Atma Bodha-The Vancouver Yoga Center Newsletter
Issue 4-Winter/Spring 2005
Feb 1, 2005

Hi !

In this issue, you'll read:
Principles of Anusara Yoga Philosophy
Yoga Posture 101 - ARDHA MATSYENDRASANA- 1/2 spinal twist
Ayurvedic cooking - Red Lentil Dal
MELONIE’S HERBAL SUPPORT FOR THE COLD AND FLU SEASON
WELCOME TO THE ASTROLOGY CORNER WITH JAY PURYEAR
Tape review - To Love and Be Loved
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OVERVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS FOR 2005

Principles of Anusara Yoga Philosophy

A Tantric Philosophy of Intrinsic Goodness ~ By John Friend, Founder of Anusara Yoga

The vision of Anusara is grounded in a Tantric philosophy of intrinsic Goodness and includes the following basic ideas:

The absolute essence of everything is Supreme Consciousness, which pulsates with pure Goodness. Vibrating with the highest Bliss imaginable, the Supreme pulses with the deepest desire to know Itself through an endless variety of creative expression. Out of Its absolute freedom, the immeasurable Supreme divinely dances all of creation into existence in order that It may enjoy the astounding experience of diversity. As the play of Divine Consciousness, the One conceals and then reveals Its own blissful nature throughout the never-ending majesty of creative manifestation.

Life is Good. As the free and joyful, creative expression of the One, it is a blessing to be embodied in this life. Through this limited physical form we are able to experience our Unlimited Being. Life is a magnificent gift of the Divine, not some sort of karmic punishment, nor something we need to transcend. This material world is ever changing, yet it is not an illusion, nor a mistake of one's perception.

The body, mind, and heart are all various levels of divine embodiment by which we may experience the ecstasy of recognizing and glorifying the One in the many. The physical body is a magnificent manifestation of spirit, not an inferior material vessel. Similarly, our thoughts, desires, passions and emotions are essentially not obstacles to spiritual awakening which need to be squelched or eliminated, but instead they are God-given means of glorifying and expanding our experience of the Divine. Therefore, we seek to continually develop and refine all parts of ourselves: body; mind, including our reasoning and intuitive capacities; and our emotions, including the deepest virtues of our heart.

Because we are microcosmic reflections of the Supreme, we are free to be, to know, and to create within our individual limitations. We are able to feel, think, and act in relative, limited ways because we vibrate with the Supreme's unlimited desire; the power of directly knowing and expressing this desire. Our entire experiential consciousness is a mirror of the Divine and the Divine's self-concealed form. Everything that belongs to the Divine is within us. Our experience of diversity and difference is an affirmation of the Divine's own experience of inclusiveness, non-prejudice, and celebration of plurality.

Goodness is the absolute nature of the world. There is no intrinsic or absolute evil in the universe. No one or thing has a malevolent or evil essence. However, having free will, human beings are capable of errors, mistakes, and deliberate malevolence——moving out of alignment with the Divine in a way which creates suffering and harm. Certainly not everything in the relative world of manifestation is as good as everything else. So we freely choose to use our limited power of discrimination and judgment to align as best as we can with the Good, which leads us toward a revelation of our joyful true nature. By aligning with the power of the Universal we are able to directly know the auspicious nature of the Divine within our bodies, minds, and hearts.

The purpose of Life is both to awaken to our True Nature, and to serve Life by bringing more goodness, love, and beauty into this world. Spiritual awakening is the ever-expanding process of recognizing that our true nature is perfect, full, and lacking nothing. Spiritual freedom or enlightenment is not a fixed state of being. Rather it is an ever-evolving process of unfolding our beauty, goodness, balance, and perfection. Progress on the path of awakening is reflected in an increase in one's spiritual centeredness; wisdom; trust in the Divine's play; ability to lovingly honor the Divine in each other; and ability to celebrate the divine beauty in life.

