Winter yoga session begins January 4!

The winter yoga session will begin January 4th in Christopher lake and January 5th in Prince Albert.

Yoga is a wonderful way to calm the mind and reduce stress. Yoga can help one to breath better which will benefit all the systems of the body. It is also great for building strength and flexibility.

If you are interested in joining a class please contact me to register. 

I require a certain number registered per class to run a class.

Thank you and Happy New Year!

Pamela Nelson

Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor

Www.plnyoga.blogspot.com

Plnyogastudio@gmail.com

Winter 2016 Upcoming Classes

 

 

Winter session will begin January 4th in Christopher Lake and January 5th in Prince Albert.

I will be teaching at the Christopher Lake Sportsplex, Yoga Sublime and The Healing Garden Spa.

I hope you can join me for one of my classes and workshops.

 

I am taking registrations now for upcoming classes.

Posters below.  Just click on them to enlarge.

 

I am also available to teach for special events, workshops, conferences and youth classes.

Just contact me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you.

Pamela Nelson

Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor

 

 

 

 

Winter Session Classes in Christopher Lake and Tuesday Noon Class in P.A.

I will be starting my winter session on January 4th in Christopher Lake and the 5th in Prince Albert.

I have attached the poster for my Monday classes and Noon class.

I will have my classes for Yoga Sublime up soon but that schedule will be similar to what I was teaching in the Fall session.
I will be adding a few Friday classes and Sunday afternoon classes so I hope you can attend one of the many classes I teach in the area.

I am also available to teach at schools, for conferences and any other reason you might think is a great time for yoga!

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson
Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor

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

December 15th evening classes - timed practice and intro. To pranayama

On Thursday, December 15th I have a added two evening classes to my schedule. Punch cards or drop in's welcome. Classes will be at Yoga Sublime Studio in Prince Albert.

The timed practice is a fun and challenging way to move deeper into the body, breath and mind. 

Introduction to pranayama will explore the basics of the art of pranayama, the 4th limb in patanjali'so yoga sutras. 

I hope you can attend. Please contact me to join or join through yoga sublime studio. 

Namaste..

Pam Nelson

Certified Iyengar yoga instructor

Youth Class a Go! Thanks CM Fund!

 

For the past number of years I have been fortunate enough to be asked to teach in many of the schools in Prince Albert.  This fall though the funding was no longer available so I wondered if the Iyengar Association of Canada would be willing to fund this worthwhile class. 

There is a fund that is called the Certification Mark Fund.  Each year teachers in good standing pay to use the certification mark you see below.  To be in good standing you must be a Certified Iyengar teacher and have attended a certain number of Professional Development classes and/or workshops and have taught a certain number of hours each year.
The fund is made possible through the generosity of Yogacharya Sri B.K.S. Iyengar as he had said that a certain percentage of the money was to be used to help in our communities.

I am happy to have received funding to continue teaching youth.  In my application I asked for funding for youth at risk.  I put youth at risk as I feel there is so much going on in the world that at this critical time in a youth's life having yoga can help to develop better self-image and confidence.

I base my classes on the books for children from the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Instuitute in Pune called Yogashastra. The books are a wonderful collection and really the wealth of information in them makes them good for anyone interested in the subject of yoga.  The syllabus has been written to grow with the children as their practice develops.  In Pune the youth classes are very important.  I was fortunate to observe a few classes.  There was I'm sure 100 kids at the classes.  The classes were disciplined, yet fun. 

In the introduction to the children in the first book it says, "Yoga is a science as well as an art, which helps you to culture the body and the mind.  This helps you to develop a unique personality.  Yoga is a total science covering the complete growth of a child in its own way from the body, senses, mind, emotions, intelligence and behaviour."

Along with a bit of fun and laughter I try to bring this to each class - not just the youth classes - that yoga brings a balance and health to those who practice it!

