Tag: Prana

Chakra course Berlin – the Details

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Please note: In the original Tantric yoga tradition there are many forms of chakra systems that have been mentioned: five-chakra system, seven, nine, ten, fifteen, twenty-one, twenty-eight. We will focus on the seven-chakra system that became dominant around the 16th century and that has been influenced by the psychologist Carl Jung who presented the idea that human behaviours get felt energetically.

Saturday October 13th, 2018

The first class of our chakra course will have a different format to the rest of the classes to explain the basic concepts of the yogic philosophy of prana, nadis, koshas, and chakras. These concepts will be needed to understand the rest of the chakras course.

Through this talk we will understand in which plane the chakras are found and the energy flow pathways. We will explore what is meant when referring to phrases such as:

  • energy leaks
  • biography becomes biology
  • healthy/blocked chakra

The yoga session will be brief and basic followed by a guided relaxation on the location of each chakra.

Format of first class:

  • 45 minute talk
  • 30 minute yoga session
  • 10 minute visualization
  • each student will get a handout with the information covered in this talk.

Format of the other eight classes:

  • 10-15 minute talk explaining the thought patterns, behaviours and emotions of the specific chakra we are exploring and its physical repercussions.
  • 55 -60 minute asanas (yogic postures that activate the specific chakra)
  • 20 minutes guided relaxation in which the students self explore these concepts in regards to their own lives.
  • At the end of each class students will be given ideas of small tasks they can do daily till the next class to better embed the learnings of the chakra explored.
  • Students will also receive an email with the basic teachings of the class and optional self-exploration questions to journal about.

October 20th, 2018

Photo by Craig Starhorn on Unsplash
Photo by Craig Starhorn on Unsplash

In the chakra MULADHARA we will explore our roots as an archetype. This refers to how the psyche views the group of people, subculture, culture, nation (s), that grew you up as a child. The ones that passed all those messages that “we do things this way and not that way.” In this class, we will explore who is the “we” in that phrase and what messages one has received at that level.

The guided meditation will invite the students to find and release a personal belief passed down from their roots that no longer serves them.

October 27th, 2018

In the chakra SVADHISHTHANA we will explore the role and power of choice and how that affects creativity and one to one relationships. A healthy second chakra allows for creativity to reshape our lives and for the world to become a playful place.

The guided meditation will invite students to visualize the creative space within.

 

Exploring our personal power in the Chakra Course Berlin

November 3rd, 2018

In the chakra MANIPURA we will explore the four stages of personal power and the ability to separate ourselves from group thought.

The guided meditation will take the students through the four stages of personal power as they choose a personal subject that they wish to work on.

November 10th, 2018

Exploring Anahata at the Chakra Course BerlinIn part one of the chakra ANAHATA we will explore the definition of forgiveness and why we would wish to let go of past wounds.

We can not will forgiveness, we can only be willing. -Tara Brach

The guided meditation will focus on forgiving someone the student is ready to let go of.

November 17th, 2018

In part two of the chakra ANAHATA we will explore the “armoured heart”, ways to soften it, and learn to trust it.

The guided meditation will be a practice of loving kindness.

There will be no class on November 24th, 2018

Finding your own voice through the chakra courseDecember 1st, 2018

In the chakra VISHUDDHA we will explore communicating your “inner truth” and then surrendering to what you can not control.

The guided meditation will be a practice of accessing your inner truth.

 

karen-zhao-643916-unsplash

December 8th, 2018

In the chakra AJNA we will explore intuition, healthy detachment, and symbolic sight.

The guided meditation will be a visualization exploring the movie that is your life.

Chakra course Berlin

December 15th, 2018

In the chakra SAHASRARA we will explore our own private spirituality.

The guided meditation will be a visualization of exploring your own spirit connection.

 

For further information about the course such as location, prices, how to book or to know more about the teacher please click here.

What is Tantric Meditation?

