by Peta Keaney
When I first arrived at Yoga Mandir I got lucky! A few months in, Alan invited me to do a bit of backroom re-search work. One thing led to another and I ended up playing an editing role on this booklet. I am so grateful for that opportunity. Through this work I came to better under-stand why we practice yoga and what we’re doing when we practice. In turn my own practice has been greatly enriched.
There are so many ways students at Yoga Mandir are fortunate! The studios are beautiful. The Institute is run very professionally. Classes are well organized, well attended by keen students and taught by capable dedicated teachers. And there’s good parking outside and coffee shops nearby for post-class chats!!
But there’s something more in the air at Yoga Mandir.
There’s not a lot of chit chat. There is an air of solemnity, a respectful silence, a seriousness, a focused energy. People here are ‘practising’ Yoga.
From their very first class at Yoga Mandir students are aware there is something very deep on offer here. This is more than an exercise class or a relaxation session. From our first classes we hear that Yoga is ‘action infused with observation’. And from there the syllabus-based plot thickens. Before too long we are exposed to ‘layers of experience’ (the kosas), the ‘nature of mind’ (manas, ahamkhara and buddhi) and the importance of observing these when we practice. And there’s that word again – ‘practice’.
At Yoga Mandir students learn early that Yoga is a ‘practice’. A systematic, disciplined study carried out over a long period of time, a process of tapas (effort), svadhyaya (self study) and isvara pranidhana(surrender). We start Yoga and do Yoga for lots of reasons but at its core it’s a disciplined practice to understand the nature of consciousness. In the process we get a better understanding of ourselves – our behaviours, our relationships, our lives.
So we get it that when we learn Yoga we are learning to practice. But ‘practising’ is easier said than done. The classroom provides the structure, energy and discipline we need to make the effort; to confront our fears; to move into new territory. The teacher’s words are beautiful and make sense when we’re in class. But can we remember them when we get home? And whilst we may get it that we need to practice, do we know how to practice, what to practice and how to maintain a practice over time?
That’s where Yoga Sadhana comes in. Here we have a practical guide on how to build and maintain a Yoga practice. It leads the reader through the philosophical framework that underpins Yoga Mandir teaching, pulling together the student study notes provided at each level of the Institute’s practitioner program. It goes on to give practical advice on how to structure a practice, how to approach practice, what asanas to do in what order etc. Information is also provided on how to modify your practice when menstruating, how to include restorative sessions into your routine and how to practice pranayama. Sequences from the Institute’s Led Practice program are included together with more complex asana groupings for maturing practitioners.
Yoga Sadhana is a great tool for serious Yoga practitioners – one you’ll pick up again and again for inspiration or practical help. It will guide you to the mat and help you stay there over time. Yoga Mandir students are indeed very fortunate to have it!
Peta worked as the Yoga Mandir office manager in 2011 and 2012, and also participated in the Institute’s teacher training program. Peta now lives in Sydney and she remains closely associated with Yoga Mandir through her work in the Sadhaka editorial team.