Charleston Yogi

On Saturday, November 21, I attended a yoga workshop at Atmah Ja’s, The Art of Core Consciousness, yoga/massage studio and art gallery.   The workshop was titled “The Alchemy of Silk,” and was designed to inspire the potential to experience the abundant and ever infinite dream texture in which we exist.

I first discovered The Art of Core Consciousness in early October during one of my favorite Charleston events, the French Quarter Art Walk.  When I stepped into the studio for the first time, I immediately felt a striking presence spinning about the room.  The studio is a fantastic space, and features the beautiful artwork of Iamikan.  In many of his pieces, Iamikan uses oil and acrylics in such a way that the material seems to remain in its liquid form, surging with energy behind its glass coat.  His pieces are quite unique to the Charleston area–or to anything I’ve ever seen, for that matter–and possess an immense amount of livelihood.

In speaking with Atmah Ja, the creator of The Art of Core Consciousness, I discovered that in addition to art and massage, the studio offers yoga.  Atmah Ja created the space to share her passion for these three mediums and to offer courses from a rich and varied yoga practice, stemming from her world travel and intermingling with many awakened beings.  Now as a seasoned art enthusiast, and a somewhat new (but so eager to grow) yogi, I was thrilled by this opportunity to experience the two at once, where I imagined one could thrive and expand through the other, enhancing the experience of each. 

Early into Saturday morning’s “Alchemy” experience, Atmah Ja made sure that all of the participants got to know each other and went on to say, “What happens in the alchemy of a yoga workshop is the opportunity to experience oneself in a collective-connective consciousness. We are all linked through a unified force as we come together with an intention and just as it takes a mere thread to hold together silk, there is a thread that connects all beings.   She shared, “It is not the yoga itself that is the catalyst… but rather what the yoga opens inside of us to explore and expand.  It is in that place of silence in the meditative mind, that the infinite lies.”

Now every yogi has their niche in yoga, and over the past 6 months I have come to find mine in power vinyasa flow.  But what I discovered on Saturday is the importance of venturing out of your “box” and changing your pace; your routine.  In Atmah Ja’s class, we moved at a slower pace, but held poses for much longer than I’m used to.  We did so in order to observe the energy as it travels through the body.  I was able to find a strength in familiar poses that I didn’t know existed.  And of course, I was introduced to new movements that I am happy to add to my practice.

But Atmah Ja’s experience is not souly about the movement, but emphasizes reflection, discovery, and empowering the consciousness.

Atmah Ja has a beautiful way with words and meditation, and I would like to share with you some of the reflection she shared with us:

“Our thoughts are like radio waves.”  Though people cannot hear our thoughts, our thoughts, attitudes and intentions are vibrations that can be felt by others and are always being sent and received through our “antenna”.  It is through each thought transmission that we create our reality.

“We were birthed by our own desire to live, love and play and by that desire, or thought, we created ourselves into existence and continue to rebirth ourselves based on that which is unfulfilled.”

“This is your canvas, your life, use the brush of imagination to paint it as you will.  Express yourself with passion and purpose, thereby nourishing in the substantive well of infinite creative bliss, that is your birth right..

In addition to the internal reflection and self-discovery I found during Atmah Ja’s workshop, I found connection between yoga and art–the thread I had hoped to discover in this particular space on that beautiful Southern fall morning.  Just as in art, yoga is imaginative.  It pulls from a deep place within you. Both practices challenge you to pull this beauty and energy you find in your heart and mind and bring it into the physical world through movement or creation, which can then be shared with others. 

If you missed out on The Alchemy of Silk, it’s not too late–Atmah Ja will lead a follow-up workshop on Saturday, December 12 at 9:30 am.  Registration is required, so check out www.atmahjas.com for more information.

I’ve subbed quite a few classes over the years and have been quite surprised when the students were asked what yoga was.  They answered “Postures; a way to relax; a snack made from fermented milk and bacteria cultures?”  It’s difficult sometimes to determine the true purpose of doing something.  “I’m working at _____________to get money for rent, kids, to make the world a better place, to get out of the house, etc”.

