Yantra

Check out this beautiful video by Bobby Clennell, where sacred geometric patterns mingle with B.K.S. Iyengar's asana practice.

Vanda Scaravelli

An inspiring yogini, who spent time with and learned from B.K.S Iyengar and Krishnamurti and added some feminine softness to the teachings.

...One of the wonderful gifts of Vanda Scaravelli's work is its simplicity. Vanda spoke of three friends, Breath, Gravity, and the Wave. These three principles remain the same regardless of whatever your level of practice. Vanda believed that poses required undoing, having no goal, and going with the body, rather than pushing or telling the body what to do in a linear fashion, which causes movement to be fragmented. Taking time to understand and feel the principles at work in our practice can revolutionize the way in which we work. If uncertainty arises, we come back to the breath, reconnect with the ground and the body will find its steadiness again. This keeps the practice simple. Following the principles helps to understand the natural intelligence of the body; which is designed to move rhythmically in response to gravity and breath. Thus postures emerge from an inner movement without the need to impose or perform postures externally. As we learn to let go and release the outer tension from the body, the postures become a catalyst for the wave of the breath and spine to awaken and dance...
excerpt from Inspired by Vanda Scaravelli by June Durkin


"If you are kind to the body, it will respond in an incredible way."

Talk Ahimsa

Ahimsa, one of the yamas, means non-violence. On the yoga mat we try to avoid competitive, and berating thoughts and we try to repect our physical limitations. Ahimsa goes beyond the mat. In essence, it means to honor and respect life. It includes all aspects of life: non-violence towards ourselves, towards others, the planet, and the universe in general. It is not limited to physical violence, but applies to the mental level as well, including communication, which is the prevalent way of relating and connecting with others.

Here is a concept of ahimsa applied to communication: Non-violent Communication (NVC) was developed by Marshall B. Rosenberg, Ph.D http://www.cnvc.org/ and encourages to converse without emotional reaction to some expected outcome, but to simply observe. Very Yogic.

NVC consists of 4 steps:

• observing (stopping to recognize what is actually happening in the moment, rather than voicing your opinion about it)
• feeling (identifying the feelings arising in you and your sense of the feelings arising in others);
• needing (getting clear about what needs you and others might have in the situation); and
• requesting (asking to have those needs met) – often forgotten by me - i assume, my request should be clear by expressing my feeligns and needs. A clear request makes things a lot easier though.