Firstly a huge thank you to everyone for coming to class this month and blessing us with your commitment and dedication to your practise, the energy in the studios and community is one of pure joy and love.
This has supported the theme of the Month of Svadhyaya – The Study of Self
We know that our wellbeing and yoga practise is more than just a “workout” it is our chance to return back home to ourselves, the home of “I am”. The art of yoga unites us back to the divine. The divine being something greater than just ourselves but something we can trust in and learn to be guided by. Yoga is not a religion but a spiritual practice that cleanses the body, purifies the mind and reaches the soul within.
Over the last 20 years I have found my own yoga practise to be a constant evolution in my life, with discipline and self enquiry Yoga has led me to an awareness of myself, allowed me to still before i become a reaction, and bring a happiness to even the most difficult of circumstance.
This month i invite you to practice with Self in Mind and reflect on how your yoga journey is continually evolving and leading you to Bliss.
Studio Information
During the Half Term Holidays Mon 13th Feb – Sun 19th Feb the studio class schedule will be slightly different with some classes being in the morning – Please see the class schedule and book in advance.
We will also be running a February Half Term 13th – 19th OM Demand Programme for Feel Good Flow Practise. All members will receive access to the course as part of your membership or the course can be purchased by non members for £12.99. Please see details below.
Starting on Sunday 19th February we will be running a 6 weeks Beginners Yoga course which will replace the usual 8:30am Basics Class. Everyone is welcome attend and members will receive this course as part of your membership – however please do book for the full 6 weeks to reap the benefits of the 6 week programme and to join with other yogis.
February 2023 Focus of The Month
– Written By David Life & Sharron Gannon –
tapaḥ-svādhyāyeśvara-praṇidhānāni kriyā-yogaḥ (PYS 2.1)
You must be fueled by a burning desire to continuously study the Self, which is only available in the present moment, and to devote your self wholly to this effort – these are the actions to be taken to attain Yoga.
Chapter two [of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra] describes the means of attainment of a concentrated state of mind for one whose mind is restless and distracted. Union and identity with Cosmic Consciousness cannot be obtained by one whose mind is not self-disciplined and purified.—Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras II:1
In the Yoga Sutra, Patanjali began his chapter on practice with a simple three-step plan for the attainment of enlightenment called Kriya Yoga: Discipline, Study, and Devotion.
Like the word karma, kriya is derived from the Sanksrit root kr, which means action. Karma means any action, while kriya means actions taken specifically for purification purposes. Kriyas are cleansing actions that you can take to purify your life and set it on the path to God realization.
Patanjali’s three-step plan is very straightforward. He simply states, in this sutra, that the hard physical work of spiritual practice must be combined with scriptural study and motivated by devotion. Patanjali tells us in this yoga sutra that the perfect action is one that meets three criteria: tapah (austerity), swadhyaya (study of the Self), and Ishvara Pranidhana (surrender to God):
Tapah means to burn.
Swadhyaya means study of the higher Self.
Ishvara Pranidhana means to devote or give up all the actions of your life to God.
How can you infuse your sadhana with these three elements?
Our spiritual practices should transform us in the flames of their difficulty and light a fire within us that burns away selfishness. Your practice is tapasic when you practice consistently over a long period of time.
The principal methods of svadhyaya are the study of scripture and chanting the names of God.
The third component of kriya yoga is devotion to God. Without devotion your yoga practice becomes self-serving and binding.
Patanjali realized that his three-step plan for Kriya Yoga, might be too difficult. That’s why he also included a more detailed, expanded, eight-step plan in the Yoga Sutras called Ashtanga or Raja Yoga.
Kriya Yoga is a method for eliminating obscurations to your happiness. If you want peace, joy and happiness, perform actions that bring about peace, joy and happiness for all. When we devote all of our daily activities arduously toward harmony, we are performing Kriya Yoga.
Excerpt from Chapter 9, Jivamukti Yoga by Sharon Gannon & David Life
** HELPFUL TIPS and DEDICATIONS FOR THIS MONTH ------------------------------------------------------------ * Practice requires practice. Examine what stops us from practicing. * Think about why you are really coming to class, what do they want from your practice? * Discipline gets more comfortable with repetition * FEBRUARY CHALLENGE: Practice Magic 10 every morning as an example of an āsana-based discipline. * Read and study yoga as a science and philosophy to deepen your practise - reading daily from a spiritual text as a form of discipline - I recommend One Simple Thing - By Eddie Stern (https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Simple-Thing-Science-Transform/dp/0865478392) * Feel your practice of the yamas as a mental and practical discipline. Shifting from blaming others to taking responsibility for our own actions – this is a kind of practice, too. * Keep a sādhana (Spiritual) diary for the month. At the end of the month consider what differences there might be. * Letting go and surrendering to Īśvara. Observe how at first there may be resistance but with practice it becomes softer.
Namaste All Damn Day
Emma – CEO & Founder
Showcase Studios Group
Practise Your Daily Magic 10 Here Throughout February
Magic 10 Sequence in less than 10 minutes. Can be done morning, noon or night when you want to start or end your day off right or as an additional bonus to your usual practise
Join the Feb HT Feel Good Flow Programme
February Class Booking Now Open
2023 Workshops and Offerings.
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