It's a golden day, everyone! Enjoy it. Good morning :-)

E um dia dourado, gente. Curta. Bom dia :-)

Yoga and the relation space-time

Paschimottanasana  or seated forward bend

My first two asanas to explore here are Paschimottanasana or seated forward bend and Purvottanasana or upward plank pose. Living in England for a number of years, I notice that the physical culture in yoga is even stronger here than in Brazil. I admire the aspects of health and safety used by the English teachers to face very seriously this and many other practices. In other hand, I notice how much the old wisdom; foundation of Yoga can be lost in that physical culture. Certainly, Yoga is our own nature. Saying that we do yoga is nor even appropriate. How can we do something that we naturally are?


However the practice in reality happens inside the mind of the practitioner, sustained by the energy that arises from the mythological space of the asanas, flourished through the body. With or without a perfect body, the practice still happens first in the mind, held by the energy of the subtle body. Therefore, the body is like a blessing that we should be thankful for. Anyway, even without the body in perfect condition, Yoga would never be affected.

Directions in Yoga ...delicious theme! I love in my personal practice to be taken in paschimottasanasa inwards and backwards. After a few breaths, this pose sends me to recent and older situations of the past and to a lovely interiorization , a sensation of going deeper inside, towards the Self. Paschima means west, where the sun sets, which is also translated as the back of the body. It is so beautiful the idea of turning backwards in order to protect ourselves. Actually that what this seat looks like. In this pose, our precious heart, the centre of the Being, is protected from everything. The back is stretched, expanded and open as if we were ready to defend the jewel that lies within the heart of the practice. 

Purvottanasana or upward plank pose

In other hands, in purvottanasana, the front and the present moment are what matter. This is a pose that, like any backbend, invigorates, opens, expands, and puts me forward, in the present moment, with open heart. Purvotta means the east, which is the front, the place where the sun rises . For many of us, the sun can be compared to the heart inside the body. It can be a challenging pose but both are complementary and compensate each other. A beautiful experience to be lived with the mind watching all the time the mysterious places where both seats sit you.

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O yoga e a relacao espaco-tempo

Morando na Inglaterra ha alguns anos, percebo o quanto a cultura física no yoga e ainda mais forte que no Brasil. Por um lado, admiro os aspectos de saúde e segurança com os quais o instrutor de yoga britânico encara muito a serio esta e em qualquer outra pratica. Por outro lado, percebo o quanto que a sabedoria antiga, alicerce e fundação do Yoga pode ficar perdida nessa cultura física. Com certeza, o Yoga e a nossa própria natureza. Dizer que se faz Yoga não seria nem apropriado. Como se pode fazer o que já somos naturalmente? No entanto, a prática acontece na mente do praticante, sustentada pela energia que brota do espaço mítico, aflorando através do corpo. Com ou sem corpo perfeito, a prática continua acontecendo na mente primeiro, sustentada pela energia desse espaço sutil. Portanto, o corpo e uma benção a que devemos sempre agradecer. Ainda assim, mesmo sem corpo perfeito... o Yoga não é afetado!

As direções no Yoga! Delicia... adoro na minha pratica pessoal, ser levada em paschimottanasana para dentro e para trás. Esta pose me remete, após algumas respirações, a situações de um passado recente ou remoto, também me coloca numa sensação de interiorização, de ir para dentro, na direção do centro do Ser. Paschima quer dizer oeste, onde o sol se poe, o que também pode ser traduzido como a parte de trás do corpo. E linda a ideia de dar as costas para se proteger. De fato, assim parece. Nessa pose, o coração precioso, o centro do Ser, esta resguardado de tudo!

Já no purvottanasana, é à frente e o presente momento que importam. E uma pose que revigora que abre e que expande, que me coloca para frente, no momento presente, abre o coração. Purvotta significa o leste, o nascer do Sol que - para muitos é um astro comparado ao coração dentro do corpo. Esta pode ser uma pose desafiante, mas efetivamente ambas são complementares, compensatórias e uma linda experiência para se realizar com a mente percebendo o tempo todo em que lugar misterioso as duas poses o coloca.

9 asanas or seats to examine!

