Note to my students

Dear All,

I have hugely enjoyed our yoga sessions together over the past few months. I sincerely hope you got something out of it too.

Yoga isn't for the faint-hearted. It can bring intense joy. But it may also present us with parts of ourselves we'd perhaps rather not see. But in the end, practicing yoga can help us become a better person.

So the key word here is practice. I've tried to emphasise this throughout the courses. This hasn't been my "thing"; it was recognised already in a 2,000+ year old seminal text on yoga through the concept of "abhyasa":

"Abhyasa means cultivating the lifestyle, actions, speech, and thoughts, as well as the spiritual practices that lead in the positive direction (rather than going in the opposite direction, away from the positive, and towards the negative)." [source]

I hope you feel that you have learnt more about some of the tools to practice yoga: movement, breath, and mental attitude.

As most of you are aware, I'll be traveling in India for 3 months early in the next year. I hope to see you again in the spring.

I will leave you for now with a few words that have been attributed to J. Krishnamurti. Interestingly, J. Krishnamurti studied yoga with TKV Desikachar, who has been hugely influential in the way that we've been practicing yoga amongst ourselves in Reading.

"We were saying how very important it is to bring about in the human mind the radical revolution. The crisis is the crisis in consciousness, a crisis that cannot anymore accept the old norms, the old patterns, the ancient traditions, and continuing what the world is now, with all the misery, conflict, destructive brutality, aggression and so on. Man is still as he was, is still brutal, violent, aggressive, acquisitive, competitive, and he has built a society along these lines.

What we’re trying to do in all these discussions and talks is to see if we cannot radically bring about the transformation of the mind, not accept things as they are but understand it, examine it, give your heart and your mind with a thinking out a way of living differently.

But, it depends on you not somebody else, because in this there is no teacher, no pupil. There’s no leader. There’s no guru. There’s no master, no savior. You are the teacher the pupil, the leader, the guru of everything and to understand is to transform."

—J. Krishnamurti

Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Peaceful New Year to all of you.

Luc

Yoga and the mind

One email I received not long ago said the following:

I am so inconsistent in terms of living a disciplined lifestyle. Using two yoga classes I recently participated in as an example. On the first class I turned up on day three of a water fast. On the second class I turned up after eating to excess just prior to the class. This is a good example of knowing I can be disciplined, but also being very inconsistent.

The example above is just in relation to a yoga class, but on a wider scale this relates to my whole lifestyle. I can stick with something in a very disciplined manner, but when I have a relapse its not a minor relapse, but a major one.

Putting this in context of Patanjali's "Eight Limbs of Yoga", I feel that in terms of Yama & Niyama I could improve a lot. If only I could be surrounded by peers aware of this, I feel I could be a better person and my yoga would improve.

I'd like to eventually explore other limbs: pratyahara, dharana, dhyana & samadhi, but get frustrated knowing I've been unable to do well enough in terms of yama & niyama.

What advice can you suggest please?

My reply was along the following lines:

I think you're hitting the nail on the head as to what Yoga is about. It's not about the physicality, it's about the mind.

The situation you're describing, ultimately, is rooted in the mind's activities: The "will power" (the fasting) as well as the "won't power" (the over indulgence).

It's something most people are struggling with albeit different things for different people. For one it's food, for another it's power, or money.

The Yoga Sutras (where the eight limbs are listed) say: "Yoga is the containment of the minds activities." (YS 1.2) The word 'containment' is key here.

Yoga is not about a cessation of the mind by applying some incredible will power. Yoga is not about arresting the mind in the literal sense. We can't just "stop the mind". Only when we die the mind comes to a complete halt.

What we can do, however, is create conditions that are conducive to us containing the mind.

Aiming to have a proper diet & nutrition, finding something to be passionate about, having proper sleeping patterns, and of course a regular yoga practice are just a few things that help us create the environment for the mind to be calm, centered, and clear.

We can't stop the flow of a river's water. We can create banks around the river to steer the flow in the right direction.

Then, with patience and practice, things are more likely to change. I've blogged about this recently (click here). You may find it interesting to read.

Practice is not just what happens on the mat; arguably, practice is what happens during every waking moment. And practice does not mean having to be perfect.

Practice is practice; the effort to be in a better place.

I've heard my teacher use a wonderful quote on various occassions: "Abstinence is easier than temperance", adding with a smile: "Just have a little piece of chocolate". What a great way of putting it . . .

