YOGA THERAPY

Bridging the gap.

 

Yoga Therapy Roots

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The roots of these practices are not new.  Ageless mind-body principles have existed across the history of mankind going back thousands of years.  These principles originated and show up in all healing and spiritual traditions (such as Yoga, Buddhism, Taoism, Ayurveda and many others). They inform many contemporary approaches to Body-Mind practices and exercises. Research has shown that these principles bring about a more peaceful state of mind and a healthier state of physical well being. Different mind-body practices conceive of these principles in different ways and practices, but they all share one thing in common - they all elicit a ‘relaxation response’.   One of these principles is the Yogic principle of Ahimsa.  Ahimsa incorporates mindfulness, nonjudgment, non-attachment (acceptance of the way things are right now),  finding your ‘just right’ edge/effort between too much and too little, being in harmony with yourself and others, being in the present moment, and more.  There are an abundance of mind-body practices, exercises and programs that we can choose from to take charge of our own well being, the well being of the communities we live in and our global community.  By bringing these principles into our daily lives we can off-set the ill effects of stress such as high blood-pressure, depression, anxiety, violence, addictions, abuse and other symptoms of dis-ease.  We can begin to address the causes, the choices we make and our actions, that are a source of stress and dis-ease and move towards greater peace and health.

 

Who are our Teachers?

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AYURVEDA The first teacher is the Carak Samhita an ancient vedic text of Ayurved that tells us about life, health, prosperity and enlightenment.  It gives a detailed description about herbs and plants, recipes and the treatment of diseases.  It offers an in-depth understanding of the physical well-being and spiritual enlightenment.  Yoga first shows up in these texts.  Our contemporary resource is Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra who offers an online course in the literal translation of the text for us. (http://www.vaidyamishra.com/files/Carak_Brouchre.pdf)

THAI YOGA THERAPY Our next teacher is also an Indian Ayurvedic physician, Jivaka Kumar Bacha, who lived approximately 2500 years ago and was a friend of and treated the Buddha. Using his knowledge of ayurveda and yoga he established a practice now know as Thai Yoga Massage (originally known as Nuad Boram a Sanskrit word that means ‘sacred work’) a practice reflecting Buddhist as well as ayurvedic and yogic principles (a healing art of Buddhist medicine, Indian and Tibetan Ayurveda and Yoga Vedanta).  The practice was created in response to the need to bring physical relief from pain to the monks who spent hours in daily meditation.  Chinese medicine also has roots in this ancient massage. Jivaka Kumar Bacha (in Thailand, Dr. Shivago  Komarpaj), is mentioned in the ancient scriptures (Pali Canon) of Tharaveda  Buddhism. This sacred work tells us about the energy flow along channels in the body (called Sen lines in Thai, Nadi’s in yoga, Meridians in Chinese Acupunture, and marma in Ayurved) and the vital spots (nadis/marma points) along these lines where pressure is applied.  This work is based on knowledge of the vital energy (prana) in the body. The practitioner works in such a way as to convey love, compassion, joy and equanimity. Thai Yoga massage is Yoga Therapy! It is not the same as body-work or other forms of massage.  It is an energy practice.   From this practice we learn of the koshas (bodies): energetic, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.  (This understanding of how we are ‘made’ has a direct relationship to contemporary and western views of human growth and development.) Dr. Mishra above) and his contemporary, Dr. Vasant Lad, Director of the Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico offer ayurvedic programs of study  in health and well being and the practice of Marma Point Therapy.  The Lotus Palm School of Thai Yoga Massage offers training in the practice of Nuad Boram: Thai Yoga Massage (also referred to as Thai Assisted Yoga Therapy).
 
PATANJALI is our first resource teacher for Yoga based on his work, The Yoga Sutras.  This work sets out a basic outline of the principles and methods for becoming a healthy and whole human being reaching our fullest potential and finding peace and happiness. . It sets the requirements for inner contemplation and the work of becoming self-aware and realizing those conditions that bring about happiness and fulfillment.   Ahimsa, empathy, is one those conditions that is identified in this text, as is physical exercise, control of the breath, and meditation.  An example of a contemporary yoga teacher is the Bihar School in India, the home of Satyananda Yoga - a valuable resource for understanding the connection between specific yoga postures and posture sequences and its benefits for many common diseases.

 

Ahimsa: A Principle Of Yoga Therapy

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Self-awareness is the cornerstone of Yoga.  It is through self-awareness that we learn to respect and honor ourselves, and to respond to our own needs in compassionate and non-harming  ways.  From mindful mind-body centered yoga practices we access our inner healing capacity for health and well being, personal growth and higher consciousness.  We develop life skills in honoring and allowing others to meet their own needs and be who they are within the same compassionate foundation of self-acceptance and self-love.

When we come to ourselves from a position of Ahimsa we open up our own inner capacity for self-compassion, self-healing and uniting with our true nature;  we develop the empathic relationship that is essential to all therapeutic processes.

The term Ahimsa comes from the Yamas and Niyamas.  The Yamas and Niyamas identify a code of conduct and comprise the first two imbs of the eight limb system of Yoga as described in Pantanjali’s Yoga Sutras.  This traditional text, written about 2000 years ago, is  widely considered the first and foremost definition of Yoga. Each limb of Patanjali’s system of Yoga is a necessary component for the attainment of a happy and peaceful life.  Furthermore, the success of each limb is dependent on the preceding limb.

The eight limbs of Yoga are:

    Yama : Universal principles we all share
    Niyama : Personal observances
    Asanas : yoga postures
    Pranayama :  Breathing exercises, and control of prana (energy)
    Pratyahara :  Control of the senses
    Dharana :  Concentration and cultivating inner perceptual awareness
    Dhyana:  Devotion, Meditation on the Divine
    Samadhi:  Union with the Divine (enlightenment)

 Ahimsa is the first Yama. Literally is means:

    a = without; himsa = harm  ‘without harm’

It is identified as the the first principle upon which the success of all further practices of yoga are dependent. One cannot have physical health (through doing postures) without also behaving towards ones self and others in a non-harming way. 
 
Without harm means to behave and be in the world in a way that will not cause harm to yourself nor to any other living  creature. Ahimsa inspires us to:

     “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

This first principle of Yoga was made famous by Mahatma Ghanda through his practice of nonviolence. This quote from Mahatma Ghandi is often cited to bring awareness to the role that we each have in creating a peaceful world. We all want to be treated with respect and without harm. In order to do so, one must first start with developing a relationship to one’s self that is non-harmful.  How does one do this?  The answer in the sutras is by getting in touch with your true nature.
 
Mindful mind-body yoga practices focus on self-awareness.  Rather than require you to fit into a prescribed set techniques, you will be guided and supported in connecting with and exploring your own relationship to yoga so that it arrives from your authentic, true self.

 

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