Yoga at Lesley

Nichole Smith

Yoga at Lesley

Yoga is generally known to give a person better posture, better flexibility, and more toned muscles. This is the stereotypical look at yoga; that it is a more relaxing form of working out. Yoga at Lesley fits this stereotypical definition to a tee. Yoga at Lesley is generally geared towards a women’s workout, toning core muscles and working towards better posture. Now that Lesley has provided a space geared especially towards yoga, it has become a very popular workout session for students, especially female students, to attend. This class at Lesley has known many different instructors, trained in different types of yoga, though hatha yoga has been the most predominant form Lesley has seen.

Lesley, in its remodeling of some buildings, has provided a large space for the practice of yoga, which also doubles as batting cages for the baseball teams. This large space is open with a wall of mirrors, looking again like the stereotypical yoga studio. It is provided with the bare necessities as any yoga class needs, a large flat space, and some yoga mats. The space at Lesley works well for the practice of yoga, especially for the size of the class that attends.

The history of yoga at Lesley has definitely had its ups and downs. When first attending the class years ago, it was never a sure thing that there would be a weekly class because of the lack of proper space. Most often the Alumni Hall was used as a large room, as the space currently used was the fitness center. After this Lesley did away with yoga, either because there was no proper studio space or because there was no teacher willing to do night sessions, as day sessions for students are not practical. Just recently the remodeling of buildings in Lesley’s Quad Campus has lead to a new and larger fitness center in another building, leaving the old space open. This space was modeled to be a yoga studio, and an area for batting cages. This space was newly floored, as to not be as hard as the cement it was, and to be a large comfortable yoga studio. With yoga being so popular, the studio was made to encompass the large amounts of students which would attend the yoga sessions. After this studio was created, Lesley found a teacher of yoga with years of practice, and weekly yoga sessions were reintroduced at Lesley.

Yoga at Lesley serves the entire Lesley University community. This includes undergraduates, graduates, and faculty. Most commonly, the people who attend yoga at Lesley classes are undergraduate females, including both non-athletes and athletes. During my first session of yoga, there were two male athletes practicing with the other twenty plus women in the room. The class was their first yoga session ever and they found it very difficult. It was definitely not the type of workout they were accustomed to doing, and even the poses were something their bodies were not accustomed to doing, so the short one hour class was a more strenuous workout for them, then it was for the ladies in the room, whether new to yoga or not it seemed.

Yoga at Lesley is greatly influenced by the culture of the people who attend the class, as well at the teacher herself. I found that the teacher focused a lot on poses that concentrated on the workout and strengthening of the core/abdomen muscles. I also noticed that the teacher geared these classes towards areas she felt she needed to work out on herself. She had commented several times on her need to work this area, the abdomen, and on after much thought about the class and poses we did, I found that we were definitely focusing on areas of the body she felt she needed to tone on herself.

I also found the teacher pushing her ideas on the class. Throughout the sessions, the class got lectures and talks about how to treat others, especially people who are not friendly toward us, in a nice manner and to surprise them by treating them like your friend rather than an enemy. Further, whilst doing a triangle pose, the instructor began talking about reading our auras and getting in touch with them, which at this point was a bit odd. She then continued to tell us how we are not our bodies, how we are one within the universe and we are just within our bodies for this time being. At this point I felt really odd about how she was trying to push her beliefs on the class, and was getting somewhat uncomfortable with what she was saying.

The class is also greatly influenced by the people who attend the class. Since the majority, about ninety-eight percent, of the class was female and only two attendees were male, the speed of the class and the poses were geared toward a female intermediate level workout rather than a novice class for a wide range of yoga practitioners. The classes mainly worked with the chair, plank, downward-dog, and warrior poses, repeating them continuously at a very fast pace. These poses can be quickly learned, but the English word for the pose is very different from the Indian, so when she began calling out the poses in Indian, some newcomers, including myself, and the men in the class found themselves falling behind because of confusion in language. It is definitely a yoga class which builds upon itself, so missing a week of class can throw off a practitioner and have them guessing what happened last time, which new pose or name of a pose was learned last time.

This class is also geared toward the culture of its surroundings- a university. So the class is meant to be a time to relax and take away some of the stresses of school. However, personally I found that to be a difficult thing to do. Though my mind was definitely off school, I generally do not want my yoga sessions to be over quickly, and both classes I felt like I just wanted the class to be over, or to get to the relaxation part at the end. However, I found it very difficult to attempt to relax any time in this class. I quickly found this to be less relaxation, getting in touch with your mind, and focusing on your breathing yoga, and more focusing on working out the muscles, toning the core, and not thinking about all the homework that needs to get done yoga.

Since the teacher is especially trained in the Iyengar method of yoga, this is the theory and method of practice for this class. However, I found the class to be lacking some of the three aspects of the Iyenger method. The first aspect, correct body alignment, which allows the body to develop in a way which the student will not suffer injury or pain when practicing, was partially focused on, however, the instructor did not focus on correcting the body for any mistakes in poses, which is a big point within this aspect. Injury or pain, especially for the beginners in the class was not as much a concern as trying to get the pose correct, and with no help or corrections, the pose could lead to injury.

The next aspect is correct sequencing so there is a cumulative effect of the body. This is an aspect which I think was actually achieved, as the sequences of the poses, thought done very fast, felt natural going from one to another, from downward dog to plank, and so on. Through this sequencing I did feel the effects on my body, both during the class and for some time afterwards. I think this aspect of the Iyenger method was met and was successful.

The third aspect was not as successful. The third aspect is the concept of timings, so poses are held for a considerable length of time so the effects of the pose are felt throughout the body. As I have stated, yoga at Lesley is a fast paced workout class, so I do not think this third aspect is taken into consideration. The poses are not held for long periods of time, other than the beginning of the class when first learning the sequence of the poses. During the most active time of the classes we were moving from pose to pose with mere seconds between the poses. I do not think this aspect of the Iyenger method was successfully done in these classes due to the pace of the class.

