Ashtanga Yoga Shala in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | Yoga studio

Ashtanga Yoga Shala

Locality: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Address: 10 Moreton Street, Paddington and Sunnybank 4064 Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Website: http://www.ashtangayogashala.com.au

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25.01.2022 Practice: The Art of laying bricks - or catching droplets of water day by day. You cant always appreciate the stonemasons work until after some time, the care and effort applied consistently become clear, and the stone walls appearance becomes apparent. Patanjali cautions against backsliding, losing ground, which can happen when one allows negativity or distractions to get the upper hand. Swami Prabhavananda said, "there is no failure as long as we make an effort". How...s your practice log coming along? Are you seeing and feeling the benefits of taking to your Ashtanga practice with enthusiasm and respect? Did anyone watch Seven Days in Utopia with Robert Duvall, as recommended in class - and take something valuable from it for their practice? Reflections: Do not underestimate good, thinking it will not affect you. Dripping water can even fill a pitcher, drop by drop; one who is wise is filled with good, even if one accumulates it little by little. - The Shakyamuni. We will build a bridge of stone (across the ocean), said Rama. A tiny spider kicked a grain of sand into the water at Prince Ramas feet. I laughed at this puny effort, but Rama scolded me. There is no such thing as large or small when it comes to acts of love, he said. - from Hanuman retold by Erik Jendresen and Joshua M. Greene

25.01.2022 .. ? Like a modern Narada Rishi (the Celestial Minstrel) sent to stir humans and captivate our attention, reminding us of the divine play, the magic and mystery of life, waking us from our slumber, transporting us ever so briefly towards another dimension. Perhaps the incense suggests how whatever we do can become an offering, turning all our mundane deeds towards a higher purpose. Click the image and lose yourself! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gphiFVVtUI

24.01.2022 Krishnamacharyas drink: I mentioned this in class a while back and have been asked for the recipe. Its a fairly standard drink consumed by adults and children. While there a commercial preparations available (which you simply add to hot milk), Ive noticed that many have hydrogenated oils and likely, refined white sugar and who knows if the saffron is real? This drink was apparently a daily favourite of Krishnamacharya in the evenings. It is also something to have if you g...et home late at night after an evening practice and dont feel like a full meal. Great if youre feeling a little jaded too. 250ml milk (obviously non homogenised) 2 green cardamom pods (bruised and split with a mortar and pestle) dozen saffron threads (not powder, as powdered saffron has no saffron in it) I tablespoon of finely ground almond meal Raw sugar to taste (not fake raw sugar! And if you use jaggery, add it after the milk has boiled) First soak the saffron in warm water 10 20 mins. Add the soaked saffron and cardamom pods to milk in a pan with the almond meal (dont walk away) and let it boil and froth up. Remove from heat and add sugar to taste. *Boiled milk nourishes your ojas. Cold milk will not nourish ojas! Before you ask, neither soya nor rice milk nourish ojas. Hope you enjoy it, Richard

24.01.2022 Fans of Ayurveda! Have you ever thought of studying Ayurveda as a career option? The A.I.A.S (Australasian Institute of Ayurvedic Studies has just released the Course Prospectus for the 2020 intake. This is a very special course designed by Dr Ajit B.A.M.S and P.C.A.S, the senior and most experienced Practitioner and Teacher of Ayurveda in Australasia. Besides the traditional Ayurvedic subjects (which are taught to a deep level and with a perspective unique to the A.I.A.S) ...you will learn the Common Unit" competencies (which provide the background knowledge and skills in running your own business and complying with legal requirements for conducting an Ayurvedic clinic). If you would like to know more and receive a copy of the Prospectus, please send an email request to - [email protected] www.aiasinstitute.com.au

23.01.2022 Animals part 2: The same divine/cosmic presence pulses in all of life. Animals too, are a manifestation of spirit and have a mind and personality. (if you are unsure about the notion of cosmic or Divine presence consider investigating the book The Self Aware Universe by theoretical quantum physicist Dr Amit Goswami and the Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra). Scholar David Frawley says: Unless we can see the Conscious Being in all creation, we do not really see. We do not...Continue reading

