Longing...

Longing for gardening season and the fragrance of fresh marigolds...

Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha

Wishing you a beautiful, peaceful, obstacle-free day.!

In traditional yoga, malas (flower garlands) are used as offerings for revered teachers and in devotional rituals.  

Marigolds are popular as their bright color is reminiscent of the fires of transformation as well as the cheerfulness and resilience required on the path of self-realization.  

The seeds for these marigolds came from the Peace Garden at the Sivananda Ashram in Val Morin and have been empowered with decades of the mantra "Om Namo Narayanaya" and the wish for world peace.  

The perishable nature of a flower garland is a reminder of the fragility of beauty and life.  Nonetheless, the seeds can be saved, grown, and shared for generations to come.

For the Love of Marigolds

Photo of Atul Dubey by Ken Hermann

You all know how much I love marigold flowers!

For that reason alone, Danish artist Ken Hermann might just be my new favorite photographer.

His series of Flower Men portraits shot in Kolkata on the banks of the Hooghly River is so spellbinding I had to share it with you.

This video really brings Ken's inspiration and the fascinating city of Kolkata to life.

Also, be sure to check out his series of portraits titled Holy Men.

Ok, I have to go make a marigold mala now, enjoy!

Namaste, 2019 Yoga Teacher Trainees at Yoga Within!

Marigolds, representing "Plasticity"

A heartfelt welcome to the new 2019/2020 class of Hatha Yoga Teacher Trainees at Yoga Within!

I wish you all the cheerfulness and flexibility you will need to navigate this lifelong journey of personal transformation.

I'm aware that in this age of prolific body-centered practice, studying the origin, history, and philosophy of yoga may seem a bit... extra.  

Yoga (or more precisely, the practice of yoga asanas) has become a global phenomenon and a multi-billion dollar industry.  Millions of people in Canada alone now participate in classes, workshops, and retreats.  Remarkably, the numbers keep growing.

While some think philosophy and history are irrelevant to yoga today or that philosophy is something "other people" think about, actually, There is no one who does not have a philosophy.  Learning about the origins and intentions of Classical Yoga can help us to identify and examine our own philosophy (and hypocrisy) in yoga and in life.

Knowing where the teachings come from, how they blended into modern culture, and how experts see them trending in the future can make you a more critical (I don't mean judgemental) and engaged student. It can also make you a more informed and professional Yoga Teacher.

Today's yoga teachers need to navigate issues of cultural and spiritual sensitivity.  They encounter students from many backgrounds and educational frameworks.  In order to address the wide range of physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social issues students seek out yoga to address, it is essential to be aware of the "big picture".  Having as many tools in your box as possible allows you to excel when preparing and presenting yoga to individuals or groups and have a positive impact on your students and your community.

Many yoga teacher trainees are surprised to discover that this part of their education is not boring or dry.  It does not require a brilliant mind or running away to a cave.  Rather, it is a way to examine and articulate your own values and goals.  It allows you to engage with the purpose behind the practice.  It develops compassion and respect for the ideas and ideals of all Yogis and Yoginis, past, present, and future.

I hope to convey some of my enthusiasm and spark your curiosity about Yoga's original language, oral history, and works of world-literature as well as the fascinating cast of characters who have brought Yoga to Atha, or "this moment" which all of our previous experience, contemplation, education, and practice have prepared us for.

"And now the teaching on Yoga begins." P.Y.S. 1.1

Namaste,

Tara 

Raja Yoga Summer Camp is in Full Swing!

Prasad from the Mahaganapathy Temple

Thanks to all who came (despite the tornado warnings!) on tonight's Raja Yoga Summer Camp field trip to the Mahaganapathy Temple!

It was such a beautiful experience and so wonderful to share it with you!

Thank you to everyone at the Temple who made us feel so welcome, you've given us an evening to remember!  Our eyes and ears and hearts were filled with sights and sounds, customs and kindness!

I can hardly wait until we go back on Wednesday, July 17th, 2013!

If you'd like join Raja Yoga Summer Camp, email me:  tarawoltjen@yahoo.ca

Ganesha holding Tara's marigold

Also, thank you Tara from the Yoga Within Hatha Yoga Teacher Training class. 

Tara, of all the students and friends I've given peace marigolds and marigold seeds to (and there have been lots!), you're the first ever to plant them and bless me with a bloom! 

Namaste!

Best wishes to you and all of your classmates as you complete your Yoga Teacher Training!

Atha yoganushasanam (Yoga Sutra 1.1) ...NOW the teaching on Yoga begins...

Jai Ganesha!

Yoga for Today, Teacher Training Assignment

Practicing the

Yamas and Niyamas

It was great seeing you all this morning at Yoga for Today. 

Thank you for your warm enthusiasm on this snowy day!

Here's your assignment.  Please come to our next meeting with a copy of your summary to discuss.

And for those of you who asked, here is a link to my Navaratri post which gives a little more information about the marigolds.

