When it comes to modern-day yoga, there are certainly enough styles out there to spin your head around in circles. From the more traditional Ashtanga and Iyengar practices, yoga has sprung into a myriad of branches as a result of branding in a competitive market. Amongst the different styles of yoga, Vinyasa Flow has emerged with increasing popularity in recent years. But Vinyasa Flow itself covers such diverse practices that it can also be divided into subcategories ranging from the more basic “Gentle Flow” to the more dynamic, Ashtanga-inspired “Power Yoga.” As a Vinyasa Yoga teacher however, the true meaning of Vinyasa Flow, to me, lies less in definition of the “style” and more in the “intention” of the practice and the lessons learned through movement.

The word “Vinyasa” refers to: (1) The synchronization of breath and movement and (2) an intelligent sequencing of postures linked to create a continuous flow. Whether gentle or dynamic, Vinyasa Flow classes are typically marked by a smooth transition from one posture to the next. For students and teachers with an appreciation for individuality and aversion to rigidity, the practice permits creative freedom. While Vinyasa Flow has its roots in the more structured Ashtanga Yoga, today the practice has absorbed pieces of many different styles and Vinyasa teachers borrow liberally from the world around them.

At its core, Vinyasa Flow is about experiencing life. Through the continuous flow of movement, we are reminded of the impermanence of everything but change. Because there is no pre-defined sequence in Vinyasa Flow, classes are unpredictable, encouraging students to leave behind their expectations. There’s a lesson of acceptance in the flow as we are reminded to receive pleasure and pain, joy and sadness, triumphs and falls equally. The practice of Vinyasa Flow emphasizes the process rather than the end goal, so rather than measuring progress by proficiency in a posture, students are told to observe their own reactions, be it frustration, determination, anger, obsession or enjoyment. It’s the knowledge gained of oneself in the journey towards the posture that is the ultimate lesson here. 

In the end, Vinyasa Flow is about finding joy in movement as well as joy in life. It’s about being open and adventurous and stepping out of the box. Sometimes, it’s about breaking rules and redefining what you see in front of you. Developing a personal Vinyasa Flow practice at home can also help you to connect with yourself. It’s a great exercise in learning how to give yourself exactly what you need and having fun at the same time. Remember, try not to take yourself or your practice too seriously. Stay lighthearted and enjoy the ride.

Blog post by Julie (juliehana.com)

Shiva is one of the three main Gods in the Hindu Pantheon; he is the God of destruction and transformation. Shiva is also the God of Yoga, as the goal of Yoga is transformation; transformation of our bodies into healthy, flexible, strong temples for our soul and mind, and transformation of our „monkey mind“ into a peaceful, stable, relaxed and joyful state, allowing us to perceive life as a beautiful, growing and flowing ride despite of all challenges and ongoing changes. So what can we do to achieve this? Of course, Practice Yoga... :-) But what does that mean?

Most commonly when we talk about Yoga, we think of practicing Asanas (Yoga postures) and maybe doing some breathing (Pranayama) along with it. And thats fine as a good Asana session can already leave us feeling more relaxed, more balanced and connected to ourself and others. But gaining this stability in ourself through the Asana practice is only one of the paths of Yoga. There are three additional paths to reach the same goal. Karma Yoga (selfless service), Jnana Yoga (studying of spiritual scriptures) and Bhakti Yoga (devotional service). Depending on our own personality or life circumstances one may work better for us than the other.

An important part of Bhakti Yoga is the repeating or chanting of „Mantras“. Loosely translated, Mantra means: „protection of the mind against negative thoughts/forces“.  Mostly we try to protect our house, our money, our children against negative influences, but what about our mind? Is our own mind sometimes not the most harmful and our worst enemy? Chanting a „Mantra“ can help us attain peace of heart and mind by cultivating the positive qualities represented by a specific Hindu deity.

As mentioned, Shiva is the God of destruction and transformation. By chanting his mantra OM NAMAH SHIVAYA we literally try to build and cultivate in ourself the power to destroy our negative thoughts like greed, anger, jealousy and to transform them into postive ones like tolerance, humility, compassion etc. which we then have to cultivate and carry in our heart in order to bring our inner light to shine. Only when we „destroy“ first, i.e. when we let go and make space, we have room to fill our cup again. Clarity of the mind opens our third eye, our eye of Intuition. NAMAH and also NAMAS means prostrating or bowing (the English word „name“ has its roots here). OM NAHMAH means „to bow in the presence of Om“, i.e. „in the presence of the primordial sound“; thus OM NAMAH SHIVAYA may loosely be translated as „in the presence of the primordial sound I bow to you Shiva“.

In the Yoga tradition using mantras or chanting is the royal path to transforming our mind as it works over emotions and thus touches the very essence of our being. So perhaps you may want to give it a try, see what a bit of meditation and listening to or even singing this mantra may do for you. Be open, be surprised.... J
check out the video below: 

blogpost by Kathrin 

Ashtanga Yoga Invocation

om

vande gurunam charanaravinde
sandarsita svatmasukhava bodhe
nihsreyase jangalikayamane
samsara halahala mohasantyai

abahu purusakaram
sankhacakrasi dharinam
sahasra sirasam svetam
pranamami patanjalim

om

Translation (1st verse)
I bow to the lotus feet of the guru
who awakens insight into the happiness of pure Being,
who is the final refuge, the jungle physician,
who eliminates the delusion caused by the poisonous
herb of samsara [conditioned existence].

Translation (2nd Verse)
Even though Sage Patanjali was human and not a mythical deity, in this chant he is depicted in the divine form of Vishnu. He has 4 arms, which are holding 3 objects: conch, discus and a sword. The conch (sankha, pronounced as “shankha”) represents the divine sound, which is capable of awakening us from the state of ignorance. Because Patanjali did a great job unifying the ancient yogic knowledge in his Sutras and the text has awakened many people, he is holding it in his hand. The discus (chakra) is the symbol of infinity and life that Vishnu sustains. As well, Vishnu uses his discus to fight negative spirits, which means that the discus is the weapon to fight the negative emotions that distract us from being enlightened. The sword (asi) represents the discriminative wisdom, for the sword can cut through illusion and dualism. Since mind is represented by snakes in the Hindu tradition, the thousand headed snake above Patanjalis’ head represents his mastering over the possessive mind. This means that reading and following the Sutras one can achieve the “citta vritti nirodhah”, cease the fluctuations of the mind and therefore reach the state of Yoga, the state of Union. You can call union with God, with your own Self, with the Universe.

After having read the Yoga Sutras, when I chant these lines in an aware state, a feeling of appreciation and gratefulness arise inside me. I find the text very easy to understand, yet, each time I re-read it, there is always something else emerging to be learnt.

The above translation and comment of the Ashtanga Yoga Invocation were provided by Craig. To learn more about Ashtanga Yoga, join Craig at the Ban Aphai studio.