The Anusara community is inclusive, life-affirming, and evolving. Individuality and creative self-expression, which glorify the greatness of the kula (community) are encouraged and celebrated. Anusara welcomes all forms of spiritual or religious self-expression, and cultural and ethnic diversity, which are heart-centered and which foster love and happiness. We acknowledge, respect, and invite a diversity of experience both within our own community and among those outside the community who are seeking to align with the Divine. We lead by the simple example of our own lives, invite others to practice our yoga, and respect others' choices to express their views and values without prejudice or rejection, with deep respect and tolerance of differences.
Visit John Friend’s Website @ www.anusara.com

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Yoga Posture 101 - ARDHA MATSYENDRASANA- 1/2 spinal twist

ARDHA = 1/2, MATSYENDRA = SAGE, Asana = Posture

This asana takes its Sanskrit name from the great sage Matsyendra, one of the first teachers of Hatha Yoga. The story goes like this:
Once Lord Siva went to a lonely island and explained to his consort Parvati the mysteries of yoga. A fish near the shore heard everything with concentration and remained motionless while listening. Siva, realizing that the fish had learnt Yoga, sprinkled water upon it, and immediately the fish gained divine form and became Matsyendra (Lord of the Fishes) and thereafter spread the knowledge of Yoga.

Benefits of this asana:
It increases synovial fluid of the joints.
A fresh supply of blood is sent to the ligaments and spinal nerves. Produces a cleansing effect on the body.
Tones and massages the abdominal organs.
Stimulates the large intestines and aids in digestion.
Calms the nervous system and helps to bring peace of mind.
Contraindications: Low back pain/issues may require special modifications by your teacher.

Common mistakes:
Buttocks lift off floor.
Body leans to one side or back. Hips turn.
Neck and head do all the work.

Work in the pose:
If both hips do not touch the floor sit on a blanket.
Aim bent knee straight up to sky.
Hug the legs in, stabilizing the pelvis.
Lengthen the spine.
Turn from the low belly up but focus more attention on the mid back (the stiffest part of the spine) Let the head follow the heart.

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Ayurvedic cooking - Red Lentil Dal

Easy to make and delicious! Serve with rice and steamed veggies for a healthy, simple, vegetarian meal. Try using organic ingredients and turn off the TV while you cook and eat! Serves 4 in less than 40 minutes.
1 c. red lentils 1 t. fennel seeds
3 1/3 c. water 2 t. ground coriander
1 t. turmeric 1 large tomato, chopped
1 bay leaf 1 t. salt
2 T. oil (Ghee works best!) 1 T. lemon juice
1 t. mustard seeds 4 T. plain yogurt
Place lentils, water, turmeric and bay leaf in an uncovered pot on medium heat. Cook lentils for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Stir occasion ally.
When lentils are done, place oil, mustard and fennel seeds in a separate pan on high heat. When mustard seeds ‘pop’ (Be patient, they will!), add coriander and tomato – Cover quickly and lower heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir the tomato mixture, lemon juice and salt into the lentils. Cook a little longer to thicken, or add water if too thick. Serve with a dollop of yogurt.

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MELONIE’S HERBAL SUPPORT FOR THE COLD AND FLU SEASON

Fresh ginger tea throughout the day & lots of elderberry syrup for viruses
Neti pot nasal wash & steam inhalation with eucalyptus for colds that start in the nose
Fresh ginger tea, zinc lozenges ,Throat Coat tea & Old Indian Wild Cherry Bark syrup for colds in the throat
Oscillococcinum homeopathic for the Flu
I start to take the above right when I sense something, usually in 12-24hours all symptoms are gone. I haven't had the flu in over 10 years and a cold in the last 4-5 years.

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WELCOME TO THE ASTROLOGY CORNER WITH JAY PURYEAR

January starts with an uplifting energy! The daylight is increasing with each passing day and the week of Jan 10th is a good time to start new, long-term projects. Best days are Jan 11, 13, 15 – 18th. Projects started on these days will have a good final outcome.

Jupiter in Libra brings up the need to grow through partnerships and one-on-one relationships. Invite a friend to exercise with you. Also, Mars and Venus started a new cycle in December ‘04 that continues through March. This is a good period to start a new partnership, relationship or take your current relationships to a higher, deeper level. Experiment and try different things to open new doors for both of you. Take a relationship workshop. Mid-Feb to Mid March is a good time to focus on the spiritual aspects of your relationships as Mars/Venus interact with Neptune.

