Yoga Intensity Day Sat 2nd June

Yoga Intensity Day Out @ Sri AuroBindo Yoga Mandir Ashram. Immerse yourself in a whole day of yoga activities at the lovely Sri Auro Bindo Ashram; Thankot, with Nicky – Sivananda Yoga Instructor. The Ashram has a wonderful view over the valley to the front and forested hills to the back. It is home to 140 children and 20 adults who have been orphaned or come from broken or very poor families, giving them a place to live in peace and security. The Ashram runs its own organic farm, growing many vegetables and they have 40 cows producing milk and biogas for cooking. They provide education in Yoga, weaving, Thankar painting and academic studies and sell all their produce to support themselves. Come and join us for lessons with Nicky in pranayama (yogic breathing) meditation, asana (yogic postures) and karma yoga (selfless service) whilst indulging in a wonderful fully organic lunch! 8.00am Dept from Pranamaya Yoga Centre – Moksh, Patan 8.40am Arrive at Ashram 9.00-9.30am Pranayama Class 9.30-10.00am Meditation Class 10.15-11.45am Asana Class 11.45-12.45pm Lunch and visit Ashram shop and grounds 12.45-1.45pm Talk with Ramchandra Das founder and director 1.45-2.45pm Karma Yoga 2.45-3.00pm Herbal Tea Break 3.00-4.00pm Gentle Asana Class 4.00-4.30pm Snack break 4.30-5.00pm Healing Activity or simply relax 5.00pm Dept for Kathmandu You will need to bring your own yoga mat, small towel and wet wipes, wear comfortable loose fitting clothes suitable for yoga and Ashram environment, shoulders and knees covered. Bear in mind the Ashram is a humble and simple place of learning and spirituality with no frills! Cost RPS1500 + a transport fee, Rps1500 is paid to the Ashram to help support them and the precious work they are doing. For information mail info@nicolazammit.net For bookings mail info@pranamaya-yoga.com More event details @ www.pranamaya-yoga.com

Class Schedule @ Yoga Mangala Studio May and June

YOGA MANGALA Monday, 8.30-10am Sivananda Open Class, Yoga Mangala Studio max 3 persons 4.30-6pm Gentle Yoga, Yoga Mangala Studio max 3 persons Tuesday, 10-11.30am Prenatal Yoga, Yoga Mangala Studio max 3 persons 4.45-6.15pm Sivananda Open Class, The British School Kathmandu unlimited Wednesday, 4.30-6pmpm Sivananda Open Class, Yoga Mangala Studio max 3 persons Thursday, 7.30-8.30am Rise and Shine, Pranamaya Yoga studio Moksh, Patan 9.45-11.15 Prenatal Yoga, Yoga Mangala Studio max 3 persons 4.30-6pm Gentle Yoga, Yoga Mangala Studio max 3 persons Friday, 8.30-10am Sivananda Open Class, Yoga Mangala Studio max 3 persons 4.30-6pm Sivananda Open class, Yoga Mangala Studio max 3 persons Times and dates for weekend Satsangs and yoga days out to be confirmed. Yoga Mangala dedicates itself to a holistic approach to the system of yoga, with a passion for teaching, sharing and the health of its practitioners. Prices Drop-in-class Rps 450 Package of 10 classes Rps 4000, can be shared with friends and family Gift package available: choose how many classes you would like to buy for a friend. Due to limited space at the studio please book in for your class by sms to Nicky on 9849819510 or email info@nicolazammit.net All classes are with Nicky Zammit 500 hour Yoga Alliance registered teacher.(registered as Nicola Zammit) Sivananda Trained Yoga Teacher The studio is based in the heart of Jamshikel area of Patan-Kathmandu; Nepal, close to many cafes and restaurants. Only a 20 minute walk or so to Patan Durbar Square, a concentrated mass of temples with the most visually stunning display of Newari architecture to be seen. If you are coming to Nepal for a holiday or to visit friends or family and want to try yoga beneath the mighty Himalaya or continue with your practice do get in touch for availability of classes. Looking forward to seeing you all on the mat, Om shanti Om Om Lokha Somasta Sukino Bhavantu may all beings find harmony and balance and peace. www.yogamangala.blogspot.com

Turning our Roots Upward.

