For those wounded by civilization, yoga is the most healing salve. ~T. Guillemets
Stay for herbal tea and a chat afterwards!
7week Autumn(1) Course commences Monday 6th September, same time, same place!
Freebies - Charitable donations - Concessions - Social events
These classes will hopefully bring a new and exciting 'twist' to an ancient and, ultimately, deeply relaxing system of health and wellbeing.
Cosmic Yoga welcomes you YOUR yoga with unity AND community in mind!
(Please see prices page for cost and further details)
Yoga
It is often suggested that yoga originated in India circa 2000 BCE.Definition of yoga
Yoga is a generic word (such as health, fitness) and means union (from the root Sanskrit verb: Yug ~ to join). It is often interpreted as the union of mind, body and soul, and can provide perfect harmony and balance.Hatha Yoga
The British Wheel of Yoga is partly responsible for bringing Hatha Yoga to the UK along with yoga teachers such as B.K.S. Iyengar. Hatha Yoga is a form of Raja Yoga and usually ‘Hatha’ Yoga classes consist of the following elements: Relaxation
* Limbering postures
* Asanas
* Some pranayama/breath awareness
* Some meditation
* Some theory and philosophy
Hatha also means balance - Ha means the sun and Tha means the moon and can represent male and female energies. Much Hatha work is on the physical body as a preparation for the deeper practices like meditation which are more often experienced as part of the Raja Yoga pathway.
Forms of Yoga
There are four main forms or pathways of yoga: Karma Yoga ~ Selfless service, i.e. working for others, e.g. Mother Theresa Bhakti Yoga ~ Yoga through devotion; e.g. Gandhi, Mother Theresa Jnana Yoga ~ Knowledge or wisdom, e.g. some scientists could be termed ‘Jnana yogi’s’. Raja Yoga ~ Royal path (Hatha is a form of Raja Yoga)RAJA YOGA
The Royal Path is broken into eight steps which are: yama (with five abstinences, e.g. ahimsa ~ to not cause pain)* niyama (with five observances, e.g. saucha ~ purity of thought, word and deed)
* Asana (seated posture ~ usually translated as posture)
* Pranayama (the practice of breath awareness)
* Pratyahara (the practice of withdrawal of the senses)
* Dharana (the practice of concentration)
* Dhyana (effortless meditation)
* Samadhi (enlightenment)
The British Wheel of Yoga
Established in 1965 and incorporates different teachers from many different backgrounds and styles. Classes will start with relaxation, meditation, limbering postures, classical asanas (e.g. from Hatha Yoga Pradipika) and pranayama. BWY teachers have met or exceeded the National Occupational Standard to teach yoga.
(reproduced from BWY literature)
Namaste
Namaste – Namaskar – Namaskara – Namaskaram
Namaste – The Significance of a Yogic Greeting
by Nitin Kumar
..The gesture (or mudra) of namaste is a simple act made by bringing together both palms of the hands before the heart, and lightly bowing the head. In the simplest of terms it is accepted as a humble greeting straight from the heart and reciprocated accordingly.
Namaste is a composite of the two Sanskrit words, nama, and te. Te means you, and nama has the following connotations:
- To bend
- To bow
- To sink
- To incline
- To stoop
The word nama is split into two, na and ma. Na signifies negation and ma represents mine. The meaning would then be ‘not mine’. The import being that the individual soul belongs entirely to the Supreme soul, which is identified as residing in the individual towards whom the namaste is directed. Indeed there is nothing that the soul can claim as its own. Namaste is thus the necessary rejection of ‘I’ and the associated phenomena of egotism. It is said that ‘ma’ in nama means death (spiritual), and when this is negated (na-ma), it signifies immortality.
A transaction can only be between equals, between individuals who share some details in common. Hence by performing namaste before an individual we recognize the divine spark in him. Further by facilitating our partaking of these divine qualities, namaste makes us aware of these very characteristics residing within our own selves. Simply put, namaste intimates the following:
‘The God in me greets the God in you
The Spirit in me meets the same Spirit in you’
In other words, it recognizes the equality of all, and pays honor to the sacredness of all.
Finally, the gesture’s physical performance is accompanied by a verbal utterance of the word “namaste.” This practice is equivalent to the chanting of a mantra. The sonority of the sacred sound ‘namaste’ is believed to have a quasi-magical value, corresponding to a creative energy change. This transformation is that of aligning oneself in harmony with the vibration of the cosmos itself.
At its most general namaste is a social transaction. It is usual for individuals to greet when they meet each other. It is not only a sign of recognition but also an expression of happiness at each other’s sight. This initial conviviality sets the positive tone for the further development of a harmonious relationship. Namaste as a greeting thus is a mosaic of movements and words constituting an intimation of affirmative thoughts and sentiments. In human society it is an approach mechanism, brimming with social, emotional and spiritual significance. In fact it is said that in namaste the hands are put together like a knife so that people may cut through all differences that may exist, and immediately get to the shared ground that is common to all peoples of all cultures.
Conclusion
As much as yoga is an exercise to bring all levels of our existence, including the physical and intellectual, in complete harmony with the rhythms of nature, the gesture of namaste is a yoga in itself. Thus it is not surprising that any yogic activity begins with the performance of this deeply spiritual gesture. The Buddhists went further and gave it the status of a mudra, that is, a gesture displayed by deities, where it was known as the Anjali mudra. The word Anjali itself is derived from the root Anj, meaning “to adorn, honor, celebrate or anoint.”
According to Indologist Renov “Meditation depends upon the relationship between the hands (mudras), the mouth (mantras) and the mind (yoga)”. The performance of namaste is comprised of all these three activities. Thus namaste is in essence equivalent to meditation, which is the language of our spirit in conversation with god, and the perfect vehicle for bathing us in the rivers of divine pleasure.
