Turn around….
I have been giving classes at GOA for nine months now. Every day is a privilege. I honestly can’t believe how conducive that room is towards the inner experience of yoga. The sea beyond, the salty, iodine-rich air, the birdsong…wait…birds? Where are the birds? Oh, yes, look at those windows at the back of the room. What? They open? Sliiiiiide. TA-DAH! And thus we discovered the hidden treasure of GOA upstairs! The gardens of the Edificio SKI behind us. Mature trees, well-kept gardens, fresh shady corners, a shimmering swimming pool. What more could one ask for, honestly?
I call it Krishna tricks. The idea that you don’t know what you don’t know and that many times what you discover is humorous, tricky. When I first came across the concept of the Trickster God (and this concept exists in many diverse cultures), it changed my relationship to the Divine. I had been raised with the idea of the schoolmaster God – judgemental yet forgiving, but somehow always out of reach. The trickster God likes to remind you of his presence by letting you in on the joke. Just when you think you know something, you realise that you know nothing at all. And so you retain the beginner’s mind, a childlike innocence. Not all is said and done, not all is known, nothing is set in stone, especially not your personality traits or character, whatever you might believe that to be. Life becomes a lot more fun when you think it’s conspiring to make you laugh…
Krishna played some tricks in the yoga room last week. He reminded me that what is behind is just as important as what is in front. He reminded me to open that back window and to look through it. JSK.
NY Time Opinion: Yoga teachers need a code of ethics
I agree completely with the author of this piece. As a teacher of Viniyoga, I am ashamed that there has also been a scandal in our lineage, although not mine directly. I won’t publish details here, but it is easy enough to dig up. Notably, the person involved is back teaching, without apparently having to atone for his indiscretions. For me, his alleged bad behaviour does not detract from the essence of the teachings of his father, TKV Desikachar and grandfather, T. Krishnamacharya. However, I do believe that the organization that promotes the teachings of Viniyoga ought to be strong enough to discipline even the direct descendent of its founder. Anyway, here is the link.
Yoga at GOA? Yes, please!
Daily Yoga Classes at GOA, Altea
It’s shaping up to be a busy summer. Nothing like doing yoga every day. Since it’s going so well for me over at GOA Altea, Lau and I have decided to collaborate on a a new project: yoga campus 2017! Basically, it is a daily yoga class and healthy breakfast deal.
We understand that the summertime is for chilling. But, we also know that there are people out there who know that relaxing is not only about wine and lying in. Strange is it may sound, we believe that there are people out there who like to awaken early, with a clear head, and care for themselves with exercise, breathing and positive thinking. How do I know that such people exist? Because I am one of them!
I know a lot of people who rent houses for holidaymakers in summertime. Very often, these are three and four-bedroom houses, and the groups that share them are ten, maybe twelve people, children included. Now, being in a large group for any length of time is tiring. I have seen time and again the sunburnt, sleepy faces of mums and dads on holiday. I know that some of those people will relish, absolutely delight in the idea of a quiet hour for themselves in the morning, to stretch and breathe and reconnect with their inner essence. Believe me, yoga changes the prism through which one views the world. So, set your alarm for 8:30, get on over to GOA by 9:00 any morning in July and August 2017 and come practice yoga. Don’t bother eating first, yoga is best practised on an empty stomach anyway. Breakfast is served afterwards, with your VIP card, attractive pricing and lots of care and love.
Need more info? Comment below, like Alteayoga on Facebook, or just mail me on alteayoga – at – gmail – dot – com.
Namaste and a great big Om.
-Rachel
Bring calm into your nervous system via breathing
Here is a short video that deals with the relationship between the breath and the emotions. In a study, scientists discovered that when emotions are elicited in trial participants, their breathing pattern changes. But the interesting thing is that the opposite thing also happens: When breathing patterns are altered, the corresponding emotion is elicited. Let’s allow Emma Seppälä to explain it:
Breathe Better: How to Improve Your Mind, Attention, and Memory
In the video, she demonstrates the yogic breathing technique known variously as Nadi shodhana or anuloma-viloma. Alternate nostril breathing works just fine, too.
Pratyahara
David Frawley of the American Institute of Vedic Studies is, in my opinion, one of the most erudite and informed yoga pundits on the scene today. I shall share with you a link to his writings on pratyahara, the fifth limb of Astanga yoga. If you have been practising with me this winter, you will know that pratyahara has figured in my teachings. I hope that this article enlightens you on its philosophical underpinnings. Om shantih shantih shantih.
Pratyahara: Yoga’s Forgotten Limb
Summer 2017 – Yoga Classes at Hotel Altaya
I am thrilled to announce that I will be offering yoga classes every morning throughout the summer of 2017.
From 1 July until 31 August, bright and early, we will practice hatha yoga in front of the sparkling blue Mediterranean Sea.
Scheduled time is 7:30-8:30. Please get there early and bring a mat, if you have one. We will be on the very agreeable terrace of the Hotel Altaya. Here is the Google Maps reference.
Pricing goes like this: Over the course of a week, there are seven classes. If you come to one class in any given week, starting from any day, the class costs 7€. If you return for a second class that same week, the second class costs 6€. If you return for a third time, the third class costs 5€. And so on, until your seventh and final class for the week costs only 1€. I do it like this to encourage daily practice, and to reward those who have the gumption to keep turning up. But, also, because I understand that some people will only be able to come three times, or five, or whatever, and they also need and deserve encouragement.
The maximum cost of a week of daily yoga is 7+6+5+4+3+2+1 = 28€, IVA included.
We will also be doing a yoga and breakfast smoothie tie-in. Prices and details to follow soon.
So, if you are planning to spend your summer, or part of it, in Altea, please do come along.
Ambient music for yoga
I came across this lovely offering on Youtube. If Christmas Day has been busy and your mind-body is revved up with rajas or bogged down in tamas, look for sattwa on your mat and in your heart. After you have digested your food, do a gentle practice, give thanks and be joyful. Whatever meaning Christmas may have for you, if you are reading this, you are alive, literate, connected to a vast electronic web and web of life. I am not perfectly happy all the time. That’s WHY I practice yoga, to still my mind. But I have learned to be grateful, and thankful, and appreciative of the miracle that is life, and I too have life, therefore I am part of the miracle. Be happy, dear souls. Breathe in, breathe out. Om.
ReCipE tIme: Toasted Sunflower Seed Salad
Between the sunflower seeds and the sprouts, this salad is protein, vitamin and mineral feast!
Ingredients: Escarole, rocket/rucula, misuni, beet greens, lamb’s lettuce, grated carrot, black olives, tamari toasted sunflower seeds*, sprouts: alfalfa, radish, cress, green mung bean, brown lentil, raisins, balsamic vinegar, olive oil.
*Method for Tamari Toasted Sunflower Seeds: Heat a heavy pan (I use cast iron), then add seeds and let them sit, without stirring, until you hear one or two pop. Then, reduce the heat and move the seeds gently around the pan until some of them are beginning to brown. Don’t overheat or overcook as you will destroy vital nutrients. Place the seeds, still warm, in a bowl and add tamari or soy sauce, stirring immediately. Allow to cool, then sprinkle on your salad. They are also lovely with brown rice and nori sprinkle, for a simple and nutricious evening meal.
Mix it all together and, voilá, baby!