As a whole yoga at Lesley was definitely an interesting experience, both a learning one and a physical one. It is most definitely geared towards a female intermediate level, and not just a class you can easily jump into without experience. Though yoga at Lesley had a rocky start to it for the past few years, it has stayed very popular within the Lesley community for its great physical benefits as well as its stress reducing benefits. These benefits are influenced from the type of demographic the classes see which influences how the class is taught and which positions and poses are concentrated on, which gives specific benefits the practitioners are looking for. Overall yoga at Lesley is a great experience and good for anyone in the Lesley community looking to experience yoga as American’s view it: as a healthy workout.

Kundalini Yoga Boston

Gaby Zlocki

For the midterm project, I attended a class at the Kundalini Yoga Center in Inman Square. I had heard about the positive effects of Kundalini Yoga in talks by one of my favorite teachers, Ram Dass, who refers to it as a tool for increasing consciousness. Kundalini Yoga is a form of yoga that focuses on the seven chakras (centers of energy in the body), the arc line (the sixth chakra, or third eye), and the aura. Kundalini Yoga is meant to extend consciousness, teach practitioners how to have a wider understanding of their relationships to the universe, and connect those who practice to the infinite. It differs from other forms of yoga, in that it works specifically on activating and controlling the kundalini energy, which is "the essence of human consciousness" according to Yogi Bhajan.

Kundalini Yoga was brought to America by Yogi Bhajan (whose quotes you can find on the teabags of Yogi tea). Yogi Bhajan became a master of Kundalini Yoga at 16. He left India with the goal of bringing Kundalini Yoga to the West, and gave his first lecture in a Los Angeles high school gym in 1969 at age 39. He focused his attention on the drug culture of the sixties, and attracted masses of individuals who came to him looking for an alternative to the spiritual experience of drugs like LSD (popularized by former Harvard professors Ram Dass, and Timothy Leary). He generated teachings, trained certified Kundalini Yoga teachers himself, and created 3HO (Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization) centers across the country, which aim to create a global community of Kundalini Yoga practitioners.

Located in Inman Square in Cambridge, MA, Kundalini Yoga Boston is attached to a small art gallery and holistic boutique. I noticed the studio by the lotus flower in the window when I drove by in my car. "Kundalini Yoga Boston offers yoga classes, gong meditations, workshops, private lessons, small classes, Aquarian Sadhana, experienced teachers, and live music" (Kundalini Yoga Boston). The entrance and lounge were bright, sunny, and full of beautiful, colorful art. The dressing rooms were clean and spacious, and the cashier accepting money for classes was turbaned, smiling and polite. According to the Kundalini Yoga website, "We’ve set up a cozy spiritual space with you in mind, so that your mind, body and soul may have the divine opportunity to unify and become One." It certainly was beautiful! I also appreciated that the woman who I paid for the class with gave me a tour, and provided free mats and towels (a rara avis in the yoga world.) The class was sixteen dollars, but the class was small with only four women.

According to the Kundalini Yoga Boston website, Kundalini Yoga Boston was founded by Cindy Ludlam and Siri Ram Kaur. Cindy Ludlam/Siri Bani Kaur has practiced yoga for over 12 years in many different styles, and is also an art teacher with an MFA from Boston University. She currently exhibits artwork across the world, and teaches at the Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School, a post-graduate college preparatory program. Her co-founder Siri Ram Kaur "served in the secretariat of Sikh Dharma for twenty five years and worked for eight years as the Editor in Chief of Aquarian Times Magazine" (Kundalini Yoga Boston). She is a certified K.R.I. Kundalini Yoga teacher, and was one of the first White Tantric Yoga teachers to be chosen by Yogi Bhajan. She also has a background in art. She received her BA in Art at Simmons College as well as the Thomas J. Wallace Memorial Award in Studio Art. She is taking time off from her graduate degree at Simmons to focus more fully on the studio and gallery. Their combined history in art explains the combined yoga studio/art gallery.

The link between yoga and creativity is being researched by some academics, including Jeff Davis, faculty member at Western Connecticut State University, who published the book The Journey from the Center to the Page: Yoga Practices and Principles as Muse for Authentic Writing in 2004. Davis states, "Yoga won’t make writing easy, because, well, writing is difficult. But Yoga is helping thousands of writers to facilitate and design their own creative process - rather than to be at the whim of random flashes of ‘inspiration,’ moods, or energy peaks" (Lifestyle News, 2007). Davis recently performed a study on the effects of regular yoga practice on the creativity of MFA Writing students, and has traveled to speak to other MFA programs on the positive effects of yoga on creativity. Yogi Bhajan was not unfamiliar with the connection between creativity and yogic practice. He claimed, "When the artist is acting sensitively, as a channel for the life force passing through him, his art... touches the essence of creation. In this sense, all art is the worship of God." Kundalini itself is referred to by Yogi Bhajan as "your creative potential" (Bhajan). People can experience kundalini, and become completely present and alert "when the energy of the glandular system combines with the energy of the nervous system to create such a sensitivity that the totality of the brain receives signals and integrates them" (Bhajan).

Although I didn't attempt to utilize my creativity after leaving Kundalini Yoga Boston so that I could experiment with Jeff Davis's theory, I left definitely feeling relaxed. The class, as well as most classes, was ninety minutes long, and meant to cater to the mind, body and spirit. Classes consist of "yoga kriya (a sequence of postures, breath and sound integrated to allow the manifestation of a particular state), pranayam (breathwork), relaxation and meditation" (Kundalini Yoga Boston). During the practice, time is spent in the following way: five to ten minutes are spent to warm up; thirty to forty minutes are spent on yoga kriya; and ten to thirty minutes are spent in meditation. During classes, there is usually recorded or live music, or a gong meditation. I experienced the gong meditation, and it was very relaxing and soothing.

