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5 mins
Dynamic breath for agitation/stagnation: 5 minutes to clear it out. A dynamic breath practice using dynamic movement of arms and a mudra (a specific hand gesture) in a breath practice that offers stagnation or agitation a pathway for release. Great when you need to shake things up to settle down in a short amount of time.
The Gita - the manifestations of existence: This talk explores the way in which the Gita explains the interrelatedness of all things. Krishna (or existence itself) is attempting to describe all aspects of manifest reality and in the end confesses - ‘actually there is just no end’. This offers us another perspective on the idea of the macrocosm being held within the microcosm, and of self similar patterns repeating on every scale from microscopic to cosmic.
The Gita - Krishna as Existence: In this talk we discuss one thing that completely changed my understanding of the Gita. We explore what the character Krishna represents and how this reading gives us a clear way to practically apply the teachings of the Gita to our lives. We look at verse 34, chapter 9.
The Gita - Seeing the same Self in everyone and everything: In this talk we talk about practice as a process of sensory reanimation, or resensitisation so that we might be fully present in our lives. A helpful talk for if you are ever wondering - what am I even doing?! Why am I practicing? What’s the point? We explore verse 29, chapter 6.
The map is not the Territory: Contemplating the importance of distinguishing the map from the territory in our study of yoga philosophy, and of holding and trusting our own direct experience. A great one to keep teachings in perspective, build trust in your own inner reference system or for if you ever feel like what you study in texts is slightly different from your experience, or you disagree or feel like you must be getting it wrong… ;)
Radhe Govinda Lullaby: A lullaby for Radhe and Govinda, young lovers that embody the essence of joy. Radha, the goddess of the universe and Govinda - the name for a Krishna in his youth. This melody evokes nostalgia and a sense of yearning for the sense of wholeness that we somehow sense is available to us even when it feels out of reach - it is a call for an integration of the masculine and feminine aspects inside our own being (not referring to gender but more to yin/yang, solar/lunar, ida/pingala aspects of ourselves that when integrated created a third thing which is a felt sense of our own wholeness and interrelatedness with all that is. Melody by Paula Andreewitch.
Ganesha Mantra: A beautiful chant offering salutations to Ganesha, the remover and placer of obstacles. The graceful dancer, son of Shiva and Parvati. The aspect of ourselves that we can call upon to support us to digest difficult experiences and an example of gracefully navigating the obstacles in our lives. Beautiful melody by Edo & Jo.
Density & Space: Contemplating the relationship of manifest and unmanifest through the language of density & spaciousness. Inspired by John Stirk in his book, Deeper Still, this framing has really shifted my understanding and experience of the space-density continuum. We also look at how we might explore this idea practically, and how it relates to tantric philosophy.
Counting Breath: Admittedly a little funny, this breathing technique helps us to fully empty our lungs. We add some sound (counting) to our exhale and keep going until there is no exhale left. Then we drink in a full inhale. It is a quick way to keep carbon dioxide in our body for a little longer so that when the oxygen floods in with the inhalation it can be distributed efficiently.
Maha Lakshmi Tutorial: A longer, more challenging but absolutely beautiful chant invoking the goddess Lakshmi, called the Mahalakshmi Astakam found in the Padma Purana. I chant the first three verses but have listed the rest below for your further exploration. I learned this melody from Stephanie Snyder.
Integrating Opposites: Contemplating a leadership skill Brene Brown calls: the capacity to hold two opposite things to both be true. How does integrating opposites and holding both to be true reveal itself in our practice on a physical and philosophical level? The podcast that sparked this contemplation was Brene Brown’s podcast Dare to Lead, in her conversation with Barack Obama - I highly recommend checking it out!
When we get stuck in our head: What happens when the centre of our awareness is located in our head? A comparative study of descriptions on what happens when we over identify with our ‘head intelligence’, looking at the Sutras on the Heart of Recognition by Ksemaraja, written about 1000 years ago, and Philip Shepherd’s book, Radical Wholeness, written in 2017. The translation I refer to for Ksemaraja’s book is the Recognition Sutras by Chris Wallis.
Easy Harmonium Jai Ma Mantra: A good one to start your harmonium journey with! An absolutely beautiful mantra with very simple harmonium. Calling to Ma, the Devine mother, the goddess that is awareness itself, and the ground of being in which every possibility exists. This is an adaptation of Nicky Slade’s beautiful Jai Ma mantra.