Does anybody ever have curiosity to think about the reason of numbers in yoga, Buddhism and Hinduism ? Ashtanga Yoga ( 8 parts yoga), Trikonasana(3 angles poses) etc? I am thinking as well about the number of enumerations contained in the old Yoga books. I understand numbers have got power. And being often oral the transmission of teachings in the old times, number were used to help us to memorize. I want to talk here about 09 asanas or seats. Most of them seats for grounding, rooting and creating foundations. Excellent starting points to any beginning in yoga and in life, the floor, the base. I think that reflecting on them even if isolated from the rest without trying and looking for similarities is fun. Enjoy! __________________________________________________________


Alguém já teve curiosidade em pensar na razão de tantos números no Yoga, Budismo e Hinduísmo? Ashtanga Yoga(Yoga das 8 partes), Trikonasana( pose dos três ângulos) etc ? Estou pensando também sobre o numero de enumerações contidas nos antigos livros de Yoga. Entendo que os números têm poder e que, sendo a transmissão oral muito forte na época, números ajudariam na memorização. Eu gostaria de conversar aqui sobre 9 asanas ou assentos. A maioria deles, posturas de muito aterramento, enraizamento e estabelecimento de fundação. Excelentes pontos de partida para qualquer começo no yoga e na vida - o chão, a base! Acho que pensar sobre cada um deles mesmo se isolados, sem nos preocuparmos em encontrar pontos comuns, já e em si uma delicia! Curtamos, gente!

What is behind the asana ?

For a long period of time teaching and doing my own personal practice I have thought about asanas and their physical and emotional benefits. They are  a precious tool for us to find an internal seat or inner position in order to penetrate different circumstances of the world  with an adequate mindset. Some very uncomfortable and challenging; others, relaxing and pleasant. All of them anyway teach us how to go through objective situations/manifestations/ circumstances with a serene mind, free breathing and stable body.

Padmasana or lotus pose

Clearly the mental attitude within each of them differs a bit. Will give you some examples. Padmasana will show us the sacred , the mind moving upwards, beyond the lower aspects of attachment towards the objects of the mind itself and reaching the skies and what they represent to each of us. Chakarasana (unfortunately I am obliged to focus on the modern performance of this asana once I don't know and never had visual access to the traditional one showed by the Upanishads) opening all the frontal spaces of the body upwards and elevating the body upwards as well. 

It would be too naive  to think about and practice those precious and ancient jewels of Yoga in a mere mechanical and physical way. The symbolical richness of the asanas is liberating and should be kept and protected with lots of respect and reverence. 

Chakrasana in a modern performance. 
Nomenclature can change and you can also find it as bridge pose or urdwa dhanurasana

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Ha muitos anos de ensino e pratica pessoal tenho pensado nos asanas com seus benefícios físicos e emocionais mas sobretudo como um precioso modo de nos assentarmos sobre ou penetrarmos as diferentes circunstancias do mundo através de uma certa posicao de mente. Alguns muito desconfortáveis e desafiantes; outros, relaxantes e prazerosos. Todos, de um modo geral, ensinando-nos a transitarmos sobre  situações/manifestações/circunstancias "objetivas" com a mente serena, a respiração livre e o corpo estável.

Claramente a atitude mental de cada um difere um pouco. O padmasana mostrara o sagrado, a mente se elevando dos aspectos inferiores, acima do apego aos objetos da mente e acessando o superior, os céus e seus simbolismos. O chakrasana(infelizmente tenho que me ater ah performance moderna já que não conheço e jamais tive acesso visual ao modo mitológico de pratica-los segundo um certo Upanishads), abrindo todos os espaços frontais do corpo para cima e elevando em direção ao alto e seus simbolismos.

Seria muito ingênuo pensar em praticar essas joias preciosas e antigas do Yoga de um modo meramente físico e mecânico. A riqueza simbólica é reveladora e  libertadora e deveria ser guardada e mantida com muito respeito e reverência! 

WHAT IS THIS BLOG ABOUT?

