Yoga Mid Term Paper Metro West Yoga

                                    MetroWest Yoga:                       

                        Myoga Hot Hatha –Baptiste/Shaw

                                     Amanda Cowgill

                                        CSOCS 3452

                        Yoga: Theory, Culture and Practice

                                            2/22/2013

                                    MetroWest Yoga:                       

                        Myoga Hot Hatha –Baptiste/Shaw

I have been extremely lucky to experience the art of yoga from multiple teachers over the years. I was able to broaden my horizon by learning a variety of yoga styles.  I started my yoga experience with hatha yoga. Lately I was able to open my eyes to a completely new form,, one  I had never experienced before. I was opened up to the world of Myoga hot hatha.

I was fortunate enough to visit a wonderful yoga studio down the street from me. It’s called, MetroWest Yoga. It is run by a woman in her mid-50s,  Shawn Shaw, who has been practicing for more than 30 years. She started her yoga practice after an abusive marriage left her divorced with two young children. She started her yoga practice in her own home. She converted a bedroom in her house to a studio in 2003. She encouraged her children to join in as well. When her studio began to grow, she opened up her first commercial studio in Westborough, Mass., in 2005. She theThen recently open her second studio in Worcester, Mass.. Shawn turned to yoga to help heal herself from her divorce. She says yoga allowed her to heal., Aa quote from Shawn’s website, tell her story of what yoga did for her:.

“With regular practice, my body became stronger and healthier than it had with any other form of exercise, and my mind became calm and peaceful. In addition, I learned to love more openly, speak more truthfully and live more in the moment. I decided teaching yoga and bringing this beautiful healing practice to others would be my life’s work.”  (Shawn Shaw 2011)

It’s wonderful stories like Shawn’s that encourage others, like myself to give yoga a fair shake. It has been explained that although one my not have their “ah ha” moment in the first few sessions,. mMost do leave a yoga class refreshed and ready to take on the day with a positive outlook on what each day has to bring.

            Due to Shawn’s passion for wanting to bring the benefits to others, opening her study was only theo beginning tof what she brings with her. Shawn has become an experiences registered yoga teacher. (E-RYT 200). She has created workshops for those who want to learn the art of teaching. She is a As well as trained teacher herself both locally and internationally. She is known for training teachers to teach with authenticity and an open heart. The MetroWest studios are open to all levels of yoga practitioners, from beginners, children, to well- trained yogis. The studio offers single drop- in classes, a weeklong class andor even courses. Shawn even offers private lessons to all varieties of yogis. For the beginners who are looking for that individual time to help learn the basics of yoga, or for the more experienced yogis who are looking to deepen their practice.

In the beginning I was under the impression that yoga, was used to “empty the mind.”. While practicing yoga, one needed to control one’s thoughts. However I was recently told in an interview with my most recent yoga teacher, that’s not what Myoga hot hatha is about. An instructor at MetroWest yoga Vin Garino (2013) stated, “Iit is not about being able to control your mind, because realistically it isn’t completely possible to control your thoughts. But instead meditation and yoga is about seeing your mind wander and being able to realize that and reign your mind back in. Being able to know that you mind is straying from your breathing and being able to refocus on your breaths and focus your energy.” Knowing this has hadmade a tremendous effect on my perspective towards yoga. Struggling with ADHD (attention-deficit-hyperactive-disorder) I have a hard time focusing and sitting still. I always thought that I would never be good at yoga because my mind wanders far too frequently to be able to “control” my thoughts. I thought that yoga was about getting to the point where your mind is empty and not allowing thoughts to go in or out, that it is all about the breath. This was extremely discouraging for me, because I enjoy the art of yoga, but felt I wasn’t good at it. Being introduced to Vin, made a big impact, he was positive and encouraging. When I mentioned my doubts about my mind, Garino (2013) stated, “if you are able to notice that your mind is wandering, then the first step is to see and realize that. The next part is to pull your mind back and refocus. If you are able to do that, then you are more than half way there in yoga and meditation.” This here is one of the major steps in yoga for me, and one huge reason as to why I continue to go back to MetroWest Yoga.

            After speaking with a few of the yoga teachers at the studio, it was explained that the background of Myoga hot hatha is from the practice of Baron Baptiste. According to Baron Baptiste’s,

“Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga classes offer a true immersion into your physical and mental self. The unique blend of yoga traditions and philosophies emphasize the flow of breath while moving with strength and grace from pose to pose, all in a heated environment. Modern yogi and founder, Baron Baptiste, stresses the principle of adaptation. Both aspiring and advanced yogis, young and old, can modify each posture and create their own individual experience. The result is a yoga practice that rinses and detoxifies the mind and body, while building strength and flexibility on and off the mat.” (Baptiste, 2013)

With this guidance and experience from working with Baptisite, Shawn went off with the inspiration to create her own style of yoga. Myoga hot hatha has become a version of Baptiste’s power yoga, bringing in her own twist to the practice. One important factor that makesdiffers Shawn’s practice of yoga different from other forms is that fact that there is freedom in the poses. Garino often stated (2013) in his yoga class, “Mmake the pose your own, challenge yourself. Make it different.” This was something I hadn’t heard in yoga before. But it was something that stuck with me. I have always been a unique person, and being able to make each pose slightly more of my own without changing the pose itself, made me feel more in tune with the practice. I hope to one day enjoy a yoga practice taught by Baron Baptisite, to be able to compare the two. But either way I thoroughly enjoy the new practice I have luckily been able to experience.

            Yoga at MetroWest yoga is influenced by a few cultures. However when talking with Garino (2013) he stated,  “There isn’t a specific culture to back this study. The main influence in Shawn’s yoga methods is the study of Baron Baptisite’s practices.”

 According to Baptitste Yoga (2013),

“Baptiste Yoga style is are inspired by the hatha yoga teachings of Krishnamacharya and his students Iyengar and Desikachar, whom Baron Baptiste studied with personally from a young age. The Baptiste Yoga practice and programs are designed to empower you with the focus, training and insight you need to achieve consistent results in the most important areas of your life.”

