My classes are in the main Hatha with an Ashtanga Vinyasa influence, this I believe is the ideal starting point for most people. Retreats however as time allows will involve Asana, Pranayama and meditation. Teacher training will follow the format of Maya Yoga which is a progressive style of yoga designed to take any student from novice to advanced yogi.
The word Maya loosely translated means illusion, the belief is that all we see is illusion, all that we think we are is illusion. We classify ourselves by labels, income, dress size and claim that is what is are. I am a size 10, no your body is you are not a dress size, nor a number in wage packet nor a postcode. Through yoga we gain the ability to cut through the illusion to find the true self. Many students begin yoga with the idea of simply looking better, but as the yoga begins to work into their body it becomes less and less about aesthetics and more about feeling amazing, being able to cope in day to day life and simply having a sanctuary away from the modern world.
Maya yoga involves Hatha or physical yoga but in its purest form also involves pranayama (breath control) and meditation. All practitioners begin with Hatha yoga and then advance onto the other forms when they are ready. I do not advocate nor discourage an advanced Hatha practice, if a student is an ex gymnast they of course should aim for an advanced physical practice that continues to challenge the body and keep the mind engaged. If the student is new to any form of exercise then the asana practice must be gentle and progressive. Both are equal forms of asana, yoga is NOT in the asana, yoga is in the state of mind whilst in the state of asana.
Hatha yoga is a valuable tool, which allows us to keep the body supple and healthy, it is in having a healthy body we are free to explore the spirit. The body is after all the physical expression of the soul. The practice must be health giving not health damaging, never push to the point of injury. If we push beyond our limits we are not listening to the body but the ego, therefore no yoking or yoga took place just another form of Maya or illusion. Equally it is illusion when serious about ones practice to believe that a few minutes half heartedly on the mat is enough. Give it your all when on the mat and when you leave the mat continue to do so.
Once the body is disciplined through the practice of Hatha yoga then the mind can become disciplined through the practice of Pranayama and meditation.
However it means nothing to practice perfectly on the mat but to neglect to practice yoga the other 24 hours of the day. Yoga is a state of mind not a room or a place or a country it is a way of dealing with day to day life. You will learn as much and develop as much spiritually through the way you deal with a difficult boss or a traffic jam.
You do not need anyones permission, nor a guru to find what is imprinted on your heart or to hear the very voice of your soul that is perhaps the greatest illusion of all. We are all yogis, be still and listen to your heart, be still and listen to your soul. No one needs to teach you how to do this.
As to how to practice yoga off the mat I am not going to list ahimsas and himsas but will simply say you know what to do already do what is right do what is good do what is kind in the words of a truly great yogi “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.
Self development must not become self obsession or needless ambition physical practice should be without need for reward other than the reward of practice itself. It is possible to be enlightened and be unable to touch ones toes equally. It is possible to be a contortionist and spiritually a child.
See your practice in the reflection of your behavior to others in your acts words and deeds. Use your yoga both on and off the mat to reach what is truly. Important union with the self the true nature and the divine dealing with day to day life. You will learn as much and develop as much spiritually through the way you deal with a difficult boss or a traffic jam. Use your yoga both on and off the mat to reach what is truly important union with the self the true nature and the divine.
