YOGAYATRA JUNE 2021

YOGAYATRA

ISSUE 03 / JUNE 2021

Ashtanga Yoga uses a breathing method based on the Ujjayi Pranayama (Breath of Victory) to ensure that each practitioner realizes the full depth of the practice. We hope to attain victory over the cycle of suffering and past negative behavior patterns.

Ujjayi Pranayama is taught in the more advanced stages of Ashtanga Yoga Kino MacGregor

FOCUS ON COVERGIRL

@veronika_mahashakti_yoga

VERONIKA MAHASHAKTI

Why do you choose India for Yoga Teacher Training?

VERONIKA: I‘ve chosen an Indian based teacher training with Sivananda. When I did my TTC 25 years ago, there was hardly another Yoga teacher training that existed. Also I wanted to get well trained by the correct roots where it originally came from .

Connect her for Yoga and Meditation.

Benefits from Yoga ?

VERONIKA: Yoga helps to reduce stress and help your body, your mind and your emotions to get stronger and more flexible at the same time. I do it since my childhood and I still can feel the impact right away. It’s a feeling you hardly get with any other body therapy.

The young woman flew around the world as a stewardess, studied business administration, sold 50,000 euros in luxury watches and then found her calling as a yoga teacher. Now she has Yoga studios and thousands of Students.

RISHIKESH DIARY I have always been drawn to spirituality and the potential for discovering a deep truth that lies within me. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it was hard to dive deep into my spirituality. I figured I needed to go to the source if I wanted to find answers. I had heard about Rishikesh, the so-called birthplace and yoga capital of the world, and I was eager to discover it myself. My plan was to stay in Rishikesh for a few days and then go to a vipassana meditation retreat center for 10 days.

I embarked on this journey alone, which wasn't unusual for me. I've done many solo trips before without any incident.

Little did I know the challenges that would be in store for me, and soon after I arrived. My home base in Rishikesh was Parmarth Niketan, the largest ashram in Rishikesh. When I got to the front desk, they asked me if I wanted a room for 800, 900, or 1000 rupees per night. Being the budget traveler that I am, I said 800. A guide led me to a room that seemed to come straight out of a horror movie.

Scared shitless, I quickly asked if I could upgrade to the 1000 rupees room. This one was better, but still had some weird Soviet-era vibes to it. I left my stuff and headed to the canteen. Here I was also a bit uncomfortable since the cleanliness standards didn't seem very high and I was scared to get sick so I just settled on a bag of chips.

When I got back to my room it hit me. A sudden wave of sadness and homesickness swept over me as I started crying. Was it really the best idea to come here alone? How was I going to survive the next 2 and a half weeks?

Should I call my friends Gopika and Shruti, who were also in India at the time, to bail me out? I didn't get much sleep that night as I contemplated these questions.

Luckily, the next day by sunlight, everything looked so much better. I went out the front gates of the ashram to the small town, maneuvering around cows as I went. I found a cute little coffee shop called Honey Hut that made organic pastries and coffee sweetened with honey. This would become my go-to breakfast and wifi spot over the next few days. I explored the town and did some shopping until sundown, when I had to be back at the ashram for the nightly "Ganga Aarti," a divine light ceremony performed to honor the Ganges river.

The next day, something strange happened. I went for lunch at the Little Buddha Café, a cute vegetarian restaurant that looked like a treehouse. The place was pretty full, so I had to share a table with a stranger. We started talking - it turned out he was a German grad student who had taken some time off before he was due to start at Cornell. He then proceeded to invite me to explore a local waterfall with him, and that's how I made my very first "friend for a day."

We climbed up a very steep hill heading out of the town to start on our trek towards the waterfall. On the way, we nearly got attacked by a group of wild monkeys! The road seemed to go on forever but we finally made it to the waterfall and it was well worth it. On the way back, we were too tired to walk, so we got a ride with some locals (the second kind of crazy thing I would do that day). Back in town, we had dinner at the Beatles Café, a restaurant dedicated to the Beatles' trip to the town in the 1960's. After dinner, we parted ways...and that was it! I was used to exchanging information with people I met on my travels, but it didn't happen in this case, which seemed a bit weird but it was still nice to have some company for the day.

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The next day, I left Rishikesh to go to Dehradun, where the vipassana meditation retreat center I was to stay at for the next 10 days was located.

It was a long drive to the middle of nowhere so leaving early would be a challenge. During check-in, I was forced to surrender my laptop, cell phone, journal, and books - basically anything that could provide any source of entertainment. This rule was in place to allow us to experience the vipassana technique in its purity. On Day 0, talking and hanging out with people of the opposite gender was allowed. I met some people at lunchtime and got advice from a veteran - just stay until the end, even if you want to leave. Apparently it was common for people to leave the center early because the experience was too intense. This scared me a little bit but I stowed her advice away in my brain. I met a really nice German girl and fellow yoga teacher named Lena, who would turn out to be my roommate. We explored the river outside of the center, which we soon wouldn't be able to do. At night, we watched the first of many instructional videos and began our period of Noble Silence - meaning that you couldn't talk to anyone, or even look them in the eye.

