About Yoga @ The Yoga Place

 


This section is in two parts.

The first part is an explanation of Astanga Yoga, why we need it, and how it is the practice of Self expansion. It gives a detailed explanation of the structure and function of the mind and how this leads to the principal rules for Self realisation. It shows how Yoga is a practical science which is built upon a strong foundation of social and personal values and sequentually develops the body, the mind and inner Self. It relates the eight "limbs" of Astanga yoga practice to these development stages.

The second part details the Yoga we do at the Yoga Place.

What is Yoga ?

Yoga originated in India.

Loosely translated, Yoga means "to yoke or join together" - it is the practice of unifying the individual consciousness or inner Self (jivatman) with with the Universal consciousness. This occurs when the mind is silenced and we merge into the unlimited, boundless and timeless state of Universal consciousness.

Astanga Yoga is the name given to the system of Yoga codified in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. It is a codified system of personal Self development which ultimate leads to the awakened state of bliss.

In our normal state of consciousness we identify through our egos. This level of identification is limited because the ego is a limited separate entity. It gives us a sense of "I" that is distinct and separate from everything else. As a result, ego level identification leaves us feeling separate - isolated - and small.

The ego focuses our identity onto our physical body, our thoughts, our feelings, our status and our possessions etc. For example, we feel happy when we are in a good mood, when our relationships are going well, when we get promoted or when we buy an new car.

But these external states or objects that the ego identifies with are inherently unstable and must change. For example: the physical body must eventually die, we eventually retire and loose our work status, our possessions age, we can loose our fortune or our relationships. As a result, when we become sick or, when our relationships or work are a problem, we feel contracted and insecure.

Because the ego identifies with the physical body it also lives in constant fear of death - death of the body seems like death of the ego self .... and it is. The ego tries to overcome this fear by increasing it's power and status in the outside world. But the more it gathers power, status and material property the more it feels insecure. This occurs because the more we have the more there is too loose. The higher our status the further we have to fall.

Yoga provides us with a way out of this ego driven, contracted, isolated and fear driven life. The rewards are a sense of total connection (vs. isolation), a sense of expansiveness (vs. contraction), a sense of peace and security (vs. stress and insecurity), a sense of timelessness (vs. time bound), and sense of love for everything (vs. fear of death)

How does this work ?. Let me try and give you an analogy. Consider for a moment what it feels like when you fall in love with someone new. Life feels wonderful - you feel full of energy and enthusiasm for life. You feel expanded and that you can accomplish anything - in other words you feel boundless. When you are with our loved one time seems to stand still. What has happened to make you feel this state of bliss ?. It is simple - you have expanded your sense of self. You have collapsed your ego's boundaries and merged with your loved one.

Unfortunately, as we all know, this state of bliss which accompanies new love subsides. The question is, when and how does it subside ?. It subsides when you start to feel separate again and you start focusing on your own needs. Your boundaries contract and you feel small, isolated and contracted once again - "self centred".

Yoga is the science of shifting us permanently away from our isolated contracted ego state to the permanently expanded and unbound state of connectedness, love and bliss. Yoga is the practice of expansion - of shifting our identity from the limited, time bound, separate and externally focused ego to an identity with the unlimited, timeless, all encompassing and totally connecting Universal consciousness which is who we truly are. This requires a fundamental shift of focus from the outside world to the inside world. We accomplish this by learning to control that part of our mind which focuses on the outside world and by strengthening, refocusing and sharpening that part of our mind which can focus inside. Yoga has identified and codified a set of practices which teach us how to do this.

Yoga has a view about the way the mind is structured and functions. It is from this knowledge of the mind and its workings that the various limbs of yoga were developed as a way for practitioners to understand and control the mind.

The chart below describes the structure and the function of the mind from the perspective of Yoga, Ayurveda and the Samkya philosophy. The words in italics are Sanskrit names.


The structure and function of the mind
Part of the mind Function Focus
Ego - ahamkara Ego provides a sense of separate self identity or "I" ness through which the mind works. It also introduces the idea of ownership. The ego focuses on outside world for a sense individual self identity.
This keeps us focused on the past (the ego's sense of self is always based on our personal history) which is a state of "deep sleep". In this state we are ignorant of real truth and our real Selves. This state is called TAMASIC.
Mind - manas - emotional / sensate outer mind The Mind connects us to the outside world through our senses and controls our activity in the outside world through the organs of action. Its action is like the stomach in the physical body. It collects our experience but cannot digest it, interpret it, or place a value on it. Its functions include volition, imagination and sensory control. The mind focuses on the outside world as action.
This keeps us focused on the future and in the world of imagination, "doing" and trying to become which is a "dream" state. This state is called RAJASIC
Intelligence - buddhi Our Intelligence digests the input received from the outer mind and places a sense of value on it. This intelligence can either be focused on understanding the outer world of form and name or the inner world of wisdom and truth. Its function is like that of the small intestine in the physical body. It is also that part of the mind which can shed light on our deep held beliefs, feelings, habits and fears which are stored in our inner mind. It's functions include perception, discrimination and reason. Buddhi focuses the outside world as intellect or outer knowledge and
On the inside world as intelligence or inner knowledge.