With this, Shawn has designed her yoga to encourage and train any practitioner to help them succeed with major events in one’s life. A reason for this particular practice is to encourage participants to reach their full potential, awaken theat passion that dwells within them, and to promote confidence to help one take on possibilities. The Baptiste yoga practice tries to empower practitioners to become leaders and contribute to the community. The Baptiste practice is one that is practiced all over the world. It is practiced from all walks of life, from professional athletes, to parents or teachers. It isn’t a practice that is only meant for those who can bend like a pretzel or have to stamina to work out for hours. Any one can exercise this practice, which is part of the reason this type of yoga is used by so many all around the world.

            Hot yoga is something that was new for me,. Wwhen I called the studio to schedule my class andI asked what was meant by “Power hour” they didn’t mention anything about hot yoga. Even on the website it states just bring comfortable clothing, I didn’t read the whole page to where it states heated room. However, I showed up to the studio in fleece leggings and lucky for me a running dri-fit shirt. I will honestly say I will never make the mistake again on not reading through something, either way I thoroughly enjoyed the class and I look forward to my future classes there.

References

Baptiste, B. (2013). Baron Baptiste: International Best-selling Author and Teacher. Retrieved

     February 23, 2013, from Baron Baptiste website: http://www.baronbaptiste.com/about/

     baron-baptiste/

Garino, V. (2013, February 21). [Personal interview by the author].

Shaw, S. (2011). Who We Are. Retrieved February 23, 2013, from MetroWest Yoga website:

     http://metrowestyoga.net

positive thinking collage

internal peace, external illusions

don't let the jumping monkeys get the best of you!

 

 

Thanks for contibuting guys; as a class we cited thing such as school, work, art, money, need to succeed, anxiety, finding stability, taking care of family needs, boyfriend's ex wife, baseball,public speaking stage fright, self doubt, people with negative attitudes bringing others down, thoughts such as "im stupid" and "am i as good as the person next to me?"

....all important things to be aware of

Prana Power Yoga (Rebecca Volynsky)

Rebecca Volynsky                     

Laura Douglass

Yoga: Theory, Culture and Practice

Spring Semester 2013

2/27/2013

     My back made an audible popping sound on January 1st of last year. I was having dinner with my partner at the time and ended up rushing to the emergency room, which was only a couple blocks away from the restaurant. From that day forward, I regularly saw a back specialist, attended physical therapy sessions, and did a light asana practice every morning. I also participated in hot vinyasa yoga classes at BE Studio in Union Square, Somerville every single week. The pain I was experiencing at the time was physical; however, I soon realized that I was experiencing a lot of mental pain as well. It was if I had a gigantic mental block; school wasn’t going well, I hated my job, and I never spoke to my friends or family. This struggle stemmed from the self-sabotaging anxiety I developed due to my relationship. The yoga that I regularly practiced and therapy sessions that I attended led me to see my place in the world, future goals, and relationship a little clearer. I learned how to let go, and I eventually did for my own self. This process was complicated, but somehow I managed to go through it gracefully with what I learned through my practice. After moving home to Providence for the summer, I made my way back to Cambridge in the fall of 2012 and started every aspect of my life over. I wanted to begin going to yoga regularly again, but I wanted to try out a different local studio first. This is when I began attending classes at Prana Power Yoga in Central Square, Cambridge.

     Prana Power Yoga was established by self-acclaimed “Super Mom”, Taylor Wells and her husband, Phillipe Wells ten years ago in Newton, MA. They later created additional studios in Winchester, MA, Manhattan, NY, Brooklyn, NY, and Cambridge, MA. A hot vinyasa flow is what instructors normally teach at Prana. In addition, restorative and unheated classes are practiced on occasion at a higher “workshop” price. In their teacher bios, both Taylor and Phillipe talk about how they once led superficial, seemingly happy lives, but didn’t feel like they were doing anything personally meaningful until they began to seriously practice yoga. Taylor opens up more about this on the Prana website, “I did a lot of stuff, got a lot of stuff, achieved a lot of stuff and won–a lot. But I wasn’t happy…” (Wells, pranapoweryoga.com). However, their expertise in time-management and leading businesses is still evident in how they run their studios. Taylor and Phillipe travel between all of their spaces and teach classes, lead teacher trainings and special workshops, do book signings, write a blog for the Boston Herald, and lead an unbelievably thorough social media campaign for Prana Power Yoga. While managing every single aspect of their business, they also raise five children. After learning all of this, it did not faze me why Taylor would call herself a “Super Mom”.

     In a video for the Boston Herald, Taylor talks about waking up at four in the morning to begin her practice or head to her Newton studio to teach a pre-dawn class. This sense of discipline is most likely inspiring to those with busy schedules; however, it seems overwhelming to me. In our modern culture, we want to be able to do everything in a short amount of time; but with the distractions that pop up throughout the day, it seems nearly impossible. I think that developing a routine while allowing yourself to “let go” throughout the day, even when you’re not practicing yoga, is possible. However, I believe that it’s important to just let go and be mindful of your well-being when you can’t pursue everything all at the same time.

     Prana Power Yoga’s goal is to provide a welcoming environment that will allow you to develop inner-strength and self-love. “You’ll experience a feeling of love, connection, belonging, acceptance, and good energy in our Prana community. We’re not about ego or competition, because that’s not yoga and it leads to suffering.” (Wells, pranapoweryoga.com) While eliminating outside pressure, one can become more mindful of their body and well-being. “Create The Best Life Ever” is a book that Taylor Wells also wrote to inspire her students. It is a collection of real life stories that she promises will help you make your goals in life more possible. The book is available in a section of the Prana website that is dedicated to selling books, inspiration cards, and yoga-inspired clothing. I found this to be extremely hypocritical of what they claim to be their beliefs. Is someone who is dealing with anxiety or body image-related issues supposed to purchase these products in order to be happy? This is a perfect example of how yoga is marketed to Western society. The idea that Prana Power Yoga is an ego and competition-free space is plastered throughout their social media and public campaigns for the studio. However, this is not what exactly what I first observed when I walked into the “Prana 2 Music” class in Cambridge.

