Dear Yogis,
Inadvertently Covid has brought me back to the yoga school I used to have and love. Lots of people, lots of classes, lots of lectures. Lots of doing it my way – very philosophical, very “Jo March” (Louisa Alcott’s Little Women”). We do yoga (asanas) to prepare the mind. The perfect asana is not the goal.
You might want more philosophy in the mornings, but for the time being, this newsletter is the main way that I can let you know what is happening day-to-day. We do now have our Sunday morning Teacher Training (every Sunday at 10) which is jam packed full of philosophy (and students), then we have Tuesdays teachings at 7.30pm. This week we are starting with IDA/PINGALA AND SUSHUMNA. There is no repeat of this and no recording….. this is an ongoing series of lectures, three at a time. We have just finished considering Hypermobility. Look at the home page of the web site to see all the classes and times. There is so much to do.
Payment is easy peasy. We have PayPal – just go to the Home Page on the web site, click on Donate at the bottom of the page, and make one-off payment for the amount of the course. PayPal very cleverly sends me a receipt. We even have PayPal credit (for 50 years I personally have provided this facility and it’s time for a change). So you can pay for a course, and when necessary organise to pay over time with PayPal.. Handy for even our shorter courses. You don’t even need a PayPal account.
On Fridays we have CAFE YOGA. This is a surprising success. A ‘girl time”. You can bring tea (“hard tea” as the ad says), something to nibble and something for “show and tell”. Knitting, a book, a craft. Anything. We only have an hour. Last week when I said I knitted on toothpicks people didn’t believe me, but I do, and I can show you the tiny T-shirts I knit as egg cosies.
ZOOM RESTORATIVE YOGA – Gentle , or with weights and straps. I now have eight classes a week. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Your choice. I would love to see you there.
BHAGAVADGITA.
One day not far away, we are going to consider the Bhagavadgita together.
The word actually means “The Lord’s Song”, and around the world about a BILLION people accept this to be so. This ancient text looks at the eternal questions – Who am I? How can I be happy? Where does everything come from? Who are our real teachers and where do they come from?
A brief(?) Sanskrit text of seven hundred verses, the Bhagavadgita forms a part of the Bhisma-parva, the sixth book of the Mahabharata – a vast and complex sacred history. Widely recognised as a work of spiritual and philosophical genius which I began exploring it in my early (unfinished) years with Sanskrit, and with my teacher Margrit Segesman. I have all but forgotten my Sanskrit, but I remember Margrit every minute of every day – without her I would not have found my true purpose. It was she who introduced me to the Gita and real yoga.
The great mathematician astronomer Arya Bhata concluded from archaeo- astronomical data in the middle of the Mahabharata that the Kuru-kesetra War, the setting of the Bhagavadgita, took place approximately 5,100 years ago. Modern scholars disagree and doubt the historical accuracy of most Mahabharata events.. but east or west, all accept their history and antiquity – who is right? We do know that the ‘Gita has inspired and illumined a huge and growing number of souls.
Let Us take advantage of its profound wisdom.. The Gita shows us that God’s relationship with fallen souls is mediated by the laws of karma.. and it is said that awakened souls approach and relate to God through Yajna Yoga– devoted offerings. Let us go on this journey together.
Get out your text books, clear the decks – this is a biggie.
Live long and PROSPER.
NAMASTE JAHNE