Yoga Blog

Āsana & Prāṇāyāma

Michele Harney — 2012-03-02T19:34:12+00:00

“To cure the ills of the body, use the body. To cure the wandering of the mind, practice prānāyāma.”
-Śri T Krishnamacharya

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Yoga Therapy - Interview with Dr Ganesh Mohan

Michele Harney — 2012-02-24T06:37:03+00:00

Some excerpts from an interview with Ganesh Mohan

“Yoga therapy complements modern healthcare”

“A therapeutic Yoga session gives the patient a voice in his or her own healthcare. Yoga allows patients to do something for themselves, rather than having something done to them”

“the eye does not see what the brain does not know”

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The Unobserved Mind

Michele Harney — 2012-02-15T07:01:29+00:00

“The greater part of human pain is unnecessary. It is self created as long as the unobserved mind runs your life”
Eckhart Tolle

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'Guru' & 'Yogi'

Michele Harney — 2012-02-12T19:27:29+00:00

“Relatively few people knew my father’s name, though many lives are touched by his work. He never sought personal fame, and rejected all attempts to label him as anything more than Professor T. Krishnamacharaya. “The moment you say you’re a guru, then you are not a guru”, he insisted. Similarly, anyone who claimed to be a “Yogi”, wasn’t.”

TKV Desikachar - Health, Healing and Beyond

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Conscious Breathing

Michele Harney — 2012-02-10T06:59:49+00:00

“Conscious breathing is one of the greatest tools to influence the effect of the postures without changing the posture.”
- TKV Desikachar

Courtesy - Paul’s Daily Quotes Page cYs

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viniyoga of Yoga - 121

Michele Harney — 2012-02-08T19:09:08+00:00

The concept of the viniyoga of Yoga is a fundamental hallmark of the teachings of T Krishnamacharya and TKV Desikachar. It is the application (viniyoga) of Yoga to the person rather than the person to Yoga. It requires a profound understanding of only 3 numbers in order for it to work as intended by Krishnamacharya and Desikachar
- 121.

Courtesy - Paul Harvey Yoga Quotes Page

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Dual Qualities of Alertness & Relaxation

Michele Harney — 2012-02-08T06:42:23+00:00

“Āsana must have the dual qualities of alertness and relaxation. There must always be alertness without tension and relaxation without dullness or heaviness. These qualities are achieved by recognizing and observing the reactions of the body and breath to various postures”

TKV Desikachar - Health, Healing and Beyond

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Creating Space

Michele Harney — 2012-02-06T07:01:12+00:00

“Being aware of your breathing takes attention away from thinking and creates space”
Eckhart Tolle - A New Earth

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TKV Desikachar Quote

Michele Harney — 2012-01-24T07:21:38+00:00

”Sahavāsam (Dwelling Together) – What you associate with becomes part of you.”
- TKV Desikachar January 15th 2000

Courtesy - Paul Harvey Yoga Quotes Page

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Perception

Michele Harney — 2012-01-18T06:39:15+00:00

"We do not see things the way they are. We see them the way we are"
Anaïs Nin

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Prāṇāyāma within Rāja Yoga and Haṭha Yoga

Michele Harney — 2012-01-06T06:30:38+00:00

Some excerpts from an article by Paul Harvey outlining the viniyoga (application) of prāṇāyāma from a Rāja Yoga and a Haṭha Yoga perspective.

“In the Rāja Yoga approach, as delineated in texts such as the Yoga Sūtra, the practice of Prāṇāyāma is focused around developing and refining the principles of attention, timing and number of breaths.

The fruits of this approach are a reduction in confusion (Yoga Sūtra C2 v52) and fitness for the first steps in the meditative process (Yoga Sūtra C2 v53) towards cultivating an experience of being filled with a subtle sense of stillness (Yoga Sūtra C1 v3).

“In the Haṭha Yoga approach, as delineated in texts such as the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā, the practice of Prāṇāyāma is focused around developing and refining the principles of using two primary channels (īḍā and piṅgalā) through a variety techniques to effect a śodhana (clearing of blockages) of the nāḍī (channels for prāṇa).”

“…..the practice of Prāṇāyāma links the student to the more refined aspects of dhāraṇā (concentration) and dhyānam (meditation) as a seated practice.”

Read full article. The article is also available as a downloadable PDF, courtesy of Dharma Downloads

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T Krishnamacharaya Quote

Michele Harney — 2012-01-05T20:57:08+00:00

“Food will either sustain the body or eat it.”
-Śri T Krishnamacharya

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Scans 'show mindfulness meditation brain boost'

Michele Harney — 2012-01-04T19:50:17+00:00

From the BBC website:

“The theory that meditation can reduce stress, depression and even chronic pain is one that has been gaining in momentum in recent years.

