Author: Sadhana Yoga

Ali reports: The Challenge is coming to a natural conclusion with only two days to go! Fortunately, Wednesday night also coincides with the Antares full moon (http://stardate.org/nightsky). This winter nightscape provides the perfect cosmic ending for our 40 Day Challenge.

On the one hand we can welcome back more personal freedom to make choices around diet and domestic behaviour. Yet, on the other hand, we will loosen the support and solidarity of belonging to a tight-knit  group of resolute yogis.

Our gentle candlelit class on Wednesday 7.30pm, with additional meditation and prize-draw, will formally bring the 40 Day Challenge to an end. Hopefully the group’s collective energy will help ripen the fruits of our yogic commitment.

The special 15 minute meditation led by Ali will allow us to contemplate what new yogic behaviours will be kept, what old conducts be returned to, and what habitual patterns will be released. We will also contemplate what it takes to be a real sattvic yogi living in a modern world. Challenge participants are welcome to bring something that can be shared within the group, thereby ceremonially closing off the Challenge.

Today’s report …

Fighting off an unexpected cold (using about 30 tissues!), I went for lunch with a friend today at a lovely Japanese café called Origami on Cuba Street. The beetroot butterfly (pictured above) enhanced the great food presentation. After lunch we carried on to the City gallery. The outstanding photographic portraits of Mongrel Mob members by Jono Rotman  were, for me, the most striking pieces in the gallery. http://citygallery.org.nz/exhibitions/jono-rotman-mongrel-mob-portraits

Tonight I was blessed with tasty food offerings by a student who understands that feeding a sadhu is a very noble practice indeed. I count my many blessings!

— Maree shares with us … “As our challenge comes to a close each of us has spent time reflecting on what the challenge has taught us and brought us. One of the most special and unexpected gifts provided by the challenge shone brightly for me especially last night as I sat amongst the golden company of six of the other yogini’s at our sattvic Sunday banquet.”

Maree continues …  “Amongst the irreverence, boisterous conversation and lively debate were true moments of personal vulnerability and honesty which were met by tenderness and support from the group.  It’s one of the joys of this challenge and more specifically this very special group of individuals – a slow unwrapping of ourselves over the weeks, revealing ourselves when we have felt the need or want in a safe circle of true respect.  It hasn’t been a contrived ‘confessional’ or  compulsory ‘group share’. It has simply been a beautiful and natural development for which I am grateful.  Each of us has found treasure in one another and thus in ourselves.  Aroha to you all xx.”

Thanks to Simone and Maree for photos

 — Debrief …

Today we had a special debrief  session, looking at the likes and dislikes of the 40 Yoga Challenge. This debrief helped shape the possibilities of future Yoga Challenges.

Jen liked:

• karma yoga (being more proactively engaged in the wider community)
• dietary changes (cutting out meat, refined and processed foods)
• 2 hours of silence and mindfulness meditation

Jen found challenging:

• The extra time and money needed to organise and maintain a sattvic diet within a family

Maree liked:

• Eating no meat, or refined flour, sugar or processed foods
• Finding sugar replacements
• karma yoga (being more proactively engaged in the wider community)
• Journaling and keeping a record of day to day events

Maree found challenging:

• Having to do yoga daily, on top of working and running a family

Annabelle liked:

• The group support, and social environment
• The fact that members of our yoga community worked collectively

Annabelle found challenging:

• Karma yoga (being proactively engaged in the wider community)
• Taking time to be silent and introspective for a two hour session

Terese liked:

• Everything!

Terese found challenging:

• Silence and stillness for meditation

Andy liked:

• The company of Challenge participants
• Taking time to be self-viewing
• The rule-based element of the Challenge

Ali liked:

• The collective social environment within our yoga community
• Helping others learn about the discipline involved in leading a yogic lifestyle

Ali found challenging:

• The mundane reality of being a yogini in suburbia
• Working 40 days straight
• Keeping up with the yoga journal on top of writing/ organising blog posts

All our super yogis agreed that this sort of immersion would work much better in a retreat or ashram environment. Maybe in the future we will run this sort of programme again in a lodge or accommodation somewhere more natural, whether in  New Zealand, Thailand, or India

As a side note: deposits collected from Challenge participants (who strayed a little off path) has gone toward provisions for Ali’s Guru’ji’s ashram, in the rural outskirts of Mathura/ India. With some karma yoga, planting and gardening the Barsana Ashram is an ideal place for future yoga immersion.

Part of our Yoga Challenge requires us to read and research yoga topics. Ali looks at modern and historical representations of YOGINĪS.

WHAT IS A YOGINĪ?

A yoginī is term used for a female Yoga master. Although she may have a well-established physical practice, yoginīs are often devoted to mystical and spiritual yoga practices.

In spiritual contexts, yoginīs are  devoted to the principle of the Divine Feminine and are regarded living receptacles of Goddess energy (shakti). This abundant energy allows living yoginīs to act as intermediaries between the supernatural agency of Goddesses and yogic/ tantric practioners.

