I have practiced yoga years ago, a special kind of integral western yoga: http://www.heinzgrill.de/. Now I have started again, this time raja yoga. I am a Christian and I know of f.e. the famous father Déchanet, who practiced yoga. I have an urgent need for relaxation and learning to keep some distence or trying to not identify with my thoughts and emotions and physical pain. If there is anyone who can something more on the results of this practice, it would be good to hear... I think it can be a good practice in order to be more alert and vigilant in everyday life and open to the grace of God.
Greetings in Christ, Fred
Posts: 123 | Registered: Oct 2007
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I looked at this website, only superficially, but so far it's look good to me:). I practise yoga, but this is Iyengar's method, which is very precise about physical aspect, and although when you go deeper there is also pranayama and meditation, the level of physical body is very emphasized. Teachers of this method also study anatomy and physiology. So the practice of asanas is very good for me, makes it easier for kundalini energy, relaxes me and also keeps me fit, when I don't have time for more active things. Asanas in our school can be pretty demanding physically, so this is hard work too. But as a Christian I didn't look for any particular spirituality in yoga, except for "normal stuff", like awareness of the body, attentiveness to the present moment, relaxation, embodiment of spirit etc.
My experience and my friends' also is that asanas prepare the body for spiritual experiences and also give the mind concentration, stability and enhace body-awareness. So this is all very good. But this guy on the website he seems to have a broader system of practices than just asana and pranayama, so I don't know if it suits you as well. But yoga per se - great thing!
You probably know that raja yoga has 8 levels: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi. This is very good I think, because all of it can be found in Christian tradition. yama and niyama are moral conduct and practice of virtues, which are essential for any yoga. Some teachers emphasize that asanas shouldn't be practised without moral preparation. Asana and pranayama are preparations of physical and energetic body. pratyahara is ability to withdraw senses and turn them inwards, and dharana is one-pointedness of attention. This is all useful for prayer and meditation. Dhyana is meditation as maintaining stable focus on one thing, and samadhi is a state of identification or absorption in that objects of awareness. Of course, it may lead to nonpersonal experiences of God or one's own spirit, which are the highest goal of ancient yoga. But if you don't want that, you can just do 6 lower aspects of yoga and this works very good.
These are my experiences in (Iyengar's) yoga practice. It wasn't and isn't my primary practice but something which I don't want to give up, either, because it really helps me sometimes. And - my whole spiritual journey started from asanas! I enjoyed asanas, then I enjoyed the shavasana - the state of relaxation, and then I wanted to try meditation which brought me to God. So thank you, Lord, for yoga! But with the asanas we have to be careful and choose a good teacher, not to hurt our body.
Posts: 9 | Registered: Mar 2009
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Thanks, Matt, for the extensive reply. Seems you have a lot of experience with all this. I notice that when I am practicing alone, I have the tendency to press myself and force things, which is of course contraproductive. I already wrote here about this inner 'stepping on the gaz' because of a strong perfectionism (out of fear?). The yoga with this teacher, a woman with some 30 years of experience, is physically also quite demanding! The first time I had great difficulties, especially with 'sarvangasana'. Since some years, because of taking medication my weight went from 65 kg to 83 kg. I don't know what to do about this. I have a race bike, but the blockage in my chest gives me too much pain while bicycling. I have been a vegetarian years ago and I try to eat only vegetarian food again, but it is difficult (time, you know...). Does yoga help one to lose weight? A doctor siad me that doing sports doesn't help very much, the best thong is eating less...
Warm greetings, Fred
Posts: 123 | Registered: Oct 2007
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Hi, Freddy, I did yoga for many years, and at one point was up to 1.5 hours per day. The only difference I noticed in myself was that it made me more flexible (physically). That may not be the answer you're looking for, but that was my experience.
Posts: 134 | From: Canada | Registered: May 2008
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Didn't it help you to relax and to be more of a witness of thoughts and patterns in your life? Didn't it open you more to the love and grace of God and fellow men?
Greetings, Fred
Posts: 123 | Registered: Oct 2007
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Hi, Freddy, I wish I could say yes, but the answer is no. It just made me more physically flexible. Meditation, primal therapy, and contemplative prayer have been far more transformative.
Posts: 134 | From: Canada | Registered: May 2008
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But with the asanas we have to be careful and choose a good teacher, not to hurt our body.
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