What is Yoga?

Yoga is a system, a practice and an art literally thousands of years old. First taught and
practiced in India, yoga was handed down individually, from teacher to student for centuries.
Later, possibly about two thousand years ago, an Indian sage named Patanjali wrote down what
are known as the Yoga Sutras, codifying in a few brief aphorisms, an understanding of yoga's
meaning and practice. Still, until recently (the past one hundred years or so) very few people
anywhere had the opportunity to learn and benefit from yoga. But thanks to a few brave yogis
who brought yoga to America and Europe (some as early as the 1890's), and others who taught
more widely in their native India, yoga is now taught and practiced by people everywhere.
Yoga is a system that is absolutely non-competitive. It is a system that recognizes and
honors each individual's ability. In Yoga we begin exactly where we are. That is a vitally
important point. We begin where we are and honor ourselves for being the wonder of who we are
right at this moment. This kind of self-acceptance gives us the ability to go beyond who we
imagined ourselves to be, to go beyond the limitations we have set for ourselves, and begin to
learn what our capabilities truly are. As our bodies grow in flexibility and strength, our minds
grow in clarity, understanding and acceptance of ourselves and of others.
Yoga literally means "union" and in yoga we seek to balance and join our bodies, our
minds and our spirits into a unified whole. One of the great beauties of yoga is that it can be
applied to any belief system. Yoga is not a religion, nor has it ever been. It is an art, using the
body, the breath and the mind as living tools. After even one class you may notice a calmer
nervous system, improved digestion, more restful sleep. A regular practice allows the practitioner
to reap even more- clarity of thought, flexibility and strength of mind and body, a deeper self-
understanding and a heart that grows ever more open and receptive to ourselves and to others. I
welcome you to the practice of yoga.

The Yoga of Compassion:
(From the address given at the first Complementary Therapy Workshop at the Catskill Area Hospice, May 2007)

When we talk about a therapeutic yoga, we are not talking about cure. Certainly cures have been documented. Many studies have been done, both in the West and in India that have found yoga an effective tool for relaxation, stress reduction, healing of back pain, carpel tunnel, an adjunct to other modalities for the healing of heart disease and even certain cancers. Yoga may lower blood pressures, lower cholesterol levels, balance hormone levels, and increase comfortable breathing for those diagnosed with CHF (congestive heart failure). It is used in a wide variety of disorders with great success.
But today we’ll talk about yoga and healing, which is a different matter. Healing may involve cure, or it may not. After all we may all be healed, but still the mortality rate has not changed in the history of humankind. It is still one hundred percent. That’s one per person. Healing is a different thing altogether. It involves a deeper experience and it addresses us at the deepest levels of our humanity. We may still fall ill. We may still face pain. In fact we all will and do experience both. But healing addresses how we face and experience these things, both in ourselves and in others, especially those close to us.
Yoga is a tool for exploration- a catalyst that brings about, if we allow it, a quiet explosion, a personal revolution, that shows us our own face. Not an image of our face. Not the way we see ourselves in a mirror. Not that Alice Through the Looking Glass otherness of the world in the mirror. When we glance at or study our own reflection, we can still separate ourselves from the image in front of us. Instead, in our practice, we discover- we experience- our own being. The universe that is us.
When we practice the poses with attention and with awareness, we can’t help but be confronted with every aspect of our bodies. And through the experience of our bodies, through bringing the experience of our bodies to our conscious mind, every aspect of our life. We may struggle in a pose. We may find ourselves bored and with a wandering mind in another. We face - sometimes in the same pose - bliss and discomfort, joy, grief and even humor, every emotion, every feeling that lies in the magical spectrum of our individual humanity. This is where we truly begin. Slowly, and sometimes with great trepidation we let go of self-judgement. Of striving. We begin to see that this is how it is. Right now. This is the beginning of yoga.
Slowly and gently we become aware that our experience, as personal, as private and as individual as it may be, becomes our link with something larger. A path or a thread to follow. Our small self finds a larger Self, if you will. We are climbing a mountain and realize that others are enjoying the same vistas, tripping over the same rocks, wading through the same frigid streams, breathing the same air. At times it may seem as if they are us, and we them. And maybe that’s true. But we are not alone. And that is true. Others have gone before and others will come after, and still others are right by our side, perhaps even carrying our burdens for us a while. We learn to rest when we need to. As we learn to offer ourselves gentleness. Care. And we learn to offer the same to others. We offer a hand or a heart. A soft word. A quiet space. We offer, and we experience compassion.
It’s all about choice of course. We choose to practice. And how. We won’t get it right every time and accepting that is part of the work. Because this is work. Yoga is a healing practice that we do for ourselves. It isn’t done to us or for us. While a teacher is vital, it is the practice that heals, not the teacher. And it’s important to remember the depth of our experience is not directly linked to the length of time we have been practicing. Our experience is only limited by our intention to be present, moment after moment after moment.
There is a word that is often heard in the practice of yoga. That word is Ahimsa. Ahimsa is a Sanskrit word that may be translated as non-harming. But it is also translated as love. Let us love ourselves in our practice, offering kindness to ourselves. As we practice today let’s try to practice with Ahimsa. For the nurses who are here, you may remember being taught that nursing is the art of care. It may have as easily been taught that nursing is the practice of Ahimsa. Non-harming, letting go of violence. Love. We might just call it compassion.
Let’s begin our practice.