Although there were an abundant amount of positives about my experience, it was not without its negatives. My teacher was a bit strict, and reminded me of my childhood ballet teacher, except in a white turban sipping tea. I was confused and annoyed at times with the situation, having never done this particular yoga practice before. The chanting was either too long for me to remember or so loud that my voice cracked. I have asthma, and the quick breathing and heaving of the chest was too fast. I felt myself and the other beginner lagging behind the teacher and the two experienced yogis in the class. Also, I split my pants.The class was a comedy of errors, and at times I wondered what kind of person I was for bringing myself to this class and making myself sit through it.

But afterwards, I was on top of the world. I'm not sure whether it was because I had made it through an unpleasant experience, whether it was because I loved the gong, or whether it was because I had given myself the gift of sitting still and appreciating my body, my mind, and my spirituality for an hour and half. But I felt good. Really good. Those invincible "I can make it through anything" waves I felt once I left the yoga studio caused me to wonder why I was hesitant about returning. Was it because I ripped my pants? No, I know how to sew, and they were falling down anyway. What made me throw out the schedule when I got home even though I had felt the beneficial results of the yoga practice?

Scientific research has supported the connection between yogic practice and meditation and the benefits its supporters claim. Benson, and Jon Kabat-Zinn have performed research in mind-body medicine, and made some interesting discoveries. Benson and his colleagues researched the meditative practice of Tibetan monks called tum-mo, which is done in a very cold environment, to see if the monks can increase their body temperature and wet a sheet draped over their body with perspiration. Benson et al. found that the practice resulted in lowered blood pressure, oxygen consumption, heart rate, and metabolic rate, which implied a state of relaxation (Chaoul & Cohen, 2010). Kabat-Zinn created a program of mindfulness meditation, yoga postures, and body scan for populations with chronic pain, which is now known as Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction, and has been found to be useful for reducing psychological and physical effects of some chronic illnesses, as well as changing brain activity and biological practices (Chaoul & Cohen, 2010).

I liked the product, but I didn't like the packaging. The practice was just what I needed, but the way it was presented seemed inaccessible to me. It didn't seem like I could come as I was, and be accepted just showing up occasionally. Practitioners of Kundalini Yoga emphasize that to feel the full effect of Kundalini Yoga, and to create transformation, a regular practice is necessary, not an occasional practice. Also, the population of the studio consisted completely of white women, some of them in turbans. The turbans were intimidating. Would I have to wear a turban eventually with this practice? The reason for the turbans, according to Yogi Bhajan, is to create optimum energy by regulating the kundalini flow through the sun energy that enters the body through the hair, which is encouraged to be kept uncut and tied on top of the head in a covering. Head coverings are intended to allow the wearer to better command the sixth chakra, or third eye, and create a focus on the circuit between the hemispheres of the brain, and tunes the neurological system (Bhajan).

More of the teachings of Yogi Bhajan can be found on the tea bags of Yogi Tea. I've drank Yogi Tea, and I found Yogi Bhajan's teachings on the tea bags inspiring. My roommate even put them up in our kitchen. Yogi Tea was founded by followers of Yogi Bhajan, who would make a chai tea for his students after his classes, which he called "yogi tea." Yogi Tea seems to be a symptom of a spiritual syndrome in the West, where if you buy more--lessons, classes, teas, workshops, turbans, conferences, bra-tops--you will receive more spiritual and health benefits. There are so many different methods of increasing consciousness, but none of them want anything to do with one another, and it is unacceptable to be a member of more than one. These spiritual traveling groups might have more to benefit one another than they realize, but they choose to remain separate at risk of losing their existence, validity or cash flow. Although I can appreciate the teachings of Yogi Bhajan, and I can understand how he has become the treasured guru of others, I'm not sure if he is my guru, which makes frequenting Kundalini Yoga difficult for me. If I can accept Yogi Bhajan as just another teacher along the path, and Kundalini Yogi as just another path, I might be able to come to practice at Kundalini Yoga Boston occasionally. But I'm still a bit questionable about the turbans.

Sources

Bhajan, Y. (n.d.). Kundalini yoga faq. Retrieved from http:// k.b5z.net/i/u/2175232/i/Kundalini_FAQs_revised.pdf

Chaoul, M. A. & Cohen, L. (2010, June). Rethinking yoga and the application of yoga in modern medicine. Cross Currents, 60(2), 144-167,286

Kundalini Yoga Boston. (n.d.). A spiritual place where mind, body, and soul become one. Retrieved from http://www.kundaliniyogaboston.com

Lifestyle News. (2007, October 19). The next wave of yoga research: creativity?. Retrieved from http://www.prleap.com/pr/98937/

You Can't be You Wrong

By Jamie Jancarik

For this assignment I went to the Arlington Center. Here I attended the class BREATH•FLOW•STILLNESS, a class of yoga and meditation. The class is taught by Cynthia Gramer. Cynthia tries to create classes that meet the needs of the students in each particular class, so each class is different depending on who her students are; in the case of my class, it was all people who were thirty and older besides myself and Jade, who joined me on the adventure. She also incorporates a mix of Anusara, Yin, Vinyasa, Restorative and Forrest yoga into her classes (Hartranft). In addition to Cynthia’s class, the Arlington Center offers a wide variety of classes ranging from Yoga for Children to Anusara inspired classes. It also hosts a plethora of events and other wellness activities such as Nia and spiritual counseling.

The Arlington Center is directed by Chip Hartranft. Author of The Yoga-Sutra of Patanjali, Chip is dedicated to bringing the tradtions of yoga and Buddhist meditation to America. He has been around the Boston area since 1978 and practices Krishnamacharya traditions (Shambhala Publications 2011). He also created BodyMindConnection which is a healing program for people under stress to use the mind body connection to relive the body of stress (Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, Inc).

I wished that I had had more time to visit and observe the many events and classes the Arlington Center has. It amazes me the amount of programs it hosts and the age range the classes have. I also would have liked to have tried something other than yoga there. Their workshops in particular seemed interesting such as the Buddhist Psychology Lecture Series. The seminar focuses around themes between Buddhism and psychotherapy; two credits are even offered at the end for continuing workers in the human service field (Hartranft).

