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28 Mar 2018 Leave a comment
Transformation. I did complete the Om’echaye 200 hour teacher training program, March 26, 2018. I had been practicing yoga on regular basis since 2012. The two biggest lessons I learned was being ‘present’, awake, in Asana during every pose, and the real purpose of Asana, the preparation for the next limb of Pranayama. I heard it before but now I had begun to see it. I was also exposed to may different types of yoga. Afterwards, I appreciated the Iyengar method even more.
23 Sep 2017 Leave a comment
Yoga is a divine gift that I want to learn more about and explore. I’m deeply grateful that it has found me. It is not so important to be an Iyengar yoga teacher, which I will do to the best of my ability, but to learn more about yoga. So, starting in November, I will take a 200 hour course, a program that I trust, on yoga in order to help prepare me for the Iyengar Certification Test in 2019. If all goes according to plan, which can always change. There are no guarantees but I will keep trying. Part of the teacher training is a retreat at an Ashram which I always wanted to try.
03 Apr 2017 Leave a comment
The joy of yoga is seeing the transformation and the self improvement in the Asanas. One day, I hope to able to do a scorpion yoga hand stand.
27 Aug 2016 Leave a comment
in Uncategorized Tags: handstand, I, Iyengar Yoga
With the beard, I was starting to feel like a yogi. Long hair and a beard has energy. Power. Calmness, Awareness. It felt right. However, I did have it cut off.
Lately, I’ve been trying to move from beginner to more advanced. I’m open to trying new types of yoga, Ashtanga, Vinyasa. No worries, I’m still dedicated to Iyengar yoga. If I’m denied the trip to Pune in 2018, I may find another yoga program in India. In the meantime, I’m learning handstand from a yoga teacher I found online because it’s not done much where I practice. It’s difficult.
25 May 2016 Leave a comment
Before entering into the yoga studio for a class, I tried an experiment. I tried to deny the mind, or the false self. I thought with conviction, ” I am not Jason.” As I opened the door, as soon as my foot moved through the door frame, my mind immediately shouted as if angered, ” How can you deny me, of course I am you!” ” You can’t deny me.” ” Your crazy!” I took my shoes off. I entered the yoga room, I reminded myself again that I wasn’t Jason. Jason was the identity that I was born into and everything along the way to this moment which had accumulated into this person. After the 2nd affirmation, there wasn’t any mental reaction like before. I did some pre yoga class poses. I focused on the pose which kept the mind directed.
As class time approached, the time to start, I grabbed two blankets to sit on and sat in a crossed legged position. As I sat there, I felt freedom from my identity. My identity felt like a burden. Non stop. The goal of the experimental was to bring forth the knower, the soul, the true self. Of course, I knew that it was not that simple nor was it possible or provable. The mind continued to believe that it was the true self.
12 Dec 2015 Leave a comment
in Uncategorized Tags: celebacy, dharana, Iyengar Yoga, sattvic diet
A few months ago, I listened to a lecture, on YouTube, given by B.K.S. Iyengar on how learning yoga was like climbing a mountain. There would be time of progress and there would be time of no progress. In fact , for a long time, I felt no progess until two months ago in which I experienced the meaning of the Sanskrit word Dharana, concentration. Dharana was the ability to focus the mind on the body.
The break through experience of Dharana occurred in a morning class where only two students arrived. There was bad weather and a holiday. Normally, I didn’t talk to much, or ask questions; however, under the circumstances, I decided to ask questions in hope of improving my yoga practice.
While in the downward dog pose, I would be able to keep my legs straight for three seconds then I did a micro bend. I would do this all through the pose, three seconds, micro bend, repeat until pose finished. Almost ever class I would be yelled at, “Straighten your legs!!” There was a constant battle of my mind against the body. I explained this to the instructor. She gave me a yoga strap which she made in a loop and put around the elbows as I executed down ward dog. She told me to NOT listen to the teachers but to focus on my legs. With the stap on the elbows, I could bring full attention to the legs. With the aid of a yoga strap, I was able to keep the legs straight for 30 seconds or more; thus, experiencing concentration. This was a big change. When in a pose, I have to block out distractions to maintain focus. I had gain clarity into what needed to be done.
Brahmcharya has been very difficult. I failed a few time but with each failure, I gained insight and a stronger resolve to keep the path. Recently, I discovered the sattvic diet via YouTube videos. Yogis ate this diet to aid in keeping celibate.
