Effect of the Asana

 

"The effect of the asana is the dualities between body and mind, mind and soul vanish."

 

-B.K.S. Iyengar

 

 

It is hard work to reach this state though and that is why yoga is a discipline, not just merely physical exercise.

Mr. Iyengar writes, in an article I just read titled, "Yoga: Where All Paths Merge into One", where the title says it all, but he explains nicely that all yoga is one, there is no difference.

 

Yogacharya BKS Iyengar says that in the olden days, what is now called Karma Yoga was then Karma Marga. Jnana Yoga was Jnana Marga and Bhakti Yoga was Bhakti Marga, and the last one was called Yoga Marga.

 

Marga means a path, a way and Yoga means union. He reminds us that there is a difference between a path and a union.

 

There is much confusion, Mr. Iyengar writes when branding our individual practices in various categories to say I am practicing a superior path and the other one is practising an inferior path. This should be washed off.

 

So, for the new year, use your tapas, or desire to reach the true goal of yoga knowing that karma, jnana and bhakti all intermingled. 

As Mr. Iyengar clearly illustrates,

"Hands and legs are meant for action; head for knowledge; heart for conscience is for love.

Can we separate these three in one human being?

Is this not Karma, jnana and Bhakti?"





So, the path of love, path of action and path of knowledge are all yoga of action, because they all have action in them.  "In all three, there are actions so Patanjali uses the word - kriya yoga."

Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
www.plnyoga.blogspot.com
plnyogastudio@gmail.com

PLN Yoga Schedule - few time changes to MORNING classes

I have just adjusted a few of the times for the Tues and Thursday morning classes in Prince Albert.
I have also had to shorten the Monday morning class by one week.
Please see the posters below..

Happy Holidays.
Pam

Namaste.
www.plnyoga.BlogSpot.com
plnyogastudio@gmail.com

Tribute to Nelson Mandela

"

For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."

                              -Nelson Mandela 

Thank you Mr. Mandela for your years of unselfishness to benefit the lives of others. 

Namaste. 

Pamela Nelson. 

Www.plnyoga.blogspot.com

New Contact Information

 

I am currently making some changes to how I contact and connect with people.
I will NO longer be using www.plnyoga.vpweb.com.
But am going to post to this blog and update my yoga schedule here!

I will also be emailing current yoga students and those wishing to stay on my email list through MailChimp.
This will be how I keep current students updated on classes and any class changes too.

My new email address to contact me at is:
plnyogastudio@gmail.com

I am also on facebook with PLN Yoga Studio and Young Living Essential Oils - Pamela Nelson

Please like those pages and you will see not only my posts, but many great posts from others.

https://www.facebook.com/plnyogastudio - PLN Yoga Studio

https://www.facebook.com/plnyoga - Young Living Essential Oils - Pamela Nelson


Thank you and Hope you have a great day!

Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
plnyogastudio@gmail.com

Everyday Thinking

This has been said to me before, but I just re-read it in a book called, "Simple Abundance", by Sarah Ban Breathach. 

She writes how there is a difference between thinking you know and actually knowing. 

This has been said to me in yoga workshops too. 

You have to just know. When you have right thoughts and right actions and right speech, You come to that place of truth. 

Where as Mr. Iyengar says we have brought intelligence to every cell of the body, and as this book suggests finding our true authenticity. 

Today I want to continue to keep trying to integrate gratitude, simplicity, harmony, beauty and joy into my daily life and into my every breath until I truly believe this abundance and wholeness is my true self. 

Namaste. 

Pamela Nelson

Www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

How Yoga Creates JOY in Life

Beware - Yoga can create JOY in your life.

It may not be the jump up and down excited kind of feeling, but there is a shift, a change that brings happiness and contentment, which is really all we really need in life. Contentment. That feeling of peace, calm and acceptance of ourselves.

For some this feeling may be quick, for others it may come more slowly, but the practice of yoga begins to purify and nourish the body.

Mr. Iyengar said in an interview with Dominique Umbert in 1994 that, "Yoga is like an inner bath. Blood gives us a bath inside the body." and to do this, "the blood has to circulate extremely well, and with a constant, even power or force."

He says with the practice of yoga we have to generate energy in our blood to nourish every part. Then the cells sense comfort and freedom, and send the message, "I am happy".

It is not the brain telling you this, but the body's own knowledge.

I hope you can find this true inner peace.

Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

Aspects of Yoga

Asana is the third limb in Patanjali's Astanga Yoga.