This article has been written with the consent of the sender of the email. You're more than welcome to Comment on this article on-line. To do this, please open the following link in your web browser: http://tinyurl.com/yjneutg

Athens Marathon 8 November 2009

---

If you're crunched for time, all you need to do is read this blue text. In short: I'm running a marathon soon and I've chosen two charities to raise money for. I would be grateful if you could sponsor me. Click on the links below and click "Donate". It's easy, quick, and totally secure (also for international transactions). Many many thanks!! Luc

• Friends of the Earth

• Paul D'Auria Cancer Support Centre

---

Great, I'm delighted you are able to spend a bit more time with me here :-)

So here's the story:

Five years have passed since I ran my one and (so far) only marathon. Now finally the time has come to do it all again!

Just two days into my "Sporty Forties" I'll be running the Athens Marathon on Sunday 8 November 2009.

This is a hugely important event for me personally. Having faced several injuries, it has taken me over 4 years to get where I am now.

My training in the last 6 months has been phenomenal. Even though I've been running for as long as I care to remember, I've learnt more in this period than ever before.

'Normal' running was complemented with regular Yoga sessions, a paleolithic diet, the application of mental imagery, breathing exercises, and numerous barefoot running sessions. Running developed into a fascinating practice.

I'm now fitter than ever before. The picture on your right-hand side was taken yesterday 11 October 2009 just after I ran a Personal Best of 1:38:31 at the Henley-On-Thames 1/2 marathon (just over 21 km / 13 miles).

Much more importantly, though, is the fact that through the forthcoming marathon I'm raising money for two charities.

The charities I'm running for are:

• Friends of the Earth
• Paul D'Auria Cancer Support Centre

The choice is yours. BUT if you find it difficult to think in terms of "either/or" (I certainly did!), why not follow me in my footsteps and support BOTH?

Donating is easy, quick, and totally secure (also for international payments), and I'm convinced your contribution will go a long way.

Just click on the above links, and follow the steps on the page(s).

Here's why I chose to run for Friends of the Earth and the Paul D'Auria Cancer Support Centre, two fantastic charities:

• I feel strongly about climate change and environmental protection. I've made considerable personal lifestyle changes over the years to minimise my own impact on the planet.
  
  Over the past two years I have been driving a couple of international grassroots initiatives at the company I work for to help bring about a shift in employee mindset.
  
  So I am delighted to be raising money for Friends of the Earth. They are the world's largest grassroots environmental network and they campaign on today's most urgent environmental and social issues.
  
  They challenge the current model of economic and corporate globalisation, and promote solutions that will help to create environmentally sustainable and socially just societies.
  
  Friends of the Earth is an international network of environmental organizations in 77 countries.
  
  And while you're at it... you can fill out the Friends of the Earth's Climate Petition here http://www.foe.co.uk/climatetalks/petition.html
  
  
• The Paul D'Auria Cancer Support Centre is in dire financial straits and has an urgent need for funds in November in order to continue its work.
  
  Undoubtedly the Centre's difficult situation is linked to the global economic recession, and it's sad to see this charity struggle even though there's a greater demand for their services than ever before.
  
  With so many lives affected by cancer, this charity must be able to continue the work they are doing giving support, information and complementary therapies to people with a cancer diagnosis, their carers and relatives, and sending volunteers into people's home when they are too poorly to travel.
  
  My good friends Gary and his wife Pauline work at the Centre in London and I have a good insight into the integrity with which the Centre's work is conducted. I know that all your generous contributions are in very good and capable hands. I feel privileged to be in a position to help and I hope that you will join me.

Thanks guys, and

Take care,
Luc

Practicing Yoga 'Off the Mat'

Each week I provide my group class students with what I call a 'suggested home practice'. This, I —and my students— find, is greatly contributing to getting benefits from Yoga. Here's the final practice of my 10-week Summer Course. It's all about practicing Yoga 'off the mat'.

I've been thinking about would be an appropriate final 'suggested home practice' of the Yoga Summer Course 2009.

So far, all home practices were to be done On The Mat, so to speak. This week's practice is one for Off The Mat (one could argue this is where the rubber hits the road!). Pick any of the ideas below that speak to you.