The next 9 days would be quite difficult and monotonous. The morning wake-up bell sounded every day at 4am. As someone who loves to sleep and is not a morning person, this was pretty hard for me. Morning meditation was from 430-630am, and I often fell asleep during this time, so it was hard to get any serious meditation done. Following that was breakfast, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The food at the center turned out to be delicious, or maybe it tasted so good because I was so bored! After breakfast was a short break, when I usually crawled back to bed, then back to the meditation hall. The schedule was pretty much like this - meditate, eat, rest, repeat. I counted up the total number of hours meditating per day and it came to 10! Despite having so much time to meditate, I was a bit frustrated with my progress. About halfway through each meditation session my leg would fall asleep and cause me a lot of pain. But per our instructions, we were to practice "adhitthana," or strong determination, and not move at all during the meditation. I definitely broke this rule more than a few times. A breakthrough came on one of the last days though. I was sitting alone in my meditation cell when I felt an incredible sense of peace and well-being wash over me. It didn't last for very long, but I finally got a glimpse of what meditation could be like if I practiced diligently.

At last came day 10 - "metta" or loving-kindness day. On this day we learned how to practice a new type of meditation that is aimed to spread our goodwill to others. We also finally got to speak and look each other in the eye again.

That day I talked to many different people and swapped experiences with them. It was a really happy conclusion to an intense 9 days. As I reflected back on what had changed since I first came to the center, I did feel lighter and more at peace. I noticed that I was finally able to let go of someone from my past who had haunted my thoughts for the past year. That in and of itself made the experience worth it. But mostly I was just proud of myself for sticking with it and making it through the full program when many people didn't. It was definitely a once in a lifetime type of experience that I will cherish for many years to come.

@rox_on_the_road

THE GOLDEN OF KINDNESS Where peace, love and gratitude make a simple place the most magical in the world

Where is this place, still unknown, to Western man? Even today, it is difficult to place it and this is complex to be able to do it even through the pages of books and books! Some studies place this strip of Earth between the circumferences of China, others close to it and others, even very far from it. Where is it? Maybe in some corner of Asia. Others, even, have tried to place this place simply in the section: Buddhism. Geographically, this land area is baptized with the name: Tibet. Etymologically, it means woolly fabric, to indicate the rigidity of the climate and the difficulty of life in this limited area.

The beauty of this place is the dimension that still remains in it today.

Tibet has developed a very special and unique cultural heritage over the years. The specific geographical condition and the relationship with neighboring countries have influenced its development. Tibetans are believed to be the friendliest people in the world. They always use extremely polite language while addressing the elderly, people with higher social status or even people of the same age or divinatory statues. Among the various manuscripts that have come down to us inside the Dunhuang caves, a fragment was found which contains various funeral rituals practiced in the monarchical era before the advent of Buddhism. To celebrate these rites were the so-called Bön "invocators" and the Shen "sacrificers". These belonged to a priestly class that managed the ritual system structured around the worship of the sovereign and royal burials. Today, large masses of land surrounding the shape of the mountains are the object of veneration and a destination for pilgrimages.

From these ancient documents, it can be deduced that the Tibetans rapidly developed the concept of sacred royalty, deeply linked to the concept of an aristocratic society.

Almost of the heroic type.

But what were the rites like within Tibetan Buddhism?

- Tibetan Buddhism is not a monolithic system of beliefs and practices - The rites, in particular, reveal a deep syncretism with local traditions and beliefs, with ritual experts and with the adaptation of Buddhist precepts - The rites adapt by transforming themselves into the sociopolitical contexts where they are practiced in contemporary Tibetan societies. This implies that the study of a rite can only be conducted in a specific geographical area and at a specific historical moment

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Different types of offers - Red offers - White offerings Red offerings: blood, meat, booze, weapons, live animal sacrifices, torma (substitutions) What are torma? They are figures made of butter and flour, the most curious and fascinating artistic forms of Tibet. Their preparation usually also included other ingredients: eggs, milk, sugar, honey, meat, blood (depending on the ritual use). They could be painted in different colors and molded into different shapes. The tormas were used in tantric rituals with different functions. Some were placed on the altars during ceremonies as forms of offering or symbolic representation of the divinity, while others were used during the practice of the officiants in the rite. They were in no way prepared to please spirits, accumulate merit, or remove obstacles to their spiritual practice.

Precise preparations of the torma.

In Tibetan: sweet ritual, they last about four months and traditionally are the work of the Lamaist monks. They are shiny, multicolored and perfectly decorated figurines The preparation is based on written and oral instructions. The indications for preparation vary greatly depending on the purpose of the preparation, the ritual expert, the specific tradition and line of transmission. It ranges from the representation of buildings to nature, such as the sun, moon and stars, flowers, birds and animals of various ashes, however it is not unusual to also sculpt human figures such as Buddhist saints or civil and military officials traditionally famous among the Tibetan people. Once sculpted, the tormas are placed on the altars as a symbolic offering. Based on their size and use, yak butter sculptures are divided into two categories, namely small and medium sculptures for use in niches and large ones for ornamental use. Specifically, the small sculptures for the niches are characterized by the refinement and ingenuity of workmanship as well as by the variety of colors and shapes. The sculptures for the niches are arranged together with dozens or hundreds of pieces, forming sets of extraordinary interest.

