"The first rule of yoga is there has to be breath. If there is no breath then you are only stretching" - Certified Ashtanga Teacher Mark Darby Have you ever been to a Mark Whitwell class? I've seen people cry it's so powerful. The first time I saw him was at Bhaktifest in Joshua Tree California. I'd actually never heard of him before. There were lots of different styles of yoga at the festival and since I had my own daily Ashtanga practice I didn't really care if I took any classes. When I heard that Mark was a student of Krishnamacharya I changed my mind and I'm glad I did. The first 60 minutes of the class was spent...
Everyone who takes Reishi notices the peacefulness that seems to accompany its use. Many people are able to stop using chemical drugs. And Reishi's effects seem to be cumulative, gradually strengthening the nerves and actually changing how we percieve life - Ron Teeguarden - Ancient Wisdom of the Chinese Tonic Herbs Reishi mushroom is a powerful herb. It goes by such names as the supreme protector, mushroom of immortality and the mushroom of spiritual potency which I have found are worthy descriptions. Truth Calkins has described it as "soft kundalini" which also lends some idea as to how this herb will affect you. There are many physical health benefits but the real uniqueness in my experience is how it works on your spiritual energy or...
And one completely (but the most important) unscientific reason. Get to that in a second. Put First things First When you start Ashtanga Yoga one of the first things that freaks people out is the start time. I personally start at 5:00 am but most of our students at Ashtanga Yoga School Jasper roll in just after 6 AM. Often times leaving a led class on a Friday at 7:30 before the world has even had a cup of coffee I ask myself - "what the hell are you doing this for?" . The answer is because it brings me peace, health and happiness. For most people the first thing they do in the morning is work. They are putting...
We had conference with Sharath last night here in Mysore, India. Each week he takes some time to teach us about different topics concerning yoga philosophy and also answer questions. It does feel like it's getting a little bit quieter here than in February but it's still really busy and the shala was packed full. Just 3 weeks left before he closes for April and we all head back home with the knowledge and inspiration we've learned right from the source. It's been a great experience and no matter what people tell you about it you really have to do it yourself to know. With these notes I try and convey what he has said the best that I could...
Reading other students conference notes while I was sitting in Canada was big inspiration for me finally making the trip to Mysore to study with Sharath and KPJAYI. The conferences give some insight into our teacher and everything he has learned from years of dedicated sadhana and teaching. Being here now and listening to him speak each week is one of the things I look forward to the most. I've compiled some of what was said yesterday as I interpreted it. I hope it will inspire you to make the trip and experience first hand studying in Mysore. Apply early. Its busy here. Build your foundation to create balance in the body. Sharath started the conference talking about the number...