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Meditation is a means to train the mind. By repeating certain mental exercises —like fixing the attention on one point for awhile, or experiencing the whole body— the mind becomes more able to do those things. Just like when we train a muscle: Repeat the action and you get better at it. looking

From another perspective, meditation is a means to clear the mind of unconscious patterns and complexes. By entering the meditative state, we allow repressed memories and traumas to surface and dissipate, while we remain as the passive observers of this process.

What is so special about the Tantric meditation? Tantra doesn’t try to control the tendencies of the mind or to lead the mind in one direction or another. It allows anything that comes-up in the mind to fully express itself. We devote ourselves to whatever we experience, and use it as a tool in our meditation. We learn to be with whatever is happening without struggling, reacting or getting overwhelmed by it.

For a very clear example, see my post A Tantric Way to Dealing with Pain

Tantra documents a myriad of different meditations, for every temperament or life situation. Some of the most potent ones are Antar Mauna, Trataka and Yoga Nidra; which have themselves countless variations.  In these meditations you remain still, while devoting yourself to different experiences (a fixed point, the sense impressions, certain visualizations, etc.).  Their effects can not easily be summarized, but include: greater awareness and intuition, more calm and contentment, higher ability to concentrate, etc.

From Tantra we also receive the Kundalini meditation, which don’t so much work with the mind, but with the inner energy (prana) that animates body and mind. These meditations make us aware of pranic energy and of the chakras, where this energy is concentrated.  Two of the main energy meditations are Source of Energy and Ajapa Japa, in which you combine breath, concentration and visualization to connect with, and influence, our subtle energy flows.

Pedro teaches Tantra Yoga and Meditation at English Yoga Berlin.  He will be teaching the 10-Week Meditation Course: Clarity and Energy, where one has the opportunity to learn the meditations mentioned in this post, and to be guided step by step into creating their own meditation practice.

Berlin Yoga: Terminology Tuesday

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As a Hatha Yoga instructor in Berlin, I often use Sanskrit words during my yoga classes.  Sometimes I even like to take a pause after the sanskrit yoga word, and see if the older students know what I am talking about or if they are just waiting for the English translation.

In order to learn about yoga properly I find it important to aknowledge its roots in the Indian culture and the Sanskrit language. Taking the time to understand these words and their meanings makes your yoga practice a more complete experience and adds to the understanding of yoga and it’s origins.  That is why I started Berlin Yoga: Terminology Tuesday, a post where I explain the basic sankrit words used in my yoga classes. So in this blog I would like to explain the meaning of the word kapalabhati, a breathing technique we often use in the yoga class.

Kapalabhati –  is a form of Pranayama, or breathing technique. Kapala means “skull”  and bhati means “shiny” or “illuminated”. So Kapalabhati means “shiny skull”. It is a breathing technique we use to increase our Prana and clean out the air passageways before doing more advanced pranayama.

Berlin Yoga: Terminology Tuesday

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photo by Fern

photo by Fern

People still look confused in class sometimes when I use yoga terminology. That’s why I started English Yoga terminology Tuesday. I guess I could always just  use plain English in order to avoid these confusing moments, but as a person who enjoys looking up the etymology of words, how their meanings have evolved from what their original meanings were, and how words between different languages overlap- I would find it a shame not to introduce one of the oldest languages in the world in our classes (Sanskrit). So in this blog I would like to try and explain the meaning of one of the most common words used in my Berlin yoga classes.  What is Pranayama?

 
Pranayama – Prana means vital energy. People often confuse vital energy to mean spirit, or soul, or just the energy within a specific person. That is not the case. Vital energy is the energy you find in all living things. It’s the energy that gives life. This is found in humans, animals, plants, and some people even believe it’s found in stones.  Everyone and everything alive has prana. Yama means “control”. So pranayama is the “control of vital energy”. In yoga we learn how to control and manage our energy through breathing. So Pranayama is a series of breathing techniques that we practice in order to learn how to control, manage, direct or increase our vital energy.