Friday, November 30, 2012

Your memoirs

Hi Everyone,

I look forward to reading your memoirs.  If you are willing to post them on the blog  please do. Please email me  a copy either way. 

Ya'll were an absolutely fabulous class. I enjoyed teaching you immensely.

Much love,

Dr. Schultz

Sunday, November 25, 2012

The Last Week of Class

Hi Everyone,

I hope you got a chance to watch the Legend of Baggar Vance over the Holiday. If not, please do so soon. you will really like it. 

We have our last practice  Tuesday 

and we have a guest lecture with Christina Sell on Thursday.

Come prepared with what poses you want to do for our last practice together.

AMS

Monday, October 8, 2012

Schedule of Reading and Class Meetings for the rest of the semester


Week Eight
Tuesday Oct 9 BG chapters 1-2: Describe Arjuna’s dilemma and a similar experience in your own life.
Class Activity: Philosophy discussion and Asana practice.

Thursday Oct 11 BG chapters 3-4: Describe the presentation of Krishna as a deity.
Text Box: Text Box:  Class Activity: Philosophy discussion and Asana practice.

Blog Assignments for the week; 1 reading response, 1 practice response , 2 comments on other blogs.

Week Nine
Tuesday Oct 16
Reading Assignment BG Chapters 5-6
Class Activity: Philosophy discussion and Asana practice.

Thursday Oct 18
Reading Assignment BG Chapters 7-8
Class Activity : No Class

Blog Assignments for the week; 1 reading response, 1 practice response , 2 comments on other blogs.

Week Ten
Tuesday Oct 23
Reading Assignment: BG chapters 9-10
Class Activity:  Philosophy discussion  of  Gita

Thursday Oct 25
Reading Assignment: BG chapters 11-12
Class Practice: Class Activity: Philosophy discussion and Asana practice.
Blog Assignments for the week; 1 reading response, 1 practice response, 2 comments on other blogs.






Week Eleven
Tuesday Oct 30  BG 
Reading Assignment: 13-14
Class Activity: Philosophy discussion The Gita and Asana practice.


Thursday Nov 1  
Reading Assignment  BG 15-16
Class Activity: Philosophy discussion and Asana practice.

Blog Assignments for the week; 1 reading response, 1 practice response , 2 comments on other blogs.


Week Twelve
Tuesday Nov 6  
Reading Assignment BG 17-18
Class Activity: Philosophy discussion and Asana practice.

Thursday Nov 8
Blog Assignment: Memoir #2 DUE
Class Activity No Class

Blog Assignments for the week; 1 practice response , 2 comments on other blogs.


Week Thirteen.
Tuesday Nov 13  Discussion of  Gita and relationship with Sutras
Reading Assignment None. Please work on your final papers.
Class Activity: Philosophy discussion and Asana practice.

Thursday Nov 15
Reading Assignment: None. Please work on your final papers.
Class Activity:  Watch  The Legend of Baggar Vance

Blog Assignments for the week; 1 practice response , 2 comments on other blogs.


Week Fourteen
Tuesday Nov 22 
Reading Assignment: None. Please work on your final papers.
Class Activity: Watch The Legend of Baggar Vance


Thursday Nov 24 No Class – Thanksgiving Break

Blog Assignments for the week; 1 practice response , 2 comments on other blogs.


Week Fifteen
Tuesday Nov 27
Reading Assignment: None.
Class Activity: Philosophy discussion and Asana practice We will discuss the Gita and Baggar Vance

Thursday Nov 29 None. Please work on your final papers.
Class Activity: Philosophy discussion and Asana practice  Come prepared with any questions about yoga philosophy or yoga poses that you have.

Blog Assignments for the week; 1 practice response , 2 comments on other blogs.


Final Paper due on day of final exam.












Thursday, September 27, 2012

Iyengar's translation of the eight limbs


Sutras II 29- 48

II. 29 Yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and Samadhi are the eight limbs of yoga.
II. 30. Non-violence (ahimsa), truth-telling (satya), non-stealing (asteya), continence (brahmacharya), and absence of greed (aparigraha) are the five yamas.
II.31 Yamas are the great might, universal vows, unconditioned by place, time and class.
II. 32 Cleanliness (sauca), contentment (santosha), religious zeal (tapas), self-study (svadhyaya) and surrender of self to god (Isvara pranidhanani) are the niyamas.
II. 33 Principles which run contrary to yama and niyama are to be countered with knowledge of discrimination.
II. 34 Uncertain knowledge giving rise to violence, whether done directly or indirectly or condoned, is caused by greed, anger or delusion in mild moderate or intense degree. It results in endless pain and ignorance. Through introspection comes the end of pain and ignorance.
II. 35 When non-violence in speech, thought and action is established one’s aggressive nature is relinquished and others abandon hostility in one’s presence.
II. 36 when the sadhaka is firmly established in the practice of truth, his words become so potent that whatever he says comes to realization.
II. 37 When abstention from stealing is firmly established, precious jewels come.
II. 38 When the sadhaka is firmly established in continence, knowledge, vigor, valor, and energy flow into him.
II. 39 Knowledge of past and future lives unfolds when one is free from greed for possessions.
II. 40 Cleanliness of body and mind (sauca) develops disinterest in contact with others for self-gratification.
II. 41 When the body is cleansed, the mind purified and the sense controlled, joyful awareness needed to realize the inner self also comes.
II. 42 From contentment and benevolence of consciousness (santosha) comes supreme happiness.
II. 43 Self-discipline (tapas) burns away impurities and kindles the spark of divinity.
II. 44 Self-study (svadhyaya) leads toward the realization of God or communion with one’s desired deity.
II. 45.  Surrender to God (Isvara pranidhanani) brings perfection in Samadhi.
II. 46 Asana is perfect firmness of body, steadiness of intelligence, and benevolence of spirit.
II. 47 Perfection in asana is achieved when the effort to perform it becomes effortless and the infinite being within in reached.
II. 48 from then on, the sadhaka is undisturbed by dualities.