White offerings: milk, flowers, butter, tsampa (toasted barley flour).

Tibet is a region that combines breathtaking landscapes with a unique culture.

@realbeauty_love94

My Yoga Teacher Training In India YORDANKA

It's been more than six months already, but I decided finally to sit down and write about it while I still have some fresh memories, and I can also compare how I developed meanwhile.

People often ask me how I decided to go to India for yoga teacher training. The funny thing is, I don`t even remember how and when exactly I decided I want to do it. I assume I planted the seed for this decision when I first started reading about yoga and practicing, and it was growing ever since. I was 15 years old when I started developing my interest in meditation and eastern teachings. I count myself as a lucky girl because my first meeting with yoga was exactly with traditional Raja yoga and not just with the physical practice of yoga that many only know.

Additionally, I was reading the journal "Yoga for every day" while I was still in Bulgaria. It was a monthly edition which was offering quality articles on all possible aspects of yoga and alternative way of living.

At the end of it, there was often the story of a yoga teacher who spent a month or few in an Indian Ashram, obtained his/her Sanskrit name, doing Seva cleaning the whole place, and so on. Some of them shaved their hairs. I was observing with interest that some people on the pictures didn't do it, so I was hoping I don't have to shave my head if I go to India one day.

I was happy to see that Julia Roberts didn't have to shave her head either in the movie Eat, Pray, Love. She had to wipe the whole floor kneeling even though. I was relieved to find out that you can only go for a teacher training course in India, without having to do the dirty job. You pay (a nice amount) and what you are going to do all day is yoga, eating vegetarian food, meditating and a little bit of sightseeing. Now, tell me, doesn't it sound to you like a dream holiday?

I remember, already in 2015, I was telling the people that this is my dream, and I want to do this one day.

For different reasons, I was postponing accomplishing, there was either no time, no money, or both, but besides that, I had my concerns connected with health, hygiene, pollution, and climate in India.

Before the trip, I was looking for a blog post like this. I wanted to read about the experience of somebody else who did a yoga teacher training course in India, but I couldn't find exactly this. For sure, there must be plenty of them, but Google didn't show me. I hope my story will provide some answers for another modern spiritual seeker. I will try to keep it detailed but not watery for you.

What defined the final decision was the fact that I didn't have a healthy lifestyle before the course. I was smoking, drinking, eating junk food. At least I was vegetarian, which was good for my mind, but slowly I was reducing the sports activities and limiting the yoga practice to a little bit of stretching from time to time till it was completely absent. I had a stressful job which I didn't like. I was tired of working something only because it was well paid because the working times suit me or just because I had to do something. I just wanted finally to do something that I like. I had to take my health in hands as well, as I developed some issues with my feet, and as a result, I had pain in my knees and back. I was so stiff and stressed out that eventually, I had pain all over my body. Just before the course, I realized that I was not able to do the dancer pose anymore. I couldn't center my mind, and I couldn't keep any standing balance. I couldn't lift myself for the wheel pose. There was no strength, and my spine just felt like a big brick. It was painful and frustrating. The postures I did once to warm-up as a yoga student while waiting for the teacher to come in were not accessible to me even as peak poses anymore. Attempting arm balances were a mirage, and sitting in lotus was just a memory.

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Rishikesh is an astonishing place situated in the foothill of Himalaya along the Ganga river. Simple but colorful life. People seemed happy. There were, unfortunately, a lot of street dogs, but they were all behaved and quite, from which I did the conclusion they don`t face much aggression from the people. The attitude towards animals can say a lot about society. If you don`t know about the Bulgarian street animals, it is better for you to not find out about it at all. (But if you change your mind go fund Animal Rescue, Bulgaria. It will be appreciated.) During my stay in Rishikesh, I have seen few times a local hitting a street cow or his donkey with a stick or trying to scare a dog or a monkey. I hope those were exceptions. Hope dies at last.

The name Rishikesh comes from word Rishi which is a word for enlightened Hindu, somebody who reached Samadhi, a holly person. However, even locals joke with the name of the town as Rishi-cash, so commercial it is nowadays. Many "gurus" will sell you everything in exchange for some cash. The whole Rishikesh seems to survive mainly from tourists. So many young, lost souls go in Rishikesh to seek for themselves, smoking weed all day and believing they are spiritual. Compared to most European countries, it is super cheap in Rishikesh, which local merchants use very well. Most of the shops don't use price tags, and you will evaluate you first. They always ask you first from which country you are from, especially they like to here the US or UK, but Germany and Switzerland also sounded good, in my opinion. I always said I come from Bulgaria I avoided to mention I live in Austria, it was just cheaper. I preferred to visit one same shop with fixed prices, where the merchant didn't seem so into playing Robin Hood game. I think it was also cheaper if you shop in a group. They can get a bit confused when so many nationalities enter the shop at once, but if we enter separately, then we all get a different price. It is somehow ridiculous, but maybe somebody who likes negotiating would appreciate this experience.