     Once I paid the fee for the class, I walked into an almost full room of women that were mostly wearing super tight tops and leggings. The space was lit by colorful lanterns hanging from the sea foam green painted ceiling, and had an extremely large window that faced Massachusetts Ave. in Central Square. It felt very welcoming and open, despite the suffocating humidity filling the space. It was hard to find a place to lay down my mat because it was extremely full in the room and I didn’t want to step on anyone. I settled for a place in the back so I could observe the rest of the students. I admit that I felt a little self-conscious and didn’t know what kind of reaction I would get from the instructor or other students if I made a mistake or went too slow. I try to keep up with the pace of hot yoga classes; however, it’s important for me take breaks and slow down due to my asthma and lower back pain. At the studio that I used to go to in Union Square, the teacher would always ask everyone if they had any injuries prior to class. Unfortunately, and to my surprise, this did not happen at the class at Prana that day. In addition, I felt a sense of “competition” within the class, which can turn people away from popular hot yoga studios like Prana. On the Prana Power Yoga website, blog, and in various videos, Taylor Wells also talks about body image and how Prana is a community that accepts everyone. Our modern culture is obsessed with body image, which is what yoga is now often associated with. Letting go of that mental block when you go to classes is extremely important if you’re new to the practice and don’t understand the way it’s represented in modern culture.

     The instructor, Caitlin Green, came in and started playing some music that filled the space. I immediately sensed that playing music while practicing yoga wasn’t for me. I didn’t feel relaxed, in fact, I felt extremely tense during the entire session. It was even difficult to let go in child’s pose while Coldplay blasted through the speakers. I’m sure it enriched the flow and movement for some students, but the stress that I was bringing to my mat and trying to unravel that day only amplified within me. I was really surprised to see her waltz around all of the students without helping them with alignment throughout the class. She did not practice or demonstrate any of the poses herself; rather, she called some of the complicated names out loud instead. I had to look up from my mat and check out what other students were doing most of the time because I didn’t know what she was saying. I found myself struggling to keep up with the pace and music, so I occasionally had to escape into child’s pose instead. Although this class is advertised as being suitable for “all-levels”, I don’t feel like Caitlin did enough to make sure that her students were aware of alternate poses in case they were feeling pain or couldn’t hold the pose long enough.

     After another oddly uncomfortable experience, I still want to keep giving Prana Power Yoga a chance. I left the class feeling rejuvenated and like my muscles loosened up. I was excited that I had something to write about, but I’m eager to go back and see what the other instructors are like. Going to studios that offer a variety of classes taught by around twenty different instructors can be hit-or-miss. I don’t think this particular class reflects what all yoga classes are like at this studio, just like how the one session I went to at BE in Union every week might not reflect what the other classes are like. I might have just been lucky to find an instructor who was fully invested in the student’s success and growth within the class. Although I did not agree with their methods of advertising and promoting living the “best life ever” by purchasing their products, I hope to give some of Prana Power Yoga’s other classes a chance. My experience at Prana reminded me of how important it is to focus on your own mind and body when you are practicing.  He writes “…the aloneness of seeing in its purity, without any distortions introduced by the organs of perception, namely, the mind, the heart, and the senses” is the power of yoga (Ravindra 50). While eliminating outside pressure, one can become more mindful or their body and well being.

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Works Cited

Ravindra, Ravi. The Spiritual Roots of Yoga: Royal Path to Freedom: Sandpoint: Morning Light

Press, 2006. Print.

Wells, Taylor. Prana Power Yoga. 2013. Web. 22 Feb 2013.

NAMASTE YOGA!!! (Shown during Rachel Keller + Jordan Santos presentation)

Hey guys!

If you are interested in seeing the entire "Namaste Yoga" film, here is the link. Perhaps it will help us continue to find themes for next class!


http://www.namaste.tv/pages/share

Thanks!

SoniYoga- Rachel Keller

           

SoniYoga in Western Culture

Rachel Keller

Laura Douglass

Yoga: Theory Culture & Practice

Midterm Paper

27 February, 2013

            SoniYoga is a small yoga studio located in Cambridge, MA. The owner, Soni, created the studio in 2007 to help reflect her own Ayurveda and Vastu practices; and her belief of living in harmony with nature. The history of SoniYoga relies equally on Soni’s husband, David, as it does on Soni herself. David travelled when he was younger and while working with the Peace Corps he met and married Soni in Fiji (“SoniYoga”, n.d). In 2000 David first experienced yoga and it became a dominant force in his life. After this point David became a corporate business man who incorporates the principles of yoga with technology management (“SoniYoga”, n.d).

            Ayurveda, one of the aspects of Soni’s lifestyles, “originated in India more than 5,000 years ago and is the oldest continuously practiced health-care system in the world. Ayurveda is the science of nature, largely preventative medicine, enhancing self-awareness to help us make choices that support well-being. The system encourages us to catch imbalance before it begins to create disease” (“What is Ayurveda”, 2013). This practice is taught at SoniYoga through individual consultations with an Ayurvedic counselor and then adapting to a personalized Ayurvedic lifestyle.

            Vastu, the second aspect of Soni’s lifestyle is “the ancient science of design and architecture, originated during the Vedic Civilization…Vastu [is] arguably the world’s oldest holistic design system…shows us how to create interior spaces so that they honor the rhythms that control the universe and establish harmony with ourselves and nature” (“Vastuliving”, n.d). This lifestyle is influenced in SoniYoga with the color scheme chosen for the studio. The studio is painted soft, warm, natural colors and the studio is dimly lit with a red hue. There are multiple plants and small fountains, and the open space given for classes is wood and surrounded by natural light.

            The studio’s mission statement claims, “SoniYoga is your home. We are dedicated to you; to help you strengthen, heal, grow, and to learn more about the essential you. We provide a joyful practice of yoga designed for all shapes, sizes and fitness levels. Rather then following a regimented series of postures, our practices will flow like water laughing down the stream bed from one pose to another. We will focus on breath and proper alignment to increase body awareness, flexibility, strength, and coordination; and try to challenge you in each yoga class to go a little further, to try something new, to learn something new about yourself. It’s not about the poses, it’s about you!” (“SoniYoga”, n.d).