Here goes:

1. Try to be mindful of the breath at different times during the day. Perhaps a good moment is when you're in traffic, waiting for a red light to turn green. Or at work after finishing your lunch break; a few breaths with a very gentle ujjayi can perhaps feel like the perfect 'dessert'? ;-)
2. As you move about during the day, try to carry yourself with ease. We don't just 'do postures on the mat' - we do postures all day long! How can you improve your own posture and reduce unnecessary tension in your body as you go about your day?
3. Develop awareness of your own mental state. If you're feeling busy or rushed, then surely somewhere in you there's a place that's at least a little bit calmer? I'm not talking mystical stuff here. But if the head is busy, perhaps your feet (by way of example) don't have quite the same sensations, so try to project your awareness there.
   

Finally, I'd like to thank everyone for attending classes this summer. For me, meeting you has certainly contributed to making my summer most enjoyable. I sincerely hope that you've been able to take away a few valuable ideas from this course and feel that you understand Yoga a bit better.

Yoga For Runners Workshop

Please join me in Reading's first Yoga for Runners Workshop on Saturday 5th December 2009 at 10:00-11:30 a.m.

The Yoga For Runners Workshop aims to let runners experience how Yoga can help run with more ease and mindfulness.

My name is Luc Glasbeek and I'm an experienced long-distance runner and Yoga teacher. Over the years I have found that Yoga is tremendously beneficial for my running. It helps me in terms of

• Faster post-run recovery
• Increased body awareness
• Fewer stress-related injuries
• Better mental focus
  

I'm pretty sure that without Yoga my results would either be worse than they are today, or I'd be sitting at home struggling with a nagging injury! But at the age of nearly 40, I'm still going strong, happily doing around 40-50k a week.

I'm keen to share my knowledge about running within a Yoga context with other runners.

The Yoga For Runners Workshop is structured along the same basic 3 steps that I also recommend to my running Yoga students:

• Step 1 — Yoga Warm-Up
  In the comfort of a warm and peaceful space, we'll go through a specific Yoga sequence to prepare the mind, breath, and body for a short run outdoors.
• Step 2 — Meditative Run.
  Then we'll do an easy group run from the venue in Central Reading along the Kennet & Avon Canal, enjoying the fresh December air. This is all about running with full awareness, rather than running fast.
  
• Step 3 — Yoga Cool-Down.
  We're finishing with a restorative Yoga sequence to slow down the body and mind after the physical effort. You're likely to feel very good at this point!
  

To request a registration form for the Yoga For Runners Workshop, please email me at Info@YogaWithLuc.co.uk. Cost: £15. Venue: Reading Quaker Friends' House + outdoors. A reasonable level of fitness is assumed for all participants.

About the teacher: Luc is a Reading-based Yoga Teacher. He has a keen interest in running; he did running workshops with Danny Dryer, author of the highly-acclaimed book “ChiRunning”, and Catherine McKiernan, London, Berlin, and Amsterdam Marathon winner. Since 2005 Luc has been studying and practicing with Paul Harvey, one of the UK's foremost Yoga authorities. Luc has also studied with Srivatsa Ramaswami, a Yoga Master from India. Luc is a certified NLP practitioner. More recently he started exploring barefoot-running. Visit www.YogaWithLuc.co.uk.

Yoga in Modern Life

Sometimes I get the most interesting questions on Yoga and how it relates to our modern, busy lives. Here's part of one recent conversation I had with a prospective student. I had never met or spoken with him before. The conversation took place entirely via email.

He raised the following points:

Can Yoga, help in part, to bring a peace and relaxed attitude to daily life? But not that we immediately rush straight back into the 'rat-race of life' after the sessions, and so forget everything we've just covered!

We may have to do some things quickly, but surely we just whisk through life 'on the surface' if we feel we have to all things as quickly as possible? At times I get stressed trying to do everything NOW.

Would you agree—whether we do Yoga or whatever, or no Yoga, rushing through life doesn't help with harmony, balance, or similar things? I would be glad of any thoughts you may have as a brief reply.

Here's the (slightly edited) response I gave:

These are fascinating times. Most of us are struggling to keep our head above the water, being frantically busy for most part of the waking day, and sleep-deprivation is a given. The 'rat-race of life' seems a fitting term to use indeed.

Yet, the amount of television that the average person in the UK is watching is 4+ hours per day. Most of us lead sedentary lives. We've grown accustomed to have everything we want to be readily available, Now. To a large extent we've become slaves of our own desires and are addicted to entertainment.

One of the possible 'uses' of Yoga is to act as a 'counter posture' to life. A Yoga practice—not necessary a strong physical one; there can be many different forms—can help us to put life in more perspective and help develop our awareness.