Before going to the class I had many expectations; most of them were contradictory. I was hoping for a class that would enlighten me and teach me something new and exciting. I was expecting a class full of old ladies and maybe a man or two. I was also expecting the class to be completely about breathing and meditation, with very little movement at all; I must have forgotten the flow part in the title.

My experience at the class may have been affected by the transportation getting there, which was very stressful. It started out that the shuttle I thought left from Brattle Campus at 8 actually left Doble Campus at 8, which would have meant that I would have been late to meeting Jade, so the morning started out with a power walk to get to the bus stop. Then the bus was late, extremely late. Both of us thought we were going to miss the class and didn’t know what we were going to do about it. Luckily we didn’t, but I came to class extremely stimulated which did not help with the meditation.

Cynthia opened the class with a theoretical question: do we really know anything? She spoke about awareness and really being there. I felt like most of the people in class found this insightful, but I found it rather repetitive since many of my classes at Lesley push the thought of mindfulness. The statements about mindfulness were also repeated throughout the entire class as well. Her statements were also conflicting with one another. One of her quotes was “You can never be you wrong” but then at the end of class she said something to the affect of at the end of meditation she realizes that she never really knows herself.

Hearing these contradicting thoughts sort of reminded me of Krishnamurti. When he says “And there can be order only where there is total self-denial, when the “me” has no importance what so ever” (Krishnamurti 1993 p. 22) reminds me of not really knowing oneself. But being you is still important to meditation because only you can decide what is right, no mentor or teacher or anyone else (Krishnamurti 1993 p. 19).

I’m not sure if my reaction to Cynthia was good or bad. Her contradictory statements did confuse me a bit. Also, it seemed as if the class was centered around her and her thoughts rather than on the breath. She also seemed to look down on me and Jade, as if she was better than us because she knew more about yoga than us. It might have only seemed that way because she assumed we were either sophomores or freshmen when we are both juniors. However, Cynthia was a very helpful and caring woman. One of the women in the class had bad knees so she helped to create a bed so that she would not have to lie on the floor and risk not being able to get up. She is also a hugger, a really big hugger. Before we left she hugged each and every one of us. Although it seemed a little weird I really appreciated the warmth that the hug meant.

The class is centered all around breathing while moving, although that is not a surprise. We worked on moving with each breath from position to position. Each movement was suppose to be natural to our breaths, although this was slightly difficult when we were learning what each movement was and had to control our breaths to be the same. This also reminded me of Krishnamurti. Krishnamurti says that if you must meditate you are forcing yourself to meditate and therefore are following some sort of system (1993 pg 19). Cynthia did not want us moving in unnatural ways for our bodies. She told us to take whatever we learned and to adapt it to our own needs. So rather than following someone, I was doing what felt right.

During the class I was very excited because she mentioned a more yogic word for breathing, although I do not remember the word she said. I thought that the class would use more yoga theory rather than the Americanized version. That was until she said to go into downward dog and child’s pose. It was a nice mix, but I was hoping for more non-Americanized yoga. One thing I was very excited about though was when she said the name of the alternate nostril breathing and deep relaxation and I recognized what it was (I still don’t know how to pronounce it though never mind spell it).

While in class I found my mind wandering more than usual. I think it had something to do with how much she was talking. Cynthia kept talking about letting go of thoughts and just bring the mind back to breathing, but that is rather hard when I was taught to listen to those who are talking to me; it was also hard to tune her out. There was also om’s being chanted in a background tape she had playing. If I had been in the right state of mind they probably would have been useful, but instead they were distracting. They also stopped randomly during our deep relaxation, so the sudden quietness seemed to be louder than the oms.

The best part about the deep relaxation was that she had us all grab blankets at the beginning of class in order to cover ourselves. I am always cold during the mediation so it was nice to have the blanket. However, I did not enjoy the end of the meditation. She had a gong, which was fine, but she also had a singing bowl. For some reason it really resonated horribly with me; my head felt like someone was pushing from the inside to get out. Normally singing bowls are relaxing to me, but this time it just seemed really wrong for my body.

I’m not sure if I had a positive or negative experience. The class, for me, was just another class. There was nothing really special about it. It was relaxing, which was nice, but it did not give me any feelings besides “well that was nice.” Talking it over with Jade did let me think deeper about the class, but nothing really resonated with me a lot. I was hoping for some big insight, and was disappointed to have found none. I also felt like I learned nothing new. Ninety-nine percent of what I did in that yoga class we have done in our class or I have done previously in the few yoga classes I attended in high school.

Reflecting back, there are a few things that I would have like to have been done different. I would have liked to class to have not been centered around her personal thoughts. Concepts are always nice to think about in the back of the mind, but the class seemed really centered around Cynthia. I also would have liked to have practiced more type of breathing. In the beginning of class ujjay breathing was mentioned, but it was more of a technique to focus on the breath rather than my thoughts. I would have rather learned more types or breathing instead of working on the flow of the breath which is stressed in a good chunk of yoga classes.

Besides having things different in the class, I also wish I had chosen a class that was not so parallel to our class. If I had taken a class with a new concept, it would have been a better learning experience. I also feel like I would have gotten my sense of “enlightenment” if I had attended a more different class

Work Cited

Hartranft, C. The Arlington center. Retrieved from http://www.arlingtoncenter.org/index.html

Krishnamurti, J. (1993). This light in oneself: True meditation. Boston: Shambhala.

Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, Inc. Chip Hartranft. Retrieved from http://eomega.org/omega/faculty/viewProfile/a297fbefa0e706f18d1ac21a6332cfee/

Shambhala Publications. (2011). Chip Hartranft. Retrieved from http://www.shambhala.com/html/catalog/items/author/648.cfm

Yoga: Theory, Culture, and Practice

Opening Your Mind

This assignment allowed me to explore and to learn more about the practices of yoga, in terms of theory, culture, and practice. I chose to go to the ISKCON temple in Boston, Massachusetts, which is located on Commonwealth Avenue. This place is an International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), a religious organization that consists of beliefs that are mainly based on Hindu scriptures. In a way, it could easily be connected with the yoga practices that I have experienced through class, but it is more of a verbal and spiritual way of expressing beliefs, rather than a physical way. Although the process of this assignment included a lot of research, I enjoyed the interactiveness of this new experience that broadened my view not only of yoga, but also in a spiritual religion that I was not previously aware of.
For starters, I approached learning about ISKCON differently than the assignment illustrated. Instead of researching my chosen practice before going, I decided I wanted to discover the practices with a clean mind, without having any sort of preconceptions about what I was about to experience. I felt that by doing this, I would be able to have a constant flow of questions and thoughts running through my mind. Entering an environment that you don't have any information on can turn out to be a good thing, or a bad thing. For me, I enjoyed it and I am happy that I chose to approach it in this way. The ISKCON to me is inspirational, and it provided both inspiration and spiritual strength to me as a visitor.
Even though it was my first time attending, and I am not a member of the temple, they were somewhat accepting. I was expecting that the practices would be based around the physical practices of yoga, so I arrived in workout clothes and with my mat. However, all of the other participants were barefooted, and dressed in traditional clothing. A lot of people there were eyeballing me, but I felt as if they would understand why I had been there, due to the yoga look I had been portraying. This was awkward to me at first, but after being there for a while, I realized that my clothing was not the focus of my being there, that it was the fact that I was accepting of a new culture, and trying to experience it to the fullest.
I began this semester with very little knowledge about yoga or the spirituality associated with it, but my understanding is expanding over the course of the semester. Before visiting the temple, I made a choice to not research where I had planned to go, instead deciding to experience and discover on the spot, and research after. In a way, I know that I wasn't exactly doing what the assignment had asked, but I found that the way I did it opened my view on things and allowed my experience to end up with a different outcome. Even though I didn't research first, I called to make sure it was okay that I attended and observed a session on Sunday. As the day got closer and closer, I began to question myself and wonder what I was getting myself into, and I got a bit nervous going to a new place not knowing what to expect. I kept thinking of things, such as, “how many people will be there, am I going to keep up with whats going on, what is it going to look like, will there be music or will it be silent?” Arriving at my destination, I
found out that it wasn't so bad after all, just an experience that was a bit unexpected to find since they were reaching out spiritually in a different way of practice.
Throughout the session, I experienced a time in which they were singing, chanting, and making beats with a various instruments. Although I didn't quite
understand what they were saying because it was in a different language, I was able to connect to the rhythm and beat, and let my mind wander. That alone gave me a sense of inspiration and a connection that sent a chill down my spine. In a way, the movement was relaxing and easily engaged me into the practice. In a sense the sound of all of this happening at once, made me feel comfortable. It wasn’t an awkward silence, and it was loud and something I could join in by simply clapping my hands with the beat. They were singing songs to their God, and each movement is based around the Lord. “All things are each apart of the lord, that men and gods are but manifestations of the one divine spirit” (Hallsal, Paul). This is from a reading that I did for my history class. I was able to dig deeper into my research, due to the fact that I am currently learning about Ancient China and India. I have found ways to link them together and find out more information to learn from.
While I was there, they also talked about the story and history of Ramayana. Ramayana is one of the great epics of India. Its based off the story of the relationship between Rama and Sita. Not only the relationship, but all of the battles that they had gone through. This story expresses the duties of relationships, while portraying ideal characters like the ideal father, ideal servant, the ideal brother, the ideal wife and the ideal king. It was brought up in this session on October 2nd, because October 5th was the day that Rama killed Savana to set his wife, Sita, free. It is a celebrated not only on this day in this culture, but they celebrate the victory of Rama throughout the month of October. I was glad that I was able to grasp knowledge on the story of them, and found it very interesting. Also, I was happy that I attending the meeting in which they brought that up because it was another source in which I gained further knowledge on this culture. It pushed me to want to learn more about this specific event and understand why it had been such a big deal in their culture.
The ISKCON is beginning to attract many people to the practice, that is known as Krishna Consciousness. “Krishna consciousness, or bhakti-yoga, means how to act in harmony with ultimate reality—the Supreme Person. Bhakti—“devotional service”—is how the bhakta—“devotee”—and Bhagavan—“God, the possessor of all opulences”—relate” (Krishna Con.). This is what the practice of ISKCON is based on, which comes from the Hindu religion and beliefs. Their goal is “Krishna consciousness” and their central practice is chanting the Hare Krishna mantra for which they are named. Not only is the Krishna consciousness a practice, but it is also the goal of the practice. This all links back to the the adventures, legends, myths, history, and superstitions of Hinduism, which began in Western India.
All in all, I had a great experience with this assignment. I reached out and learned so many new things that I actually enjoyed researching and spending my time on. I felt that the steps I took throughout the process were perfect for the outcome, but if there something I could change about the assignment as a whole, it would be for the students to have more time to go further into out studies. I felt a little rushed with everything, but was capable of bringing it all together. The fact that we had to attend a class was what I enjoyed the most. Actually being there and joining in on their practices and session. opening your mind to a whole other outlook on life and way of thinking. I got to go out on my own and go into an environment that I am not use to being around. It really opens the eyes to each student and allows them to view things in other ways, while gaining knowledge on the practices of yoga in theory, culture, and practice.















Bibliography


Hallsal, Paul. "The Bhagavad Gita - INTRODUCTION: Full Text Translation by Sir Edwin Arnold." About Hinduism - What You Need to Know About Hinduism. June 2000. Web. 11 Oct. 2011. .

Knott, Kim. My Sweet Lord: the Hare Krishna Movement. Wellingborough; Aquarian
1986. Print.

