series of articles we will run on B.K.S. Iyengar, paraphrased from the book 70 Glorious Years of Yogacharya B.K.S Iyengar (Commemoration Volume), Light of Yoga Research Trust Bombay 1990.

 

This third article covers Iyengar as a family man and his character

 

Yogacharya as a Family Man (Yogacharya: the respectful title for a teacher of yoga)

 

Guruji, unlike many other yogis of India, was a family man who had six children. (Guruji: a guru or spiritual teacher.) While the world may associate the saffron and white attire as the symbol of a true yogi and of spiritual liberation, Guruji showed that a real Sadhaka did not need to be a recluse who turned away from the turmoil and temptations of the world but could be someone who strengthened their spiritual mettle by facing and overcoming such problems. Guruji successfully combined family with yogic life. (In Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism, a s?dhaka is someone who follows a specific way of life in order to achieve an ultimate ideal.)

 

Fiercely dedicated to yoga, he nevertheless did not neglect his responsibilities to his family and friends. In 1952, he declined an invitation to accompany Menuhin to Europe because his family needed him in Pune.

 

Character of Yogacharya

Guruji was a man who was ‘fresh’, always free from bias, a man with unparalleled courage and optimism. Fear, lethargy, depression and despair were not words in Guruji’s vocabulary. At an age when other boys played and laughed and were carefree, Guruji’s calling was to far-off places where he was to teach people double or treble his age as well as socially and economically better off. Economic hardship, indifference, neglect, ridicule and humiliation did not cause him to deviate from his chosen path – the pursuit and propagation of Yoga.

 

Guruji wandered like a stranger through the cities of the West wearing scant clothing and eating little food. He faced freezing cold conditions, and chilling indifference. He would perform difficult poses on steep cliffs which people were afraid even to climb.

 

While Guruji was tender-hearted and kind, in class he often displayed a stern exterior and apparent temper. They were just masks to intimidate students out of their fear and lethargy, pushing them to do their best. He sometimes had to appear cruel to be kind.

 

Fame and prosperity did not make Guruji forget his days of wilderness living. He continued to live a simple and unassuming lifestyle and, remembering his early poverty, he donated generously to worthy causes, including to educational institutions and humanitarian and cultural activities and charities.

 

Guruji popularised the subject of Yoga throughout the world with some help from well-known artists and musicians. This allowed him to carry his Yoga to the poor and the unknown, irrespective of their socio-economic status. He resisted the temptations of staying in contact with the rich and famous.

 

Next month’s article: Developing a system of practice, and the creation of an art form

 

Upcoming Events

 

2016 Bali Yoga Retreat

 

When: 13th to 25th June 2016

Where: Nusa Lembongan & Sideman, Bali

Price: Full Price AU$2,090 Shared or AU$2,390 Single

 

Retreat practice gives you the time to rest and to let go of your normal day-to-day routine. It gives you an opportunity to nurture yourself, restore a sense of balance and well-being.

 

Click here for more details, or us. Or call 0431 837 244 if you have any questions.

 

 

 

2016 Beginner’s courses

 

When: Starting Tuesday 26th April and also Wednesday 18th May

6 week course

Where: Yoga Room, Burleigh Heads

Price: $95

For anyone who has never done yoga before or is new to the Iyengar method.

 

See the website for details.

 

Book now! Places are limited. Call 0438 837 244, or

 

 

Our Yoga Students “off the mat” – Featuring Jamie Agius

 

In this section of the newsletter we introduce Yoga Room students showcasing some of the amazing things they do off-the-mat and encourage you, where possible, to support their endeavours.

Jamiehas been practising yoga, along with his wife, Jacqui, for about four years, when they began a beginner’s yoga course with Maurice at The Yoga Room. He attends around two yoga classes a week.
Leading a very active lifestyle, including practising martial arts and going to the gym for many years, along with working in a physical job, Jamie realised he needed to stretch more and that he wasn’t doing enough of this after exercising.
Some of the benefits Jamie receives from practising yoga include feeling very relaxed after a class, and noticing that his shoulders, which are always tight, much more open. His general feelings of wellbeing also increase. He finds yoga beneficial even at work, as he often has to get into really tight or awkward places or positions and being over 6 foot, being able to bend and stretch helps prevent back or other injuries that people often get from working in physical jobs.
While Jamie currently does not practise yoga at home, he does do some stretching.
Originally from Broken Hill, Jamie has lived on the Gold Coast for most of his life.
Jamie is a self-employed licensed plumber/gas fitter with a restricted electrical licence. His business, J & J Plumbing, covers all areas of the Gold Coast. He has been running his business for about the same time as he has attended yoga classes, around four years. If you would like to contact Jamie, call him on 0423 147 166.

