Yoga: frequently asked questions
Let’s start simple: What is Yoga?
These are various definitions from textbooks/knowledgeable sources:
"The yoke, or union, of the body and mind"
"The juxtaposition of two opposing forces to reveal the third, all encompassing, force"
"The liberation of the spine as the 5th limb"
"The experience of oneness (Atman, Buddha-nature, God, life-force) pervading all things."
"The cessation of the perturbations of consciousness"
In its essence, Yoga is an umbrella term for all physical, mental, and spiritual that have originated in the Indian sub-continent over the last 5000 years. Technically, yoga is one of the six orthodox schools of Vedic philosophy, and from it came the modern religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.
One of the most influential texts that has come to shape yoga into its present-day form is the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali. The Astanga and Iyengar styles are direct descendants of this school. However, many parallel threads of the yoga discipline have co-existed through the ages, influenced by e.g. Chinese Taoist philosophy (giving rise to present-day T'ai Chi and Qi-Gong), Sikh thought (giving rise to present-day Kundalini yoga), or Zen Buddhism (giving rise to Zen yoga).
Yoga can be to you what you need. It can be a complete exercise program to help develop physical flexibility, core strength, balance, coordination, agility, cardiovascular health, physical confidence. It can be more of a mental practice, helping you to reduce stress, alleviate anxiety and depression, increase your attention span, or be calmer. It can be a practice to enhance healing, give relief from pain, improve your circulation, help you sleep better, help you poo better. Or, if you want it to, it can lead you to spiritual awakening, control over directing energy within the body, bring you closer to God, help you have better relationships, deepen your compassion for others.
"The yoke, or union, of the body and mind"
"The juxtaposition of two opposing forces to reveal the third, all encompassing, force"
"The liberation of the spine as the 5th limb"
"The experience of oneness (Atman, Buddha-nature, God, life-force) pervading all things."
"The cessation of the perturbations of consciousness"
In its essence, Yoga is an umbrella term for all physical, mental, and spiritual that have originated in the Indian sub-continent over the last 5000 years. Technically, yoga is one of the six orthodox schools of Vedic philosophy, and from it came the modern religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.
One of the most influential texts that has come to shape yoga into its present-day form is the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali. The Astanga and Iyengar styles are direct descendants of this school. However, many parallel threads of the yoga discipline have co-existed through the ages, influenced by e.g. Chinese Taoist philosophy (giving rise to present-day T'ai Chi and Qi-Gong), Sikh thought (giving rise to present-day Kundalini yoga), or Zen Buddhism (giving rise to Zen yoga).
Yoga can be to you what you need. It can be a complete exercise program to help develop physical flexibility, core strength, balance, coordination, agility, cardiovascular health, physical confidence. It can be more of a mental practice, helping you to reduce stress, alleviate anxiety and depression, increase your attention span, or be calmer. It can be a practice to enhance healing, give relief from pain, improve your circulation, help you sleep better, help you poo better. Or, if you want it to, it can lead you to spiritual awakening, control over directing energy within the body, bring you closer to God, help you have better relationships, deepen your compassion for others.
What kind of yoga do I teach?I teach a style of yoga called Zen yoga (see below). My teaching is influenced by my ongoing studies with Zen master Julian Daizan Skinner (Zenways), a Zen Buddhist monk from the Japanese Rinzai tradition, and with yoga master Jonathan Monks (YogaMonks).
My classes combine mindful posture and flow routines with an aim to finding how to both strengthen and soften the body and mind, build flexibility and develop our connection with the ground and the world around us. My classes may not often be particularly fast-paced, they will be physically intense. To me yoga means the union of seemingly opposite forces/concepts to find what lies beneath and beyond. So I encourage my students to try to find strength through letting go, and intensity within gentleness. Through moving into specific postures and through intelligent flowing sequences we become more aware of the blockages, restrictions, or limitations in our mind-body, and can then start to work on softening and unblocking these. My practice focusses on awakening and flexing the spine, allowing our body and limbs to function more and more optimally. So if you have lower back problems, restrictions in your hips, or tightness in your shoulders, give my classes a go. They might help a lot! |
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What is zen yoga?
Zen Yoga emphasises physical alignment, the flow of energy in the body and the student’s quality of awareness. Mindfulness (in Japanese 'nen') of the body is one of the four practices taught by the Buddha that lead directly to enlightenment. Each pose brings new parts of the body into focus so that we can become aware of any tightness or restriction. As we bring our awareness to these areas of tension, they immediately start to shift and release.
The great Zen master Hakuin taught that Buddhas [enlightened/awakened beings] are like water and ordinary people are like ice. Zen yoga practice melts away the tightness and resistance that prevents us from enjoying the flow of liberation. An open [body-mind] system is one that can be safely and effectively energised with consequent health benefits.
Energetic cultivation, together with the dis-identification brought about by mindfulness work leads to a decisive shift to a new basis in life, a happiness that is not dependant on any circumstances internal or external.
The great Zen master Hakuin taught that Buddhas [enlightened/awakened beings] are like water and ordinary people are like ice. Zen yoga practice melts away the tightness and resistance that prevents us from enjoying the flow of liberation. An open [body-mind] system is one that can be safely and effectively energised with consequent health benefits.