 

 

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson - Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor

 

www.plnyoga.blogspot.com

plnyogastudio@gmail.com

306-981-4703

 

A Little About Me

Hello,

My name is Pamela Nelson.  I live in Christopher Lake, Saskatchewan on a small acreage with my family.

I have been practicing yoga for over 20 years.  I started in my early 20's, and my intention at that time was to use yoga as a way to increase flexibility after long runs or bike rides.  I quickly realized how beneficial it was to not only my strength and flexibility, but also my mental well-being.  I love the openness yoga brings to the body and the quietness to the mind.  I have found it helps with confidence and personal self acceptance. 

I completed my degree in Land Use and Environmental Studies and Physical Geography from the University of Saskatchewan at around the same time I started yoga and find that yoga has helped me keep a deep connection to the earth and keep focused on the health of the earth and how amazing it is in the many ways it provides for us.

I am so grateful to be learning the Iyengar style of yoga from many wonderful instructors. 
I have been teaching yoga for about 13 years and am a Intermediate Junior II Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor.  I maintain my certification by travelling all over to attend workshops, classes and teacher training sessions with more senior Iyengar instructors.  This past year alone I attended over 115 hours of training and classes, which I have done for the last 13 years.

I have been teaching in Prince Albert and area for many years at various locations as well as having had my own studio.  I teach a variety of classes from Foundation beginner, All levels, Intermediate, Gentle/Restorative, Pre and post natal, Family and Youth classes.  I have taught in quite a few of the schools in Prince Albert as well as for various companies.

I feel I am adaptable to many situations, yet teach from what I know and try to share this as best I can.  I love teaching yoga in a way that is accessible to all and to continue as is often said, In the Light of Guruji's work.

Pamela Nelson
Christopher Lake, Sk.
Canada
306-982-2737
306-981-4703

email: plnyogastudio@gmail.com
www.plnyoga.BlogSpot.com

Upcoming Workshops and Classes

 

Below are some of the upcoming classes and workshops I will be teaching between now and mid- December.

 

Starting this Saturday I will be teaching a 5 week A.M. Eye Opener from 9-10:15am at Yoga Sublime studio.

 

There is a Family Yoga Class also on October 31st from 11-noon at the Prince Albert Arts Centre.

Please contact me if interested as class will run only if enough participants.

 

In December I will host a 3 hour workshop called Restore from the Core.  Designed to refresh the body, breath and mind.

 

I will also host a winter solstice class in Prince Albert and in Christopher Lake.

 

To register or for more information please call or email.

Thank you.

 

plnyogastudio@gmail.com

306-981-4703

 

 

Preparing for Assessment...

At the end of October I will be heading to Toronto to participant, and hopefully pass my Intermediate Junior II Iyengar Assessemnt.  Although I already am a Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor in good standing the levels of training are steps towards improving our teaching and training and really our own self-study.

I spent most of August working on an exam and have been preparing this past year for this next assessment.  Each assessment for me has been just as nerve wracking, and I waver between thinking I am ready and thinking I will not pass.  But, whether I pass or not I need to proceed on this path as part of it is overcoming fear. 

Some may feel this is excessive and too rigorous, but for me yoga is a discipline and I must be just as disciplined with my teaching as with my own personal practice.  The way Mr. Iyengar has outlined this assessment process is to give the teachers time to be a student of yoga first and assimilate the work into themselves so they can really see each student and learn from each student.

This weekend I am heading back to Edmonton for a mock assessment.  I will be under scrutiny...something to think about for the 7 hour drive :), but I must give so much thanks to the teachers and students who are giving up part of their weekend to help me on my path.  There is so much support in the feedback I get that I am always grateful for the path I have landed.  And of course a huge thank you to my friends and family who help me daily on this path - making sure my practice becomes just as strong off the mat as on it.

