Yoga - union
Getting started
Many people ask me: "How can I start doing Yoga?" My answer
never varies: I don't endorse drop-in classes at the beginner level.
I think that until you know the basic positions (asanas) and their
names (in Sanskrit and English - believe me, it helps) then you are
not ready to do open-level classes. Also, it takes some time to
unlearn the gym mentality of comparing yourself to the people beside
you. Until you stop looking sideways (not good in headstand!!) you
cannot look within. And until you look within, you are not practicing
Yoga.
My advice is to attend a basic course such as the ones
offered at the Sivananda centres. Once you are able to do sun
salutations without instruction, and once you are stable enough to
balance in tree pose, for instance, or to hold the shoulder stand for
a few seconds; once you are able to lie still and not flutter your
eyes everytime there is a noise, then you are ready to progress to
open classes or other styles, if you wish.
I advocate without reservation the establishment of a home practice.
Buy yourself a Yoga mat, get some loose, modest white clothes and get
up in the morning. Start gently with sun saluations and breathing.
Don't attempt difficult postures - advanced positions have very
specific ways of getting into them. If you can't handle morning
practice, try to get some time in before bed. Remember that you are
more flexible in the afternoon/evening so don't overdo it!
And the best, most fun part of Yoga is chanting. Let your voice soar
free and you will feel amazing! Om shanti.
Yoga Styles
Kundalini
The most amazing style of Yoga I have tried is Kundalini Yoga. It's incredibly powerful and joyful. Yogi Bahjan brought this style to the US in the last 60's and founded the 3HO (Healthy Happy Holy Organization) to promote its teaching. It is a very woman-positive organisation, and it seems to me to be very practical in the ways it helps to integrate yogic practice into everyday life. I hope that someday I will settle and find a Kundalini teacher and dedicate more of myself to kundalini yoga. In the meantime, I have incorporated some Kundalini Yoga into my routine. Here are some links.
Sivananda
I have been practising the Sivananda Yoga system since 1999. The Sivananda asanas are a form of Hatha Yoga I like this system because of it's stillness. I highly recommend their beginners course, available at all their ashrams worldwide.
Astanga
The eight-limbed path as taught by Sri Pattabhi Jois from his ashram in Mysore, India. A very physical hatha style characterised by a dynamic flow into and out of the asanas and the application of bandhas throughout to direct prana upwards through the nadis. I think that the Ashtanga surya namaskara (sun salutation) is the most fun and it really gets you warm. I enjoy Astanga yoga a lot, in fact. But I woudn't recommend it to a novice yogi or yogini.
Bikram
I have done Bikram Yoga classes which I found physically very challenging. I found that the classes have served to improve my Hatha Asanas as there is meticulous attention to form in this style of yoga. It's too bad Mr Bikram's gone all grapsing on our asses and copyrighted !!! his yoga sequences. Ohmigawd. Like, what a great way to deter people from going to your classes - act like a godawful small-minded Wall street trader. Yay Bikram!
The Four Yoga Paths
The Raja Yoga Sutra:
Patanjali compiled the findings of ancient yogis to create the Raja Yoga Sutra. This text "describes the inner workings of the mind, and also provides an eight-stepped (ashtanga) blueprint for controlling the restless mind and enjoying lasting peace." Yoga Mind and Body, DK living, ISBN 0-7513-0567-7)
The Eight Steps of Raja Yoga are:
Other Interesting Sites
Some mudras that you can practice discreetly at your desk, on the bus or while waiting in a queue.
This excellent Glossary of Sanskrit Terms may help you to understand your practice more clearly.
Here's a second Sanskrit
Glossary.