Energetic cultivation, together with the dis-identification brought about by mindfulness work leads to a decisive shift to a new basis in life, a happiness that is not dependant on any circumstances internal or external.
what is yogamonks?
The YogaMonks
practice, developed by Jonathan Monks over twenty years of
self-practice, belongs to the Hatha Yoga tradition. Hatha means physical
yoga (as opposed to chanting, or yoga as devotion to gods or service to
others). Really all physical yoga is Hatha yoga, but we can also
interpret it as meaning the liberation of the spine from four limbs.
YogaMonks features both classical asana (postures) and vinyasa (dynamic
movement). It encompasses a vast body of work and a core system of
original routines, and is strongly influenced by Kriya Yoga, Tantra, Kundalini, and T'ai
Chi through Jonathan's teachers. YogaMonks practice encourages you to
move your body in a way that brings the mind towards stillness,
awareness, and connection. See this lovely blog post from another YogaMonks teacher for more.
What's the difference between a yoga practice and exercise?
It's all in the words "practice" and "exercise". An exercise is a simple, often repetitive, often abstract, activity. In exercise, the focus is generally solely on physical well-being, but yoga involves the whole body-mind (and anything else you find beyond that).
The different words reflect the different intentions. With our yoga practice we're literally practising for everyday life. Learning how to let go, and become more aware and accepting of ourselves.
Whether that be at the yoga studio or in your own house!
The different words reflect the different intentions. With our yoga practice we're literally practising for everyday life. Learning how to let go, and become more aware and accepting of ourselves.
Whether that be at the yoga studio or in your own house!
I'm as stiff as a board - can I do yoga?
Yes! A very common misconception is that you need to be flexible to do yoga, but in fact becoming more flexible is only one by-product of practising yoga. My Zen teacher Daizan says that yoga is a practice of learning to open both your eyes, keeping one eye focussed on fully accepting yourself as you are right now, and the other looking towards areas you want to improve on or progress towards. So come as you are, and you might find that you're more flexible than you think...
What if I'm very flexible but have no core strength?
Some people are naturally very bendy, but lack the core strength to support their very supple bodies. This includes people who have hyper-mobile joints (e.g. knees or elbows bending back the wrong way). This situation can easily lead to injuries. A physical yoga practice will help to develop core strength, balance, and coordination, all of which will support your flexible (or inflexible come to that) body, and are all qualities essential for a healthy body.
What do I need to begin?
All you need is yourself: your body-mind, and some curiosity! On a practical level, its helpful to wear loose clothing, no shoes, and practice on some kind of comfortable, non-slip floor or mat.
Can I eat before a class?
Physical yoga practice includes twists, inverted postures, and forward/backward bends, so if you haven't fully digested your last meal it will make itself known to you (and possibly others)...! If you are a person with a fast-acting digestion and are afraid you might get hungry or feel weak during the class, try having a light snack such as yoghurt, a few nuts, or juice about 30 minutes to an hour before the class. Experiment and find out what makes you feel most comfortable.
Is yoga a religion?
No. Most yoga that is taught in the west (including what I teach) is a set of non-religions practices with universal application.
Yoga, however, does have its roots in ancient India. It is technically one of the six "orthodox" schools of Hindu philosophy with the goal of bringing the self and the divine (God, Brahman, etc) into union. Since those ancient times, though, Yoga has been connected with, influenced, been influenced by, and become a vast range of different practices and philosophies. Interestingly, Yogacara (literally: "yoga practice") is an influential school of Buddhist philosophy and psychology based on yogic practices, and is the underlying philosophy of the Zen school.
What we generally refer to when we say "yoga" in the west is Hatha Yoga, the physical practice of certain postures (asana), breathing (pranayama), and meditation. The YogaMonks interpretation of Hatha yoga is to liberate the spine from the four limbs – meaning releasing, opening, and unblocking all aspects of the spine to allow complete freedom in movement, thought and spirit.
Yoga, however, does have its roots in ancient India. It is technically one of the six "orthodox" schools of Hindu philosophy with the goal of bringing the self and the divine (God, Brahman, etc) into union. Since those ancient times, though, Yoga has been connected with, influenced, been influenced by, and become a vast range of different practices and philosophies. Interestingly, Yogacara (literally: "yoga practice") is an influential school of Buddhist philosophy and psychology based on yogic practices, and is the underlying philosophy of the Zen school.
What we generally refer to when we say "yoga" in the west is Hatha Yoga, the physical practice of certain postures (asana), breathing (pranayama), and meditation. The YogaMonks interpretation of Hatha yoga is to liberate the spine from the four limbs – meaning releasing, opening, and unblocking all aspects of the spine to allow complete freedom in movement, thought and spirit.
A happy person spreads happiness all around. So you are doing this yoga practice not just for yourself, but for everyone's happiness! Don't feel guilty for taking time out for yourself. Give your practice an important place in your life - it will bring rewards on so many levels.
Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened.
Happiness never decreases by being shared.
- The Buddha