            SoniYoga offers classes that are mostly based on Hatha Yoga. They offer classes which are private or in small groups, and are geared for a variety of experiences and abilities. The types of classes offered include: Hatha Yoga (Hatha basics, Hatha-all levels, Hatha Flow, and Yoga Stretch), Healing Yoga (focused on the treatment of people with chronic pain), Kundalini (incorporates breathing, yoga postures, mantras, mundras and meditation to stimulate specific areas of the body’s energy, hormonal, circulatory or physical systems), Restorative Yoga (uses props to support postures, relaxes and reinvigorates the body and mind), and Yin & Yang Yoga (Preparing for deep meditation, and then focus on movement and breath to keep the mind still).

            One of the Restorative Yoga classes, “Gentle Yoga”, is described as “For those needing relief from stress or pain, come to relax, breathe and take a gentle approach to postures. We will practice yoga asana mostly on the floor to stretch and strengthen muscles in a safe manner. We will also do meditation, relaxation and Pranayama (yoga breathing)” (“SoniYoga”, n.d.). After attending this class I noticed that culture influenced the practice greatly.

            The 11:30am Saturday class catered to people who were enjoying the end of their workweek and looking for a relief from the stresses of life. The class consisted of all white upper class women, ranging from early 20’s to mid 60’s in age, and the class offered multiple props to help support these women in their poses. The support props included blankets, soft blocks, and rolling pillows. During the practice there was soft music playing in the background and most of the women came prepared wearing tight clothing and had high-end yoga mats. From a cultural perspective, it is not surprising that this was the environment that the studio supported. In the description of the class it was stated that Pranayama would be included in the practice. It is believed in hatha yoga that if you can control the prana, the mind is automatically controlled (Personal Notes, 2013). The Gentle Yoga class helped with flexibility and stress relief, but the women who attended the class seemed mostly concerned with their ability to achieve their poses physically and less on being able to regulate their breathing or keep a still mind.

From my observations, it appears that Americans use the “healing” aspects of the yoga practices as a selling point to gain attention, but also appear to focus on the physical portion of the practice to keep clients there; telling them that they will “better themselves” physically by doing yoga . The teacher, Molly, would narrate through the practice, saying things like, “use the breath as an ocean that washes through and relaxes the body,” but Molly herself was wearing tight clothing and did not participate in all of the poses or breathing exercises.

            To conclude her class, molly had all of the participants put their hands together at their hearts and say “Namaste”, which I learned has multiple meanings. During a brief interview with Molly, she stated that, “Namaste is recognizing the light in oneself and in others. It is also a way of greeting someone depending on the translation you use” (Personal Interview, 2013). This translation of Namaste being the recognition of the light in oneself relates to Krishnamurti, who speaks of this “light” as well. Krishnamurti claims that, “One must be free to be completely a light to oneself…this light cannot be given by another, nor can you light it at the candle of another. If you light it at the candle of another, it is just a candle, it can be blown out” (Krishnamurti, 111). This could be applied to using the term “Namaste” in the sense that during yoga practice we are aiming to become a light in oneself, but Krishnamurti would most likely disagree with the fact that we are using  this translation of Namaste to conclude a group yoga session and to recognize other people’s lights as well. Krishnamurti is focused on meditation and in order to achieve being a light in oneself, you must go through vigorous steps to free yourself from things like authority, and you must be able to observe the “now”. The concept of  having an increased awareness of oneself appeared to be valid for the class, but Molly did not explain the meaning of Namaste to the group, so they just repeated it and left. This is cultural because yoga in America is not concerned with understanding the individual meaning of the words that are shared in class but more so on how they make participants feel while hearing them. The closing remark of “Namaste” appeared to be comforting and therefore there was no concern for understanding anything greater about it.

            The concept of using Namaste as a symbolic bridge of Western Hatha Yoga practice and Eastern Hatha Yoga practice is especially evident in a woman named Kate Potter, who created “Namaste Yoga”. Potter is a Buddhist who has been a yoga teacher for 18 years and created a DVD collection of her practices that is aired in the United States as well as in Canada. Namaste Yoga is an example of how Western culture has commercialized yoga and created practices that are based on Eastern yoga beliefs, but are sold to the people almost as a form of therapy that is supposed to “better” oneself. Namaste Yoga’s site states, “Namaste Yoga offers a complete yoga practice for people who want to become fitter, live healthier, and be happier. With Namaste Yoga, you can experience what yoga at home should feel like: stunning visuals, soothing music, and entirely original movement sequences that will claim the mind, strengthen the body, and inspire the soul” (“Namaste”, 2013). This demonstrates that the value of the yoga practice in these DVDs is not about finding the light in oneself through meditation or being able to still the mind through movement, but instead is about “you!” and how it can make “you!” feel better about yourself.

            One of the most obvious cultural influences noticeable in the demonstration video of Potter’s Namaste Yoga practice is how all three participants are young, white women who are all wearing almost no clothes and are incredibly fit. They use yoga mats wherever they are located, and are shown going through different poses with ease and showing no tension or struggling. This concept conflicts with what is practiced in Eastern Cultures because in those cultures it is not about how you look while practicing, or how comfortable you are in the pose, it is about unifying yourself with your mind, spirit and body. Even using the title of “Namaste” for the DVD collection is an example of commercialism of yoga ideas and practices because it takes a term that is supposed to be meaningful and a way of recognizing the light in oneself, and instead turns it into a selling point. When watching the DVDs it is obvious that Potter has a target audience of young white females who are looking for ways to boost their self esteem and achieve something physically.

            Potter’s DVDs connect to SoniYoga because they both used the term “Namaste” in a vague way. Instead of explaining the core meaning of Namaste and why it should be our goal during practice to achieve the light it speaks of, they use it as a way of convincing the participants that they have an authentic practice. Although SoniYoga is based on Soni’s past experiences with hatha yoga, the studio is not exempt from commercialization.