In his spare time, Jamie enjoys surfing and skateboarding and hanging out with his gorgeous wife!

 

 

Patanjali Yoga Sutra of the month

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Chapter 2 Verse 27
tasya saptadh? pr?ntabh?mi? prajñ?||27||
“Through this unbroken flow of discriminative awareness, one gains perfect knowledge which has seven spheres.”

BKS Iyengar. Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Pg 130

 

 

 

Quote of the month

“The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.”

Bob Marley

 

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Yoga Room Burleigh Heads
quentrio.vip

+61 438 837 244

Contents:
Video of the Month – Interview with BKS Iyengar
Article of the Month – BKS Iyengar; Widening Recognition
Upcoming Events; 16-day Autumn Yoga Intensive,
2016 Beginner Courses,
Bali Yoga Retreat
Yoga Students “off the mat” – Len Goldsmith
Patanjali Yoga Sutra of the month
Quote of the Month
Previous newsletters

 

 

Yoga video of the month: Interview with BKS Iyengar

From the documentary “Enlighten Up”, this is an insightful interview with BKS Iyengar.

 

Click here to view this video.

 

 

 

Article of the Month – BKS Iyengar; Widening Recognition

This is the Second of a series of articles we will run on B.K.S. Iyengar, paraphrased from the book 70 Glorious Years of Yogacharya B.K.S Iyengar (Commemoration Volume), Light of Yoga Research Trust Bombay 1990.

 

This second article deals with the widening recognition of Iyengar
First Book ‘Light on Yoga’

Iyengar –  or Guruji, as his students and followers referred to him, a title of respect meaning spiritual teacher or mentor – had for several years been working on his first book on yoga. This was a massive effort involving writing, editing, proofreading, and posing for many photographs. Finally, Light on Yogawas published in 1965. It instantly became a classic, the ‘bible’ of yoga, accepted by students and teachers alike as the authoritative reference work for the practice of yoga.
In 1965, the National Defence Academy in Pune introduced yoga into their curriculum and many educational institutions followed. The educational authorities in London introduced yoga as taught by Guruji in their Adult Education programme in 1969. The explosion of yoga awareness created a massive need for teachers, and so Guruji started programs of intensive training and workshops for teachers.

A Home for Yoga

It was time to provide a ‘home’ for Iyengar Yoga. Students, friends and followers raised funds to build an institute in Pune. The building was inaugurated in January 1975 and dedicated to the memory of Srimati Ramamani, who had passed away soon after laying the foundation stone in 1973. The institute continues to be a temple of yoga and a place of pilgrimage for yoga enthusiasts around the globe.

Iyengar Yoga Established

On the day of Guruji’s 60th birthday, the Light on Yoga Research Trust was formed. His birthday celebrations were presided over by India’s renowned Ayurveda physician and Guruji’s pupil, Pandit Shiv Sharma, and attended by students and well-wishers from India and abroad.

Second Book ‘Light on Pranayama’

Guruji’s second book was published in 1981. It was immediately hailed as the most comprehensive and definitive book on pranayama. By this time, Guruji had finalised the methodology and standards of teaching and had invented many props and aids for learning. He continued his visits abroad – including to England, Japan, USA, Canada, Australia, Italy, France, and Germany – to attend conferences, conduct workshops, inaugurate Iyengar Yoga institutes, and give yoga demonstrations.
‘Iyengar Yoga’ has grown and found acceptance and appreciation in many countries, with thousands of teachers conducting Iyengar Yoga classes. A significant milestone was reached when the First Iyengar Yoga Teachers Conference was held in San Francisco in 1984. Some 800 teachers from over the world attended the conference and benefitted from Guruji’s presence, advice and teaching.

