Namaskar - Apr09

namaskar
A VOICE FOR THE YOGA COMMUNITY OF ASIA
A VOICE FOR THE YOGA COMMUNITY OF ASIA APRIL 2009
Brahmacarya
Widows in India
Garbha Pindasana

Pure Yoga
Bringing you the best of the global yoga community
Diverse yoga styles. Comprehensive programmes.
Renowned teachers.
A wealth of practices and opportunities to learn
from internationally recognised yoga masters.
Upcoming Events:
April Pre-Natal Programme
April Yoga Sutra Book 1 Course
April Baptiste Power Vinyasa Workshop
April - May Kids Yoga Programme (Spring)
May 20-Day Detox Programme
May Personal Revolution – Yoga Surf Retreat
May - June Kids Yoga Programme (Summer)
May - Dec Neti Pots Workshop
July Bryan Kest
Sep Indian Dance Programme
Sep Pre-Natal Programme 2
Sep Yoga Sutra Book 2 Course
Sep - Oct 40-Day Personal Revolution Programme
For enquiries or to be on our mailing list,
please email events@pure-yoga.com
2
www.pure-yoga.com

Inside
APRIL 2009
Special Features
My Widowed Aunt, 13 As if it’s not
enough to lose your husband, then in the
midst of your mourning you are also
scorned by your society.
Changing Beliefs, 15 Helene breaks
down how our beliefs can be identified then
altered to serve us better.
Digestive Remedies, 16 Deva’s
third article on how yoga helps digestion.
Garbha Pindasana, 19 For Ashtanga
vinyasa yogis, the oddly-named womb
embryo pose is difficult as it is funny.
Valerie’s practical suggestions.
The Silence, 20 A yoga poem.
Yogis Chant, 21 Wai Ling recounts her
participation at a Gayatri Homa.
Friendship, 23 What Julia learned
about life while teaching in Hong Kong.
Music Heals , 26 Michele talks to two
artists who’ll be at BaliSpirit Festival.
Being Green, 28 Self-confessed
environmentalist Leah shares her top tips
for the three Rs.
Jet Lag, 32 Sarah’s nine steps for
avoiding jet lag.
Tantra, 40 Tantrik yogi Dileep clears up
the confusion on this subject.
Dristi Brahmacarya
Chastit
tity, , Celib
elibac
acy &
Sexual responsibilit
sponsibility, , 7
Frank Jude Boccio’s explains the similarities
between this fourth yama of Patanjali’s yoga
and Third Precept of Buddhism.
Vie
iew, , Method & Fruit
ruit, , 9
You have to consider where what you’re
studying or learning is coming from, says
Yogasvara Sarasvati.
A place in our Modern
World, 12
Paul Dallaghan gives some background into
this often misunderstood topic.
About Namaskar
Namaskar provides a voice for the yoga
community around Asia. The publication is a
vehicle for practitioners on a yogic path to share
their own knowledge, learnings and experiences
with others.
Namaskar, is published by Yoga Services Ltd,
quarterly in January, April, July and October.
We welcome unsolicited submissions, therefore
the opinions expressed within these pages are
not necessarily those of Yoga Services Ltd.
Namaskar is distributed at no charge through
yoga studios, fitness centres, retail outlets, food &
beverage outlets and other yoga friendly
locations throughout Hong Kong and elsewhere
in Asia.
For more information, to contribute or to order
Namaskar, please contact:
Frances, Editor at fgairns@netvigator.com /+ 852
9460 1967
Jenny, Deputy Editor at
jenthomas@netvigator.com /+852 9889 2022
Deadline for July 2009 issue:
June 15, 2009
Regular Contributions
NEWS, WORKSHOPS, RETREATS & TEACHER
TRAININGS, 5
BOOK REVIEW, 29
YOGA GEAR, 33
WORKSHOP REVIEW, 35 & 43
RECIPE, 36
CROSSWORD, 45
TEACHER & STUDIO LISTINGS, 46
cover photograph courtesy of Nigel Gregory ngstudio!mac.com
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Brahmacarya has long been on the list of dristi subjects, but not until now have we had the guts to
actually present it. Probably because I, like many others, didn’t understand what it was all about.
Fortunately our eloquent contributors: Frank, Paul and Yogesvara, do. And I trust you will too after
reading their articles.
namaskar
You’ll find a truly diverse offering in this issue: from workshop reviews, practical tips for being
Greener, how to get into that crazy Garbha Pindasana, combating jet lag, to the terrible plight of
widows in India. Thanks to the generosity of these and the other writers, Namaskar continues to
grow.
Thanks in advance also to our new, talented and enthusiastic bunch of volunteers: Rob Ferguson
(publishing and advertising guru), Joanna Pearce (editor extraordinaire), Wai Ling Tse (thoughtful
scribe), Carol Adams (administrative queen), Jyothi Fong (free-spirited columnist) and Ken Wong
(ready, willing and very able). They will be helping with writing, editing, advertising, photography and
administration to make this publication more informative and interesting to you all. If you know
them or meet them, please don’t hesitate to let them know what you’d like to read more of in these
pages.
They are stepping off their mats to share and spread their love of yoga. And I hope you will too by
attending Evolution 11 - 14 June in Hong Kong. Even if you only have time for one workshop or
lecture, please do show your support for this important event. And if you’re in a belt-tightening phase,
there are loads of free events as well.
And if you are able to travel to Bali, consider attending the multi-dimensional BaliSpirit Festival later
this month. Looks like a great few months of yoga coming up!
FRANCES GAIRNS
Editor
EDITOR EXTRAORDINAIRE JOANNA ADVERTISING GURU ROB ADMIN QUEEN CAROL
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SOMETHING TO SHARE?
IF THERE IS SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE YOGA COMMUNITY IN HONG KONG AND ELSEWHERE (WE
DISTRIBUTE AROUND ASIA AND EVEN FURTHER AFIELD), PLEASE EMAIL FGAIRNS@NETVIGATOR.COM

NEWS
BALISPIRIT FESTIVAL
A fusion and immersion of
yoga, dance and music in Bali,
28 th April – 2 nd May. This truly
international event brings
together Indonesian masters of
spirituality and healing,
musicians from Lebanon, Africa,
Malaysia and the US, and yogis
from Russia, New Zealand and
Bali. For more information visit
www.balispiritfestival.com
EVOLUTION, HONG KONG
The third Asia Yoga Conference
takes place in Hong Kong 11 th –
14 th June at the Hong Kong
Convention and Exhibition
Centre.
Western yoga teachers, including
Ana Forrest, David Life, David
Swenson, are as much
represented as Indian teachers
such as O.P. Tiwari, Yogi
Vishveketu, Ganesh Mohan.
There are also quite a few local
Hong Kong teachers like Planet
Yoga’s Master Kamal, Pure
Yoga’s Patrick Creelman and
Yogasana’s Michel Besnard.
In addition to a full range of
asana sessions, there are loads
of philosophy, therapy,
pranayama and other non-asana
workshops to choose from.
There are also complimentary
classes and lectures open to all.
For more information visit
www.asiayogaconference.com
HONG KONG STUDENTS COMPETE
IN PONDICHERRY
Pure Yoga’s Sudhakar led a team
of seven Hong Kong students
to the 16 th International Yoga
Competition on 4 th – 7 th January
in Pondicherry, India. They
brought home six prizes,
including the champion’s prize
which was won by Madoka
Nakajima for the second year.
ROCKY DAWUNI WILL BE AT
BALISPIRIT FESTIVAL
Other team members included
Jenny Cheung, Sue Ling Chu,
Elaine Lam , Selina Mak, Vikki
Ng and Jennifer Tu. They
competed against nearly 900
other competitors, aged between
5 and 95, from around the
world. The team attributed their
success to their teacher Sudhakar.
SECOND-HAND YOGA PROPS FOR
SALE FROM FLEX, HONG KONG
Flex Studio is focusing on its
Pilates practice and so are selling
all their props for Iyengar yoga
including: blocks, belts,
blankets, mats, bolsters,
sandbags and wall ropes.
Everything is in excellent
condition and prices are
reasonable; some items were
custom made for the studio
such as the bolsters, sandbags
and blocks, and all others were
sourced from high-quality
suppliers. Wall ropes are sold in
pairs (short and long sets) and
can pass on the contractor details
for proper installation. For
more information email
info@flexhk.com or call (852)
2813 2212.
SUDHAKAR (BACK CENTRE) AND HIS TEAM OF HONG KONG YOGINIS
NEW YOGA CLOTHING LINE AT
FLEX, HONG KONG
Flex is pleased to introduce tulaa
yoga wear to the Hong Kong
community. Meaning ‘balance’
in Sanskrit, tulaa is designed to
complement the body in
motion. Made in Bali from
breathable fabric in a range of
colours, tulaa is perfect for yoga
and Pilates, traveling, or for
simply running around town.
The line includes a range of tops
in short and long sleeves, bras
and tanks, as well as capri and
long pants, skirts, shorts and
hoodies. Visit the tulaa
boutique at Flex during
business hours or call the studio
on 2813-2212 to arrange a
private viewing. Flex is at 1 st
Floor Woodleigh House, 80
Stanley Village Road in Stanley.
RETREATS
KUNDALINI RETREAT, PULAU
MACAN
Yoga@42 Bikram Yoga Jakarta
is organizing a Kundalini retreat
on the Indonesian island of
Macan, 27 th -28 th June. For more
information
www.bikramyogajakarta.com or
email
hotyogajakarta@yahoo.com
YOGA TREK TO NEPAL AND INDIA
At the beginning of July, a
group of low-budgetadventurers
will travel overland
to Nepal and finish in India by
6 th August. The journey will
bring them to yoga places such
as Muktinath (Nepal), Risikesh
(North-India) and Vrindavan
(near Delhi). Throughout the
journey participants will follow
sadhana (yogic disciplines) which
ensures purity, realizations and
harmony. Expenses are
minimal, basic day-to-day living
costs plus transportation. For
more information email
sankirtana.lok@pamho.net
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WORKSHOPS
INTRODUCTION TO ASHTANGA
YOGA AT YOGAMALA, HONG KONG
Starting 19 th April, Cheuk Na
will lead a bilingual introductory
workshop every Sunday for 10
consecutive Sundays from 3 –
4:30 pm. The cost is $1,450. For
more information visit
www.yogamala.com.hk
ACROYOGA AT YOGA CENTRAL,
HONG KONG
Minhee Cha will be leading an
AcroYoga workshop in May and
June at Yoga Central in Hong
Kong. For more information
email yogacentralhk@yahoo.com
MICHEL BESNARD IN HONG KONG
Yogasana’s Michel Besnard and
the Asian Academy of Sports
and Fitness Professionals are
teaming up to offer a 100 hour
Yoga Alliance registered teacher
training 25 th April – 7 th June.
The course will cover asana,
pranayama, anatomy and
Ayurveda. For more
information visit
www.yogasana.com.hk
THE LIVING YOGA TEACHER
TRAINING, CHIANG MAI
Sara Avant Stover, Bo Srey,
Carlos Pomeda and Ellen Heed
will be offering a 200 hour Yoga
Alliance registered teacher
training 31 st May – 27 th June at
Tai Garden Resort, Chiang Mai,
Thailand. This residential course
will allow participants to live
their yoga on and off the mat in
a serene environment. They will
learn how to practice and teach
hatha yoga, meditation,
philosophy and Ayurveda. For
more information visit
www.teachyogathailand.com
PRENATAL TEACHER TRAINING,
JAKARTA
Yoga@42 Bikram Yoga Jakarta
is organizing a 40-hour Prenatal
Yoga Teacher Training 22 nd – 25 th
June. For more information
www.bikramyogajakarta.com or
email
hotyogajakarta@yahoo.com
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TEACHER TRAININGS
PATRICK CREELMAN AT PURE
YOGA, HONG KONG
Anusara teacher Patrick
Creelman will be leading The
Foundation – Preparing to
Teach, a 20-day, full-time teacher
training programme in Hong
Kong 27 th June – 17 th July. The
programme aims to help
participants develop the
fundamental skills necessary to
teach, as well as provide them
with the opportunities for
growth and life transformation.
The course will cover asana, yoga
philosophy, Sanskrit and
Ayurveda. For more
information visit www.pureyoga.com
KIDS TEACHER TRAINING, JAKARTA
Yoga@42 Bikram Yoga Jakarta
is offering a Sun Yoga Kids
Teacher Training 29 th – 30 th June.
For more information
www.bikramyogajakarta.com or
email
hotyogajakarta@yahoo.com
Clayton Horton in San Francisco
Director of Greenpath Yoga,
Clayton Horton will be leading a
200 hour residential and nonresidential
teacher training at the
Yoga Society of San Francisco
Brahmananda Ashram, 18 th July
– 15 th August. The Yoga
Alliance certified programme
aims to give participants the
opportunity to experience
transformation and yogic
education in an unique ashram
setting. The residential rate for a
shared room is US$2,995. For
more information,
info@greenpathyoga.org
THE KNOWLEDGE OF LIFE
AYURVEDA WORKSHOP AT
YOGAMALA, HONG KONG
Rachel Tsai introduces the
concepts of Ayurveda and
explains how the timeless
wisdom and knowledge of
Ayurveda is relevant to our life,
yoga practice and personal
growth. The workshop takes
place on Sunday, 10 th May, 10:30
am – 1 pm, and costs $420. For
more information visit
www.yogamala.com.hk
IYENGAR WORKSHOP, SINGAPORE
Devki is a very senior teacher
from the Ramamani Iyengar
Memorial Yoga Institute in
Pune, India. He has been
teaching there for over 20 years
and is one of the few teachers
entrusted to teach the advanced
class there. He will be at the
Iyengar Yoga Centre Singapore
17 th – 20 th May. The workshop
costs S$300. For more
information, email
info@iyengaryogasingapore.com
KUNDALINI WORKSHOP, JAKARTA
Yoga@42 Bikram Yoga Jakarta
is organizing a Kundalini Yoga
workshop 26 th June. For more
information
www.bikramyogajakarta.com or
email
hotyogajakarta@yahoo.com
BASIC HATHA, JAKARTA
There will be a 10-credit hours
workshop of basic Hatha
postures at Yoga@42 Bikram
Yoga Jakarta on Sunday, 21 st
June. For more information
www.bikramyogajakarta.com or
email
hotyogajakarta@yahoo.com
TWIST AND SHOUT AT YOGA
CENTRAL, HONG KONG
Australian yogis Peter and Sue
Scott will host a workshop
entitled Twists, Inversions &
Women’s Yoga in June and July
at Yoga Central in Hong Kong.
For more information email
yogacentralhk@yahoo.com