Tantric texts of the Kaula cult depict sixty-four semi-divine Yoginīs, belonging to four anthropomorphic categories: beneficent, wrathful, birdlike, or animal-faced.

Although it is not well documented in popular literature, many yoga postures (āsanas) share symbolism with the ‘mounts’ that yoginīs stand on.  The Sixty-Four Yogini Temple at Hirapur, Odisha has yoginīs dancing on different animals, such a camel (uṣṭrāsana), cobra (bhujaṅgāsana), frog (bhekāsana), and corpse (śavāsana). These are also popular yoga poses.

WHAT DOES A YOGINĪ TEACH?

As veteran Yoga teachers, yoginīs endeavours to pass on their insights and life experiences to pupils. Experienced yoginīs also have an intimate knowledge of Tantric rituals, and can give teachings on sacred sexuality. In addition, yoginīs may conduct special meditation retreats and empowerment ceremonies.

HOW DOES A YOGINĪ BEHAVE?

Yoginīs transcend the limitations of social constructs. She may be fierce and wrathful, and will have no hesitation challenging untruths and deception.

The yoginī works outside of the confines Western social norms, Hindu Orthodoxy, and misogynist traditions, which have often stereotyped  yoginīs as devouring, sexually promiscuous women interested in occult practices.

While yoginīs may have knowledge of natural magic and weather spells,  this is not of primary interest.

WHAT ELSE DOES A YOGINĪ DO?

As a living embodiment of Shaki, yoginīs are multi-faceted beings. A yoginī is a women who has raised her Kuṇḍalini, and has an in-depth knowledge of the cakra system. Some  yoginīs have psychic abilities, special powers (siddhis), and can predict the future. In this regard the yoginī may also be a shaman and a healer.

Yoginīs will often spend time visiting Yogini temples, making offerings at the feet of fierce deities such as Chamunda, Durga and Maha Kali.

Some yoginī temples in India are circular, roofless sanctuaries, such as the Sixty-Four Yogini Temple at Hirapur, Odisha. Other yoginī temples in Nepal have natural thermal energy and surrounded by nature. All yoginī temples have a special power within them.

For further information on Yoginis please read Ali’s essay titled:

Matsyendranāth: Champion of the Yoginīs

— Reflections on a conversation with a Rabbi  — by Ali Hale Tilley

I am but a small raft

In an endless sea of wisdom

Searching for ‘Truth’

In the shimmering stars and migration paths of birds

Clouds in the night sky whisper universal secrets

Filling the fabric of the Self setting sail

The small raft in this short poem represents the relationship between the spiritual teacher and student.  The student can use the teacher’s words as a type of rudder.

The sea of wisdom is the vastness of human thoughts and beliefs: past-present-future. Peak experiences elevate feelings, while self-doubt creates troughs that bring learning.

The Truth is the source of all mystery, often depicted as the Holy Mother, Heavenly Father, Prophet, or Word from a holy book. Yet, Truth is open to interpretation and corruption.

Shimmering stars indicates spiritual illumination that oscillates between the brilliance of spoken words and peaceful darkness of silent introspection.

Migration paths of birds suggest movement, journey, spiritual flocks, group formations, and the determination of the individual to follow a chosen course. 

Clouds are part of the past narrative, where the faith of a New York Rabbi was tested and the Universe spoke to him in words that were inaudible yet profound.  Clouds also signify visions and the imagination.

The fabric of the Self represents the material universe, which contains all matter and sub-particle matter. In yogic philosophy, the material universe is called prakriti or Maya.

The Self setting sail indicates the Inner Self is a navigator that holds onto the teacher’s understandings of universal secrets to navigate the empty Void. The Void is unstated in the poem and yet is filled with potential. The student navigates the Void through diligent practice, eventually becoming the teacher.

— Ali reports on: ‘Free Yoga, ‘koha’ classes, karma yoga, and dāna’

Dāna is the name given to any affordable charitable act in South-east Asian traditions. The act of generosity, such as giving food, or providing monetary support to a worthy cause, is considered to be a noble practice, and is one of the ‘six perfections’  (pāramitās).

Likewise, karma yoga (selfless service), performed without any expectation of something in return, is believed to positively influence a person’s character and life purpose.

Here in Aotearoa, the term ‘koha’ functions a similar way to dāna. Koha traditionally means a “gift, present, offering, donation, or contribution,” customarily given by visitors to marae leaders. A ‘koha’ helps support and enrich indigenous communities.

However, recently in New Zealand’s Yoga communities, ‘koha’ classes have become an opportunity for students to get yoga classes for cheap or free. This free-riding not only corrupts the integrity of NZ Yoga, it also undermines the value of hard-working teachers.

Unfortunately, because modern Yoga practices have been subject to cultural sanitization, secularization and globalization, many students have developed a “I’ll take whatever I can” attitude, without thinking about the real costs to the Yoga community.

Many Yoga teachers in Wellington are expected to contribute free classes, extra time, and value-added services with little flowing back outside the basic cost of class fees.

Fortunately, our recent Crowdfunding exercise has shown that many yoga students in Miramar are willing and able to give extra from the goodness of their hearts.

