domingo, 25 de novembro de 2012

ASHTANGIS OF MY TIME - PABLO PIRILLO


NAME: Pablo Pirillo
AGE: 37 years
PLACE OF BIRTH: Buenos Aires, Argentina
PROFESSION: Ashtanga Yoga Teacher
YEARS OF PRACTICE: 15 years

WHEN AND WITH WHO YOU STARTED PRACTICE ASHTANGA YOGA?
In a trip to Peru, a Shaman recommended me to look for some type of spiritual practice. When i returned to Argentina i tried a class of Ashtanga Yoga in a school of Indra Devi (the first student woman of Shri T. Krishnamacharya). 

WHICH WERE THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE THAT YOU HAD TO OVERPASS IN YOUR ASHTANGA PRACTICE? 
When i started to practice probably the biggest obstacle was to find the opportune moment for the practice, since i worked long hours in film production. Once on the mat i had to learn to develop the honesty to practice, as if i was being watched by a teacher. 

YOU HAVE BEEN PRACTICING FOR A LONG TIME, WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION TO KEEP PRACTICING ASHTANGA YOGA?
The transformations that i gradually felt at all levels. 

CAN YOU SHARE WITH US ANY SECRET FOR KEEPING A LONG TIME PRACTICE? 
Not to expect anything concretly from the practice, and enjoy the benefits that it grants you in the moment and over time.  

ASHTANGA YOGA IS FOR YOU? 
My path. 

BEING AN ASHTANGA YOGA TEACHER IN BUENOS AIRES, WITH A SOLID GROUP OF STUDENTS, WHAT YOU REGULARLY REMIND THEM ABOUT THIS PRACTICE?
Trust in what is hapenning to them with the practice, have faith in the method, it really works. 

WHEN YOU CAME TO INDIA TO STUDY WITH YOUR TEACHER, SHARATH JOIS, YOU DIDN´T SPEAK A LOT OF ENGLISH, BUT STILL SHARATH COMMUNICATED WITH YOU,  AND TAUGHT YOU EVEN WITH A LANGUAGE BARRIER, IS POSSIBLE TO TEACH AND LEARN ASHTANGA YOGA. CAN YOU TELL US,  HOW THIS WAS FOR YOU?
It was actually harder go on with the day and relate with other students. I did not have problem with my teachers, the relationship with them goes beyond words. 

IN A WORLD THAT LIVES FOR THE OUTSIDE, ASHTANGA YOGA BRINGS US BACK TO OUR INSIDE. CAN YOU DESCRIBE IN A SMALL SENTENCE WHAT YOU FEEL AND EXPERIENCE EACH TIME YOU PRACTICE?
I´m awake now, i can start the day. 

THANK YOU!

sexta-feira, 23 de novembro de 2012

segunda-feira, 19 de novembro de 2012

ASHTANGIS OF MY TIME - GREG NARDI


NAME: Greg Nardi
AGE: 38 years
PLACE OF BIRTH: Pt. Pleasant. N.J., U.S.A
PROFESSION: Yoga Teacher
YEARS OF PRACTICE: 15 years

WHEN AND HOW YOU STARTED PRACTICING ASHTANGA YOGA?
I was invited by a friend to take a class at a local yoga studio. In 1996, Yoga wasn´t as popular, so i didn´t know any different styles and there were few celebrity teachers. I just thought  all Yoga was the same. From the first class, i loved it and took every class on the studio schedule for the next several months. I also started to go to NYC which was about 40 min by bus from my house, to take as many classes as possible. One day i was asking strangers on the street if they knew of a good Yoga studio. Someone direct me to Jivamukti on the 9th St. and 2nd Ave. Sharon Gannon happened to be teaching that day. It was the first time i ever experienced the vinyasa style, and the first time i ever got a full on body adjustment. It was amazing! I walked out of the studio feeling like i was walking on air. When i learned their Guru was Pattabhi Jois, i tried to find an Ashtanga teacher. In 1998, i found a teacher named Raji Thron who had been a student of Richard Freeman. He was very encouraging to me and supported my practice a lot. He was the person who first suggested that i go to India to meet Pattabhi Jois. 