I have arrived in Rishikesh in the Evening on 31st October. It was almost 24 hours since I had left home, and I was tired, sleepy, hungry, and thirsty. I didn't sleep so well during the night on the plane, and I was careful what I am drinking, eating, and touching.

Besides, I was in a culture shock.

People were super friendly and polite, which is something I haven't experienced in any other culture, but before even I reached the school, I got triggered by the poverty and contrast of life in India. I was surprised to see with my eyes that the caste system still exists.

Something important I learned in India is that Ahimsa, non-violation, the first Yama, always start from ourselves.

All these years since my first meeting with yoga philosophy, I thought Ahimsa was only being a good person and not hurting other living beings. I remember so many situations in which I was struggling with a decision, not hurting somebody. I would suppress my anger, or I would compromise with myself to make somebody happy.

Truth to be told the opposite, to only act according to your interests, will only turn you into egoist. Balancing assertive behavior and empathy is the key. The thing is, all those cliches how you should love yourselves first and so on are easier said than done. Many people, for example, force themselves to become vegans or vegetarians because they read or heard somewhere it was for the animals.

However, if this change does not come from inside, it is violence according to one's nature and thus will not cause good to him. Another thing I have learned is that it is not always wrong if you experience Santosa (contentment and satisfaction) from material goods. We live after all in a material world. Being spiritual is good, but something needs to ensure the food and pay the bills. Besides, the inspiring job of a yoga teacher requires expensive training.

Something for which even Wolf of Wall street was right is that if you want to do something good with a significant impact on the world, usually you need money. For example, yoga schools in India increase the price all the time. If they want to educate teachers who will spread the knowledge of yoga around the world and thus create it a better place, why they all the time want to charge more and more like a good business instead of keeping it accessible? For a good education you need to pay, and it's worth it, this I respect, and I understand very well, but in Rishi-cash there are so many yoga schools, that I doubt all of them are good quality. I also tend to doubt that employees' salaries increase progressively with increasing the course fees. Do you know The Monk who sold his Ferrari? In our case was: the guru who bought a Mercedes.

Literally.

We live in a modern world. Yoga has changed over the millenniums, but so has humanity as well. I thought traditional yoga is the best, and I was not so open to its contemporary modifications, but not everything ancient is applicable or beneficial to people nowadays. We should keep the tradition and cherish the experience of our ancestors, but we should not underestimate the power of current generations to create the traditions. Yoga is good for life, but life is not only yoga. I think we should be stable grounded to reach high. I have also seen people who tend to forget themselves and sink too deeper into spirituality. I think we should also be able to doubt things, not everything we hear even from a specialist is genuine, and not everything which works well for somebody else is valid for us. A reason for me to start smoking again at the end of the course was that I was not sure anymore if I was finding or losing myself.

I did quit smoking one more time when I got back home but, see, not the trip to India itself is the life-changing experience. It is more like, in my opinion, the willingness to adopt new habits, the desire to get answers. Yoga philosophy gives answers, but we all understand them (or not) according to his own experience. So, you should also not believe everything I am sharing here. That is just my experience, my opinion, my point of view. Sometimes, it is good to think paradoxically and change thinking patterns.

The schedule was very intensive. We started at finished with the classes when it was dark outside. We were beginning the day with mantra recitation. I like listening to mantras as well with their singing so I would enjoy longer chanting sessions. However, for some students, even this length was too much. We were a very mixed group of many nationalities from all over the world. We all had been going through different yoga styles and systems. Some of the students never practiced meditation before, another never attempted cleansing procedures or pranayama.

There were experienced teachers besides almost newbies.

Even though I think we all enjoyed the course and we took the best out of it. The material was thaught detailed, gradually, so everyone could progress with his temp.

However, those who didn't have experience with yoga philosophy were having a harder time when preparing for the exam, but everyone made it even though. As I shared already, I arrived in India in bad physical shape. I was not practicing for a while, so I had a hard time adapting to the intensity of the practice, but at least I was familiar with the alignment of many postures. My sports education was also making it easy with yoga anatomy. After the first week, I started to recover my flexibility when I was well warmedup, and I was getting on fire. I was practicing even during the breaks. As a result, I injured myself and had to take it slowly until the end of the course. It was the only lesson for my ego, which was craving approval and admiration of the outer expression of a practice which was determined to the inner world, calm, modest, and rational mind. It was also a significant experience for my future work as a teacher, knowing what people in pain go through.

After learning mantras in Sanskrit, we continued with Cleansing processes. We performed Jala Neti by the river.

For most of the people that was already too much. Later on, we added Vaman Dhoti. It was quite awkward to perform those procedures in a group, but eventually, we got used to it. Sneezing, squeezing, spitting, puking was just the usual start of the day. I remember once an angry woman whose room view was exactly us cleansing our noses, opening the window, and screaming that she couldn't do this anymore and that our noises were a bit disturbing for that time of the day. Sorry for her and many others who didn't even complain.

When we tried the Sutra Neti (cleansing the nasal passages with the help of a rubber catheter) it was the highlight of the day. It was ecstatic whose Nadis (energetic channels) are clean. It was not so easy as it seemed, but with the right amount of dedication, it was possible.