Saturn is retrograde in Cancer for the next few months. Focus on understanding and healing your inner issues with your family. It is also a time to re-define what family means to you and what you bring to a family, either to a traditional family or your extended or spiritual family. By working on these family issues now, it will help you build a stronger inner and outer family foundation that will serve you for the next 30 years!

For those planning a spring detox, March 27th, 28th and 30th are some of the best days to start it as these days bring a good outcome. Also, this is during the waning of the moon, from full phase to new, so it is easier to discharge weight and toxins from programs started then.

Jay Puryear (jpuryear@att.net) is a Yoga Teacher in training at the Vancouver Yoga Center who owns a mail-order herbal apothecary and scientific instrument company.

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Tape review - To Love and Be Loved

To Love and Be Loved
The difficult yoga of relationships
 
Stephen and Ondrea Levine have dedicated their lives to working in the field of conscious living and dying. The Levines draw on the wisdom of many spiritual practices to provide an extraordinary foundation for their teaching. To Love and Be Loved presents a life-changing workshop on what it means to be alive and in love. In this audio cassette series these pioneering teachers bring you transformational insights on how to use committed relationships as a path of awakening. Through real life sharing, they show you how to face and overcome the fear, pain and suffering that exists in this world of impermanence and transform it into compassion, mercy and forgiveness. By learning to recognize patterns and conditioned responses we become present of our mind and how it separates us from our true nature. Through exercises, meditations and examples Stephen and Ondrea lead us back to our hearts and show us how to achieve intimacy not only with each other but with God. As the Levine’s remind us, relationships are work on yourself for the benefit of all sentient beings. I have found this tape series powerfully inspirational, and incredibly helpful. I highly recommend it. Available through Sounds True at 800.333.9185 or www.soundstrue.com.

Maureen Knutson is a Yoga Teacher in training at the Vancouver Yoga center.

Please email your review of a book or publication that has inspired you or changed your life.
Email to:
Melonie@vancouveryogacenter.com
Also if you would like to contribute a article for the newsletter or have suggestions on topics to be discussed please email Melonie with your suggestions.

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THE LOTUS SYMBOLIZES MAN’S SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION– THE ROOTS IN MUD REPRESENT HIS LOWER NATURE, THE STEM RISING THROUGH WATER HIS INTUITIVE SEARCH, AND THE FLOWER BLOSSOMING IN SUNLIGHT SELF-REALIZATION.
~ Swami Sivananda

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OVERVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS FOR 2005

Anusara Yoga Workshop with Naime Jezzeny
Naime Jezzeny is a Certified Anusara Yoga instructor whose teaching style emphasizes both alignment and fun. He has studied in depth with John Friend and is one of his assistants in the Teacher Training Programs and Yoga Therapy Training's. His precise and playful manner will enliven both your body and your heart. This will be the 3rd year for Naime to visit us. He will be coming all the way from Rochester, NY.
This workshop is for intermediate and up students or those who have a strong desire to improve their practice and bump it up to the next level. This workshop is highly recommend
Friday Apr 22nd 6-9pm $60
Saturday Apr 23rd 12-3:30pm $70
Sunday Apr 24th 9-12:30pm $70
Save by coming to the whole 10 hour workshop $150
Space is limited and we expect to sell out again Pre-registration is required.
call 360-521-1609 to register

5th Year Anniversary Potluck Celebration.
Come join us for our annual Vegetarian potluck. This year we will celebrate entering into our 5th year. This party is to thank all of you who have supported the studio through the years and who continue to support so that we may be here in another 5 years! Gather with your fellow yoga mates or come for the first time to the studio and meet a great group of people.
Saturday May 21st 5pm
Bring a small dish and Family and Friends.
The potluck will be followed by a Musical Celebration! Bring your own musical instruments, play one of ours, or just relax, listen and socialize.

Other Events:

Anatomy Training for Yoga Teachers– 12 hour weekend course June 24-26th
Kids Summer Yoga Camp- 1 week adventure into yoga for ages 3 and up– July or August
Yoga Teachers Training workshop in Philosophy, Languaging and Heart Themes in your teaching– July
Yoga Teachers Training Graduation party September 10th
Yoga Teachers Training Course– 1 year program—October
Anusara Yoga Visiting teacher workshop with Noah Maze from L.A.– October 21-23rd

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