Assessments include a 2 hour practice on the first day where we are assessed for our own personal practice.  The teaching section is 40 minutes in length.  40 minutes to teach 6 poses to students of many levels.  To not just spew out everything we might know about a pose, but to teach to the students in the room.  To sequence the 6 poses in the best possible way so that the students feel a connection of the first pose to the last.  There is at least three assessors marking various aspects of your teaching, and a timer.  We are asked questions about why we taught poses and certain way, how we would teach pranayama from how to set a student up to how to prepare them for the breath work.  It is intense and rewarding when the ego is dropped and you remember the point is not the paper at the end but it is the value of how you get there.

So, if over the next month you notice me trying to work 6 poses into 40 minutes, you will know why. :)

The links below are what some  others have written about the assessment process. 
They have said it  much better then I could anyway.

Below is links to a few Blogs written about the Iyengar assessment.

https://www.iyoga.com.au/trial-fire-iyengar-assessment-process/

http://iyisf.org/spotlight-on-teacher-certification-and-assessment/

Wish me luck.
Namaste.
Pamela Nelson

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

 

Chants of a Lifetime - Krishna Das

Chants of a Lifetime - Searching for a Heart of Gold

Not only do I love listening to Krishna Das chant kirtan, but I really love this book, which comes with a CD!

The stories and honesty he shares makes this book so very real and very relatable.  In many ways I found this book heart breaking, but only because the heart must first be broken open to experience that true and pure love that has no beginning and no end.

The book is divided into two parts. The Journey to India in Part I and Bringing it All Back Home in Part II. Like most personal journeys it is often the time after a journey that the most change occurs.

The story of how Krishna Das found his guru is fascinating and how it transformed the path of his life is so very interesting, inspirational and heart opening. 

KD (Krishna Das) shares many stories of his years in India with Neem Karoli Baba and the life lessons from that time, but to me it is the hard time after the journey where he experienced the most personal blessings from this time.

In one chapter called Door of Faith, Krishna Das describes how Maharah-ji would often look at them and hold up one finger. So, someone at one point asked, "what does it mean?"
Krishna Das writes. " He looked as us intensely and held up his "pointer" finger in front of us.  Then he held up all five fingers, one by one, shook them around and held up that one finger again. 
He said, "Many names, many forms...sab ek, all One."

This was Maharah-ji's  bottom line...All One, one being one world, one family. Something I read and re-read again and again in so many of the great texts and something BKS Iyengar also would propound.

I have just finished this book and could easily pick up and reread.
If you have a chance to read it let me know your experience. :)

As I finishing writing this book review listening to Krishna Das on the CD that came with the book my heart feels very open.  I will sit now and listen and breath.

Check out more about Krishna Das at:  http://www.krishnadas.com/
This book was published by Hay House Inc.  Check out more of their wonderful titles at www.hayhouse.com


Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor

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

Lois Steinberg, Ph.D - Advanced Junior 2 Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor

 

For those that often attend my Saturday morning yoga classes you might be wondering why they aren't beginning until later in October.  This past spring, summer and now fall I have and will be attending many workshops and training assessments for my own personal practice and also to prepare for my next level of assessment in the Iyengar system.  My desire is to continue to learn and integrate the teachings into my own body and intelligence so I can teach with skillful authenticity to each and every student.

Next weekend I am heading to Edmonton to attend a workshop with Lois Steinberg.  As I have and refer to many of her books I am excited to attend this workshop and experience her teachings first hand.  I look forward to sharing what I can on my return. :)

 

Below is the bio taken from the website of her yoga studio - Iyengar Yoga Champaign-Urbana in Illinois.  Please also visit the website as it gives more details of her journey with yoga. http://yoga-cu.com/instructors/lois-steinberg-phd/

 

 

September 18, 19 & 20, 2015

 

Lois Steinberg, Ph.D.