HOW LONG IT TOOK FOR YOU TO COME FOR THE FIRST TIME TO MYSORE, INDIA? CAN YOU SHARE WITH US, THAT FIRST EXPERIENCE, OF BEING IN MYSORE AND LEARNING WITH GURUJI?
I came to India in 1999. I had a plane ticket and a piece of paper with Guruji´s address on it that Raji had given me before i left. I showed it to a rickshaw driver and he dropped me off in Lakshmipuram, though he didn´t know which house was the right one. I just started knocking on doors and asking people where the Yoga teacher was. People were kind and kept pointing me in the right direction. Eventually, i walked up to Guruji´s door. It was a little bit before the daily conference that he used to have back then, so he was sitting in his chair waiting for me. I was pretty naive, and i thought that meeting your guru would be some grand and formal experience, but Guruji just invited me in a very casually as if he had been expecting me. I had so much excitement and nervousnes, but he just had this very grounded energy. He was always able to do that for me. If i ever felt overwhelmed, he could get me grounded in a second with a word, a touch, or a gaze. I stayed about 3 months on the first trip. I quickly learned that Mysore is someplace that you come back over and over, that it takes a long time to learn the series and how to teach it properly. There was a sense of gravity and a recalibrating of my standards for practice after coming on that first trip. 

AFTER YOUR FIRST TRIP YOU CONTINUE TO COME TO MYSORE, DEEPENING YOUR EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE IN THIS YOGA SYSTEM. WE ARE NOW IN 2012, AND YOU ARE STILL STUDENT OF KPJAYI. WHAT GURUJI AND SHARATH JOIS HAVE THAT IS DIFFICULT TO FIND IN OTHER TEACHERS?
It is very clear that Guruji and Sharath both have had a deep and profound experience through their own practice of Yoga. When they teach it is with the weight of experience and it is passed to us with unwavering commitment and faith that this method is for our benefit and the benefit of the world. Each time they have taught me, this faith transfers to me in some way that quickens my own experience of Yoga. 
Our community has become global as Ashtanga Yoga has become a worldwide phenomenon. Mysore has become the organizational center that maintains the standard of the tradition. It seems implausible that it would maintain its current level of continuity and cohesion without the dedication and commitment of Guruji and Sharath. I for one, have seen minor changes to the system as years have gone by, but i and many others, rely on the KPJAYI to maintain the current standard in our community. I know that not every teacher feels this way, and of course teachers pass on the tradition based one the way in which they were taught, but this astonishing level of continuity is why we can travel the world and comfortably walk into any Ashtanga studio and feel like we have a common language. 

The Jois family has been giving generously their time, energy and resources to ensure the purity and continuity of this tradition for many years. They make space for any student who is sincere in their desire to learn. They demand of us all that we become better than we believe we can be  and we are transformed in the process. Their steadfastness has earned my devotion, and that devotion is often times what gets me on my mat. 

WE PRACTICE A YOGA SYSTEM THAT HAS A LINEAGE, FROM SHRI T. KRISHNAMACHARYA, TO SRI K. PATTABHI JOIS, AND NOW SHARATH JOIS. THERE ARE MANY TEACHERS AUTHORIZED AND CERTIFIED BY KPJAYI, IN YOUR OPINION WHAT THEY ALL SHOULD BE AWARE OF TO HONOUR AND PROTECT THIS LINEAGE? 
We are in the midst of a modern renaissance of Yoga. I think it is important that we realize that Yoga as practiced today is being created in the pull between tradition and modernity. We must honor the lineage of Ashtanga Yoga and maintain the standards and traditions while doing our best to translate these traditions for our own culture, country, shala, and students. The teacher holds a vision that we receive through close contact with the lineage of teachers. We must take our place in the line to pass this vision on to our students at the students ability level, mentally, physically, and emotionally. As teachers, we cultivate the students potential to meet the high standard of the Ashtanga Yoga tradition, and give them the space to grow, even when the students don´t see the potential in themselves. Lineage and tradition are living things. As teachers, we should remember that we are servants and stewards. We hold the space and vision for the next generation to take its place in the lineage. 

