Tejas Yoga

Desert-island Asana

2008-06-12T18:24:00.003-05:00

Well, it would be quite difficult for me to answer the question, "If you could only do one yoga asana (pose), which one would it be?" solely on the basis of preference--there are so many I wouldn't want to live without. However, if the question was, "If you could only teach one asana to a beginning student to help him/her relieve stress, which would it be?" I could answer in a heartbeat: viparita karani, or legs-up-the-wall pose, also called waterfall pose. This is the one cure-all I most rely on: it's an inversion, so it reverses the effects of gravity and allows you to see the world from a different perspective; it's a restorative, very restful pose; but it's also invigorating, a good pose to open up and stretch the backs of the legs. Please follow this link to learn more about this wonderful, gentle, healing asana. Do it in the morning when you don't feel like facing your day, do it in mid-afternoon instead of taking a nap, do it for ten minutes when you get home from work (your spouse and children will thank you--you'll be so much more relaxed and pleasant!), do it before bedtime to wind down. Anytime is a good time for viparita karani!

Top Ten Reasons to Try Yoga

2008-05-28T16:45:00.002-05:00

Please follow this link to find out what Yoga Alliance deems the Top Ten reasons to try yoga. Perhaps it will provide you with some talking points to help you convince that family member or friend to join you in class!

About the Classes

2008-05-15T14:35:00.002-05:00

My classes are strongly influenced by the Viniyoga approach. The following is excerpted from the American Viniyoga Institute's website and can give you a fairly accurate idea of what to expect from the asana (physical postures) portion of my classes:

"There are four points that characterize the main difference between the Viniyoga approach and most other forms of asana practice.

1. The use of repetition into and out of postures in addition to holding postures.
2. The emphasis on function rather than form in asana practice, and the science of adapting the forms of the postures to achieve different results.
3. The emphasis on breath as the medium for movement in asana, and the science of adapting the pattern of breathing in asana to produce different effects.
4. The refined art and science of combination which allows teachers to create sequences of different orientation, length, and intensity to suit the intention and context of each practice."

In addition to asana, the disciplines of pranayama (breathwork), meditation and chanting are explored in my classes. Also, the Eight Limbs of Patanjali's Yoga system, which is the philosophical cornerstone of classical Yoga, will be discussed and linked to asana practice.

YOGA HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY

2008-05-05T14:32:00.000-05:00

A very brief overview

The Sanskrit word yoga means to yoke, to unite.

The Yoga Sutras, the root text of yoga, is thought to have been written by Patanjali about 2000 years ago in India. The Sutras, or threads, consist of 196 terse aphorisms, packed with meaning which are meant to be deciphered with the help of a teacher.

The Sutras outline the Eight Limbs of Hatha Yoga (from the Sanskrit ha, which means sun, and tha, which means moon), which consist of: the yamas (ethical standards) and niyamas (personal observances); asana (physical postures); pranayama (breathing exercices); pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses); dhyana (concentration); dharana (meditation); and samadhi (union with the Divine).

The yamas and niyamas are like the Ten Commandments of yoga. They consist of:

Yamas
Satya (truth)
Asteya (non-stealing)
Aparigraha (non-grasping)
Ahimsa (non-violence)
Bramacharya (celibacy)

Niyamas
Saucha (purity)
Santosa (contentment)
Tapas (zeal in practice)
Svadhyaya (self-study)
Isvara pranidhana (surrender to God)

Typically, in the West, when we think of yoga, we think of asana (which means "comfortable seat") or physical postures, the third limb of yoga. These were developed to their current form by Krishnamacharya (1888-1989), whose three disciples, Patthabi Jois, B.K.S. Iyengar and T.K.V Desikachar have brought their guru’s teachings to the West in the forms of Ashtanga, Iyengar and Viniyoga, respectively.

Please refer to the following articles for more in-depth information:
On Hatha Yoga
On the legacy of Krishnamacharya
On Patanjali
On the Eight Limbs of Hatha Yoga
On the different styles of Hatha Yoga

Recommended reading:
*Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit, by Donna Farhi.
The Heart of Yoga, by T.K.V. Desikachar.
Yoga for Wellness, by Gary Kraftsow.
Yoga for Transformation, by Gary Kraftsow.

Welcome!

2008-05-01T16:23:00.001-05:00

Y'all are welcome to Tejas Yoga!

I have created this site as a resource for my students. It is meant as a guide to all things yoga: found in the sidebar are links to different yoga resources, as well as a link to my own Amazon store which features recommended yoga books, props and accessories.

Tejas is the Spanish for Texas, but it is also a Sanskrit word for majesty, brilliance, power. While these three adjectives may not be ones we would immediately think to apply to ourselves, they do represent aspects of our nature that may lie hidden. Yoga is the discipline by which we explore and reveal these qualities.

I leave you with the customary yogic greeting which means "that which is divine in me salutes that which is divine in you."

Namaste