Lois Steinberg is an Advanced Junior 2 Certified Iyengar Yoga instructor with over 35 years of study, practice, and teaching experience. This Advanced level certificate has been awarded directly by BKS Iyengar to only three practitioners in North America. Her extensive studentship with the Iyengars includes annual participation in the general and medical classes at RIMYI, having coordinated the International Women’s Intensive with Geeta Iyengar, and producing the notes from that course (1997). Lois’ teaching is infused with enthusiasm to share the knowledge and acumen that have come through her sustained practice and study of the tremendous work of BKS Iyengar and his family. She strives to emphasize and exemplify whole-body transformation through the joy of regular immersion in practice. As a teacher, she is direct, dynamic, clear, focused, engaging, gently humorous, and an invaluable resource for understanding the healing potential of yoga. As a teacher of teachers, a hands-on approach to mentoring apprentices is the focus of her IYCU teacher education program. She serves as an assessor for the Iyengar Yoga National Association of the US (IYNAUS), and has chaired the Certification/Service Mark, Yoga Research, and Nominating Committees as an IYNAUS elected board member (1998-2002), part of her longtime service to the association and its continuing work. She produced Sadhana magazine for Iyengar Yoga Odyssey 2001, Yatra for IYNAUS’ 2007 convention, and served as Curriculum Chair for IYNAUS’ 2010 convention for certified teachers.
Lois is the author of numerous books and articles, including Geeta S. Iyengar’s Guide to a Women’s Yoga Practice and a 2010 edition of Iyengar Yoga Asana Alternatives: the Neck and Shoulders. She is widely respected for and, consulted regarding, her considerable knowledge of Iyengar Yoga therapeutics, and is co-investigator on several research projects to determine the efficacy of Iyengar Yoga in treating chronic low back pain and high blood pressure. Her understanding of the relationships between asana and health (Lois also has a Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences!) is among her many gifts as an instructor, as is her desire and capacity to attend to the needs of individual students. She fosters commitment to deep and intelligent practices, which might include physical healing and should evolve to a broad exploration of the bounty of yoga itself.

 

 

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson

www.plnyoga.BlogSpot.com

plnyogastudio@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

Fall Yoga Session begins tomorrow! September 8th

I hope you have enjoyed your long weekend and are ready to come back to yoga classes!

Tomorrow is the first day of the Fall Yoga Session.
I will be teaching at Yoga Sublime beginning at 9:20a.m.  - let's hope no hold ups over the bridge :)

Christopher Lake and Noon class at the Arts Centre begins the week of September 14th.

There is still room in all the classes and due to low registrations the Thursday noon class will be cancelled.

The Thursday AM classes will have a 4 week trial run.  If you are interested in joining please let me know.

Thank you once again.  Kind regards.
Pamela Nelson

www.plnyoga.BlogSpot.com
plnyogastudio@gmail.com
306-981-4703

Fall 2015 Schedule - PLN Yoga

Updated poster. Few corrections to dates and times.

 

 

2015 Fall Classes

Hello!

I have posted my upcoming classes for this fall. I will be teaching in Christopher Lake and Prince Albert but please note I am no longer at the PLN Yoga Studio location but am excited to be teaching mostly at Yoga Sublime Studio  in Prince Albert this fall. 

Their new studio is located at 1998 Central Ave. 

This schedule is subject to minor changes but I wanted to post before I went to Victoria for a week long teacher training.

Also note that you will need to register through Yoga Sublime for classes I am teaching there. 
The website for this is www.yogasublimestudio.com.
Other classes at the Arts Centre or in Christopher Lake you will still register through me.

If you have any questions please contact me.
plnyogastudio@gmail.com

Please pass along to anyone you know that might be interested.
Happy Summer and I look forward to seeing you in September.

Namaste. Pam Nelson

Slight correction to the Tuesday/Thursday 10:30 class.

Poster should have Tuesday ending 11:40 (just a few minutes before 11:45 so I can get to Noon class) and Thursday 11:45.  Thanks.

Iyengar Yoga Centre of Victoria Teacher Training Intensive

What does the word intensive mean to you?