There are many reasons for doing something.  The practices of yoga, however, spells it out for us: yoga=union.  śrī Brahmananda Saraswati defines yoga as “The state of missing nothing.”  Once we unite things we are no longer able to tell them apart.  Through the consistent application of the principles of yoga, we will find that happiness and peace extend beyond our daily yoga class, perhaps beyond the gross physical into the subtle energetic, emotional, and mental.  So if that is your purpose for practicing yoga, read on.

We may practice asana.  Asana purifies karma: past actions.  The process then requires us not to create the same karma we purged ourselves of.  Otherwise, it is like going to the gym and burning 500 calories, then immediately eating a snack which contains 500 calories.  We don’t get anywhere.  We want to purify more karma than we create, or at least create less harmful karma. ie: by eating vegetables instead of other sentient beings.  How can we expect to reach a state of union, eternal bliss, when we deprive others of happiness by seeing them as ours to eat?  It’s no coincidence that yoga practitioners who adopt a vegetarian diet are more flexible than meat eaters.

śrī K. Pattabhi Jois, the aṣṭāṇga yoga guru, when questioned on the subject of meat eating and yoga:
Questioner: “Some yoga teachers say that a vegetarian diet is not necessary.”
Guruji: (laughing) “Oh… a new method!”
Q: “Many Indians and Westerners eat meat.”
Guruji: ”They are not practicing yoga.  Meat eating makes you stiff.”
Q: “What is the most important Yogic practice in this time?”
Guruji:  “Vegetarian diet is the most important practice for Yoga.”

महर्षि पतञ्जलि योग सूत्र ।१।
अहिंसा प्रतिष्ठायां तत् संनिधौ वैर त्यागः॥३५॥
Maharṣi Patañjali Yoga Sūtra |1|
ahiṁsā pratiṣṭhāyāṁ tat saṁnidhau vaira tyāgaḥ ||35||
When in the presence of one firmly established in non violence, all hostilities cease.

If we have not yet reached the goal of yoga and still perceive others, the Yama are guidelines as to how we must treat them to maintain the serenity of our minds.  Master Patañjali gives the first limb of the eight limbed path of Yoga as Yama: that which we do to others.  Ahimsa, or non-harming, is the first practice of the first limb.

All our yoga practices must, if we still believe in the goal of yoga, be based upon a solid scriptural source.  We cannot simply create or disregard that which is inconvenient.  If I wish to bake a chocolate cake (vegan, of course) I cannot leave out the sugar simply because I don’t have it.  The result will not be the same as if I used it.  These sutra are also commonly translated and manipulated to suit us: “I practice ahimsa toward myself, I don’t want to hurt myself, so I eat meat.”  What!?  Meat itself is harmful, both spiritually, as our bodies become the graves of murdered beings, and physically, as our bodies are not suited for meat consumption.  Further, there is no nutrient necessary to our survival that can only be gained from the consumption of meat.

Master Patañjali gives the first two limbs as: Yama-Restraints, that which we do to others and Niyama-Observances, that which we do to ourselves ie: cleanliness, contentment…  After introducing each Yama specifically ie. ahiṁsā, he then gives the benefit to the sadhak (spiritual practitioner) pratiṣṭhāyāṁ tat saṁnidhau vaira tyāgaḥ.  This would be redundant if the Yama were indeed practices we do to ourselves.  With this in mind we could turn it into the negative:  One who is firmly established in violence or who causes violence to be performed will continuously encounter violence.
 
The Ethic of Reciprocity states “Do not do to others what you would not like to be done to you.”  This is actually an evolution of the commonly known Golden Rule.  Every wisdom tradition has a similar version.

We get closer to Yoga when we realize that if we do something to another it will eventually come back to us. Keeping this in mind we strive to practice compassion in our food choices by choosing not to contribute to the suffering of others.  We attain Yoga when we realize there are no others.

We may not practice Asana every day but we eat every day, sometimes more than once.  Our fork can be a weapon of mass destruction.