22.01.2022 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krxU5Y9lCS8 ‘You must give up the life you planned in order to have the life that is waiting for you’, so said Joseph Campbell. What a shake up the world is going through. There’s nothing like some stress to challenge one’s cherished beliefs, expose some underlying cracks and at the same time, provide an opportunity to grow, to change, even prosper (but what is prosperity)...Continue reading

21.01.2022 Yoga might provide the lens that gradually corrects 'myopic' vison in life and through which one can gain much insight, wonder, gratitude and fulfilment. ‘Might’, because it will require effort, sacrifice, discipline, consistency and a well-designed, well rounded approach without catering to egoistic whims and demands. Ashtanga Yoga Shala for real yoga classes without gimmicks: no dangling carrots; no 30 x day challenges; no boot/y camps; no free champagne after, or beer d...uring class; no special deals; no memberships; no trial classes; no goats; no pretty parachutes to hang from; no award nights; no trophies; no ‘master-classes’ (because there are no masters requiring classes); no back-bend intensives (it’s all yoga blah and humbug) just real yoga.. This yoga will naturally challenge somewhat the body, but more-so the ego. It will require generosity, open mindedness, energy, love and sincere application from and towards oneself. (If any of the above requirements are initially missing, just leave it to the yoga practice. It will work on you) Are you ready to start? There’s a New Year soon approaching.

20.01.2022 The way of Yoga can beautify the journey of life. But it doesnt require much to be said and even less to be shown in outward displays of the ego. The less said, the closer you are. Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and cant, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it. Robert Frost

19.01.2022 A situation can have several edges to it. Not all good or all bad. Our current and necessary restrictions can also shine a light on just how important yoga is in ones life and and that through the teaching method at Ashtanga Yoga Shala, everyone has a home practice of some kind, to work on, regardless of outer forces. Use this time well, if you are in a position to. Certain thoughts, considerations and possibilities may arise as some of the recent messages (sorry that I coul...Continue reading

19.01.2022 Picture this: a group of truth seekers gathered around a fire late one night, separated only by space-time, share their insights: Its a mystery to me We have a greed with which we have agreed You think you have to want more than you need...Continue reading

17.01.2022 Have you been able to meet your commitment to practice? I know that I've been referring lately to those who've been able to maintain and even increase their practice commitment, but please don't let that affect you adversely, if you somehow went the other way and your practice fizzled out. It's always a great feeling to re-connect and to re-commence practice. Remember how good it feels, to even complete Sun Salutations. With this splendid weather of late, if you're missing yo...Continue reading

17.01.2022 A Love of small things . After someone finished her sweeping and threw the broom into a corner, Mother* said, How strange, my dear! The work is finished, and you throw it away carelessly. It takes almost the same time to put it away slowly and carefully as to throw it away. Should you despise a thing just because it is insignificant? Him that you save, saves you in turn. Wont you need it again? Besides, this thing too forms a part of our household. From that point of vie...w also it deserves some consideration. You must give each one his due share of honour. Even a broom must be shown some honour. The smallest work must be done with reverence. (* Sharada Devi was regarded as a mystic. She was the wife of Paramahamsa Ramakrishna. She was often referred to as Shri Ma or Mother). Small tasks might reveal not only our attentiveness or mindfulness but our respect for the things around us. Even man-made inanimate objects have embedded energy and require respect. Does the way you return your blanket, straps, yoga equipment or place your mat in class reveal anything? And perhaps the way you move your limbs in the 2nd vinyasa of Prasarita B? Do you move with the skill of a bird on the wind in that simple movement? What about the way you pick a flower, dispose of rubbish, re-use what can be re-used or sweep the floor? Its not a case of becoming too rigid, judgemental or too serious about things but acting with awareness, if not as Sharada Devi says with reverence. Of course one the famous definitions of yoga remains - yoga karmasu kaushalam -Yoga is skill in action

16.01.2022 When youre feeling the need for upliftment .... Remember Hanuman! .. mangala murti, maruta nandana ... embodiment of happiness, oh son of the wind. sakala amangala mula nikandana you remove all unhappiness at its root. whenever Hanuman is remembered there resides Sita Ram https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slyQZT29mQ0