            Overall, SoniYoga offers a glimpse of what yoga practice is like in a Western Culture. Although Soni’s roots are Eastern, the studio that she created does not completely reflect her own beliefs. Through the gentle yoga class I was able to observe the population that the studio caters to, and relate my observations to the theory, culture, and practice of yoga. The use of “Namaste” was a cultural symbol that was intended to bridge both the Eastern and Western perspectives of yoga, but ultimately appeared to be more of a selling point than a true representation of the Eastern beliefs. In the future I would like to attend more classes at SoniYoga and continue my observations, in hope of seeing more of an authentic practice and less of the commercialized concern with body image and how yoga can “better” you.

References

Ayurveda - Ayurveda Boston. (n.d.). Ayurveda Boston. http://www.ayurvedaboston.com/ayurveda

Krishnamurti, J. (1999). Light in Oneself. This light in oneself: true meditation (p. 111). Boston: Shambhala.

Namaste Yoga | About Namaste Yoga. (n.d.). Namaste Yoga | Namaste Hatha Yoga Practice by Kate Potter, DVDs, Videos, Learning Materials. http://www.namaste.tv/pages/about-namaste

SoniYoga. (n.d.). SoniYoga. http://www.soniyoga.com/cm/Home.html

Welcome to Vastu Living - About Vastu. (n.d.). Welcome to Vastu             Living..http://www.vastuliving.com/vastu.php

The Ramakrishna Vedanta Society

Kate Fackina

Lesley University

I visited the Ramakrishna Center of Boston for a Sunday, Satsang meeting. “Sat” means “true” and “sanga” means “company.” This usually refers to the “highest truth,” being in the company of a guru, being in a discussion and/or reflection with others, and/or singing “devotional songs” (“Satsang,” 2013). Here, many were gathered to meditate, reflect, and listen to readings and songs presented by members of the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society, as well as Swami Tyagananda who is the live-in teacher and minister of the center. The present Ramakrishna Vedanta Center was founded in 1941. Vedanta first came to the Boston area in 1893 and the very first center was built in Boston in 1910 (Ramakrishna Vedanta Society, 2013a). Swami Vivekananda was the original founder of the Ramakrishna Order located in Belur Math, India and brought Ramakrishna Vedanta to Boston in 1893 (Ramakrishna Vedanta Society, 2013b). 

The Ramakrishna Order is the largest order in all of India. Branches of the Ramakrishna Order can be found all around world (Vedanta Society of Southern California, 2013a). The Ramakrishna Order’s ideas and teachings come from Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna was born in 1836 and died in 1886 of throat cancer. From the time he was very young until the end of his life he is said to have carried “love and purity.” Sri Ramakrishna was intent on getting in touch with the “Divine Mother” Earth. He was said to have reached her and received her guidance and blessings in all respects. Sri Ramakrishna engaged in Vedantic meditation with a monk who became one with God after “forty years of penance,” while Sri Ramakrishna accomplished this after just one day. He began to explore all religions, not just Hinduism. He explored the Muslim religion, Buddhism, and even Christianity. He began to spread the word of what he had found, which was that God can be found in all religions and all have the same goal. His teachings are recorded in a book called The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (Divine Life Society of South Africa, 2007).

The ideas and teachings of Vedanta and Ramakrishna are combined at the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society. Vedanta is a philosophy which was also founded in India. Vedanta combines “four yogas of devotion, service, meditation, and knowledge [which] are found in Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam” (Hourihan, 2008). Hourihan states in his text, “Vedanta is one of the six main schools of philosophy in Hinduism. We don’t hear very much about the other systems of thought in the West because they are not as exportable, not universal enough to have made the passage to the West” (2008). Vedanta follows Ramakrishna’s ideas because its ideas view all religions and life as being unified. The Vedanta idea is that we all seek peace, joy, and oneness (Hourihan, 2008).

Vedanta contains a few basic philosophies. “Veda” means “knowledge” and “anta” means  “the end of” or “the goal of” (Vedanta Society of Southern California, 2013b). The first idea is that all of existence is oneness. Everything is unified. This oneness accounts for the Earth and all living things. Not just humans, but also bugs, birds, the sky, the ocean, and on and on. The self is infinite in this sense. If one separates from this oneness, they will then suffer (Vedanta Society of Southern California, 2013c). The next idea is the concept of Maya. Maya means an illusion. Meditation is supposed to clear up this illusion. People are clouded by “egotism, selfishness, hatred, greed, lust, anger, [and] ambition,” and the goal of meditation is to reach “truthfulness, purity, contentment, self-restraint, and forbearance” (Vedanta Society of Southern California, 2013d). The Vedanta Society also believes in Karma and reincarnation. Karma means “action” or “the result of action.” This simply means that if you do good, good will come to you. If you do bad, bad will come to you. The Vedanta belief is also that your soul never dies. When you die, only your body dies, but your life is infinite (Vedanta Society of Southern California, 2013e). Truthfulness and unity reached through meditation brings about the idea of harmony of religions. This idea explains that God and self-realization are similar in all religions. One can choose to follow a specific spiritual path, but they can do so while learning from others around them and by valuing the other religions around them. There should be no fighting over religions because they each hold a truth (Vedanta Society of Southern California, 2013f). Lastly, is the idea of the avatar which means “descent of God.” This refers to God taking a human form because it is what people can relate to. They can then see him as a father, mother, and so on. God takes the form of the things that people love. Even though every follower of a religion may see their God in a different form they are still unified; it is all one truth and oneness (Vedanta Society of Southern California, 2013g).

Swami Ramakrishna was the teacher and guru of Swami Vivekananda who then spread the ideas of Ramakrishna Vedanta into the West. Swami Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Order after Swami Ramakrishna’s death. The Ramakrishna Order oversees all Ramakrishna Vedanta centers throughout the world. The Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission are both the same organization who have two different roles. The Ramakrishna Math is a monastery and spreads the Ramakrishna ideas of spiritual development. The Ramakrishna Mission is an organization made up of monks who follow Ramakrishna. Their role is to perform different social services. Many of these social services are performed within India. These life works are in effect because the saying of the Ramakrishna order is “Liberation for oneself and service to mankind” (Vedanta Society of Southern California, 2013a). 