Sutras II 49- III 13

II. 49 Pranayama is the regulation of the incoming and outgoing flow of breath with retention. It is to be practiced only after perfection in asana is attained.
II. 50 Pranayama has three movements: prolonged and fine inhalation, exhalation and retention; all regulated with precision according to duration and place.
II. 51.  The fourth type of pranayama transcends the external and internal pranayama, and appears effortless and non-deliberate.
II. 52.  Pranayama removes the veil covering the light of knowledge and heralds the dawn of wisdom.
II. 53 The Mind also becomes fit for concentration.
II. 54 Withdrawing the sense, mind and consciousness from contact with external objects, and then drawing them inwards towards the seer, is pratyahara.
II. 55 Pratyahara results in the absolute control of the sense organs.

Vibuthi Pada

III. 1   Fixing the consciousness on one point or region is concentration (dharana).
III. 2 A steady, continuous flow of attention directed towards the same point or region is meditation (dhyana).
III. 3 When the object of meditation engulfs the meditator, appearing as the subject, self-awareness is lost. This is Samadhi.
III. 4 These three together- dharana, dhyana and Samadhi- constitute integration or samyama.
III. 5 From mastery of samyama comes the light of awareness and insight.
III. 6 Samyama may be applied in various spheres to derive its usefulness.
III. 7 These three aspects of yoga are internal, compared to the former five.
III. 8 Similarly, samyama is external when compared to seedless (nirbija) Samadhi.
III. 9 Study of the silent moments between rising and restraining subliminal impressions is the transformation of consciousness towards restraint (nirodha parinamah).
III. 10 The restraint of rising impressions brings about an undisturbed flow of tranquility.
III. 11 The weakening of scattered attention and the rise of one-pointed attention in the citta is the transformation towards Samadhi.
III. 12 When rising and falling thought processes are in balance, one-pointed consciousness emerges. Maintenance of awareness with keen intensity from one-pointed attention to no-pointed attentiveness is karate parinama.
III. 13 Through these three phases, consciousness is transformed from its potential state (dharma) towards further refinement (laksana) and the zenith of refinement (avastha). In this way, the transformation of elements, senses, and mind takes place.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Class Plan on Asana


Reminder  about  the  Memoir  2000 word paper response it is  due  two weeks from Thursday.  Get reading.   Remember you can also post four 500 word responses as you are reading if you prefer.  The links to  the   books you can choose from  are on line.


Nabi  asked a great question  doesn’t it seem strange that asana is hardly mentioned at all.

There are only three  sutras that directly deal with  asana.   Interesting side note, it occurs right after the sutra that says  “Surrender to God brings perfection in Samadhi.”

2.46
sthira sukham asanam

Asana is perfect firmness of body, steadiness of intelligence and benevolence of spirit.
2.47
prayatna saithilya ananta samapattibhyam

Perfection in an asana is achieved when the effort to perform it becomes effortless and the infinite being within is reached.
2.48
tatah dvandvah anabhighatah

From then on, the sadhaka is undisturbed by dualities.



  It is mentioned as one of the eight limbs

2.29
yama niyama asana pranayama pratyahara dharana dhyana samadhayah astau angani

Moral injunctions (yama), fixed observances (niyama), posture (asana), regulation of breath (pranayama), internalization of the senses towards their source (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana) and absorption of consciousness in the self (samadhi), are the eight constituents of yoga.


  and then referred to  in the pranayama sutras (of which there are five).  
2.49
tasmin sati svasa prasvasayoh gativicchedah pranayamah

Pranayama is regulation of the incoming and outgoing flow of breath with retention. It is to be practised only after perfection in asana is attained.


So I thought we’d talk a bit about asana in the overall framework of the sutras.

Then some asana  AMS Utt, AMS supta I  AMS UPEP sirsasana,    M1   JS   Sarvangasana   M3   Savasana   


Memoirs are Due Oct 4

Hi All, I just wanted to remind you that your first memoir readings are due October 4  midnight.

Please write a 2000 word response to one of the following.  Waking by Matthew Sanford

Jesus in the Lotus by Russil Paul

Autobiography of a Yogi  by Parmahanasa Yogananda

First there is a Mountain  by Elizabeth Katedsky

Yoga from the Inside Out by Christina Sell

My Body is a Temple  by Christina Sell