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23 Mar 2014 Leave a comment
in YOGA Tags: B.K.S. Iyengar, Iyengar Yoga, morning asanas, saturn, yoga in the morning
For Yoga to work, practice must be done at home. I woke up three times this week before dawn to do Asanas. The picture was from my yoga mat and that light was the planet Saturn. The other days, I would have class or would do yoga in the evening. Yoga needs to become a habit and not a passing fad.
18 Mar 2014 1 Comment
in YOGA Tags: B.K.S. Iyengar, niyama, Pantajali, yama
This week, I did some time thinking and studying in a forest. Meditation. Reading, Asanas, Loving Kindness. Mantras. Yoga has started me down a spiritual path to find the true self. I started reading Iyengar’s book on Patanjali’s sutras as in the picture.
Other things that I learned from reading and want to add to the yoga practice.
1) Every time I say the word, Aum, I will say it with passion and tremendous respect.
2) Every time I say the word, Aum, I will try to surrender completely to God.
3) Asana, move slowly to keep a steady base. Never in a hurry.
4) Use my skin. The skin is what tells me where I’m in space. Give it attention.
5) Prana means energy, not breath. The cosmos breaths me.
As per the suggestion of a Swami on YouTube, I declared my self enlightened. It was like giving notice to my mind. The declaration was done with tremendous passion and sincerity. This was the advise of a swami, in regards to enlightenment. I do follow the yamas and niyamas.
10 Mar 2014 Leave a comment
in Uncategorized Tags: B.K.S. Iyengar, English Translation of Invocation to Patanjali, Smt. Geeta S. Iyengar
Invocation To Patanjali
Yogena cittasya padena vacam
malam sarirasya ca vaidyakena
yopakarottam pravaram munina
patanjalim pranjaliranato smi
abahu purussakaram
sankha cakrasi dharinam
sahasra sirasam svetam
pranamami patanjalim
Commentary and Translation
of the Invocation to Patanjali
by Smt. Geeta S. Iyengar
The two slokas (verses) that we chant to invoke Lord Patanjali begin the Bhojavritti, Bhoj’s commentary on the Yoga Sutras. It
says, first of all, that Lord Patanjali is considered to be the incarnation of Adhishesha, the cobra, which is the seat for the Lord
Vishnu, the very creator of this world. It is said he took birth three di!erent times, giving three di!erent sciences for people to
improve themselves. The first is yoga.
yogena cittasya padena vacam
To purify the mind (citta), purify the consciousness, Patanjali gave the science of yoga (yogena) to us. To purify our
use of words (pada) and speech (vacca), he gave a commentary on grammar to us, so that our use of words and way
of speaking is clarified, distinct and pure.
malam sarirasya ca vaidyakena
To remove the impurities (malam) of the body (sarira), he gave us the science of medicine (vaidyakena).
yopakarottam pravaram muninam
Let me go near the one who has given these things to us.
patanjalim pranjalir anato’smi
Let me bow down my head with my folded hands to Lord Patanjali. Then after knowing the work of this Lord, the second stanza
says what Lord Patanjali looks like. To do any meditation first the form has to be in front of the eyes.
abahu purusakaram
From the hand up to the head he has the shape (karam) of a human (purusa).
sankha carkrasi dharinam
In his hand he is holding the conch (sankha) and disc (cakra)
sahasra sirasam svetam
On top of his head (sirasam) he has got a thousand (sahasra) hoods of the cobra, because he is the incarnation of Adishesha,
the greatest cobra. Svetam means white.
pranamami patanjalim
I bow down to Patanjali.
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. So the moment you think of the Lord at the
beginning of doing a practice, you know that you are very small in front of that greatest soul. Once that is understood then the
other problems which always arise while practicing, mainly concerned with the ego, will be a!ected. You know that you are
“coming down” to learn something. And you can’ t learn anything unless you come down; if you think you are on the top and you
know everything, then you are not a learner at all. In that sense, the chanting helps.
10 Mar 2014 Leave a comment
in YOGA Tags: Invocation to Patanjali, resistence to the invocation
On Wednesday 10:00 am, Instructor at the head of the class, ” Does anyone need a sheet for the words to the Invocation to Patanjali? A female doctor responded, chuckling, ” No, no thank you. I don’t believe in any of that. I’m a scientist, a medical doctor. I don’t believe in any of that because it’s based in religion and I don’t want to invoke any ghost. ha ha ha. I’m a scientist.” Mean while, as I sat in swastkasana waiting for class to start, I was wearing a bright orange shirt with a printed statue image of Patanjali. In fact, I made the shirt myself. The doctor glared at me as well as the instructor. I smiled and remained silent. I like the Invocation and can’t wait to say it. As a Catholic, we believe in Saints. I didn’t get in the argument. I thought to myself, I know that I didn’t create myself. I can’t prove God, or the soul, exist either, but I don’t doubt they exist, not for a nano second. I felt sorry for her that she was so rigid in her thinking, but I was glad she was there.