So the BBC's David Sillito has been learning the art of mindfulness meditation in order to find out for himself.

After getting to grips with the activity, he joined some other devotees for an MRI scan to find out what impact the practice can have on brain activity.”

View article and video.

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Yoga Sūtra Chapter 1 Verse 6

Michele Harney — 2012-01-04T06:35:38+00:00

Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 5
vṛttayaḥ pañcatayyaḥ kliṣṭa-akliṣṭāḥ
Courtesy Paul Harvey - Yoga Sūtra Translation

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T Krishnamacharaya Quote

Michele Harney — 2012-01-04T06:27:48+00:00

“Food will either sustain the body or eat it.”
-Śri T Krishnamacharya

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New Year Resolutions

Michele Harney — 2012-01-02T07:25:09+00:00

Have just read some interesting articles on New Year resolutions.

The first published by the New York Times on how some business thrive on our failure to change.
The second published by the BBC on how the giving up of alcohol or going on a detox for one month is futile.
The third published in the Irish Times on ditching quick fix dieting in favor of regular healthy eating.

It is difficult for people to shake underlying conditions that lead to poor habits. A quick fix based on a short period of time whether it be based on exercise, diet or the giving up of alcohol is insufficient in terms of improving and sustaining health. It can lead to a false sense of security and feeds the idea that you can abuse your body as much as you like and then sort everything else with a quick fix.

What is required are sustained changes to diet and exercise.

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Yoga Classes Rathgar - January 2012

Michele Harney — 2011-12-31T16:11:27+00:00

Yoga classes in Rathgar are recommencing on Tuesday evenings from 10th January 2012. Class times are 7pm & 8:15pm. The venue for classes from January is Marianella Retreat Centre. For further details and for bookings contact Michele on 086 2371077 or by email.

Rathgar Yoga Class venue and directions
Marianella Conference Centre, 75 Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6

View Larger Map

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The Year in Fitness

Michele Harney — 2011-12-30T07:20:43+00:00

Phys Ed columns from New York Times 2011.
“Perhaps the most inspiring exercise science published in 2011 involved the effects that working out can have on the brain. By studying both lab rodents and people, scientists this year showed that exercise increases cognitive sharpness, even if the amount of exercise is small.”

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T Krishnamacharaya Quote

Michele Harney — 2011-12-30T07:00:22+00:00

"Use āsana for problems of the body
and prāṇāyāma for problems of the mind"
-Śri T Krishnamacharya

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January 2012 - Selecting a Yoga Teacher

Michele Harney — 2011-12-24T15:19:57+00:00

January being imminent, many will be making New Year resolutions and looking at fitness from the perspective of body and mind. Yoga is a practice that encompasses both. The popularity of Yoga and the choice of classes available in Dublin has increased dramatically over the past 15 years. Reading a recent article in the Irish Independent titled ‘Is Yoga actually bad for you?’ my initial thought was ‘yes’ Yoga, as with many disciplines, may be bad for you if the practice being taught is inappropriate for the individual and being taught by a teacher who does not have a professional qualification.

As there is no formal regulation of Yoga teachers in Ireland, top of the list in terms of selecting a Yoga class is to look at the prospective Yoga teacher’s training and teaching background. Speaking with and/or emailing the teacher to find out more prior to signing up for a class will also help in terms of making a decision.

A number of Yoga teachers in Dublin now also offer individual lessons. However many of these lessons are taught ‘as if’ a group class for one, as opposed to being specific the individual. Yoga taught on a one to one basis provides an opportunity to tailor practice specific to your needs and personal situation. The Yoga teacher must have been taught the skills of appropriate application. There are few teachers in Dublin, indeed in Ireland who are sufficiently qualified in this regard.

Many current Yoga trainings do not provide a sufficient grounding for teachers in the skills fundamental to the application of Yoga to the individual whether it be from a developmental, a recovery or a therapeutic perspective. It is important here to check out the training background of the Yoga teacher. For individual lessons an initial consultation where both you and the Yoga teacher meet to discuss objectives and expectations, prior to committing to individual Yoga lessons is beneficial.