Dristi Brahmacarya
Chastit
tity,
Celib
elibac
acy &
Sexual
Responsibilit
sponsibility
Poep Sa Frank Jude Boccio
most teachers ... are
more moderate in
allowing sex between
married ... – committed
partners
Brahmacarya is an ancient yogic ideal the
Buddha taught as his Third Precept
and which is found fourth among the
yamas in Patanjali’s Yoga-Sutra. The word
“brahmacarya” has been variously translated
as “brahmic conduct” or “to move in or
with Brahman,” with Brahman understood
as the “ultimate reality.” In a general way,
one can see this as walking/living in
harmony with the Tao, Rita, Dharma or
God’s Will. It has come to refer to the right
or appropriate relationship to kama or
sensual pleasure, for the dedicated yogi/ni.
It might come as disheartening news to
contemporary yoga practitioners, but the
traditional understanding of brahmacarya
has tended towards celibacy. That “Brahmic
conduct” should be seen as celibacy is
probably related to the notion that Brahman
transcends all gender distinctions. The
spiritual aspirant is asked to emulate that
genderless (sexless) condition to preserve
and cultivate sexual energy for spiritual
awakening. Thus, the Yoga-Sutra says (2.38)
the ‘yogin who is firmly grounded in this
virtue gains great vitality (virya).
The Bhagavad-Gita (17.14) asserts that
brahmacarya forms part of the practice of
tapas. The Kurma-Purana (2.11.18) defines
brahmacarya as the abstinence from sexual
intercourse in deed, mind, and speech at all
times and in all circumstances. The Agni-
Purana (372.9) says it is the renunciation of
the eight degrees of sexual activity:
fantasizing; glorifying the sex act or the
opposite gender; dalliance; eyeing the
opposite gender; love-talk; longing; the
resolution to break one’s vow of celibacy;
and consummation of the sex act! Perhaps
thankfully, the Linga-Purana (1.8.17) says
that this strict definition applies only to
hermits, forest dwelling yogis, and
widowers, whereas householders are
allowed sexual intercourse with their
spouse, but must practice chastity with
regard to all others.
This distinction between chastity and
celibacy has become of great importance to
contemporary practitioners of yoga. While
some hard-core purists (mostly in India)
still assert that to practice yoga authentically,
one must refrain from all sexual activity
(celibacy) most teachers in most traditions
are more moderate in allowing sex between
married – or more liberally – committed
partners, with restraint in regard to all others
(chastity). That is generally understood as
sexual relations free of manipulation,
oppression, exploitation, and offensiveness.
It is the practice of “pure sex” or sexual
responsibility. It is conscious sexuality.
In the Order of Interbeing, established by
Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh, the vows taken by
lay-members and monastics are all the same
except for the one relating to brahmacarya.
Whereas the version for monastics is one of
celibacy, the one for lay-members states:
Aware that sexual relations motivated by
craving cannot dissipate the felling of
loneliness, but will create more suffering,
frustration and isolation, I am determined
not to engage in sexual relations without
mutual understanding, love and a longterm
commitment. In sexual relations, I
must be aware of future suffering that may
be caused. I know that to preserve the
happiness of myself and others, I must
respect the rights and commitments of
myself and others. I will do everything in
my power to protect children from sexual
abuse and to protect couples and families
from being broken by sexual misconduct. I
will treat my body with respect and preserve
my vital energies (sexual, breath, spirit) for
the realization of my bodhisattva ideal. I
will be fully aware of the responsibility for
bringing new lives into the world and will
meditate on the world into which we are
bringing new beings.
As you can see, this vow of the lay
practitioner asks us to refrain from sexual
relations motivated by craving, loneliness or
anger; to do so treats the other as an object,
and will ultimately lead to further suffering.
This precept also reminds us that to practice
brahmacarya means to respect the
commitments of others. I remember a
student who had rationalized her affair with
a married man because she herself wasn’t
married. When she looked deeply into this
precept, she realized that she was, in fact,
responsible to a degree for helping break the
commitment that existed between the man
and his wife. She decided to break off the
7

elationship until – and only if – the man
honorably told his wife the truth and
divorced her.
Speaking for myself, I find myself
depending upon the Sangha to support me
in my practice of sexual responsibility, as
nowhere else do I truly feel supported in my
own commitment to my wife. Everywhere I
turn, I find myself bombarded by sexual
images in advertising; in countless movies,
novels and songs I hear the message that
adultery is exciting, full of passion and
energy. Think about it. We are manipulated
to root for couples to find fulfillment
I will be fully aware of the responsibility for
bringing new lives into the world and will
meditate on the world into which we are bringing
new beings.
outside committed relationships in so many
movies and novels. In comparison, there are
very few that show loving, passionate
marriages or committed relationships. I
cannot help but think about the message we
are sending our youth about the nonseriousness
of our commitments.
The wording of the above vow also points
to an engagement with the social reality of
sexual abuse and asks us to not only refrain
from contributing to it, but to act positively
in whatever way we can to lessen and
prevent it. This is also a teaching in line with
Patanjali who tells us the yamas are the “great
vow” of the yogi. (2.31) He says a yama is
transgressed through any one of three ways:
(1) we act harmfully ourselves; (2) we
encourage another to act harmfully for us;
(3) we silently sit back and thus passively
condone any act of harm we witness. (2.34)
“energy management.” We are asked to
conserve energy – by using it skillfully,
sparingly, and consciously in order to align
our balanced use of energy for our deeper
and ultimate purpose of awakening for the
sake of the world.
Which brings us to the final sentence: “I will
be fully aware of the responsibility for
bringing new lives into the world and will
meditate on the world into which we are
bringing new beings.” This is a powerful
statement about consciousness. Too many
children are brought into this world
irresponsibly, without so much as a
thought. Think of all the suffering these
poor innocents are made to live with out
of their parents’ thoughtlessness. To
practice sexual responsibility is to think
about the responsibility that comes with
giving birth to a new being. It includes an
awareness of the world into which we
bring new beings, and thus our
responsibility to provide a better world for
them, and for all beings.
One way of engaging with this practice is to
really look deeply at the motivation of your
sexual behavior. Are you looking for sexual
relations to assuage loneliness? Or anger?
You might like to engage this precept by
resolving for the next week or so to
meticulously observe how often sexual
feelings arise in your consciousness. Note
which mind states are associated with them,
such as love, tension, compulsion, concern,
craving, loneliness, the desire for
communication or connection, pleasure,
aggression and so forth. This is the practice
of conscious sexuality. And it can be
amazingly transformative.
Frank is an interfaith
minister, Yoga-Dharma
teacher and author of
Mindfulness Yoga: The
Awakened Breath, Body
and Mind.
frankjude@mindfulnessyoga.net
Also of interest is the phrase “I will treat
my body with respect and preserve my vital
energies (sexual, breath, spirit) for the
realization of my bodhisattva ideal.” This
points out that the ideal of brahmacarya can
be greatly expanded to mean a kind of
8

Dristi Brahmacarya
Vie
iew, , Method & Fruit
Yogesvara Sarasvati
Whenever one considers performing any form of spiritual practice we must
understand the philosophy or view from which this practice comes because the
View informs the Methods, which create the Fruits. It is important to properly
revere the ways in which these practices have evolved and to know that they actually do have
a tangible, real world result. For example, if one sincerely and ardently prays to a spirit – or
does practices that access the powers of that spirit – then one will actually get that result. If
the spirit happens to be malevolent then one might get “special” powers, but one might
also get a bond with a force that will ultimately wreak havoc in their person’s life. Of course
many Westerners think this is all impossible - and that the methods and fruits of these
ancient traditions are merely symbolic or psychological. I think this is a naïve and juvenile
view. Generations of wise and dedicated women and men have looked deep within
themselves and the mysteries of the Universe in order to reveal and refine the myriad of
methods of spiritual transformation. Quite simply, they work. The practice of
brahmacharya is powerful and effective. But, it means different things in different traditions;
therefore, there will be different results. Thus, it is vital to know the View that births these
Methods, so as to achieve the intended Fruit.
The most common held beliefs of brahmacharya come from Views that are decidedly
transcendental in leaning. The vast majority of yoga that has come to the West has been
brought by the Brahmins, scholars and upper castes of India with the time, opportunity
and resources to travel and spread their teachings. These groups, which constitute a very
small percentage of the population of India, have shaped the majority of the Views,
Methods and Fruits of what has come to be known as yoga and brahmacharya. In short, the
gist of these traditions is that they are dualistic. The philosophies of Samkhya-Patanjali
and Advaita-Vedanta are at least indirectly responsible for 99% of the yoga that is practiced
in the West (including Westerners now living in the East!) In fact, the popularity of these
Views have also taken over much of India where the dualistic lens of the Brahmins has
infected the masses with doubt that their millennia old ways of worshiping the imminence
of God is less superior to the transcendental way of renunciation and “brahmacharya.”
Though an entire course of study could be filled by looking into each of these systematic
views, please allow me to try to summarize them for the reader. In Patanjali’s theories there
is a Parusa (individual soul) that is bound in the world of Prakriti (matter). This binding is
a result of negative karma, and gives rise to the physical body, the world and our gross
experience of it. This bondage is paramount to suffering. Thus, the body, which is
inherently “bad” in this view, must be purified to the extent that the Parusa is freed,
extricated or released from Prakriti so that it can fly free in the heavenly realm of the
Mahaparusa. In Advaita-Vedanta the world of matter is considered to be entirely unreal.
The experience that you are having right now is 100% illusion, or “maya.” Enlightenment
is conferred on the one who knows that everything they experience is total illusion. The
Advaitans claim to be non-dualistic in that they say that everything is Brahmin, or God (to
them God is inert, passive and unconscious). But, they also say that “maya” is projected
onto Brahmin. This is an untenable position because they say that Brahmin is all and inactive,
but yet something, some force, which must be active, projects the experience of
“maya” onto this one reality. This is clearly a dualistic View, let alone an illogical
philosophy, from which comes the idea that everything about the world of maya is actually
not happening - one’s belief in the reality of their experience is the result of impurity.
Samkhya-Patanjali and
Advaita-Vedanta are
indirectly responsible
for 99% of yoga
practiced in the West
Basically, both of these Views share in common the notion that energies of this world and
life, of the body and all its desires and complexities, are inherently the result karma (usually
9

Everything is bristling
with divinity and we
experience God in all
her forms via our body
and its senses
negative) that must be burned off via intense austerities. Any View that sees the world in
this way is going to have practices that are geared towards purifying, denying, and even
punishing the body in order to transcend the base desires and instincts that keep one stuck
in the realm of sin. Many of these practices have come to be known as brahmacharya or
that which must be done to experience the state of brahmacharya. It is ironic to this author
that so many Westerners that seek to throw down the shackles of the dualistic and guiltridden
religions of their youth have simply adopted the same View in the different clothing
of yogas like Iyengar, Ashtanga, Bikhram’s, Baptiste’s, Power-Vinyassa, etc. All of these
practices, whether it be known or not, stem from the Views of Patanjali, Advaita-Vedanta
or both. And, all of them are wrought the same problems that are created when one is
taught that something is inherently wrong with the base desires of their very own being.
In short, these Views are almost equivalent to that of Catholicism’s “Original Sin.”
It is fine if one believes these Views. In fact, the transcendental practices of brahmacharya are
extremely effective at getting one out of the body and into the sleep-like, “heavenly”
experience of samadhi described by the likes of Patanjali. If you buy it – that this world is
inherently impure and you want to escape it and think it possible to find eternal bliss by
doing so - then go for it with gusto! But, if you are like many practitioners I know that
appreciate a more life-affirming View and the possibility of experiencing the divinity of
each moment - including all the “nasty” stuff of life like changing diapers, having sex or
eating a juicy steak - then you might want to ask your yoga teacher: “do you know the View
where these practices come from?”
I have seen and experienced a great deal of inner confusion and conflict – and what my
Paramguru, Paramahamsa Satyananda Saraswati calls “spiritual schizophrenia” – in those
that try to project their idea that “it’s all one and all good” onto a transcendental, dualistic
model of spiritual practice. Here I was, yearning to know God in the intimate details of
my life, but doing practices and meditations that were spilling my Essence all over the
floors of hot-room yoga studios and getting me lost in realms of psychic delusion. The
brahmacharya practices that come from these Views see the body as a burden and an obstacle
- and they treat it as such. Through the intense heat created by austerities and tapasya one
literally burns off their sensual fluids and purifies themselves of the desire not only for sex,
but also for all sorts of worldly experience.
what is appropriate for
one person to expand
will actually force
another to contract
But, there is another View of brahmacharya and it comes from the tradition of Tantra,
which is about getting juicy rather then drying up. Non-dual Tantriks (not to be confused
with New-age sex addicts) see the entire world as the manifestation of God. We call her
Shakti. Everything is bristling with divinity and we experience God in all her forms via our
body and its senses. Many who fear the power that is cultivated by authentic Tantrik adepts
have tried to demonize Tantra, sexuality, and women in general – saying that the tradition
is heathen and debased. But, real Tantra, which does include appropriate practices of
discipline and restraint, is truly both a-moral and sensual in its orientation. In this View,
brahmacharya is not necessarily the renunciation of sex or of worldly matters altogether, but
rather, it is the letting go of the ego that creates attachment to the world of impermanent
objects, and thus suffers when things change and die.
Tantra is not based on rules of morality (like Yama/Niyama or the Ten Commandments)
because totally different practices might be appropriate for different people to expand
beyond their ego. Tantra does not see the ego or its desires as sinful or impure, just only as
limited. We seek to experience the fullness of divinity by expanding beyond the ego and to
do so we must accept ourselves as we are and be at peace with our most powerful energies.
Tantra is therefore a-moral and does not have rules because what is appropriate for one
person to expand will actually force another to contract and harden their sense of separation
and suffering. What is good practice for a person who is totally self-indulgent and without
any sense of structure or boundaries is perhaps a stint of celibacy. But, then again, a
10