The Ramakrishna Vedanta Society of Boston serves everyone. Many people of the Hindu religion do attend the meetings primarily because Vedanta is based off of Hinduism (Hourihan, 2008). During the Satsang Swami Tyagananda spoke about how all religions are one and how everyone holds a truth which come from the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna (Vedanta Society of Southern California, 2013g). When I was talking to a man at the Ramakrishna Vedanta Center who commuted there every Sunday morning with his wife and children from Medford he explained that many who attend the meetings practice Hinduism, but the meetings and meditations are always open to anyone and everyone. He explained that we are all on a spiritual journey together. This is what the meditation was for, and he said that everyone was always open to answering any and all questions that we had. Maybe in a way this was one way of them serving others as well. 

The Ramakrishna Vedanta Society’s culture influences yoga through its ideas about calming the mind for the purpose of liberating oneself and finding oneness (Vedanta Society of Southern California, 2013a). The practice of yoga in the form of raja yoga is used to quiet the mind in order to set the soul free. Swami Tyagananda explained that the spirit is always calm, and it is our mind and body whom are seeking to be calm along with our soul. That is a difficult task to accomplish. He explained that we must live conscious lives because everyone strives for a calm and collected mind. The montras used during the Satsang related to these ideas. These montras maintained the ideas of peace, joy, happiness, and unification. They also spoke about loving Mother Earth and loving all human beings and everything on our planet. This was also evident in the music that was played, which were almost used as meditations. This montras related back to the idea of oneness, not just with human beings, but with everything on Earth. The idea of raja yoga is used for us to find this oneness so that we can love and serve others. Raja Yoga was very important during the meeting I attended and it was the ideas of Ramakrishna Vedanta that influenced all meditations. I saw this especially when meditating. We were meant to practice patient self-control, and that time was also meant for us to contemplate the readings that were read to us. 

There are various theories of yoga that are the basis for practice at the Ramakrishna Center. Pranayama is an important one. At many points during Satsang we meditated and focused on our breathing. This brought us to a conscious state. Your breath is something that is constant and we just have to become more aware of it. Swami Tyagananda directed us to breath in peace, love, and compassion and to breath out anger, fear, and frustration. This caused us to focus our prana. He explained that our bodies and minds want to be calm. This takes Dharana or “mind control” which is an extremely difficult task to accomplish. This idea of mind control related to Maya and how we need to let go of the illusions that we have in order to have a clear and collected mind. This relates to the idea of union and finding your higher self. In order to focus our energy we must have Yama or “self-control.” This self-control allows us to follow our Niyama or “religious duties.” Sri Ramakrishna believed that a religious duty is to accept all religions and learn from them, and serve others. Samadhi or “Brahma realization” is also a large part of this practice (Ankerberg & Weldon). At one point while we were focusing on our breathing Swami Tyagananda told us to focus in on our hearts. He said that in our hearts is where God resides, and that we should focus on our breathing and feel our God there. 

To me contemplation and consciousness was a large part of the practice at the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society. Consciousness was meant to be used in order to quiet our minds, feel joy and union, and to feel closer to God. Contemplation was important because Swami Tyagananda spoke about accepting all religions. This idea had become more clear to me after this research because this is one of the main ideas of Sri Ramakrishna. One of the ideas that definitely stuck out to me was when Swami Tyagananda told us to remember that we are all going to die one day and to think about that every day because that is the one thing in life that is certain. That idea did not seem to be scary to me. It is actually especially beautiful in a sense because one of the Vedanta believes is that the soul never truly dies. We are divine beings. That is what was emphasized. That is hard to wrap my head around, but it is a concept I am going to continue to contemplate and explore. The last piece that stuck with me was when Swami Tyagananda spoke about how you would like to feel on the day when you are going to die. No one wants to feel hatred, no one wants to be in a fight and feel feel, anger, or frustration. We want to feel peaceful, loving, compassionate, and one with the universe. We should strive for this everyday. That is something that will stick with me.

References

Ankerberg, J., & Weldon, J. (n.d.). Yoga Theory and Practive: Separable? Retrieved from

http://www.ankerberg.com/Articles/_PDFArchives/new-age/NA1W1201.pdf

Divine Life Society of South Africa. (2007). Sri Ramakrishna (1836-1886). Yoga Lessons for Children, 7. Retrieved from http://www.dlshq.org/saints/ramakrishna.htm

Hourihan, P. (2008). Children of Immortal Bliss. Retrieved from http:// www.vedanticshorespress.com/what-is-vedanta.htm

Ramakrishna Vedanta Society. (2013a). History. Retrieved from http://www.vedantasociety.

net/bostoncenterhistory.asp

Ramakrishna Vedanta Society. (2013b). Home. Retrieved from http://www.vedantasociety.

net/index.asp

Satsang. (2013, February 25). Retrieved February 25, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Satsang

Vedanta Society of Southern California. (2013a). Ramakrishna Order. Retrieved from 

http://vedanta.org/the-ramakrishna-order/

Vedanta Society of Southern California. (2013b). What is Vedanta? Retrieved from 

http://vedanta.org/vedanta-overview/

Vedanta Society of Southern California. (2013c). The Oneness of Existence: Unity in Diversity. Retrieved from http://vedanta.org/vedanta-overview/the-oneness-of-existence-unity-

in-diversity/

Vedanta Society of Southern California. (2013d). The Concept of Maya. Retrieved from 

http://vedanta.org/vedanta-overview/the-concept-of-maya/

Vedanta Society of Southern California. (2013e). Karma and Reincarnation. Retrieved from 

http://vedanta.org/vedanta-overview/karma-and-reincarnation/

Vedanta Society of Southern California. (2013f). Harmony of Religions. Retrieved from

http://vedanta.org/vedanta-overview/harmony-of-religions/

Vedanta Society of Southern California. (2013g). The Avatar: God in Human Form. Retrieved from http://vedanta.org/vedanta-overview/the-avatar-god-in-human-form/