YOGA IS BEEING SPREAD ALL OVER THE WORLD, WE CAN FIND SCHOOLS EVERYWHERE, ALSO ASHTANGA YOGA SCHOOLS. IN YOUR OPINION,  AS AN ASHTANGA YOGA TEACHER THAT ALREADY HELPED TO BUILD UP NEW STUDIOS. HOW YOU FIND A BALANCE BETWEEN THE YOGA SPIRITUALITY AND THE BUSINESS OF YOGA?
If we don´t keep the doors of the studio open, then everyone loses because there is no platform to spread the teachings. However, in a modern world i feel it is imperative that businesses, especially Yoga businesses become leaders in the community by having strong ethics and positive values. The most important part of any business plan, in my opinion, is a strong vision and core values. Theres will permeate every aspect of the business and spread to the teachers, employees, and students of the studio. When running a studio, it is best to constantly monitor the culture of the studio to make sure that it maintains yogic ideals. The marketing, policies, customer service, along with the teachers and staff should all be held to a yogic standard. In my experience, students respond positively to this integrity and take pride in being part of the community and the business thrives because of the quality of the Yoga that is practiced there. Those who teach Yoga and run studios should remember that what we offer is a service. We don´t always give people what they want, but rather we pass on a system that when practiced diligently will make them better, happier, and healthier people.  

AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, WHAT IS YOUR INSPIRATION TO KEEP PRACTICING? 
The Indian word Dharma is often translated as "duty". I think, though, that it reflects a deeper significance. It is like we are all in this crazy world together and we all have our part to play. I believe the world is trying to evolve, and Yoga is what allows me to be conscious of my part in that. It keeps me clear in my mind and healthy in my body so i can be aware of my connection to the world that i live in. Yoga is my Dharma. 

IF YOU HAD TO ADIVE OTHERS TO START PRACTICING ASHTANGA YOGA, OR TO CONTINUE WITH IT, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THEM? 
Don´t ever give up. There are many reasons that we can find not to practice. We all go through that. There is frustration, pain, laziness. This is even written about in the Yoga Sutras. We have to see this as part of the practice and just commit to getting on the mat anyway, treating ourselves with compassion for the dissatisfaction or suffering that we experience, and realize its impermanence. There are many truths that are implicit in the Ashtanga Yoga system, but they may only become obvious after time, effort, and diligent practice. 

IN A WORLD THAT LIVES FOR THE OUTSIDE, ASHTANGA YOGA BRING US BACK TO OUR INSIDE. CAN YOU DESCRIBE US IN A SMALL SENTENCE, WHAT YOU FEEL AND EXPERIENCE EACH TIME YOU PRACTICE? 
Each day is different, but i try to remind myself before each practice that Yoga is a ritual of coming back to myself over and over again. 

THANK YOU!

quarta-feira, 14 de novembro de 2012

WHEN YOU ARE ON YOUR MAT

Todos sabemos que pensar de mais, pode levar a algumas dores de cabeça, especialmente quando estamos em cima do nosso tapetinho! Se anda a ter aqueles dias, que por mais que tente focar a mente na respiração, no seu corpo dentro das posturas, nos seus bandhas e dristhis,  e  a  bendita da sua cabeçinha, teima e teima em trazer mais uma preocupação? Lembre-se desta imagem e sorria um bocadinho e vai ver que a concentração volta no instante seguinte.
Boas práticas!

* imagem retirada de pesquisa online

**********
Thinking too much can sometimes have a devasting consequences!
We all know that thinking too much can lead to a few headaches, especially when we are on top of the mat! If you are having one of those days when the more you try to focus the mind on the breathing, on your body during the postures, on your bandhas and dristhis, the more your blessed little head stubbornly keeps on introducing more worries? Remember this image and smile a little, and you will see that your concentration will instantly return the next moment.
Happy practicing!
*Photo by online research.


sábado, 10 de novembro de 2012

ASHTANGIS OF MY TIME - PAZ MUÑOZ

NAME: Paz Muñoz.
AGE: 29.
PLACE OF BIRTH: Chile
PROFESSION: Ashtanga Yoga Teacher and Contemporary Dancer.
YEARS OF PRACTICE: 7 years.