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T Krishnamacharaya Quote

Michele Harney — 2011-12-29T08:00:13+00:00

"Yoga is a saṃskāra (preparation)
in that it equips us
to realise our greatest potential"
-Śri T Krishnamacharya

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Yoga Sūtra Chapter 1 Verse 5

Michele Harney — 2011-11-27T17:09:20+00:00

Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 5
vṛtttayaḥ pañcatayyaḥ kliṣṭa-akliṣṭaḥ |
The movements are fivefold and they afflict or don’t afflict.

Courtesy Paul Harvey - Yoga Sūtra Translation

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Yoga Sūtra Chapter 1 Verse 4

Michele Harney — 2011-11-23T06:43:54+00:00

Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 4
vṛtti-sārūpyam-itaratra |
At other times there is identification with the movement.

Courtesy Paul Harvey - Yoga Sūtra Translation

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Thinking Without Awareness

Michele Harney — 2011-11-20T21:18:59+00:00

“…..I was convinced that all the answers to the dilemmas of human existence could be found through the intellect, that is to say, by thinking. I didn’t realize yet that thinking without awareness is the main dilemma of human existence”

from ‘A New Earth’ - Eckhart Tolle

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T Krishnamacharaya Quote

Michele Harney — 2011-11-18T08:38:33+00:00

“The practice of Āsana without breathing and without remembering Ananta has no value.”
(Yoga Sūtra C2 v47)
– Śrī T Krishnamacharya

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Yoga Sūtra Chapter 1 Verse 3

Michele Harney — 2011-11-21T06:27:32+00:00

Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 3
tadā draṣṭuḥ sva-rūpe-avasthānam |
Then the seers own character remains.

Courtesy Paul Harvey - Yoga Sūtra Translation

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Righting the Balance of Emotional Wellbeing

Michele Harney — 2011-11-17T20:36:26+00:00

The following is an extract from an article by Gary Kraftsow from Yoga International the Yoga Magazine published by the Himalayan Institute. The article demonstrates how Yoga teaches us to lift ourselves out of stress, anxiety and depression, and move towards a deeper sense of self.

“Yoga teaches us that we aren’t our feelings or our symptoms but live in multidimensional relationship with them. One way to grasp this paradox is to picture the Self (purusha or pure, undifferentiated awareness) as pervading all nine interlocking and interdependent spheres of influence without being any one of them. The first three spheres correspond to our moods, thoughts, and behaviors and, where they overlap, our sense of self or svabhava. These spheres profoundly affect—and are affected by—our memory, unconscious conditioning, and by the fourth sphere, our physiology, particularly our autonomic nervous system (ANS). The remaining five spheres represent our anatomy and our relationships with family, society, the world, and the entire cosmos”

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T Krishnamacharaya Quote

Michele Harney — 2011-11-11T06:50:04+00:00

“Yoga is the process of replacing a set of inappropriate patterns,
with new and useful patterns”
-Śri T Krishnamacharya

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Yoga Sūtra Chapter 1 Verse 2

Michele Harney — 2011-11-10T06:45:57+00:00

Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2
yogaḥ-citta-vṛitti-nirodaḥ |
Yoga is the containment of the movement of the psyche.

Courtesy Paul Harvey - Yoga Sūtra Translation

In addition to offering a greater understanding of the psyche, the Yoga Sūtra outline specific tools for creating change at the level of psyche. We can read, research, study, try to understand why things are the way we are and even after all of this, nothing fundamental may have changed in relation to how we feel and how we act.

Yoga provides practical tools for working at the level of both the physical and the psychological, to create physical and psychological change.

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Patients & Complementary Therapy - Irish Study

Michele Harney — 2011-11-09T06:30:14+00:00

A summary of the details of a new Irish study has shown that a significant number of patients use alternative and complementary medicines without informing their GP, despite the fact that these may negatively interact with conventional medicines. The article is published by Irish Health.

"We found that a significant number of patients were using alternative and complementary medicines, with the majority not disclosing this to their GP and a significant proportion having chronic medical conditions for which they were also taking conventional medicines," the researchers explained.

I think if research was conducted on the disclosure by clients to their complementary therapist in relation to their use of conventional medicine the findings would be similar. My experience in the area of Yoga teaching and Yoga therapy, in Dublin, is that students/clients quite regularly do not disclose relevant information in relation to specific physical conditions and the taking of prescribed medication.

While clients complete a confidential health questionnaire, additional information is frequently revealed though dialogue and verbal questioning. Clients often do not appreciate the importance of full disclosure in relation to their medical situation. It is as if there is a perception that medical treatment and complementary treatment are separate and that what is prescribed by one may not relevant to the other.

The point is that they are mutually supportive.

