Elise Espat: October 2012

Monday, October 22, 2012

Guy Donahaye ABQ - Bibliography

Source: Guy in ABQ, AAYS

Resources and references mentioned during Guy Donahaye's weekend workshop at the Albuquerque Ashtanga Yoga Shala October 19-21, 2012

GENERAL

Guy's Shala in NY: Ashtanga Yoga Shala NYC
A good place to practice and a website full of valuable information.

http://aysnyc.org/

Guy's blog "Mind Medicine: Ashtanga Yoga Darshana"
http://yogamindmedicine.blogspot.com/

Guy's book "GURUJI: A Portrait of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Through the Eyes of His Students"
http://bit.ly/RhagPj

Book extracts:
http://bit.ly/QCpfmU

Interviews:
http://bit.ly/OXgeGN

DAY 1: Fundamentals of Practice

Reading list at Guy's website:
http://ow.ly/eGhEQ

What is Yoga?

http://bit.ly/WEqaZ6

What is Ashtanga Yoga?

http://bit.ly/RRM7O0

Pranayama and mulabandha

http://bit.ly/TtDdvI

Breathing

http://bit.ly/VwropM

Practice guidelines
http://bit.ly/RlVPLC

DAY 2: Mind Medicine I

Ashtanga Yoga Mantram and translation
http://bit.ly/RlVIj3

Yoga Sutras & Hatha Yoga Pradipika

http://aylibrary.blogspot.com/p/resources.html

Why right leg first in padmasana

Diet and lifestyle

What is the Self?

Daily practice

Ego, vrttis, householders

http://bit.ly/RQIJTS

Ayurveda, doshas, recipes, and many more resources
http://www.ayurveda.com/online_resource/index.html

Ashtanga yoga history and lineage
http://bit.ly/Rapfc0

DAY 3: Mind Medicine II

3 gunas, Yoga Sutras, and more

http://bit.ly/UtOlsh

When to and not to practice

http://bit.ly/RL6UkY

Pain
http://bit.ly/MrZN4R

First you do asanas

http://bit.ly/TbI4j7

Mind control

http://bit.ly/PmoilT

Guruji teaching

http://bit.ly/X3WQcU

Mad attention

http://bit.ly/PN4gkt

Nadis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadi_%28yoga%29

Check back soon for more updates...

Monday, October 15, 2012

A letter from Sri.K. Pattabhi Jois to Yoga Journal, Nov. 1995

"I was disappointed to find that so many novice students have taken Ashtanga yoga and have turned it into a circus for their own fame and profit (Power Yoga, Jan/Feb 1995). The title 'Power Yoga' itself degrades the depth, purpose and method of the yoga system that I received from my guru, Sri. T. Krishnamacharya. Power is the property of God. It is not something to be collected for one's ego. Partial yoga methods out of line with their internal purpose can build up the 'six enemies' (desire, anger, greed, illusion, infatuation and envy) around the heart. The full ashtanga system practiced with devotion leads to freedom within one's heart. The Yoga Sutra II.28 confirms this 'Yogaanganusthanat asuddiksaye jnanadiptih avivekakhyateh', which means 'practicing all the aspects of yoga destroys the impurities so that the light of knowledge and discrimination shines'. It is unfortunate that students who have not yet matured in their own practice have changed the method and have cut out the essence of an ancient lineage to accommodate their own limitations.

The Ashtanga yoga system should never be confused with 'power yoga' or any whimsical creation which goes against the tradition of the many types of yoga shastras (scriptures). It would be a shame to lose the precious jewel of liberation in the mud of ignorant body building."

-K. Pattabhi Jois, Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute, Mysore, South India

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Shala Chanting Audio Resources

YOUTUBE

Videos above uploaded by Astanga Yoga Copenhagen
More chanting with Lakshmish Bhat here.

MP3

Dr. M. A. Jayashree

David Miliotis

Teaching Ashtanga Yoga, Parampara, Authorization & Certification

From the K Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute (KPJAYI) Mysore, India:

Parampara is knowledge that is passed in succession from teacher to student. It is a Sanskrit word that denotes the principle of transmitting knowledge in its most valuable form; knowledge based on direct and practical experience. It is the basis of any lineage: the teacher and student form the links in the chain of instruction that has been passed down for thousands of years. In order for yoga instruction to be effective, true and complete, it should come from within parampara.

Knowledge can be transferred only after the student has spent many years with an experienced guru, a teacher to whom he has completely surrendered in body, mind, speech and inner being. Only then is he fit to receive knowledge. This transfer from teacher to student is parampara.

The dharma, or duty, of the student is to practice diligently and to strive to understand the teachings of the guru. The perfection of knowledge – and of yoga — lies beyond simply mastering the practice; knowledge grows from the mutual love and respect between student and teacher, a relationship that can only be cultivated over time.

The teacher’s dharma is to teach yoga exactly as he learned it from his guru. The teaching should be presented with a good heart, with good purpose and with noble intentions. There should be an absence of harmful motivations. The teacher should not mislead the student in any way or veer from what he has been taught.

The bonding of teacher and student is a tradition reaching back many thousands of years in India, and is the foundation of a rich, spiritual heritage. The teacher can make his students steady – he can make them firm where they waver. He is like a father or mother who corrects each step in his student’s spiritual practice.

The yoga tradition exists in many ancient lineages, but today some are trying to create new ones, renouncing or altering their guru’s teachings in favor of new ways. Surrendering to parampara, however, is like entering a river of teachings that has been flowing for thousands of years, a river that age-old masters have followed into an ocean of knowledge. Even so, not all rivers reach the ocean, so one should be mindful that the tradition he or she follows is true and selfless.

Many attempt to scale the peaks in the Himalayas, but not all succeed. Through courage and surrender, however, one can scale the peaks of knowledge by the grace of the guru, who is the holder of knowledge, and who works tirelessly for his students.

Concerning authorization and certification:

The Shri K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute is dedicated to the education of yoga practitioners. Practitioners should come with the sole purpose of studying the tradition from its source. Students traveling to Mysore should not come with the expectation of obtaining Authorized or Certified status.
The list on this website constitutes the official record of teachers approved by the KPJAYI, which is the only authority able to authorize or certify individuals to teach the ashtanga yoga method as taught by Shri K. Pattabhi Jois and R. Sharath. There are no teacher training programs approved by this Institute under any name (e.g., Ashtanga Teacher Intensive); teachers that are listed on this website are experienced practitioners and dedicated students who have shown a considerable degree of proficiency and appreciation of ashtanga yoga in its traditional form and who continue to study regularly at the KPJAYI.
Teachers are required to teach the method as it is taught by Shri K. Pattabhi Jois and R. Sharath at the KPJAYI in Mysore, India. They should maintain a yoga room or shala to allow for daily, preferably morning, Mysore-style practice and should honor Saturdays and the full/new moon days as rest days.