"Krishna Consciousness | Krishna.com." Krishna.com | All About Krishna. The

Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc., 2002. Web. 11 Oct. 2011.

.


Pollock, Sheldon. "In This Issue."The Journal of Asian Studies 62.4 (2003): 261-97. Print.

Yoga Midterm

Keeley Mills

Laura Douglas

Yoga: Theory, Practice and Culture

October 1, 2011

The Yoga studio that I decided to go to was O2 Yoga on Highland Avenue in Somerville, MA. I pass this studio all the time and have never been aware or acknowledged it until recently when this class and the practice of yoga became prominent on my radar. To be completely honest, I was incredibly nervous. Even though I checked out the website and knew that I would be participating in a “basics” class, a class highly suggested to beginners, I was petrified. Literally, knots in my stomach, the whole nine yards. I felt like my inexperience would be easily noticed, displayed like a tattoo on my forehead or a sign on my back. Then, the other classmates, or in my mind the established yogis would smell my unbelonging and chase me out, pitchforks and all.

Luckily, it did not go at all as bad as I had imagined. My instructor’s name was Justine, but a woman named Mimi Loureiro started the studio in the late nineties. On her website for O2 yoga, she describes her creation as a mixture of Astanga yoga and Vinyasa yoga (Loureiro). From what we have covered in class so far, I was immediately familiar with the term “Astanga.” What I have come to understand or associate with Astanga Yoga is basically breathing. To describe it in my own words it is a yoga that revolves around controlled or cognizant breathing. Then “vinyasa,” I did not recognize as quickly. But after doing some research it made much sense and was exactly what I had experienced in class. I realized I had been practicing this form of yoga all along. Vinyasa yoga is explained as relating your movement from one position to another and matching it with your inhalation and exhalation (Pizer, par.1). This focus is important because once the breath is stabilized or practiced in a forced manner other things fall in line, as well. You become aware or conscious of your ability to be in control or alter things that are normally involuntary. Specifically, you become conscious to your movement and speed of your diaphragm, along with your thought process and its patterns.

My physical experience with Astanga Yoga as a practice, similar to my understanding of its culture and theory, is very limited and elementary. All the while, the class was still very challenging. The positions were broader than what we have covered in class so far and, surprisingly to me, even though we were stationary, they were still very intense and strenuous. I found myself, having to transition faster, using my strength to hold my own weight for what was probably only a minute or two, but felt like hours, stretch to lengths I have never needed to or knew that I could, and then, most attractively, sweat immensely. Before class started the instructor did raise the thermostat, raising the heat in the room to around 80 degrees. Considering that this was only the second establishment where I had experienced yoga practice, I could not help but to continuously compare and contrast to what we do in class. In class, when we practice Astanga Yoga, room temperature is not relevant, at least in a heat-inducing manner. This made me wonder if this is something that has developed with the Americanized evolution of Yoga.

After experiencing O2, I can make the call that, even though it does reference your mind and thought process I would classify it more as a physical or exercise form of yoga. The typical Americanized practice of yoga. Which learning and coming to understand this over the semester I have continually been curious if this American edit and evolution of yoga is offensive or upsetting to the culture of India and the people who have been following traditional forms of yoga, mind, body, and spirit for centuries? I know that disrespect was never a motive or intention, but I just feel like it might be offensive to traditional Yogis that our society has taken something handed down and sacredly and spiritually practiced in their culture and completely turned it into a profitable fad or trend for mainly superficial reasons of tightening our tummies or strengthening our gluts.

This led me to dig a little deeper. After reading a few articles online and really taking them in I have come to feel that it is not anger being expressed by traditional yogis or anyone really, but it is fear. I also realized that I should have known better. While, personally, I would be offended and infuriated if someone took something involving my spirituality or a practice that I very strongly believed in and turned it into something profitable or trendy. I understand that everything evolves and I respect that, just from my basic brief experience and understanding of our American culture’s promoted practice of yoga, it is shallow (as opposed to the depth and inward speculation of the individual in traditional yoga practice) and basically practiced as a way to keep you entertained and spice up your normally boring work out routine. Yoga, not being a practice of dramatic emotions or reactions, they would of course not be raging with fury. They fear that the distorted Suburban fad of yoga that has been promoted in American culture, as the next quick fix diet or exercise plan will destroy the sense of spirituality and personal discovery that is the entire purpose and pursuit of traditional yoga.

When in class at Lesley, I do not feel any disrespect or concern at all because it is all in the pursuit of knowledge, and of course, obviously, we are not revolving solely around the physical practice. We are engaging yoga in all of it’s being. In class we spend a lot more time and focus on concentrating our breathing and quieting or calming our thoughts. That is important to me. At the O2 studio we just jumped straight into it. Being unsure and not having the normal intro like I do in class, I tightened up even more. I became more aware of my surroundings and unsure, which made it impossible for my mind and breathe to become mobilized and calm. The fact that I was so occupied with what was going on around me and the “pain” my body was in that day disqualifies my yoga experience, in the sense of philosophy, as being successful. My mind was overflowing with what was going on around me and too distracted to even be anywhere near freedom of thought.

Therefore, immediately I realized that I was already going against one of the main theories of Yoga, the need for meditation. Not only was the unfamiliar noise and movement around me to blame for my unsuccessful result, but also I was to blame. My mind, being too consumed with the events of my day and life, was simultaneously thinking about meditating, trying to create this state with my own thoughts, but that is impossible. To quote Krishnamurti, “Meditation is the summation of all energy. Not the energy created through thought or…but the energy of a state of mind in which all conflict has completely ceased” (p. 33 par. 3). Now, the idea of discord to forever silence in my brain is ideal, desirable in fact, I am still a realist and am only a human being, I honestly don’t think I can ever be capable of a state like that, but very impressed and envious that there are people, yogis, who can successfully attain this out in the world. Their inward connection and spirituality is very remarkable, so it makes sense that this enlightenment is their reward.