person who is totally tight with moral righteousness might be sent to the bar for a few
cocktails and a stab at going home with someone that night, or maybe two people! Both
of these approaches - depending on whom and when - could be valid practices of
brahmacharya.
Because Tantra sees the whole world, including our bodies and its drives, as the holy
expression of the divine feminine, all the practices that come from this View are based on
the cultivation of the body, as opposed to the denial of it. We want to celebrate life by
literally making offerings of ourselves via our senses, whereas other Views want us to
flagellate ourselves in order to punish and purify our dark desires. In rare cases, like with
some saints in India’s history, these austerities have perhaps worked to drive sadhus directly
to God. But, far more have only at best strengthened their sense of self (the proud, “holier
than thou” mendicant), and at worst, have
created deep inner divisions that have
resulted in the backlash of perversions and
psychosis.
In my opinion it is more than just
inappropriate when a 40-year-old mother
of two or a 30-year-old bachelor cruising
for girls at the local yoga studio – both
desiring a very imminent life – get yogasana sequences, or meditation and pranayama
directions that are drying up their life fluids and creating an inner movement towards
getting up and out of this bodily experience. Many people nowadays see yoga more as
exercise - a means to increasing health and enjoying life more. We must lay some
responsibility on ourselves for not adequately researching what we get into and not actually
believing in the real mystical power of spiritual practices (yoga can not, actually, be “just
exercise”). But, really, the brunt of the responsibility lays on those of us who are
“teachers.” Do we really know what we are giving people? Do we know what we have
received from our teachers? Do we know the View, where it comes from, and what its
intended fruits are? More importantly, have we tried out the View, via the methods, on
ourselves over years and years of trial and error? Are we totally confident in the result?
Most importantly, because of the infinite ways in which we can fool ourselves, have we
checked our experience of the fruit of our practice with an authentic lineage holder who has
been authorized as a Guru by her own tried and true lineage Master? These steps of checks
and balances were once a given in the tradition of yoga, which is a Guru-disciple tradition
for good reason. A sincere yogi must think, “I would never have the audacity or arrogance
to guide people in the vast mysteries of the spirit (an inevitable result of sincere yoga
practice) without being asked to do so by a realized Master.” Currently, though, more and
more of the “secrets” of yoga are available through books and immature disciples yearning
to strut their stuff before their time. At best, no result is conferred (which is true in most
cases of Western yoga where there are few to no enlightened masters)- but at least no harm
is done, and at worst people suffer more on account of teachings that are meant to make
them free. Modern, popular practices of brahmacharya often fit into this worst case scenario.
It is my hope this brief article will serve as a reminder for all of us to err towards the side
of humility, to seek qualified guides on our Path, and to embrace lifepractices
that are in line with our View of how things are and the
Fruits of life we wish to experience.
have we checked our experience of the fruit of
our practice with an authentic lineage holder
authorized as a Guru by her lineage Master?
Yogesvara is a student of Dharmanidhi Sarasvati, Tantracharya. He
lives at Kailash Akhara, a retreat center Phu Rua, Thailand. This is
home of Adi-yoga, a system of Tantrik yoga dedicated to the teachings
of yoga from the high Himalayas. It is related to the Trika Institute and
Yoga Mandala studio, Berkeley, California.
yogesvara.sarasvati@gmail.com
11

Dristi Brahmacarya
A place in our Modern
World
Paul Dallaghan
Brahmacharya is one of the more
discussed and misunderstood topics
in yoga, the common belief is that it
is celibacy, a complete abstinence from sexual
activity, but this is only part of the picture.
“Brahma” is the Ultimate Reality, the
Creator. “Char” is to move. Literally, it
means to move to the ultimate reality, or
more practically ways to be used for self
realisation. It is one of the five Yamas
presented by Patanjali. Other texts that deal
with the Yamas, most notably the Vasishtha
Samhita, listing it as one of ten Yamas.
Brahmacharya is a level
of self discipline and
proper behaviour,
especially in terms of
sexual activity
12
In the Yoga Sutras Patanjali does not give
us a definition of Brahmacharya, he only
states its effect: “Brahma charya pratishthayam
virya labhaha” (PYS II.38) which means:
When brahmacharya becomes stable then
the yogin gains great energy and power.
We need to look at this further. The yogic
process is one of channelling and managing
energy within, whereas in normal daily life
this life energy, or prana, is wasted, drained
out of the senses. Sex and the sex drive is a
huge component in this. So from a practical,
modern day point of view we can
understand Brahmacharya as harnessing the
energy or power of our senses and directing
that to greater personal understanding.
In the traditional sense, Brahmacharya was a
description for the early stage of life, up to
about 25 years, before marriage, this period
focused on studies. Here all energy was
devoted to learning the tools to practice
self-realisation. It was typically a time of
sexual abstinence. Later, one enters family
life and naturally sex was part of it. This was
the system and culture around the time of
Patanjali and Vasishtha.
Today students’ lives are full of selfenjoyment
and sexual activity begins very
early. There are not much checks on the
senses, and their impatient, distracted state
of minds tend to be the norm. To work on
oneself requires some discipline and selfcontrol.
To harness the power of the senses
requires this same discipline and control.
One of the biggest drainers of energy is the
sex impulse. Very often it is a large mental
distraction even though no physical
engagement has occurred. It is very difficult
for an individual to find peace when the
mind is continually distracted and desirous
of sexual activity. It draws the energy down
and keeps it low. On the flip side, some
people totally suppress their sexual urge
which leads to an unnatural state and
blockages. Neither is desirous.
Today we can benefit from Vasishtha’s
further explanation of Brahmacharya. He
offers three explanations (VS I.43-45). First
is an absolute abandoning of sexual
indulgence, on the mental, verbal and
physical level. Second he offers for
householders that Brahmacharya includes sex
with their partner. Thirdly he offers that
serving the Guru or Master regularly is
considered also to be Brahmacharya.
From all of this we can see that
Brahmacharya is a level of self discipline and
proper behaviour, especially in terms of
sexual activity, and quite obviously requires a
harnessing of sensual activity. At certain
times or stages in life, it is natural that sex
be abandoned, but at other times it is
necessary and appropriate. For if we all
abandoned sex the human race would fizzle
out in one generation.
Sex is a need, both for society and for our
personal well-being. Abstinence should
never be forced. It should come naturally.
One might find at a point in life that their
time in sex is complete. This aspect of
Brahmacharya has arisen from within.
What is clear is nowhere in Yoga does it
suggest a liberal use of sex and random
partners to satisfy one’s craving and appetite.
It comes up in the Yamas after Ahimsa (don’t
hurt others), Satya (be truthful) and Asteya
(no greed, don’t take what is not your’s).
Typically loose sexual conduct ends up with
one person being hurt and very often lied
to. People feel let down and something
taken from them. So to follow these three
Yamas are keys to behaviour and relations
with others. Then the sexual activity
becomes shared and understood.
Enjoy sex when engaged in it. Share it. Give
attention and care. This is love in itself. The
self control as meant by Brahmacharya brings
a healthy relationship into your life and,
being so channelled, gives great strength and
energy, as Patanjali has explained. If
complete celibacy arises then it is as a natural
result of the focus and practices engaged in
over years of yoga practice.
Paul is the director of
Centered Yoga Institute
& Yoga Thailand.
www.centeredyoga.com,
www.yoga-thailand.com

Yoga off the Mat
My Widowed Aunt
Arjun Singh Bhati
This is the story of my aunt, widowed after 18 years of
marriage. And the even sadder story of why, in India,
widows are ostracised by their society who believe they are
bad luck.
“Are you son of Mr. Laxman Singh?” the doctor asked me. “No,
he has no children, I am his wife’s nephew,” I replied. “Then call
someone who is a close relation,” the doctor said. I told the doctor
all his relatives lived in Jaisalmer, but my aunt is here [in Jodhpur]
if he wants to talk to her. The Doctor thought for a while and said:
“I am sorry to say both the kidneys of Mr. Laxman Singh have
failed and it is better if you take him back to home because there is
no more chance.”
I was shocked but with great courage asked the doctor again, what
he meant by “no more chance.’ He said Mr. Singh was in his last
stage of life and had maybe four or five days more.
I came out of the doctor’s chamber very sad and worried. I went to
the general ward where my aunt was sitting near my uncle’s bed. She
had not slept for couple of nights and was very tired. She asked me
what the doctor told me. I had no words, so I said everything was
fine.
When I came out of the hospital I called my father and told him
what the doctor told me. He said nothing for a while and then said,
“Boy, take care of them till I reach Jodhpur.”
My father arrived the next morning and met with the doctor, who
told him there was nothing more to be done. But we told my aunt
It is believed the widow’s bad luck
takes a son from his parents, and a
father from his children.
her husband was doing quite well and that we were going back to
Jaisalmer. Tears rolled down her face, she understood this meant
she was going to lose her beloved soon.
I still feel guilty about leaving my aunt there alone with my sick
uncle. Despite many attempts, they had not been able to have
children of their own, and so had treated my sister and I as their
own.
A week later we received the news of my uncle’s death. I met my
aunt a few days later, she embraced me and wept bitterly. For the
next six months she did
not leave her house. When
she did emerge, clad in
black, as dictated by the
customs of our society, we
took her into our home.
What is the condition of
the widows in our society?
Widows suffer a very
miserable life here in India.
She is not allowed to
remarry. She is not allowed
to wear colourful clothes or
jewelry. She is not allowed
to attend weddings or
festivals. She is not
supposed to participate in
certain ceremonies like tying
the thread during Raksha
Bandhan. She is not even
allowed to listen to music.
If she steps in the way of
someone it is a bad omen.
Why? The answer from our
social system is she must be
punished. Had the person
not married this lady, he
would have not died. It is
believed the widow’s bad luck takes a son from his parents, and a
father from his children. Like a compass needle that points north,
man’s accusing finger always finds a woman guilty in this maledominated
society.
My aunt suffered the life of a widow for a year. My family and I
were very sad for her. Then we all took a challenging decision. We
convinced her to find work somewhere. Finally after many social
objections she joined a school as an attendant. She was very busy
there with the children and even was ordered to wear colourful
clothes by the school’s administration. Today she has a permanent
position in the same government office as her husband did as a
driver. She is happy now.
It took a lot for our family to go against the traditions of our
society. And I think we were able to make that decision because we
have been lucky enough to receive a good education. Truly an
education can make change: it can change better than anything else.
Arjun is a school teacher with M.A. in English.
He has been teaching in a middle school in a
rural area for ten years. He is married, has a
son, and lives in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India.
teacherarjun@yahoo.com
13