When I get a chance, I will find an English translation of the Invocation to Patanjali and post it.
03 Mar 2014 Leave a comment
in YOGA Tags: Light on Life, Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Patanjali, Yoga Yajnavalkya
Since I don’t have direct access to a guru, what to do? Books.. I do have plenty of books to read. I just started reading Light on Life. I am waiting on the arrival of Yoga Yajnavalkya, by A.G. Mohan, and Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, B.K.S. Iyengar.
Strict adherence to the yamas and niyamas. I am trying to wear more purple to stimulate the spiritual chakra. I bought orange shirts, for yoga, to constantly remind myself of my spiritual journey.
I just finished reading, Main Street Vegan. I haven’t completely become vegetarian, I ate meat about five times in February, but I am working my way there. I am in agreement with the book. I recommend it. Someday, I hope to be a vegan.
23 Feb 2014 Leave a comment
in YOGA Tags: B.K.S. Iyengar, scoliosis, setu bandha sarvangasana with a chair, yogarosa
On Wednesday, I went to an entry level yoga class. I was learning yoga but also was observing how the teacher instructed. There were three women, one in her late 70s, a middle aged women with scoliosis, her first yoga class, another middle aged women, and myself. At first, the class was sluggish until the last fifteen minutes. The instructor spoke firmly, but with kindness, and was protective of the students safety in each pose. We did ardha Chandrasana against a wall. It seemed to me an advanced pose. We did baddha konasana while sitting. Great pose.
Towards the end of class, we did a challenging pose, setu bandha sarvangasana but with our feet on the edge of a chair while grabbing the chair’s front legs. The woman with scoliosis praised the pose and said she felt better. She was new to yoga and I could tell she was hooked because she was asking when was the next class. I heard the 70 year old woman say she felt better. She was doing a the pose in a different way because of her age and ability. This class was the highlight of her week. The other woman seemed to appreciate the pose. Setu bandha sarvangasana was a pose that I value. The class end on a high note with everyone excited for the next class. As always, we finished the class with corpse pose, savasana.
The joy is experiencing improvement no matter how little or great it is. That is the joy of yoga for myself. Breaking through a plateau. Tiny improvements and not falling back.
17 Feb 2014 Leave a comment
in Uncategorized Tags: b.k.s. iyengar yoga, home yoga practice, Iyengar Yoga, Rupert Spira, Sanskrit, Sanskrit words, yoga course
This week I started a note book to contain any Sanskrit words that I come across in my study of yoga. For the home practice, I bought a bolster. So, now I need a few wooden blocks and maybe a small table to complete my basic prop collection.
Probably the first week of March, I am thinking of starting at home the 20 week yoga course. This course can be found in the book, ” B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga, the path to holistic health, ” on page 388. I may post the weekly course by week. I haven’t worked out the details yet. I highly recommend buying the book if your studying Iyengar Yoga.
Frightening. Mind bending. This week, I encountered an interesting video on youtube, or videos, on awareness by Rupert Spira. It may be possible that awareness is actually the soul. I will probably order his book.
I thought I had broken a finger two weeks ago, but it’s healing. I thought I was going to fall during Sirsasana, next time, I will use a wall.
09 Feb 2014 Leave a comment
in YOGA Tags: B.K.S. Iyengar, home yoga practice, Iyengar Yoga, Serapes, yoga blankets, yoga props, yogarosa
I bought some yoga blankets this week. I decided that I wanted to have quality yoga props. My home yoga practice is an investment in myself. I ordered authentic Mexican blankets called Serape. The art of serape making goes back many centuries. The web page proclaimed that these blankets were manufactured by descendants of Mayan Indians of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. I hope that was true and that everyone can profit.
Here is my impression. These blankets are works of art, brilliant colors, and expertly woven. The cotton is soft. It is true that these serapes brighten the room and spirit. These serapes are different from the yoga blankets we use at the studio less soft and require different folding techniques.
http://www.stylemexican.com/mexican-blankets-sarapes.html
02 Feb 2014 1 Comment
in YOGA Tags: home yoga, Iyengar Yoga, yoga chair, yoga props
After searching for a yoga chair and not finding what I wanted, or at the right price, I decided to make my own. Target, $10 folding chair, a steal; however, the back of the chair was welded on. I tried a saw, that didn’t work. I took pliers and used them like a can opener until the welded spots started breaking, then I could yank the back off. This method took a lot of brute force. Well la! A bruised finger, a small cut, a lot of shouting, sweat, thirty minutes, and I got my home yoga chair.
27 Jan 2014 Leave a comment
in Uncategorized Tags: age 95, B.K.S. Iyengar, Iyengar Yoga, jan 26 2014, sirshasana, yoga
Here is a picture of B.K.S. Iyengar doing head stand pose on January 26, 2014, morning. He is 95 years old. I obtained this information from Facebook.
The Yoga Bridge 