Inspirations

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I was asked by someone: "And what about Faith?" My reply was that I don't generally deal with faith, but that I was faithful to my wife. This because I am a wisecracking wit, or maybe twit.

My reply astonished me. I said I am a container filled to the brim with faith. In me there is a deep, deep ocean of faith. In the abyss of this ocean many wonderful unique creatures exist. They are the mysterious, unspoken thoughts of my universe of faith. This is where my faith dwells. This faith is mine and mine alone.

Other people also have their abyss of faith. Their faith is theirs and theirs alone.

My chattering mind asked me "Can you share your faith?" And I answered that I find that impossible. And I wish it were otherwise.

You see every time I drag these faith thoughts to the surface with words; they are distorted critters, half dead and meaningless in this world. They don't belong here.

Sometimes I drag a corset, or straightjacket to the surface. I feel constrained and wished I could burst out and be free again. I say the words "I believe in..." Which really means my belief is restricted. It rejects any other belief.

Sometimes my faith comes to the surface as a sock with huge holes in it. I mend the holes with threads of half-truths and straight out lies.

Visualise a field with wild flowers of every shape, size and colour. Every flower is different. What do you see? A daffodil, a rose, lotus, tulip, magnolia, or any other flower of your choice. There are big flowers, small flowers, pungent flowers, nicely scented flowers, vividly coloured flowers, and delicately coloured flowers.

Every flower represents somebody's faith. They are all different. Some are seedlings, just starting out on their journey through life. They need careful nursing. Some are in full bloom. Some are wilting. Some have changed into fruit with seeds in them. Visualise your faith flower, what stage is it at and what condition is it in?

How the stamen of my flower longs to be fertilised by the pollen of another type of flower. But that so rarely happens. Wished it were otherwise.

We all have our own unique individual faith, and seldom are we understood or included in someone else's faith and beliefs. Wished it were otherwise.

Merimac Foxburr of Loamsdown was not exactly a hobbit even though he looked a bit like one. But whatever his looks were, one could tell straight away that Merimac was an advanced soul, as these can easily be recognised because they practise and teach Yoga. He had been doing quite well with his sadhana and steady progress was his reward. Currently, Merimac lived with his companion Mantsari, the cat, and the 108 bats in his comfortable cave that had been in his family's possession for many hundreds of years. His life was easy and joyful and maybe that's why he knew that he had to go and spend some time with Master Monsoon. The plan had been formulated and put into action and the time set to leave by the end of the year in search for the Master. There were just a few more things to tidy and do, such as carve out the cave extension for his Yoga classes /sadhana room as well as find somebody to come in and feed Mantsari and the bats.

One of the hardest things to leave behind would be his bat-breeding area. It had been his mother's idea to use the lower part in the back of the cave to breed the rare magic bat. The creatures had free access to the area and were enticed to stay because of the cosy conditions and delicious food supplied daily. Not only did he enjoy the bats' company at night, but the flying friends kept the memory of his mother alive in him. How he wished he could take that part of the cave with him!

At the time of the New Year, which starts with the new moon after the miraculous Pleiades star system can first be seen in the night sky, Merimac had a big party, not quite the farewell yet, but maybe the last time he and all his friends would be together. It was a merry affair and everyone enjoyed the performances of the eight dancing bats and the twenty diving ones very much. Each person was aware that a fresh beginning was drawing near, and things would never be the same again.

And then, one week later, disaster struck: twenty days of hail topped by an earthquake. Luckily, Merimac and Mantsari had been visiting friends on the next hillside at the time of the earthquake and were well but quite shocked to find the cave was in shambles; rubble and rocks everywhere, pictures of the Master fallen to the ground and smashed. And even though the entrance was still usable, it was pretty hard to get past the chimney. The kitchen was fine, only a couple of cups broken. But worst was the bat-cage, it had been rendered unusable. Fortunately none of the bats had come to harm, thanks to their ultrasonic abilities. But what a mess the earthquake had caused here, this could not be cleaned up or repaired, it would need complete rebuilding!

How interesting that it had struck hardest what he loved most, while other areas like the kitchen were hardly touched. The cave itself was fine, in fact the newly created window (by the earthquake!) in the northwall was wonderful; Mantsari had come up with the same innovative idea just a few weeks earlier. But who would want to come and live in his cave now while he was away, looking after pot plants and cat and bats? What transformation would come from this disaster?

So Merimac set to work and all the inhabitants from Loamsdown turned up and helped, it was great! Rubble and rocks were cleared, in fact someone built a beautiful, arty rock wall around the entrance garden from it. The chimney was stabilised and the broken cups replaced. And with much care and effort from twelve wonderful craftsmen the bat cage was rebuilt exactly as his mother had designed it, down to the smallest adornment in the black lattice and with the same colour and hue originally used. Nobody would have been able to tell the difference. Mantsari told the bats about the reconstruction. They had shifted into several caves along the western slope of the hillside after the disaster, and every one of the 108 magic bats moved merrily back into Merimac's new old cave. And things were just like they had been before. Merimac carved the extension for the new sadhana-cave out himself and his old school mate Losdoc, who had lost his own cave in the disaster, moved in and took care of everything when Merimac left to find the Master at the end of the year. Unfortunately, this was not how things were meant to happen, and Merimac never found the Master. Instead he missed Mantsari, his bats and all his friends so much that he turned around after one month of fruitless search, turned around too quickly in fact, fell into a ravine and died.