15.01.2022 At 1:24 (and again at 2:30) youre viewing what could be the highest ever Mayurasana (Peacock Pose) ever attempted! When you think that youre having a hard time maintaining your balance postures in class, spare a thought for these guys in their undies 2,500 metres up, on a tight rope. Balance is an interesting thing in yoga practice. I often think its a bit like life! You can try and hold a balance intensely - trying not to move and to just keep it together almost not d...aring to breathe, or alternatively accept that the point of balance is constantly changing. Such a response requires one to pay attention make the necessary micro adjustments and be observant of the fleeting point of balance. In Ayurveda too, balance is sought by recognizing change change in the weather, the season, ones stage of life, ones emotional state and energy levels etc and being open to and ready to make the necessary alterations and adaptations in ones own life style. Its not that one can seek Ayurvedic advice and take on certain Dinacharya (daily routines and dietary adjustments) and there you have it youre all balanced. As the seasons change and as we age and deal with challenges of life, so too, do the daily routines and ones diet require adjustment. For yogis the emphasis in the practice may need consideration and occasional re-tuning. Balance is not found by holding onto a static point and not letting go. It requires energetically economical but fluid and insightful responses in a world whose characteristic feature is constant change*. And what do you do if you fall out of that balance? (Well, thankfully were not all 2,500 metres up on a tight rope). Take a long slow exhale** and give it another go. And smile! You know what they say about those folks who seem to handle the task with ease theyve just fallen and got back up more times than the rest of us. The behind the scenes version of the Paul Smith ad is worth watching too (best to sit down, turn the lights off and watch it on a full screen) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPu1VTwe5zw * (The Sanskrit word for the world is Jagat, from the root ja, meaning that which is born and ga, meaning that which flows on, goes and changes). Think about it. ** in Yoga a long slow exhale is more effective at calming the mind than a deep breath in.

15.01.2022 Take a Moment: Of what is the body made? It is made of emptiness and rhythm. At the ultimate heart of the body, at the heart of the world, there is no solidity. Once again, there is only the dance. George Leonard. This dance has often been symbolically represented in the dance of Shiva. At the Centre for Nuclear Research or CERN, in Geneva (where efforts are made to better understand what the Universe is made of and how it works, through the use of special Particle Acce...Continue reading

14.01.2022 To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour - William Blake... Its said that William Blake had a keen insight into the nature of things, a vision exceeding what can be perceived through our physical sight apparatus. Of course, this vision is also intimated via Bhagavan Shivas third eye. We are non-separate from the whole. Its a difficult thing to contemplate, when we live in a world where every-thing is taken literally, where things/objects are perceived to be real, permanent and unchanging, where pseudoscience masquerading as science bewilders or trains our view to only consider what can be seen or proven (according to current abilities/liabilities and limitations) and then holds our dim view within Maya. I have linked a talk here by Dr Hegde, scientist, Harvard trained Cardiologist and former University Vice Chancellor at Manipal University, India. Some of what he says may be challenging and even hard to believe, but in the interest of open mindedness, curiosity and the spirit of enquiry, you may consider what I cover in Ashtanga Yoga classes and how these topics might relate to Dr Hegdes talk. For example, the limitations of what we think we know, the importance of Karunabhav, Wholeness and its relationship with wellness, the destructive nature of hate, the phenomenon of Maya, the Human Microbiome, the importance of Pranayama, the benefits in exercising a little humility, the human body as a manifestation of Prana and the role of service to society as Karmayoga. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df355ZqgQLA

13.01.2022 Time devours all! All things in samsara are held in the clutches of the great jaws of time. Are you doing what you need to do? If you have made a commitment to take on the teachings of yoga are you just turning up at a class or applying the principles at heart and investing in your home practice? During the class break, coming up, it will be a perfect time for those who do not have a regular home practice, to focus on creating at home, a time and place in which to invest some...Continue reading

12.01.2022 I recall a conversation that I once had with a dear and respected friend who had an extensive background in the yoga systems. I would ask him about his experience, opinions and memory of certain practices, mantras and teachings he had come across in his over 30 years connection with yoga. He would often respond with give me a moment, no one asks about any of these things anymore . and you know if no one asks and theres no interest, I too, get foggy and start to forget (k...Continue reading