Third Book ‘Art of Yoga’

Guruji’s third book, a pictorial and aesthetic delight, full of inspiration for yoga practitioners, came out in 1985.

70th Birthday

In December 1988, students and followers from around the world gathered in Pune for a weeklong celebration of Guruji’s 70th birthday. Events were held throughout the year, in conjunction with the Light on Yoga Research Trust, and the year saw the start of a massive teacher’s training programme.
In October 1989, Guruji visited the Soviet Union at the invitation of the then USSR Ministries of Health and Sports to participate in the First International Yoga Conference.

 

Next month’s article:  Yogacharya as a Family Man

 

 

 

Upcoming Events

 

16-day Autumn Yoga Intensive

with Maurice McCann

When: 7th – 24th March, 2016

6 – 7.30am every day (except Sun 13th and 20th)

Where: Yoga Room, Burleigh Heads

Price: $275

Autumn is a time to focus on boosting vitality and optimism. It’s a time to strengthen our immune system and declutter our bodies and minds after the excesses of summer. The Classes are designed as a course building up day by day over 16 days.

 

To book, call us on 0438 837 244, or

 

 

 

2016 Beginner’s courses

When: Starting Tuesday 15th March or Wednesday 6th April

6 week course

Where: Yoga Room, Burleigh Heads

Price: $95

For anyone who has never done yoga before or is new to the Iyengar method.

 

See the website for details.

 

Book now! Places are limited. Call 0438 837 244, or

 

 

2016 Bali Yoga Retreat

When: 13th to 25th June 2016

Where: Nusa Lembongan & Sideman, Bali

Price: Full Price AU$2,090 Shared or AU$2,390 Single

Earlybird Price: Book and pay by 29th Feb. for 15% discount.

 

Retreat practice gives you the time to rest and to let go of your normal day to day routine. It gives you an opportunity to nurture yourself, restore a sense of balance and well-being.

 

Click here for more details, or us. Or call 0431 837 244 if you have any questions.

 

 

 

Our Yoga Students “off the mat” – Featuring Len Goldsmith

 

In this section of the newsletter we introduce Yoga Room students showcasing some of the amazing things they do off-the-mat and encourage you, where possible, to support their endeavours.

 

Len’s ”first real yoga class”, as he describes it, was in January 2015, when he began the Yoga Room Saturday morning class as a newbie. His only previous knowledge of yoga was doing a few warrior poses in a body balance class at a local gym once a week for a couple of years. ”I mean, yoga isn’t really for men, is it?” he comments tongue-in-cheek.
What made him decide to take up yoga more seriously was when the strategically placed signboard on James Street caught his eye. ”Great marketing, Maurice!” he says. He then began with the Yoga Room six-week beginner course. While it seemed a random decision at the time, he felt drawn to yoga and it coincided with what was happening in his life. ”It feels yoga somehow aligns with me as a person in this phase of my life. I’ve discovered a major part of the yoga system is a practice called ahimsa, which as I understand means living life with non-violent thoughts and actions to all living things which once again, aligns with my expanding love of animals. I’m also really digging on the meditative effects and challenges that asanas offer plus the bonus prize of being a whole lot more body aware and being able to guide it to a better state over time.”
For ten months, Len then did one or two classes a week at the Yoga Room until December last year when he attended Maurice’s 17-day intensive, which inspired him to exchange running for more yoga. Now he’s settling in to three or four practices a week. He also recently started one practice a week, sometimes two, at home.
Yoga provides Len with ”a big package of benefits”. Aside from increased calmness and flexibility, he feels very connected with others who practise yoga. ”Somehow it gives me great satisfaction to know that around the world, the millions of people practising yoga are contributing to the world in positive ways through their increased awareness of body and mind.”
Outside of yoga, Len is busy in his service-based lighting business, Fantastic Lighting, which he started in 2000 in Sydney and set up the same business model when the family moved to the Gold Coast in 2008. The business specialises in retrofitting existing lights in homes and businesses to lights that last longer and save energy. Len is clearly enthusiastic and passionate about his business. He loves serving others and gets great satisfaction from sharing his knowledge and transforming homes and businesses with new lights. A recently completed branding exercise expanded on everything the business stands for, embodied in the words, ’Passion, Professionalism and Helpfulness’.
It is a busy business and they offer a free trial to discover the benefits. You can learn more atwww.fantasticlighting.com.auwww.facebook.com/fantasticlighting
In Len’s spare time, he is grateful for his health in being able to enjoy the outdoors. He has tried plenty of sports, from diving to triathlons. Right now, yoga is ’numero uno’. He loves spending time with his family – his ”amazing and talented wife, Helen”, and their three sons and one daughter. It won’t be long before he and Helen become ’empty nesters’.
”I have a grandmother aged 96 who lives in Burleigh Heads. She teaches me plenty about resilience and the benefits of a simple, uncluttered life and being willing to serve others. I really like this notion, although my carport is currently messy so I still have a way to go.”