From Yogashastra - Tome 2
This limb deals with the body, senses, mind, intelligence, consciousness and self.
Practice of asana brings poise in body, peace in mind and makes you cheerful. If makes you to indirectly follow yama and niyama.

So in an asana one places the body in the right position, with firmness, control over the body and with comfort and ease.  The asana should also be done with an auspicious state of mind.

Mr. Iyengar says, "Body is my temple, asana are my prayers."

Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

Thankful Thursday's - December 12, 2013

Join me on December 12th for a Peace Practice.
Donations will go to Amnesty International who has their annual Write for Rights on December 10th.

 

 

 

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson

www.plnyoga.vpweb.com



Winter 2014 Yoga session at PLN Yoga Studio - Prince Albert and Christopher Lake

Upcoming Yoga session - Winter 2014

Join me this winter for Yoga!
It is a short session, but will hopefully make winter seem shorter too!
Posters below for classes in Christopher Lake and Prince Albert.

Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

What is the sum of your Practice?

While in India, Prashantji asked us a thought provoking question.

"What is the sum of your practice?"

 

Prashant said - We put monetary value on so many things, so what is the sum/value of your practice to you?

 

To me the word sum, means to add or accumulate. So one day may not have much value to you, that 5 minute yoga practice or hour one day, but what has it matured into over many days, months and years?

 

Really most things of any true value do not have a monetary amount you can attach to it. 

During this time of Remembrance, take a few moments to to ask yourself this important question.
Let the accumulation of all of our practices together create a world of peace and freedom in body, mind and breath!

 

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson

www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

Divinity

"It is through your body you realize you are a spark of divinity. "

                                -B.K.S. Iyengar

Namaste. 

Pamela Nelson 

Www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

Take a walk everyday!

I am a sucker for those great little inspiring quotes. 

They make my day. 

Here is another. Whatever your day today is it is part of your path. 

Namaste. 

Pamela Nelson

Www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

Book Review - Label Lessons: Unjunk Your Kid's Lunch Box

I sometimes do reviews on my blog for NATURALLY SAVVY.

They have a great website on natural and organic living and have also written a few books. 
Visit the website using this link -  http://www.naturallysavvy.com/

Andrea Donsky and Lisa Tsakos's latest book is Label Lessons: Unjunk Your Kid's Lunch Box.

It is in e-book format and can easily be downloaded.  It is short - less than 30 pages, but full of helpful information on how to read the labels on the most common foods put into kids lunch boxes like cookies, breads, fruit drinks and snacks.  The authors tell why some of these choices may not be the best and then give many tips and product suggestions that can improve the nutrition of lunches.

Even if you already read labels there is so much interesting information regarding how the snacks are produced, what the Scary 7 can do to us and our children that I'm sure you will be checking the labels a little closer the next time you head out shopping for school lunches.

The e-Book is FREE, features a variety of great printable coupons, and there is the chance to WIN a $1000 Healthy Shopping Spree. And even better - for every share of the e-book, Naturally Savvy will donate $1.00 to the Holistic Moms Network, a non-profit organization whose mission is to generate national awareness, education, and support for holistic parenting and green living.
If you would like to enter the contest and read and share the e-book, just click the link below.
http://labellessons2.naturallysavvy.com/


Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

Focus on Christmas - 2013

PLN Yoga Studio will be at Focus on Christmas again this year at the PA Exhibition grounds along with many other great exhibitors.

If you are looking for some great gift ideas for others and yourself we will have the wonderful fleece-lined wool sweaters, hats and mitts from India, Nepal and Tibet, as well as hemp purses, scarves and jewelry there again

Yoga props will also be available - mats, bolsters, straps, blocks, yoga toes, eye bags, blankets and bags. Always great gifts for those looking to enhance their home practice.

New - Pixie Glassworks essential oil diffuser pendants with Young Living Essential Oils

Hope to see you there! Stop by and enter the draw.

Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

Happy Thanksgiving

 

"A good teacher helps you to explore to the maximum"

 

Gratitude to Mr. Iyengar and all my other teachers out there.

Happy Thanksgiving

 

 

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson

www.plnyoga.vpweb.com



Power of a Positive Thought

So true. What's your positive thought for the day?

Let things go...

Life is busy, hard to hold it all, must let go or will fall down. 

Early mornings are a great time to breathe and let go. Shoulders feel better already. 

Namaste. 

Pamela Nelson

Www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

 

 

“I shall pass through this world but once.
Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness
that I can show to any human being, let me do it now.
Let me not defer or neglect it,
for I shall not pass this way again.”
Mahatma Gandhi

 

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson

www.plnyoga.vpweb.com



What is mantra??