14

Yoga 101
Changing Beliefs
Helene Liu
aware of the source of their problem (if they were, their problem
would disappear by magic!)
Beliefs are examples of generalisations about ourselves and
the world, which act as a spring board to all our decisions.
Beliefs are just ideas, there is nothing intrinsically true about
them.
One of the most powerful characters of beliefs is they often
become self-fulfilling prophecies. A common example of this is
when a person firmly believes they’ve lost something, and sure
enough, they can’t find it until someone points out the lost object
is right in front of them!
Most of the time, our beliefs have an enormous positive power in
how we see the world around us. For example, the most confident
and successful people have a strong deeply anchored supportive
belief about themselves and what
they can achieve.
Sometimes, some beliefs, which used
to serve us have stopped doing so, and
have become a source of limitation in
our life.
One little known fact about beliefs is that
they are embedded in our senses, and in
the language we use to communicate with
the world and with ourselves (the
conversation that we run in our own heads,
that you are probably familiar with).
most confident and successful
people have a strong, deeplyanchored,
supportive belief
about themselves and
what they can achieve
How do you know it is a problem, as you sit right here right now?
This will put light on the internal process they go through to make
the problem a problem. Each belief exists because it follows a
certain thought sequence (called “strategy”). The only thing often
needed to get rid of the entire belief, is a mere scrambling of one
step in the sequence.
What is the higher purpose of this behaviour?
All behaviours have a positive intent. Even those behaviours which
appear silly, impossible to understand, or even downright
obnoxious, have some kind of positive intention behind them. A
classic example is the unruly/badly behaved child “badly behaved
according to whom?” is the question, (but that’s the subject of
another article!) who just uses offensive behaviour as a way to
attract attention and confirm the
adults around him love him.
Don’t underestimate the power of the
positive intent behind negative
behaviours. Some people can make
themselves sick if they believe it is the
only way to attract attention from loved
ones who seem too aloof.
Once the higher positive intent has been
discovered, it is easy to find the belief behind
the behaviour and change the negative
behaviour to satisfy the positive intent.
Therefore, of the many techniques that are used nowadays to assist
people change their beliefs about themselves to create results in
their life (be it business, relationships, or health), none is as
astonishingly effective and swift as the sensory and language-based
belief change.
HOW TO IDENTIFY A DISEMPOWERING BELIEF
Look for clues in words such as: “I must”, “It should”, “I ought
to” etc... Technically, these are called modal operators of necessity.
What they do is limit the possibilities which are open to us. Also,
possibility words used in the negative such as “I can’t”, “I
couldn’t”, “I’ll never be able to” etc. have the same effect. When
someone uses these words repeatedly, it shows that their model of
the world is extremely restricted.
EXAMPLE OF QUESTIONS TO SCRAMBLE A NEGATIVE BELIEF
How is that a problem?
This will get people to the source of their problem, which is the
limiting belief. Most people are only aware of the manifest issues in
their life (example: “I smoke”, “I am overweight”, “I can’t sleep”,
“My back aches”, “nobody takes me seriously”, “I can’t get
promoted/loved”, “I should exercise more” etc...) but very few are
How would you know if it wasn’t true?
This question challenges the belief, the idea, we hold true. It opens
the possibility that, maybe, after all there is another way to think
about this. This question acts as the grain of sand in a perfectly
polished mechanism. Hum... Maybe, just maybe...
And finally, I want to share a secret with you. This is something I
only teach in the advanced levels of language training certifications
we run. It’s a highly advanced language pattern used to totally
scramble someone’s thinking sequence, and in the process, help
them dissolve deeply anchored and disempowering beliefs.
And you’ll probably feel very uncomfortable using it the first few
times, but I promise! It really works!The patterns uses a double
negative question that the brain cannot process. It goes something
like this: “What would not happen if you did
not do it?”
Helene helps people to change their minds to
maximize their results. She practices yoga
daily at Yogamala, is doing an on-going teacher
training in Yoga philosophy and is offering a
workshop at Evolution this year in Hong Kong.
www.TheMasterMindsGroup.com
15

Yoga 101
Yogic Remedies for
Digestive Problems
Deva Biswas
Hypoacidity
...insufficient salivary
enzymes and gastric
acid cause stunted
digestion.
16
This issue we are going to talk about
some common digestive problems
and ways to handle these through
yoga. Hyperacidity and hypoacidity are more
commonly known as indigestion.
Indigestion occurs when food starts
fermenting in the stomach. It is actually a
sign of failing digestive power.
Hypoacidity occurs when insufficient salivary
enzymes and gastric acid cause stunted
digestion. This can happen when a person
eats in a rush without chewing properly, eats
with anxiety, has too much water during a
meal, eats when they are not hungry, or does
not set a fixed time for proper meals. It can
also occur when there has been long-term
liver and intestinal abuse.
Hyperacidity is the other extreme. Even
when the stomach is empty the gastric acid
still accumulates in the stomach because the
taste buds and salivary glands are too active.
This situation can lead to the development
of gastritis and peptic ulcers. Over eating,
poor diet, smoking and drinking wine can
cause hyperacidity, gastritis and peptic ulcers.
People suffering with this kind of
indigestion should avoid the factors causing
the indigestion. It’s good to start the
treatment with proper fasting or a fruit diet
followed by easily digested light food
(sattvic) with no oil or spices. Further
treatments can include enemas, hipbaths or
wet abdominal packs. Kunjala kriya are also
recommended with breathing exercises,
meditation and yoga nidra.
Indigestion usually occurs when the navel is
displaced towards the lower side. Patients
should practice the sequence of uttanasana,
dhunruasana, chakraasana, and matsyasana
to readjust their navel to the right
position. After a few days
practice, patients can do
surya namaskar,
bujangasana,
salvasana,
mastyendrasana and pada hastasana under
supervision. Patients should change their
daily routine and try to remain patient and
happy. They should also avoid drinking
cold water and should not drink water
immediately after meals.
Flatulence or a feeling of fullness in the
abdomen usually occurs when someone has
eaten too fast. Eating without awareness or
with anxiety, as well as too much drinking
water pulling high from the throat, can be
the cause of flatulence and can leave a
person feeling heavy and noisy in the
stomach. Gas sometimes presses up in the
esophagus and comes out as burp from the
mouth. This is fairly common but when it
is excessive it becomes a problem. The
feeling of fullness can press upon the
diaphragm and can sometimes cause an
abnormal heartbeat and breathing
problems.
Patients with flatulence should practice supta
pawanmutasana (right leg first because the
small intestines are there), uttanpadasana,
biparitkarani, ardha kurmasana, ardha
matsyendrasana and jatra parivritanasana. They
should also avoid cold drinks and try to
drink a glass of lukewarm water before bed.
A modern lifestyle can regularly result in
constipation. This is a common chronic
disease of the lower digestive system where
the elimination of solid waste from the
body becomes slow and inefficient. The
causes of constipation can include a lack of
physical exercise, increased mental stress and
tension, a hectic lifestyle, irregular eating
habits and the consumption of oily, spicy
and heavy food. Tea, coffee, cigarettes,
alcohol and other intoxicants can provoke a
bout of constipation. In addition, grief,
anger, anxiety and irritation can also be
contributing factors.
Constipation can leave a person feeling
dizzy and heavy in the head and it can leave
a bad smell in the mouth and a coating on
the tongue. Food digestion becomes
delayed due to constipation. Food
putrefies in the intestine and results in gas,
indigestion, colitis, abdomen pain,
backache and loss of appetite. Suggested
yoga postures include jasthiasana, tadasana,

kotichakrasana, pawanmuktasana, bakasana and
basti. A hipbath with cold water can also
alleviate the symptoms. In addition,
lghusankhabakrasana, practice of agni sara and
breathing through the right nostril can be
beneficial. Try not to take laxatives because
they are habit forming and kill the natural
mechanism and motion. They can cause
piles, diabetes and premature ejaculation so
it is better to eat fibrous food, plenty of
green vegetables, salads and adequate fruit
and drinks.
There are many digestive diseases but these
are the most common ones. For advanced
disorders like peptic ulcers and colitis, please
seek professional medical advice from a
doctor. I recommend a daily yoga practice as
a preventative measure through which we
can understand our bodies more and
identify the specific postures the body needs
to address common ailments.
Hyperacidity ... the stomach is empty the gastric
acid still accumulates in the stomach because the
taste buds and salivary glands are too active.
The intimate relationship between the
function of the body and mind has now
become widely accepted in all forms of
healing. It is very commonly thought that
yoga means just doing asana or postures.
Actually the idea of yoga is not that narrow,
especially when one deals with diseases.
From the moment you wake up in the
morning, all your activities including eating,
relaxing, drinking, breathing, sitting, talking
and seeing should be conducted in a yogic
manner. The apprentice period is always
tough but once you are on the right track,
your yoga life will run smoothly.
Deva holds a diploma in yoga therapy and
teaches at Pure Yoga in Hong Kong.
17

18

Asana
Garbha
Pindasana
Valerie Wilson Trower
To the casual observer of a Ashtanga
vinyasa Mysore class it looks as
though few can master this Garbha
Pindasana (womb embryo pose). Yet
appearances are deceptive: those who can get
into the pose try to do it without water;
those that can practice without water, are
attempting to practice without rolling the
legs of their yoga pants up; and so on. This
article considers the pose from a woman’s
point of view, as many women find the
pose particularly challenging.
Start by trying as hard as you can to achieve
the previous pose Supta Kurmasana, the
bound turtle pose: this will generate enough
sweat to make Garbha Pinadasana easier.
After the vinyasa, roll your yoga pants up to
the thighs and exhaling, fold your legs in to
lotus (padmasana), left ankle on top. Lift each
sit-bone alternatively, and move it closer to
the centre of the body: this deepens the
lotus and allows the feet to sit higher on the
thigh/hipbone.
Next, check both arms and the back of your
hands are slippery with sweat, if the room is
cool add a little extra water. Try not to
drown the floor - it makes it slippery for
instructors and other students. Remember
to wet the back of your upper arms and the
back of your hands.
Lift both knees, and holding your right
ankle with your left hand, draw your left
foot up towards your armpit, this should
open a gap in to which you can insert the
fingers of your right hand. Don’t make a
fist with your fingers, but tuck your thumb
in so that you streamline your hand. Aim to
push your arm through beyond the elbow.
This takes a little practise and initially a
bruise on bone of the right elbow is a
common result. It is an indication of the
addictiveness of a Mysore class that we
continue to practice despite the bruise -
which eventually disappears.
Bend your right arm to keep your knee close
to your chest and lift your left knee higher,
inserting the left hand through the gap
above your right foot, making sure you
push your arm beyond your elbow. Initially,
this will produce a bruise on the left elbow,
but again, it will disappear. Try to bring
both hands towards your face, this helps
your legs to stay close to your body and
makes the pose steadier. This is hard for
beginners but eventually practise will pay
off. This makes it easier to bend your
elbows, and reach your fingers towards each
side of your face.
It is at this point I think we see evidence of
Shri Pattabhi Jois’s sense of humour:
beginners will just be able to reach their
fingertips to their mouths. Those with a
little more practice can reach their fingers
level with their eyes. And those who have
been practising for a while, will manage to
cup their thumbs under their jaw, and their
fingers over or behind their ears. The three
stages resemble the monkeys that speak no
evil, see no evil, and hear no evil, and
everyone, no matter how practised, looks
silly in this pose.
The drishti, the focus of attention, is the
nose. Count five breaths, then move your
fingertips to the crown of your head
without relaxing the pose, and exhaling role
backwards on the left side of your spine.
Inhaling, roll up on the right side of your
spine, exhale roll back on the left, etc., each
time altering the angle at which you role so
that in eight breaths you roll around in a
clockwise circle.
David Swenson warns us not to roll on the
spine and to check the space around us first.
It is common for beginners to get stuck
when they lose momentum at this point. It
is a kindness to others to rock them using
both hands on their knees so that they
regain momentum, and also to roll them
back on to their backs when they fall
sideways like a stuck bug. After a few weeks
they will be able to right themselves. On the
ninth inhalation spread your fingers,
straighten your elbows, and roll up to
balance on your hands, legs still in lotus off
VALERIE “SPEAKS NO EVIL”
AMY “HEARS NO EVIL” IN GARBHA PINDASANA
19

The Silence
Inge Santoso
O, Mother !
In your womb, I am Silence.
Neither young. Neither old.
Neither male. Neither female.
Neither. Neither.
Ageless. Timeless.
Formless. Faceless. The Nobody !
Without country. Without race.
Without religion. Without creed.
I am Silence ! Thus, I am.
Voiceless. Without songs. Without words.
I am That. In your womb – Silence !
Without ears. Without tongue. Without
mind. Without body.
I am free ! In your womb floating in the
Silence of Eternity…………
Thus, I am. Always free in Silence.
Neither here. Neither there. Neither
everywhere.
Without center. Without direction.
Without corner.
Therefore, I am ! The Silence.
Among the trees, the lakes and the
mountains.
Here I am on earth.
Where I walk, Where I sit. Where I lay.
Recollecting the memory called Silence !
At the time I wrote this poem, I was assisting
clients to obtain political asylum in the US. I
was overwhelmed by the facts of all kinds of
discrimination afflicted on my clients. To
quiet the disturbing thoughts, I meditated to
recollect the memory of silence returning to
the safety in the womb
of the Universal
Mother. © 2009 Inge
Santoso
the mat. This is the second part of this
sequence, Kukkutasana, the cock pose.
Again men, being flat-chested, have an
advantage here: they can straighten their
backs and look up easily. For women,
whose bust is between them and their arms,
straightening their body against their arms is
more difficult. Initially, I found slightly
bending one elbow and pushing the same
side of my chest forwards, and then
straightening my elbow, then repeating the
same sequence the other side allowed me to
straighten my back. Later, I found I could
do this as I rolled up in to Kukkutasana.
Hold for five breathes, again the drishti is the
nose. Exhale, place your sit-bones back on
the mat, and vinyasa.
We have all seen practitioners lift their hips
higher in Kukkutasana, which increases the
difficulty of the pose - again this is easier for
men as proportionately they have narrower,
lighter hips, and broader stronger
shoulders, but it is something to be tried
for fun.
Similarly, as most women practice wearing
long pants, rolling pants up makes it easier -
skin is much slipperier than polyester/Lycra
jersey - but again, this is the final challenge.
David Swenson’s book gives variations for
those who cannot sit in Padmasana, but to
me they look far more difficult than
practicing the above!
It is hard to fathom the purpose of this
pose apart from to make us all look silly,
but I remember how exhausting I found it
when I first started to practice in
comparison to now, and conclude it builds
stamina and strength. It has become one of
my favourite poses.
Valerie practices
Ashtanga yoga, Mysore
style, and leads Hath
yoga stretches for the
Siddha Meditation
Path.
VALERIE PREPARES TO ROLL BACK
AMY IN KUKKUTASANA
Inge is a lawyer
practicing in Jakarta.
inge_kunarsih@yahoo.com
20

