|Hi. tm Michele, your new SigSec. | |My relationship with yoga started many years ago at a | time when it wasn't at all fashionable, and still considered rather odd. ‘Now of course it is mainstream and extremely popular, but many people may be put off trying it when they see pictures of lithe, slim bodies tying themselves into impossible knots! I believe yoga can offer something to everybody, and it is never about buying the latest most fashionable yoga pants, (although that's ok too!) Yoga means different things to different people, and what matters is to find your own individual style. It is never competitive! The most important thing about yoga is not to ‘compare yourself with others, and to find out what suits you as an individual, and how to integrate it into your life. Even if you've been practicing for years | would always recommend finding a teacher, as it does help to keep a regular practice. If that isn't practical or possible, as second best there are many online classes you can subscribe to, or YouTube videos. Asimple, daily yoga practice will keep all the joints supple, the muscles long, and will ward off degenerative conditions.Yoga is a discipline that has been around for thousands of years, and it originated in India, ‘and has it's roots in Hinduism. The word YOGA means to yoke, or join, the original intention was to achieve spiritual enlightenment through various physical ‘exercises and spiritual disciplines, i.e.Joining together the body and the mind and all aspects of the self in order to achieve perfection. There are many different types of yoga, and also a deep underlying philosophy with guidelines for correct living. In the 20 Century Yoga was brought to the West by several teachers and spiritual masters.It has since been adapted to suit the Western lifestyle and the needs of modern ‘man and woman. The most popular form of Yoga in the West is Hatha Yoga, which consists of several slow stretching movements, designed to stretch ‘and relax muscles, increase flexibility and strength, and promote relaxation and a peaceful state of mind. Yoga is now very accessible in the West and can be found in most local authority gyms and leisure centres. The focus is usually on achieving health and fitness, and a supple body, but there are so ‘many resources available now to go deeper into yoga if one wishes to, e.g. libraries, Amazon, online courses etc. Page 2 * Hatha means Yoga of the body, which is the first foe of Yoga . Raja Yoga is the yoga of the mind. Raja means Royal Yoga, and this path offers a system of meditation which leads to enlightenment through disciplining the mind. | Jnana Yoga is the yoga of knowledge, through deep meditation and renunciation of the world. Bhakti Yoga is the Yoga of devotion. The object of devotion cage anyone or anything. Karma Yoga is the Yon of selfless action. Mantra Yoga is the Yoga of repetition of a ‘mantra, to help focus the mind Tantra Yoga focusses on awakening the Kudalini energy through many complextechniques.WHERE TO BEGIN? Here is my 10 point plan for a simple start for practicing Yoga at home: | 1. Make sure it is a couple of hours since you have eaten, or longer if you have hada | heavy meal.First thing in the morning is the ideal time for practice, but this isn't possible for everyone. Otherwise, early evening is good, before your evening | meal.Last thing at night is not so good as you may find yourself energised and unable to sleep! ie 2. Wear comfortable, loose fitting clothes that allow you to stretch and bend. 3. Make sure your room is warm enough and comfortable, well ventilated, with soft lighting, maybe candles, and gentle music if that helps you to relax 4. If you dont already have a yoga mat, you can buy them cheaply from TK Max, or online from Amazon. If you don’t have a mat for now use a blanket 0 lie on. * 5. .Find a quiet space, or room in your house, where you won't be disturbed. It's good to have a dedicated quiet space, and if you live with a partner, family, or friends, make sure that they know not to disturb you for a period of time preferably an hour or more. * 6. Turn off all phones! Also gadgets, tv's, computers (unless you are following online course). * 7. Arrange your room so it is preferably uncluttered and you can stretch out on your mat or blanket, and have room to stretch out in all directions. 