A Morning Yoga practice

Yesterday one of my students reposted a video from DoYouYoga.com about morning rituals. It depicted a scantily clad yogini littered with tattoos making a simple cup of herbal chai which progressed to a not so simple morning yoga sequence in a dimly lit apartment. The music was engaging and the yogini’s execution flawless. It’s hard not to aspire to that when you start your practice. But I am here to tell you that no matter how beautiful the lens and how dedicated the student the way we look in our everyday practice is far from perfect.

In response to the post I put together this little piece on what has become of Yoga.

Yes its true I am an early riser and absolutely love my yoga practice- but I definitely don’t bother to dress up or have a cup of tea and I actually have to make myself do the practice. Once I am on the mat and I start I’m fine and then when I finish I’m like ” What was all the fuss about?” Part of the reason I am able to hit that mat every day is the consistency of the sequence. I practice  Ishta Mala. It is nourishing for the tissues and has a beautiful seated sequence that literally detoxifies the body while building Ojas ( immunity). I was introduced to the practice by South African Yogi John Weddepohl and I haven’t looked back. I no longer injure myself, have incredible strength and stamina and when I choose to do a different sequence ( like the one in the video) I have all the flexibility and vigour needed. I am so passionate about daily practice and a practice that can be repeated and memorised that we now teach it on our retreats and trainings.

I hope you enjoy the view into my morning practice and If you feel like inspiring your yoga practice, gaining new skills which will enable you to teach yourself and find out the true and real meaning of yoga without the branded hype- we still have some space in our upcoming Teachers Training October 13- November 21, 2014.

Poem from ” Morning Pranam”

its not about the clothes i wear or the tattoos i have its life itself flowing through this body

Its not about the breath the mind or some notion I have of what yoga is

Its not about how many poses I can strike, how much I can push my body

Its about being with what is as it is

no more

no less

so what is this practice?

Divine worship

an offering of love

without expectation of reward or gain

everything is already gained

at birth it is so

the practice is a dance and a flowering

the breath glides in and out and if I falter

it is not me who falls

only the body seems as though

moving  through contrasting layers

none really knows anymore what yoga is

because everyone has their own idea

even this yoga has become a conditioning

we have forgotten ourselves in the practice

lost to ourselves all the while experiencing ourselves

thinking the yoga is necessary for stilling the mind

The mind will never be still

just as I as an individual am never still

thats why the movement is so potent

its is my nature to move

in the presence of what?

that is the question that begs an answer