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness and Bhakti Yoga

ISKCON Boston and Bhakti Yoga

Brianne Crocker

    Lesley University

            For my midterm presentation, I chose to attend lectures and Bhakti yoga practices at The International Society For Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Boston, MA. I was somewhat familiar with this venue because one of my friends is a devotee and I had briefly gone with her to ISKCON last year for lunch. This year, my friend is going to be living at ISKCON for six months in order to immerse herself in Bhakti yoga. I immediately knew that I wanted to research Bhakti yoga in relation to ISKCON for my midterm assignment. I wanted to be able to experience an unfamiliar form of yoga and force myself into a possibly uncomfortable situation in order to gain tangible knowledge about how to engage in Bhakti yoga practices.  I also wanted to be able to better understand why Bhakti Yoga and ISKCON is such a central part of my friend’s life and a central part of many other individuals’ lives. In order to complete this assignment, I attended lectures and practices at ISKCON for three days. The first day that I went was on the weekend and I stayed for a full five hours and participated in every single lecture and practice in order to try to fully comprehend this unfamiliar religion and yoga practice. I went two more times during the week and stayed for around two or three hours for each of those days. When I finally finished putting together my research, notes, videos, interviews, photographs, and voice recordings, I was finally able to comprehend how I can relate ISKCON to the theory, practice, and culture of Bhakti yoga.

            The International Society for Krishna Consciousness was founded in the United States of America on July 11, 1966 when Srila Prabhupada (formally known as A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada) “officially registered his organization in the state of New York” (“ISKCON,” n.d.). Srila Prabhupada was born in India in 1896. In 1922, Srila Prabhupada met his spiritual master Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami who “convinced [Srila Prabhupada] to dedicate his life to teaching Vedic knowledge in the Western world” (“ISKCON BOSTON,” n.d.). In 1965, Srila Prabhupada sailed to the United States of America to “spread the teachings of Krishna consciousness” (“ISKCON,” n.d.). Many younger Americans flocked to Srila Prabhupada and began to listen and follow his spiritual guidance. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness in Boston was one of the first and most eminent temples built during the beginning of this movement. Srila Prabhupada landed on Boston’s Commonwealth Pier in 1965. Thus, Boston was the first place in the United States of America that Srila Prabhupada stepped foot upon. In Boston, Srila Prabhupada “composed his prayer Markine Bhagavat Dharma, entreating Lord Krishna for the deliverance of the western countries” (“ISKCON Boston,” n.d.).    From the 1960’s until the present day, the Boston branch of ISKCON has continuously sought to provide spiritual guidance to the community.

            In order to fully understand the history of ISKCON Boston, it is important to learn about ISKCON itself as a religion. ISKCON is a “branch of the monotheistic Gaudiva Vaishnava tradition within Hinduism dating back 5,000 years ago to Lord Krishna Himself” (“ISKCON Boston,” n.d.). The two main scriptures studied and read by the devotees are The Bhagavad-gita and The Shrimad Bhagavatam. The Bhagavad-gita is believed to be written by Lord Krishna and the scripture mainly teaches that the “goal of life is to develop a love of God, or Krishna” (“ISKCON,” n.d.). This love for Krishna can only be developed and fostered through Bhakti yoga, which can be defined as “the science of devotional service” (“ISKCON,” n.d.).  Krishna is known as and embodies “the Absolute Truth” (“ISKCON of DC,” n.d.) and in Sanskrit His name means “all attractive” (“ISKCON of DC,” n.d.). Krishna is always depicted with a blue color to His skin, black curly hair, and a flower garland around His neck. To better understand ISKCON, the main beliefs can be summarized in eight points:

                        1. By sincerely cultivating true spiritual science, we can be free from anxiety and                                     come to a state of pure, unending, blissful consciousness in this lifetime.

                        2. We are not our bodies but eternal, spirit souls, parts and parcels of God                                                  (Krishna). As such, we are all brothers, and Krishna is ultimately our common                                     father. We accept the process of transmigration of the soul (reincarnation).

                        3. Krishna is eternal, all-knowing, omnipresent, all-powerful, and all-attractive.                                     He is the seed-giving father of all living beings, and He is the sustaining energy of                         the entire cosmic creation. He is the same God as The Father Allah, Buddha and                                     Jehovah.

                        4. The Absolute Truth is contained in the Vedas, the oldest scriptures in the                                     world. The essence of the Vedas is found in the Bhagavad-gita, a literal record of                                     Krishna's words.

                        5. One can learn the Vedic knowledge from a genuine spiritual master -- one who                                     has no selfish motives and whose mind is firmly fixed on Krishna.

                        6. Before one eats, one offers to the Lord (Krishna) the food that sustains all                                     humans; then Krishna becomes the offering and purifies the offered.

                        7. One performs all actions as offerings to Krishna and does nothing for one's own                         sense gratification.

                        8. The recommended means for achieving the mature stage of love of God in this                                     age of Kali, or quarrel, is to chant the holy names of the Lord. The easiest method                                     for most people is to chant the Hare Krishna mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna                                     Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.                                     (“ISKCON,” n.d.)

            The main idea of ISKCON as stated in the previous paragraph is to develop a love of Krishna through Bhakti yoga. The most important practice of Bhakti yoga is mantra meditation. One way that mantra meditation can be practiced is through japa. Japa is “a quiet and personal meditation when one chants on beads” (“ISKCON of DC,” n.d.). Most devotees have a japa bag that holds their japa mala, which means prayer beads. Each bead stands for one chant and there are 108 beads in total. From speaking with devotees at the temple I learned that each devotee must chant sixteen rounds of 108 throughout the day. At around 6:40 P.M, the devotees and I sat down and my friend handed me her japa bag so that I could get the experience of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra 108 times. In order to participate fully, I placed my hand in the japa bag as my friend had showed me and held the first bead with only my thumb and middle finger. The index finger sticks out of the japa bag. As each chant is completed, I would hold the next bead and so forth until all 108 chants are completed. This practice was quite nerve-wracking for me because it felt strange to sit in a room with thirty other people and listening to everyone chant the same exact mantra over and over again. The vibrations that I felt in my eardrums from all of us chanting this mantra in a seemingly monotone voice started to make me feel anxious as well.   