See: https://sadhanayoganz.com/crowdfunding/

Likewise, our successful ‘Abundant Sunday’ initiatives earlier in the year showed that generosity can become an important part of a Yoga community. Community generosity means that everyone benefits. Today, a number of students at Sadhana Yoga bring in essential oils, fresh food, and offerings so that everyone can share.

See: https://sadhanayoganz.com/2015/02/08/abundance-sunday/

Giving back to your Yoga community by offering koha or dāna’is not just part of our Yoga Challenge, or limited to the generous few of Sadhana Yoga Miramar, it is also an enriching part of our Yoga community as a whole.

As Swami Sivanananda says:

Karma Yoga is a great leveller. It removes all illusory distinctions and differences. It leads to unity and to a feeling of oneness. It removes idleness and inertia. It gives you good health.

Let’s make 2015 the Year of Giving Generously! 

—Ali discusses the duality of ‘pure’ and ‘impure’:

One of India’s mystic philosophers, Abhinavagupta (c. 950 – 1020 AD) states: “Impure is what has fallen away from consciousness: therefore everything stays pure if it has achieved identity with consciousness.”

Consciousness means: the state of being acutely aware of your own thoughts and surroundings, and the thoughts and feelings of living beings collectively.

In terms of sattvic eating, therefore, pure food is fresh, live, organic, wholesome and eaten with good intention. Whereas, impure food is packaged, lifeless, processed, refined, and is often eaten as an automatic response to hunger or cravings.

Likewise, Yoga done consciously in an environment that is cool, calm, sanctified, with no shoes, and a clean body, etc.; may be regarded as more pure than doing Yoga in a secular environment, like a gym or workplace, where there are lots of mental distractions.

Although tantric yogic practices often follow a type of ‘non-dualism’ that transcends conventional ideas of pure and impure, Abhinavagupta clearly indicates what is pure and impure:

“Whatever is destitute of life should be considered as impure.”

This is a simple guideline for a leading a Yogic lifestyle.

For more on this subject see:

Raffaele Torella https://www.academia.edu/12178795/Purity_and_impurity_in_nondualistic_Śaiva_Tantrism

This is an excellent clip from the Metropolitan Museum of Art (thanks Miranda!)

Izhar Patkin

 art by Banksy

Struggles of the Challenge,  by Simone:

“Whatever you set out to achieve ensure you question any obstacle. Work out a way to overcome it. Reflect on what you have done so far. Where there is a will there is always a way to move past the wall and learn from it.”

Simone continues:

The Yoga 40 Day Challenge is called a challenge for a reason. All the yogi’s have learned valuable things about lifestyle, and have managed to change habits, creating positive new habits. However, the Challenge also presented me a struggle I needed to work through.

They saying ‘hitting the wall’ means facing an obstacle that is overwhelming.

As a tramper/hiker I have had many challenges on 3-4 day trips. For example: I’ve hit brick walls on day two of a hike wondering how far away the hut is, and if will I make it. I’ll stop and want a break because my legs are feeling sore and my energy is low. But if I stop for too long my body will cool down and it will be harder to get going again. Friends will tell me to just keep going. If I keep putting “one foot in front of the other” I eventually get to the hut and achieve what I set out to do. Also, it means the rest of the group have lit the fire and boiled water for a hot drink by the time I arrive.

Similarly, when we were about halfway through this Challenge, I struggled with an obstacle that could have made me give up. Yet, I also recognised that a struggle can be a physical or mental. So I had to decide if the wall physically existed (meaning it was almost impossible to continue), or if it was more of a mental state (where we think “I just can’t manage this”). For me it was a mental state.

On this particular occasion, after a long day’s work, I felt mentally exhausted (I am an IT help desk person, taking numerous phone calls to help solve customers’ issues). I hadn’t broken a leg. Instead, I had started thinking “I’m just too exhausted … I just want to rest and not carry on …”

Because, I had successfully completed all the aspects of the Challenge during the first two weeks, I had to stop and think, “do I really want to give up everything I have achieved  up until this point?” “What has made me suddenly hit this wall or obstacle?”

I realised my obstacle was all excuses: “I’m too tired to do yoga today, I don’t have any energy, I just want to do my knitting, I’ll write in the diary tomorrow, I didn’t get enough sleep. I’m just going to go bed and not bother about continuing.” This is how I realised the ‘brick wall’ didn’t actually exist.

If I wanted to complete this Challenge I needed to walk right through these non-existent mental obstacles and do all these great things that have being improving my wellbeing. All I needed to do was put one foot in front of the other, pick up my diary, and set aside time in my routine for completing it. A big part of this Challenge is maintaining motivation. I have all my fellow yogis doing the Challenge along side me, and also my fiancé does not want me to give up. If I gave up I wouldn’t be able to say I achieved it. Would that feel right? Within the week, my renewed motivation and positive mind frame kept me on track.

I certainly do not want to become lazy after this Challenge. I still want to do yoga every day and eat well for my health. I want to display the qualities that the Challenge is teaching us.