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Yoga Sūtra Chapter One Verse 1

Michele Harney — 2011-11-08T06:18:08+00:00

Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 1
atha yoga-anuśāsanam |
Now follow the teachings of Yoga.

Courtesy Paul Harvey - Yoga Sūtra Translation

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Yoga Sūtra Chapter One Title

Michele Harney — 2011-11-07T06:33:41+00:00

Yoga Sūtra Chapter One Title
samādhi-pādaḥ |
The section on Integration.

Courtesy Paul Harvey - Yoga Sūtra Translation

The Yoga Sūtra of Patāñjali is the primary text underpinning the practice of Yoga, encompassing practice and understanding at the level of mind, body and spirit.

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A Quiet Mind

Michele Harney — 2011-11-03T19:16:31+00:00

“A quiet mind can be told where to go”
(Yoga Sūtra C3 v9)
– TKV Desikachar January 2nd 1998

Courtesy Paul’s Daily Quotes - Centre for Yoga Studies

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Happiness & Growth

Michele Harney — 2011-10-20T05:59:58+01:00

“Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure nor this thing nor that but simply growth. We are happy when we are growing”
William Butler Yeats

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Gary Kraftsow on Yoga Today

Michele Harney — 2011-10-20T20:08:19+01:00

Have modern Yoga practitioners lost sight of yoga's deeper teachings? Gary Kraftsow & David Sunshine discuss how the culture of yoga has changed over the years at the 2011 Yoga Journal Conference in Estes Park.

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Translations, Belief Frameworks & Modern Yoga Practice

Michele Harney — 2011-10-18T18:54:55+01:00

Mark Singleton author Yoga Body, the Origins of Modern Posture Practice (Oxford University Press, 2010) in conversation with Susan Maier-Moul - The Magazine of Yoga.

Part 2 of the conversation focuses on the evolution of modern postural Yoga and how it has been translated through time and transmission. The point is made that “ yoga traditions are far vaster than our modern translations usually give them credit for. And the range of benefits are also far wider.”

Read Part 2 of the conversation

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Translations, Belief Frameworks & Modern Yoga Practice

Michele Harney — 2011-10-16T08:32:38+01:00

Mark Singleton author Yoga Body, the Origins of Modern Posture Practice (Oxford University Press, 2010) in conversation with Susan Maier-Moul - The Magazine of Yoga. Mark’s “writing and teaching provide a bridge between the concerns of academia and those of practice.”

Part 1 of the conversation focuses on the difficulty with translation of Sanskrit texts, with particular reference to the Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali and how it can be influenced by the prevailing belief framework.

“Words amplify and change their meaning according to the other words around them. Phrases amplify and change their meaning according to the other phrases around them. And paragraphs change their meaning according to the other paragraphs around them. A good translation is one that is aware of these contexts within and around the text in question, and self-critical with regard to the particular choices that are available to the translator.” Read part 1 of the conversation

To begin to appreciate the depth of knowledge contained within the Yoga Sūtra requires more than mere translation of the words, it requires intelligent interpretation with the guidance of a teacher.

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TKV Desikachar Quote

Michele Harney — 2011-10-19T06:26:29+01:00

“We can speculate on the future. We can recollect from the past. But what is most important is that we live in the present”
TKV Desikachar

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TKV Desikachar quote

Michele Harney — 2011-10-15T20:15:08+01:00

“Yoga is a journey from dependency to independence”
(TKV Desikachar from “What are we Seeking”)

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Yoga in the 21st Century

Michele Harney — 2011-10-15T12:04:24+01:00

Some excerpts from an interview with TKV Desikachar, at a symposium on “Yoga and the XX1st Century, South of France, 1999.

“In Yoga we have this fundamental idea - anything that disturbs a person, including illness and disease, can be helped if we can act on the mind. What is so special about yoga is that it gives us a way to strengthen our mind. When the mind gets stronger, we can face illness and we feel healthier.”  

“…..ancient yoga texts have said that disease and mind are interrelated. If we are sick, our mind is disturbed. If the mind is agitated, we become sick. I am happy that modern science has recognised this. There is no incompatibility here.”

Download full interview

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Response to 3 Yoga Questions for a Media Article

Michele Harney — 2011-10-07T11:16:13+01:00

The following post on Paul Harvey’s cYs Journal include insightful answers to questions typical of the type that are often asked in relation to Yoga.

A few months ago Paul was asked to provide ‘expert quotes’ in response to three questions for a media article by a freelance journalist for MSN on a Yoga related issue. Paul’s reflections below taken directly from the cYs Journal page.

