What Sivananda (with Prahlad) can teach us about Yoga

Sunday was the final day of the Yoga Conference, and since I missed the Sivananda class with Prahlad I decided to get on the GoTrain to Toronto. When I arrived I found out the class was a 6 hour intensive Advanced Hatha Yoga Workshop and without hesitation I signed up.  While I have read some books recommended by the Sivananda Center, seen the sequence, and met many Sivananda devotees, I did not take a class yet.  I tend to gravitate to the Vinyasa & Ashtanga styles of Yoga because of the fluid movement, but I knew the history behind Sivananda and wanted to experience it. I had some time to spend before class, so I went to the exhibition space to browse and met some lovely Sivananda Yogis from my Hometown.

I arrived in the class and lay my mat down.  The class was small with an intimate group of maybe 12 people.  First thing we do is relax also known as Savasana.  What a brilliant way to begin class.  While I have done this with my students, and even had other teachers do this, the concept behind this for the Sivananda program is to ensure the body is relaxed before approaching every asana class.  We follow with Om, and some mantra chanting led by Prahlada.

"Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts.  This is the secret of success." ~ Swami Sivananda

Second thing we do is Pranayama.  Pranayama practice is something beautiful and many people have witnessed the benefits of this practice.  The regulation of breath allows for oxygentated blood to flow through the nadi lines and awaken the body, heal diseases and bring a sense of peace.  With Sivananada Kapalabhatti is followed by Alternate Nostril.  The Altnernate Nostril is to alleviate any blockages that may be impeding the flow of prana and balance both hemisphere's of the brain.  I Love Pranayama! However, Prahlad was wise to point out that too much pranayama can lead to an overly sensitive personality, especially for those who live in metropolitan areas.

"Purity, patience, and perseverance are the three essentials to success and, above all, love." ~ Swami Sivananda

We progress into Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations).  This is done to warm up the body, to prepare for asana.  The thing I love is the Sequence is the traditional sequence as taught in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, which is said to be the oldest text on the Hatha Yoga Practice.  Many people in the west recreate the Sun Salutation, and sometimes I feel like it is best to stick with the traditional way.  From there we do Leg Raises which inevitably helps to strengthen the core.

Finally, we progress to the Asana practice.  The sequence is the 12 basic asanas beginning with Headstand.  After each section of asana we do a Savasana.  Those that know me are aware that due to a few car accidents, Headstand is a pose that brings physical discomfort for me.....well not today.  Prahlad invited us to place equal energy on our forearms, and from their we would lift into SCORPION!!!  I loved it!  The BEST thing about the way Prahlad taught was instilling confidence in students.  Like me, many people had reservations or fears, and unless we face the fear we will always be frozen in time.  Since the class was aimed for advanced practitioners we were partnered up and taught how to safely assist and adjust.  After scorpion we progressed into some Handstand practice, which turned into Handstand into wheel, into a backflip....WHAT FUN!  Finally, we soon we were practicing falling, to get rid of any remaining fears.  My partner who was new to the practice, was doing brilliant but had fear.  Prahlad encouraged me to remind her of Hanuman, the great monkey deity who can do amazing things but only after he is told to.

The sequence follows with Shoulder stand, Plow and Fish Pose.  This is a rejuvenation pose that also helps to restore and heal the thyroid.  From there plow, bridge, fish pose, seated forward bend, backbends (cobra, locust, bow), seated spinal twist, standing forward bend, standing balance poses, triangle pose.  We repeated and held poses for maybe 90 seconds or more, and did some variations.  When we were in bow pose he encouraged us to touch our head to our buttocks, and made a joke about how some women can reach their buttocks to their head with ease, where everyone laughed.

"Whenever we attain a higher vision, the lower vision disappears of itself." ~ Swami Sivananda

Prahald is a brilliant teachers originally from Hydrabad, India.  He has taught with Sivananda over 25 years and truly makes students feel comfortable and relaxed when approaching the asana practice. He encouraged students to be open to mastering the basic asana.  He explained concepts with relation to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and also included some philosophy and anatomy.  I always encourage students to be open to yoga, be receptive to the practice more than the teacher (unless it is your Guru), but always be safe in your practice, meaning never overdo.  The one thing I loved about this class was the safety that it provided.  When Yoga asana is practiced in a safe way, we do not have injuries, instead we restore from them.  Most Sivananda Ashrams do not list the name of the teacher to encourage students to just show up for the practice.