11.01.2022 Is this Loving Kindness or What? This mornings reflection after class was in connection with the work we have done this week establishing the basic method for the cultivation of the antidote to enmity, anger and ill feeling towards others. Maharishi Patanjali makes this recommendation as a means towards chitta prasadanam, the pacification of the chitta/mind (refer to the definition of yoga yogashchittavrittinirodhaha) I was hoping that everyone might take their own not...es and gleanings this morning, but I will copy the text here, from a conversation between author Sam Keen and the late mythologist Joseph Campbell published in Psychology Today. It might be helpful for friends/people who read this from afar, too. It is worth deeper reflection because when we talk about obstacles and hindrances it is important that we avoid the notion of perfectionism and end up missing the point. The obstacles and hindrances to overcome, refer to mental states. The unavoidable downsides of inevitable external situations: gain and loss, pleasure and pain, praise and blame, require loving kindness too. Health issues, relationship ups and downs etc may not always be seen to be obstacles but perhaps opportunities to open the heart. I received an email recently from a dear student who disappeared from class. I said I was so glad to hear from her, and thought that perhaps I had offended her in some way through a misunderstanding (remember an earlier post about how "The word goes out but the message is lost") or not served her needs to the degree that as a teacher I am happily obliged to consider. She said that it had nothing to with her being unhappy in class, but rather that she felt that I must have become fed up with her constant problems. I assured her that it was nothing of the sort. Professor Campbells words might be helpful: Above all, we need to be taught more affection for the infirmities of life .. Both artist and lover know that perfection is not lovable. It is the clumsiness of a fault that makes a person lovable . This is a common theme in the folklore of the Arabian nights: where you stumble and fall, there you find gold. -Prof. Joseph Campbell Theres a saying to the effect that if you wish to mine for diamonds, dont neglect your pick and shovel. To mine the spirit though, dont neglect your body, breath and mind. Then too, avoid confusing the tools and the goal. Or, as Neil Young put it: I want to live, I want to give, Ive been a miner for a heart of gold. Its these expressions I never give, That keep me searching for a heart of gold Namaste, Richard

11.01.2022 I know that I have sent this out before but here it is again re recent in-class talks - Om is also known as the Pranava, the ever-fresh pulsation that reverberates throughout and as, the universe; the primordial, the first sound that rang out through the cosmos. Om is the All, the manifestation of the Absolute Brahman the One without a second. Vocalised, the Om is articulated from the base of the throat and flows through to terminate with lips closed, in the nasali...Continue reading

11.01.2022 Where do you go to in your yoga practice? where do you go to rising up out of your lotus mud... youve got wings did you know? hoist your mainsail catch that vinyasa train travelling through air becomes liquid over raw earth, over fire fingertips are tendrils reaching out catch that prana fractal undermine heaviness with lightness meet that resistance like Lao Tzu and water you thought were so solid yet you disintegrate at each turn shifting forms sometimes snake, bird, rishi, trigonometry, sometimes up sometimes down youre part of everything feel that pulse theres something there theres vulnerability but theres breath moving through you you are alive eyes softly open, gaze steady loosen that pull and push of raga-devsha look but not this way and that way look straight theres a landing sight approaching theres a place to rest call it home youre approaching dhyana there you are there you arent - by Richard Clark

11.01.2022 Puhpa flowers, symbolise the truth, beauty and goodness that opens up within us through spiritual practice. Flowers, depending upon context, can represent love, bhakti, the world itself and .. impermanence*. Ahtnga yoga presents 8 limbs through which the yogi/yogini transforms their vision of and their relationship with the world the culmination of which is when the Seer exists in its own true state. Rihis have also spoken of 8 puhpa, flowers, as representing the me...ans for transcendence. Through the allied bhakti yoga practices, 8 flowers are offered as an act of devotion, in order elevate mundane life. Ahis (being the deliberate cultivation of non-violence or expressed positively as the cultivation of love) is said to be the first flower - ahis prathamam puhpam. Then there is the flower of sense control, the flower of compassion/karuna, of forgiveness, of peace, of tapas, of meditation and the flower of truth. Reflection: Although the term ahtnga yoga has become associated with a particular method of yoga practice ahtnga vinyasa yoga, this method by no means has exclusive rights to the term ahtnga yoga. According to how this method is taught and practised, modern ahtnga yoga may fail completely in qualifying - demonstrating its relationship with the meaning of the term. So, how can you adorn your practice with puhpa? Can you present your sana as a flower offering? Do you see your fingers like flower tipped tendrils trailing through space as you move in that seamless way using the vinysa method? Do you place your feet, hands and breath with the care that you might present a flower offering? How would your facial expression, your every movement then appear? Ever wondered why Sri K. Pattabhi Jois referred to the ahtnga vinysa yoga practice as the Yoga Mla (mla being a garland of flowers)? .... and, are you working on the other limbs of the practice so that they might get a chance to bloom? Wishing you success in your practice, RIchard * Nothing lasts forever, No one lives forever, Keep that in mind, and love Our life is not the same old burden, Our path is not the same long journey, The flower fades and dies, We must pause to weave perfection into music, Keep that in mind, and love - Lisa Bonnet Nothing lasts forever