Q1. What are some examples of illnesses or ailments that can improve or be cured with the use of Yoga?
“It is not possible to give examples of illnesses or ailments that can be improved as it all depends on the matrix of the person who may also have certain combinations of problems. A student with cancer may improve or a student with a history of colds may experience little change.

The viewpoint of Yoga is to look at people as individuals and work from there rather than the more usual view of making lists of problems with flash card like answers to a specific problem. e.g.. Sciatica, High Blood Pressure, Insomnia, Osteo-arthrosis, Chron’s Disease, etc.

Yoga says that we are all individuals who also have from time to time chronic or acute illnesses or ailments. In this view one hallmark is that the practice must be adapted to the individual and their current situation and immediate potential rather than expecting the individual to adapt to the practice.

This means that two individuals with the same symptoms may need very different approaches to practice and lifestyle choices because of their history, mindset and opportunity and intentions for implementing change.

Yoga also tells us that nothing is destroyed so nothing is ‘cured’. We can perhaps reduce the symptoms to the point where they are dormant. Given the right sun, soil and moisture they can ‘sprout’ again. So cure is not a term that can be applied.

Yoga Psychology says being symptom free also implies that we still have to take care as the seeds can be re-activated given the right stimuli.”

Q2. Is there a certain type of Yoga which is more beneficial, when it comes to health, than other types?
“Any approach to Yoga which facilitates meeting with a student, developing an understanding of their unique background, looking at the opportunities for change which exist for the student in the immediate and near future, being able to propose a personalised practice appropriate to their situation and meeting regularly to both review and progress the practice according to the experiences and feedback from the student.

This is really only realisable through 121 lessons, though not of the type offered by many which are comparable to a group class for one. A more comparable example would be to consulting a homeopath, or acupuncturist, or medical herbalist, or counsellor, where there is time, attention and personalised support and treatment offered.”

Q3. Is there a certain type of Yoga that can prove especially beneficial to those with asthma, and if so, why is this type of Yoga particularly good?
“As the physical basis of asthma is experienced through its effects on the breath, any approach that sees the breath as the canvas on which the pictures of the poses are painted could be helpful. Along with an approach that has the integral and intimate use of the breath in practice as a first priority, the study and application of the principles of Yoga Psychology would be very relevant to working with issues that could well underpin the students history of symptoms and personal experiences.”

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Health Benefits of Yoga

Michele Harney — 2011-09-25T20:57:14+01:00

Most common questions on Yoga relate to the health benefits associated with practicing Yoga, together with questions around how Yoga practice differs from conventional exercise.

Answers to these questions have been researched and are presented in a detailed article published on the IAYT (International Association of Yoga Therapists) website, providing interesting reading.

In terms of the health benefits the information is grouped under physiological benefits, psychological benefits, and biochemical effects. It is based on the regular practice of traditional āsana (yoga postures), prānāyāma (breath), and dhyāna (meditation).

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Where is Yoga Headed these Days?

Michele Harney — 2011-09-17T09:35:39+01:00

Forbes magazine discuss where Yoga is headed.

Some interesting points made by Gary Kraftsow.

“Having spent time in India learning yoga from the masters, as well as studying it academically, Kraftsow stresses that yoga was originally a received practice, transmitted from masters of prophet status to their students. The practice, he says, whose real origins were lost in antiquity, was an oral tradition, with the exception of a few texts here and there. These days, the many forms of the practice are morphing into other animals completely.

In the West, says Kraftsow, there are streams where this authentic transmission from living masters to students still exists. But there's a lot of yoga that's made up, modern stuff, with no understanding of depth and meaning of text. There's a real bifurcation happening." And what about the newer forms? "Some of it is ok and pretty good. But it's yoga populaire," he says. "It's about music, partying, outdoor sports, and yoga being hip and cool. This is moving away from authenticity of tradition. It's taken on another flavor. I mean, naked yoga? Yoga and wine?" Yoga's newer offspring are, if nothing else, imaginative.

What about the idea that the main-streaming is what draws people in? “I don’t buy it,” says Kraftsow. “It’s like ‘groupthink’ of the yoga world. It could work for some, but I know people in it for 25 years who aren’t going deeper than the physical. It’s cliché.”

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Yoga Classes Rathgar - September 2011

Michele Harney — 2011-09-03T07:09:47+01:00

Yoga classes recommencing on Wednesday 4th and Monday 9th May at at the Winton Practice, Rathgar. Times are 6:30 & 8:00 each evening.

Classes are suitable for both beginners and continuers.

