Studies in New Zealand with A.G. and Indra Mohan
September,2013

We are delighted to be hosting international yoga teachers A.G. and Indra Mohan of Svastha Yoga and Ayurveda in Auckland this year. During their visit the Mohans will be presenting a 5 day intensive on 'The Practice of Pranayama'  as well as 3 days of workshops on 'The Legacy & Teachings of Krishnamacharya' 

The Legacy and Teachings of Krishnamacharya

Program Overview:
(click on program titles for details)

Day 1: Saturday 14th September, 2013

A Bird’s Eye View Of Classical Texts And Their Relationship To Yoga
Upanishads, Samkhya Karika, Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Yajnavalkya, Hathayogapradipika
9.00am – 1.00pm

Yoga Writings Of Krishnamacharya
Yoga Makaranda 1 & 2, Yogavalli, Yogaanjalisaaram, Yoga Rahasya and from the notes, recordings and diaries of A.G. Mohan’s 18 years of study with Krishnamacharya.
2.30pm – 6.00pm

Day 2: Sunday 15th September, 2013

The Essence Of Practice: Asana, Pranayama, And Chanting
9.00am – 6.00pm

Day 3: Sunday 22nd September, 2013

Yoga For Women
9:00am to 1:00pm

Yoga Therapy & Q & A interactive session
2.30pm – 6.00pm

Locations:

Day 1: The Kelly Street Studio, 1A Kelly Street, Mt Eden, Auckland 1024
Days 2 & 3: The Grey Lynn Library Hall, 474 Great North Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland 1021

Costs:

Full 3 Day Program - $375
1 Day Program - $140
½ Day Program - $75

A 25% non refundable registration fee is payable - balance of payment due no later than 31st August 2013

To register or for more information please email Barbara

Program Details:

Saturday 14th September:
A Bird's Eye View of Classical Texts and Their Relationship to Yoga

This program will succinctly and clearly summarise the most important points one should know to understand the following important classical yoga texts. We will place each of these texts in the context of the others, and in the spectrum of yoga teachings and methods. We will also examine the highlights and weaknesses of the presentations in different classical texts: what is of essence, what is useful, what can be discarded. 

The Bhagavad-Gita and Yoga:
The Bhagavad-Gita is one of the oldest texts on Yoga. Consisting of 700 verses in 18 chapters, it is a work that will inspire all yoga practitioners. The Bhagavad Gita contains spiritual, psychological, social, and ethical themes, all woven into the thread of the discourse of Krishna to Arjuna. This complex mix of messages and poetic presentation can be difficult to unravel for the yoga practitioner today. At the root of the Bhagavad Gita are Samkhya and yoga - orienting our view from this base, allows practical clarity and inspiration to emerge from the Bhagavad Gita, rendering this great text relevant to our lives today.

Taittiriya Upanishad
The Taittiriya Upanishad is one of the major, ancient philosophical works in the Vedic tradition. It is one of the ten important Upanishads. Much has been said over the centuries and especially in recent times on the message of this text. The model of the five mayas or koshas, as popular in the field of yoga now, is claimed to have its basis in this text. In this workshop, we will examine what the Taittiriya Upanishad says, how it relates to yoga and the Yogasutras and why. We will also explain the panca kosha or maya model, and what role it has in yoga, and its relation to health and yoga therapy.

Samkhya Karika
Samkhya is the most ancient of all systematised Vedic philosophies. Yoga, and in fact, most other Indian philosophies have accepted most of Samkhya as it is. Yoga is most closely related to Samkhya. It is not possible to understand yoga in entirety without a thorough grasp of Samkhya. The Samkhya Karika is the fundamental, surviving text on Samkhya, authored by the sage Isvara Krishna thousands of years ago. We will look at the essentials of Samkhya from this seminal text during this workshop.

Yoga Yajnavalkya
Of all the ancient texts that deal with traditional yoga, this was the most systematic. Composed as a conversation between the great sage Yajnavalkya and his wife, Gargi, it looks carefully at the components of yoga practice that eventually lead to freedom from bondage.

Hathayogapradipika
This often quoted 13th century work goes into great detail about certain aspects of yoga. However, it also leaves out important areas and contains errors and confusion. Despite its limitations, it is still worthwhile to explore this book in a way that reveals its wisdom

Yoga Writings Of Krishnamacharya

Yoga Makaranda 1 and 2
In the 1930s, Krishnamacharya began a book called, “Yoga Makaranda” (Honey of Yoga) or “Yoga Saram” (The Essence of Yoga). It is a first part only, dealing with vinyasa. The second part, which focuses on balancing postures and yoga therapy, has not been published, but the English translation has been made available by A. G. Mohan.

