August 23, 2011
sunyanam gunanam prati-prasavah kaivalyam
sva-rupa-pratistha va citi-sakter iti
When Self-realization comes, what seems like a great achievement from an individual’s perspective is a non-event from the perspective of the impersonal Self. All the ups and downs, struggles and joys of countless lifetimes exist on a finite level only. To the Eternal, ever present impersonal Self (the one who is forever free), enlightenment is a non-event, as there was never ever any un-enlightenment. It is all light!
YOGA SUTRA OF PATAÑJALI, chapter 4: kaivalya pada / on absolute freedom, sutra 34 (source: Jivamukti Yoga chant book)
News
August 23, 2011Away
Between 29 Dec. and 8 March I will be traveling. All classes are being substituted by lovely teachers! See you in spring…
Mon 10:00-11:30 Svaha Yoga level 2 Patrick
Mon 20:15-21:50 TMP Jivamukti open* Alexis
Tue 19:00-20:30 Svaha Yoga level 3 Michael
Wed 18:00-19:30 TMP Jivamukti beginners* Alexis
Wed 20:00-21:00 Shape All In Malika
Thu 20:15-21:50 TMP Jivamukti open* Esther
Sun 18:00-19:30 Svaha Yoga level 1 Malika
*during my absence the Jivamukti classes will be Vinyasa yoga classes
Weekly Schedule
May 31, 2011
Available for privates on request, please contact me via e-mail.
Mon 10-11:30 Svaha Yoga (Level 2)
Mon 20:15-21:50 TMP (Jivamukti Open Class)
Tue 19-20:30 Svaha Yoga (Level 3)
Wed 18-19:30 TMP (Jivamukti Beginners Class)
Thu 20:15-21:50 TMP (Jivamukti Open Class)
Sun 18-19:30 Svaha Yoga (Level 1)
Jivamukti Yoga Classes
May 31, 2011
New in Amsterdam…
Jivamukti comes from the Sanskrit word “Jivanmukti=living liberated” or “Jivanmukta=one who has attained Self-realization”.
The Jivamukti Yoga method was founded by Sharon Gannon and David Life in 1984 (NYC) as a path towards enlightenment through compassion for all other beings. It is an integrated yoga method which combines a vigorous and challenging physical practice with Ahimsa (principle of non-harming), Bhakti (devotion, chanting), Dhyana (meditation), Nada (deep listening, use of music) and Shastra (study of ancient yogic scriptures).
The aim is to give you an experience of the art of yoga in its full potential, which is not only limited to Asana (postures), but educates you about the source of yoga and a life style which creates a mutually beneficial relation with the earth and all other beings.
Every month is focused on a specific philosophical theme and every week another energetic principle will be explored (such as balancing, twisting, forward bending, back bending). We practice Vinyasa Krama, the art of sequencing, by consciously linking breath and movement to one continuous flow, as well as attending to good alignment, particularly of the spine. Deep breathing will help to enhance the flow of prana or vital energy throughout the whole body, inviting a sense of clarity and spaciousness to the mind.
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Beginners classes introduce you to the Jivamukti method and prepare you for Open level. Open classes are suited for practitioners with previous yoga experience (this class moves at a fairly dynamic pace, equivalent to level 2).
Taught in English.
Taught in English.
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Single class: €15, first timers second class free within 1 week
10-class card: €120 (expires after 3 months)
Where
September 23, 2010The Movement Practice, Korte Schimmelstraat 16-18
www.themovementpractice.com
Svaha Yoga Shala, Willemsstraat 133
www.svahayoga.com
All classes walk-in, studio open 15 min before lesson begins.
Mats and other props are available, bring own mat if you like!
Special thanks to Amy and Mira for letting me teach at the Movement Practice and for being so supportive!!!
Satsang
July 12, 2010
NEXT SATSANG: March 2012 at The Movement Practice , stay tuned!
sat = truth
anga = limb, attachment
satsang = attachment to the truth, in association with the truth
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meeting once a month at the movement practice for yoga philosophy and yoga get-together! anyone welcome. free. we will study the jivamukti focus of the month in relation with shastra (ancient yogic scriptures): yoga sutra of patañjali, bhagavad gita, hatha yoga pradipika. this is also a frame from which spiritual activism can arise, bringing yoga off the mat and into the world.
this initiative was born out of the urge to come together, to feel at one with like-minded friends, to build community and to share. the urge to educate and grow. the urge to discuss what peaceful spiritual activism is or could be, and what freedom is or could be. we would like to find out how the traditional scriptures relate to our lives right now right here, and how they can support a yogic life style that is mutually beneficial in relation to all other beings and the earth.
through gathering in satsang, we want to become conscious of the community that is already existing, we want to strengthen and make visible that community. through satsang we want to offer our knowledge, share our collective intelligence and educate ourselves in regard to truth and freedom. through satsang we gather with like-minded beings who remind us of our true potential. through satsang we associate with others into oneness and dissolve the sense of a separate self.
this aloneness is worth more than a thousand lives.
this freedom is worth more than all the lands on earth.
to be one with the truth for just a moment,
is worth more than the world and life itself.