21 Jun 2015 Leave a comment
in Uncategorized Tags: International Yoga Day, Iyengar Yoga, june. 21
Yoga is everyday; however, to honor the movement, I went to the yoga studio. There were approximately 18 people. We did the sequences proposed by Geeta Iyengar. as follows. Note, all the poses were instructed in their Sanskrit name and without demonstration.
Sequence of Poses:
Tadasana – Mountain Pose
Namaskarasana – Palms together (prayer pose)
Urdhva Hastasana – Extend arms upward
Uttanasana – Standing forward bend
Adho Mukha Svanasana – Downward facing dog pose
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana – Upward facing dog pose
Uttanasana – Standing forward bend
Tadasana – Mountain pose
Utthita Trikonasana – Triangle pose
Utthita Parsvakonasana – Side angle pose
Virabhadrasana I – Warrior Pose I
Parivrtta Trikonasana – Revolved triangle
Parsvottanasana – Intense side stretch forward bend
Prasarita Padottanasana – Wide stance forward bend
Dandasana – Staff pose
Janu Sirsasana – Head to knee seated forward bend
Adho Mukha Upavishtakonasana – Upright wide angle seated pose
Virasana with Parvatasana – Hero pose, clasped hands up
Swastikasana with Parvatasana – Cross-legged pose, clasped hands up
Parsva Dandasana – Staff pose twist
Bharadvajasana I – Twist named after the sage Bharadvaja
Marichyasana III – Twist named after the sage Marichi
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana – Upward facing dog
Dhanurasana – bow pose
Ustrasana – camel pose
Adho Mukha Svanasana – downward facing dog
Sirsasana – head balance
Sarvangasana – shoulder balance
Halasana – plow pose
Chatushpadasana – bridge pose variation
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana – bridge pose
Savasana – corpse pose
Sit in dhyana (meditation)
The celebration started with three oms and the Salutation to Patanjali by the most senior level yoga teacher in the room. Then, the event was taught by the various instructors present.
It was a good event. Peaceful. Moments of silence. Sweat. Challenging. Enjoyable.
In conclusion, Yoga was a gift to humanity. Excellent decision to make this an annual event. I hope this will start a global peace movement which our planet needs.
16 May 2015 Leave a comment
in Uncategorized Tags: Iyengar Yoga, samadhi pada, yogarosa
When I first started writing about yoga, I was concerned that I couldn’t do a pose perfectly. I still couldn’t do a perfect pose but that was okay. Even without perfection, everytime I did a pose, it was new, the same pose, but always fresh. While doing the poses in class, I didn’t notice the passing of time. In fact, most of the yoga classes passed without awareness of time. I wondered if I was in a low level of Samadhi. I was there, my mind was present, and the object, the yoga pose. I wasn’t think of anything.
24 Jun 2014 Leave a comment
in Uncategorized Tags: beginner, Iyengar Yoga, yogarosa
Empty the brain. Do this before going to bed. Every night , I sit in Baddha Konasana and I use kettle bells to help push the knees down. At the same time, I do a ten breath exercise, 15 second inhale, 15 second hold, and a 20 second exhale.
Sometime I will do a mantra with a Mala. A Mala is a neck less with 108 beads. The Mala I have is made of wood from a boddhi tree and was blessed. I believe the mala was an inspiration for the Christian Rosary, just like prayer hands, Amen, the trinity, and the rosary may have it’s origin in Indian culture. A mantra could be anything or something from antiquity. The words are said 108 times with the word Om said afterwards.
A sacred mantra is the Gayati Mantra which was in a recent posting on Facebook, sanskriti. Here is the link. http://www.sanskritimagazine.com/indian-religions/hinduism/gayatri-mantra/ust I believe one should be trying to follow the Yamas and Niyamas before reciting this mantra. I would repent any sins before doing this. Below is a YouTube link to the Gayatri Mantra:
28 May 2014 Leave a comment
in Uncategorized Tags: Iyengar Yoga, serious student, yoga
This photo summaries the yogic transformation that is occurring.
“Hypocrisy, pride, self-conceit, wrath, arrogance and ignorance belong, O Partha, to him who is born to the heritage of the demons.” ~ The Gita, XVI. 4
I thought this quote to be interesting.
The Yoga Bridge 