For more information and schedule.

Yoga Room at Winton Practice Rathgar

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Change & Growth - AG Mohan

Michele Harney — 2011-09-03T06:48:39+01:00

“If we wish to change, to grow, and to pursue the path towards freedom, we must start from where we are right now.” A.G. Mohan

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Conversation with TKV Desikachar

Michele Harney — 2011-08-30T08:27:02+01:00

“The whole definition of Yoga is, Whatever quiets the mind, do it”

Read full conversation here

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Learning from Life - Wisdom of the Yoga Sutra

Michele Harney — 2011-08-29T06:19:07+01:00

Excerpts from an article by Paul Harvey published in cYs Journal exploring the wisdom of the Yoga Sūtra and the application of this wisdom to our everyday lives.
“Buried within the rich traditions of “on the mat” Yoga practice are many teachings with advice and reflections on how to live more creatively whilst off the mat so to speak.”

“According to the teachings of Yoga, the postural practices of āsana, the breathing practices of prāṇāyāma, and other seated practices of meditation or dhyānam such as chant or japam (repetition of mantra) or reflecting on subtle aspects of attitudes or natural phenomena, sit within a framework of daily living and its constant dynamic of helpful actions and positive responses or unhelpful actions and negative re-actions.”

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TKV Desikachar on Healing

Michele Harney — 2011-08-27T06:41:15+01:00

“Yoga is so much more than mere physical postures. Sound, breathing exercises, meditation, personal attitudes are as much a part, if it concerns healing. The method has to be adapted to each person individually.” Download full interview with TKV Desikachar.

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Exercise & Therapy can help ME Sufferers

Michele Harney — 2011-08-27T06:14:10+01:00

The results of a British Government-funded trial on treatment of CFS, has recently been published in The Lancet. It was undertaken by researchers led by Prof Peter White at Barts and The London School of Medicine.
The research states that Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), in which patients discuss their fear and avoidance of physical activity, combined with Graded Exercise Therapy, helps sufferers gradually increase the amount of activity such as walking they can manage.

For more information read article published in the Irish Independent.

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Alternative Treatments and Anxiety Disorders

Michele Harney — 2011-08-26T06:16:03+01:00

Anxiety disorders are one of the most common psychiatric disorders. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), about 40 million American adults aged 18 and older suffer from them each year. Such disorders are highly treatable. However, for an anxious person to seek treatment can be a challenge.

The practice of Yoga for the treatment of anxiety is becoming increasingly affirmed by medical research.

Jason Eric Schiffman, M.D., M.A., M.B.A. a psychiatrist with the UCLA Anxiety Disorders Program and editor-in-chief of Anxiety.org says “When someone gets better from anxiety through a practice such as yoga, meditation or through therapy, they get better because they’ve learned something rather than getting better because a pill has made a change or caused a change to their neurochemistry.” Making an effort to change your lifestyle by learning ways to reduce stress and anxiety not only empowers individuals, but creates change that is “much more profound and long-lasting.”

To read full article on Alternative Treatments for Anxiety Disorders

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Yoga as a Tool

Michele Harney — 2011-08-25T06:38:23+01:00

Yoga as a View, Practice and Tool

Published in Spectrum, The Journal for the British Wheel of Yoga’ the following is an excerpt from the THIRD of a three part article by Paul Harvey cYs.

“Yoga as a tool is more likely to be the starting point for most students these days in that we often choose a style or approach to Yoga as a starting point in our Yoga experience. There are many, many choices these days, although the common denominator now appears to be based around Yoga teachers rather than Yoga teachings.

For example we can choose from Anusāra, Aṣṭāṅga, Bikram, Dru, Gītānada, Integral, Iyengar, Jīvamukti, Kripālu, Kuṇḍalinī, Sahaja, Scaravelli, Śivananda, Satyānanda, Viniyoga, etc.

Which is fine in itself. However the question that arises is how much do the various ‘types’ actually apply the Haṭha energetic principles of Practice in order to realize the View of Yoga? My own field of expertise lies within the teachings often referred to as Viniyoga, so I can only speak with experience from this perspective.

The primary principle here is that the Practices of Yoga must be adapted to the starting point, potential and needs of the student. Within this premise is a further question how, or even how much, the tools of Yoga utilize the Practice principles of Haṭha, in order to realise the View of Yoga as presented in what is seen as the primary teaching on the goal of Yoga, the Yoga Sūtra.”