Karma Yoga
Yogis chant t for Hong Kong
Wai-Ling Tse
On Sunday 8 th March, Shubhraji, a close disciple of
renowned Vedantic Master, H. H. Swami Chinmayananda,
conducted a Gayatri Homa at the Hindu temple in Happy
Valley, Hong Kong. It is a sacred fire ceremony and is generally done
for spiritual well being. This time, Shubhraji conducted it specifically
for the welfare of the Hong Kong community. This powerful
ceremony not only offers joy, peace of mind and spiritual blessings
for all, it also helps to remove negativity, purify our hearts and
uplift our minds.
Lead by Shubhraji and several Yajmans (officiants) gathered around
the sacred fire, Shubhraji started with a brief explanation of the
Gayatri mantra’s meaning, use and benefits, then began offerings to
the sacred fire and chanting of mantras to invoke the presence and
blessings of the Gods.
It was followed by chanting of the Gayatri mantra 108 times by all
present. For those of you who are not familiar with the Gayatri
mantra, it is considered to be one of the most ancient and potent
SHUBHRAJI (FAR LEFT WITH RAISED ARM) LEADS 108 GAYATRI MANTRAS FOR
HONG KONG’S WELL-BEING
21

mantras derived from the Rig Veda. These Vedas are a large
collection of ancient Sanskrit texts which forms the base of
Hinduism. And this mantra cultivates wisdom and is a prayer to
the giver of light and life – the sun (Savitur).
Gayatri is the five-faced Devi (Goddess). Gayatri Devi is an
incarnation of Saraswati Devi, the Goddess of the Arts and
knowledge with the quality of purity and virtue.
Here is the Gayatri mantra in Sanskrit with translation:
Aum Bhoor Bhuwah Swaha
Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi
Dhiyo Yo Naha Prachodyat
Oh Creator of the Universe!
We meditate upon thy supreme splendour.
May thy radiant power illuminate our intellects,
destroy our sins and guide us in the right direction.
Personally I found this part of the ceremony very powerful. By
chanting together in a group it created an incredible sense of focus
in my mind, it no longer felt like we were individuals chanting
individually, it gave me a sense of one-ness and an overwhelming
feeling of peace and joy.
We were then each given some of the ghee (clarified butter) which
was used as an offering to the sacred fire and told by Shubhraji to
inhale its aroma and apply it to any parts of our body which needed
healing or to use it just as a blessing. The blessed ghee is believed to
have great benefits and powerful healing properties. I did not
hesitate to rub it on my sore elbows and aching hip!
The Raksha (ash) from the sacred fire was then offered to us, we
used our ring finger to place it on our third eye, throat centre, left
and right side of our chest as well as the heart centre. We were then
each invited to give an offering of a flower to the sacred fire and to
collect the Prasadam (food that is prepared and offered to God)
from Shubhraji. She also gave us a pleasant surprise by giving each
of us a Pancha-Mukha Rudraksha, five-faced Rudraksha seed from
India, believed to be spiritually beneficial to the wearer. Even
though it was my first time to meet Shubhraji, I felt her kindness,
wisdom and warmth just from her very presence and I felt much
gratitude to be part of this event. The ceremony concluded with the
Arati, which is an offering of light to symbolize truth and purity.
Wai Ling teaches yoga part time at the Yoga Room in Hong Kong
and is a Namaskar volunteer.
22

My Journey
Friendship
riendship,
Studen
udent[
t[ship
ship],
Teacher[
acher[ship
ship]
Julia McCabe
I’m not going to write about dristi,
dharma or samaskara (although I’m sure
you could somehow apply them to this
piece). I’m going to skip Sanskrit-speak and
Patanjali’s Sutras and get straight to the
point: yoga, for me, is like an intricately
balanced triumvirate of friendship/
teacher[ship]/student[ship]. Each part is
synonymously important to the other like
an architectural marvel or score of music
that makes the hair on your neck stand on
end - if one part fragments, the rest
collapses or loses momentum. Without my
friends, I wouldn’t be where I am now as a
teacher/student. Without my students I
wouldn’t have this opportunity to educate
and be educated. And without my teachers I
wouldn’t be where I am.
Patrick Creelman (yoga teacher extraordinaire
from Pure Yoga, Hong Kong) is one of my
first and most important teachers and
friends. He was with us in Vancouver and
Whistler for a week this March. His first
class in Whistler was all about the greatness
of a “pilgrimage” - not just the one he took
to get to Whistler but the pilgrimage
everyone in the room had taken to get to
their mats that evening. The macro level
pilgrimages are obvious: career changes,
travel, relationships - but the micro ones are
just as important: breathe deeply, watch
your foot while it holds you up, drink more
water. The pilgrimage that begins everyday
when we get out of bed as teachers and
students to live courageously, choosing
positivity even in the most challenging of
times can be a daily discipline when life
intensifies. Seeing the light in all parts of the
day can sometimes feel as rigorous as a ten
mile run through the desert with a wool
jumpsuit on, and for me, it sometimes
takes a teacher/student/friend to remind
me which way the nearest water fountain is.
My life teaching yoga in Hong Kong for
three years taught me how to be a better
teacher/student/friend through all of its
soft and hard qualities. It was like a
Kerouac-ian HBO reality TV show gone
wild. I arrived in Hong Kong from Whistler
on September 5 th , 2005 (and immediately
began to sweat and didn’t stop sweating for
three years) carrying a heavy MEC pack, a
malfunctioning suitcase brimming with
unnecessary items (like snow boots) and a
50-pound crate of records belonging to
Patrick (who also happens to be a DJ from
time to time when the studio lights shut
down). I hauled his phat-filled vinyl down
his mom’s 200-step staircase in Whistler,
into the back of my VW for my last ride
down Highway 99 to the Vancouver airport
via HK with great purpose: all in the name
of friendship and musical gravitas (as I was
informed by Patrick a week prior). I may
have grit my teeth and cursed its stainless
steel edges a few times, but Pat and all the
other friends I made in Hong Kong over
the years would do the same for me...and
tenfold. And at the end of the day, it’s those
odd little things that friends do for you that
adds up to immeasurable love - that’s the
quirky artistry beneath amazing friendships.
Ironically three years later during my final
exodus from Hong Kong’s airport (with
BEST OF FRIENDS - PATRICK (CENTRE) WITH
FORMER HONG KONGERS KRISTIN (LEFT) AND PAIGE
(RIGHT)
it’s those odd little
things that friends do
for you that adds up to
immeasurable love
23

24

Pat and Pure teacher, Rinat by my side) as
the airport check-in lady stared blankly at my
fatigued/tear-filled eyes after informing me
my luggage was past legal weight limits,
Patrick’s high speed limbs were already ten
steps ahead of me, wrestling and repacking
my bags in the middle of the terminal’s
glossy cement floor creating a snowstorm
of books, boots and heavy items to the side
that were questionably leave-behind-able or
re-packable. Twenty minutes later my bags
were cruising ten pounds lighter down the
Air Canada conveyor belt and Pat and I were
cheers-ing our Starbucks Americanos to
three great years of teaching together in
Asia. Now that’s a friend. We take care of
each other’s baggage.
My time in Asia was a gift, I inherited a
second family. Between Soho, Sheung Wan,
Causeway Bay, the Tsim Sha Tsui MTR
station and Central Hong Kong (where the
original Pure Yoga studio stands 16 floors
above) our worlds were inevitably joined -
all 50 of us and growing. We would pass
one another sometimes literally running
through the city sprawl in half urban/half
yoga clothes with out-of-the-shower hair
dodging the obstacle course of inner city
HK: double decker buses at mock speeds,
rush hour elbows, the sharp matrix of
umbrellas at eye-ball height during
monsoon season, traders and bankers
smoking and talking at frantic speeds,
elevators, escalators, exhausted garbage
collectors wheeling their precariously stacked
carts of waste, haphazard construction
crews dangling from scaffolding over the
equally sketchy sidewalks.
And like all families we drank wine and
broke bread together, we were happy and
sad together, practiced and pondered
together, we met for coffee many mornings
and walked the Versailles-esque malls with
arms linked, we travelled together, spent
Christmases and birthdays together, shared
cabs and ferries together...we were together
all of the time. Holidays in North America
quickly faded into the dense humidity of
Chinese culture. We found ourselves eating
mooncakes instead of Easter eggs, receiving
red envelopes of dollar bills instead of
Christmas presents, eating leftover Chinese
dumplings and doughy treats in the staff
room fridges, watching fireworks during the
Chinese New Year from each others
rooftops, celebrating the ten year anniversary
of Hong Kong’s hand-over from Britain.
We hid during the anti-climatic typhoon
warnings and created our own over our
mats every day as teachers/students/friends.
Above all, our friendships were founded on
the tacit understanding of how much
courage it took for all of us to uproot, teach
and live in a totally different culture and
climate than our own in one of the most
intense cities on the planet. The ultimate
test for all Hong Kongers is to be patient
and present in a city, well, that is not! For
even the strongest of constitutions, Hong
Kong has the capacity to tip you upside
down like an angry bouncer and shake your
pockets of sanity, calm and repose if you let
it. But it’s also a place that provides mind
blowing opportunities and a vacuum-effect
for inevitable change and transformation to
occur. And for that I’m forever grateful. I
extend a thousand pounds of gratitude in
sweat, smiles and
asanas to all the
students, teachers and
friends that have made
my life so rich.
Julia lives and teaches
yoga in Vancouver.
The ultimate test for all
Hong Kongers is to be
patient and present in a
city, well, that is not!
PATRICK LETS HIS HEART SHINE AT HIS RECENT
WORKSHOP IN VANCOUVER
25

Yoga Event
Music that Heals the
Heart & Soul
Michele Cempaka
Yoga, dance and music – the elements
which speak to our inner being and
bring us joy – will be featured at the
annual Balispirit Festival which is now in its
second year. An inspiring line-up of
international and local masters will
collaborate to create a space for people to
come together and celebrate the good energy
we all experience when we get in touch with
our bodies through dance and yoga, and
allow the power of music to uplift and
empower us.
This year’s festival will be held April 28 th –
May 3 rd at The Bali Purnati Centre for the
Arts in Batuan, just 10 minutes South of
Ubud. Every evening will feature an
impressive line-up of world renowned
musicians who have interwoven their music
with raising awareness about social issues
around the world. Two notable artists: Tony Khalife and Rocky Dawuni have a deep
commitment to bringing the message of peace and love to the world.
Tony Khalife grew up in war-torn Beirut, Lebanon, where there was a constant threat of
death and little hope for a better life free from war and violence. He was drafted at age 11
and experienced the devastation of war first-hand. During the lulls in the fierce battle in the
streets of Beirut, Tony taught himself how to play Beatles songs using a song book. When
he was 14 years old Iraq hit the Addison building next door to him. Shrapnel went into the
wall and the pressure from the explosion threw his bed on top of him. There was rubble
everywhere and he realized how lucky he was to have survived. Afterward, he slowly came
out from under the mattress and saw that his arm raised straight up with his guitar still in
his hand. By the time he was 20, he understood that he needed to get out of Beirut and
start a new life, so he applied to the Guitar Institute of Technology in Los Angeles,
California, where he was accepted on a music visa.
“Musicians have the capacity to raise the consciousness of the world,” says Tony. “I see an
interactive participation between the musician and the audience which raises the level of
Chi.”
Rocky Dawuni, who originally hales from Ghana, is also very committed to raising
awareness about social issues. He feels he serves as a bridge between the people of Africa
and the people of the USA. In line with this, he spends half the year in Ghana and the
other half in Los Angeles, California.
“Growing up in Africa, my perspective was based on that culture. Many children of Africa
who were taken as slaves have grown up in many different countries, so they have no
connection to Africa. In terms of the modern world, the people of Africa carry the scars.
Being able to travel and live in both worlds has enabled me to learn about people’s
different perspectives. Through the medium of music, I’ve been able to bring people
together,” says Dawuni.
Tony Khalife feels strongly that certain types of music can create a human interaction which
is healing. When people experience this, they immediately feel a sense of kinship. Contrary
to this, Khalife feels that pop music blocks your entire consciousness – it doesn’t take your
soul on a journey.
A kindred spirit, Dawuni is the creator and headliner of the annual festival ‘Rocky Dawuni
Independence Splash’ which is held every March 6 th in his native Ghana. The annual event
attracts up to 30,000 people every year and has become the rallying point for his extensive
humanitarian and advocacy work on clean water, HIV AIDS, poverty eradication and girl
child education issues.
TONY KHALIFE FROM LEBANON WILL BE AT
“Impediments are ways to build our strength. These impediments can help us to become
wiser and stronger. I believe in the power of conversion. You are your world. As painful as
reality can be, we have the ability to overcome it,” says Dawuni.
Khalife has metabolized all of his angst and channeled it into his music, which he says is a
blend of all the places he’s lived or traveled to. His inspirational music is a harmonic
combination of Middle Eastern, Indian, “speak my truth” Rock ‘n roll, Jazz and integrated
elemental world music.
“Music has the ingredients to heal because it’s a vibration. That vibration can raise people
up. I was in touch with this on a daily basis,” says Khalife. His album, The Music Shelter,
tells Tony’s story with fearless honesty and, in doing so, tells the story of millions of
children whose lives have been torn by war and redeemed by love and music.
26