Arguably, in our technocratic, materialistic world where we live cut off from nature and ourselves, our awareness is quite low. Indeed, growing, or restoring, our awareness seems to be an important part of the lives of many Yoga practitioners—me included!

So, yes, after a Yoga practice we may find that we instantly rush to our next appointment. But the first awareness that this is happening, already is progress of some sort.

The next step may be to plan the evening after a Yoga class—create space, plan to spend some peace and quiet, for instance without a television turned on or having to read the newspaper. The beauty of silence is best appreciated without noise around us...

And then a next stage could be to have a grounded start in the morning after a Yoga class—e.g. taking a few minutes to do some Yoga to move the body after a night's rest and taking time to enjoy a wholesome breakfast as opposed to consuming a RedBull energy drink, or strong coffee, 'to pick us up'.

Perhaps one day a student who usually arrives at a Yoga class feeling exhausted from the day—or from life even—is noticing that she arrives at the class feeling strong and calm. Then the Yoga practice can help us to go deeper.

Gradually, "Yogic ideas" can be welcome additions to or substitutes for certain habitual patterns and help us live a healthier more meaningful life. This won't be an overnight shift, but rather a gradual evolution. Our habits have formed over many years and are deeply rooted in our mind and body. On the latter, I like the phrase 'history is biology'.

More likely than not our journey will be littered with setbacks and confrontations with the aspects of ourselves that we rather not wish to face... But in my view that's a relatively small price to pay for personal growth.

Many of us, however, are impatient and want 'quick fixes' without having to put in much effort. Unfortunately there are plenty of people around who are willing to offer the proverbial snake oil. The reality is that only through consistent practice, we'll be able to progress.

Several interesting points came up as the conversation developed, so I could go on for longer! I hope to publish another article about 'Yoga in Modern Life' in this newsletter's next edition.

Luc

This article has been written with the consent of the sender of the email. You're more than welcome to Comment on this article on-line. To do this, please open the following link in your web browser: http://tinyurl.com/y94jtek

Stretching back 25m years

A few (again loose) thoughts on barefoot running - and its possible links to yoga.

In order to understand ourselves we have to know our evolutionary history.

Humans are not self-made creations dietarily, but rather have an evolutionary history as anthropoid primates stretching back more than 25 million years, a history that shaped their nutrient requirements and digestive physiology well before they were humans or even protohumans. In homonoids, features such as nutrient requirements and digestive physiology appear to be genetically conservative and probably were little affected by the hunter-gatherer phase of human existence. [Katharine Milton - Hunger-gatherer diets, a different perspective]

In terms of diet and nutrition, there's an increasing awareness that if we emulated the diet of our early ancestors, we'd be able we might be able to avoid "diseases of civilisation".

I would argue that an Ayurvedic diet, popular amongst yogis, needs to be cross-checked against our inborn (genetic) dietary preferences as well. (If it is compliant, an Ayurvedic approach to what and how we eat can be very beneficial, particularly because it works with the idea of doshas.)

A similar argument would apply to exercise.

It seems fair to say that strenuous physical effort was part of the everyday lives of our early ancestors.

In the book "Born to Run" it is argued that the human species survived because it was able to run long distances.

This obviously is in stark contrast with the Western sedentary lifestyle. And we all seem to agree on this point.

What fewer people argue, however, is that it is also going against the yogic idea that focused aerobic exercise is not needed to obtain physical health or well-being.

Perhaps it is no surprise then that India, where yoga originated thousands of years ago, bore few athletes.

Abhinav Bindra became the first ever individual Olympic champion of India. This took place as recent as 2008, at the Men's 10 metre air rifle event.

Lack of regular strenuous exercise increases the risks of civilisation (obesity, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes). A yoga practice alone offers insufficient cardio-vascular benefits.

The intensity of hatha yoga may be too low to provide a training stimulus for improving cardiovascular fitness. Although previous research suggests that hatha yoga is an acceptable form of physical activity for enhancing muscular fitness and flexibility, these data demonstrate that hatha yoga may have little, if any, cardiovascular benefit. [Clay et al]

The yogic counter argument that the heart is used "differently", and that the heart-rate should be kept as low as possible, seems to lack a scientific basis.

In other words, everyone needs exercise, yogis included.

Because barefoot running is part of our essential being, it is the ideal form of exercise for yogis.