Read more on Yoga as a Tool - The Art of viniyoga for developing a Personalized Practice

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Yoga as a Practice

Michele Harney — 2011-08-24T20:09:45+01:00

Yoga as a View, Practice and Tool

Published in Spectrum, The Journal for the British Wheel of Yoga’ the following is an excerpt from the SECOND of a three part article by Paul Harvey cYs.

“Another irony in the emerging role and identity of Yoga in the West today is with regard to the term Haṭha Yoga. The term is mainly used generically these days to identify and group ‘physically’ based Yoga practices. As a teacher I am often asked in connection with the question what kind of Yoga do you teach, is it Haṭha Yoga?

The irony is that when we look at what Haṭha Yoga really is we find that the physical elements are relatively limited with very few Āsana discussed. Furthermore within the few discussed, the largest group are concerned with sitting, in preparation for practice elements other than Āsana. Here primarily to facilitate a quality of being able to sit still and as if move beyond the physical body.

Here the primary concern and field of activity for Haṭha Yoga practitioners is with regard to the energetic or ‘Prāṇa’ body and its role in helping to facilitate a quality of energetic ‘clarity’ and energetic ‘stillness’ ultimately as a ladder to support the practitioners exploration of meditational states of being.

The role of Haṭha is to help take the student towards the View and to help refine the View. What is important also is that we understand the various influences that exist in the West today in terms of ‘Yoga’. What seems to be in danger of being lost in all of this are the ‘energetic principles’ that underpin Haṭha Yoga because people have become very focused on the physicality, or even gymnastic type influences. It seems that modern Yoga practice is dominated by Āsana and the words Āsana and Yoga appears to have become sadly synonymous.”

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Yoga as a View

Michele Harney — 2011-08-23T21:47:33+01:00

Yoga as a View, Practice and Tool

Published in Spectrum, The Journal for the British Wheel of Yoga’ the following are excerpts from the FIRST of a three part article by Paul Harvey cYs.

“It is interesting these days that as a Yoga teacher the question I am more likely to be asked is ‘What kind of Yoga do you do?’ rather than ‘What is Yoga?’. It’s either that we think we already know what Yoga is or, more likely, that the view is becoming lost within the myriad of ways in which Yoga is offered.”

“In terms of what is presented as Yoga today where is the view? We need to have a view, we need to know how to access it and we need to know how to stabilise and sustain it.

In Yoga the View is explored most eloquently in the Yoga Sutra and its main focus is the relationship between two aspects that constantly interact in sustaining our sense of being and individuality. The two aspects are that of the perpetual activity of the mind or Citta and the ever present quality of stillness inherent within the awareness of Cit. When the Citta dominates we are more in the past than the present and when Cit dominates we are more in the present than the past.

The premise of the Yoga Sutra is that when the past takes over we are more liable to act and interact unskillfully. Even within different aspects of our Yoga practice when a disturbance arises it is because the past has taken over, a memory has arisen. However if there was no past there would be no Citta. Citta is like a vault full of past memories. Within this ever active process we want to create a space between impulse and reaction.”

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Yoga & Rheumatoid Arthritis

Michele Harney — 2011-08-23T21:18:02+01:00

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease causing the immune system to attack joints. However it can also affect other areas of the body such as lungs, heart and bone marrow. It is a painful inflammatory condition that can lead to loss of mobility due to pain and damage of joints. It is known that the practice of Yoga can help people with rheumatoid arthritis. An article referring specifically to recent research in this area has been published on the Irish Health website.

The research was completed in United Arab Emirates. The details of the findings were presented at the 2011 Annual Congress of EULAR - The European League Against Rheumatism, in London. The findings state that “....individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who practice yoga showed significant improvements in disease activity....” Their view is that the practice of yoga long term could result in further significant improvements. They are continuing their research into the benefits of Yoga in the context of RA.

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House of Prana in New York circa 1941

Michele Harney — 2011-08-23T21:13:33+01:00

via Centre for Yoga Studies (cYs) Bristol
“Yogi science is harnessed to the cause of beauty culture. Business and austerity go hand in hand.” Dated August 9th 1941, the now defunct UK Magazine Picture Post published a feature on Yoga from a studio in New York called the House of Prana, using amongst other things metronomes to regulate the breathing and back bending benches as posture aids. Given that this article was published in 1941 it has a strangely familiar and even prescient ring to it given what we can find ‘posing’ as Yoga some 70 years later.

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Āyurveda - A Guide to Healthy living

Michele Harney — 2011-08-23T21:05:36+01:00

Ayurveda is India’s traditional natural system of medicine. It provides an integrated approach to preventing and treating illness through diet, lifestyle and natural therapies.