Dawuni has been called both: ‘Bob Marley of Africa’ and ‘Bob Geldof of Africa’. Fusing
Reggae, Soul and traditional African beats, Dawuni’s music energizes people with his
uplifting lyrics and messages of love.
“We have to realize that whatever we set our minds to we have the ability to manifest,” says
Dawuni who is also the brainchild of Los Angeles’ world renown Thursday night club,
Afro Funke.
Dawuni’s fifth studio album scheduled to be released in July 2009, was inspired by his
travels throughout Israel, Finland, Jamaica and Africa. Rocky claims that it is a testament to
being open to all people and allowing all knowledge to come inside.
Both Khalife and Dawuni raise awareness through their music, taking our souls on a
journey of healing and greater expansion. The festival will also feature other great
performers such as Tom Freund (USA), Cynthia Alexander (The Philippines), Mia Palencia
(Malaysia), Emiko Susilo & Rob Levit (Indonesia-USA) and many more.
There was also be an exciting line-up of renowned yoga and dance instructors who will be
leading workshops for festival pass holders. For more information visit
balispiritfestival.com
Michele is a Reiki Master, PEAT (Psycho
Energetic Aura
Technology) processor
and a writer. She
lives on Bali, and
works as a writer,
part-time English
teacherand a
facilitator of healing.
She shares her home
with two energetic
young boys and her
husband JJ.
27

Yoga off the Mat
More ways to Be Green
Leah Kim
Growing up in California, environmental consciousness was
simply part of everyday life. From when I was a child,
every household had a recycle bin for recyclable products
such as paper, aluminum, plastic, and glass. Nowadays, the recycling
program has grown so that every house has multiple bins for the
different types of recyclables, a separate yard waste bin, and the
rubbish bin is the smallest of them all. I remember learning about
the 3 R’s at school: “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”, singing songs about
recycling and wearing a t-shirt with those three green arrows that
form the triangle that marks something as recyclable. Californians
have always had to be conscientious about water usage as well,
especially these days as the State is experiencing severe drought
conditions.
Our education system plants this seed of eco-consciousness and
certain Government practices encourage this lifestyle. Californians
are known for being “green”, perhaps even ridiculed for having
turned it into a trendy way of living. But I personally am proud to
be stereotyped as a tree-hugging, canvas bag-toting, hybrid-driving,
water and energy-conserving yogi!
All that said, there is much debate about the efficacy of recycling
programs, and there is much criticism about the enormous carbon
footprint we all – Californians absolutely included – are leaving
behind. The focus of my thoughts here are not along these lines of
debates and criticism, or of statistics and global comparisons.
Rather, I would like to ask you to check in with your own daily
practices and see if they resonate with the world you wish we were
living in, the world you envision in the future.
We are all aware that the wellbeing of our planet is at a major
tipping point. From Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” (and
many other documentaries urging environmental consciousness) to
Park n Shop’s “I am a plastic bag” plastic bags, the green movement
is presently happening, but the planet needs more support from
each of us on an individual level. Many of us – especially readers of
Namaskar - definitely acknowledge this on an intellectual level, but I
wonder how much of it is practically applied? In other words, what
do you do with that “I am a plastic bag” plastic bag? And what
about other people in our lives who still don’t think twice about
how their personal actions are directly contributing to the landscape
of our shared planet? How can we truly effect and inspire change?
How can we all, as Gandhi so famously said, “Be the change you
wish to see in the world”?
According to the Environmental Protection Department of Hong
Kong, “Hong Kong is running out of landfill space far earlier than
expected, and the existing landfills will be filled up in early to mid
2010s if waste levels continue to increase at current levels. Unless
solutions are identified immediately, we could face a crisis in the
next decade of having nowhere to put the thousands of tonnes of
waste thrown away each day.” This possibility alone ought to stir us
into true, conscious change.
Both the Dalai Lama and Yogi Bhajan have said before real peace
can flow through the world, we must find peace within ourselves.
Likewise, for us to clean up our planet, we must clean up our own
acts. Of course there are many ways each person can contribute to
the cleansing and protection of our planet. The “Save the Human”
campaign, recently launched in Hong Kong, urges sustainable,
vegetarian eating, even if only for a day or two out of a week. Yogis
look to balance their inner selves, as that clean energy will then
radiate out to the world around them.
What’s closest to my heart is a growth from the seed planted by the
3 R’s I learned in grade school. Inspired by these lessons, I offer the
following suggestions as a direct and practical way to bring more
global consciousness into our daily habits. Some are so simple that
you can implement change immediately!
WHAT YOU CAN DO
• Boycott straws (do you really need them?), disposable utensils,
styrofoam, and other unnecessary takeaway packaging. Do a beach
cleanup to see why this is important.
• Say “No” to plastic and paper bags as often as possible. Always
carry around a reusable shopping bag.
• Reuse plastic and paper bags.
• Reduce your use of plastic bottles. Get a reusable water bottle,
preferably an aluminum one by brands such as Sigg.
• Recycle recyclables such as paper, aluminum, plastic, and glass.
Look for that triangle of green arrows. More things are recyclable
than you might think.
• If there are no recycling bins near you, inquire about initiating a
recycling program in your workplace, school, or neighborhood.
• Be mindful of taking more towels than you need at your yoga
studios. Much energy and water goes into washing thousands of
towels that are often unused and carelessly thrown into the bin.
Perhaps consider taking your own towel that you might even be
able to reuse before washing.
• Pause to consider where your rubbish ultimately goes.
• Go organic when possible: food, cleaning products, fabrics. Less
toxins for the world within you and our shared global world.
• Support green companies.
• Opt for sustainable alternatives, such as bamboo disposable
utensils and recycled paper.
• Never underestimate how your seemingly
simple actions will inspire and influence
everyone around you.
Leah is a native Californian now living in Hong
Kong. She loves exploring the planet,
connecting to Big Mind, breathing in and
breathing out. www.beyoga.org
28

Book Review
Scientific Healing
Affirmations
by Paramahansa Yogananda
Reviewed by Tia Sinha
Weeding the
subconscious mind
of its huge store of
negative impressions is one of
the aspects of transforming the
mind on the path to
enlightenment. It is this
storehouse of negative
impressions that leads to
unwholesome tendencies of
thinking, speech and action,
unwholesome habit patterns
that make us suffer. Habit
patterns come from grooves in
the mind through which energy
flows, like water flowing down
the canals of a river. In order to
change unwholesome habit
patterns, the old canals or
channels need to be blocked so
that water no longer flows
through them. Since water seeks
its own level, one way of
changing its flow is by building
other canals that are far deeper.
In short, to change
unwholesome habits of the
mind, one plants new positive
habits, one builds new canals
which, in time, become stronger
than the old habits, making
them whither away just as old
canals dry up when water can no
longer flow through them.
One way to build new
wholesome grooves in the mind
is through conscious, repetitive
positive thoughts known as
affirmations. Swami
Paramahansa Yogananda’s
‘Scientific Healing Affirmations’,
released decades before their use
was embraced in mainstream
society, reveals to us the power
of such affirmations.
Affirmations are sentences in the
present tense, conveying a
positive thought, repeated daily
over an extended period. India’s
great yogi, Paramahansa
Yogananda’s tiny book on
affirmations reveals the power
that simple, well-thought out
words, uttered repeatedly and in
a certain way, exercise over the
mind. By focusing attention on
the ajna chakra (third eye) or on
the medulla oblongata (brain
stem), and repeating
affirmations aloud, in a whisper
and then mentally, they can be
driven deep into the
subconscious mind and even
the ‘supraconscious’, that realm
of intuition beyond the intellect,
that place of knowing beyond
knowledge.
the change desired. Certain
affirmations are to be uttered or
thought of with determination,
others with devotion, yet others
with feeling, and all with full,
unwavering concentration. The
wording of the affirmations has
to be impressive enough to
permeate layers of negative
thinking and to leave a mark in
the mind, carving out a strong
groove, made stronger by
forceful, concentrated repetition
and pure intent. Every thought
of depression or happiness,
irritability or calmness, cuts
subtle grooves in the brain cells,
strengthening the tendency
towards sickness or well-being.
We can overcome any difficulty,
physical, emotional or
psychological, heal ourselves of
any disease by changing the way
we think. Affirmations work.
Paramahansa Yogananda’s classic
‘Autobiography of a Yogi’,
brimming with the vast and
deep, is difficult to absorb. His
‘Scientific Healing Affirmations’,
however, is a quick and easy
read, replete with valuable tips
on how to practice, and
explanations of what happens
when we do practice, an
understanding of which makes
us want to practice. This little
gem of a book also contains
some beautiful affirmations for
varied purposes. Yogananda’s
powerful message that with
effort and attention,
affirmations can transform the
mind, rings true.
Paramahansa Yogananda
explains why affirmations work.
To quote, words saturated with
sincerity, conviction, faith and
intuition are like highly
explosive vibration bombs,
which, when set off, shatter the
rocks of difficulties and create
Tia, a
student of
Buddhism,
yoga and
languages
writes to us
from Delhi.
29

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31

Yoga Remedy
Coming to Peace with Jet Lag
Sarah Avant Stover
The world is getting smaller and we are traveling more frequently. We are experiencing more jet lag and overall disturbance in our
innate, circadian rhythms that are so essentially to keeping us healthy, sane, and happy. Since I have schlepped back and forth
between the USA and Asia at least once a year for the past decade, it is fair to say that I know a thing or two about jet lag.
Like a good recipe may take several rounds to perfect, coming to peace with all the icky-ness of jet lag (disrupted sleep cycles, grogginess,
even delirium), has taken some trial and error. During two of my trips this past year, I actually experienced no jet lag at all for the first time
and I believe I have finally found an effective combination of remedies and strategies to help.
Whether you are flying across a single time zone or around the world, the effects of flying take a toll in disrupting your biorhythms. For
shorter trips, you can tone down the following recommendations and pick and choose the most pertinent. For those of you longhaulers,
I would adhere to this 100%!
32
1. WATER
Most important, drink tons of water! I
know everyone tells you this—but do you
really do it? I bring an empty water bottle,
empty thermos, and tea bags. Have a flight
attendant fill these up at the start of the
flight and keep sipping and refilling….
2. VITAMIN C
Take 1,000 mg every 2 hours (less if you
experience loose stools). You can either take
this as a pill or by dissolving a packet of
“Emergen-C” in a glass of water.
3. INVERT
When you go to the bathroom (from
drinking all of that water), hang out in an
open space in the back or in front of an
emergency exit and bend forward. Keep
your feet hip-width apart and hold onto
your elbows (so that your arms surround
your head like a picture frame). Bend your
knees if you need to. Stay here for at least
10 breaths.
4. HOMEOPATHY
I take a homeopathic remedy called “No Jet-
Lag.” You can purchase it at a natural food
store or pharmacy. Take one capsule at take
off and then again every 2-4 hours while in
flight. It works!
5. MOVE YOUR JOINTS
On your next trip to the bathroom, hang
out before returning to your seat. Circle
your ankles, wrists, shoulders, knees, hips,
and neck. After so many hours of sitting,
bring some fluidity and movement back
into your joints. This will help keep your
energy from becoming stagnant.
6. EAT WELL
Avoid caffeine and alcohol and be sure not
to overeat. I know this is hard to do when
spending long hours in the airport and
airplane. My little sister justifies airport
McDonald’s binges by saying, “What
happens in the airport, stays in the airport,”
but you will feel it and regret it!
Eat lightly and pack your own snacks (I like
apples, almonds, and Lara Bars). If you’re
really hard core, pack your own meals to
avoid the packaged, and often very overly
salted, airline food that is sure to make you
feel bloated and lethargic. You can also
request a “Fruit Plate” in advance, this will
help keep you feeling light and hydrated.
The people next to you will be jealous.
7. SUNSHINE, EXERCISE & NO NAPPING!
Upon landing, if it is still daylight, get
outside in the sun and fresh air. Take a walk
or do some exercise (again, to get your
energy moving). Whatever you do, don’t
take a nap! Try to stay up until your usual
bedtime. If you arrive at night, get on the
floor and do some gentle, slow stretching
and be sure to breathe fully and deeply.
8. INVERT AGAIN
Before going to bed, swing your legs up the
wall (so that your hips are against the wall
and your back is on the bed). If you have
any tightness in your lower back or the backs
of your legs, scoot your pelvis a little further
away from the wall until you feel at ease.