10.01.2022 I bend above the moving stream and see myself in my own dream How to use Yoga - a time for reflection and looking within, an opportunity for re-booting the mind: . of course, literally looking into the stream didnt work out so well for the Chinese poet Li Po. Legend has it that he drowned after attempting to take hold of the moons reflection in the Yangtze River, falling out of his boat. Intoxication may have been involved....Continue reading

10.01.2022 Lately Ive received some emails from people who seem to genuinely appreciate yoga but are having a hard time juggling life and finding time for practice. Not wishing to send a message of alarm, but theres some stiff competition from the animal world as demonstrated here. Dont let them show you up! (Ok, Mimi the Brown Bears Urdhvamukha Upavishtakonasana isnt bad) Dont let the energy that you have invested in your yoga practice dissipate because you only associated yoga w...Continue reading

09.01.2022 Happy Diwali Everyone. Remember to Put Your Lights On (Santana, Carlos, 1999) and Open Up a Window (Traditional, India, date unknown) to invite the energy and presence of goddess Lakshmi.

08.01.2022 From around the 15th Century, 10 Virtues of Incense are provided by the enigmatic, maverick, Zen master Ikkyu: It brings communication with the transcendent. It refreshes mind and body....Continue reading

08.01.2022 Practice: The Art of laying bricks - or catching droplets of water day by day. You cant always appreciate the stonemasons work until after some time, the care and effort applied consistently become clear, and the stone walls appearance becomes apparent. Patanjali cautions against backsliding, losing ground, which can happen when one allows negativity or distractions to get the upper hand. Swami Prabhavananda said "there is no failure as long as we make an effort". How...s your practice log coming along? Are you seeing and feeling the benefits of taking to your Ashtanga practice with enthusiasm and respect? Did anyone watch Seven Days in Utopia with Robert Duvall, as recommended in class - and take something valuable from it for their practice? Reflections: Do not underestimate good, thinking it will not affect you. Dripping water can even fill a pitcher, drop by drop; one who is wise is filled with good, even if one accumulates it little by little. - The Shakyamuni. We will build a bridge of stone (across the ocean), said Rama. A tiny spider kicked a grain of sand into the water at Prince Ramas feet. I laughed at this puny effort, but Rama scolded me. There is no such thing as large or small when it comes to acts of love, he said. - from Hanuman retold by Erik Jendresen and Joshua M. Greene

07.01.2022 Despite advice to the contrary from his mother, Abhinivesh chose to use his head as a substitute footing in order to support and sustain his favourite yoga postures. Crazy fakir, the crowds often taunted. But Abhinivesh stuck to his guns and became the best semi-submerged head-stander in the business and earned instead the more distinguished name crazy head-standing fakir, of which he became proud. Odd, you may think. But all the Abhiniveshs in all the yoga classes ac...Continue reading

06.01.2022 Looking up into the sky tonight, you could see the full moon in all its glory. Its a special full moon, the full moon of the lunar month known as Ashadha. It is the full moon commemorative of the birth of the great Vedic Rishi, Vyasa (the late ashtanga yoga teacher Sri K. Pattabhi Jois was also born on this day). It is customary and considered a mark of respect and a reflection of gratitude to pay tribute to the life and works of Vyasa (Vyasa penned the colossal Mahabharata ...Continue reading