What is mantra?

The thought that liberates and protects.

Namaste. 

Pamela Nelson 

Www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

Sunday September 15th - Free Gentle Yoga and Intro. to Essential Oils - Great Combo

This is a fun event to incorporate the healing benefits of Young Living Essential oils into your yoga practice and also learn more about the oils in everyday life.

 

Come Join Us on September 15th!

 



Namaste.

Pamela Nelson

www.plnyoga.vpweb.com



The Mind

It is our mind, and that alone,

that chains us or sets us free.

                                                                                    -Dilgo Rinpoche

 

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson

www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

 



Venerable Losang Samten - Prince Albert- September 3rd -5th

Venerable Losang Samten will be in Prince Albert, Sk. at the Prince Albert Arts Centre from September 3-5th from about 1-8 pm creating the Wheel of Life Sand Mandala.

He will give a talk Wednesday evening from 7-9pm.

See the poster from a few days ago for more details.

Below are pictures from previous sand mandalas that Losang has done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please stop in to view and visit!

 

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson

www.plnyoga.vpweb.com



Skin

The skin is an organ of perception. It does not act. It receives.

 

 

-B.K.S. Iyengar

 

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson

www.plnyoga.vpweb.com



Yog is for understanding the Kleshas

 

 

Prashant Iyengar writes in his new book, Fundamentals of Patnjali's Pholosophy (Theory of Klesha and Karma), that essential Yog is for understanding and Identifying Kleshas. He says that subsequently, the Kelshas are alienated, enfeebled and countered.

Yog is a battle against Kleshas and is a process of attenuating, weakening and destroying Kelshas.

Prashant states that, "What one does is not really Karma but why one does it is Karma."
Karma then is not merely the act or action.

We must develop a habit and attitude to ponder over one's Karma, asking questions like, "What was done?, "How was it done?", "When was it done?", "Why was it done?" and "Alternatively, how could it have been done?"

This is just a few points to ponder, as Prashant has written another wonderful book to help explain the Philosophy of Yog.

Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

Venerable Losang Samten - P.A. Arts Centre - Wheel of Life Mandala

 

 

Venerable Losang Samten will be in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan again this year from September 3-5th.
He will be performing the Wheel of Life Mandala Creation and giving a talk.
Please see the poster below for more details on this wonderful event.

There is also information on how to find out more about the Fall Retreat from Sept. 6th - 8th at Shekinah.

Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

Update Poster for Prince Albert Yoga Classes at PLN Yoga Studio

Hello..

I have attached a revised poster for classes in Prince Albert.
Fixed a few errors and added a class.

Please contact me if interested in joining a class.

Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

2013 Fall Yoga Schedule in Christopher Lake

Hi again,
Here is the fall yoga schedule for classes in Christopher Lake.
Contact me for details or to register.

Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

2013 Fall Schedule at PLN Yoga Studio

Here is the Fall Schedule for PLN Yoga Studio at this time.  If having trouble viewing please contact me and I can email it to you or visit my website. www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

I will be adding a few extra classes or workshops here and there also.

Please contact me for more information or if you are interested in registering.
Some classes do fill quickly. Payment requested with registration to hold your spot.

Please feel free to pass along to anyone you know that might be interested in classes.
I am also available to teach corporate classes, noon hour classes at your work, kids parties, bridal showers, etc.

Contact me at:
306-982-2737
email: plnyoga@plnyoga.vpweb.com

Thank you.

Pamela Nelson
www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

Back from India

Hello everyone!

Just wanted to say that I have made it home safely from the Iyengar Institute in Pune, India.

Lots of great learning and laughing and meeting other great yoga practitioners from all over the world.

I hope to have my Fall schedule for PLN Yoga Studio posted in the next few days..

Happy summer!

Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

Guru Purnima - with Guruji B.K.S. Iyengar

The room was more then packed at the institute to pay respects on this night of Guru Purnima. 

Guruji gave a wonderful speech full of wisdom and compassion reminding us all not to erode out bodies and minds like a brook, but to remain guided like a river. 

Namaste. 

Pamela Nelson 

Www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

Le Meridian Hotel

Had a wonderful buffet lunch at Le Meridian Hotel in Pune for my birthday. 

Thanks for the great lunch!

Namaste. 

Pamela Nelson

Www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

Equanimity and Skillfulness in Action

This week, like all the weeks here have been a learning experience on and off the mat. 

