In Light on Pranayama BKS Iyengar writes Bhramara means a large black bumble-bee and this pranayama is so called because during exhalation a soft humming sound like that of a bumble-bee is made. The best time to perform it is in the silence and quiet of the night’
BKS Iyengar writes that: ’We all breathe, but how many of us do so correctly, with attention? Bad posture, an ill-shaped or caved-in chest, obesity, emotional disorders, various lung troubles, smoking and uneven use of the respiratory muscles, lead to improper breathing, below one’s capacity. We are aware of the discomfort and disability which then …
‘Among the eight limbs, the first two limbs, yama and Niyama, are often neglected by the practitioner. However, every practitioner must remember that first and foremost, yogic practice is built on these two pillars. Yama (restraints) and Niyama (observances) make the sadhaka (practitioner) physically, mentally, morally and spiritually fit to continue Yoga practice … … …
‘The five components of yama are called ‘mighty universal vows’, as they are not confined to class, place, time or concept of duty. They should be followed unconditionally by everyone, and by students of yoga in particular, irrespective of origin and situation, with a reservation concerning cultural phenomena such as religious ceremonies, vows and vocations …
‘Among the eight limbs, the first two limbs, yama and Niyama, are often neglected by the practitioner. However, every practitioner must remember that first and foremost, yogic practice is built on these two pillars. Yama (restraints) and Niyama (observances) make the sadhaka (practitioner) physically, mentally, morally and spiritually fit to continue Yoga practice … … …
This subject holds an overview of the internship program at Yoga Mandir. Internships allow successful applicants to work directly in the daily life of the Institute, attending, assisting and supporting the smooth running of the school. Internships are ideal for those living outside of Canberra who wish to come for a period of intense study, …
Yoga Mandir runs a program for teachers who tutor more junior teachers and trainees. The Tutor Program is an extension of the Reflective practice and Teacher Development program at the Institute. Tutors works closely with their student on a weekly basis and undergo supervision with their senior teacher (Alan Goode) on a regular basis. Tutors …
Students often struggle to engage with the yoga sutras of Patanjali finding the text dry and uninteresting. This subject introduces the sutras by covering their main themes to build a picture for those wanting to explore the subject in closer detail. Providing an overview and a stepping stone. This Subject is best completed are a …
This subject asks – What is Yoga? It identifies that conjunction and dissociation are central to an understanding of why we practice. The following quote is taken from BKS Iyengar’s Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Sutra 1:4. ‘When the seer identifies with consciousness or with the objects seen, he unites with them and forgets …
Remedial Assessment, considers issues pertinent to running remedial classes. This subject also proposes an approach to dealing with injuries in the student body of a school. Iyengar notes: ‘Yoga is a universal subject. As the physics and chemistry cannot change for Westerners or Easterners so also yoga cannot be changed. All the rules, regulations, principles …
Prashant Iyengar says ‘What is an ‘object’? An object is something which you can know, something which you can keep in front of you and watch. Yoga, as you are all aware, is something to know yourself with, and how do you know yourself? Basically, the point is that we identify ourselves with the mind …
‘Once you know the psychology and physiology of asanas, then you will be able to make a proper schedule of sequence of asana. It is a very subjective thing, it cannot be so generalised. It is a science, but it is not a rigid science; it is a fluid science, because it is subjective. It …
Prashant Iyengar writes ‘Teaching the body is a facet, which even a beginner has to evolve. But here, the ardent seeker teaches Trikonasana to the body, at times by the mind and at times by the breath’. the statement above recognises that learning is not merely the acquisition of points of detail about an asana. …
T-Ph10. Teaching from and to the body, mind and breath Read More »
The five afflictions which disturb the equilibrium of consciousness are: ignorance or lack of wisdom, ego, pride of the ego or the sense of ‘I’, attachment to pleasure, aversion to pain, fear of death and clinging to life. The fluctuations are known as vrttis: changes, movements, functions, operations, or conditions of action or conduct in …
BKS Iyengar writes ‘There are seven frontiers to be integrated between the Seen (prakrti) and the Seer (purusa). They are integration of – the body, the senses, energy, mind, intellect, consciousness and soul, each realising its own individual identity. Proficiency in yoga will bring this seven fold knowledge. According to Patanjali the seven states of …
Yoga psychology acknowledges that whilst we exist as a physical entity, we are ultimately much more than our body. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali has classified five layers or kosas to our existence. Our physical presence is undeniable but this is merely the outer layer. The second layer is the physiological form or energetic form. …
‘If we want to experience heaven on earth, we have to grasp the qualities of nature, the gunas, that is to say the polarity of rajas and tamas, the eternal pulse of nature between movement and stillness, and the higher balancing state of sattva. Nature has degrees of subtlety.’ BKS Iyengar, Light on Yoga Sutras …
BKS Iyengar writes “In order to understand this simplicity of the consciousness and purity of the Self, one needs a matured knowledge (paripakva jnana). We go to educational institutions to acquire knowledge. But to learn yoga, the institution is not outside. You have to step into your own university within the body, the mind and …
‘The asanas in the inverted positions are known as Viparita Sthiti. The standing asanas and the lateral extensions prepare the musculo-skeletal structure of the body to learn the inversions, such as Salamba Sirsasana and Salamba Sarvangasana. The standing and sitting forward extensions prepare one physically and mentally so that adverse effects can be avoided, such …
The following quote is taken from an interview from 1991 by Patricia Walden and Victor Oppenheimer: In the asana systems the most advanced postures are the backbends. The human structure is such that the idea does not strike anyone that the spinal vertebrae can be moved backwards as well as forward and sideways, without causing …