It brings us into an awakened state of the present where we can access true knowledge and wisdom (as opposed to being in the past and future). This state is called SATTVIC
Consciousness - chitta - inner mind This part of the mind is like the physical body of the mind. It absorbs and stores the output from the intelligence. It is the storehouse of our deepest seated beliefs, feelings, habits and fears. It is the inner mind. Its functions include memory, sleep and bliss. Here the focus is on Love and our deepest inner desires - our instincts and intuition.
Inner Self - Jiva Atman Self awareness - the sense of our self as part of the timeless, unbounded Universal consciousness rather than as the limited, contracted and time based ego. The focus here is on Self realisation, Pure Knowledge and the eternal present. It is a state of pure "being" or "sat"


Understanding the structure of the mind is fine but what keeps it working ? - what keeps us alive or anything else alive for that matter ?. Yoga realises that the Universe is based on the principal of energy. This energy is called prana or Shakti . The Chinese call this same energy Chi and the Japanese call it Ki.

Prana underlies all life and movement in the Universe. It is the driving force behind our minds, our bodies and the operation of the whole Universe. It leaves our physical bodies when we die. Because prana controls the mind and Yoga is a process of mind control, it follows that building and controlling prana is a very important aspect of Yoga.

Yoga also focuses strongly on the physical body. We need a pure healthy body to live fully and practice yoga. When we are weak and sick our minds become unfocussed and scattered. A strong foundation is the key to spiritual growth - our capacity to expand upwards is dependant on the strength and integrity of our roots.

This information on the structure and function of the mind and on the importance and workings of prana and the physical body leads to the six principal rules of Yoga practice and the eight practices of limbs of Astanga yoga.

The chart below looks at the structures we discussed previously and shows how these lead to the six principal rules of yoga. I must give credit to Dr. David Frawley of the American Institute of Vedic Studies for his ideas from which I have borrowed heavily. If you are interested in pursuing this subject further or the subject of Ayurvedic or Yogic psychology I highly recommend his book - "Ayurveda and the Mind, the healing of Consciousness".
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Ayurveda and the Mind: The Healing of Conciousness Frawley, Dr David

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Human Structure and function and the principal rules of Yoga
Structure Principal Rule Comments
Consciousness - chitta Calm and empty deeper consciousness Consciousness holds our deepest fears, traumas, habits, tendencies and attachments - mostly in a repressed state. These need to be released.
Intelligence - buddhi Sharpen intelligence and reorientate it's focus from the outside world to the inner world. An inner orientated intelligence is the key to discriminating our true Self from the ego. It is responsible for holding onto what is "sattvic" and releasing "tamas and rajas" which keep us living in the past and the future. It is also the key to emptying our deeper consciousness and reorienting us beyond our limited and conditioned time based consciousness.
Mind - manas Develop the character, will power and discipline to control and internalise the mind and senses. When our senses and mind are uncontrolled they pull us into the world of external ego gratification. This keeps dragging external images into the mind and interferes with the inner workings of intelligence and the emptying of consciousness.
Ego - ahamkara Dissolve the ego The ego's focus creates a limited and isolated sense of self. It leaves us feeling empty inside and it tries to fill this emptiness by getting more from the outside - more power, status, possessions. As long as we identify through the ego our minds will remain uncontrollable, our intelligence will remain externalised, and our inner consciousness will remain contaminated.
Life force - prana Balance and strengthen prana All our actions, possessions and relationships in the outside world tie up our energy or prana. We need to release our energy from its fixation on external objects and redirect it towards sharpening our inner intelligence.
We also need to build sufficient prana for the yoga process. When our energy is low our intelligence fails and our outer mind and senses run riot.
Physical body Purify the physical body The body is the repository of our actions and holds their long term effects. A weak and toxic body will weaken the life force and will be unable to control the mind. To achieve this the physical body needs to be cleansed of toxins and excess doshas.



Yoga is a practical science. It recognises that we are all individual parts of the Universal consciousness living in physical bodies. We live our lives in the outside world to gain experience and increase our consciousness. To do this we need to fulfill our four basic needs.