Yoga Gear
Rest for 5-15 minutes.
9. MELATONIN
Chew a few capsules (follow the
recommended dosage on the bottle) right
before bed for the first 3-5 nights in your
new time zone. This helps to restore your
natural sleep cycle.
Let me know any of your own tricks that I
have missed which you find helpful during
your travels.
Sara Avant Stover is a
writer, yogini, and
women’s group leader
based in Boulder,
Colorado who leads
retreats and trainings
worldwide. For more
information
www.FourMermaids.com
For your own Yoga Sanctuary
Ready to make your very own yoga space at home, but not sure where to find the perfect
props and paraphenelia?
In Hong Kong, you can try Simply Yoga,
14 Lyndhurst Terrace (t: 3154 9106). They
stock this stainless steel neti pot ($290)
for clearing and cleaning the nasal cavity, as
well as an assortment of yoga blocks,
pillows for eyes ($280), pranayama ($590),
savasana ($400), sandbags ($290) for
deeper stretches in supta baddha
konasana and other poses, yoga straps
and even yoga bags($680) for taking all
your gear on the road when you travel.
And if you’re looking for a full complement of Iyengar props, Flex in Hong Kong has
some second-hand for sale. info@flexhk.com
33

34

Workshop Review
Arm Balances & Backbends
Workshop
Karen Lam
Free arm balances and backbends are as
inspirational as they are scary. But for
participants of Peter Scott’s workshop on
Arm Balances & Backbends at Yoga Central,
the big shock was no food was permitted
before the workshop and only carrot soup
in between the sessions! We all worried
what would be in store for us!
Fortunately for the 16 of us, Peter, a Senior
Intermediate II Iyengar certified yoga teacher
from Melbourne, blended the technicalities
and sequencing with watchful time control
in the workshop management. None of us
starved nor felt exhausted afterwards.
One participant, CP Yu, commented “I am
always cautious about doing backbends for
fear of awakening old injuries or opening
new injuries. The backbend workshop was
the best I have ever encountered. Three
hours of non-stop intense work and a
systematic approach to many deep poses
didn’t leave me sore at all.”
LILIAN WONG LOVED THE ARM BALANCING AT PETER SCOTT’S WORKSHOP AT YOGA CENTRAL
(Balance on upper arms with horizontal
body), Eka Pada Sirsasana II (Forearm
balance with one bent and one straight leg),
Hamasana (Swan), and more arm balance
variations to prepare for the final poses.
head). The highlight of the day was Salamba
Sirsasana II (Tripod Headstand) dropping
back to Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel), then
up to Samasthithi (Mountain with palms
folded on chest).
Maggie Tan said “the class was a piece of art
in that the poses were built up from more
simple postures. Just like the brush strokes
of an artist – first a few dabs of paint to
begin with and eventually the picture
emerges. He began by awakening our
awareness with simple poses. The awareness
and intelligence of the body and mind is
primed and from this platform we were able
to access the more challenging poses.”
Peter specified upfront his purpose was to
build our knowledge to handle advanced
Arm Balances and Backbends. He started
with simple poses like Elbow Uttanasana,
Kurmasanas on a chair, Pincha Mayurasana
preparation with wrists on a block against
the wall to awaken the forearms, tailbone
and wrists/shoulder before Vasisthasana
(Side Plank with hand holding big toe up),
Kasyapasana (Side plank with arm holding
one foot in lotus). After our bodies had
warmed up, Peter included standing poses
like Uttanasana, Trikonasana, Parsvakonasana,
Padasana and arm balances like Bakasana
Although Peter’s said he would focus on
the technicalities of advanced Arm Balances
and Backbends, he also took care of our
energy progression, by varying the sequence
of learning, timing and muscle work of
particular anchors for each pose, so we were
all able to attempt the advanced poses. At
the very least, we felt we knew how to get
our body ready with an d understanding of
how our muscles work to support the more
elementary standing and seated poses.
We were hungry after the morning session
but not starving and a couple of us
commented that we actually felt energized
rather than tired. We started the Backbend
session with Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Hand
stand) so it was no wonder just carrot soup
was recommended for lunch! Peter shared a
similar approach in sequencing, timing and
sharing of technicalities by doing backbends
on the floor like Salabhasana (Locust),
Bhujangasana (Snake), then more advanced
preparation with Sirsa Padasana on Chair
(Headstand with arched back and feet on
By the end of the workshop, we had all
completed our share of drop-backs,
whether it was practicing with hands to the
wall, doing just Standing Ustrasana (Camel)
to awaken the spine, or a free standing drop
back. All students felt so elated after the
workshop that they started to ask if Peter
would have a second teacher training
program in Hong Kong. I felt honored to
have Peter host this technical workshop and
to have been one of his first batch of
teacher training students in Hong Kong. I
hope more experienced teachers will ‘break
down’ advanced poses for yoga students so
that we can understand how to physically
achieve the final pose and to overcome our
fear of progressing both body and mind.
Guruji (Mr. Iyengar) once said, “Yoga is an
art”. Peter Scott embodies this and
communicates it to all his students so they
can experience the art of asana practise in
their own bodies.
Karen owns at teaches at Yoga Central.
35

Recipe
A Summer
Sun Salad
Moosa Al-Issa
Summer brings out our desire
for lighter foods with sharper
flavors and more textures.
Eating a salad with a smoothie
or fresh juice on a hot sunny day
is such a simple pleasure. This
salad combines a bit of French
technique with some Middle
Eastern and Indian influences. I
grew up with my father making
fresh yogurt and cheese so this
definitely has some nostalgia
and fond memories attached to
it. I hope you enjoy it.
PEA GREENS WITH CARDAMOM
POACHED PEARS, SPICED
ALMONDS AND YOGURT CHEESE
(Serves 4e)
INGREDIENTS
8 cups pea greens
2 cups organic yogurt
3 pears peeled and seeded
1 cup organic sugar
1 cup distilled water
1 cup almond slivers
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp fresh ginger sliced
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
4 tbsp lemon juice and peel of
one lemon
2 pods cardamom
1 tbsp honey
¼ tsp dried ginger
¼ tsp coriander
¼ tsp cumin
¼ cup fresh coriander leaves
Sea salt and white pepper/
cayenne pepper to taste
METHOD
1. Place organic yogurt in a coffee
strainer with an unbleached
coffee filter and place over a
small bowl or pan. Sprain over
night in the refrigerator.
2. Remove the cheese from the
filter and in a small bowl
combine the cheese with the
minced ginger and sea salt and
pepper to taste.
3. Combine one cup organic
sugar with one cup distilled
water and bring to a boil. Add
the ginger slices, cardamom
pods and the Lemon peel and
continue to cook at a low boil
for 10 minutes. Strain through a
fine metal strainer. Add the
pears and continue cooking for
approximately 4-5 minutes till
cooked through but still firm.
Transfer the pear halves to a
plate and cool the syrup.
4. In a stainless steel bowl
combine almonds, 1 tbsp
lemon juice, honey, cumin,
coriander and ginger and salt
and cayenne pepper and mix
thoroughly. Spread on a baking
sheet and cook in 275 degrees
for 10-15 minutes till roasted.
5. Thoroughly wash the pea
greens and dry in a salad spinner
or by hand. Reserve.
6. Combine two tablespoons of
the poaching syrup with 3
tablespoons of lemon juice and
1/4 cup of olive oil with salt
and white pepper to taste and
mix thoroughly.
7. Place the greens in a large
bowl. Add the vinaigrette one
tablespoon at a time and toss
the greens with care. When the
greens are evenly coated with the
vinaigrette place equal amounts
on the center of the four plates.
8. Cut the pear halves into thin
slices and fan out two thirds of
a pear on each plate in front of
the greens.
9. Add the yogurt cheese on top
of the small edge of the pear
slices.
10. Sprinkle the salad with a
small handful of the almonds.
11. Add a small cluster of
coriander leaves on top of the
yogurt cheese as a garnish.
12. With a small spoon place
several drops of the poaching
syrup on the base of the plate
and serve.
Moosa is
Executive
Chef of Life
Café, an
eco-friendly
organic
vegetarian
restaurant
at 10
Shelley
Street,
Central, for
more information visit
lifecafe.com.hk or 2810 9777.
Spirulina Powder
Crunchy and Capsules from the
community of Auroville.
Sun-dried, ethical and tasting great.
100 grams/capsules HK$90.
peter@spirulinaplanet.com
www.spirulinaplanet.com
tel: (852) 2982 2807
36

NAMASKAR LISTING AND DISPLAY ADVERTISING RATES FOR 2009
Outside back cover HK$20,000 210 mm x 297 mm
Inside front cover HK$2,500 210 mm x 297 mm
Inside back cover HK$2,000 210 mm x 297 mm
Full page HK$1,500 210 mm x 297 mm
1/2 page HK$900 188 mm x 130.5 mm horizontal
92 mm x 275 mm vertical
1/4 page HK$500 92 mm X 130.5 mm
1/8 page HK$300 92 mm x 63 mm
Teacher listing HK$500 (January - October 2009)
Studio listing HK$1,000 (January - October 2009)
Advertisements should be submitted as high resolution .tiff or .jpg format(no .ai files please).
Advertising fees are payable in Hong Kong dollars only to:
Yoga Services Ltd
Frances Gairns, G/F Flat 1, 12 Shouson Hill Road West, Hong Kong
For more information call (852) 9460 1967 or email: fgairns@netvigator.com
CROSSWORD SOLUTION
ACROSS
1. Garbhapinda
6. Kanda
9. Karna
10. Hasta
13. Ekahastabhuja
15. Paada
16. Sarvaanga
DOWN
1. Gandabherunda
2. Peeda
3. Paarshvottaana
4. Aakarna
5. Paadaangushtha
7. Jathara
8. Bhujapeeda
11. Uttaana
12. Sheersha
14. Janu
37

38

39

Yoga 101
The Real Tantra
Yoganaath Dileep
Tantra is an ancient
practice of expansion
and liberation
If you search for Tantra on the internet, a
multitude of links appear. All provide
information on tantric sex. Yeah, it’s all
about sex – how to maximize your sensual
pleasures by using the esoteric techniques of
tantra. The vast knowledge of this great
practice has been limited into just one
aspect. New age tantrikas are only
concentrating on sexual absurdity rather
than the traditional practice. An increasing
number of teachers and centres have sprung
up in the West and fallen in love with the
mystic world of tantric sex. For many
Westerners, tantra is perceived as a technique
to enhance sensual pleasures and their
interpretations of tantra are based on
sensationalism rather than the ancient
teachings. In this context the following
questions arise – Why have so many tantric
explorations begun based on sex? Why do
modern teachers emphasize the sexual path?
TANTRA – THE SECRET DOCTRINE
Tantra is an ancient practice of expansion
and liberation, which originated from India
thousands of years ago. Tantra is known as
the royal path. Historically, masters kept this
practice secret and initiated only to the right
disciple at the appropriate time, that is after
he has mastered all the other paths of yoga.
Several years of dedicated sadhana under the
close observation of the Guru will bring the
disciple to the sattvic (balanced) state of
body, mind and soul. The Guru will give
Vignana Bhairava, has given great importance
to this path. But recently most of the
Western tantric schools and teachers have
only selected the second path – left (vama)
for their practice. They define tantra as
‘sacred sex’ or the ‘way to multi orgasm’. All
these concepts derived from free love or free
sex. They try to combine spirituality with
sensuality; and mystical experience with
women, wine and wealth – the unique
synthesis of religion and sexuality. What
makes it sad is most of the new age
tantrikas used sex as an ingredient to sell
tantra. They ignored the real practice of
tantra and became addicted to the left path.
IS SEX INEVITABLE IN TANTRA?
There are mainly three sects in tantra –
Vaishnava, Saiva and Sakta (Sauras and
Ganapatyas are less known). All these sects
accept sex as a divine practice to raise-up the
kundalini. A sadhaka can proceed by selecting
either the left or right path. As tantra is a
shortcut to the blissful state, the main aim
is to raise the dormant energy and bring it
up to sahasrara. For this purpose, a sadhaka
has to select his path according to his Guru’s
advice. Among the three main sects of
tantrikas, Saktas emphasizes Pancha Ma–
karas (5 M’s) - Madhya (wine), Mamsa
(meat), Matsya (fish), Mudra (gestures), and
Maithuna (sexual union). The Pancha Makaras
have not always had such literal
meanings, but most of the neotantric gurus
took the 5 M’s only for its literal meaning.
New age tantrikas are only concentrating on
sexual absurdity rather than the
traditional practice
40
the Diksha (initiation) to the disciple and
advise him the Gupta Vidhya (tantra – the
secret doctrine).
There are two main paths in tantra –
Dakshina marga (esoteric practices without
sexual enactment) and Vama marga (the left
path which combines sexual life with the
practice). Among them the first, dakshina
marga is the most commonly accepted. Most
of the authorized ancient texts like the
If you consider tantra as a religion it has a
positive approach towards sex, unlike other
religions, which mostly have a negative
approach to sex. They set many rules and
regulations with regard to sexuality. Many
of these religious rules only helped to
suppress the basic instincts of man. Thus
they failed to reach their proposed goal.
Tantrikas make use of the sexual energy.
They transform the physical energy to
mental energy with some of the esoteric
practices of tantra (it is not appropriate to
discuss about the secret practices here as it
has to be learned only from a master). This
is the most challenging part of tantric sex.
Only those who have attained perfect
control over their body and mind can do
this. Others will easily fall into physical
enjoyment. Certain qualities like purity, faith,

devotion, dispassion, truthfulness and
control of the senses are a must for a
sadhaka. Without having these qualities, it is
impossible to transform the sexual energy
to cosmic energy. Unfortunately most new
age teachers added sex to their practice to
fulfill their sensual desires rather than
following the left path as it is.
TANTRIC SEX – MISCONCEPTIONS AND TRUTH
Recently more and more practitioners are
attracted to the magic world of tantra. The
misconceptions received from the web are
attractive. Most of the schools are making
advertisements regarding ‘multi orgasm’.
In tantra, practice of sex (maithuna) is
considered to be the easiest way to awaken
sushumna. But not all are prepared for this
practice. Ordinary sexual interaction is not
maithuna. Before the practice of maithuna,
both partners must be completely purified
internally and externally. According to
tantra, preservation of bindu (semen) is
DILEEP (LEFT) WITH HIS MASTER IN INDIA
necessary. This is extremely challenging and
requiresperfect control over the body and
mind. For that purpose, practice of hatha
yoga is essential. Some of the asanas like
vajrasana, sidhasana, shalabhasana and
paschimottanasana are beneficial for gaining
better control over the body and mind. All
these poses are beneficial as they place an
automatic contraction on the lower energy
centers. These practices help a sadhaka to
raise the energy upward to merge with the
sahasrara chakra. At this stage he experiences
the complete meditative state of mind.
When the energy passes through different
chakras he will be able to gainmystic
experiences. This state is most commonly
misinterpreted as multi-orgasm.
The awakening of kundalini is possible
through the sexual interaction of man and
woman. This concept is the same as fission
and fusion in physics. Man and woman
represent positive and negative energy. The
union of positive and negative energy is the
union of shiva and shakti. During this
union; energy waves are being created. A
sadhaka has to direct these waves to the
higher energy centers in the body and he will
develop the spiritual awareness. When the
waves reach sahasrara he will be able to enjoy
the mysterious cosmic orgasm.
Born into a family of great Yogis in India,
Dileep initiated to yoga and tantra in his
early years. His works on yoga and tantra
have been published in leading magazines in
India and Hong Kong. He teaches at Myoga
and California Fitness in Hong Kong.
41

