Australian_Yoga_Journal_2016_08_09_downmagaz.com

editor’s letter
ISSUE NO 53. AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016
AUSTRALIAN YOGA JOURNAL
Contact Media PTY LIMITED
ABN 20 097 242 807
PO Box 582 Robina Town Centre Qld 4220
Tel: (07) 5568 0151
www.yogajournal.com.au
EDITOR
Jessica Humphries
jess@yogajournal.com.au
SUB-EDITOR
Louise Shannon
louise@yogajournal.com.au
ART DIRECTOR
Angela Reeves
ang@yogajournal.com.au
NATIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER
Alison Cole 0411 623 425
alisoncole@yogajournal.com.au
PUBLISHER
Todd Cole todd@yogajournal.com.au
CONTRIBUTORS
Loraine Rushton, Tamsin Angus-Leppan, Diana Timmins,
Duncan Peak, Lorien Waldron
PRINTER
Printed by Webstar Print
august/september 2016 yogajournal.com.au
8
Mindful musings
MY OFFICIAL
INTRODUCTION to
mindfulness came
around six years ago
when I completed my
first ten-day silent
meditation course at a
Buddhist ashram in
Thailand. I remember one of the
facilitators telling us about a man who
had been wandering around the
grounds, acting strangely and stealing.
One of the monks had gone to the host
and said, ‘Be careful of that man. He’s
not very mindful.’ This was where my
understanding of mindfulness began,
and since then, after completing another
silent meditation retreat, 2 teacher
trainings and countless workshops and
classes on yoga and meditation, the
meaning of mindfulness for me has
developed, expanded and evolved.
Mindfulness has also become quite
a buzzword during this time. People
are using the practice to succeed in
their work and improve their
relationships. They’re downloading
apps, hash tagging and reading books
on the topic.
Mindfulness to me means
awareness. And the ability to use that
awareness to direct your behaviour
carefully; responding rather than
reacting, being aware of your own
feelings and also how your actions
impact on those around you. When
Be our friend on Facebook:
facebook.com/australianyogajournal
we’re mindful, we’re likely to not only
be more centred and at peace, but also
much nicer to be around.
For the past six months I’ve been
living with my sister and mum, and
there’s a new addition to the family –
my sister’s newborn son. Being
catapulted back into this family dynamic
has presented many opportunities for
old buttons to be pressed and habits to
re-emerge. And at the very core of the
chaos is mindlessness. But when I make
a conscious effort to be mindful, I see
instant results. The relationships become
more harmonious and, as a result, we
are all happier.
This issue is dedicated to mindfulness,
because it’s a practice that we can all
benefit from, and one that is central
to yoga. We’ve got well-known yogi
Duncan Peak gracing our cover and
giving us his tips on how we can find
clarity and transform in a chaotic world
(p38), vows of mindfulness (p44), all
your favourites and so much more.
So prepare your cuppa, get cosy and
use this issue as an exercise in
mindfulness. Feel the texture of the
pages, smell them, notice your mind
when it wanders and give yourself
permission to come back to the
deliciousness of the here and now.
JESSICA HUMPHRIES
Editor
jess@yogajournal.com.au
Want to subscribe? Head to
www.yogajournal.com.au
Both the paper manufacturer and our printer meet the international standard ISO 14001
for environmental management. The paper comes from sources certified under the
Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification scheme (PEFC). Please recycle this
magazine – or give it to a friend.
PHOTO: TOO_R/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
Australian Yoga Journal is published and distributed
eight times a year by Contact Media Pty Limited, under
license from Active Interest Media, 2520 55th Street, Suite
210, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States of America.
Copyright © 2016 Active Interest Media. The trademark
YOGA JOURNAL is a registered trademark of Active Interest
Media. All rights reserved. Vegetarian Times content,
which appears in this magazine, is copyrighted © Cruz
Bay publishing Inc. All Rights reserved, reprinted with
permission. Subject to national and international intellectual
property laws and treaties. Vegetarian Times is a registered
US trademark of Cruz Bay Publishing. This publication may
not be reproduced in whole or part without the written
permission of the publisher. Copyright of all images and text
sent to Australian Yoga Journal (whether solicited or not) is
assigned to Contact Media upon receipt. Articles express the
opinions of the authors and are not necessarily those of the
Publisher, Editor or Contact Media Pty Limited. Distributed
by Gordon & Gotch. ISSN 1837 2406.
ACTIVE INTEREST MEDIA
CHAIRMAN & CEO Efram Zimbalist III
PRESIDENT & COO Andrew W. Clurman
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & CFO Brian Sellstrom
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS Patricia B. Fox
DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL LICENSING
Dayna Macy
@ CRUZ BAY PUBLISHING, INC.
The exercise instructions and advice in this magazine
are designed for people who are in good health and
physically fit. They are not intended to substitute for
medical counselling. The creators, producers, participants
and distributors of Australian Yoga Journal disclaim any
liability for loss or injury in connection with the exercises
shown or instruction and advice expressed herein.