Something I find very funny, long time ago when I first started reading about yoga, I ended up exactly on material for Shatkarma (cleansing processes) but the hardcore. I remember not finding enough info about yoga on Bulgarian websites (at that time, yoga was not such a trend in my country) so, I went for Russian portals. I assume, because I didn't understand free the detailed texts, I accepted those procedures as something usual and essential on the yoga path. Before the course, they sent us an email with instructions from the school about what to bring. There was "an open heart" on the list. They mentioned we would perform ancient cleansing procedures and that we should be open to the different cultures. I recalled the drawings of yogis from the Russian websites swallowing a cotton strip and then taking it out. We only had to do this with our noses, that was just fine. I was happy I didn't have to shave my head.

After Shatkarma, we proceeded with Pranayama. Breathing with clean nasal passages was a thing! We were welcoming the sunrise during the Ashtanga class. After an hour and a half Primary series, we had an abundant breakfast. I felt awkward that I was awake for four hours, but it was only 9 AM. Everyday. Eventually, my biorhythms adapted, and I was waking up before the alarm, but it was still painful. At that time in Austria was a bit after midnight - the time I usually go to bed.

You see in the picture above: Breakfast in silence. Don't trust that. We only succeeded for a meal and a half.

A thing I loved in India is colorful clothes. Walking on Rishikesh streets felt like a fairy tale., a completely different feeling compared to urban, European life. The pace of life in Rishikesh was slow, no rush, no public transport, nobody seemed to be stressed out in a hurry. Locals said it was not so easy as it looked like and that living there was not so pleasant as being a tourist, which I tend to believe. Even though people seemed happy and they were always friendly and polite

@yogawithyordanka The views of Rishikesh are incredible. I enjoyed them from my room, from the school, from numerous coffee places, all of them facing the Ganga river. The combination with Himalaya is breathtaking.

I had a healthy lifestyle in Rishikesh. I didn't smoke, didn't drink alcohol or a coffee for a few weeks, and we prominently had healthy food. It was not difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle in a holly town. Felt like a saint. However, despite the alcohol and meat prohibition in Rishikesh, some locals were importing meat from other places nearby. I was shocked, but as I mentioned above, eating habits change is something that should originate from inside, in synchrony with the state of consciousness.

I was very happy to meet people from all over the world.

Now I have friends from almost all continents. I have learned a lot about different cultures. It's interesting how the way of life might determine our experience, but not who we are. Different people with a completely different background and lifestyle might share similar or the same moral values. The other way around, different situations and circumstances might cause the same feelings and experiences.

BECKY FOX BIO: I am a sexologist and relationship therapist and many of my clients come to see me because they have low sexual desire. They are looking for ways to feel more erotic, to prioritise sex and to get more pleasure from it.

YY: How did you get into yoga BECKY: I originally trained as a dancer and used the practical asanas as a way to help me build my flexibility and strength. After graduating, when I thought carefully about what I really wanted to do, yoga came out tops and I decided to drop the dancing. I started just with the asanas and as the years went on I then got into pranayama and meditation practices too.

YY: How does a Yogic lifestyle change your lifestyle BECKY: Before I started getting serious about teaching yoga I used to party a lot, most of my weekends were spent in a daze and the more I got into yoga the less I wanted to party in that hard, physically and mentally unhealthy, way.

By practicing and teaching yoga I spend my weekends in community with like minded people who are now some of my dearest friends and my lifestyle is definitely much more on the healthy side.

YY: Which Yoga Styles do you practice BECKY: At the moment I am practicing mainly vinyasa flow. I used to practice mainly Rocket, Dharma and Acro however my body is craving something more gentle now. Not sure whether this will be a more permanent move or is cyclic.

YY: Your favourite Asana BECKY: My favourite asana is the full wheel pose. This pose feels amazing for my body, especially now as a therapist I spend most of my day sitting down and the full wheel really allows me to stretch and open my body after a long period of being seated.

@becky_crespley_fox YY: How you manage clients which come to you for relationship/sexual issues BECKY: I see individual clients and relationships of 2 (or more people) for both Sex and Relationship therapy. With the Covid lockdowns, this is currently done online via zoom. The sessions include talking therapy, often with home assignments to do between sessions. These can be written tasks, embodiment practices or connection based activities. I see clients for a huge range of issues, some of which include; Low sexual desire, erectile or ejaculation issues, vulva/pelvic pain, lack of orgasm, communication in relationships and working on recovery after an affair.

YY: Does the practice of yoga give us a better sex life BECKY:The act of focussing, which we do in both yoga and meditation, helps us to bring an awareness to our body.

This helps our sex life for two reasons. Reason 1 is that by practicing mindfulness it helps to narrow our focus so when we are in a sexual situation and our mind starts wandering we are more likely to notice that has happened and to then bring the awareness back to the sexual situation. Reason 2 is that, in yoga, by tuning into the body and gaining a closer relationship to it, the increments of pleasure become more noticeable thus enhancing the pleasurable sensations in the sexual situation. Because of this yoga can also help with a wide range of sexual dysfunctions.