 

 

 

Patanjali Yoga Sutra of the month

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Chapter 2 Verse 26
vivekakhy?tiraviplav? h?nop?ya?||26||
“The ceaseless flow of discriminative knowledge in thought, word and deed destroys ignorance, the source of pain.”

BKS Iyengar. Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Pg 129.

 

 

 

Quote of the month

“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”
Stephen Hawking

 

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Yoga Room Burleigh Heads
quentrio.vip

+61 438 837 244

Contents:
Video of the Month – BKS Iyengar in 1977
Article of the Month – BKS Iyengar; The Early Years
Upcoming Events; 2016 Beginner Courses, Bali Yoga Retreat
Yoga Students “off the mat” – Dianne Benadretti
Patanjali Yoga Sutra of the month
Quote of the Month
Previous newsletters

 

 

Yoga video of the month: BKS Iyengar in 1977

Love the beauty of the black and white images of this amazing practice.

 

Click here to view this video.

 

 

 

Article of the Month – BKS Iyengar; The Early Years

This is the first of a series of articles we will run on B.K.S. Iyengar, paraphrased from the book 70 Glorious Years of Yogacharya B.K.S Iyengar (Commemoration Volume), Light of Yoga Research Trust Bombay 1990.

 

This first article deals with his early years

Sundararaja Iyengar was born on 14 December 1918 at Bellur in Karnataka state, the eleventh of 13 children. His father was headmaster of the village school and the family’s financial condition, which was never good, worsened after the death of his father in 1927. Sundararaja was a sickly boy who suffered from malaria, typhoid and tuberculosis. He was also undernourished. At 16, he weighed only 32 kg, had a chest measurement of 50 cm and his height was less than 1.5 metres.

 

Initiation in yoga

In 1934, he moved to Mysore to live with his sister and continue his high school education. His brother-in-law Yogacharya T. Krishnamacharya was running a yogashala – a yoga studio – for the family of the Mysore Royal House. Young Sundararaja was roped in to assist Sri Krishnamacharya in June 1935 and was initiated into yoga. Only four months later, he won a monetary prize from the Maharaja of Mysore before whom he gave a yoga demonstration.

 

The rigorous yoga practice and teaching at the yogashala left no time for his final high school studies. He passed the matriculation examination but discontinued further studies. In October 1935, it became clear where his dedication and priorities lay when he scored 98% and was placed first in the diploma course of the yogashala.

 

Beginning teaching

Guruji’s first independent teaching assignment was to teach yoga to the families of the staff of Karnataka College in 1936 (guruji is a term meaning spiritual teacher). He joined the Pune Deccan Gymkhana as a yoga teacher in 1937 and although this source of income ended in August 194o, he not give up his yogic career. He secured one or two private tuitions and somehow subsisted. He also gave a few yoga demonstrations, which drew praise from eminent persons like the Raja of Aundh and the Governor of Bombay.

 

Marriage

In July 1943, Guruji married Smt. Ramamaniand and they set up home in Pune. She was an understanding and compassionate companion in his struggle for existence. In 1945, Guruji and his wife each had identical visions of divinity in their dreams. These dreams indicated an end to their struggle. Soon after, increased tuitions began bringing in a steady income. Guruji’s name and fame as a yoga therapist, artist and teacher spread and many eminent people became his pupils – including J. Krishnamurthy in 1948.

