Swadhyaya cum Yoga Jigyasu Course

Specially for the Teachers of the Yoga Institute

Swadhyaya cum Yoga Jigyasu Course specially designed only for the Teachers of The Yoga Institute. This is with the purpose of helping those who require some structure to continue to work on one self; that one begins during the Certificate in Yoga Education Course (7mns, 1 yr., and 3mths. TTC)

The first meeting was held on May 12, 2013 (second Sunday of the month) from 10:30 to 12:30.

For the benefit of those who could not attend and for the associate members of Swadhyaya the proceedings of the meeting cum class are being emailed to all Swadyaya members. Kindly note that being physically present is not the only way to participate in this course;  All can participate by working on Self through a Yoga project, benefiting from the talk session summary, Practice of Experiential Yoga technique and by sharing their progress either in virtual or actual environment.

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Inaugration

The Day 1 was inaugurated by Hansaji: Hansaji set the tone by asking a few questions; 

Hansaji : How are you managing your life- Easy, disturbed, happy, worth living and are you able to manage it? Are we managing life happily or not?

Everyone was made to speak for themselves. Some of the answers were yes, half the time, have learnt to get up and move on each time we fall.

Hansaji continued: More struggle and it will get you going. You can only evolve when you take the challenges.  More the challenges the progress is fast. Life is a challenge but one who makes the most of it and goes forward. Yoga is a path of self development.

This course we are aiming at how to see life? Our institute is to be taken as a family. So we meet every month to communicate with each other. Also to know how we are doing or managing our life.

The aim of these meetings is also standardizing the technique; also to re-establishing institutes approach and technology. The authenticity of our technique is to be maintained. So all teaching will be experiential. Secondly every month when we meet we know about what activities is going on in the institute. What is happening in the institute? Also we will learn about little bit of Samkhya, Yoga Sutra and Bhagvad Gita with the view to application in life.

Hansaji asked everyone present to start contacting your class mates especially those who are teaching Yoga to come for this course, including home tuition teachers. She will also come to class and help to enhance the teachers’ competency.

The aim is ultimately Self Development. This is not just 4 years course. It is also an ongoing process.

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Talk on The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali by Kartik Vyas

He started with chapter 1 sutra 1; Atha Yogah Anushasanam. He said, let’s start from the simple ‘atha’ i.e. now. Now that we are ready let us ask ourself; What is it that I wish to get out of this course?  Am I conditioning myself to get maximum out of Yoga? What kind of Yoga I am ready for? Well begun is half done. Dharma gives you direction. Atah gives the same indication. Are we going to explore the opportunity we have been given? Anything which is done with concentration is Yoga.  Vyasa says every chitta is capable of concentration. Am I giving direction to my life by way of Yoga? Am I giving some form of focus? Am I doing anything with concentration through the day? This will make us aware of our current state…. Founder’s  translation of citta is brilliant; he did not call it mind he called it personality complex; as the chitta is not a single faculty it includes senses, and other faculties so it is a complex and in modern terms these go to make up our personality.

Maharishi Veda Vyasa speaks of 5 types of chitta and each one as capable of Yoga or concentration. He then enumerated the characteristics’ of each type of chitta.

Kshipta citta:- People with this type of chitta are for power. If they find anything interesting they can concentrate. Whatever the source of power they can concentrate on that; may it be money, position, following, service, entertainment, anything that they see as giving them power; politicians are the best example. In kshipt chitta Rajas is predominant, Tamas comes after that and most subordinate is Satva. They are not interested in the immediate and cannot think of far-sightedness because they lack clarity.

Mudha chitta: Tamas is predominant, Rajas after that and most subordinate is Satva. People with such a chiita are capable of concentrating on objects of sensory pleasure. Anything which gives them pleasure can be their object of concentration.

Vikshipta chitta: They are very inconsistent and that is the tragedy of this cittabhumi. The occasionally steady; When one is  steady only then one is in this cittabhumi otherwise you are descended to the previous two cittabhumis. Rajas is predominant, Satva after that and most subordinate is Tamas. When steady you get into a balanced state of mind. If it lengthens for hours at a stretch than only it reach to ekagra chitta

Ekagra chitta: When your concentration is extended for many hours from occasionally steady state then the chitta is capable of Yogic concentration.  Satva is predominant, Rajas after that and most subordinate is Tamas.

While all types of chitta are capable of concentration but concentration per-say is not Yogic. Yogic concentration has certain characteristics;

1)      Occurs predominantly in ekagra chitta

2)      Weakens the kleshas

3)      Loosens the bond of karma

4)      Prepares the way for Niruddha citta

5)      Brings about a definite exposure of real entity i.e. purusha

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Experiential Yoga Technique by Bhakti

Sthithprathanasana was reintroduced to the group; a suitable conducive atmosphere was created stating that conditioning is the desired mental state to begin any activity it is more so for a Yoga activity like this course. One way of doing this is by doing Sthithaprathanasana. She first directed the class to steady the posture then focusing of eyes on a point finally on nose tip and the movement of air in and out of nostrils. And slowly let the class to be still and be on their own for nearly 8 minutes. The class then shared their experience. Some of the sharing were – somehow have not done this for long when at one time it was a faviourite asana. Thank you for revival, still there was swaying, knew that there will be swaying so was ready to stop that and could do it to a good extent, felt steady, was mentally in the temple, and so on. 

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Assignment/Project work coordinated by Suchitra Pareekh:

Each one of us are doing some Yoga oriented activity e.g. some work at the Yoga Institute or teaching Yoga somewhere or doing our own Asana practice or some selfless service, etc. to begin with take that as your project. Define what the project is, become clear about what will the completed project look like, what purpose it is to serve, the time line for its completion, etc. The project is required to be written out so also its progress.  

The Self Growth: Do the project with full attention, concentration on self and detachment.

It is a worthwhile exercise to become aware of which chitta bhumi you spend more time in; which is your predominant state of mind as it reflects in our thoughts, speech and action. Use the project time to observe oneself and make note.

Ask yourself these Awareness raising Questions often /periodically in a day:

·         What kind of cittabhumi am I in?

·         Am I concentrated on whatever I am doing?

·         Is this a Yogic concentration?

·         Is this weakening the kleshas in me?(if yes than only it is yogic concentration)     

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