Chi-elements

Now lets look at the second lecture I attended on Day 3 - The 4 Stages of Healing by T.K.V. Desikachar. Desikachar has a way of lecturing that is very practical and down to earth. His talks are always full of lively examples, which clearly illustrate the goal of the lecture. In this particular one, we went over some of the objectives that Patanjali puts forth in the Yoga Sutra. Patanjali basically says: You are in trouble, identify your trouble, have a long term goal, and you will be liberated. Though Desikachar is quick to point out that it is not always so simple. The 4 stages are as follows: What are the symptoms? What is the cause? What are the goals? Pacify or Purify or both? Find the means that will serve (solution) We need to remember though that Improvement is gradual - it is a step by step process. When you see improvement, then you begin to make changes to the means (the solution). Never forgetting that FAITH is a powerful healing tool. So part of the means should always inc

On day 3 I attended lectures on the Hip Joint by Judith Hanson Lasater, and The 4 Stages of Healing by T.K.V. Desikachar. On this blog we'll cover the session on the Hip Joint. Hip Joint: The goal of this workshop was to look at ways in which common yoga practice puts stress on the hip joint and try to "unlearn" the mistakes typically taught in classes. The main reason being that hip replacement surgery has grown tremendously, including amongst yoga teachers. It is therefore our duty, as well educated teachers, to ensure we minimize stress and create greater stability in this key joint. The best way to keep the hip joint healthy is to ensure that you include postures that help move the joint in various directions, but never force a position - NO PUSHING!!! As Judith highlighted during the workshop, "the hip joint is a very individual joint. It varies by gender and culture." Due to this fact, it is important to know that a student may never do the "classical

Today I sat in on T.K.V Desikachar's lectures and practice on meditation and pranayama (breathing technique). I was a real honor because he is my teacher's teacher and it was the first time I saw him live. Both lectures were very interesting presenting ways in which to use both of these techniques in a therapeutic context (given the Yoga as Therapy theme of the conference). My take aways are the following: Meditation: We should not underestimate the power of meditation to heal. Desikachar sited numerous examples of where meditation was used to heal physiological and psychological conditions. We just need to remember that the prerequisite for meditation is asana (posture work), as this prepares and quietens the body. Then you move on to pranayama - reducing your impurities, thereby making you ready for meditation. In meditation you need to be well prepared and have a sustained focus. The focus can be on an object of choice - whether it be a religious deity or something symboli

This was my first day at the Yoga Journal Conference in Estes Park, Colorado. Both sessions I attended today were given by Gary Kraftsow. Both sessions were very insightful and practical, covering how the main objective of a therapeutic yoga practice is to help individuals manage the symptoms of their disease. In particular, the big take away from this tradition of yoga (also known as the viniyoga of yoga) is that we should never expect people to adapt to the yoga, but rather the yoga needs to adapt to the individual. Along this line, I received a great compliment from a student of mine this past week without her even realizing it. She said to me, "what I really like about this tradition of yoga is that it's the first time I feel like I can do a class and actually do all the postures, and really feel good afterwards." There you go folks, as Gary said, unless we have plans to join the Cirque de Soleil, our day to day yoga practice can definitely borrow more elements from t