Yoga in one sentence.
"Rid your body of it's impurities, let your speech be true and sweet,
feel friendship for the world, and with humility seek wealth and knowledge"
T. Krishnamacharaya (pictured above)
Now to apply it.
"Discipline and Freedom are not mutually exclusive,
but mutually dependent because without discipline
we would sink into chaos"
Paulo Coelho
Practice is the key.
The gift of devoted practice is pathway to free range, organic growing liberation.
To get there you will need to edge over to the labyrinth of established old patterns. With scriptures in hand, a yogi or two to inspire you back to you, the journey begins. A little dislodged, raw but trusting, you begin to remember who the heck you are. And get this, you like it, a lot!
Being PRESENT is the only gift to rejoice.
"It's not your history but your presence on the mat that matters"
S.K.Pattabhi Jois (also pictured above)
Time to roll that mat out and be you, over and over again.
Hari Om Tat Sat
{ in supreme truth }
Adriana
MOVE WITH THE FLOW
YOGA MOVES FOR YOU
{ To AIR, FIRE, EARTH, WATER, ETHER teach us to stand strong and face the world together }
Life.
It's complicated and succulent all at the same time.
Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.
A mat.
An intent.
And wham,
front row tickets to the other side of your mind.
Buddha whispers:
"No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may.
We ourselves must walk the path"
Take courage, we are evolving.
We are flowing.
Be the leader that lets love in and disco dances to the tune of perfect peace.
Sound the voice of silence. Sing the song of souls.
For we are yogis in the making.
Join the flow.
An evening of beautiful chanting with Carmella Baynie
Be swept into a mesmerising evening of devotional chants to elevate your spirit. Carmella is a world renowned kirtan performer and we are blessed to have her join THE INTUITIVE Room. Dinner is included. For all details and booking http://www.theintuitiveroom.com/events-1/chantinglivingaspirituallifecarmellabaynie
A THING OR TWO ABOUT BALANCE
Happy Spring Equinox!
Today marks the first day of an equal length of day and night. Where perhaps we bring consciousness to the often unbalanced seesaw of emotional traits that affect us daily through disease or injuries. Maybe today, is a day to soften the hardness and present as a blank canvas ready to paint our own version of harmony. In a balanced state of being, we open to a playful and healthy sense of curiosity that beautifully expands our perspective from limited to expansive... our perfect 360 degree view of adventure.
Even how we breathe can determine our equal balance. Take a moment as you're reading this to check which nostril you're breathing from. If it's mostly coming out of the left nostril you are activating your intuitive and holistic traits which relate to your right brain hemisphere. If your breath is mostly coming out from your right nostril you are usually performing tasks that require you to be more analytical like study or work and your mind is more anchored in being strategic. Here's a tip for you; if you are called upon to provide a compassionate shoulder for a loved one, you might want to check that your breath is coming mostly from your left nostril which supports your empathic and nurturing side. Listening and holding space for someone in need requires the gentleness of the right brain hemisphere and not the critical analytical traits powered by the right nostril breath. Both are valid and play vital roles in our daily living. Breathing equally through both nostrils is an experience of being deeply relaxed whilst being fully present and alert. In yoga we perform a pranayama (breathing technique) that regulates an equal flow called Nadi Shodana.
Practice and all is coming...
A student once asked the guru for some advise:
"As a big yogi to a little yogi do you have any advise for me?.
"Yes" he replied.
"Each morning wake up, do as much yoga as you want. Maybe you'll eat, maybe you'll fast, maybe you'll sleep. The next morning wake up, do as much yoga as you want. Maybe you'll eat, maybe you'll fast, maybe you'll sleep. Practice yoga and all is coming"
The stunning wisdom from Guruji K. Pattabhi Jois as told by David Williams
... and all is coming.
There is a place in each of us that aches for clarity, to be awake and alert to being solid about who we are and what our purpose is. ANANDA is a sanskrit word meaning Bliss. It is a word that could possibly define the meaning of Yoga, although it doesn't mean Bliss in the sense of intense happiness. Instead, ANANDA is an experience that is neither happiness nor a place devoid of suffering. ANANDA is self realization. From this place of Bliss we get to glimpse into our truth. It requires devoted practice (Abhyasa), and a commitment to staying focused and letting go of what is not serving our highest good (Vairagya). "Practice and all is coming..." perhaps part of that 'all' is that place were we emerge calm and deeply refreshed. The challenge is remaining established in this state.
LISTEN & SILENT
In yoga we call our discipline 'practice'. We practice listening to the silence within.
Inhale.
An invitation to go in.
We pause.
We exhale. and we repeat.
Our faith is that each time an inspiration awakens our soul we have enough time to stop for a moment and look.
"Look for the One who is looking.
Look for the One who is seeing.
Look for the One who is hearing.
Look for the One". Bhagavati
The divine presence, the One that keeps the cycle of breathing igniting our purpose of being. We bow to that which connects us to our own holy presence. This place within each of us is our holy shrine. In this witnessing is your true discovery. No other quest in life has such value as that of knowing who you are. So stop for a while my dear friend, and take time to Listen to the Silent holiness of your being.
You are that.
Bow to that.
A FLOW OF INWARD CONSCIOUSNESS...
Happy 'new moon' week to you!
The elegant 13th century Persion Poet, Rumi (that so happens to have been born on the same date as me, many thousands of years earlier) is my inspiration this week.
