Govinda is back!

Tesa's teacher Govinda Kai is back in town to do a series of workshop and a week-long retreat.

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The Practice of Ashtanga

A 6-Day Workshop and 4-Day Retreat with

Ashtanga Yoga Certified Teacher

Govinda Kai

August 21-26, 2010 Workshop (Bliss Yoga Manila)

August 28-31, 2010 Retreat (Tali Beach, Nasugbu)

RETREAT

August 28 Saturday Retreat Day 1 – Morning Mysore style practice followed by Unlocking The Secrets Of The Mind -- Our understanding and awareness of, or lack thereof, our own minds holds the power to radically affect the quality of our lives. During this session, we will talk at length about this mysterious part of ourselves, including questions such as "What is the mind?", "Where exactly is the mind located", "How does the mind work?", "How can I improve the quality of my mind?" and other relevant topics related to the mind. Perhaps one of the biggest first steps to a much deeper and more powerful yoga practice and life is to begin to understand the mind. This session will be a first step to move your understanding in the right direction.


August 29 Sunday Retreat Day 2 – Morning Mysore style practice followed by
The True Role Of The Guru Or Teacher -- In this modern age of yoga practice, the role of the teacher or Guru is often misunderstood or under appreciated. Yet, in traditional yoga practice in India, the role of the teacher or Guru is given the greatest importance. In this session, we will delve into why the role of the teacher or Guru is given such great importance. There is a hidden key to the more profound depths of practice that is held within the kind of relationship that we build with our teacher or teachers. What we will discuss will shed much light on your understanding of yourself, your practice and of life. Both teachers and students alike, will learn how to build a much more powerful practice through the relationships that we form with both our students and our teachers.


August 30 Monday Retreat Day 3 – Morning Mysore style practice followed by Making Magic And Real Love Through Family And Community -- There are few other places in life where we express our highest aspirations and deepest fears than in the way that move within our families and communities. More emotionally and spiritually evolved people almost always express themselves through building and facilitating strong, honest and loving families and communities around themselves. In this session, we will explore some of the elements that can help us to reflect ourselves more clearly through our relationships with our families and communities. United we rise, divided, we fall. Let us all begin the process of being agents of unification and empowerment. By transforming your relationships with your family and community, you transform your relationship to yourself and to God above.


August 31 Tuesday Retreat Day 4 – Morning Mysore Style practice, followed by Who Or What Is God? -- This question is perhaps one of, if not the most, asked questions on the planet. Why do we have such an enduring hunger in our hearts to know the answer to this question? We will watch a film on this subject together and then engage in some lively conversation to explore the deeper meanings of this search of ours.

To Register:
Fee is Php 30,000.00 for 4 days inclusive of room (twin sharing) and 2 vegetarian meals.
Early Bird Discount (Register by August 5) is Php 27,000.00
Required Reservation fee is Php 9000.00, non-refundable.

Retreat will be held at 58 Outlook Drive, Tali Beach Resort, Nasugbu, Batangas.

For Details and Inquiries please email tesa.celdran@gmail.com or call/sms to +639178300293.

Yoga Class Dos and Don'ts

Yoga Journal - Yoga Basics Column - Yoga Class Dos and Don'ts

Yoga is a mindfulness practice.

Be mindful of space, energy, and time.

Yoga teaches us to become more aware.

Awareness of space, energy, and time.

Yoga is balance.

Balance of space, energy, and time.

Where in space is the body moving?

How does the body move?

What relationships are formed?

Yoga is to become mindful... aware... and balanced.

May all beings everywhere, be happy, peaceful, and free.

Namaste.

Yoga 4 Isko

PE2 Yoga at the UP Diliman College of Human Kinetics.  

This is the archery range room that has been converted to multi-purpose exercise room.  I asked the Dean if we can develop it into a mind-body room.  Put some decorations and make it really conducive for holistic fitness programs like yoga, pilates, or tai-chi.  This semester, it is the venue for pilates, yoga, and ball-and-band PE courses.

I like the place because it's quiet and away from the noise of dribbling balls and banging iron plates.  One of my yoga classes is at the dance studio.  It is more spacious but not very conducive for yoga.

The students at the archery range room are also more focused compared to the students in the dance studio.  I have about 3 noisy students who can't seem to perform the asanas without giving side comments.  

It's inspiring to observe them sitting quietly though at the end of each session...  sitting quietly... focusing on the breath... stilling the mind.

Om shanti, shanti, shanti.

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University students in the Philippines are required to take 4 general physical education courses as part of the requirements for graduation.  While it is recommended that the students finish their PE requirements in the first two years of their undergraduate studies, some also prefer to take it on their last two years.  Most universities follow the curriculum set by the Commission on Higher Education but because UP provides more freedom to students in choosing the types of activities that they want to enroll in.  In UP, the students can choose from a wide array of PE activities ranging from traditional ball games, fitness exercises, dance, to recreational activities.

PE2 Yoga is a 60-minute twice a week course which runs for 16 weeks per semester.

At the end of the course, the students are able to perform the basic ashtanga sequence (up to purvottanasan then closing) on the own.  Some poses like the wheel and tripod headstand are also introduced towards the end of the course to add elements of fun, challenge, and excitement.

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Did I tell you that we do the class in the middle of the day?  I have 4 sections this semester.  WF 1-2pm and TTh 11-12, 12-1, 1-2.

Hot yoga, anyone?

A dedication...

From Trinkhor.

As Long As Time and Space Remain

From the thousand rays of compassion emanating from the lotus bearer
This world has transformed into a beautiful lotus grove of kindness & compassion
For the very purpose of increasing the welfare and benefit of sentient beings,
Using extraordinary skillful means, you bestowed a jewel rosary of teachings.


You are the leader of world peace,
You are our (Tibetan) very life force,
You are the guru who guides us to the hereafter,
Your kindness, we will never forget,
Your kindness, we will always keep in our hearts


O! Land of Snows!
O be the protector and refuge of the Land of Snows!


Without hesitation and so generously, kindness to us you have shown,
Without forgetting it; always remembering it our hearts,
For the auspicious sun of freedom will shine once again,
Your guidance on religious and temporal matters, we will follow.


You are the comfort of those who are suffering
You are the Great Compassionate One
You are wisdom that realizes emptiness of all phenomena,
You are Lord Avalokiteshvara himself.


O! Land of Snows!
O! Be the protector and refuge of the Land of Snows!


O unfortunate and suffering people of the land of snows,
With great and powerful yearning pray hard that,
Until sentient beings, who are limitless, like space, are fully liberated,
Please be the protector and refuge of the Land of Snows!


O! Land of Snows!
O! Be the protector and refuge of the Land of Snows! X 2

Sesame Dressing

... over mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber.  I'll it also on fried tofu next time.

... and instant vegetarian noodles.

That was dinner one evening last week.  

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I'm teaching a new class at Yoga Manila Ortigas starting today.

 Mondays 5:00-6:15pm Pranayama + Intro to Ashtanga 

This class will introduce the students to the classical techniques of pranayama as taught at the Kaivalyadham Yoga Institute in Lonavla, India.  The first part of the class is dedicated to pranayama while the second part introduces the students to asana practice, specifically the fundamental sequence of the ashtanga method.

Om.