Wisdom

"Be Childlike. Be simple. Be humble. The portals of the temple of wisdom are open unto the humble and simple." Sri Swami Sivananda.

Yoga Mangala is moving to Kathmandu

Well the winds of change came again and only having two weeks left here as a residence in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, I thought I would take this time to make a post about my move.
Mostly I would just like to take this opportunity to give thanks to all my fellow Yogi's and students here, who have enriched my life no end. I have learned so much from you all, you have all reached the depths of my heart where I will keep you. I hope you have gained from the sweaty times on the mat and the laughter times, in giving me the honor of sharing Om with you and this beautiful thing called Yoga. I salute you all and wish you all the very best in your journey's, please do keep in touch, now we are connected with the vital energy; prana, which I hope I can continue to share with you even across the miles.
Moving away is a time of happiness, of excitement of what may lay ahead, but also a time of sadness when one has to leave all those smiling faces that have meant so much.
Moving to Kathmandu, well lets see what happens, I hope that yoga mangala will continue to grow, to share with more and more people, and I will continue to learn. Nepal itself has so much to offer, the birth place of Lord Buddah, the energy of the Himalaya, those enigmatic eyes baring down from the stupa's, but it will be what it will be, and it is important to remember that home is in the journey.
I will certainly be back in KL in the future to give workshops and classes and hopefully you will all be over to Kathmandu for yoga classes, workshops, yoga vacations and maybe even yoga trecks through the mountains, so keep an eye on this blog to keep updated on what is happening, or even just pop over to come and say hi and share some Nepali vegetarian food!
For now I truly wish you every happiness in your own journeys, that you find the pure light that resides within you and take refuge in your own true self.
I will miss you all, but you will be forever in my hearts
Om Om shanti Om
Hari Om Tat Sat
love and light always
nicky x

5 Points of Yoga

The Yogi sees life as a triangle; the physical body undergoes birth, growth, change, decay and death. Yogi's say however that we are not born merely to be subject to pain and suffering, disease and death. There is a far greater purpose to life. For this reason the ancient sages of India developed an integral system to ward of the decaying process and to keep the physical and mental faculties strong. This is the system of yoga; a simple and natural programme involving 5 main principles.

1. Proper Exercise
The yoga asana's (postures) act as a lubricating routine to the joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons and all the internal organs. They increase the circulation and flexibility, massaging and stimulating all internal organs and glands. This form of exercise can be compared to no other.

2. Proper Breathing
Pranayama or breathing exercises aid the body in connecting to the solar plexus where tremendous potential energy is stored, which can be released for physical and mental rejuvenation. These exercises also clean and refresh the whole respiratory system and can increase lung capacity.

3. Proper Relaxation
Lying in the relaxation pose, cools down the body, when the body and mind are continually overworked their efficiency diminishes. Relaxation is nature’s way of recharging the body and mind.

4. Proper Diet
The yogi diet is strictly vegetarian including dairy products such as milk and yoghurt. We need the correct fuel for the body and mind, to give the correct energy and keep the mind calm. This diet gives optimum utilization of food, air, water and sunlight.

5. Positive thinking and meditation
This puts you in control; through meditation and positive thinking we can start to purify the intellect, bringing the lower nature under conscious control, through steadiness and concentration of the mind.

Consider these five points within your practice for a healthy and happy daily life, Om Om shanti :-)

Swami Sivananda

“Swami Sivananda’s life was a radiant example of service to humanity, both during his years as a doctor and later as a world-renowned sage and jivanmukta (enlightened being.) To serve all, to love all, to mix with all and to see God in all beings were the ideals that he taught and lived by.
Although fun loving and mischievous, he was loving and generous with a natural flair for a life devoted to the study and practice of Vedanta (the school of thought based primarily on the Upanishads; the philosophy of oneness.) He had an innate feeling of unity with all and an eagerness to serve.
Firstly becoming a doctor and moving to Malaysia to serve the poor there, editing a health journal and wrote extensively on many health issues. However he felt a spiritual calling returning to India and finding his Guru Swami Vishwananda, in Rishikesh within the Himalayas in 1924. Here he practiced intense austerities and spent largely the next 7 years in meditation. Slowly disciples started to gather around him, he started to travel to Sri Lanka and around India stirring the hearts and souls of thousands. He delivered lectures, chanting and meditation lessons, teaching people how to keep strong and healthy by practising yoga asanas, pranayama and kriyas. In Rishikesh an increasing amount of followers congregated and the first Sivananda ashram grew up around him. Swami Sivananda’s teaching crystallised the basic tenets of all religions, combining all yoga paths into one, summed up as ‘serve, love, give, purify, meditate, realise.’ His own life was a shinning example of the ideal of selfless service, of karma yoga, to him all work was sacred and no task was too menial. He searched tirelessly for opportunities to serve and to help others, never postponing what needed to be done. Swami Sivananda entered MahaSamadhi (left his physical body) on July 14th, 1963.”
Text taken from the Sivananda Teacher Training Manual.
Om shanti :-)

Om

Om is the supreme mantra. Actually there is no translation for Om, but we can say if we need to explain this mystic sound, that it is the sound of creation, or it is the vibration of the manifestation of creation. First there was Om, and then the Universe came. Any vibration at the end will lead back to Om.
Om is the activation of the 3rd eye centre, the point between the eyebrows; this place is the Ajna chakra, a chakra being an energy centre. Thus when the Ajna chakra is activated it in turn activates all the other charkas in the body; the cells become activated and rejuvenated.
By chanting Om it is said we can heal the whole body.
Om is a combination of sounds –
A U M
Each sound representing the different states of consciousness that we go through each day, the waking state, dream state and deep sleep state. After this there is silence, silence cannot be written.
Om is all sounds, all vibrations, all languages and all mantras.
The sound should begin from the navel, with a deep, harmonious vibration, which gradually manifests itself at the upper part of the nostrils.
The universe has come from Om, rests in Om and dissolves in it.
With that I say Om.

Om Namah Sivaya

Om Namah Sivaya, also a greeting used in the same manor as Namaste, the hands are brought to prayer position in front of the heart centre, like forming a lotus bud, a sign of complete balanced energy, the left and right in harmony. So Om Namah Sivaya, namah meaning to salute, Siva being the all auspicious being. So we salute Lord Siva the all auspicious being, however as in Namaste, it is also recognizing that divine being within you, so also it could be said that the meaning is I salute you the all auspicious being.
Yoga Mangala follows the teachings of Swami Sivananda and Swami Vishnu-Devananda, in the time tested ancient techniques and philosophy of classical Hatha yoga.
I pray you will attain, health, happiness and eternal peace. May the long time sun shine upon you, and all love surround you.
Om shanti :-)

Namaste

Namaste, the greeting when we put our hands together in the prayer position in front of our heart centre, but what does it mean?
Simply, I salute you, but who are we saluting? The body is considered illusionary, something that comes and goes, it is a temporary abode. We salute beyond the body and beyond the mind also, Namaste; I salute the divinity within you, the light within you, or I salute the God which you are, you are the eternal being.
Yoga Mangala, well let this be a place we can share anything yogi, anything pure and light, Mangala meaning the bringer of light, all things good, let this be a happy meeting place; a bridge from the darkness to light, so to you all I hold my hands in prayer the form of a lotus bud about to open, bow my head in humility and greet you all with Namaste.
Om Om shanti - nicky