The Warrior - Friend Virabhadra and the Asanas Origin

Sati was the daughter of the high chief of Gods Daksha and married to Shiva. One day Daksha decided to throw a yagna (ritual sacrifice) and invited except for the couple since he despised Shiva. 

 Sati got word of this and suggested to Shiva that they go anyway however Shiva, not wanting to incite her father’s anger, prefered not to. Sati was hurt by her father’s treatment and decided to go alone.

Arriving there she got into an argument with her father in front of the guests something that made her feel humiliated. When her father tried to provoked her again she remained silent and decided she wanted to relinquish all family ties, telling her father this: “Since you have given me this body I no longer wish to be associated with it.” She walked past him and sat in a meditative seat on the ground, closed her eyes and fell into a trance. Going deep within herself she began to increase her inner fire through yogic exercises until her body burst into flames.

Sun Salutions Literally: Mysore Style Practice Week 1

Photo from Here

I have been meaning to start a Mysore practice for a while now. Unfortunatelythe office I work is located at the other side of the town which takes me more than 1 hour to get there and I have to wake up every morning at 7(plus the yoga studio is about 45-60 minutes away) so  I thought it would not be possible for a while. That is why I chose the led primary series practice in the evenings. However, during the Christmas holidays when the studio was closed some evening and I was supposed to practice at home, I caught a nasty flu and I could not even breathe when I was sitting on my couch so I let practice aside for what I thought it would be a few days. That flu stayed with me for 3 weeks though, really frustrating. Last 2 weekends I attended the 30 hour asana immersion seminar and all this talk about yoga and practicing made me miss it so much that I decided I would give Mysore style practice a try even if I had to squeeze my mornings and wake up at 5 every day.

Acceptance is the Beauty of Yoga.

I love Fridays. Although I am really worn out from the whole week that has just passed, the evening led class is such a wonderful way to end the week. The effort I need to put in my practice is greater than any other day due to physical tiredness but the energy in the shala is lifting everybody up. 

So, last Friday we had another full primary series led class at the studio. It was probably the most demanding one I had so far since all the week was crazy. Christmas holidays are just around the corner and the daily work load has increased dramatically. To be completely honest, when I left the office I was really thinking to drop the class and just go home to rest. I had a debate with myself, one part of me was trying to get me home and the other one was convincing me to go to the studio which I fortunately did.

Easy Sun Salutations. Beginners' Tips for Suryanamaskar A & B

Sun Salutation A.
Photo from here.

Sun Salutations can be difficult when you are a beginner but there are some tips my amazing teacher has shared with me that have been valuable to me and helped a lot. It's fun how sometimes just a small tiny modification can make things easier.
As my teacher always says in each and every practice "You must not suffer when practicing Ashtanga. You must feel that your body is working but not too much, you do not want to make your life harder than it already is, you want to make it easier and better. So bring your intelligence in the classroom and modify whatever asana you need to or rest in child's pose whenever appropriate".

Yesterday's Dream Is Today's Reality.

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana

I have only been practicing Ashtanga Yoga for a tiny amount of time but there is no doubt it feels that this is what I should be doing. Yesterday I had a wonderful led class in the evening. It was the first time I was so concentrated in my practice, no wandering mind, no random thoughts, no distractions. Just me on my mat, breathing Ujjayi breath, feeding the fire inside, trying to keep my internal body locks (Bandhas) and practicing the sequence of asanas. It was the first time I got so further into most of the asanas and the time completely flew by.

It's Time For Ashtanga!

After of a long period of self practice due to lack of funds and a few months unemployed I finally found a new job. I spent 9 months more before I finally signed up for an Ashtanga yoga class and during that period the first 3 months I did go on home practicing but the last 6 I didn't. Something really intense happened to my life and I went through a period of letting go of everything. I just went to work, got back home, ate and sleep. I even started smoking again, a bad habit I managed to let go years ago. After reaching bottom line I decided I had to do something for me. I stood up, gathered my pieces together and searched for a studio of Ashtanga. I talked with 3 different ones till I decide and this September I got my very first lesson.

Hello Mr. Rodney Yee! Nice to Meet You Mr. Bryan Kest!

As soon as I quitted the Hatha Yoga class I took at the studio in my neighborhood I knew I needed to keep practicing until I find out more about yoga and studios and get myself a good teacher. That was when Mr. Rodney Yee came along.

 

The first DVD I tried was Power Yoga Total Body which I loved at that time. It was exactly what I needed. Challenging power yoga with progressing exercises, beautiful setting and great description of the poses and how to get into them. It was perfect for my level at that time and I used it for a long long time. 

Diving Into a Hatha Yoga Class

After home practicing with the Power Yoga & Five Tibetan Rites DVD for a while I started needing something more. I accidentally found out that there was a new yoga studio just 5 minutes walking distance from my house and decided to enroll. I dropped by and  the teacher informed me that they had daily Hatha Yoga classes, beginner and intermediate level, and two times per week they had a Vinyasa Flow class while every other weekend they would do seminars on meditation, chakras, traditional medicine, ayuverda etc.

Power Yoga, the Five Tibetan Rites and How a DVD CAN Be a Starting Point!

Yoga. Such a magical word!

I will never forget the first time I heard it. I was around 18 and I had no idea what yoga was, I just overheard someone mentioning it on the street. And I felt something moving inside me. I knew I had to learn more! I read a little general information about it but at the time I knew I could not commit to it due to college and working responsibilities. Kept it on the back of head. 

Eight whole years later, in 2009, I had just came to the point describing in my previous post. I finally achieved being promoted in a managerial position which was my dream for years and felt that everything I did to get there was for nothing. I needed to start fresh, give my own self some time, get it all back together. I started again dance lessons (which I had dropped for 2 years in order to focus in my job and so-wanted promotion) and although dancing did make me feel a lot better I felt I needed something more. One day I got a free Yoga DVD with my local copy of SHAPE magazine, it was my first one ever. I felt that something moving inside me again. So I got home, put it in the player and watched it. It was a beginner’s power yoga sequence followed by the Five Tibetans Rites and a 15 minute relaxation in savasana. The setting was great, the background music was amazing and the voice of the woman featured in the DVD (famous local trainer that was one of the first to bring power yoga in my country) was peaceful and calm. I liked what I saw and I decided that I would try it on the first day I had enough free time.

That Saturday night I didn’t go out. I stayed home, made some space in the living room, lighted up 2-3 candles and an oil burner with jasmine incense, put a mat I had on the floor (foam mat I had for crunches, not good for yoga) and put the DVD on. As soon as I started I felt a strange kind of energy inside me, like electricity. By the time I finished relaxation I was feeling lighter, less worried, happier, tranquil. I could not explain how it was possible to feel this way after just one hour of practicing but I didn’t care. The fact was that I did. I was feeling that something is changing, I was feeling that what I did was right and that feeling was way too strong to question it. I went to the bathroom and looked at the mirror: you could see it in my face, I looked calm! 

Next day I ordered a yoga mat and I kept practicing with this DVD for a while doing my own ritual: turning off most lights, lighting my candles and burning jasmine . 

(Photo from here.)