 

Invitation to Europe

Yehudi Menuhin, the celebrated violinist, visited India at the invitation of the Indian prime minister. Menuhin was suffering from exhaustion and stress during his concert performance and he was looking for a yogi teacher who would help him. Menuhin found his Guru in Guruji. Guruji could not accept Menuhin’s invitation to visit Europe in 1952, but he subsequently did so in 1954. Guruji’s teaching and demonstrations were widely appreciated and this made his frequent subsequent visits abroad inevitable. He taught yoga to such eminent personalities as the Queen Mother of Belgium, Clifford Curzon and Aldous Huxley.

 

Next article: Widening Recognition of B.K.S. Iyengar

 

 

Upcoming Events

 

2016 Beginner’s courses

When: Starting Tuesday 2nd February

6 week course

Where: Yoga Room, Burleigh Heads

Price: $95

For anyone who has never done yoga before or is new to the Iyengar method.

 

See the website for details.

 

Book now! Places are limited. Call 0438 837 244, or

 

 

2016 Bali Yoga Retreat

When: 13th to 25th June 2016

Where: Nusa Lembongan & Sideman, Bali

Price: Full Price AU$2,090 Shared or AU$2,390 Single

Earlybird Price: Book and pay by 29th Feb. for 15% discount.

 

Retreat practice gives you the time to rest and to let go of your normal day to day routine. It gives you an opportunity to nurture yourself, restore a sense of balance and well-being.

 

Click here for more details, or us. Or call 0431 837 244 if you have any questions.

 

 

 

Our Yoga Students “off the mat” – Featuring Dianne Benadretti

 

In this new section of the newsletter we introduce Yoga Room students showcasing some of the amazing things they do off-the-mat and encourage you, where possible, to support their endeavours.

 

 

Dianne, who’s been a Yoga Room student since 2015 and currently attends classes every day, is enthusiastically involved in helping the less fortunate.

 

“It has always been a great passion of mine to assist children who’ve been orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe, my country of birth, by providing them with the things we take for granted in the first world – food, water, medicine, education, and most importantly, the ability to be self-sufficient…yet feel part of a community.

 

“The conditions that these children endure are heart-breaking, yet I am always amazed at and humbled by their happy souls and their ability to find joy in the simplest of pleasures. They are always polite, cheerful, so grateful for the little they have and so spirited.”

 

Dianne, who has called Australia home for 15 years now, discovered a passion for watercolour painting five years ago. “Before that, I was not aware that I could paint in watercolours,” she says. Dianne’s paintings are based on photographs taken by her daughter, Ashleigh, who has the same heartfelt desire to help the underprivileged in Africa and also the Indigenous in Australia. The proceeds from the sales of these paintings have all gone to charities, such as Burleigh in Pink, Shelter for Domestic Violence Victims and supporting orphans in Zimbabwe and the children in Kununurra.

 

In recognition of her work, Dianne was asked if she would stand for nomination for the 2012 International Women’s Day Leadership Award. However, Dianne declined the opportunity because of her extensive commitment to Rotary Club of Surfers Paradise. Having served a short time as Rotarian of the Year, and a member of Paul Harris Fellowship, Dianne is currently serving as vice-president of the Lions Club of Gold Coast Mermaid Beach. Dianne says that the tireless work of the entire committee goes towards supporting many local charities and they are proud of the dormitory they have built at a school in Chang Mai.

 

Dianne personally mentors women who are in local shelters. Lions also assist many other local charities such as hearing dogs and they have recently donated a defibrillator and a chainsaw to a volunteer fire brigade, to mention but a few of the many projects they have undertaken.

 

On a personal level, Dianne has worked with her aunt, Kiki Divaris, in Zimbabwe who passed away on 5th December 2015. As chairperson of Zimbabwe Child Survival and Development and also Models against Hunger in Africa, Kiki has left a huge void. Kiki Divaris was given a State Funeral and has been called the ‘Mother Theresa’ and ‘Queen of Zimbabwe.’

 

Dianne has practised yoga for over 30 years, which has given her the strength to get through some very difficult personal circumstances. “That’s why I keep going to yoga. It’s the strength that’s kept me going. And it is definitely going to keep me strong enough to achieve what I would like to do in Zimbabwe.” Dianne hopes to use yoga as a tool to empower the women in Zimbabwe by introducing World Yoga there, an organisation that teaches yoga to indigenous women who would otherwise have no exposure to this beautiful and empowering practice. Domestic violence is entrenched in many African societies. So far, World Yoga has proven successful in North Africa.

