Shiva Rea on the Yamas and Niyamas
Thank Krishna that Monday's intensive on the Eight Limbs of Yoga began with Shiva Rea giving us permission to relax and catch what is relevant to us. "You will only retain a drop, but a drop that is very potent," she advised. We were relieved— there was a lot to catch in an 8-to-5 day on the yoga mat, in the presence of three awesome teachers: Shiva, Rodney Yee and Gurmukh.
Shiva's job was to elucidate the first two limbs, the yamas and niyamas, which she did beautifully.
She talked extensively on ishvara pranidhana, or offering everything we do back to the Source. She talked about her first year of teaching, 15 years ago. She was so nervous, she said, that she had "Spongebob Knees," and the only thing that saved her was ishvara pranidhana. When she offered her teaching back to the source, it kept her focused and got her through.
She offered the same advice to anyone faced with the challenges—whether it is teaching a roomful of yoga students or negotiating a big contract. When we freak out and think we can't do it—that's the time, she said, to offer it back to the Source.
"Connect back to the moment of inspiration that started you down the path...that pause of memory, of gratitude, is huge." The reflection serves to create space around the neuroses that has you feeling so incompetent. And the practice of offering to the Souce can be done with anything in life: eating, cooking, taxes, and business.
Shiva asked us to reflect internally on our own personal relationship with the some of the yamas and niyamas, then to offer any behaviors we wish not to keep back to the source.
Ahimsa: Not Harming. Think of ways you have been unkind in action. How can you transform violence to benevolence?
Satya: Truth. What are the ways we've been in denial or not relaying 100 percent of the truth? What are the lies we tell ourselves and the lies we tolerate in the world?
Asteya: Not Stealing. What are the ways we're borrowing from future generations? (Can you instead replenish?)
Bramacharya: Right use of sexual energy. What are the ways we neglect or abuse our sexual energy?
Apariraha: Non-greediness. How do we degrade things, instead of blessing them?
Sauca: Purity. How are we creating internal or external toxins?
Santosha: Contentment. Are we content?
After a discussion with a partner on which yama or niyama is most relevant in our lives right now, we wrote a sankalpa, or resolution of awareness, then concluded the class with 18 sun salutations.
Next came Rodney Yee to teach the asana and pranayama portion of the Eight Limbs.
posted by Andrea Kowalski and Kaitlin Quistgaard
The rain drizzled gracefully down the outwardly-slanted window in the Waterfall Room. Outside were people carrying umbrellas and splashing in the puddles of water collecting on the asphault below. It was the perfect setting for Shiva Rea's Fluid Power class.
Shiva Rea explores the art of yoga in practical, creative and life transforming ways. She is known for bringing the roots of yoga alive for modern practitioners through the integration of movement meditation, yogic philosophy and art, nature's vitality, and spontaneous humor and joy. She is a leading teacher of vinyasa flow yoga worldwide, writes for Yoga Journal, and is the author of home practice CD's, videos, and DVD's.