Dictionary defines it as: 
Concentrated on a single area or subject or into a short time; very thorough or vigorous.

To me it means learning, laughs and a great way to submerge myself into my yoga practice and improve my teaching skills for a week.

I am fortunate enough to be able to attend once again a week long teacher training intensive in Victoria, B.C. at the Iyengar Yoga Centre of Victoria as I prepare for my next level of assessment.

 It is intense with over 30 hours of yoga and training during the week.  As a distance teacher I gain so much value from intensives as I can learn from not only the senior teachers leading the training but also all the skilled and wonderful teachers attending.

During the week intensives I don't often post much as I am trying to absorb the work into my own body, breath and mind first.
But, I will be bringing it all back with me to explore and share as the Fall Yoga Session will soon be starting.

Watch for class posters soon for the Fall classes I will be teaching at Yoga Sublime, P.A. Arts Centre and Christopher Lake.

Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor

www.plnyoga.blogspot.com
plnyogastudio@gmail.com

Yoga and the "Circle of Life"

Please join me on August 30th for a day of yoga in Christopher Lake, Sk.

The day will begin at the Christopher lake sportsplex with a rejuvenating yoga class.

Lunch will follow.

After lunch, a short drive will take us to the Christopher Lake Nature Area for a hike.

Weather dependent we will end the day with restorative yoga, meditation and savasana.

I hope you can attend.

Please contact me to register or for more information.

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson
Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor

 

www.plnyoga.blogspot.com

plnyogastudio@gmail.com

 



Om Saha navaavatu

In December 2014 nearly 1300 participants from 51 nations gathered for an international convention to celebrate geetaji's 70th birthday. This was gurujis requests that it continue even before he passed away.

This was one of the prayers Geeta opened with, saying "We will eat together, we will be together, and we will carry on this knowledge without having any kind of jealousy, malice, or any kind of klesa within us. With the purity of the mind, we will carry on the knowledge with our teaching process. And that is how, even if we are living on this earth in different areas, we have to have that feel that we are always together."

This was taken from Yoga Rahasya vol.22 no.1 2015

I was not in India to take part in this wonderful convention but though Geeta's words I feel connected to Guruji and the teachings. 

The workshops and conferences I have attended since BKS Iyengar died have shown that his wisdom continues to be passed down. 

I am grateful. 

Namaste. 

Pamela Nelson 

New Fall Location! New Fall Location!

New Location! New Location! Yoga Sublime - 1998 Central Ave. I am so happy and grateful to have found a new location to teach yoga classes from. Thank you to Tammy Fulton for including me an instructor at your new Yoga Sublime and for the warm welcome and announcement. Below is the announcement from Tammy - owner of Yoga Sublime: We are very excited to announce that, effective September 1st, we will be collaborating with Pamela Nelson of PLN Yoga.  Our studios will be merging at the newly renovated 1998 Central Avenue, giving students the opportunity to access a wide variety of classes and times at a single location.  The details of registration for fall classes will be worked out in July; but it is our goal to give students as much flexibility as possible when they register with us.  Welcome Pamela...we are so thrilled to be sharing the new space with you! Pamela Nelson - Certified IJI yoga instructor Pamela is a member of the Iyengar Association of Canada (IYAC) and certified at the national level.  She has practiced yoga for over 20 years and taught for over 13, training exclusively in the Iyengar system for the majority of those years. She has completed the rigorous and lengthy training program and received her Introductory II certificate from IYAC in October 2010 and her Intermediate Junior 1 Certification in 2014 from the Iyengar Yoga Association of Canada (IYAC).  Pamela will be going for her Intermediate Junior II Certification in October 2015.  Pamela regularly attends Iyengar yoga classes, workshops and intensives held by senior international IY teachers, including travelling to Pune, India to study with the Iyengar family in 2013 and plans to go again in 2017. She is dedicated to lifelong learning and committed to sharing her training and experience with students of yoga. Pamela teaches all level of classes including Beginner, All-levels, Intermediate, Iyengar Flow, Gentle/Restorative, Youth and Kids.  Her teaching style is clear, pragmatic and direct yet filled with gentle humor and joy. “It is through the alignment of the body that I discovered the alignment of my mind, self and intelligence.”  B.K.S. Iyengar  So please watch for more announcements of the class schedule for Yoga Sublime and at the other locations I have and will continue to teach at. Namaste. Pamela Nelson   The Certification Mark is a registered trademark of the Iyengar Yoga Association of Canada used under license.