42

Workshop Review
Yoga in Dubai
Clayton Horton
Following is an interview with German
yoga teacher, Véronique Fleming, on
her experience teaching yoga a
workshop at Zen Yoga in Dubai during the
Islamic holiday of Ramadan.
and higher, therefore you’ve got to deal with talking over the noise of the AC and the cool
air blasting.
WHAT WAS THE CLOTHING OF WOMEN IN CLASS AND OUT IN PUBLIC?
I believe there were only a few Muslim women in class. Everybody wore regular yoga
clothes in class and street clothes after class. I was so curious myself, wondering what it
would be like, compared to what I read about Dubai. Alas....yes, some do bring their cell
phones into class and check their messages during practice. For some women, they must
check in with their families and husbands regularly.
Clothing in public was altogether different. We most definitely had to cover our shoulders
outside. I loved seeing people in the malls (where everybody hangs out, from decked out
Russian escort ladies, to the most conservative of Muslims) dressed in various forms of
Islamic clothing. Starbucks packed with men in throbes (white long robes worn) and
women wearing haute couture under various forms of jilbabs (coverings). Really a trip if
you’re not used to it. Often women would be covered head to ankle, and you’d see the
most expensive Cartier gold watches and bracelets peeking out from under their sleeves,
not to mention all the fabulous shoes.
Ramadan is an Islamic religious observance
that takes place during the ninth month of
the Islamic calendar; the month in which the
Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet
Muhammad. It is the Islamic month of
fasting, in which participating Muslims do
not eat or drink anything from true dawn
until sunset. Fasting is meant to teach the
person patience, sacrifice and humility.
Ramadan is a time to fast for the sake of
God, and to offer more prayer than usual.
During Ramadan, Muslims ask forgiveness
for past sins, pray for guidance and help in
refraining from everyday evils, and try to
purify themselves through self-restraint and
good deeds.
WHAT’S YOGA SCENE IN DUBAI LIKE?
I am familiar with Zen Yoga which has
three locations, one in Emirates Hills, one
in the village mall, and one in Dubai Media
City which is where I taught. They offer a
ton of classes. All the studios are in malls
of some kind, as Dubai is one big mall. It is
the desert after all, and people hang out
mostly indoors. There might be a few other
studios, but that’s about it. A majority of
classes offered are for women only.
WHAT WAS THE STUDIO LIKE?
Very stylish, almost spa-like. Very tasteful
check-in lounge with a killer yoga clothes
boutique. They have 2 practice rooms with
air conditioning. Outside it was 45- degrees
ANY MEN IN THE CLASSES?
We had just two in the workshop we taught there. It seems like they are still in that phase
of ‘yoga is a women’s thing’, at least among the ex-pats, not to mention the obvious fact
that it is an Islamic country. When I was teaching, a law or new regulation had just recently
passed so men could teach yoga. Before that, only women were allowed to teach. They were
offering a separate class just for men only at one of their studios.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TEACHING IN AN ISLAMIC COUNTRY DURING RAMADAN?
Well, the teaching part was great. The major challenge was eating! We got reminded several
times that we were not allowed to eat or drink in public. At lunch we’d have to find a place
that was open, hidden behind black curtains, get the food to go and find a place to eat it.
That usually meant sneaking off into a parking garage in a corner, hoping no one would
walk by and see us eating. During the day, the streets were very empty, but also due to the
heat, and after sunset, the malls were jamming.
HOW DOES YOGA FIT IN WITH ALL OF THE WEALTH, HEAT AND DESSERT ARCHITECTURE OF DUBAI?
What I love about Islamic countries is Adhan, the call to prayer. You hear the call, and it
just reminds you, it’s time to pray and remember God. How beautiful is that? I would do
that internally, every time I heard the call. Yoga does not just come in the shape of asanas.
It has infinite forms. Tthen you sometimes see people drop where they are and do their
‘prostrations’. I saw that as salutations to God. To me, this was similar to Sun salutations.
Just because people are wealthy, does not necessarily mean they are spiritually decrepit. It is
time for us to stop the thinking the rich are all so morally bankrupt, regardless of all the
(negative) focus in the media. Dubai itself is deluxe, over-the-top, opulent to the max.
Dubai is not organic. It is mostly walls of malls in a glass, steel and concrete desert. I
missed seeing a bird or some sign of nature. Isn’t that ironic. Yet, how perfect that yoga
can bring forth the inner landscape and beauty that is lacking there
externally. This is creating balance, and that is good for all beings.
For more information on Veronique visit www.theyogaloft.de. For
more information on Zen Yoga in Dubai visit www.yoga.ae
Clayton is the director of Greepath Yoga in San Francisco.
www.greenpathyoga.org
43

44

Tia’s Crossword
This crossword contains the names of
asanas in Sanskrit derived frombody parts.
Answers cam be found on page 37.
ACROSS
1. Jumble ‘in a bad graph’ to give an aasana
in which one becomes an embryo in a
womb. (11)
6. An aasana, meaning ‘knot’, that exercises
every muscle below the navel. (5)
9 & 2 DOWN. Jumble ‘need a parka’ to give
an inverted aasana that puts pressure on the
ears. (5, 5)
10. See 15 ACROSS.
13. Jumble ‘u jab stake, ha ha !’ to give an
arm balance that exercises the abdominal
organs. (13)
15 & 10 ACROSS - Jumble ‘Aa! Had a past!’
to give a forward bend where the hands
come under the feet. (5,5)
16. Jumble ‘Gas Ravana?’ to give an inverted
aasana that is beneficial for most parts of the
body. (9)
DOWN
1. Jumble ‘bandana hunger’ to give a
difficult backbend named after a bird. (13)
2. See 9 ACROSS.
3. Jumble ‘paths to Raavana’ to give an
aasana which is an intense stretch for the
flank of the body. (14)
4. Jumble ‘Aa an ark!’ and bring your foot
close to your ear to give ... dhanuraasana. (7)
5. Jumble ‘a thug has a panda’ and bend
forward and catch your big toes. (14)
7. Jumble ‘a hat jar’ to give ......
parivartanaasana, a supine belly twist. (7)
8. Jumble ‘Ape jade hub’ to give an arm
balancing aasana. (10)
11. Jumble ‘ant, a nut?’ to give ....... aasana,
an intense stretch for the spine. (7)
12. Jumble ‘sheer ash’ to give ....aasana, the
king of aasanas. (8)
14. …… sheershaasana, a seated forward
bend where one brings the head to one
knee. (4)
45

Yoga Teachers & Studios
Sangeeta Ahuja
Life Management Yoga Centre
Non-profit Classical Yoga School
d: TST
s: Patanjali yoga, Kids yoga,
Seniors yoga, Corporates
l: English, Cantonese
t: (852) 2191 9651
e: life@yoga.org.hk
w: www.yoga.org.hk
Michel Besnard
Yogasana
s: Ashtanga
l: English
t: (852)2511 8892 / 9527 6691
e: info@yogasana.com.hk
Kathy Cook
The Iyengar Yoga Centre of
Hong Kong, LRC, Privates,
workshops
d: Hong Kong
s: Iyengar (Junior Intermediate
Certification)
l: English
t: (852) 6292 5440
e: kcinasia@netvigator.com
w: www.yogawithkathy.com
FURLA YOGA
FURLA Aoyama Boutique 4F,
Kita-Aoyama 3-5-20, Minato-ku,
Tokyo, Japan 107-0061
s: Hatha, Anusara-Inspired,
Prenatal & Postnatal, Meditation
e: yoga@furlajapan.com
w: www.furla.co.jp/yoga
IYENGAR YOGA CENTRE
INDONESIA
Ruko Simprug Gallery
Jl. Teuku Nyak Arif No 10W
Jakarta 12220, Indonesia
s: Iyengar
t:(6221)739 6904 & (6281)110
7880
e:info@iyengaryogaindonesia.com
w:iyengaryogaindonesia.com
IYENGAR YOGA CENTRE
OF HONG KONG
Room 406 New
Victory House, 93- 103 Wing Lok
St., Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
s: Iyengar
t: (852) 2541 0401
e:
info@iyengaryogahongkong.com
w: iyengaryogahongkong.com
IYENGAR YOGA CENTRE
SINGAPORE
149B Neil Road
Singapore 088875
s: Iyengar
t:(65) 9052 3102 & 6220 4048
e:info@iyengaryogasingapore.com
w: iyengaryogasingapore.com
Ming Lee
Privates, workshops
s: Iyengar Certified teacher
l: English, Cantonese, Putonghua
t: (852) 9188 1277
e: minglee@yogawithming.com
Ursula Moser
The Iyengar Yoga Centre of
Hong Kong
d: Central
s: Iyengar certified
l: English, German
t: (852) 2918 1798
e: umoser@netvigator.com
MYOGETSU-BO YOGA
STUDIO
2381 Sannai, Nikko-City, Tochigi,
Japan 321-1431
s: Hatha classes, retreats, weekend
packages
t: (81) 02 8853 1541
t: (81) 03 3452 0334
f: (81) 03 5730 8452
e: info@econikko.com
w: www.econikko.com/e/
Anna Ng
Privates
d: Hong Kong
s: Hatha yoga
l: Cantonese
t: (852) 9483 1167
e: gazebofl@netvigator.com
PURE YOGA
16/F The Centrium, 60
Wyndham Street, Central, Hong
Kong
t: (852) 2971 0055
25/F Soundwill Plaza, 38 Russell
Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
t: (852) 2970 2299
14/F The Peninsula Office Tower
18 Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui,
Kowloon, Hong Kong
t: (852) 8129 8800
9/F Langham Place Office Tower,
8 Argyle Street, Kowloon, Hong
Kong
t: (852) 3691 3691
9/F Langham Place Office Tower,
8 Argyle Street, Kowloon, Hong
Kong
t: (852) 3691 3691
4/F Lincoln House, TaiKoo Place,
979 King’s Road, Quarry Bay,
Hong Kong
t: (852) 8129 1188
391A Orchard Road, #18-00 Ngee
Ann City Tower A, Singapore
t: (65) 6733 8863
30 Raffles Place, 04-00 Chevron
House, Singapore
t: (65) 6304 2257
151 Chung Hsiao East Road, Sec
4, Taipei, Taiwan
t: (886) 02 8161 7888
s: Hot, Power, Hatha, Yin,
Ashtanga, Dance, Kids
l: English, Cantonese
e: info@pure-yoga.com
Linda Shevloff
The Iyengar Yoga Centre of
Hong Kong
d: Sheung Wan
s: Iyengar Certified (Senior
Intermediate I)
t: (852) 2541 0401
e: linda@
iyengaryogahongkong.com
PRIYA YOGA
Unit 312 My Loft, No.9 Hoi Wing
Road, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong
s: Ashtanga,Hatha,Pranayama &
Meditation, Prenatal & Postnatal,
Kids, Yin & Dance
t: (852) 6051-3213
e: info@priyayoga.com
w: www.priyayoga.com.hk
Hari Amrit Kaur (Kaldora)
Privates, workshops
d: Central, Discovery Bay
s: Kundalini Yoga, Radiant Child
Yoga
l: English, Cantonese
t: (852) 6428 5168
e: kaldora_lee@hotmail.com
w: kaldora.wordpress.com
YOGA CENTRAL
4/F Kai Kwong House, 13
Wyndham Street, Central, Hong
Kong
s: Iyengar, Hatha Vinyasa,
Acroyoga, Mat-based Pilates,
Privates, Corporate and Studio
rental available.
t: (852) 2982 4308
e: yogacentralhk@yahoo.com
w: yogacentral.com.hk
THE YOGA ROOM
3/F Xiu Ping Building, 104
Jervois Street, Sheung Wan, Hong
Kong
s:Hatha, Ashtanga, Kids yoga,
Meditation
t: (852) 2544 8398
e: info@yogaroomhk.com
w: www.yogaroomhk.com
Wan
ant t your details
listed ed here?
IT’S $500 PER TEACHER AND $1,000
PER STUDIO.
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Teacher Training
& Development
Programmes
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Teach through Asia's
Premier Yoga Studio
Asia's most comprehensive
Teacher Training and
Development Programmes
for aspiring teachers and
empowering those who
demonstrate dedication to
a personal practice.
Pure Yoga is a
RYS 200 Registered
Yoga School with
Yoga Alliance.
We offer a variety of
part-time programmes on
evenings and weekends
to accommodate busy
work schedules.
2009 Upcoming Yoga Teacher Training Programmes:
Jun-Jul Hong Kong Anusura Hatha Programme (200 hrs)
Jul-Sep Taipei Hatha Programme (200 hrs) – Part Time
Sep Singapore + Hong Kong TT Level 2 - Weekend Immersion
Aug-Oct Singapore Hot & Hatha Yoga Programme (200 hrs) – Part Time
Sep-Nov Hong Kong Hot Yoga Programme (200 hrs) - Part Time
Sep-Nov Hong Kong Yin Yoga Programme (200 hrs) - Part Time
Oct Taipei Anusura Hatha Programme (200hrs)
For enquiries or to be on our mailing list,
please email teachertraining@pure-yoga.com
48
www.pure-yoga.com