I started my own yoga and meditation practice in my home town , Recife - Brazil, when was 16 years old. I can say now I have been practising for 18 years with on and offs in my teenager and early adult life. Since 2003, Yoga has been uninterrupted in my life everywhere I go. In Recife, I received my first teacher certification through ANYI ( Associacao Nacional de Yoga Integral) and I also created my studio in 2005 – DharmaYoga. Unfortunately I had to pass it on last year but kept it a my brand and my heart. I have been practising Yoga whilst living in UK and whilst doing tourism in countries like India, Argentina, Thailand, Spain, Switzerland etc . In UK I had my second certification in Sun Power Yoga in 2010. In Thailand, was certified in Thai Yoga Massage as well as in Rue Sri Datton or Thai Yoga. Always believed yoga is an universal language that can be "spoken" everywhere with an open heart in order to create benefits. Therefore my path consists in always improving, learning and sharing.


This blog is the result of this dream of sharing yoga in a broaden view. I want to talk to you about the traditional angas or parts of Yoga but also about yoga as a 24h practice in our daily lives, as Sri Aurobindo used to say. A dream that now we dream together, that we now want to make it happen collectively for the benefit of many people. I am going to name this dream as Yogalactica. It is is your yoga. Its is your galactica. Feel free to browse around and to come and meet me. With grace and joy, Regina

WHERE CAN I PRACTICE YOGA IN UK?

Our DharmaYoga classes in UK can be found on those links:
http://www.dharmayoga.com.br/conteudo/uk.asp
www.facebook.com/dharmayogabrazilanduk

WHO ARE WE

Regina Padma Rintchen is a Brazilian-Italian professional journalist and a committed yoga practitioner. She became a teacher in 2003, after accomplishing a 200 hours teacher training course, certified by the National Association of Integral Yoga/ANYI, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She´s also a facilitator of meditation and a member of Bodisatva Buddhist Studies Centre, in Recife, Brazil. She is trained in integrative massage, levels I, II and III by Ma. Anand Aloka and also received training in Yogatherapy by ANYI-RJ, in 2004. In trips around India, in 1996 and 1999, she visited many ashrams for yoga classes and teachings. Regina is member of ANYI, International Association of Yoga Teachers - Sao Paulo/ Sydney, Australia since 2007 and Secretary , in Recife, Brazil, of the International Federation of Yoga (Uruguay), which in 2008 also conferred to her Studio DharmaYoga Recife/Brasil and UK the status of honourary´ membership. In June 2010, she became a member of Yoga Alliance UK and in November 2010 got a qualified teacher certification in Sun Power Yoga in Leicester/London. In November 2013 became certified in Basic Traditional Thai Massage and Ruesri Da Ton or The Ancient Thai Yoga by Loi Kroh Traditional Thai Massage & Yoga School, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Regina has been a practitioner of Yoga since 1988, following Swasthya Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, Jivamukti Yoga, Asthanga Yoga, Power Yoga,Yin Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Forrest Yoga, Satwa Yoga, Dynamic Yoga,Sivananda Yoga, Acroyoga,Sun Power Yoga, Thai Massage and Bikram Yoga. Her main teachings nowadays are in Hatha Yoga,Integral Yoga, Sun Power Yoga and in Restorative Yoga.  - She was the founder and owner of DharmaYoga Recife/Brasil and UK or Espaço Dharma de Yoga Integral in Recife, Brazil, which provided a full-time programme of yoga classes, workshops and meditation practices for adults, children, pregnancy, senior yoga as well as massage and studies groups. Nowadays she dedicates her life to teach yoga trough regular classes in Peterborough and Stamford, in UK, and workshops in Brazil. 

Neal Dawkins is English and graduated in History and post graduated in health care management. He completed his yoga teacher training in Sivananda Yoga in Santa Catarina, Brazil in 2009 and in Sunpower Yoga with Anne-Marie Newland in England in 2010. He has also received classes and attended workshops in Jivamukti Yoga, Yin Yoga, Satwa Yoga and Acroyoga and is qualified in swedish massage and accupressure massage and practiced Tai Chi Chuan for a number of years. This is reflected in his yoga classes, which emphasise relaxation, meditation and body/mind awareness for both new and experienced practitioners. When in Brazil he teaches at DharmaYoga Studio as well as other yoga centres. As part of karma yoga, he helps children in the shanty town of Coque, in Recife, Brazil through yoga classes for teenagers. He is a life teacher and member of DharmaYoga Recife/Brasil and UK. In november 2013, became certified in Basic Tradition Thai Massage by Loi Kroh Traditional Tai Massage and Yoga School, Chiang Mai, Thailand.