A part of practice and theory that Justine was adamant about was mechanics of our breathing. We had previously spoken in the Lesley class that it is inappropriate or not the normal practice to breath with an open mouth. It is correct to do through the nostrils. In class I really had not been too worried or aware, being a mouth breather. But here, it was a different issue. I noticed, immediately that none of my fellow classmates at O2 were breathing with their mouths open. With my eyes closed trying to concentrate, the nasal exasperations of my classmates around me were audibly noticeable right from the beginning. This, along with glances from my instructor, made me become extremely insecure and conscious of keeping my lips sealed. I believe it was this too that made the physical practice so strenuous, not being able to exhale involuntarily and through my mouth took a lot of focus.

At the same time, being audibly aware of everyone’s heavy and powerful exhalations and inhalations helped me find my rhythm and successfully control my breath. This too helped me relax because hearing these heavy nasal expulsions made me less timid of the noises or actions I created. Much like the chanting in class, it makes you really let go and realize no one is there to judge or even concerned with my being or actions.

In the O2 class there was no chanting, singing, or explanation, which again, I actually enjoy. The exercise of chanting and controlled breathing reminds me very much of religion. Yoga, being very similar to religious practices, helps me understand the spirituality behind it all. Having attended parochial school for 13 years of my life the tradition of prayer is embedded in me and much like breathing is almost involuntary. I think it would be safe to say a lot of people, a vast majority, talk to God or some higher divinity through their thoughts. They pray or ask for guidance, strength, or to alter some form of inadequacy they feel or are worried about. This is similar to the practice and theory of Yoga because participation is for a connection and completion of the individual self, righting the inner wrongs and seeking happiness, enlightenment.

People practice yoga in the eventual achievement of personal contentment and illumination. So when we chant and breathe in class, and quiet the mind, my mind cannot help to in my own way, pray. In calming and tracking of my mind, I notice I begin to converse with God, wonder to him about current situations in my life. This makes yoga a very reassuring thing to me. It makes me take the time to slow down my 90-mile hour anxiety caffeine prone nature and just be. So although in the sense of culture or theory I may not be triumphant in meditation in the textual sense, but I still have discovered a form of inner good that helps me be retrospective and understand my mind, body, and spirituality a little better.

I hope that I have not portrayed my outside yoga experience as negative. I just feel, conclusively, from what little I have learned so far, the philosophy of yoga surrounds or is saturated with the mind and meditating, and the American culture of Yoga I see promotes the ideals of yoga as not breaking the physical exterior. It strongly consists of beautiful thin females, emitting the exact opposite of the root of yoga theory, that your body is all you are. From reading class texts what I have received clearly is that our bodies do not make up the content of who we are. Our bodies are simply physical, they are just representations. Our true identity is the mind.

Everything power, thoughts, action, they all start in from brainpower, the thought process. Even the actions that play out these concepts and ideas and result in skyscrapers and highways, they all are triggered by the mind. Everything physical that we see was produced form something that we cannot see at all.

Although my yoga experience outside of class had little to do with the theory and culture traditions, it did not discourage me. Actually, quite the opposite, it intrigued me. Knowing that there are many other forms of yoga experiencing O2 yoga has only lengthened my curiosity. I would like to continue practice, but expand from Astanga/ Vinyasa many forms as possible all the way from “hot yoga” to yoga completely focused on meditation and stationary breathing. Unfortunately, the surprisingly high cost of attending studio classes and being a broke college student will slow my ability to experience Yoga, but I am still very open and interested in its many forms. In doing my research I hope to continue in my understanding or interest in this idea of what America has turned yoga into and what traditional yoga actually is.

Bibliography

Krishnamurti, J. (1999). This Light in Oneself: True Meditation . Brockwood Park, Bramdean Hampshire, England: Krishnamurti Foundation Trust Ltd.

Loureiro , Mimi. (, 2011). What is o2 yoga?. Retrieved from http://www.o2yoga.com/.

Muktibodhananda, Swami. (1985). Hatha Yoga Pradipika . Munger, Bihar, India : Yoga Publications Trust.

Pizer, Anne. (August 21, 2011). Vinyasa-Yoga, Flow Yoga . Retrieved (2011, October 1) from http://yoga.about.com/od/typesofyoga/a/vinyasa.htm

Calvin's Yoga Experience: Dahn

Calvin K Cheung

10/1/11

Laura Douglass

Yoga: Theory, Culture and Practice

Experience and Lesson

I went to a Dahn Yoga studio located at Harvard Square, 1110 Mass Ave. in Cambridge; I got an interesting experience that I felt ready to do. I decided to go to this studio because I had walked by the studio several times, and was interested because a sign outside their studio said that it taught a “Chi” oriented yoga. As a Chinese person who is a little familiar to tai chi, this made me interested enough to go into the studio and write this paper on the experience that I had when I took a lesson there at the studio.

During the first visit, I was shocked at how homey and comfortable the atmosphere felt to me. It wasn’t till the second time I came in did I get to a lesson, where I was told that the actual studio was built six years ago, and that the practitioners had kept changing; because Dahn Yoga is a franchise, so each studio’s history is hard to keep up with. The studio was well prepared, as the floor was patted, so it was not necessary to bring in a mat, but it also meant that you have to take off your shoes before going on to the floor.