8. Lie on the mat on your back and just breathe. Close your eyes and relax. * 9. Consciously relax every part of your body Take as long as you want. Cover with a blanket if that helps. | 10. | * | When you feel ready you can, start to try a few simple postures. |In yoga Savasana, or sleep posture, is considered the most important posture to master! Page 3Ihave recently completed a course in chair yoga with Yoga Campus, and I have done one class of chair yoga for office workers. | will soon be starting a chair yoga class for over 50. Patanjalis definition of Asana was that Asana means a steady comfortable pose. He meant that Asana ‘was a position where you could settle the body into a posture where it could be comfortable for an extended period of time. This could be standing, sitting or lying down. The exact pose is not important. It is the steadiness and comfort of the pose that is vital. Obviously there was no such thing as chair yoga in Patanjalis time, but it is an adaptation for the needs of today's society, which can be safely used by all, including beginners, elderly people, and office workers, without prior knowledge or experience. 1 In the yogic scriptures it is said that there were originally 8,400,000 asanas, which represent the 8,400,000 incarnations every individual must pass through before attaining liberation from the cycle of birth and death. These asanas represented a progressive evolution from the simplest form of life to the most complex: that of a fully realised human being. Down through the ages the great rishis and yogis modified and reduced the number of asanas to the few hundred known today. Of these few hundred only a few are required to start to benefit from the effects of yoga, but if you wish to attempt the more complex poses it is always best to do this with an experienced teacher S SEATED YOGA POSES YOU CAN DO IN A CHAIR lo A A Page 4Yoga as we know it today was developed as part of the tantric civilisation which existed in India and all parts of the world more than ten thousand {years ago.in archaeological excavations made in the Indus Valley many statues have been found depicting deities resembling Lord Shiva and Shakt! performimg varous asanas and practising meditation. According to mythical tradition Shiva is said to be the founder of yoga and Parvati his first disciple. ‘The first books to refer to yoga were the ancient ‘Tantras and later the Vedas, which were written about the time the Indus Valley cultures was- flourishing, (approx1900 -600BCE) = It is however in the Upanishads that yoxa hegins to take a more definable shape. These scriptures collectively form Vedanta, the culmination of the Vedas, and are said to contain the essence of the Vedas. Sage Patanjali’ treatise on raja yoga, The Yoga Sutras, codified the first definitive, unified, and comprehensive system of yoga. In the 6” century BC, Buddha's influence brought the ideals of meditation, ethics and morality to the fore. ‘Today in the 21st century , a spiritual heritage is being reclaimed of which yoga is very much a ppart.While yoga's central theme remains the highest goal of the spiritual path, yogic practices give direct and tangible benefits to everyone, regardless of their spiritual aims. Page 5 ‘The development of yoga through the ages can be compared to a tree, firmly rooted in the Vedas, but branching off into different religions and philosophical traditions. The tree of yoga is still growing, as each generation brings fresh thoughts and ideas to the yoga tradition. |The 8 limbs of Patanjali’s YogaSutras are | thought of as branches on a tree. Each one is ‘of equal valueand needs to be maintained all |the way along the yogic path. | They are not like the 10 Commandments as | such, but they are recommendations of how to. behave to steady the mind and achieve the ‘goal of yoga: ‘The Yamas - ethical considerations,non-violence, ‘truthfulness, non-stealing, moderation, non-possessiveness, Niyamas -Self-observations, Cleanliness, contentment, fiery cleansing, self study, devotion to the Universal Asana - physical posture Pranayama- Breath control Pratyahara- sense withdrawal Dharana concentration Dhyana- meditation 8, Samadhi - freedom ‘White samadhi ts the final step in the eight- fold path, it is not the end of the road. The practitioner continues to live a normal life, but with a new world view., and can enter and exit the samadhi state.THE IMPORTANCE OF BREATH _PRANAYAMA\ When you see the similarity between lungs and the trees it becomes clear that trees are the lungs of the planet, and without trees we would not have oxygen to breathe. Getting out into nature is always good for us and makes us feel rejuvenated, if we can escape the polluted air of the city and appreciate the beauty of trees and nature, even for a short while each day. In yoga, breath control is called Pranayama, and is one of the 8 limbs of yoga, as described by Patanjali. Prana is often taken to mean “energy” but in the Hindu tradition, prana is the life sustaining force which pervades not only all tiving organisms but the whole universe. This is why the breathing practices in yoga are called pranayama. Pranayama