Download a practical guide to Āyurveda

via Dharma Downloads

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Exercise Guidelines Recommend Yoga

Michele Harney — 2011-08-13T06:05:17+01:00

Important new guidelines were issued in July 2011 outlining the amount of exercise adults and children need to do to stay healthy. They are based on a comprehensive review of the latest scientific evidence regarding physical activity and health. The new guidelines include the following points:
• The intensity at which we exercise is key, heartbeat must be raised
• The more exercise you do, the better
• Sedentary time (time spent sitting down to watch TV, use a computer, etc) is bad for your health

The guidelines, which are now much more in line with those used in the United States, also include recommendations for muscle-building and bone-strengthening, for which lifting weights and Yoga are recommended activities.

For more detailed information

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Questions about Yoga….

Michele Harney — 2011-08-05T21:23:31+01:00

I like this post from ‘Paul’s Musings on Yoga Today’. Paul was recently asked to provide ‘expert quotes’ in response to three questions for a media article by a freelance journalist for MSN on a Yoga related issue. The questions are questions that are often asked in relation to Yoga. His reflections are thought provoking and reflect the intelligence and solid principles underpinning the application (viniyoga) of Yoga.

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Paul Harvey - Wisdom of the Yoga Sūtra Part 2

Michele Harney — 2011-08-03T21:23:26+01:00

Excerpt from a further article by Paul Harvey published in cYs Journal continuing the exploration of the wisdom of the Yoga Sūtra.

The Yoga Sūtra’s “nearly 200 verses are arranged in a linked developmental structure over four chapters and look at the mind and its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats within a skillful or unskillful life. It’s opening chapter looks at the question of knowing the mind and acknowledging it as something we can harness to work for us towards a deeper relationship with the source of our being, that essential essence known as awareness.

The second chapter approaches the routes to start to refine a mind that is problematic and unharnessed in its potential. This is through looking at our life and our habits and introducing lifestyle shifts and personal practices which allow us to gather more skillfully the helpful aspects of the mind and be less caught in its unhelpful patterns.

The third chapter tells us that a mind that has been refined through better food and lifestyle, plus establishing an āsana and prāṇāyāma practice can be further refined and directed to subtler aspects of itself and life around us through the practice of meditation. Within the chapter are many meditational possibilities for such a mind to further refine it’s unhelpful patterns so that it works more for us and we less for it.

The fourth chapter again takes us a step further by re-minding us that the goal of Yoga is to go beyond the habits and patterns of the mind whether helpful or unhelpful. Whilst also emphasising that it is the mind itself, once refined, that is the primary tool for bringing about this shift within our relationship with our inner power or Self-resources.”

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Paul Harvey - Wisdom of the Yoga Sūtra Part 1

Michele Harney — 2011-08-03T21:20:36+01:00

Yoga as a View - Paul Harvey

Michele Harney — 2011-08-03T21:13:43+01:00

From an article by Paul Harvey published in cYs Journal “It is interesting these days that as a Yoga teacher the question I am more likely to be asked is ‘What kind of Yoga do you do?’ rather than ‘What is Yoga?’. It’s either that we think we already know what Yoga is or, more likely, that the view is becoming lost within the myriad of ways in which Yoga is offered.”

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Gary Kraftsow - Yoga Journal Conference

Michele Harney — 2011-08-03T20:52:43+01:00

Gary Kraftsow talk at Yoga Journal Conference 2011.

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Gary Kraftsow on Yoga Therapy and Your Mood

Michele Harney — 2011-08-03T20:23:45+01:00

Excerpts from an interview with Gary Kraftsow by The Sacred Cow on Yoga therapy, and, in particular, the application of Yoga therapy for anxiety and depression.

“Yoga therapy can be used for a full breadth of conditions from back pain to cancer or clinical depression. It’s very effective for structural problems and physiological problems, but it also has great teachings on how to work with cognitive, mood, and behavioral disorders. The whole text of Patañjali is fundamentally about transformation of mind.”

“Yoga therapy empowers people to begin the healing process and transform themselves.”

Full interview here

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Understanding viniyoga

Michele Harney — 2011-07-30T22:23:57+01:00

The principle that supports the teaching of Yoga according to the needs and circumstances of the individual has long been referred to as ‘viniyoga’. The term ‘viniyoga’ became associated with TKV Desikachar’s method of teaching Yoga. This method was used in order to make the depth and essence of Yoga accessible to Western students.

For more on the principle of viniyoga read article by Kausthub Desikachar

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