05.01.2022 Arvind is usually observed up in the front row in class and because of his quiet nature you might not have heard him speak much before. He is the quiet achiever and applies himself thoughtfully, taking the practice to heart and applying what he can amidst his busy day working both as a physicist and vedic maths teacher. Here in this interview changes have been observed in his palms, coinciding with the time during which he has been practising yoga. Jai Jai Jai Ashtanga Yoga Shala https://www.facebook.com//vb.313272765/10158438236855072/

05.01.2022 Have you been able to meet your commitment to practice? I know that Ive been referring lately to those whove been able to maintain and even increase their practice commitment, but please dont let that affect you adversely, if you somehow went the other way and your practice fizzled out. Its always a great feeling to re-connect and to re-commence practice. Remember how good it feels, to even complete Sun Salutations. With this splendid weather of late, if youre missing yo...Continue reading

05.01.2022 Keeping your practice stoked up this winter? Pour what you have into it. Make it an offering. Travel through it like you were setting out on a journey through some unknown terrain. Be ready for the unexpected. Ride the peaks and troughs with an unclouded mind, focused and absorbed like a craftsman at work. Practice without attachment or aversion as you sail on the wind of your breath, scaling the heights, traversing the canyons and reposing in the moments of stillness. Give o...f yourself. Give to yourself. The body is my temple, asanas are my prayers - Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar.

05.01.2022 A question after class this morning: Why do we start the practice of maitri by cultivating maitri for ourselves? Why dont we focus on we, not I? We need to develop this feeling towards ourselves so as we have something to share with others. If you read, and deeply considered this mornings Reflection - there is no I without we it will make more sense. Its not that self-cultivation of maitri is something isolated from its overarching purpose, but an essential... and specific step (through which we may encounter some of the inner obstacles) towards the experience of yoga. Does anyone think that theyre undeserving of maitri? It would be a bit like practicing ahimsa or non-harmfulness in theory, but not applying it to oneself. Maitri is a step towards pacifying the vrttis, and specifically towards the kleshas antagonism, anger and hate. Maitri, for some may take work (we call it as practice!) and for others may come more easily. That its not always easy is evident in the way so much modern yoga has morphed into whats more a practice of avoidance and distraction. People getting addicted to yoga; intense and even furious yoga classes (evidenced by the state of the breath); people struggling to breathe in overheated environments; students of yoga reaching into more and more so called advanced postures without having produced the groundwork (as evidenced by their facial expression, breathing and body placement) all adds up to a method which only serves to overcome through intensity, create distraction and avoidance of what really needs to be examined. As a yogic practice maitri loving kindness requires no furious contortions but softness, understanding and openness and time An act of loving kindness can change the world: http://www.ted.com//joseph_kim_the_family_i_lost_in_north_

05.01.2022 Youre looking at the new Yoga Seats in the Mahindra and Mahindra 1.5l diesel mini SUV Quanto. Yoga seats provide 36 comfortable seating options. Can you imagine driving down the highway in Viranchyasana or Supta Baddha Konasana? Ok, thats probably not what they mean. You can almost hear the professional drivers scrambling to check availability.

05.01.2022 Yoga might provide the lens that gradually corrects myopic vison in life and through which one can gain much insight, wonder, gratitude and fulfilment. Might, because it will require effort, sacrifice, discipline, consistency and a well-designed, well rounded approach without catering to egoistic whims and demands. Ashtanga Yoga Shala for real yoga classes without gimmicks: no dangling carrots; no 30 x day challenges; no boot/y camps; no free champagne after, or beer d...uring class; no special deals; no memberships; no trial classes; no goats; no pretty parachutes to hang from; no award nights; no trophies; no master-classes (because there are no masters requiring classes); no back-bend intensives (its all yoga blah and humbug) just real yoga.. This yoga will naturally challenge somewhat the body, but more-so the ego. It will require generosity, open mindedness, energy, love and sincere application from and towards oneself. (If any of the above requirements are initially missing, just leave it to the yoga practice. It will work on you) Are you ready to start? Theres a New Year soon approaching.

