Sharing the blessings found in Tantra, Ayurveda & the art of energetically sequencing and bespoking therapeutic practices for all students. www.zephyryoga.com
Yoga & Meditation is not about transcending or bypassing this human experience, however practicing to embody it, in a more spirited loving way. Using a simple Pranayama practice to focus the mind and physical sensation in waking in your body to the loving companion of the present moment.
This practice is to establish a connection to a strong physical foundation with our ‘Yogi’ Feet, so we are able to take the deep dive into the more subtle layers (Koshas) of our journey into our ‘inner being’. Using mantra “SO HUM” to stabilise the mind as we channel our Prana creating clarity and spaciousness in all layers (Koshas) of our experience.
This practice is to establish a connection to a strong physical foundation with our ‘Yogi’ Feet, so we are able to take the deep dive into the more subtle layers (Koshas) of our journey into our ‘inner being’. Using mantra “SO HUM” to stabilise the mind as we channel our Prana creating clarity and spaciousness in all layers (Koshas) of our experience.
Take a deep dive with US Yogis in this episode with Mia, Kate and I sharing our experience teaching, practicing and uncovering in our own lives the Kleshas/mental emotional afflictions!
Enjoy and let us know what topic you would like to hear us talk about next!
Evolving from the work we did with the 5 Prana Shaktis in the previous podcast, this preamble & practice focuses on Back Bends, alternative vinyasa and applying the deeper philosophical insight the teachings offer.
Jonni Pollard has been an inspiration to me and I share in my preamble (forgot to give a shoutout) his reduction of the teachings to this brilliant statement from his book The Golden Sequence: “Life is sacred. Love is your Nature. Wisdom is your Power. Fulfilment is your purpose”. This book is a recommended read to inspire a recommitment to the practices for anyone.
5 Principle powers of creation expressed through the experience of our being.
Iccha Shakti: the unlimited power of will, determination and drive to fuel us and to become the unstoppable force in fulfilling our intention, purpose and experiences in our lives.
Jnana Shakti: the boundless power to know from our intuitive wisdom of discernment from real and unreal, truth and untruth, virtue and non-virtuous.
Kriya Shakti: the ability to choose wise actions, that are aligned with your intentions and purpose, guiding you skilfully to fulfillment.
Cit Shakti: the power of an illuminated mind, clear, undistracted, undistorted. To fully awaken to the light of knowledge resting within and expand in that light.
Ananda Shakti: the known experience of being whole, complete, at one with all. Filled and embraced in Pure Conscious Awareness that is always present. Bliss, serenity, peace.
It’s that time of year which we all spend a moment of pause to reflect on the year ended, lived and the year we have yet to live. With this new year many of us celebrate by placing intention of our hopes, desires and healings as aspiration for the path ahead. Mia, Kate and myself dove into this topic and had a frank discussion about our experience, what we teach and the support we offer to our students guiding them to find their own method of placing intention. We hope this serves you in finding an anchor that can bring stability when you need it, as well as some ideas to guide you as you move forward in the flow of life in 2020. May peace, love and connection (the force) ‘be with you’ celebrating a faith-filled, fearless and awakened life!
Most of all, thank you for taking the time and listening to US Yoginis!
Our unique human ability to self-reflect is one thing that sets us apart from all other sentient beings. The continual evolution of our consciousness to be awakened (for those seeking it) to that which is behind life itself is a wonder for us as humans philosophically, spiritually and cognitively. Gives a new sense to the expression; “may wonders never cease”.
This New Year’s workshop will call upon our past experiences to inform our present, honouring those who supported us along the way. We will enter practices that promote that evolution by “burning” that which impedes us from growing forward in our lives. We will draw on the teachings of:
– tantra that increase our capacity to acquire energy to positively affect all aspects of our lives. – asana to strengthen our vessel. – pranayama to build our vital force. – yoga nidra to heal and nurture. – meditation to open us to the boundless reservoir towards inspiring our potential for awakening.
We will call upon the 3-fold process of kriya yoga as the blueprint to promoting purification, self-reflection and establishing a relationship to ishvara/the divinity of your understanding. This New Year we will plant seeds of purpose and reduce the seeds of suffering thus actualising the light of knowledge within you, as you, working for you and with you to wake you up to its presence in everything.
“There is a light, that lights the whole world. It radiates absolute truth, boundless will, skill in action and is the source of all knowledge” 5 Creative Shaktis within all of us.
Over the years I have collected many words of wisdom pointing me to the Known Absolute Truth of what is animating this amazing human complexity and condition. I have recently been asked by a number of students for my recommended reading list as a trainee yoga teacher, a yoga-enthusist and an eternal seekers. Here is what I have come up with. Enjoy and let me know of your favourite books so I can add to the collection. Blessings in reading, seeking and being inspired.
I am so delighted to introduce you to my US/American friends living in London; Mia Togo and Kate Litwinko. I have been looking, for a long time, for some local yogis to share life, teaching and everything in between with…and finally…like all good things that come to those who wait… they appear!
We’ve been getting together once a week lately and sharing so much that I had a crazy idea to start recording our morning breakfast chats and share them with my Yoga community. Mostly because we laugh so much but also because some of the topics are so relatable to many of my students I work with, I thought a Podcast was a good format to share with you.
This is our first go at it, so a few bumps and digressions to be expected, however I feel our open, frank and individual experienced wisdom lends itself to inspire some reflection and contemplation to those fellow seekers.
In this episode, we start with a little background on how we met and our desire to find and nurture a community. I think the contrast of where we came from to where we are today is relatable to a lot of Yogis out there who have found fulfilment through Yoga philosophy and practice. The three of us have seen a lot in our combined 45+ years of teaching and our observations of the evolution of Yoga practice, teaching/teachers and trends are on full display. We DO NOT pull our punches so expect a bit of controversial topics but more so, stories and discussions about how we all have been touched by the vulnerability of being a teacher and how we have coped when life feels overwhelming.
I hope you enjoy this format of exploring Yoga. We certainly enjoy putting it together. Stay tuned for more episodes as we dive deep into more discussion and topics.
Most of all, thank you for taking the time and listening to US Yoginis!
5 Principle powers of creation expressed through the experience of our being.
Iccha Shakti: the unlimited power of will, determination and drive to fuel us and to become the unstoppable force in fulfilling our intention, purpose and experiences in our lives.
Jnana Shakti: the boundless power to know from our intuitive wisdom of discernment from real and unreal, truth and untruth, virtue and non-virtuous.
Kriya Shakti: the ability to choose wise actions, that are aligned with your intentions and purpose, guiding you skilfully to fulfillment.
Cit Shakti: the power of an illuminated mind, clear, undistracted, undistorted. To fully awaken to the light of knowledge resting within and expand in that light.
Ananda Shakti: the known experience of being whole, complete, at one with all. Filled and embraced in Pure Conscious Awareness that is always present. Bliss, serenity, peace.
Using the mantra introduced to me by one of my teachers, Rod Stryker. “There is a light, that lights the whole world.It radiates the truth.Boundless will.Skill in action.And is the source of all knowledge.”
The use of this mantra and the focus of the preamble and practice is for you to feel that light within, to use the light to fuel, heal and inspire you as you reconnect with more meaning in your practice, relationships and life. May you be moved by the true nature of the JOY of being alive!