Yoga and Healing: an interview with the Daily Star

 

What is yoga and is it a method for healing?

Yoga is the integration of body, breath and mind. That's what yoga means- integration. In yoga we learn to experience ourselves exactly as we are. It is a comprehensive system that addresses each part of our lives, the physical and the spiritual. I believe that many people today are looking for that missing spark of spirit. Many of us are looking for is a deeper kind of healing, one that addresses our entire being- the body, mind and spirit. And this is what yoga offers. People come to yoga for many purposes. Some come to explore their potential. Others, due to age or health concerns, come to yoga as a method to address the changes that they find occurring within themselves -a way to find healing and a fresh perspective.
Yoga meets each of us exactly where we are and is a system or an art that can help us reach the goals that are most important to us. Yoga explores the body through asana (these are the postures that most of us think of when we think of yoga). Asana can be very simple or very complex depending on the individual's needs. Yoga explores the breath through breathing exercises or what is called pranayama. Pranayama is an excellent tool for relaxation and has immediate and noticeable beneficial effects. And yoga finally explores the mind through meditation. Meditation also can be very simple and is easily learned. Meditation can be calming and centering, giving us a chance to really hear what the body is telling us.

For what types of ailments is it beneficial and how does it help?

Yoga can be helpful for many types of ailments. The obvious ones are musculo-skeletal problems such as back-ache, problems with posture, joint problems. There has been at least one study that showed yoga was very beneficial for people suffering from carpel tunnel. But yoga is helpful for much more. As far back as the early eighties Dr. Dean Ornish conducted a study that clearly showed how a change in diet and lifestyle in which he incorporated the techniques of yoga and meditation was effective in reversing heart disease.
Yoga is also a wonder stress reliever. Mindful attention to the asanas (postures) as well as learning breath techniques (pranayama) and meditation can change our entire outlook. Many diseases are related to stress. It has been observed by clinicians that our immune response or how our bodies respond to outside challenges, even those as common as colds or flu or as serious and life threatening as many forms of cancer, can be directly related to our stress levels and the fight or flight response. Learning ways of effectively managing stress can quite literally save our lives. I'm not suggesting that yoga is a cure for cancer or a cure for anything, but yoga can be an effective way of managing our health, avoiding health problems, and a wonderful source to draw upon when we encounter health challenges. I have certainly experienced this in my own life. Though I was previously diagnosed with a serious illness (rheumatoid arthritis), through the practice of yoga along with dietary change, I have been able to do avoid the use of medications and have not experienced the joint destruction that is so common with this disorder.

How did you train to become a yoga teacher?

I trained with Joseph LePage at the Kripalu Center in Lenox Mass and am certified as a teacher of Integrative Yoga Therapy. Since then I've attended many other trainings and have furthered my study through books in order to continually learn more and to have more to share with my students. I am a registered member of the Yoga Alliance which is an organization that certifies teachers and teacher trainings in the U.S. and have professional membership in IAYT, the International Association of Yoga Therapists. I would also like to mention that I am also a practicing registered nurse (I studied nursing at Hartwick College here in Oneonta) which gives me a good foundation for understanding health concerns from a medical point of view. Combining my modern nursing education with the classical teaching of yoga has been invaluable to me in working effectively with my students.

What classes do you offer at your center?

I offer classes two evenings a week and on the weekends for all levels of students. I also offer a prenatal class for pregnant women and a class in meditation techniques. I also offer workshops on specific topics. I also work privately with students who prefer or need that option.

Please tell us about your classes. What can someone expect in a class or private session?

Though each class is different, classes generally include yogic philosophy, breath exercises, short flowing sequences (vinyasa) and static postures held for strength and flexibility. Every class ends with a period of deep relaxation. Private classes include all this, but are tailored for the individual student and vary according to the student's needs and preferences.