(rumi)
WHAT IS YOGA?
July 12, 2010Live simply so that others may simply live.
Yoga (=union) is the actual experience of the oneness of being, the interconnection and co-dependence of all things. But not everybody perceives life as such, rather most of us navigate as separate entities encountering a ‘world out there’.
Yoga is not only that state of union, it is also a process and practice. As long as we still see others as others, and as long as we experience suffering or sadness on some level, we might as well engage with these practices that have been brought to us by all the many amazing teachers of this ancient tradition.
The art of yoga covers 4 main fields of study:
jñana yoga (study of scriptures=shastra, meditation, philosopical contemplation), bhakti yoga (devotional path, chanting, performing rituals), karma yoga (selfless service to others, offering one’s actions without expecting anything in return) and hatha yoga (practice of physical postures in connection with conscious breathing). Those 4 branches have been integrated into what is called integral yoga or raja yoga (yoga of being, royal yoga).
At Svaha and Jivamukti Yoga studios we practice the integral path, which combines all aspects of the tradition.
8 limbs of Ashtanga Yoga:
According to the Yoga Sutra (196 verses on the practice and philosophy of raja yoga) written by the sage Patañjali, there are 8 steps towards the attainment of yoga, complete realization and absolute freedom.
1. Yama - 5 ethical guidelines how to interact with others, the first and most important one is ahimsa = not harming any other being
2. Niyama - 5 observances for one’s own life
3. Asana - seat, connection to the earth, physical posture (establishing a mutually beneficial relationship with the earth and all other beings)
4. Pranayama - restraining and releasing the prana=life force, techniques of yogic breathing
5. Pratyahara - withdrawing of the senses
6. Dharana - concentration, one-pointed focus
7. Dhyana - meditation
8. Samadhi - same as the highest, dissolving of a self, true perception
In the western world, yoga practice mostly focuses on step 3, asana (physical postures), but as you can see, it is only a small fraction of the entire system.
Vinyasa Krama – the art of sequencing
December 19, 2008vi=orderly
nyasa=placement
krama=uninterrupted sequence of events or movements in time
vinyasa krama=the very specific practice and technique of joining intention, breath and movement in a flowing and uninterrupted sequence of movements in order to experience the continuity/oneness of being, yoga.
The vinyasa krama practice can be experienced especially during sun salutations (surya namaskar), which is a prayer to the sun, celebrating the continuity and reliability of the sun’s movement as life sustaining principle for all living beings on earth.
The type of hatha yoga we practice at Svaha/Jivamukti is called vinyasa yoga, which is the conscious linking of breath and movement within a dynamic sequence of postures. This helps us to observe change in every moment of life and learn to be at ease with the impermanence of things. Besides the flowing quality of vinyasa krama we also pay attention to energetic and anatomical alignment, particularly the spine. Alignment is enlightenment, as Mr. Iyengar likes to say!
Yoga dictionary
September 27, 2008
Yoga = union (sanskrit root yuj = to joke, connect), the joking of the individual sense of self to the cosmic eternal Self
Yogi = one who practices techniques to bring about Self-realization, also one who has attained Self-realization
Hatha Yoga = yoga of physical postures and breathing techniques, preparing the body for seated meditation. (ha=sun, tha=moon) Hatha Yoga is the joining of opposite forces such as sun and moon, pingala and ida nadi, body and mind through breath, individual sense of self with the oneness of being.
Sadhana = conscious spiritual practice
Dhyana = meditation, absorption, uninterrupted focus of attention
Sakshi = witness, non-judgmental observation
Samadhi = ‘same as the highest’, enlightenment, Self-realization, cosmic consciousness, bliss, ecstasy
Brahman = the expansive one, changeless reality of all things, no name no form, pure love (Sanskrit root bri = ever expanding)
OM = the primal sound/vibration, most powerful mantra
Guru = remover of darkness, teacher, enlightenment principle
Sangha = community
Satsang = attachment to the truth, association with like-minded people who remind you of your true potential
Jivanmukta = one who is enlightened to the true nature of being while still living (jiva=individual soul, mukta=liberated being)
Jivamukti = yoga style founded by Sharon Gannon and David Life, path to enlightenment through compassion for all other beings, integrated method of yoga combining physical practices with ahimsa (non-harming), bhakti (devotion), dhynana (meditation), nada (deep listening, music) and shastra (study of scripture). Living liberated.
Moksha = liberation
Samsara = the wheel of birth and death, suffering
Karma = action (Sanskrit root kr=to act). The law of karma is the law of cause and effect, action and reaction, interrelation.
Anarchy = Self-rule. True Self-rule means to be guided by the inner divine Self, not motivated by the desires of ego. The philosophy of Self-rule is called anarchism.