Here is some summer classes I will be teaching in the Christopher Lake and Emma Lake area. Murray Point campground beach in the Great Blue Heron Provincial Park: Monday's - July 6th, 13th, 27th and August 10th 10:00-11:00a.m. $5 drop in fee July Yoga mini-workshops: Pam's home studio in Christopher Lake Sunday July 5 &/or 12 8:30am-11:30am includes tea and light snack A great way to start your day! Please contact me to register. I am open to teaching also for groups during the summer.  Just email me at: plnyogastudio@gmail.com

Book Review - The Valley of Flowers

 

Book Review  - The Valley of Flowers

The Valley of Flowers is written by F.S. Smythe in 1938.  It tells the story of the four months he spent in 1931 climbing Mount Kamet in the Garhwal Himalayas with five other British mountaineers.

The book is descriptive and entertaining and brings one back again and again to the beauty of nature and the lessons it has to teach us.  The Valley of the Flowers includes photos of the many flowers the botanists found during their trek.  The amazing feat of tiny plants growing and surviving even in the harshest conditions of 7000ft above sea level.  It is also a human story as the trek involved many mountaineers, but also the guides and porters. 

It is worth the read as you can almost visualize the meadows and mountains that surrounded them.

He ends the book saying, " Beauty, health, good comradeship, peace, all these had been mine in the Valley of Flowers. For a while I had lived simply and happily and I like to think, indeed I know, that those about me had been happy too."


Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor

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

 

PLN Yoga Studio - On the move

I will be moving from my current location at the end of June.

Please watch for updates of where fall classes will be located.

I appreciate all the students that have attended and look forward to seeing you in fall!


Here is the email I sent out to current students and students who have attended classes in the past.

PLN Yoga Studio is on the move!

Thank you so much for attending classes at PLN Yoga Studio.
I look forward to Autumn classes  in a new location!

Hello!
As we finish our last week of classes for the spring session bringing it to an end, I will also be saying goodbye to my current teaching location.

I am a bit nervous as I have been fortunate to be here for three great years and I thank all the students who have come to classes as I learn so much from each of you.

I don't yet know all the details on a new location, but please know I plan to be teaching again in September and welcome all my students to join me at that time. I will continue to teach to the highest quality of teaching I can and continue to study and train to serve you better.

I will send out information later in the summer to let you know where I will be located.

Once again, my deep gratitude.
Pamela Nelson

Also, I don't want to haul away more then I need to.
All merchandise is on sale!
Check out the prop packages posted on Facebook or make your own package and we can make a deal!

Namaste.

On Doing Nothing

Chapter VIII in the book, The Valley of the Flowers, written by F.S. Smythe is called "On Doing Nothing".  The book is the story of how the author spent four months climbing in the Himalayas.

At first, especially in our western culture "doing nothing" is not something one can do...
We must be highly effective and busy to be seen as contributing to society.

Smythe writes that, " Amid a welter of conflicting philosophies, I have always clung to on idea - that to get a kick out of life, a man must sample the contrasts of life."

"The positives ceases to exist when there is no negative.  Activity can only be measured against inactivity; therefore to appreciate the joys of activity it is necessary to practice passivity."

So from that an "off-day", but not an off-day as he writes to be "indulged in grudgingly; it is a necessary and integral part of mountaineering, the essential complement to the "on day"".

