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30 Mar 2007 (Fri) - 7.30pm to 9.00pm
FREE TALK – Ancient Texts for Contemporary Practice: Key Learnings from Yoga Sutra of Patanjali & Hatha Yoga Pradipika When we discuss the principles of Yoga today we usually refer to two important texts: Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras written approximately c500BC and the more contemporary Hatha Yoga Pradipika c12th – c15th AD. Both contain valuable information regarding the practice of yoga and its physical and spiritual effects upon the body/mind complex. But as they were written so long ago how can they be relevant to us in this modern age and why should they be important to us now? To begin this discussion we should realize that the yogis of old were not distracted by the use of televisions, computers or mobile phones, etc. They devoted their lives to the exploration of human consciousness and both of these books, in particular the Yoga Sutra, are a record of specific yogis’ experiences. The Yoga Sutras are based more specifically on the process of Raja Yoga meditation while the Hatha Yoga Pradipika prodeeds this by leading up to the process of meditation. As Hatha Yoga Pradipika is a 'How to achieve psycho-spiritual experiences' manual, we will predominantly refer to it in order to learn the precise system. 31 Mar 2007 (Sat) – 9.30am to 12.30pm ; 2.00pm to 5.00pm Evolution of Consciousness Hatha Yoga is a process of realizing that you are soul consciousness experiencing through your body, senses and mind. It is a process of moving meditation that explores your spiritual nature by focusing on the physical experience as a means to perceive your deeper psyche. Through the practices of Hatha Yoga you learn that the physical world is not separate to the spiritual world but rather that they are part and parcel of each other. And you learn also that your yoga practices affect your daily life and that your daily life reflects in your quality of practice. In order to achieve a state of equilibrium you need a balanced sequence of practise. Therefore, the morning Hatha Yoga sessions will consist of a variety of yogasana postures, pranayama breathing, mudra gestures and bandha muscle contractions to suit your individual needs. You will be guided in the various practices according to your capacity and allowed individual expression while adhering to the tradition of Hatha Yoga and reference to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika of Swatmarama. As meditation is the culmination of the Hatha Yoga practices you will find that through the sequences of practices taught by Swami Muktibodhananda, Yoga Nidra spontaneously unfolds into pratyahara sense withdrawal and dharana concentration. 1 April 2007 (Sun) – 9.30am to 12.30pm ; 2.00pm to 5.00pm Transformation of Consciousness Yoga practice and philosophy is based on the expression of Kundalini Shakti primordial energy. Kundalini needs to be properly understood. There are several references in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika to the arousal of Kundalini and so we will explore the different aspect of this concept through theory and practice. Most of us tend to think of our bodies as solid matter without taking into consideration that we are energy beings electrical in nature and have an electro-magnetic field. We constantly use electronic and electrical equipment without realizing our bodies operate on the same principles. If we want to utilize our maximum potential then we have to find a way to extract energy from every cell, particularly the brain. We need also to train our thought patterns positively in order to harness this energy and manifest our goals. The afternoon sessions will be devoted to both discussion and practice.
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