YogaVahini Newsletter – September 2023

Dear Sanga, What do we do with the impressions the mind gathers with each experience and transaction with the world? Particularly the painful residue

Dear Sanga, What do we do with the impressions the mind gathers with each experience and transaction with the world? Particularly the painful residues. Do we quickly wish them away, push them down, or wallow in them? When we realise even at a peripheral level how these impressions impact our wellbeing, perhaps we will take our daily practice more seriously. Something then changes at a subtle level. And we begin to walk the path of yoga! At YogaVahini, we continue to explore the transformative power of yoga through different offerings. The hope is to keep our aspirations alive, our Sanga vibrant and our Sraddha strong! With the Sangati series, our teachers present the many aspects of yoga through weekly group practice. Yoga Sadhana continues to build a global practising Sanga. Our monthly Pranayama series is going well, hopefully helping more people make Pranayama an integral part of their daily practice. We hosted a study retreat on Viniyoga and Vinyasa Krama in Bengaluru and have more coming up. These retreats are a great way to refresh your learning and teaching practice. It is open to all graduates/aspiring graduates of YogaVahini and anyone who has foundational learning in this tradition. I had an enriching experience teaching at KALA Wellness in San Francisco, organised by my dear friend Nisha Rodrigo and at the Integral Yoga Institute, NYC. It was heartening to meet so many from the YogaVahini Sanga in NYC! We have started a new program online focussing on diet and nutrition which is integral for a yoga practitioner, offered by Sandhya Gowtham. Participants continue to engage enthusiastically during and between the fortnightly sessions! As we prepare to move into our new space in Besant Nagar, Chennai, we look forward to more engagement with you through our in-person classes, retreats, as well as online programs. Stay well, with mindful breathing and joyful living Saraswathi Sangati July, August, and September 2023 July Seated asymmetrical vinyasas Teacher: Jyothi Shanbhag, Chennai "I got in touch with the asymmetries of my body and embraced them as they were. The teacher's instructions helped me focus on my breath and experience it rather than arriving at the final form. She guided us in using the power of breath to intensify a posture, rather than trying to force it. The final posture held me in a lock – it was meditative. I was also able to appreciate the agility and youthfulness of my post-pregnancy body." -- Mrinalini Krishnamurthy, Chennai August Niyama on the mat Teacher: Anita Balasubramanian, Anaikatti "Anita's opening statements on each Niyama were glowing from her own experience. I want to thank her for the way in which she guided the group in doing asana and pranayama with her precise wording and timelines. It is fascinating for me to observe how I could hook into the way she wanted us to practice and keep the chosen focus – no distraction by ideas of comparison, or how I would do a vinyasa otherwise. It is a great gift to be able to attend the Sangati sessions – to feel the community of learning and exploring. I feel alive and vividly connected. I experience support in my own path of yoga and get inspired for my teaching." -- Klaudia Klein, Germany September Prana Teacher: Padmaja Bandreddi, Austin, US "Sangati with Padmaja is a breath of fresh air, with beautifully designed vinyasas connecting the practice to Thirumoolar's Thirumanthiram. Over the weeks, we explored the subtlety of the breath, Breath moves through the body as water percolates through sand, subtly and surely. We simply need to stay receptive. When we inhale, breath pervades all the nadis in the body. When we exhale, breath has the power to purify the entire body. Sangati sessions helped me experience this nature of the breath." -- Maragathavalli Inbamuthiah, Bangalore Recording of the latest Sangati session is uploaded here and is available until the next one occurs. Join us for the last session in September Refresher Retreat: Viniyoga & Vinyasa Krama In August, we met at CREST, Bengaluru over three days to revisit Viniyoga – a core principle in the teachings of Sri Krishnamacharya and Sri TKV Desikachar. This was also the second in-person module for the current yoga instructors-in-training. Ankush Vij writes, "It just struck me how lovingly Saras and the entire YV team are helping us understand ourselves and Prakriti better. My heart welled up with a lot of