HOW ASHTANGA YOGA ENTER TO YOUR DAILY LIFE?
Ashtanga came to me because of a friend, from the dance school, i was very curious about Yoga, i really don´t know way, haha..., maybe i was looking for some complement for my dance training... but she said to me." you have to do Ashtanga Yoga, it´s for you" and one day i went to the shala of Loreto in Chile, and then everything change, it as like i learned how to move my body again, there i was a complete begginer... the silence and the breathings, all this together made me felt something that i was looking for some time, even though i didn´t know what it was, it wasn´t the physical part that i find attractice, as most of the people think... it was something different. Then with time, i understood (this beautiful way of silence and movement), as the way to hear my own soul, and go deepeer.

SHARATH JOIS SAID IN ONE OF THE SUNDAY´S CONFERENCE OF LAST YEAR, THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE STUDENT/PRACTITIONER UNDERSTAND THE ASANA, EACH ASANA, THAT WOULD HELP TO FIND THE WAY TO DO THE POSE IN "STHIRA AND SUKHAM" STATE. DO YOU THINK THAT PRACTITIONERS LIKE YOURSELF THAT AS A BACKGROUND IN DANCE, UNDERSTAND EASIER THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE MOVEMENTS AND POSES, AND THROUGH THIS UNDERSTANDING IS EASIER FOR YOU TO FIND THE STHIRA (STEADY) AND SUKHAM (CONFORTABLE) ASANAS?
Yes and no, of course to have a background, in this case as a dancer, gives you an important base to work with your body in many ways, body awareness or consciousness of the body, tools to understand the way  your body works, and yes, that helps when we talk about asana just as something physical; strenght; flexibility, or in other level a strong determination and discipline if you want, which is very good foundation to find sthira and sukham, but for what i have expericenced and believe, is much more that have an intelligence of movement, this understand of asana can come from different ways, and have a previous experience with your body is only one. 

AS STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONAL DANCER, DO YOU THINK THERE IS ANY CONNECTION BETWEEN DANCE AND ASHTANGA YOGA? 
Yes,  the way we breath and the coordenation with the movement in this practice creates this perfect synchronization, which is the same that you can find in dance. It doesn´t matter the way you move, the harmony is part of it. 

IF YOU HAD TO ADVICE OTHER DANCERS TO START PRACTICING ASHTANGA YOGA, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THEM?
Well, i think there is something special  in this practice, which is attractive for dancers, more than the challenging movements, i want to believe there´s a door that you can open to know a little bit more about yourself with this practice, be more creative also, and this is a great gift for any person, specially artists. 

SOMETIMES WE NEED TIME AND EXPERIENCE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND FEEL THIS ASHTANGA YOGA PRACTICE, AND WITH THEM WE START SEEING AND FEELING THINGS IN A DIFFERENT LEVEL. WHAT HAVE CHANGED FROM WHEN YOU WERE ONLY A BEGGINER UP TO NOW?
From me is the incredible journey between "desire and don´t have expectation", this thing about just trust in life, be grounded, do what you have to do, this is something that you develop with time, and of course i´m still there.

AS AN ASHTANGA YOGA TEACHER, YOU OBSERVE THE DAILY PRACTICE OF YOUR STUDENTS, DO YOU NOTE ANY COMMON (S) OBSTACLE (S), THAT THEY FEEL AND NEED TO OVERPASS TO ACHIEVE A STABLE PRACTICE?
Well, i thing the most common obstacle is to see first all the obstacles in the practice instead to focus in a goal, at some point people start to put more attention in what is not possible, or in what is difficult, and then all seems more complicate... wake up really early in the morning, come more often to the shala, etc. Determination is the great value of this practice and i think that is what finally grounded you every morning on the mat. 