03.01.2022 Its My Yoga! Amidst recent heated media discussions about Yoga copyrights and attempts to trademark various Yoga practices and litigation threats, this talk by the late Sri K Pattabhi Jois here, might put a few arguments to rest. Allowing for his self-acknowledged difficulties with the english language, one can still get the gist (if you reflect on recent discussions in Ashtanga Yoga Shala class re: the purpose of yoga, the purpose of the body, mind and senses, you can make ...Continue reading

02.01.2022 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krxU5Y9lCS8 You must give up the life you planned in order to have the life that is waiting for you, so said Joseph Campbell. What a shake up the world is going through. Theres nothing like some stress to challenge ones cherished beliefs, expose some underlying cracks and at the same time, provide an opportunity to grow, to change, even prosper (but what is prosperity)...Continue reading

02.01.2022 Felicitations to Ganesha (born Mount Kailash to divine parentage) May you receive sufficient modaka and be satisified on your special day. To Rudrapriya the beloved of Shiva, Sarvatman the protector of the Universe, Vighnaharta the destroyer of obstacles who also places obstacles in our way so that we might awaken. What is auspiciousness? jai deva, jai deva, jai mangala murti you are the embodiment of auspiciousness, Ekadanta - the one with the single tusk, Shashvarnam - ...you with the complexion of the moon, Muktidaya - who bestows liberation. Happy birthday. Get up, Stand up: Ganeshas teaching on self-respect Once upon a time, the gods and goddesses had appointed Ganesha as gate keeper to the celestial realm, while everyone else left on a wedding procession. The truth of the matter was that some of the gods were embarrassed by Ganeshas awkward appearance, not to mention his ability to consume large portions of food at one sitting. Amongst themselves, they agreed that he shouldnt tag along. Ganesha came to know the real reason behind his new appointment and decided to provide a lesson to all. Ganesha sent his vahana or vehicle, his trusty mousse, Mooshika, to cause some chaos. Mooshika excavated the path that led to the marriage processions destination and this had the effect of blocking the path and trapping the carriage. A kind farmer nearby lent a hand and, after chanting the name of Ganesha, became possessed of immense strength and single-handedly lifted the carriage and all on board out of the ditch. Everyone was gobsmacked. The gods demanded an explanation. The farmer explained that only chanting Ganeshas name was enough to infuse in him, the raw strength to move the obstacle at hand. The gods and goddesses all went quiet. They were reflecting on their error of judging someone by their appearance and that there are unseen forces at work beyond ones physical form. Ganeshas lesson had worked. He also demonstrated that one can stand up and not allow others to reduce and undermine ones own unique qualities based on others lack of insight and ignorance. There was no hate involved, but rather a demonstration of dignity and self-respect. Words below by Giacomini, Livingston, Dinsmore and made famous by MC Yogi. Ganesh is so fresh chillin on his throne surrounded by incense fruit and gold With a heap of sweets piled in his bowl he guards the gate and protects the threshold When youre blessed by Ganesh than you can travel on a sacred journey to an inner temple He paves the path that leads to the soul & hes known for removing all obstacles Now some may think its illogical a myth or its just philosophical But Ganesh makes everything possible because elephant powers unstoppable jaya Ganesha, jaya Ganesha, jaya Ganesha Om https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyZo5Hrgm7Y

01.01.2022 Join me for the UPLIFT Live Webcast from Dec 11-14, an inspiring, visionary 4-Day event - Register here:http://www.upliftwebcast.com/185 Heres an opportunity to participate with visionary speakers: Molecular Biologist Dr Bruce Lipton, whom I have often mentioned in class (author of The Biology of Belief), Satish Kumar (former Jain Monk, Activist and Peace Advocate) Bob Randall (inspiring Aboriginal Elder, Storyteller and a former Indigenous Australian of the Year), Physicia...n Dr Lissa Rankin (Author of Mind over Medicine) and Dr Patch Adams known for his heartwarming and unconventional views on helping patients to name a few. This UPLIFT experience will be available to the global community via an HD webcast. Everyone can participate, from any time zone, anywhere. By registering your email at the link below, you will receive a FREE 3 hour pass. Or you can purchase the ONLINE FESTIVAL PASS for just $25 AUD. The pass gives you unlimited access to content during the event and for 60 DAYS after the event ends- so you can make sure that you wont miss anything -plus access to exclusive interviews and backstage highlights. REGISTER HERE FOR THE UPLIFT 2014 WEBCAST: http://www.upliftwebcast.com/185