ॐ शान्ति शान्ति शान्तिः
om śānti śānti śāntiḥ

Mark Knowles
Certified Jivamukti Yoga Teacher
www.bahamayogi.com
843.991.2272

In the matter of two weeks my washing machine, car alternator, computer and camera broke. Thank God for Holy Yoga! These are the times we take our practice off our mat and breathe. As a stay-at-home momma of two boys under four, wife of very busy husband who owns Five Loaves Café and Sesame, and part time yoga teacher, I couldn’t help but have a pity party and thought, “If one more thing breaks, I think I am going to break too!”

True test of character is revealed in the midst of stress. An unknown author wrote, “Peace doesn’t mean to be free from noise, hard work, or trouble, but it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.” Despite the inconvenience and frustration, the light bulb goes off inside that I can’t change my circumstances, but I CAN change my mind about them. These external sources which we need of course to make our lives run efficiently when removed teach us something about our reliance on our internal source and humility in asking others for help. If none of those things had broken, I would have missed out on the humbling opportunities of bringing my clothes to a friend’s to wash, or receive rides home with my kids, and experience the willingness of those around me to lend a helping hand.

So what does life look like when the things we rely on daily are removed? It can become a living experience off the mat of withdrawal (pratyahara), the fifth limb of the yoga which is part of the Eight Limb path to wellness. I refer to it as the “AA”approach to yoga. I personally realized how much unnecessary time I spent on the computer and how living unplugged allowed me more precious present time with my loved ones. A check here and check there of emails, Facebook, etc., add up and this time has been truly enlightening in the fact that it is much easier to live without something then it is to live with something and create boundaries. The first limb of yoga Yama means “restraint.” MMMMMMM….The challenge is now: can we live unplugged and be plugged in at all times? “We can through Christ who strengthens us.” So refreshing to know that in our weakness, He is The Source of Strength. It is through the noise, hard work and trouble that we experience deeper spaces of gratitude and thanksgiving for all that is.

Peace and Health,

Rachel Glowacki, RYT

www.sunraeyoga.com

5 Daily Invitations to live unplugged

1. Avoid cell phone use while driving… (I know. So hard!) Commit to at least one route a day and observe your commitment.

2. Depending on your profession, consider what works best for you and discipline self to a daily AM and PM time of checking e-mails, Facebook, Twitter, and surfing the net.

3. When we look at the clock, may it remind us that The Creator Himself is the author of all time.

4. When our phone batteries run out, call on the Lord.

5. Find a silent yoga class or create one at home that moves to the rhythm of the breath instead of music.

Hello and welcome to CharlestonYogi.com!  We are so excited to introduce this resource to the Lowcountry yoga community, and are happy that you found us!  Are you ready to enhance your yoga lifestyle?

We both know how quickly those day planners can fill up, and how easy it can be to let your yoga regimine slip through the cracks.  That is why we created this site: to make finding the right yoga class at the right time as quick and easy as possible!

So go ahead–click around, see what we have to offer! Not only does Charleston Yogi unite all local studio schedules into one, but we are also here to educate!  We want you to know all about the latest yoga trends and don’t want you to miss out on any exciting yoga events this city has to offer.  And be sure to check back regularly, as we’ll be filling your brains with tips, secrets, recipes and stories  from our local health, fitness and yoga experts who will be blogging with us! 

New to yoga and nervous to give it a try? That’s okay!  We’re here to help!  Under “Yoga Basics” you’ll find everything you need to know to get started!  From descriptions of the different styles of yoga to what to bring to your first class…it’s all in there!  We’ve even included a list of studios that offer free community classes or a free class for first-timers.  By taking advantage of these opportunities, you can explore the Charleston yoga community and find the style of yoga that is right for you without a dime out of your pocket!

So whether you’re a regular yoga junkie, a newbie, or even just a health nut, this is the site for you!  A stronger, healthier and more peaceful you is just a click away!

Peace, love and yoga,

Kara and Megan