My lesson started out with some questions, and a bizarre machine that could measure my “chi”. Some of the questions I was asked were; why was I interested in Yoga, was I there as a stress reliever, was I there for physical fitness, and other questions like that. What fascinated me was what happened to me next. I was told to place my hands on a chi device that they have. Never in my life, was I told that you could measure chi so easily. By placing my hands on the device, the instructor was able to accurately give me a reading on what kind of a person I was. Before I could say anything, she reassured me that this was not some kind of physic thing, and that device was created by a Russian scientist. After all the questions, we got started with some exercises, which started as she telling me to bend my arms in unusual ways. As I got the hang of it, she pointed out some things about me, such as how even though I wanted to work on my flexibility I seem pretty flexible. I then got into a lying down position, and was told to do some kind of squatting position. There as I try to breath, I notice that I was getting tired, and my legs gave out. At this point, the teacher placed her right index finger and middle finger on the lower part of my chest, and told me to breath. As a person who is used to such physical contact, I continue with her instructions. She then placed her other index finger and middle finger on my stomach, and pushed down hard. She then told me to breath, it was kind of difficult as it she was pushing down on my stomach rather hard, but I pushed on. She then asked if anything hurt, and I told her that it tickled but there were no painful sensations. She then gently touched my forehead, and my stomach, and asked if I felt any kind of warmth on either side, I said that I felt most of the heat was on my head. She readjusted her hands, and put pressure on different parts of my chest, then asked me again where I felt the warmth. I told her that it was on my head again. She told me how this indicated that I have a pretty sensitive mind, and is easily triggered to think a lot, which may cause digestive problem. This made sense to me as I have had problem with digesting when there was a lot of things that went through my mind. After this exercise, she told me to sit up straight, and told me how the heat that I felt in my head should be in my stomach, and told me that I did have a warmer stomach than the average student that went to her studio. She then told me to start warming my hands, and try to focus my energy within that warmth. As I tried, I got distracted with the noises around me and was not able to “feel” that energy. And she told me that my mind tends to wander, and that this could mean that I have a hard time focusing on homework and other work, which I would have to agree on. The lesson ended after she told me a little more about my chi. I found myself wanting to know more, and wanted to come back some time again in the future. Overall, it was a spiritual experience that I won’t forget.

Culture and Practice

I did not get a real good sense of the culture, when I was at the studio; this was due to the fact that I had to schedule a private lesson to fit my schedule. Prior to writing this paper, I went to the studio a total of two times, one, to get an idea of what kind of yoga the studio was using and to schedule a lesson and then the second time to have the lesson. The first time I was there I did notice that there was a lot of Asians, whom I would assume are Korean, because the teacher was talking to them in Korean. I got a better sense of the culture, and reason for this practice of this form of yoga, when I was filling out a form about how I heard of Dahn Yoga. The form gave out a long list for reasons to why I would want to do Yoga, and it listed, stress, work out, enlightenment, relaxation, and etc. This gave me the idea that this form of yoga can be practiced as a form of recreational activity, or can be more meaningful to a person; it all depends on the student. However, I felt that even though it listed stress reliever/relaxation as a reason for using this kind of Yoga, I felt that the overall goal was self control, center-ness and perhaps even enlightenment. I am considering in going to the studio at least one more time before I make a decision to continue this form of Yoga.

History

Dahn, a Korean interpretation of Yoga was originated in North Eastern Korea around nine thousand years ago, was rediscovered be a man by the name of Ilchi Lee. These old texts were called Chun Bu Kyung, and practiced the idea of meditation and martial art (www.dahnyoga.com, 2011). Lee reintroduced Dahn Yoga in Korea in 1980s, and was called Dahnhak Seonwon, which translate to Vital Energy Arts Center, and as time progressed so did the growth of Dahn Yoga. Lee retired from the Dahnhak Seonwon center and started to work on how “chi” energy could work with brain respiration. After a researching, practicing and training with volunteers, he was able to develop a new form of Dahn yoga. As time progressed, Lee’s fame became bigger, and gained the privilege to teach his form of Yoga to the Korean Military. It wasn’t until 1991 was Lee invited by Philadelphian Korean business men to start teaching his form of Dahn Yoga in North America. Then in the 2000s, Lee’s form of Dahn Yoga spread throughout the world and became a franchise in 2008 in North America (www.dahnyoga.com, 2011). To this day there are many books written by Lee about his form of Dahn Yoga.

Theory

What I was told in the studio, by the teacher, the theory behind Dahn Yoga is that once you are able to control your physical body, you will be able to control your emotions and spirit. And that this idea of controlling your sense is way to become centered, which seems to be the overall theme/mission of the practice. What I read on their official website is that there is three principals of Dahn Yoga, which are Shim Ki Hyul Jung, Seu Sung Hwa Gang, and Jung Choong Ki Jang Shin Myung (www.dahnyoga.com, 2011).

Shim Ki Hyul Jung, which translate to from “Mind to matter” is the idea that that if you are able to bring your mind to the present while you are training, you will be able to monitor changes, or other things that happen in your own body(www.dahnyoga.com, 2011).. I notice this first hand in class, when I was asked what parts of my body felt “warm” when I was trying to focus my energy on lying still. Seu Sung Hwa Gang, which translate to “Water up, fire down” is the idea that water energy should be going to the head, to keep your head cool, and the fire energy should go down to your lower body, which will encourage health working system(www.dahnyoga.com, 2011). I got a better understanding of this when I was in the studio, when the teacher notice that a lot of “heat” or “warmth” was going to my head, and not enough of that “heat” and “warmth” was going to my stomach, and she told me that I seem like a person who thinks a lot, which may cause me to not care about what is going on within my body, which may lead to digestive problems. This made sense, as I have had stomach pains when I am upset. And finally there is Jung Choong Ki Jang Shin Myung, which translates to “From Health to Happiness to Peace” and is the idea that by controlling your physical body you will be able to control your emotions (www.dahnyoga.com, 2011).

Conclusion

Even after being a little discourage about the this Yoga studio, due to the negative reactions to former students of the yoga class, I still wanted to go there because of my interest in Asian Pacific martial arts, and religion. I did understand why the experience could have been traumatizing for others, but as a person who is familiar with these kinds of rituals, and method, I felt like home when I started the lesson. As I am considering in become a full time student at the studio, the only thing that stops me is the cost of the lesson. However, even with a high cost, I think I might try the place one more time before I make final decision.

Bibliography

Dahn Yoga. (2011). Retrieved September 2, 2011, from http://www.dahnyoga.com/about_dahn_yoga/