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YY: How tantra is connected to Yoga BECKY: Tantra is only connected to yoga in as much as they are both practices which focus on embodiment, breath and mindfulness. Tantra can take many forms and there is also a Tantra yoga style which is a fluid practice where you stretch the body and breath deeply. Like any style of Yoga the Tantra style looks different depending on who is teaching it yet what I have experienced in the past is that it is similar to Vinyasa flow. People can live the Tantra lifestyle, others use it for its spiritual aspects and others for its sensuality aspect.

YY: What benefits do you get adapting a Yogic lifestyle BECKY: By practicing yoga (especially yin yoga) you can activate the “rest and digest” function in the body (moderated via the parasympathetic nervous system). This means the nervous system has the time and space to regulate these functions which in turn stops the stress cycle within the body. As well as the nervous system benefits, practicing yoga allows the body to stretch and strengthen which can help with preventing injuries and help with posture and overall fitness.

YY: What is sexual embodiment according to you BECKY: The Sexual Embodiment that I teach is a combination of movement, breath and mindfulness practices either on an individual basis or with a partner. It is a way to connect to our innate sexual power that can get dulled from society pressures and cultural norms.

YY: Advantage of Lust Yoga BECKY: LustYoga is my concept yoga class that incorporates yoga, kundalini movements, hip rocking and Kegels. I created this class for anyone who wants to feel more sexual desire. The asana practice is a fusion of yin and gentle vinyasa flow (so it is open to most people) and most of the poses focus on opening the 2nd chakra which is our sexuality centre. Participants leave feeling stretched, energised and with an awareness of erotic energy in the body.

YY:Can LustYoga make you more orgasmic BECKY: By tuning into the sensations in the body, by opening up the chakras and strengthening and releasing the pelvic floor muscles, the ability to be more orgasmic in a sexual situation is intensified. This may take some time and it is not a magic cure, however, with practice enhancements in orgasms develop.

YY: Your Favourite Travel Destination BECKY: India is my favourite place in the world. I have been to both Kerala and Goa twice and as soon as possible Covid permitting- I aim to go to Rajasthan.

YY: Your message for Couples BECKY: My message for couples would be to listen to each other more. When someone is talking it is human nature to be thinking through our response as the other person is talking. This is not helpful in intimate relationships as misunderstandings can easily occur. Try to listen actively and fully to what your partner is saying and then repeat what you heard back before you reply. That way it gives you time to really process and then check in with them that you heard and understood the message clearly. After that you can respond (at which point they also listen and then repeat back what they heard).

My name is Mariela Cruz. I was born in San Jose, Costa Rica, Central America. I'm a lawyer and served my country as an Ambassador to India in 2017/ 2018. I'm also an Authorized teacher level 2 from my Guru Sharath Jois in Mysore, India, in the Ashtanga lineage.

For more information about my teacher and school, go to www.sharathyogacentre.com I live in India since 2017 and i'm married to Abhishek since 2019. India is my home. You will find me listed under India in the Teacher's List in my school.

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YY :Instagram Accounts 1. @marielacruzyoga 2. @ashtangini_marielacruz 3. @ashtangini 4. @ashtangini_universidad

YY: Years of Teaching/Practicing MARIELA: I came to India first time in 2002. I found my Gurus Pattabhi Jois and Sharath Jois in January 2003. I started my Ashtanga practice with them and got my Authorization Level 1 in 2007 and Level 2 in 2009. I had the first Ashtanga traditional yoga school in Costa Rica for 17 years (2001-2018)

YY: How did you get into yoga MARIELA: I learned yoga from my mother and started very early at 8 years old. My mother had a teacher from Peru and she taught me the first asanas. I practiced during my pregnancies with her. When I came to India I knew this was my spiritual home.

YY: How does a Yogic lifestyle change your life MARIELA: Yoga is about controlling our mind and emotions. It's also about service and devotion.

Yoga teaches us to manage ourselves, to learn equanimity in the middle of crisis and transformation and also surrender to our Guru. Yoga, Ayurveda and Jyotisha have transformed my mind and my life and i'm grateful to India for all the wisdom and knowledge. My blessing and good karma.

YY: Which yoga styles do you practice I practice Ashtanga yoga with my Guru Sharath Jois in Mysore, Karnataka, since 2003. Ashtanga yoga is a very demanding practice and after 19 years of practice i just finished the Third Series with my Guru in 2019. It's a slow practice with many obstacles but teaches us about patience, commitment, love for daily practice and also about giving. It connects us with practitioners all over the world and brings great beings into our lives.

YY: According to you how yoga works for youthfulness MARIELA: Yoga keeps our mind young and energetic.

Daily practice is a must to understand life is about contributing to the greater whole, more than about our own personal dramas. Yet, we need to be awake so we also make the best decisions for our life and those around us. My life has been blessed by my Guru and his Grace: I live where I always wanted, i´ve dedicated my life to yoga and sacred activism. I´m here to contribute in any way I can.

YY: Your favourite Asana for youthful appearance The Ashtanga Method has 6 series. Only my Guru finished them all. I personally like Intermediate Series very much because of the deep openings of the spine and hips. But Primary series is healing for everyone and in this time of history, i feel yoga is the medicine for body and mind.

Everyone can practice, my Guru Sharathji says, except lazy people.