"A new moon teaches gradualness and deliberation and how one gives birth to oneself slowly. Patience with small details makes perfect a large work, like the universe" Rumi
It has been a week of welcoming many, many new students to THE INTUITIVE Room. The new moon makes way for new beginnings and for taking the time to open to new possibilities. "The wound is the place where the light enters you" Rumi... indeed, we all step up to yoga in a state of repair. At our essence we are consciousness moving through form and our journey in life is about connecting with that truth. Everything we do is about clearing the fog from our vision so that what we see and feel is our authentic truth. This is yoga.
SHARING THE LOVE - MASTERCLASS IN "I AM PEACE"...
There are so many wonderful classes offered at THE INTUITIVE Room. IN I AM PEACE meditation class this week we opened our consciousness to the practice of Dharana (one-pointed concentration) and took time to gaze into flowers. Who doesn't like a flower, right. Soft, tender bundles of joy. Focusing in this way slows the thinking process and paves the way to a meditative state of mind, especially if what you are gazing into makes you feel good. Closing the eyes after a period of time meant we could invite the image to merged with our heart center. We visualized the flower living inside of us - a gentle symbol of blooming beauty. It's breathtakingly peaceful. In this exquisite state of stillness the mind is calmer and any division between mind, body and soul is lessened. This is the loving practice known as Dhyana - a continuous flow of inward consciousness. Awakening to who we are.
Try this for yourself. Next time you are presented with a flower, smell it, touch it and really look at it. Keep your gaze solidly fixed on it. Then close your eyes and bring it into your heart. We continued the practice by translating our internal vision in artwork form. Each student unleashed their creative energy into beautiful artworks that represented their experience. They created their own sacred mandala that they can use as a point of focus for their meditation. Have another look at the image above with the logo on it... I have merged two images together from two of the attendees from the class. Deeply moving images. Thank you to all the attendees for the courage of opening to new experiences... that's the new moon for you! (image credit: thank you Elisa and Margie, just beautiful, like you)
"In your light I learn how to love. In your beauty, how to make poems. You dance inside my chest where no-one sees you, but sometimes I do, and that sight becomes this art" Rumi...
This is the art of who you are.
Hari Om Tat Sat
(that is truth)
See you on the mat,
Adriana
"Breathe me gently..."
That breath you are breathing right now, that everyday, nothing special breath, is humbly beckoning your attention. That next inhale desperately reaching for more of you, hangs around long enough with hope of being felt. Maybe. Consider this: every breath is a profound yet simple gesture of respect for who you are. Every breath a ritual of growing you. Sustaining you. Balancing you. Living you alive with the utmost loyalty. So why not take the time to just be with it, hear it, feel it, taste it...
This struck me this week:
"Little breath, breathe me gently, row me gently, for I am a river I am learning to cross" by M.S. Merwin
This breath is the same for you and I and yet my deepened breath feels uniquely mine. Each inspiration awakening our soul to live our body gracefully, accepting unconditionally who it is that carries it. The breath is the barometer and keeper of our being. It mirrors the river of unspoken emotions and privies us insights to our inner world. The yoga sutras tell us that the breath is the key to the vista of higher consciousness.
This week in class we took time to witness each other breathing. A profound meditation of projecting the mind to focus on one point that eventually leads to merging with that object. What happened was a profound expression of oneness. It was magic...
On ode to the breath
"You are the strength that keeps me walking.
You are the hope that keeps me trusting.
You are the life to my soul.
You are my everything, and how can I stand here
with you and not be moved by you"
Source: Lifehouse, breathing
At THE INTUITIVE Room we take time to usher the breath back to center stage where we bow to it with the utmost respect.
Hari Om Tat Sat
(that is truth)
See you
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A YOGI...
What does it mean to be a yogi?
If you can sit quietly after hearing bad news....
If in financial downturns you remain perfectly calm...
If you see that your neighbors have traveled to fantastic places without a twinge of jealousy...
If you can happily eat what has been put on your plate...
If you can fall asleep after a day of running around without having to take any medications or alcohol...
If you can always find contentment just where you are...
.... well, you are probably a dog. (inspired by Jack Kornfield)
There is so much idealism about spiritual practice and there can be a confusion about what it all means. When I was 10 years into my practice I remember thinking how amazing my teacher was with his effortless grace of being and a diet that appeared to be nothing more than air. When I eventually saw him eat food it took me a while to pick up my jaw from my disillusioned pedestal. HE ATE POTATO SALAD? What are we striving to 'perfect'? Maybe you know this already or maybe this is a reminder of why you are doing what you're doing... a spiritual practice is not about perfecting who you are so you can live up to the ideals of great sages. Nope. The reason you are in a spiritual practice is to perfect your capacity to love. Love, love, and more love, from your mat to your day to day living, our most treasured gift is LOVE.
That is yoga.
An ocean of PASSION.
Hari Om Tat Sat
(that is truth)
See you on the mat,
Adriana
MINDFULLY FREEING THE MIND
Another group of practitioners complete their eight week program ..... Congratulations to you all for taking the steps to commit to yourselves and discovering the value in being more aware.
In our meditation we explored what it felt like to be well centered and what happens to this when we engage with others. We all acknowledged how CHALLENGING this was and how we can loose ourselves and what is true to us in order to meet the needs of others .
Each week has taken us to a different experience of ourselves and the overall process has left everyone hungry for more! We travelled through understanding how we think and appraise situations, riding emotional waves mindfully, the art of letting go well and building compassion for ourselves and others.....we begin again on Monday 18th July ....the process has been described as 'transformative ' ....
We just can't afford not to have such important skills in our high pressured lives!
By Deena Thompson