From the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, please choose one of the Yamas:

1. Ahimsa (अहिंसा): non-violence.
2. Satya (सत्य): truth in word and thought, absence of falsehood or giving someone the wrong impression.
3. Asteya (अस्तेय): non-stealing.
4. Brahmacharya (ब्रह्मचर्य): celibacy in case of unmarried people and faithfulness in action, words and thoughts in the case of married people.
5. Aparigraha (अपरिग्रह): absence of avarice, not coveting or hoarding.

OR one of the Niyamas:

1. Shaucha: cleanliness of body and mind; purity.
2. Santosha: satisfaction with what one has; contentment.
3. Tapas: austerity.
4. Svādhyāya: study of the Vedic scriptures and the Self, which leads to introspection on a greater awakening to the soul and God within.
5. Ishvarapranidhana: surrender to, or worship of Ishwara (God).

Spend 24 hours consciously practicing your chosen Yama or Niyama or some aspect of it. 
For example:

• Practice ahimsa by not eating meat for the day. 
• Practice santosha by not complaining about work, your husband, or the weather.
• Practice satya by not exaggerating. ("I'm starving!"  or "I hit a million red lights on the way here!")
• Practice asteya by not making personal calls, surfing the net or texting on business time.
• Practice tapas by going on a one day "media fast", turning off the tv, radio, and internet gossip.
• Practice saucha and aparigraha at the same time by finally cleaning out the basement or the back closet and donating the clothes you're not wearing to someone else who can!

Get it?  It's challenging, but really fun!

If you find it helpful, jot notes down during the day about how it's going.  Maybe make a note every few hours about whether or not you were able to keep your committment to yourself during that time. 

Don't get discouraged - keep going! 

At the end of the 24 hours write approximately 1/2 to 1 page summary of the experience. 

Please bring a copy to class with you and be prepared for a group discussion. 

Your best bet is to choose one and begin right now! 

Otherwise, the tendency is to "forget" indefinitely, or to make some small transgression of your committment and give up or start over with the illusion that getting it "right" and doing it "perfectly" is what will make your experiment and your Yoga "successful".

Please recall that this is a practice and each "mistake" helps us to grow in awareness.  In that sense, there is no such thing as a mistake.  Each lapse in awareness allows us to see ourselves more clearly.

Be warned:  Sometimes in the process of cleaning the mind we "kick up some dirt", but it's well worth the effort!

Have fun! 

Happy Navaratri!

Today is the first day of the annual Hindu nine-night festival of the Divine Mother! 

Each fall for the past ten-ish years, my Mom and I have celebrated this festival together. 

Our first introduction to Navaratri was in Val Morin at the Sivananda Ashram.  We arrived just as the leaves were turning from lush green to a spectacular rainbow of gold, orange and red, clueless but eager.  We left the morning of the year's first snowfall with more than we could ever have expected!

Tantric priests performed Pujas, offerings of rice and flowers, japa, Devi Bhajans, and readings from the Devi Mahatmya. 

 photo borrowed from Wikipedia

Written by Rishi Markandeya around 1500 years ago, this Great Glory of the Goddess tells the story of how the Divine Mother (known by many names including Kali, Chandika, Devi, Shakti, and loads more) kicked some serious demon butt and saved the Devas!  They had to put all their powers together to create her and then had to spend aLOT of time writing and singing songs about how awesome She is to thank her!

We were told that if you practice all nine days (plus a tenth for blessing books and tools of your work or spiritual path) with sincerity and devotion, all your prayers, spoken and unspoken will be answered.

The End.

Or not...You know how it goes - every year I come up with new prayers, and so every year it's like starting from scratch...

On our own, we don't practice as formally as we did at the ashram.  Our pujas are held each day whenever our schedule allows, and we act as our own pujaris.  Our altars are dynamic and personal. 

Our flowers are simply whatever we grew ourselves or nature provided us.  Mostly we're just grateful for whatever the frost hasn't taken! 

This year we've been blessed with a bumper crop of marigolds that we have been re-seeding ever since that first Navaratri when part of our karma yoga was deadheading the flowerbeds in Swami Vishnudevananda's Samadhi Estates. 

This humble little flower, sacred in India for it's fiery color, represents "Plasticity" according to Sri Aurobindo's disciple, The Mother who considered that the highest attribute of a yogi.

Styling our own ritual has become a part of the devotional practice.  We honor our own craftiness, courage, creativity and abundance.  We trust that our "mistakes" will be overlooked. 

We embrace unconventional thanks and praises too, like Rob Brezny's heartfelt and hilarious poem/prayer:  A Prayer for Us.

And we eat fruits and Indian milk sweets and just in general - whatever we please - as in, whatever we think would please the Goddess in us!

I encourage you to craft your own ritual to the Divine Mother for the next couple of weeks. 

Make a little altar somewhere where you can sit for a few minutes each day and offer your longing, your dreams and your gratitude to the Divine Mother.  See Her in your Self.

I will post more in the next nine days as we celebrate the three main personalities of Shakti:  Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati.  Shakti means power.  Empower your yoga practice by checking out the tools and rituals of the ancient yogis for yourself, embracing those that feel right to you now. 

I'd love to know how and where you're celebrating so please leave your comments and feedback!

Jai Ma!