Yogavalli
The Yogavalli, was Krishnamacharya’s commentary on the Yogasutras from a Vaishnavite perspective. Krishnamacharya never demanded that his students adopt his beliefs; instead he always taught that yoga should be adapted to the beliefs of the student. This commentary contains some useful insights and philosophical presentations that we will explore in this module.

Yoganjalisaram
This collection of verses, written by Krishnamacharya, contains the essence of his teaching of yoga in poetic form. In it, he explains how yoga is not merely about postures but was a practice that touched every aspect of human life.

Yoga Rahasya
This book is Krishnamacharya’s compilation of some of his teachings in verse form, written and dictated over time. Krishnamacharya would sometimes attribute his own teachings to the Yoga Rahasya—this allowed him to give credit to the sage Nathamuni, rather than himself.

From notes, recordings and diaries
Drawing upon more than 5000 pages of notes over 18 years, gathered during classes with the master and excerpted from Krishnamacharya’s diaries, as well as audio recording of his lectures, unique insights into his teachings will be presented.

Sunday 15th September:
The Essence of Practice: Asana, Pranayama & Chanting

The Role of Asana in the Path of Yoga: Of the eight limbs (astanga yoga) of classical yoga asana is the most popular face of yoga today, its physical nature making it more accessible to all than the other more abstract, less tangible limbs. However, classical yoga is fundamentally about the mind, so what is the role of asana in the path of classical yoga? The Yogasutras speak very little about asana, other classical yoga texts such as the Hathayogapradipika say more, but even in them, the amount of information available is limited. This program will address this core issue with an authentic, practical approach bringing to the forefront the teachings of Sri T. Krishnamacharya.

The Role of Sound and Vedic Chanting in the Path of Yoga: There is a wealth of detailed material in ancient texts on Vedic phonetics and yoga explaining the use of sound for mental and physical wellness. Sound is a powerful tool to bring tranquility to the mind. This program will explain how you can use sound in various ways as an aid to meditation, a part of meditation or as meditation by itself - the use of sound to quiet the mind. The ancient Vedas were preserved orally for millennia by the arduous task of vedadhyayanam, Vedic chanting. The purpose of Vedic chanting is svadhyayam – meditation with a mantra. Therefore, in the Yogasutras, Patanjali uses the term svadhyaya in kriya yoga. There is an interest in Vedic chanting today but there is also a great deal of confusion about it. Can everyone do Vedic chanting? Is it necessary for all to do it? What are the rules of Vedic chanting, and what is the psychology underlying them? What are the benefits that one should look for from Vedic chanting? Why are mantra and svadhyayam given so much importance? These and other related questions will be addressed in this program.

The Role of Pranayama in the Path of Yoga: The importance of pranayama in the path of yoga cannot be overstated. It plays a vital role as it influences both bodily health and mental well-being. In this program, we will see why pranayama is considered one of the most powerful aids to meditation in classical yoga.

Sunday 22nd September:
Yoga for Women with Indra Mohan

Women undergo physiological changes from their teens to their later years. These changes do impact their mind in several ways in different life situations. The practice of yoga can greatly help in overcoming many of the issues that women face in their lives. This program (exclusively for women) will focus on how the psychological and physiological aspects can be dealt with proper practice of yoga.

Yoga Therapy

As well as being a renowned yogi and scholar, Krishnamacharya was also known as great healer. This program will look into his approach to Yoga Therapy.

 “Just as various medicines and other measures are prescribed by physicians for curing the illnesses of those who are unwell, the revered Patanjali, in his sutras, has made clear various methods to heal the illnesses of the body through the practice of the limbs of yoga. Among these many methods, the important are: moving the arms, legs and neck (body parts) with appropriate inhalation and exhalation, following appropriate diet, avoiding inappropriate travel (disciplined lifestyle). If yoga is practiced in the absence of these disciplines, without knowing the correct methods of practice, illnesses will not be healed as said in the ancient texts.” – Sri T. Krishnamacharya, Yogavalli - Sutra 1.34.
 

Q&A interactive session

An interactive question and answer session open to all attendees of any of the above programs at no additional cost - booking is essential.