The way forward
Actually there is no choice
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For almost forty years, yoga has been a common thread in my life as a practitioner and teacher. In those forty years, my vision of yoga has grown and changed. As has my view of the world and society. Nothing stays the same as we work towards coming to awareness. For the simple reason that the longer we live consciously, we gain different insights that open up other pathways.
Most of you who have been taking my classes regularly and for a long time started yoga for various reasons. Movement was definitely one of them. And learning to breathe. And, of course, getting a quiet head. I originally started yoga because of the poses. It intrigued me then and still does now to experience the feelings and stillness that arise when I stay in a pose for a long time. And one thing led to another. By now, you have come so far that the postures have become the means to achieve silence.
I rarely talk about the background of yoga. There is a reason for that. My life growth has taught me that we people of today are different from the people who lived thousands of years ago when yoga was rising. Human consciousness was different. Back then, people were much more connected to the spirit and less to the earth. We have gone so far that spirit has disappeared from sight, the connection with the earth is not felt and we are almost completely dominated by matter and the fear of not being able to get what our neighbour has or losing what we have. Digital communication plays a major role in this.
The loss of the science of spirit, in my opinion, is the downfall of humanity. That is why I use different perspectives than yoga philosophy has to offer. By the way, a beautiful and watertight philosophy that has taken us far.
Since our thinking completely plays the main role in our lives, I approach it from that point. From the conscious and unconscious and the five senses. Once we are aware of what makes us act automatically in life, things can change, not before. Only then an opening to the spirit occurs and you are able to experience and feel that you are part of an infinite whole that guides everything including your life; if that is what you want.
Simply put, this is what happens in the classes:
In the postures, all kinds of value judgements appear in our minds that we calmly feel through and let pass without resistance. That alone is years of training. During the (guided) meditations we sometimes catch a glimpse of spirit, and of our connection with the greater whole, with the infinite life force that makes us alive on the earth, which is there to support us fully.
Will I see you at our Quinta on Sunday? Outside in the heavenly nature that helps us turn inwards.Â
Yoga & More
Sunday 22 September 2024 - 10:00 a.m.
Quinta dos Chões