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understand the challenges
and stresses to learning, especially a new foreign language.
So I had the idea
to teach yoga in English at the Escuela de Idiomas to give the English
students an opportunity to first relax & then to digest the English
language in a more subtle and sub conscious way
Whatis
yoga all about?
"Yogaschitta vritti nirodhah" I thought I would throw in
a bit of Sanskrit to make the English language seem so much easier. It´s
all relative, you know!
Yoga is that which
stills the fluctuations of consciousness or as we call it, the mind. It´s
a process of training the mind so one is able to focus and concentrate
the mind & use it as a tool instead of being used and manipulated
by its distracting thoughts. Ultimately this should lead to the ‘yoking’,
the union of one back into one´s original state of all encompassing
blissful lovingness. Please note that I did say ultimately and this divine
state is of no guarantee for the six week course!
How do you design
your class?
A more realistic aim of this specific course is to first teach the
students how to unwind & relax. It’s amz- ing how much tension
we create in our body that we are not even aware of. This tension then
blocks your natural energy flow, leading to physical, mental and emotional
stress. In one way or another you can relate this blocking tensing up
syndrome to when you are being put on the spot whilst speaking a foreign
language. Have you ever blurted out an embarrassing remark when being
asked what seemed in hindsight a quite simple and straight forward question?
This all comes about as we go into panic mode & tense up and are unable
to control the mind let alone our listening skills. Becoming aware of
the tension & learning how to let go brings you back in control, concentrated
and relaxed. Learning a language whilst one is relaxed will automatically
increase your absorption thus proficiency.
So basically yoga
is about learning how to relax and bringing peace to the mind?
Yes, although there are different steps that help create this natural
state of being. We always begin the class with three times AUM, which
represents the first creation of the universe. This vibration encompasses
all sounds of the universe.
If chanting AUM incorporates
all the sounds of the universe then it could help with pronouncing new
sounds that one has to master in a foreign language.
I´m not quite
sure if chanting AUM would have such a direct effect on your pronunciation
skills but I have noted the change in the student´s pitch &
vibration of the AUM at the beginning of the class to the AUM at the closing
of the lesson. When one´s mind is calm the energy is flowing in
a harmonious way so one is in tune with the vibration of the universe.
You also work
with the technique of Yoga Nidra. What exactly is that?
Yoga Nidra or ´deep sleep´ is the third level of being.
There is the conscious waking gross state the ‘A’ in the AUM,
the dreaming unconscious subtle state when we fall asleep and have dreams,
then deep sleep subconscious causal state the ‘M’ in the AUM
which we paradoxically remain fully awake. The final level is consciousness
and absolute state of being which we may experience temporarily after
much practice. Yoga Nidra brings access to the latent or subconscious
level of the mind which is the under-
neath processing
and imaging level of the mind, the doorway to the causal level of reality.
Yoga Nidra then
works on the more sublime level of the mind. Could it then assist with
the programming of the mind in terms of learning and in particular foreign
languages?
There already has been extensive research in India for using Yoga
Nidra to assist and increase the learnig capacity of the students. Pilot
trainees use Yoga Nidra in flight stimulation trainings to help with the
subconscious programming of the knowledge. It would be a fun experiment
to try out one time with the learning of new foreign languages.
But when I think
of Yoga, I envision gymnastic postures & extremely flexible acrobatic
figures balancing on one hand. Do you teach any of these difficult postures
in your classes?
The physical side of yoga has been overly promoted in the West so
a lot of Westerns think of gymnastics when they hear yoga. Asana which
is the Sanskrit word for posture literally means sitting comfortably.
It is so important to only do postures which are within your comfort level.
Asana is like a bodily cleansing technique which allows the energy to
flow throughout the nerves, organs, and the whole body. The focus is mainly
on straightening the spine which is the central communication channel
both on a physical & subtle level. The postures I use in my beginning
classes are gentle and relaxing, which teach the student to approach the
asana from an effortless subtle state of mind. The results are not only
physical, but mental & emotional healthiness.
I know most people
don´t breathe correctly and especially when they are anxious and
stressed they breathe shallow and quickly. What is the importance of breathing
techniques in the practice of yoga?
The breath is the key to tapping into the subtle energy. Yoga focuses
a lot on the breath, which is called Pranayama, the technique of learning
to control the ‘life force’ energy. Anulom-Viloma alternating
nostril breathing helps balance the air flow through both nostrils creating
an opening of the spinal communication channel which on both a gross and
subtle level allows the energy to flow through the body. This breathing
technique is very useful to do whilst studying as it balances both the
left and the right side of the brain harmonizing the intuitive and creative
with the rational and analytical side to work at an optimum level. It
refreshes the mind and increases concentration so one is able to absorb
and comprehend knowledge more readily.
When will the
next six week course begin?
I will begin the last session of Yoga in English on the 21st of April
when I return from my five week advanced training in India. I find it
important to recharge my batteries at least once a year by going back
to the source.
If I´ve understood
correctly, doing yoga in English not only expands your comprehension of
the English language it seems to be an expansion & transformation
of your entire being.
Do you have any
last thoughts of wisdom to share?
‘Lokah Samastháh Sukhino Bhavantu’. May all beings
everywhere being happy!
AUM……………………...........
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti
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