gratitude and love for all us sitting here pondering over the practice. At one level, I was in touch with how us humans, as a species, are trying to learn about ourselves and the oneness of our Prakriti and the Prakriti around us. It's a very noble and meaningful work indeed. Thank you." If you would like to join us for the next retreat from 16 - 19 November 2023, please write to us at yvcoordinator@gmail.com Pranayama Online Study July and August sessions July session: Saraswathi spoke about the four components of breath and their interconnections: inhalation, breath retention, exhalation, and breath holding after exhalation. Within the realm of hatha yoga texts, breath retention after exhalation emerges as a distinct contribution from Sri Krishnamacharya. August session: Saraswathi went into some detail of Sitali and Bhramari Pranayama, highlighting the benefits of each. Sitali Pranayama is noted for its ability to alleviate tiredness, thirst, mouth diseases, and fever. It can slow down aging and detoxify the body. Bhramari can help relax, reduce fatigue, improve sleep, enhance mindfulness, and serve as a bronchodilator (helps in breathing easier). Register for the September session Sankhya & Yoga Insights for Pandemic-Related Stress "Whatever I am trying to run away from is what I get caught up with. How do Yoga and Sankhya look at it? The Yoga Sutra points to our pleasure-seeking (raga) and pain-avoiding (dvesa) tendencies as the root cause of our dukha… The learnings from these texts show us that if we look at ourselves from the inside out, it is possible to heal, to transform." (Excerpted from the talk Saraswathi gave on Global Yoga Therapy Day, organized by the International Association of Yoga Therapists.) Watch the full video Holistic and Integrative Nutrition Training "The program serves as a useful guide to understand what foods are good for me and my family. I now take a close look at the ingredients of anything that I buy from the store. As it combines approaches of modern nutrition science and Ayurveda, I think it's essential knowledge for all yoga practitioners and therapists." -- Aparna Ravikumar, Bangalore Yoga Sadhana July-August Yoga Sadhana is the foundation course at YogaVahini – one which sets you off on the path of yoga; We share here a conversation during one of the sessions: Q: Is there a perceivable difference between the days you practise and the days you do not? – "Yes. I feel more in touch with myself when I do the practice regularly. Body feels more free, lighter and the mind calmer." – "Yes, I am less reactive and more alert when I do my practice." Q: What are the practices that you have managed to integrate into your everyday life? – "Listening without offering advice." – "Working with my breath, especially when I am disturbed." Intrigued? Join us for the next in-person Yoga Sadhana Saraswathi's Workshops in the US New York City workshop "I went to the workshop on Pranayama: The Transformative Power of Breath with an open mind to seek calmness and clarity. The entire session was focused on how to unblock and channel the energy throughout the body. One of the takeaways for me was to adopt Pranayama techniques into the asana practice." -- Suresh Nair, New York City "Through interactive discussions and simple, yet powerful practices, students gained a personal understanding of the healing power of yoga; and the concept of Prana: it's purpose and how we can harness this subtle energy to gain a better understanding of ourselves and others." – Jennifer Graham, Canada San Francisco workshop "I had the pleasure of attending the recent session on Yoga Samskara(s): The Path To Inner Transformation led by Saraswathi Vasudevan. It was truly a transformative experience. From the moment I met Saraswathi, her energy was gentle but powerful and I knew I was in for something special. Throughout the workshop, Saraswathi skillfully guided us through a journey of self-discovery, mindfulness, and how this connects to our physical well-being. Her deep knowledge of yoga philosophy made the entire experience enriching and enlightening." – Morgan, San Francisco ©2023 YogaVahini | Centre for Specialised Yoga Training, Therapy & Research, 32, Jagannathan St, Kottivakkam, Chennai. Tamil Nadu - 600041, Phone: +91-9884642456. Preferences   Unsubscribe     Powered by Mad Mimi®A GoDaddy® company

Insights from Sankhya and Yoga for Dealing with Pandemic-Related Stress

 A talk by Saraswathi Vasudevan

Produced by the International Association of Yoga Therapists (www.iayt.org) for Global Yoga Therapy Day 2023. Shared with permission.