consists of specific breathing techniques or exercises that encourage the absorption of prana into the body's subtle energy channels. One technique is deep abdominal breathing: The method is to direct the breath down into the abdominal area. Inhale into the abdomen so that it rises like a balloon for 3-4 slow counts(about 1 second per count) exhale so that the abdominal muscles contract towards the lower back for 3-4 counts. The breath should be rhythmical and comfortable. The benefits of deep abdominal breathing are that air is brought to the lowest and largest part of the lungs. Breathing is stow and deep and proper use is made of the diaphragm. Try this while relaxing in savasana. Page 6Yoga Holidays This is my favourite pagel A few years ago | discovered the joys of the yoga holiday, and now I have been on quite a few! The advantage | {s that you can travel to far flung places, on your own, and be with a group of like minded | | people, many of whom are also solo travellers. Yoga holidays are not cheap, but on the plus | side you tend to return home healthier and | | more energetic than when you left, which isn't | | always the case with holidays! | It’s usually best to go with a teacher you know ‘or who is recommended. Last year | travelled to Thailand for the first time with renowned teacher Simon Low. I had already been on a few workshops with Simon Low so | knew what to expect. The destination ‘was a week at the amazing and beautiful retreat at www. jungleyoga.com . {ican honestly say it was one of the best weeks ‘of my life. I was recovering from chemotherapy at the time , but | returned rested and rejuvenated. CONTRIBUTION: ‘This issue has a contribution from my brave daughter Sarah who is currently in India, fulfilling her dream of setting up a yoga centre. This is a small exerpt of her blog:"My spiritual journey started at home whilst dealing with the realities of growing up! | decided | wanted to become a Yoga teacher and started ‘my training it was a tough journey | flew to India where | spent 4 months in Rishikesh after ‘completing 1 months intense training, which |was 6 days a week full training getting up and 5 am everyday and intense training until lights ‘out at 9pm, then went and lived and worked in ‘an Ashram for a few months, which was an incredible experience | was meeting all sorts of people and really going behind the scenes and seeing the reality of what the children and | ocal people living in the slums go through on a day to day basis it was difficult but nice to do some real hands on work and make a |difference.”.to be continued Page 7[EGPEN 6 MISCELDNEOUS = ° Sa EES SS ae If you're just starting yoga, it is not necessary to follow a strict vegetarian diet, but as you progress it is recommended to reduce meat and animal products, and to favour a lighter diet based on fruit and etables. ‘As we approach winter, there are some delicious warming vegetarian meals to make! In season we have Butternut Squash - a cheap, easy and delicious warming meal is baked butternut squash. Ingredients: 1. Heat the oven to 3500F. Cut the squash 1 Butternut squash ‘in half and remave the seeds and 4 tablespoons of butter or margerine stringy bits, 2 cups fresh wholewheat breadcrumbs 2. Mix the melted butter or margerine '% teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg with the bread crumbs, spices, and ¥% teaspoon ground cinnamon apples and spoon this mixture into the 2 large eating apples cut into chunks ‘squash halves. Put them in a roasting pan, cover with foil, and bake for about 45mins. Remove the foil and bake for 410mins longer to brown the tops. Serve hot. References:Books consulted: ‘The Concise Light on Yoga, BKS lyengar ‘The Yoga Cookbook - recipes from the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres ‘Ashtanga Yoga - The practice Manual, David Swenson ‘Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha, Swami Satyananda Saraswati Websites:https://vogaretreats.org https://www.yogaiournal.com www.tummee.com www.liveyogalife.com COPYRIGHT Copyright of each contribution to this newsletter remains with the acknowledged owner. Permission to reproduce content in part or as a whole must be obtained from the acknowledged ‘owner. Contact the SIGSec in the first instance. DISCLAIMER This is the newsletter of the Yoga Special Interest Group (SIG) of British Mensa, for controlled circulation within this SIG. Additional circulation is not authorised unless sanctioned by the ‘SIG Sec. Published, printed and distributed by British Mensa Ltd., St John’s House, St John's Square, Wolverhampton WV2 4H. ‘Mensa as a whole has no opinions. Views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the editor, the SIGSec, the officers or the directors of Mensa. Page 8