   
INVOCATION TO PATANJALI
Past articles:
Yoga for Your Health
Geeta Iyengar
Learn Your Sanskrit
The Practice of Meditation
The Creation of Kelowna Yoga House
Balance It Out with Yoga
Iyengar Yoga and Back Pain
Yoga for Kids |
Articles
THE MEANING OF NAMASTE
by Krisna Zawaduk
You may have noticed at the end of class we salute each other by placing our palms together in front of our heart, and with a bow say “Namaste”. Namaste is a gesture of mutual respect and connection and is used as a greeting in India. Namaskar is a more formal expression. The Sanskrit word comes from two words: naman astitva which means “to recognize someone’s existence” . It means I bow to you and honor your existence in the universe. The placement of the folded palms at the heart has great significance because we are symbolically connecting to each other from the heart centre. Yogis believe this is the place where the spark of divinity resides in each of us. You may also see the hands folded at the 3rd eye area and then lowered to the heart. This higher placement of the hands has an added gesture of reverence or worship. Traditionally, the word namaste is not uttered as the gesture speaks for itself. Aadil Palkhivala says that “We bring the hands together at the heart chakra to increase the flow of Divine love. Bowing the head and closing the eyes helps the mind surrender to the Divine in the heart.” I would encourage you to let the meaning of namaste emerge naturally. Personally, I find the acting of bowing to be very humbling and when we bow to each other, I feel we are recognizing our equality. When I say “namaste”, I am honouring the essence of that person, the light within and I am feeling grateful for their existence. If the person is my teacher, a deep and warm feeling of gratitude arises within me. If it is a friend, love. If it is a person who I do not know well, I feel grateful that we have made that split second connection with each other. If it is someone who I find challenging, I also feel grateful, for I know they have a lesson to teach me.
Namaste!
GRATITUDE
by Krisna Zawaduk
Swami Sivananda once said, “Let it be known that gratitude is one of the strongest powers and the finest emotion that a human being is capable of.” Gratitude is an emotion that can be cultivated. We can start by being grateful for the simple things in life. Number one: be grateful for awaking each morning! Most of us have our health, we have some measure of intelligence, have a roof over our heads and food to eat. We can start with those affirmations. The more we acknowledge what we already have, gratitude feeds itself. It’s like you open the door of your heart and the blessings pour on in! Being thankful becomes almost a reflex thought; it arises on its own, naturally. Take a moment to express to others your gratitude for their help, their way of being, for their support and encouragement. You will make their day with a few simple words of praise, recognition or appreciation. Swami Radha said that when we complain a lot, we kill our sense of gratitude. Besides that, complaining is not very inspirational! When you articulate the meaning and value of even small things and events, this makes others more conscious of their own good fortune.
In the Buddhist tradition they even appreciate their sufferings! Extend your feelings of gratitude to the difficult life situations you have faced that have made you a more understanding and compassionate person. The Buddha said that “What we think, we become. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.” Think Thankfully!
Much gratitude to the Yoga House for 10 invigorating and insightful years! Thanks for the clean and beautiful place in which to practice; for the sacred space, this oasis in the downtown core; for skilled and enthusiastic instruction by the teachers, for the fragrant and colorful garden; for the hard work of the volunteers, and for Margaret Lunam, the catalyst and woman of vision. Our greatest debt of gratitude is, of course, to Guruji BKS Iyengar, for he is the one who shines that brilliant light on the subject of Yoga; he illuminates the path so that all may make the journey.
WHY DO WE CHANT OM?
by Krisna Zawaduk
Om is a sacred syllable. It is called pranava. Om represents divinity; it is the sound of creation, the sound that was made when the Universe was created. Georg Feuerstein writes that “It [Om] is generally regarded as the primordial sound that reverberates throughout space and time at the most subtle level of cosmic existence”. Sound is vibration, and is at the source of all creation. “God is beyond vibration”, BKS Iyengar says, “but vibration, being the subtlest form of His creation, is the nearest we can get to him in the physical world.”
Om’s history is long indeed. Initially, it was a secretive and sacred practice that was only passed from teacher to disciple by word of mouth. Since then, its importance has been mentioned in many scriptures such as the Upanishads, The Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
Om is meant to be chanted with its meaning in mind. The sound OM is meant to resonate within, to take us inwardly. The chanting of this most simple mantra has an effect on our nervous system and focuses our inner environment. Om is actually made up of three distinct parts/sounds: “A”, “U” and “M”. Thus, it is often spelled AUM. These parts refer to the past, present and future, the states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep. It refers to speech, mind and the breath of life plus the mother, father and preceptor.
We chant Om at the beginning of class so that we can connect to the Universe, to God and to our higher Self. It develops humility. We use Om to sanctify and purify our practice. We produce the sound of our own Om, which merges with the Oms of others. This is symbolic of our interconnection with each other as human beings.
Om chanting links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdukkTAJE0U&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRj9SFQqwXY&feature=related
For an interesting listen to the sound of the Big Bang, click this link. (Audio simulation of the sound waves present in the first 760,000 years of the birth of the universe):
http://faculty.washington.edu/jcramer/BBSound.html
For more information on Iyengar Yoga, check out these websites:
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