Trinity Yoga

Namaste. The third week at KYM ended with 2 related lectures:  Yoga and Mantras by Kaustub and the significance and classical steps of meditating OM by S.Sridharan and “Sir” ( how Desikachar is referred to with reverence). Who knew that chanting OM and other mantras traditionally begins with a prayer, then sipping 3 sips of water while reciting a specific mantra, than pranayama in preparation, then samkalpa or setting of intension, then nyasam - reciting the… More..

The second week of the Universal Yet Personal Program at KYM has passed.  A weekend at the nearby beach town of Mahallapurum helped clear my mind (and my sinuses) and somehow the city of Chennai is seeming easier to endure.  Or perhaps I am mastering that tricky niyama, Samtosha! Asana practice at KYM is much different than the vigourous practice to which I am accustomed.  I will admit that during the first few days I was somewhat disappointed. … More..

In Chennai, India at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandarim I am attending the Universal Yet Personal Program, a one month intensive for international students.  There are 34 others in the class and we bring experiences of yoga and life from 12 countries.  We have completed the first week of training and I now sit down with a chai to reflect upon the experience. Today TKV Desikachar, the well-known teacher, scholar, healer and founder of the mandarim, spoke… More..

It is easy to love Sharon as our guru.  She is honest and open, at times to the point of herself being overwhelmed by her feelings, by her love of her own dear, now departed guru, and she is joyful in her declaration of her passion for Jesus, for the environment and veganism as the only responsible way of living on the planet today. She is ever-vigilant in reminding us of being present to Attah, Now, and our… More..

The Yasodhara Ashram’s residents’ devotion to Swami Radha is palpable, always.  Although we do not interact with most, we have our ‘house mother’, Swami Jyotihananda, who greets us in her housecoat at our lodge to make sure everyone gets in safely in the dark.  She is a warm and friendly presence throughout our stay; mostly working in the Ashram bookstore, which is a constant draw in the days ahead during breaks from studying with Sharon, for the most… More..

October 24, 2005 The last hours of daylight has me driving up the Kootenay Lake road from Creston to Kootenay Bay through pea soup fog, with intermittent openings of late day, gray sky, gray water, late October stillness and quiet.  Of course, being one of the fortunate few of the thirty participants registered for Sharon Gannon’s five day yoga intensive to live close enough to drive to Yasodhara Ashram from home, I have in my typical… More..

I irrigated my nostrils last night with my pseudo-neti-pot. It is an efficient tool, although it looks rather alarming, like a massive syringe. It got some hoots at my last teacher training course. Everyone wanted to see me shoot the water up my nose. I did it cautiously, with just the right umph to shoot a clean spray. I was shy about it, especially when the slimer oozed out. Really though, it was nothing to ooh-and-ahh about. More..

Trinity is thinking about heading east to host a Yoga Teacher Training Course.  Watch for Level 1 in Winnipeg Manitoba tentatively scheduled for the spring of 2006. If you’re interested in participating, post a comment and tell us what you think. More..