In the beginning was a sound, OM. Atoms came from that sound or vibration, they cannot be divided. When they bond together they form molecules, which have an enormous amount of characteristics. For example H2 – hydrogen is an atom, O2 – water is an atom when they join to form H2O they have made a molecule. Molecules organise themselves and perform individual functions; they form organelles, the organs of cells. Many cells with the same function form tissue, tissues form organs, organs have many different tissues. Organs cannot live by themselves, they form complex systems i.e. digestive system, respiratory system etc. All the systems of the human body need to work together in a harmonious way so we can have life. The cells are the functional units of the body and a cell is complete. The mystery of life expresses itself through us; if cells behaved like many human beings they would be dead within an hour! What cells have agreed to be is highly spiritual, when you become silent you can feel the intelligence of the cells or inner voice or true self. We perform asana (yogic posture) in our yogic practice to help us move into the silence. Asana are to prepare us for a higher awareness. Sirshasan – the headstand brings many benefits physically, mentally and spiritually. It is practiced first out of the 12 basic postures in a Sivananda open class and is regarded as king posture out of an estimated 84,000 different asana. Turning ourselves upside down helps us to begin to look at things from a different perspective, open our hearts to different possibilities. In this pose the brain can draw a rich supply of oxygenated blood, it is important we feed this essential organ, no other posture equals the headstand in brining fresh arterial blood to the brain and sympathetic nervous system. As a result all body functions are toned and enhanced. Inverting the body enhances deep breathing increasing the amount of oxygen in the blood. Sirshasan strengthens the respiratory and circulatory system, disorders to the eyes, ears and nose and improved. Stagnant blood drains from the lower extremities preventing or giving relief to varicous veins and pressure is relived from the lumbar and sacral areas of the back. Memory and intellectual capacity are increased and improved concentration and focus are gained. It is said that a person practicing headstand on a regular basis will rarely suffer from any nervous disorders. It is one of the most powerful asana for body and mind, a virtual panacea for all human ills. People with very high blood pressure or very low blood pressure, more than 4 months pregnant or who suffer with glaucoma should not practice this asana. If you are starting out always practice with your teacher and get the correct steps to come in and out of the posture safely. Remember yoga also teaches us patience and acceptance, there is certainly absolutely no rush with headstand, take your time to learn it and only move on to the next step if you feel completely confident to do so, remembering what the reasons are for doing this asana and the many benefits even the beginning stages of the pose brings. Sirshasan is one of my favourite postures although of course we should love them all! Enjoy turning your roots upside down and looking at the world around you from a different point of view. Om Loka Somasta Sunkhino Bhavantu May all beings find harmony and balance Om shanti

If we could only all behave like cells!

Recently in an anatomy class we were discussing the behaviour of cells compared with Yogi behavior, it was really interesting so thought I would share some ideas with you. You have a higher purpose. Each cell of your body works for the greater good of the whole body system. Selfishness is not an option. You are in communion with the whole of life. All cells keep in touch with every other cell. Being withdrawn or refusing to communicate is not an option. Your awareness is always open to change, from moment to moment sense everything in your environment. Cells adapt from moment to moment. Getting caught up in rigid habits is not an option. You feel acceptance for all others as your equal without judgement or prejudices. Cells recognise each other as equally important. Your being is cradled in the rhythm of the universe, you feel safe and nurtured. Cells obey the universal cycle of rest and activity. Being obsessively active is not an option. Let life bring you what you need, force control and struggle are not your way. Cells function with the smallest expenditure. Hope to see you all on the mat for a blissful session where we can put into practice all the behaviour of our cells! Om om shanti om smiling from the heart.