While I have been considering exploring the Sivananda practice more, I am very grateful to have had this beautiful experience.

Hindu Ashram NYC

While in the Western part of the world, many people have adapted the "asana" (yoga pose) as their key component of their yoga practice. It is imperative to recognize that this ancient practice is made up of many components, also referred to as the eight limbs of yoga. It is also important to recognize and respect the fact that this ancient practice stems from the hindu religion. While it is arguable that the yoga practice itself is not hindu, the practice has been passed down through hindu religious texts and yogis. Many of the poses are named after Hindu deities, and stories about them. The sound and symbol of Om are a key part of Hindu prayers and considered to be the sound of God/sound of the Universe. Maybe for non-religious people, and those who are devout in their particular faith, it makes them feel better to say that yoga is not religious. Maybe some people worry they will offend people. I find it ironic that Hindu people don't find it offensive that we in the west have adapted their ancient practice and turned it into a workout, branding it, creating an alliance that regulates whether you can be an instructor when in Indian it would take years of dedication to ever be considered a "yogi" or Swami. While it is not important that you be a Hindu when you practice yoga, I think it is a good idea to respect that that is where it stems from.

Years ago, I was invited to sing/cantor the chants with the musical leader who plays various Indian instruments (sitar, harmonium etc) at a Hindu Ahsram right here in NYC. He was in search of a singer and found my music online. He was a converted Jewish gentleman who was called into the Hindu faith and never looked back. Listening to him play and sing, I felt like I was listening to Yesudas (a famous Indian classical musician). I was honored to be asked, but it wasn't something I wanted to do at the time. Recently, I bumped into a lovely girl on the subway (Indra Devi) who was wearing a Salvar (typical Indian outfit that looks like a long embroidered top over pants). We talked on the train, and she explained how she lives in this Ashram. I quickly remembered that I had already been there. She is also formerly Jewish and now devoted to her Hindu faith and guru. We talked a lot, and I was enchanted by the visible essence of peace in her eyes that I find in many devout Hindus. She invited me to join them in meditation at the Ashram. I ventured off to visit the Hindu Ashram right here in NYC on Avenue B again. This compound houses many people who live under the guidance of their guru, Swami Ramakrishnananda. They practice Hatha Yoga, have Darshan, Meditation, Kiratan, and much more. They provide yoga classes for the public and various other workshops. Upon arriving, I was greeted by a young gentleman, former Christian, originally named John who has been renamed as a Saniyasan (like a hindu monk) with a name given by his Guru which I can't seem to remember. He shared with me his experience and invited me to take the Hatha yoga classes as he is the teacher. He was a delight to speak with. I am always fascinated by peoples relationship with God and how it translates into their daily lives. In my opinion all the religions before they are corrupted by leaders have the same values of love for God, love for others, and love for ourselves. Ultimately faith echos in our hearts as John Lennon sings "All You Need is Love". Unfortunately, their guru wasn't coming down for meditation, and instead they were having Kirtan which could go on for hours. I decided to go home, with hope to return. It was nice to sit at the foot of Ganesh (the Hindu deity known for inspiring the no fear mentality). Thank you everyone at the Ashram who greeted me with Love. While my personal faith is not Hindu, and is one that I will keep forever, I will maintain my love and respect for the Hindu faith. Growing up as an Indian, with neighbors and friends of various religions, I was taught to respect everyones right to their individual faith. Ultimately our temple, church or mosque is more than just an architectural structure, rather it is the love in our heart. Gandhi had a famous quote "I am a Hindu, I am a Christian, I am a Muslim, I am a Jew" when he was questioned about his association with Muslims being that he himself was Hindu. If only more people in the world would adopt that loving mentality. If you are interested in the Hatha yoga practice, or even the orthodox Hindu faith, you may want to venture to the Ashram on avenue B.