Ahimsa = non-harming, reducing the harm we cause to others in as many ways as possible (first of the 5 Yamas from Patañjali’s Ashtanga Yoga)
Vegetarianism = the practice of not eating meat (according to the yamas/yogic ethical guidelines in the Yoga Sutra of Patañjali, a vegetarian diet is key to the yoga practice)
Veganism = the practice of not eating or using any products derived from animal sources
Nada Yoga = deep listening (for the unstruck sound), the yoga that is attained by hearing the nadam/OM, creating a sound body/mind by listening from the external (music) towards the internal (nadam)
Sanskrit = the perfect language (put together, constructed, highly refined), ancient language of India, a potent vibrational language with the inherent power to invoke what is spoken
Chakra = wheel, energy center within sushumna nadi, the central energy channel along the spine. There are 7 chakras: muladhara (root place), swadhisthana (her favorite standing place), manipura (jewel in the city), anahata (unstruck), vishuddha (poison-free place), ajna (command center), sahasrara (thousand-petaled lotus).
Nadi = river, current, subtle energy channel through which prana flows, similar to meridians. There are said to be ca. 72 000 nadis in the body, the 3 main ones being ida (moon channel/left), pingala (sun channel/right) and sushumna (central channel, ray of light).
Prana = vital energy, life force
Pranayama = yogic breathing techniques, restraining and freeing the prana/vital force in the body
Shakti = feminine power of the divine, force of nature (prakriti)
Kundalini = consciousness, ‘serpent power’, potential energy said to lie dormant at the base of the spine as a coiled up snake, moving upwards through the central channel (sushumna) once being awakened
Bandha = energetic lock, the 3 main bandhas are mulabandha (root lock), uddiyana bandha (flying up lock) and jalandhara bandha (chin lock, net lock, cloud catching lock)
Drishti = gaze, letting the eyes rest on a particular location such as navel, thumb or tip of nose during asana practice
Ujjayi = upward victorious breath, particular way of deepening and lengthening the breath in asana and pranayama practice by slightly closing the vocal cords to create a smooth subtle sound in the throat
Kapalabhati = skull shining (kriya, cleansing breath)
*source: mostly based on glossary from “Jivamukti Yoga, practices for liberating body and soul” by Sharon Gannon and David Life
Roots
September 13, 2008Nora is a certified Jivamukti Yoga teacher based in Amsterdam, born in Germany. She comes from a background of performance art making and choreography and studied a range of eastern movement techniques and martial arts. Her interest to combine philosophical inquiry with the direct experience of physical practice brought her to the art of yoga. She was mostly drawn to the aspects of meditation, pranayama (breathing techniques), Sanskrit chanting, deep listening and yoga philosophy. Despite having been a dancer before, asana practice (physical postures) were not her main interest to start with.
She has studied contemporary choreography at the School for New Dance Development (SNDO) in Amsterdam (2001), where she now teaches Jivamukti Yoga and movement research. She has followed three teacher trainings in the Vinyasa Yoga method: OM Yoga NYC (2007), Svaha Yoga Amsterdam (2008), and Jivamukti Yoga NY (2011). She teaches classes and workshops at Svaha Yoga, The Movement Practice, SNDO, and the Amsterdam summer academy of the Tisch School Of The Arts, NYC.
Nora is deeply thankful for the loving guidance of all her teachers, particularly Clive Sheridan, Richard Freeman, Adyashanti, Sharon Gannon, David Life, Patrick Vermeulen, Gösta van Dam, and all the students who dedicate their time to the practice of yoga, reminding her of the best place to be at: beginner’s mind.
She would like to offer all the knowledge that has been made available to her to all other beings, with the wish that all may be happy and free of suffering.
tasmai shri gurave namah
I humbly make my offering to the guru, the beautiful remover of ignorance, the enlightenment principle that is within me and surrounds me at all times.
Recommended Reading
September 13, 2008Sharon Gannon and David Life “Jivamukti Yoga, Practices for liberating body and soul”
Sharon Gannon “Yoga and Vegetarianism” The Diet of Enlightenment
Adyashanti “True Meditation” / ”Emptiness Dancing”
Chip Hartranft “The Yoga-Sutra of Patanjali”
Eknath Easwaran (transl.) “The Bhagavad Gita”
Richard Freeman “The Mirror of Yoga”
B.K.S. Iyengar “Light On Yoga”
“Hatha Yoga Pradipika” (Bihar publication)
Radhakrishnan (transl./com.) “The Principle Upanishads”
Lex Hixon “Coming Home”, “Great Swan”, “Mother of the Universe”
Sakyong Mipham “Turning the Mind into an Ally”
Fritjof Capra “The Tao of Physics”
Joachim-Ernst Berendt “The World is Sound – Nada Brahma”
Rumi: any book of his poems, especially the love poems!
Thich Nhat Hanh: any of his books (mindfulness/buddhism)
Vanamali “Shakti, Realm of the Divine Mother”