            Another form of mantra meditation is kirtan. Kirtan can be defined as “the singing of mantras with others, often with musical instruments”. While at ISKCON, the devotees and I participated in kirtan from 6:00 P.M. to 6:40 P.M., from 7:00 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. and then again from 8:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Throughout this time, we sang songs using only the Hare Krishna mantra; Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. To help understand this mantra, I discovered that the word “Hare” means “the beautiful energy of the Lord”  (“ISKCON of DC,” n.d.), the word “Krishna” (as I mentioned earlier) means “the all attractive one”  (“ISKCON of DC,” n.d.) and “Rama” means the “one who gives happiness to all”  (“ISKCON of DC,” n.d.).  At first the dancing was slower and as the instruments were played louder and faster, the dancing became louder and faster. The men danced on the right side of the room and the women danced on the left side of the room. The type of dancing I witnessed included the men and women jumping up and down, the men running towards the deities and back towards the devotees, the women dancing in circles, or devotees just standing and clapping. Eventually the music would slow down and each of the devotees would bow towards the deities. After prasadam, a slower kind of chanting ensued where devotees sat on the ground with instruments and swayed back and forth. Kirtan is a form of Bhakti yoga because by repeating Krishna’s name, the mind becomes engaged in devotion towards Krishna. By saying Krishna’s name, which is considered to be divine, devotees can allow the divine, Krishna, to enter into their minds and bodies.

            Another form of Bhakti yoga that I witnessed extensively at ISKCON is prasadam. The literal meaning of prasadam is “mercy” (“Hare Krishna Community,” n.d.). The main idea behind prasadam is to “recognize the fact that everything belongs to Krishna and because these things belong to Krishna they should be used for Krishna’s pleasure” (“Hare Krishna Community,” n.d.). Most often prasadam refers to food. But after doing research and attending ISKCON, I learned that there are many other forms of prasadam. Prasadam can refer to anything that is offered to Krishna. At ISKCON, the devotees offered flower garlands, water, fire, and incense.  Once the food prasadam had been offered to Krishna, the devotees enjoyed a feast. After the prasadam has been offered to Krishna and then is honored by the devotees, it is believed that the “spiritual nectar of Krishna’s lips [had] touched these ordinary ingredients and transferred to them all spiritual qualities” (“Hare Krishna Community,” n.d.).  Prasadam relates to Bhakti yoga because devotees are engaged in the act of offering items to Krishna with love. And thus, when the devotees honor prasadam after offering the prasadam to Krishna, they are more connected with Krishna because He has come into contact with the prasadam.

            Through my interviews with the devotees at ISKCON, I have learned that there is little to no discussion of culture that takes place among the devotees in relation to Bhakti yoga and ISKCON. The population at ISKCON is very diverse and I witnessed devotees of every race attending each lecture. As I had mentioned earlier, ISKCON is a “branch of the monotheistic Gaudiva Vaishnava tradition within Hinduism dating back 5,000 years ago to Lord Krishna Himself” (“ISKCON Boston,” n.d.).  Although not thoroughly emphasized or discussed from my observations, Hinduism and Indian culture have definitely had a decent amount of influence on the ISKCON religion. The japa mala (prayer beads) used to chant on are usually made from the tulasi plant. This plant is “venerated by Hindus in general and Vaishnavas in particular” (“Devasthanam,” n.d.). At ISKCON, there is a private green room where this plant is grown and only certain devotees are allowed to touch or tend to the plants. This plant is also seen as sacred to both ISKCON devotees and Hindus, although not all ISKCON devotees are Hindu. When chanting on the japa mala, the devotees handle the beads with extreme care and caution, as they are not allowed to touch the floor or go into a bathroom with a devotee. Some devotees (like my friend that lives at ISKCON) will dress in full Indian garb. However, it is not required or encouraged. There are just as many devotees that dress in jeans and a casual top. The deities are dressed in elaborate Indian garb because, as it was explained to me in an interview, some of these deities were the original deities brought over by Srila Prabhupada and the devotees do not want to change the style of clothing that the deities wear.

            After spending around twelve hours over three different days at ISKCON Boston, I feel that it has been extremely difficult to explain through a research paper what the essence of the temple and of Bhakti yoga is. The experience was unlike any experience that I have ever had and I strongly believe that it is definitely something that needs to be experienced in order to fully understand it.  I was extremely nervous and weary of what my experience would be like on the first day that I attended ISKCON. However, I surprisingly felt immediately comfortable and did not feel at all uneasy for the entirety of each day that I was there. My main observations of the devotees at ISKCON Boston are that they are extremely kind, enthusiastic, and dedicated human beings. I am not personally familiar with any particular form of religion and religion has always seemed to make me feel anxious. But the devotees seem to approach ISKCON in a manner that is comparable to how one would approach a specific type of science.  None of the devotees tried to force their belief system on me and they did not once ask me anything about my spiritual life. This made me feel even more at ease because I did not once feel judged or out of place. I strongly believe that every individual with an interest in yoga or specifically Bhakti Yoga should experience at least one lecture at ISKCON in order to gain valuable knowledge about how yoga is perceived differently in different cultures. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is a welcoming and intellectually stimulating venue that has allowed me to fully experience an unfamiliar religion and Bhakti yoga in terms of theory, culture, and practice.

References

Devasthanam. (n.d.). Devasthanam. Retrieved February 21, 2013, from http://www.sanskrit.org/

Hare Krishna Community . (n.d.). Hare Krishna Community . Retrieved February 21, 2013, from

            http://krishna.org/

ISKCON Boston. (n.d.). ISKCON Boston. Retrieved February 21, 2013, from

            http://www.iskconboston.org/

ISKCON of DC | Hare Krishna Temple of Washington DC. (n.d.). ISKCON of DC | Hare

            Krishna Temple of Washington DC. Retrieved February 21, 2013, from             http://iskconofdc.org/

ISKCON. (n.d.). ISKCON. Retrieved February 22, 2013, from http://iskcon.org/

Sivananda, S. S. (n.d.). Japa Yoga. The Divine Life Society. Retrieved February 21, 2013, from

            http://www.dlshq.org/teachings/japayoga.