The cars, scooters and rickshaws speed like crazy but the pace of most everything else is quite slow.  

Even waking down the street to the institute after it rains takes me a bit as the cobble is slippery and I'm trying to be mindful to not slip and fall.

Sunday is the kids class at the institute. 

You would not believe the number of kids that attend. 

My best guess at a head count was 150 kids filling the upstairs room and main level room. So wonderful to see and watch. 

Guruji's grand daughter trains with him most every morning. On Monday her new baby daughter was brought up to see her and Mr. Iyengar. Such an adorable baby and so special to see a family closely interacting in front of us all. 

Classes and practice this week have opened a reveled even more things I need to be reminded of and work on. 

Looking forward to early class tomorrow!

Namaste. 

Pamela Nelson

Www.plnyoga.vpweb.com 

Day 12 at the Iyengar institute - Pune, India

Tonight we have pranayama with Geeta Iyengar. Last week was amazing, as have all the classes been. Some days are broken up with classes and/or practice and then evening classes or observing classes. 

The classes are packed. 150 or more in the main hall and 60 or more upstairs. 

When the room fills the mats are folded. 

Makes one really appreciate the space we have at home. The "I"ness really dissolves when that many people are chanting and even practicing so close side by side. 

Prashant Iyengar asked us all "How do we prepare for the day?"

"Do we prepare with the breath?"

So as my family and friends start waking soon to start their Friday, I hope they begin the day enjoying each breath. 

On a side note- I had a latte and bottle of water for 75 rupees today. Won't get that back home. 

Namaste. 

Pamela Nelson

Www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

Camels

After yoga class and practice today we walked down to Pune Central, the new big mall near the institute. Not only did we see goats outside the mall, but also four camels walking down the busy street. 

Hope you run into some wonders and delights during your day today too. 

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson

Www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

Week two- RIYMI

I haven't posted for awhile as I had been making my way to the Iyenger institute in Pune, India. 

We arrived in Mumbai on June 25th where we spent a few days getting over jet lag and seeing some sights. Lots to take in. 

Arriving in Pune and to our apartment was great. Could finally empty my suitcase. 

First week of classes, practice and observing classes have gone so quickly. 

I came with three other teachers from Saskatchewan, so our days start and end with yoga and maybe a sutra study at the apartment too. 

Each class has about 100 plus people attending and we have been fortunate to be instructed by both Geeta and Prashant Iyengar. We see Guruji daily doing his own practice and still teaching his teachers at 94. So humbling and wonderful to be here. 

I will post more when I can. 

Namaste. 

Pamela Nelson 

Www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

Thich Nhat Hanh - If we are peaceful..

Wellness in Lakeland - PLN Yoga and Green Parent

 

 

 

 

 

 

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson

www.plnyoga.vpweb.com



 

 



B.K.S. Iyengar - Eyes and Ears

"The same eyes and ears which are meant to appreciate the beauty of the external world are also meant to appreciate the inner beauty of the world..."   - B.K.S Iyengar

Sound to Raise Your Vibration

Sound being a vibrational energy passes through the air and is emitted either from voice or instrument.  It is not only received by the ear, but also penetrates the body and can imprint on the body. Just think of how you feel and respond to sounds that are pleasing and those that are not, like the fingernails on a chalkboard (for those of us from the days before smart boards!) Our whole energy fields will exhibit a reaction, whether favorable or not.

When you raise your natural vibrational frequency, you resonate at a higher level.  That higher levels awakens energy channels and can bring healing, health, more awareness and a feeling of contentment.  The more aware we are, the more conscious we are of our thoughts, actions and words. 

Repetitive sound, like drumming or chanting, affects the consciousness and has become a way of spiritual transformation.  Hymns from the ancient vedas were called mantras, and when said repeatedly can empower the mind.  Swami Radha explains that a mantra is a combination of sacred syllables that form a nucleus of spiritual energy.  The root word man in the word Mantra means in Sanskrit "to think", tra comes from trai, meaning "to protect or free from the bondage of samsara or the phenomenal world."  So, Mantra means, "the thought that liberates and protects."

Understanding this concept intellectually though only encompasses a small part of its meaning.

When one chants or recites a mantra, it is said to activate and accelerate the creative spiritual force, promoting harmony in all parts of the human being.  The energy created can then be directed to benefit the one chanting and others around.


Tibetan singing bowls,  like seen in the pictures, will vary in the tone they play depending on size, shape, and metals used. When "played" the notes produced will vibrate around you, raising your vibrational frequency as well as the area around you.

