Week 3 GUNAS

I think we are to talk about the Gunas this month. I will describe the best to my understanding what they are.

Gunas are the three ways in which Prakriti (Shakti) manifests herself into the physical. They are the three energies that govern anything happening on the physical plane. They show up in everything we do.

1. Rajastic Energy: Rajas currents, movements or feelings are spirals seen from the side with a forward and backward, inward/outward movement. Rajas movement is dynamic, insistent and passionate. A Rajastic approach to practicing yoga would be the seeking of power, stimulation, and esternal engagement by how cool the yoga posture looks.

2. Tamasic Energy: Tamas currents, movements or feelings are long lines, upward and downward. Tomas are strong, deep and internally focused. The Tamasic approach to yoga practice is dominated by subconscious forces and motivated by fear which may keep one from trying a pose or resisting receiving touch or hands on adjustments.

3. Sattvic Energy: Sattvic Currents, movements or feelings are transvers from east to west or movement in space from side to side. Sattvic movement is light, delicate, clear, and graceful. The Sattvic approach views yoga practice as a journey, with each yoga posture as a potential for both steady joy as well as challenge.


The Gunas are relevant to the Yoga asanas (poses), in relationship to:
* lines of energy
* edges of pactice
* struggle and intention of each pose

The Guna is present in the temperament and approach we use in a pose or series of poses.

In each pose we explore the movement of the Gunas and feel a sense of which Guna needs pacification and which needs to magnified to reach the potential union of Body, Mind and Spirit for a true "Yoga".

The Gunas are manifested through Prakriti (Shakti- Mother Nature) and illuminated by Purusha (Shiva -God or higher power)


http://www.gobodhiyoga.com/whatisbodhiyoga.shtml

Week 2: A DISCOVERY

This week there are no grandchildren to entertain so I am able to attend the regular Yoga Classes at the Bohdi Yoga Center . Syl is skilled in instructing and teaching new things as we go along. 

Monday, in the Restorative Yoga Class she talked about Dissociative Reflex. She made up this name but her description of it was very profound to my soul. This is what I remember of it:

When things are uncomfortable our brain dissociates with the body. It is as if it goes through a swinging door. Sometimes the door does not swing back for one reason or another and we are stuck in the dissociative state. We need to find a way to get that door to open back to our body and make a re-connection. This touched my heart as I felt that this is the state I have been in since childhood. I feel a deep desire to connect and see the person I really am. It has been a painful difficult struggle over the years to be able to accomplish all that was expected of me by me or by others. I feel that I may be on the right path.

I found Bodhi Yoga Center on Facebook.

Week 1: TRAINING BEGINS

I began my journey with Syl Carson one year before my husband died and continued one year after before I was called to Germany as a missionary.  I did my own practice a couple times a week to keep it up.  On returning to Utah, after two years in Germany, I felt drawn to immerse myself in Yoga and knew that Bodhi Yoga was where I would get the best training.  I signed up for the TeacherTraining and the journey begins.



My intention is to perfect my practice, connect and learn the inner me and feel peace. I do not know if I will teach but I am open and hope my heart can lead me to be able to reach out to others and help them along this path also.


This piece of the teaching stood out to me and gave me encouragement and hope.

"Asana is the Sanskrit word meaning Posture, a steady position of the body, "a state of being, steady and joyful". Asana postures are methods of working with one's body in order to prepare it for further stages of spiritual development, mental stability and physical health. They also help one acquire initial concentration skills and provide an entry level development of energetic structures of the complete human being."

Here are the Yoga Immersion Teacher Certification Yogis
Cyl, our mentor and instructor is in front




Teaching Grandchildren

Since I was babysitting some of my grandchildren the first week I practiced on them

We Warm Up

We learn how to breathe. Feel the stomach expand when you breathe in and then the chest. Now breathe out..and let it all out.

A Good Twist


No One Does a Child Pose Better Than a Child