August 22, 2020...The BEGINNING,...The KNEW SCHOOL.
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Yoga Tree 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training session began with a beautiful ceremony on the above date. The students were excited, open and inspiring. The seed 🌱was planted long ago to offer this training, but in recent months (or a year) ~ many wonderful people have contributed to the impulse that made this KNEW beginning a reality. For that, I am forever appreciative.
In the recent months (some of which will go down historically as a time when, in the world, 🌍el mundo, WE,.. the people, were "quarantined"). What came of this time, is unique to each person, based on their personal perceptions, habits and willingness to go or flow.
Practicing and teaching Yoga☮ for nearly 2 decades gives way to experience, but when embarking on an adventure, one consults the map and creates somewhat of an itinerary ( Anyone who knows me would chuckle reading this because my version of itinerary is a little different than most)... Nonetheless, when stepping forth on a new expedition, I do pull together teachings and look inside. In so doing, I have immersed myself in study to "wake up" information and knowledge from within, so that I could share, with a full heart, these amazing, practical, simple, deep, wisdom-rich stories and suggestions on living a whole and peaceful existence.
What a time to be in Yogic study, I feel so fortunate to have started this personal walk so long ago, but I to still feel so passionate about the study and so infantile in my learning phase. The beauty is in the SELF STUDY ~ Svadhyaya,
The word itself is made up of Sva, meaning own, self, or the human soul, and Adhyaya, meaning lesson, lecture, or reading, and can imply the practice of studying scriptures, as well as a practice of studying the Self.
‘self’ study and ‘Self’ study….
In many pieces of writing regarding the practice of yoga, when we see the word self written with a small ‘s’, it refers to ourselves in this physical form, our ego, and who we consider ourselves to be on a daily basis. When you read the word ‘Self’ with a capital ‘S’, this is likely to refer to the true self, Atman, or the divine within us.
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra says: “Study thy self, discover the divine” II.44
It’s probably fair to say that the more we realise what we are not, the closer we come to realising who or what we truly are. By studying ‘the self’ and recognizing our habits and thought processes, we realise how much of what we do and think is far from who we really know we are.
When we listen to the ego, we often do things that don’t always align with our true beliefs or intuition. The ‘I’ or small ‘self’ is mostly concerned with survival, which usually entails getting what it wants in all situations, and proving it is indeed ‘the best’ despite what consequences that might have for us. The small self judges, criticises, fears, conditions, doubts and is essentially the cause of the chitta vrittis, or ‘fluctuations of the mind’.
By paying attention to, or ‘studying’ our ‘self’, we become more aware of the things we do that harm us, and also those which serve us and bring us closer to that process of ‘yoking’ or ‘uniting’ with the true Self.
In the above paragraph, I mentioned that the "teachings" are SIMPLE,... I did not say, "easy"... Below is a copy of a drawing depicting the descript of Patanjali's 8 limbs,... STEPS to enlightenment... Yamas (restraints ) and Niyamas (observations), Asana ( your seat), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyahara (withdrawal from the senses), Dharana (focus,concentration), Dhyana (meditation)
These are not SECRETS, hidden from us,.. but guidelines to live meaningful and purposeful life, per the guidance of Patanjali.
Words like: discipline, liberation, support, community, non-attachment, non-violence, not stealing, not lying, contentment, purity, self-study, simplistic living, devotion, restraint. These are aspects the Yogi cultivates. At Yoga Tree for many years, the mantra has been:🌈🔥🌎🌎 Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu ~ May all beings be happy and free, may my thoughts, words and actions contribute to the well being of all. For me, this is also folded into my personal practice of Ahimsa (non-harming), we practice this in my home by being kind to each other, speaking intentionally and with our eating, paying attention to and having kindness with what we choose to ingest into our bodies (through the eyes, ears, mouth and skin). This blog is simply to share some of the foundation that will be the ground layer for our adventure inward, to awaken, pay attention and to pause. Thank you for whatever you have done today to contribute to making this world, a kinder, more peaceful place. namaste'💗