Mr. Smythe nicely puts it that when we neglect inactivity, we neglect the benefits of contemplation and we cannot appreciate nature otherwise.

This book was first printed in 1938, and written about his mountaineering experience from 1931. 
So, it is interesting that he writes even at that time, "The West assumes its superiority over the East primarily because it is further advanced in mechanical matter, but woe betide it should it continue to associate mechanisms with spiritual progress.

In Garhwal I met a true civilisation, for I found contentment and happiness. I saw a life that is not enslaved by the time-factor, that is not obsessed by the idea that happiness is dependent on money and materials.  I had never before realised until I camped in the Valley of Flowers how much happiness there is in simple living and simple things."

So, give yourself an "off-day" every once in awhile after you have climbed whatever mountain you are working on. Find immeasurable comfort in spending time in nature if you can. Enjoy the moments to contemplate, relax and breathe.

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




 

July Summer Classes 2015

This July I will be offering a week of morning classes.
I hope you can join me.
A great way to start your day and keep your practice going through out the summer.
I will also be teaching some classes at the Murray Point beach.

Please see poster for details.

 

Pamela Nelson

Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor

www.plnyoga.blogspot.com

plnyogastudio@gmail.com

 

 



International Yoga Day - June 21st

Join me to celebrate

International Yoga Day on June 21st

 

Please pre-register.

Thank you.

 

Pamela Nelson

www.plnyoga.blogspot.com

plnyogastudio@gmail.com

 



 

Vinadanda

 

 

 

In the Darsonopanishad, the spinal column is referred to as vina danda.
Vina is an Indian musical instrument with strings. So, while one is practicing an asana, pranayama or dhyana, the emphasis is on vinadanda or the spinal column.

Mr. Iyengar writes that the "vina is said to be a perfect instrument on which one can play any raga without accompaniment of other instruments. Raga is a combination of an orderly sound, harmony, rhythm and melody.  Vina represents the human brain and spine.  The head of the vina, the round gourd, is the brain, the sound box is the breathing process and the stem is the spinal column.  The knobs are the spinal vertebrae and the strings are the nervous system."

If the gourd on the instrument is not round, firm and without holes, or if the bridge isn't resting properly or the knobs are too tight or loose the strings with snap or loose their potency. Then the raga can not be played.

As we relate this to the brain and spinal column then as Mr. Iyengar writes, "The brain floats on the head of the spine which is the seat of the savitarka (right logic) and savichara (right reasoning).
If the vertebrae of the spine are not kept trim, then the nerves do not get sufficient nourishment, breathing becomes shallow, affecting the circulatory and digestive systems.  The end part of the vina is the muladhara chakra. So the yogis discovered asanas and pranayama to exercise the spine for the healthy growth of the intelligence.  When the vina is properly tuned, the yogi is in tune with the nada of Brahma and his abode becomes the heaven on earth.  If the spine is neglected then this abode of the atma becomes the place for rogas  (diseases) and lead to hell on earth."

Each asana has a specific function, so many asanas were invented to keep the spine strong and healthy.  The spine is a source of energy and the nerves are nourished by it.  The nervous system is said to be about 7000 miles in length so is why so many asanas are needed to be practiced.

Mr. Iyengar explains the relationship between the vinadanda and the chakras along the spine.
He says, "The vinadanda has seven chambers called chakras.  The chakras are muladhara, svadhistana, manipuraka, anahata, visuddhi, ajna and sahasrara.  Just as there are seven musical notes there are seven charkas along the spine.  The chakras pick up the vital energy from the breath we breathe in and distribute it throughout the body.  When the chakras are synchronized and functioning in unison through the discipline of yoga then the energy of the atma flows like a river through the central channel.

So, if we bring life to our spines like we would a musical instrument - with the perfect amount of force and effort then health will flow though the body and breath and bring peace to the mind.

Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor

www.plnyoga.blogspot.com
plnyogastudio@gmail.com