WHAT IS YOUR MANTRA AS A TEACHER?
Trust, trust in life... in what i´m doing, in what i feel, just trust. 

IN A WORLD THAT LIVES FOR THE OUTSIDE, ASHTANGA YOGA BRING US BACK TO OUR INSIDE. CAN YOU DESCRIBE US IN A SMALL SENTENCE, WHAT YOU FEEL AND EXPERIENCE EACH TIME YOU PRACTICE?
A deep silence and my feet firmly on the ground.

THANK YOU!
* photo taken from our personal archieve. Mysore, 2012.

quinta-feira, 8 de novembro de 2012

ROUND AND AROUND OF THE MIND

A nossa mente pode ser um verdadeiro impedimento para uma prática estável. Mais do que as limitações que possamos encontrar no corpo, seja pouca flexibilidade, força, resistência, etc, as da mente são sempre mais intensas, porque tem a capacidade de criar armadilhas à nossa disciplina, ao nosso "tapas".


Existem muitos aparentes obstáculos que surgem no início ou durante a prática, seja porque a sala está demasiado quente ou fria, ou porque calhou-nos um lugar que "não gostamos muito", que a sala está muito escura ou muito clara, ou  que estamos a  apanhar com correntes de ar, ou porque temos ao nosso lado um praticante que é "meio bruto", postura sim, postura não, lá vem para cima do nosso "mat"... postura sim, postura não, parece que vamos levar um encontrão... E nalguns dias por mais indicações que enviamos para nos concentrarmos, para seguirmos a respiração, para focarmos as posturas, bandhas e dristhis, sentimos que a nossa amiga ou inimiga mente, está sempre presente para distrair-nos.

Há medida que vamos adquirindo mais experiência, maior capacidade de observação, de auto-consciência, acabamos por ganhar mecanismos de defesa face às investidas da mente.

O engraçado de tudo isto é que aprendemos muito sobre os nossos limites e aumentamos as nossas barreiras internas. Viver situações de pouco conforto, ou cenários pouco perfeitos e mesmo assim continuarmos a nossa prática até ao fim, apesar do que a mente pode trazer,  permite adquirirmos uma maior capacidade de relativizar e acima de tudo, dá-nos uma sagrada dose de disciplina. E no fim da prática, enquanto bebemos uma abençoada água de coco e contamos o que aprendemos com tudo isto a um amigo, rimo-nos de nós mesmos, porque percebemos que no fundo nada disto são obstáculos, são apenas devaneios e testes de uma mente que teima em ser rebelde!
Boas práticas!

* foto retirada de pesquisa online

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Our mind can be a real obstacle to a stable practice, more so than our physical limitations such as a lack of flexibility, strenght or resistance, etc. The limitations of the mind are always more intense because it  has the capacity to create traps in our discipline, in our tapas. 

There are many apparent obstacles that arise at the start or during the practice, whether it is because the room is too hot or cold, or because we in a  space that we "don´t like much", because the room is too dark or too light, because we are caught in a draft, or we have a practitioner on one side who is a "bit rough", and every posture it feel like he will collide with us. And on some days, the more orders we give ourselves to concentrate, to follow the breathing, to focus on the positions, bandhas and dristhis, we feel that our mind - either our friend or our enemy, is always present to distract us. 

With more experience, we acquire better capacity to observe, self awareness, yet we are left with a defence mechanism when faced with the mind´s advances. 

The funny thing is, that we learn a lot about our limits and how to raise our internal barriers, how to live in situations with little confort or in imperfect scenarios, and  still continue our practice until the end, despite what the mind brings, allow ourselves a better capacity to rationalise and above all, this gives us a sacred dose of discipline. At the end of practice, when we drink a blessed coconut water and tell a friend what we learnt about all of this, we laugh at ourselves, because we understand that at the end of the day none of these are obstacles, but only whims and tests that the rebellious mind throws at us!
Happy practicing!


 * photos taken from online research.