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.

The practice of yoga is over 5,000 years old. It was traditionally handed down from teacher directly to student, one on one. In order to practice yoga, a student first had to prove their worth in the eyes of the teacher, by showing up every day before the crack of dawn, performing menial tasks or backbreaking work. Once the teacher decided the student was serious, he would be accepted as a student and taught yoga philosophy, lifestyle, breathing, postures, and meditation techniques. Today anyone can try yoga, no prerequisites required. As a result, yoga draws students from a variety or backgrounds for a variety of reasons, and the teaching has evolved to meet each new student right where they are.

Because yoga has such a rich tradition, there are many physical styles suitable for different students. Iyengar yoga, for example, focuses on very refined alignment and encourages the use of props to make a pose accessible for any body. Ashtanga yoga includes the same postures, but is performed in a flowing manner with a focus on the breath. Interestingly, the founder of Iyengar yoga and the founder of Ashtanga yoga both had the same teacher! They each took what they learned and then adapted it for their own specific needs and the needs of their students.

Today, many yoga teachers are doing the same. In the past decade, some interesting hybrid styles of yoga have emerged. These styles are not intended to replace a more traditional yoga practice, but to open it up in some way. Each emphasizes the lighthearted side of yoga, or Leela (playfulness). Here is a short list of some of my favorites:

Aerial Yoga: Aerial Yoga (a style that I teach) is a blending of traditional yoga postures and low-to-the-ground aerial work. This style is practiced using the support of a soft fabric “trapeze” (similar to the silks used in Cirque du Soleil) that hangs at waist height. Body weight is distributed between the fabric and the floor, and traditional yoga poses are practiced using the aid of gravity’s pull to elongate the spine and create space in the joints of the body. This practice can be deeply restorative as you relax into gravity’s pull, or highly energetic as you learn to use new muscle groups. Unlike an aerial class, it is not about learning tricks but rather about using the fabric and gravity to gain new insight into your body and breath. It is appropriate for all levels of yoga student, including those new to the practice. The philosophy behind it is about learning to let go and trust, reversing the flow of energy in your body by flipping your relationship to gravity, and having fun with what is often a very serious practice. This is a class where laughter and interaction are encouraged.

Acroyoga: Acroyoga is a blending of yoga, acrobatics, and thai massage. It is practiced with one or more partners, and the philosophy behind it is building a sense of community and the practice of “metta” (loving-kindness). Much (but not all) of this practice is meant for intermediate or advanced level yoga students, and many traditional yoga postures are performed with one partner lying face-up on the ground with their legs in the air, and the second partner balancing in a yoga pose on that person’s feet. Much of the practice involves learning to trust your partner and yourself, and practicing ahimsa (non-harming) toward another person as you practice. Mindfulness is key, and learning to give and receive support. This practice can deepen a students awareness about how they approach relationships, with friends, family, and loved ones.

Doga: Doga is yoga that you do with your dog! It can be practiced in a studio setting or outdoors. Typically a group of students come together with their dogs and learn techniques such as dog massage and assisted stretches. It is a style of yoga where you will laugh a lot and definitely have fun. If you have a big dog, you might practice a warrior pose while lifting the front feet off the floor. The same pose would be practiced with a small dog by lifting the dog up over your head. In every class I’ve seen, most dogs were instantly calmed by the chanting of “Om”, and all were incredibly well-behaved. If yoga is all about being present, then practicing with a dog can be a natural extension, since dogs naturally live in the present!

Slackasana: Slackasana (slackline yoga) is a style of yoga developed by rock-climbers. A slackline (a flat material similar to a tightrope) is suspended anywhere from a couple of feet to a couple dozen feet off the ground, and yoga postures are practiced balancing on the line. This style of yoga is very difficult to learn, as simply standing on the slackline takes considerable practice. But for the dedicated it can be a great way to build strength, balance, and most of all, focus. The philosophy is that you must stay present at every moment, because if your focus wanders even for a second you will fall out of the pose. It can be seen as an extreme form of concentration, which in the 8 limbs of yoga, leads to a state of meditation and eventually enlightenment.

At first glance some of these styles may seem far removed from traditional yoga practice. But the foundation of any yoga practice is the yamas and niyamas (moral precepts like non-harming, truthfulness, etc, and personal observances like self-study, devotion, etc), and each of these hybrid practices takes these concepts at the core. Yoga is about union, and while uniting yoga with disciplines like acrobatics or aerials may not resonate with everyone, there can be real value in taking the practice of yoga out of the traditional studio, off of the traditional mat, and giving yourself freedom to explore. Any serious yoga student can benefit by trying something different, and these blends are attracting new students as well, many who become interested in yoga for the first time and then go on to explore a more traditional practice.

Jordan Anderson

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