YY: How was your life as teenager/ students in terms of fitness? Any School memories you want to share I became a lawyer when i was very young and i used to be very fit in my body but stiff and stressed in my mind. With my yoga practice, life has become sweeter and there is a deep faith in shanti no matter what is going on outside.

YY: Where can we find you when you're not on the mat MARIELA: I'm a social activist and after my tenure as Ambassador, I realized my dharma is to fight for social causes, especially for children and the needy. Social activism is sacred activism. In these times, yoga has become a very narcissistic endeavor, especially in the west. It's all about physical postures and yoga is much more deeper and powerful than that. I'm also teaching a lot online since the pandemic and I work with spanish speaking students all over the world.

YY: What advice would you give to some one that is new to practice of yoga Everyone can practice, but not everyone has the discipline for it. We need a teacher, we need guidance and help from someone who is doing it and loves it.

YY: What does it mean to you to align mind, body and spirit MARIELA: It means that what you think, you manifest. So the intention is to think in a higher frequency so we can manifest more awareness, love and compassion. This changing of the mindset can only happen through the grace of our Guru, otherwise it's impossible on our own.

YY: What do you like about teaching/Practicing yoga MARIELA: I love to see how my students transform within and without and how they grow and mature. Their lives start having structure and meaning and they become better human beings, creative and open hearted. The world is in deep need of good human beings.

YY: Your Favourite Travel Destination MARIELA: My favorite place on earth is India. I also love the Balearic Islands in Spain, Malaga in Spain, Argentina, México, Perú, Panamá, Guatemala, Germany and Japan- all countries where i´ve taught in the past. I have a very special place in my heart for Italy since i lived there while i was getting my second masters degree in law. I have very good friends and students all over the world and that is because my yoga school in Mysore is a very international community.

@marielacruzyoga YY: Your favourite book MARIELA: My favorite poet is Mary Oliver and my favourite authors Jumpa Lahiri and Arundati Roy.

YY: Any Upcoming Bollywood/Hollywood projects MARIELA: I don´t have any for the moment. My energy is focused in teaching monthly intensives for students all over the world.

YY: What message you want to give woman who wants to stay like you in 40+ MARIELA: My message to every women is to find their freedom and passion. No matter what the social conditioning says, as women we must strive for whatever makes our soul shine.

DILRAJPREET KAUR Bio :

Well I am uttarakhand govt. Yoga Brand ambassador from last 5 years as well as I am serving myself in government university and in govt hospital.. This is my luck that I am living my dream and I am known by my passion that is yoga.... Moreover I feel proud to be an international and asian champion of yoga...

YY: Years Teaching/Practicing DILRAJPREET: Practicing from last 20 years and its been 4 years of teaching YY: Instagram handle @yoga_dilrajpreet_kaur YY: Certifications DILRAJPREET: I won International, Nationals, Asian Championships. I have completed my Graduation as well as Masters in Yoga.Also I have completed 3 years diploma in naturopathy. I am certified yoga teacher from ministry of ayush

@yoga_dilrajpreet_kaur

YY: What do you love about Teaching/ Practicing Yoga DILRAJPREET: I can't hate anything regarding yoga... But I love to see the progress in my students.

YY: What Drew you to Yoga DILRAJPREET: My Passion YY: FAVOURITE YOGA POSE

YY: Your Favourite Travel Destination DILRAJPREET: PUDUCHERRY,INDIA YY: What message you want to give woman who wants to stay like you DILRAJPREET: Don’t bound yourself any don’t hesitate to do anything. If you want to achieve you have to do work hard for it.

DILRAJPREET: There are so many yoga poses I love to do YY: Ideal Person DILRAJPREET: My Mother

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NIYOGA – SEX FOR DHARMA, NOT FOR PLEASURE SURROGACY IN ANCIENT INDIA Niyoga or Niyog ( नयोग) is an ancient Indian tradition, in which a woman (whose husband is either incapable of fatherhood or has died without having a child) would request and appoint a person for helping her bear a child. According to this tradition the man who was appointed must be or would most likely be a revered person.

The concept of Niyoga might sound barbaric to us but it was practiced even by the other cultures like Jews.

The concept of Niyoga has undergone subtle changes over time to accommodate those dominant opinions, but some implicit clauses such as these remain: The woman would agree to this only for the sake of rightfully having a child and not for pleasure.

The appointed man would do this for Dharma, considering it as his duty to help the woman bear a child and not for pleasure.

The child, thus born would be considered the child of the husband-wife and not that of the appointed man.

The appointed man would not seek any paternal relationship or attachment to this child in the future.

To avoid misuse, a man was allowed a maximum of three times in his lifetime to be appointed in such a way.

The act will be seen as that of Dharma and while doing so, the man and the wife will have only Dharma in their mind and not passion nor lust. The man will do it as a help to the woman in the name of God, whereas the woman will accept it only to bear the child for herself and her husband.

There would be no foreplay, oral or any other type of sexual activity except the intercourse.

There would be a semi-transparent curtain covering the upper part of the woman, only allowing view and access to her lower part for the man performing niyoga.

The bodies are to be covered with ghee (a type of clear butter used in South Asian cooking), so that lust may not take root in the minds of the participants but the actual act may take place for conception only.