The Science of Patanjali's Astanga yoga is contained in eight limbs (Asta is the word for eight in Sanskrit).

Personal development follows a development sequence which mirrors the destruction cycle of the five elements according to the Samkya philosophy and the Ayurvedic view of developmental life cycles.

Like all enduring processes this development needs to be built on a solid personal foundation to provide a base to support the process. This foundation contains the rules for an ethical set of social relationships and personal conduct and it consists of the first two limbs - the Yamas and Niyamas.

The first stage of development works on purifying the Physical and Pranic bodies. This provides the energy and stability of mind that is neccessary to act in the world and to meet our wordly needs. It also provides the energy and mental stability required to develop the Mind - and most specifically the intelligence side of the mind known as Buddhi.

This first stage is similar to the stage of childhood which is concerned with building the human body (growing) and learning an appropriate set of set of rules for social conduct and personal behavior. This stage is governed primarily by the elements of Earth and Water. These elements are two major constituents required to build the physical body. The Earth element provides structure which in addition to bones, organs, musucles etc. also includes the structure providing the rules of Yama and Niyama. The Water element governs the sensate mind (manas) and the capacity to act in the world.

The second stage of development focuses on developing the mind - specifically strengthening and sharpening the intelligent part of the mind (Buddhi). Buddhi is the part of the mind that digests information, ideas and emotions and digestion requires heat, acids and enzymes - the elements of Fire and Water. This stage combines practices which build energy and shift it from the outer mind and sensory involvement to the inner mind and perception. Once the energy is in the inner mind it is sharpened by practices which build its capacity to fully focus and concentrate on any object held in it's attention.

Intelligence provides us with the capacity to act as adults in the world. It allows us to discriminate, evaluate, make choices and decisions. It places value on information gained from the outer mind. In the first stage of life these functions are performed by the parents. The development of our intelligence allows us to be responsible, to organise our life, to make and realise our goals. This second stage of life and development is the stage of expressing our energy in the outside world.

The third stage of development focuses on developing the Inner Self.

Stage of Development Limb of Astanga Yoga
Build a solid personal and socially ethical foundation and lifestyle
  • Yamas : Values of social conduct which determine how we relate to the world. These values create our emotional / psychological milieu
  • Niyamas : Rules of personal conduct and lifestyle
Strengthen and purify the physical body and build energy (and through this begin to quiten the mind)

Earth and Water elements = Kapha
  • Asana - physical movements to purify, balance and strengthen the physical body, calm the mind and provide energy for more advanced limbs of the practice
  • Pranayama - breathing practices to control and expand prana (the life force) and cleanse the subtle body. It stills the mind and provides energy for more advanced limbs of practice.
Strengthen the mind - learn to focus, concentrate and build the intelligent part of the mind and to quiten the sensory based emotional mind. Empty the inner consciousness.

Fire and Water elements = Pitta
  • Pranayama -breathing practices to control and expand prana (the life force) and cleanse the subtle body. It stills the mind and provides energy for more advanced limbs of practice.
  • Pratyahara - practices that detach the mind from the distractions caused by impulses derived from the senses. Removes energy from the outer mind for use by the intelligence in Dharana.
  • Dharana - concentration practices which lead to the capacity to focus total mental energy onto any chosen object of attention
Strengthen and expand the Inner Self

Air and Space elements = Vata
  • Dharana - concentration practices which lead to the capacity to focus total mental energy onto any chosen object of attention
  • Dhyana - meditation practices - sustained concentration of mental energy onto any chosen object of attention (sustained dharana)
  • Samadhi - Absorbtion with the object being meditated on - the end result of Yoga




Different kinds of Yoga for different kinds of people

There are may different types of Yoga. Each of these different types approaches the same issue - increasing our connection with our inner Self - but uses a different approach. These different approaches exist because there are different kinds of people who have different needs and who are naturaly attracted to, and work better with, different approaches. For example Bakti Yoga works through devotion - it is suitable and attractive to people with Kapha constitutions and for whom love is very important. Jnana Yoga is based on direct knowledge through meditation - this requires development of the perceptive part of the mind (Buddhi) and is suited to people with Pitta constitutions and for whom light and truth is very important. Tantric yoga is based around mantra, yantra and other techniques for raising the Kundalini. There are at least 40 different types of yoga but these fall into eight main classes.

Vedic astrology - Jyotish - is a way of determining which yoga path is most appropriate for you.

