What kind of yoga is the Yoga I'll be teaching?
One way I've started to call it is
DNA yoga.
Discovery, Nature, Aware/ Ananda Yoga
D.
Discovery,
for taking advantagege of my training
(4 years of the "basic" training,
and then another 700 hours beyond that)
as a Feldenkrais Practitioner.
The Feldenkrais Method®,
is a method of learning to
think,
move,
feel better,
via
being more aware,
and taking the emphasis
off of "getting it done,"
or "getting it Right,"
or "making progress,"
and bringing us back to a state
of learning
and discovery,
the state we were in when we were young
and a genius, say from birth to a couple of
years old.
See my
What is the Feldenkrais Method? One word, two word,,, one sentence, two sentence, and so on, brilliant little collection
of ways to look at the method.
Anyway,
working with me
in either DNA yoga,
or "regular" (which means wildly creative and transformative)
Feldenkrais "work,"
or in the Work of Byron Katie,
and
you can be delightedly assured
that,
Discovery will be there
deep and firm in our joint unfolding.
Okay,
that's discovery.
And N.
NATURE.
I'll be having classes outdoors as much a possible.
All this hiding inside four walls,
cutting ourselves off from blue skies
and real earth,
and grass and
soil
and wind
and the elements:
nonsense.
Insanity.
How can we be sane
in a world
when we are always cut off from the world.
that's part of the NATURE part.
Another part:
Discovering what our human nature is.
To feel.
and to sense.
and what is the difference?
To make sense of something,
what does that mean?
To live in gravity.
What does that mean?
To have breath of which we can be conscious
or unconscious,
what does that mean?
A
as in awareness is perhaps the most
amazing aspect
of being human.
That or, L
love.
Awareness is crucial to real learning,
and helps us grow younger,
and makes the gains easier
and quicker,
and makes this changing and getting better
stuff more like a game,
than the usual grunting away often
found in yoga practices.
Also,
A
is Ananda Yoga
Ananda yoga
is how I was trained
and certified at the 200 hour level
required by yoga alliance.
(compared to 800 hours for the "basic Feldenkrais" training).
Ananda yoga is about
being relaxed
and sending spiritual energy up your spine.
If that doesn't make sense,
it's about being relaxed,
even in the midst of efforts
and continually bringing awareness inside of yourself.
One way it does this is with affirmations.
For example,
the affirmation in what's called "Child's Pose"
(Balasana)
is
"I relax from outer involvement
into my inner haven of peace."
This not only accentuates and deepens
the posture,
but gives a big hint at what Ananda yoga is about.
Another posture,
warrior 2, Vira II,
Virabhadrasana II,
is a strong and joyous pose.
Its affirmation is,
either
(my version)
"I open gladly to the strength and glory
of being Alive."
or
the official version,
"I joyfully manifest
the power of God."
So
A
could be about Affirmations.
So, come to a class,
you'll love the affirmations.
And between poses
you rest,
and say the affirmations again.
This isn't about getting sweaty
and using yoga like going to the gym.
This is using yoga
for spiritual and emotional strengthening.
Though,
with the Feldenkrais
and awareness emphasis,
A
for
Awareness,
you will get more flexible,
much more readily
and EASILY,
than in normal,
do a bunch of postures
and always fuss with DOING IT RIGHT,
and never slow down
and really learn yoga.
This is yoga to learn,
to transform,
to enjoy,
to connect.
Deeply.
To yourself,
to others,
to the Earth,
to Spirit,
to your Higher Self.
Labels: affirmations, ananda yoga, awareness, dna yoga, nature, transformation