Excerpt below is taken from : www.soul-guidance.com/singingbowlsinformation.htm   

Singing bowls profoundly affect and harmonize body and soul. Their sounds allow a deep state of relaxation, and as a result one becomes more aware of one’s inner being and center. Placing and playing singing bowls on the body promotes a deep sound massage of every cell and organ, resulting in a remarkable feeling of well-being.

Ancient teachings proclaim that everything in our physical world, each structure or form, has a unique tone. This tone determines the nature and essence of that form. Access to this tone gives the power to change the form. The power of sound was used within the temples to harmonically purify a person, bringing him to a higher spiritual level.

In many spiritual, practices the use of sound is ancient and primal. All world traditions express the most fundamental energy underlying the manifestation of the universe in terms of sound. In the physical world humans participate in the expression of this fundamental energy with the use of their voice and musical instruments.

Singing bowls are not just musical, sound producing objects. They have been crafted to effectively bring a heightened state of consciousness which opens the door to the inner world quickly and swiftly. At the same time they help restructure disharmonies on the non-physical causal level, promoting healing on the physical plane.




If you are looking for some excellent and authentic singing bowls from the Himalayan region please contact me, as we carry a variety of hand beaten and mixed metal bowls.


Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

YOGA

 

 

 

YOGA - quiets the brain

 

YOGA - gives time for the brain to reflect before acting

 

YOGA - strengthens quality of the mind

 

YOGA - makes the mind calm

 

YOGA - helps to discriminate the pros and cons of each action

 

From: Yoga Rahasya; vol.20, No.2;2013

 

 

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson

www.plnyoga.vpweb.com



Breathing Meditation - Thich Nhat Hanh

This meditation is from Thich Nhat Hanh's book, Under the Rose Apple Tree,

"When I breathe in, I know that I am breathing in." The "I know" is very important. Your breath is the link between your body and your mind.  It's so nice when you are in touch with that link; then you are in touch with everything in yourself, body and mind.  And right away, you are master of yourself in any situation.  You are not carried away by anybody or anything, including your thoughts.
Your mind is fully with your body and your whole being.
When you start to know that you are breathing in or that you are breathing out, you start to know what you are doing - whether you are sitting, standing, or walking. So knowing is very important.
Don't think that practicing Buddhism is very difficult.  It's not difficult; it's easy.
Can you breathe in and out and know that you are breathing in and out? Breathing in and breathing out - that's mindfulness. Practice being mindful with your breath first, and then you will be mindful with your body and with your mind; you will be mindful about everything that happens around you.

Breathing consciously, mindfully, is a very good practice.  In our daily life, if we don't know how to breath mindfully, how to stop thinking, we cannot get in touch with the wonderful things in life like the sunshine, rivers, clouds, our family, and our friends. So breathing is very good.

Below is a gatha, a poem, that you can say to yourself as you sit for a few minutes and breathe:

 

Breathing in, I know that I am breathing in,

Breathing out, I know that I am breathing out.

As my in-breath grows deep,

My out-breath grows slow.

Breathing in makes me calm,

Breathing out brings me ease.

With the in-breath, I smile,

With the out-breath, I release,

Dwelling in the present moment,

I know this is a wonderful moment.

 

The practice is easy. Peace and happiness are there to some extent, along with pain and suffering. But remember, like watching television, you are free to select from the channels made available to you. You can choose peace and happiness.

 

Thank you Thich Nhat Hanh.  Today was a good day to remember to breathe!

 

We have a beautiful Mayday tree in our yard. I love to wait for it to bloom each spring.  It only blooms for a short time and then the flowers all blow away. Although I have many things to do and organize, the most important thing I did today was sit and breath and look at the May day tree.

 

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson

www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

www.ylscents.com/plnyoga/

 





"Raise Your Vibration" Yoga Class

Raise Your Vibration

Join me for a fun oil infused yoga class to raise your vibration bringing positive and healing energy to your body, mind and spirit!

Class will end with a healthy snack and

short introduction to the benefits of Young Living Essential Oils.

 

Wednesday June 12^th, 2013

6-8:30 pm

PLN Yoga Studio, Prince Albert, Sk.

$15

Please register early as spaces are limited.      

Call 306-982-2737 or email: plnyoga@plnyoga.vpweb.com

 

Darci Schapansky from Green Parent Wellness and Essential Oils will also be on site to do Bio Compass Scans.  These scans usually are $120, but for this occasion will be $20, plus you will leave with a free Lemon oil!

 

 

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson

www.plnyoga.vpweb.com