Most of you will probably have heard about Hatha, Iyengar or Astanga Yoga. These Yoga's all incorporate body movement, traditionally known as poses or asanas. Asanas function to strengthen and balance the body and help it work properly. They build energy and stabilise the mind. The key feature that differentiates asana from physical exercise is that movements are performed with awareness, with a strong focus on the breath, and they work on the organs of the body, the nervous system and the pranic body - not just the muscles and the cardiovascular system. The overall effect is increased Self awareness and an "internally fit" body and mind system - along with all the associated benefits of improved health such as higher energy levels, lower stress etc. . Compare this to the mindless act of running on a treadmill or riding an exercise bike where we usually deliberately try and switch off our minds and only work our muscles and cardiovascular system, sometimes even creating injury and / or strengthening existing imbalances we may have in the body.

Yoga @ The Yoga Place

At The Yoga Place we use yoga as a means for improving health, energy levels and Self awareness.

We run three types of classes

1. Specialised yoga classes (based on Ryoho Yoga)
2. Comprehensive yoga classes (based on Astanga Yoga)
3. Pranayama

Specialised yoga classes

Specialised yoga classes are focused on strengthening specific parts of the body. Through this they provide relief to common ailments.

These classes do not focus on "complex and technically difficult" asanas and so are easily accessible to almost everyone. Their focus on strengthening and balancing the body however delivers profound results.

These classes run for one hour. Some classes are available on a casual basis. Others are run as courses - see below in the "comment column".

Casual classes cost $15. A two month pass valid for eight classes costs $100 and a for 16 classes costs $185. Monthly memberships are also available.
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The specialised classes we provide include:
Class Objective Comment
Strengthening the foundation * strengthen the lower back
* provide a stable platform for the body
* release fear, stress and anxiety
* improve elimination function
* improve memory		 * Casual students allowed
Building more energy * strengthen the digestion system
* improve energy level
* balance left and right sides of the body		 * Casual students allowed
Reducing Stress & insomnia * strengthen the lower back
* provide a stable platform for the body
* release fear, stress and anxiety
* improve elimination function
* improve memory
* release tension in upper back and shoulders		 * Casual students allowed
Releasing neck and shoulder tension * Balance the lower and upper body (strengthen the lower, release the sides and upper body) * Casual students allowed
Seasonal energy alignment * realign the body energy systems with Nature's energy cycle
* Strengthen and balance the body		 * Casual students allowed
Strengthening digestion and the immune function * strengthen digestion and elimination functions
* strengthen liver function		 * 8 week course to support Dr. Sandra Cabot's Liver cleansing Diet

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Comprehensive Yoga Classes (Astanga Vinyasa)

Comprehensive yoga classes work the whole body system rather than specific parts. These classes are a synthesis of . It is a strong and dynamic form of yoga which follows a specific sequence of Asanas linked together in a flowing movement by connective movements call vinyasa . All the movements are practiced with special breathing, gazing and holding techniques which help to focus, concentrate and quieten the mind. Eventually the practice becomes a dynamic form of meditation that can lead to a state known as Samadhi. This is a strong physical practice that builds a huge amount of energy, strength, flexibility and mental poise. Students need to attend a six week foundation course before attending the general classes. This style of yoga is definitely not suited to someone who is looking for an easy relaxing form of yoga or people with low strength levels, injuries, lower back problems etc. If you are an athlete or would like to be one, this is probably the yoga for you.



Krishnamacharya - Originator of Astanga Vinyasa Yoga

 


For anyone interested in Astanga yoga, the most currently accesable book available is called "Power Yoga"
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Power Yoga Birch, Beryl Bender

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Pranayama class

Pranayama is the fourth limb of Patanjali's Astanga Yoga. It prepares the mind for concentration practices and proper meditation. It is the next step - after asanas - on the Yoga path.

Pranayama is the conscious prolongation of inhalation, retention and exhalation of the breath.

Prana means life force and ayama means expansion. In pranayama we expand the life force (build energy) and purify the subtle channels of the body (nadis).

Breath - prana - is the connection between the physical body and the mind. Where prana goes, the mind goes. By learning to control our prana we can learn to control and quiten the mind and senses.



one-to-one Yoga therapy consultations

one-to-one Yoga therapy is the most direct route to balancing and healing the body out of our three yoga offerings. After an initial diagnosis, a selection of yoga asana is prescribed to target and strengthen weak areas and release the tight areas of the body which are over functioning to compensate for these weaknesses. Participants practice these prescribed asanas at home and may support them by attending specialised group classes. Specific breathing exercises and meditation practices may also be prescribed. Dietary and lifestyle recommendations are included as part of the prescription because of the energetic effect these have on the body.

This form of therapy is ideally suited to anyone who wants to tackle entrenched chronic problems and more healthy people who have a strong desire to improve their health quickly.


An initial one-to-one consultation costs $110 and takes 90 minutes. A 15 minute follow up is included in this price. Contact us for an appointment.

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