 

Dianne, in her personal capacity and through her art work, has raised funds to complete a borehole at Zinatsa School in Zimbabwe. She is intending to return to Zimbabwe in April this year, where she is teaming up with the Lions Phoenix Club of Harare who will assist her in the many projects needed to be continued and commenced.

 

 

 

Patanjali Yoga Sutra of the month

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Chapter 2 Verse 16
heya? du?khaman?gatam||16||
“The pains which are yet to come can be and are to be avoided.”

BKS Iyengar. Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Pg 116.

 

 

 

Quote of the month

“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.
Dalai Lama

 

…by the way this is my grandniece; Paige Sarah McCann

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Yoga Room Burleigh Heads
quentrio.vip

+61 438 837 244

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]]> december-2015/ Wed, 19 Oct 2016 14:20:57 +0000 ?p=778 Christmas is almost here…   In the busyness of this time of the year it is wonderful to see so many students embracing the challenge of the early morning yoga intensive. There are many ways of progressing the practice of yoga and in this month’s newsletter we explore the aspect of self-practice.   The Yoga […]

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Christmas is almost here…

 

In the busyness of this time of the year it is wonderful to see so many students embracing the challenge of the early morning yoga intensive. There are many ways of progressing the practice of yoga and in this month’s newsletter we explore the aspect of self-practice.

 

The Yoga Room will be open during the break; however there will be limited classes between Christmas and New Year. See our timetable for details.

 

Thanks to everyone for your support throughout this year and the Yoga Room wishes everyone a peaceful Christmas and happy and prosperous new year.

 

Namaste

Contents:
Video of the Month – BKS Iyengar Teaching Yoga asana class London 1985
Article of the Month – Yoga Asana Self-practice
Upcoming Events; 2016 Beginner Courses, Bali Yoga Retreat
Yoga Students “off the mat” – Carla Bierhuizen
Patanjali Yoga Sutra of the month
Quote of the Month
Previous newsletters

 

 

Yoga video of the month: BKS Iyengar Teaching Yoga asana class London 1985

A great video linking Iyengar’s descriptions of a deeper practice of yoga asana with a class he taught in London in 1985.

 

Click here to view this video.

 

 

 

Article of the Month – Yoga Asana Self-practice

by Gail Tagarro
Self-practice means practising yoga on our own, without a teacher’s instruction. While we all need the discipline and instruction of classes to ensure we are practising the asanas correctly and to help with motivation to continue our yoga practice, self-practice is beneficial physically and mentally, and our practice of yoga improves more quickly.
Even practising only 15 minutes a day yields benefits. It’s more important to practise regularly than to practise for a long time: regularity is more important than duration.

 

Some benefits

1. Faster improvement in the asanas

2. Feelings of well-being and joy

3. A feeling of achievement

4. A more peaceful mind

5. Obvious benefits like improved health and flexibility

6. Increasing familiarity with the Sanskrit names of asanas

7. …and last but not least, we are incorporating yoga into our life, with all the benefits that flow from this.

 

How do I start?

If you’re not used to practising on your own, the best way is to get hold of a quality Iyengar yoga book with photographs demonstrating the asanas. Then you can plan your sequence before you go to the practice.
While ‘Light on Yoga’ by BKS Iyengar is the classic text, it may be too challenging for when you first begin a self-practice.
You might like to start with a 28-week course by Geeta Iyengar in Chapter X of ‘Yoga in Action – Preliminary Course’, or the 10 sequences in chapter V ‘Basic Guidelines for Teachers of Yoga’ by BKS & Geeta Iyengar.
Two other very good texts are ‘Yoga: the Iyengar Way’ and ‘How to Use Yoga: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Iyengar Method of Yoga for Relaxation, Health and Well-Being’, by Mira Mehta.
It’s preferable to follow the Iyengar gurus’ suggestions, as their sequences are specifically designed and consist of asanas from all the basic groups, including standing, sitting, forward bends and backbends, inversions, and twists.
As you become more confident with your practice, you’ll probably want to add one or two days of self-practice at home, and maybe gradually build up to more.