Traditional Stories In the epic Ramayana, Kalmashapada who is ancestor of Lord Rama. Kalmashpada was the son of Raghu from his name Raghuvamsh name originated.Rama is a descendant of Kalmashapada. Kalmashapada queen Madayanti done niyoga process with sage Vashista to bear a child named as Ashmaka.

In the epic Mahabharata, Bharata kingdom queen Satyavati called her son Sage Vyasa to do Niyoga process for her widow daughter-in-laws Ambika, Ambalika and her maid Parishrami to produce Dhritarashtra, Panduraj and Vidura as sons. Again Panduraj was incapable to give a child to her wives Kunti and madri, they got pandavas by performing Niyoga process.

Again Vyasa protected unfertilized egg which came out from Queen gandhari womb by keeping them in Ghee pots to give births to 101 Kauravas.

In Bhagavatha- 4 skanda, Their is a story of King Vena, Due to Vena curel intentions and evil activities great sages killed him. But to establish a king or legal heir for kingdom, sages churned thighs and arms of king vena to give births to Prithu, Archi and a demon.

These children were born without intervention of female.

Another story which revolve on birth of King Balarama who is brother of Lord Krishna.In the presence of Vasudeva( father of Krishna & Balarama) Devaki 7th womb was transferred to Rohini by Yogamaya.

Balarama was taken birth from Rohini.

Interesting Facts Kshetrabijam, to beget a son on his wife was also explained in Kautilya Arthasastra.

Child who born in this niyoga process is considered the child of Wife and Husband. The selected person for niyoga process will not become father of child.

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The born child was called as kshetraja - child of wife and husband.

The selected person will not allow to make relationship with mother or child in future.

The selected person will allow only three times for niyoga process in his life time.

The persons who participate in niyoga process, their whole bodies will be covered by ghee to eliminate lust from their minds.

According to Manusmriti this process was forbidden.

And treated it as social custom, not as religious custom.

Scientific Assumptions In Ramayana, the origin of Ashmaka may give an idea of Artificial insemination. Injecting a sperm in womb to fertilize egg without any physical intercourse. Even pandavs birth may be related to Artificial insemination.

The story of Kauravas will remind us Test-tube baby which means an egg is fertilized by sperm in outside environment.

In Bhagavatham, The story of king Vena will raise thoughts on Cloning. Reproducing genetic xerox copy of a person by propagating an organism or cell.

Balarama birth may be taken place with technology of surrogate baby or rent a womb. When health related issues arouse in pregnant lady she can transfer womb to another womb to protect the baby which is called as Surrogate baby.

In this criteria Foster father differs from biological father. But child remains as a son of foster father.

In the novel, Mathurobhagan (One Part Woman – published in English in 2014), Perumal Murugan brings to the fore the ritual that was practiced in Tiruchengonde, a small village in central Tamil Nadu.

The story is created in the 1940s around a childless couple, kali and ponna, who are desperately looking for ways to conceive a child. The plot builds up to a ritual in the Maathorubaagan temple where the character joins other childless women engaging in free sex in an attempt to get impregnated. A child born out of such a relation was treated as gift of God. This representation of women, this sexual permissiveness depicted, offended ardent religious fanatics and protests ensued; all concluding in the suicide. He is alright but freedom of speech had received a fatal blow in that moment for India.

In the modern age, Niyoga still survives. It only has put on new names. Surrogacy, IVF and artificial fertilization are a go-to as even today the root cause for the practice remains. The importance attached to a child and family lineage still hold. However, the important thing to note here is that the role of women in this practice has changed, and for good.

Whether for artificial insemination using scientific methods involving no actual fornication, or for direct insemination in picking out ideal surrogates, the husband and the wife both are equal participants in the decision making. IQ levels, appearances, family backgrounds, medical histories are just some of the parameters one can use to evaluate a potential surrogate, to make that optimum choice. Even the circumstances under which any of these is permitted have broadened now. In the more progressive states of today, a single woman is extended a right to artificial insemination. Taking of a child by a single woman is not so big a stigma today and it is not so uncommon to find a happy family with one parent.

Surrogacy has been normalized now to a great degree, with celebrities like Aamir Khan and Shahrukh Khan resorting to it. India legalised commercial surrogacy in 2002. Since then, our country has been the favourite destination for people need a surrogate child. But the economical availability of the service has also led to the issue of exploitation.

Now a doubting character may raise a doubt about the legal validity of Niyoga by poiting out the flawed thought and labelling Noyoga as adultery. Let it be understood that Nitog is neither a sin nor an adulterous act. Niyoga is wilful and consensual act of sex between a man and woman with the sole intent of producing a baby and it is done within the knowledge of the social guidelines that the two belong to. So, Niyoga is not a sin or a crime because it is not done under the cover of darkness or in secrecy. On the other side, adultery is a night time affair where sex is performed for fun away from the inquisitive eyes of the social and moral police.

Ramya Assistant Professor & Tribal Researcher Department of English P.K.R Arts College for Women Tamil Nadu Mail:ramyaindia1947@gmail.com

@veronika_mshashakti_yoga