Lunch with Prem

Lunch with Love! We are what we eat; as human beings we need food for fuel to give us energy and to repair body tissues, and as yogi’s living a mindful life we should be very aware of what we are putting inside this body vehicle. Toxin build up in the body can accumulate in the joints and thus cause pain, much of these toxins are ingested through what we eat, preservatives, colourings, excess uric acid etc, being vegetarian and sticking to a natural pure diet will prolong life and give more disease resistance.
There are three types of food; sattvic – pure food, rajasic – stimulating food and tamasic – impure of rotten food.
Fruit, vegetables, grains, cows milk and butter come under sattvic food. Spices, hot substances such as chilli, fish, meat and eggs are rajasic. Rotting or overripe foods are tamasic this would also include frozen, pre-packed, processed and refined food (most food you find in the supermarket shelves!)
People’s preference to the different food types is in accordance to the level of their mind or evolution of their mind. As yogis we try to make our diet as sattvic as possible bringing calmness and purity to the mind. Sattvic foods are nourishing and soothing to the body. Rajasic foods bring restlessness to both body and mind and can cause nervous and circulatory disorders such as high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries. Tamasic food makes a person dull, lazy and diminishes his or her thinking capacity, as well as bringing a host of ailments to the body.
Recently I was trekking high up in the Himalaya, staying in teahouses where food was quite limited. I ate several things that I wouldn’t normally eat such as biscuits and packaged noodles. I felt pain in my body even only after a couple of days, my practice became clumsy and my flexibility was less, but when I returned back to my normal diet of pure natural foods the pain went and practice resumed as normal. This isn’t the first time this has been proven to myself after a little indulgence. So when preparing your food and doing your shopping, be mindful and cook with prem (love) for yourself.

Achintya Sakti Dahl

Yellow lentils rich in phosphorus
Mixed bean Dahl rich in iron
Pumpkin rich in potassium and magnesium
Cauliflower
Carrot rich in vitamin A, B1, C, calcium and iron
Grated coconut rich in Vitamin B1, B2 and phosphorus
Ground black pepper
White pepper
Turmeric

Wash the yellow lentils and mixed bean Dahl completely until the water is running clear and soak for an hour or two. Then place onto boil for about half an hour reducing the heat to simmer. Add the vegetables, ground pepper and white pepper and half a teaspoon of turmeric, leave to simmer for about another 15-20 minutes, then add a heaped tablespoon of grated coconut and simmer for another few minutes. Serve with fresh lettuce leaves sprinkled with watermelon seeds, a few sprigs of steamed asparagus, and boiled new potatoes. YUM!
"The Yogic student needs a pure, nontoxic and balanced diet for the development of the body and mind in order to reach the highest spiritual perfection." Swami VishnuDevananda
Smiling from the heart
Om Shanit :-)

A Shining Light

‘The only basis of true and lasting unity of all humanity is the religion of the heart. Religion of the heart is the religion of love.’ Sri Swami Sivananda

When I read this quote by our great Guru Swami Sivananda, it is thoughts of Swami Govindananda that immediately come to mind. Swami Ji has more than 23 years experience of teaching yoga and Vedanta philosophy, has graduated thousands of fledgling yoga teachers and has a heart full of love. I first met Swami Ji on my first teacher-training course to become a yoga teacher in Madurai, Tamil nadu, where he sparked a fire within me that certainly has continued to burn and grow. I had never been in an ashram before and was amazed by just how much love and knowledge were enveloping me. He shared with us all messages from his guru’s Swami Sivananda and Swami Vishnudevananda and turned my curiosity of yoga and Vedanta into a deep passion in my daily life. How can you thank someone enough for that? For giving so much joy and peace, isn’t that the highest thing you can give.
Swami Ji founded the Sivananda Yoga Vidya Peetham organisation and is working alongside Swami Tatwarupananda and Swami Nivedanananda to bring more teacher training, yoga camps and courses on Vedanta; planting seeds in the many who come to him and filling their hearts with love and contentment. You can find out more on the web site here: http://www.sivanandapeetham.org/
The next teacher training course level one starts Nov 4th until Dec 2nd 2012
You will have an amazing inner journey with Swami Govindananda that I can guarantee, waking up your inner potentials, rising to the challenge and shinning from within.
Om shanti shanti shanti

Yoga Alliance

Yoga Alliance Registry marks are globally-recognized symbols of standards-based knowledge in the field of yoga. Yoga Alliance ensures its teachers value the history and traditions of yoga and that the public can be confident of the quality and consistency of instruction. The standards are to strengthen the integrity of a registered yoga teacher or school knowing that they have been trained under a high standard of teacher training in experienced and dedicated schools; also registered to ensure quality and standards. That all learning has been undergone in a teacher training environment, rather than in classes intended for the general public. This would include teacher methodology, anatomy and physiology, yoga philosophy, lifestyle and ethics as well as personal practice.
I am proud to be registered with Yoga Alliance you can find me under the name: nicola zammit on their website; www.yogaalliance.org. And please do come and join me on the mat at my small yoga mangala shala, for yoga teaching from the heart, no fancy fittings and products or commercialization, just a lightness of being.
Om om shanti Om :-)