 

Additionally, the Yoga Room is available three mornings a week and at no additional charge to any current Yoga Room student who wishes to do their own yoga practice in the studio. The days are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, from 6 am to 7.30 am. They show as ‘Group Practice’ in the timetable.
You can use any of the props, just as you can in yoga classes, but the asanas you practise are your choice, and you practise at your own pace. This is a great resource, and you are encouraged to take advantage of it.

 

Whether you practice at the Yoga Room or at home a self practice is the “next step” on the journey.

 

Do I need props at home?

It’s easier if you have some basic props, like one or two blocks, a strap, a bolster, and perhaps a yoga blanket. You can add further props later. What props you need will depend on your particular requirements, your level, and any injuries you may have. When in doubt, check with your teacher. Don’t let an absence of props stop you from commencing a self-practice though; your yoga mat is usually enough to begin with.

 

A tip

When practising at home, always change into your yoga clothes and use a yoga mat. By starting the same way you would start a yoga class, you are getting into a familiar mindset.
Iygengar once said that the most difficult asana was unfolding the mat!

 

 

Upcoming Events

 

2016 Beginner’s courxes

When: Starting Wednesday 13th January

6 week course

Where: Yoga Room, Burleigh Heads

Price: $95

For anyone who has never done yoga before or is new to the Iyengar method.

 

See the website for details.

 

Book now! Places are limited. Call 0438 837 244, or

 

 

 

 

2016 Bali Yoga Retreat

When: 13th to 25th June 2016

Where: Nusa Lembongan & Sideman, Bali

Price: Full Price AU$2,090 Shared or AU$2,390 Single

Earlybird Price: Book and pay by 29th Feb. for 15% discount.

 

Retreat practice gives you the time to rest and to let go of your normal day to day routine. It gives you an opportunity to nurture yourself, restore a sense of balance and well-being.

 

Click here for more details, or us. Or call 0431 837 244 if you have any questions.

 

 

 

Our Yoga Students “off the mat” – Featuring Carla Bierhuizen

 

In this new section of the newsletter we introduce Yoga Room students showcasing some of the amazing things they do off-the-mat and encourage you, where possible, to support their endeavours.

 

 

Carla started yoga about 15 years ago through a friend. Originally from Toowoomba, Carla settled on the GC with husband Richard about 17 years ago. She and her friend had just had children and wanted to try something new, get back into shape and have a bit of time to themselves. Later, back injuries forced her to give yoga up for a few years until her friend Tracey, another Yoga Room student, kept telling her about Maurice’s class at the Yoga Room and saying it was “the best”.

Carla has now been attending Iyengar yoga at the Yoga Room for about 18 months. “I didn’t think I’d ever be able to do what I can do now because of my back issues,” she says. “Iyengar yoga is the best for strengthening and I’ve experienced increasing improvement.” Carla currently attends two classes a week. “I’m totally hooked. Maurice is the best teacher I’ve ever had. He doesn’t miss anything. He’s very thorough. The props have really helped with my confidence and improvement.”

Because it has helped her back issues so much, Carla is passionate about her yoga, saying, “I never feel bored with Maurice’s classes, they are different every time. I can’t sell it enough to people, I could rave on and on about it!”

She occasionally does a practice at home, especially if she’s been sitting down all day at the desk or driving. Carla and her husband Richard run a business called Footlogics Australia Pty Ltd. They design and sell premade medical grade orthotics, selling their product online as well as to pharmacies, physios, chiropractors, and podiatrists both in Australia and internationally.

Their business has operated for 10 years now, with Carla joining Richard around seven years ago to do the administration as well as some sales and marketing. She spends a couple of days a week on the road meeting with pharmacy clients. They employ another staff member on the Gold Coast and have various distributors in Australia and overseas.

Carla would love to offer any interested Yoga Room students a 20% discount on orthotics. Details can be found on their website Click here.

 

 

Patanjali Yoga Sutra of the month

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Chapter 2 Verse 28
yog??g?nu??h?n?da?uddhik?aye jñ?nad?ptir?vivekakhy?te?||28||
“By dedicated practice of the various aspects of yoga impurities are destroyed: the crown of wisdom radiates in glory.”

BKS Iyengar. Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Pg 132.

 

 

 

Quote of the month

“For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.”
Aristotle

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Yoga Room Burleigh Heads
quentrio.vip

+61 438 837 244