John Friend and Ram Dass On Maui 2010
In October I was blessed with the opportunity to travel to Maui for a week to be with my teacher John Friend for a training covering yoga therapy. The week was full of inspiration. The SHAKTI was flowing in full force.
I met beautiful yogis from all over the globe. Instructors, doctors, and talented people of all sorts gathered, hand picked by John, to deepen our understanding of the Universal Principles of Alignment with an intention to bring it into the world to honor the light, and for healing.
The training was Monday thru Friday and on Saturday and Sunday we had satsang with Ram Dass. His message was simple and his mantra divine, “I am loving awareness.” (more…)
The Sacred Gift Of Being Breathed
Take a moment, pause. Soften your skin, relax your jaw. Breathe in deep, and out long. Breath from your belly to your collar bones with each inhale, and soften any tension in your body as you exhale. Delight in the connection between your breath and your nervous system/your mental well-being.
Pranayama (the yoga science of breathing) is generally thought of as the control over the breath. By consciously changing the length, depth, force, and frequency of the breath, we are able to very effectively influence the autonomic nervous system. Thus, we then can influence control over physical processes like our digestion, our circulatory system, our heartbeat, and our mental state.
“But, if we think of the breath as a manifestation of the universal life force, we would be silly to believe we have “control” over this. For example, if you try to kill yourself by holding your breath, you will eventually pass out, and your breathing will start automatically. We are not ultimately “in control” here.“* So this translates our understanding of pranayama into something much sweeter than controlling the breath.
John Friend in Maui Deepens Our Raw Power And Refinement
I had the pleasure of attending John Friend’s workshop this past weekend in Maui. The workshop took place in Haiku, at a very beautiful studio called The Studio Maui.
John Friend, the founder of Anusara® yoga, always has a lovely way of guiding his students directly to their hearts, while encouraging them to life life fully. This weekend was no exception!
I joyously partook in the Intermediate-Advanced portion of the workshop, and assisted John during the all-levels sessions both Saturday and Sunday. We opened each morning with a powerful practice including a potpourri of standing poses, some arm balances and deep backbends. In the late afternoon session we grounded down with seated hip openers, twists and forward bends.
Descriptive words such as “raw power” and “refinement” were used to help guide us to the essence of our hearts and this amazing practice. Sometimes we need to be more powerful, sometimes we need to be softer. Refining our understanding of these 2 principles in our practice helps us create balanced action, and helps to systematically align our bodies, in an orderly fashion, so we can express our freedom and beauty.
Samantha Fox is a yoga and fitness instructor on the Garden Island of Kauai in Hawaii. She is a Certified Anusara Yoga Instructor and holds a Diploma in Ayurveda Sciences. Samantha has been practicing yoga for over 17 years and began teaching in 2002. » Find out more about Samantha Fox.
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