So Merimac set to work and all the inhabitants from Loamsdown turned up and helped, it was great! Rubble and rocks were cleared, and someone even created a beautiful, imaginative statue near the entrance from it. Once the area of the bat cage had been tidied, it revealed itself as the best place for the new sadhana room. Why hadn't he thought of that before? The bats seemed happy enough in the caves along the western slope of the hillside, where they had moved after the disaster, and Mantsari agreed that it was a good idea. So, that's what they did. The new sadhana room was expertly designed and carved by expert-designers and carvers and the result was stunning: walls and ceiling had the colour of iridescent charcoal and the floors glowed like the reflection of an open fire on chocolate. Merimac left as planned at the end of the year after having found a fellow advanced-soul to take over his Yoga classes, be good company for Mantsari and feed the bats. But that was also not what was meant to happen, and Merimac searched and searched for the Master, and as far as we know he is still searching today ...

So Merimac set to work and all the inhabitants from Loamsdown turned up and helped, it was great! Rubble and rocks were cleared, and several sharp-thinking citizens even created a beautiful hexagonal forecourt from the debris. Merimac decided that really it was not very useful to start building a new sadhana room now, when he was on the verge of leaving and instead rented the cave out for the years to come. The bats were moved to his old school mate Losdoc's place but never felt really happy there and eventually left Loamsdown for good. Merimac went in search of the Master, and ultimately found him years away from home, however he arrived too late as the Master had just died the day before.

So Merimac set to work and all the inhabitants from Loamsdown turned up and helped, it was great! Rubble and rocks were cleared, and someone even created a beautiful almost life-like statue of the Master in the centre of the cave from the debris. The kitchen was completely taken out and the chimney straightened. Once the area of the bat cage had been tidied, it revealed itself as a great place for an altar and a new picture of Master Monsoon was lovingly placed on this. And all of a sudden the whole cave turned into a sanctuary! The floors shimmered in a transparent black and the walls sparkled like pearls. Merimac understood that his cave now belonged to all the people of Loamsdown and that they would take good care of it and the bats for ever after. He felt great liberation and lightness at heart and left as soon as the opening ceremony was completed. He found Master Monsoon within weeks, lived with him for many rich years and ultimately reached enlightenment.

MS (Multiple Sclerosis) is a progressively degenerative, auto-immune disease of the nervous system in the brain and the spinal column. The myelin layer that usually protects and supports the nerves becomes inflamed, damaged and eventually completely destroyed. The communication through the nerve impulses may break down. The course of the disease can be different for each person, often people will experience attacks of varying duration (days or months or even years) followed by a restoration period where functions will improve again, to then experience another relapse years or even decades later.

All parts of the individual that are controlled by the nervous system can be affected including functions of vision, hearing, speech, walking, writing, and memory. Muscle weakness and spasms, fatigue, numbness, and prickling pain are common symptoms. Decreased concentration, attention deficits, depression, manic depression, and paranoia can be part of the mental changes. As the disease worsens, patients may experience sexual dysfunction or reduced bowel and bladder control[i]. Symptoms can vary during different phases and among different people.

It is estimated that there are approximately 4000 people living with MS in New Zealand. Unfortunately, as Medline Plus[ii] state, "there is no known cure for multiple sclerosis at this time. However, there are promising therapies that may slow the disease. The goal of treatment is to control symptoms and maintain a normal quality of life." The Happy Families Website[iii] describes that Yoga and Tai Chi are good for stretching and a sense of well-being.

A study[iv] in 2004 in the US showed improvement in fatigue in the groups that exercised and practiced Yoga compared to the control group that performed neither. No effects on attention or alertness or any clear changes in mood were noted.

Professor Burk^{^[v]}, a leading neurologist in the USA, suggested that people with MS:

The above information suggests that Yoga (asana, pranayama, meditation and Yoga Nidra) can benefit people with MS by improving health and wellbeing on the physical, energetic, mental, emotional and spiritual levels. In fact, Yoga is an excellent complementary therapy for people with MS. Practising Yoga in a group environment on a regular basis allows clear instructions and assistance from the Yoga teacher as well as encouragement and support from the peers. When people with MS take up Yoga, they need to be especially cautious with balance and standing movements, as well as aware of their own limitations as not to overdo the physical (and other) aspects. A Yoga class therefore needs to be gentle and flexible to cater for each person's different abilities.

Because students with MS tire easily the class is only one hour in duration. We meet once a week in the gym where exercises are practiced on other weekdays. The group is small at this stage, only five regulars come: three women and two men, all over 50. They have agreed to start the class sitting up, even though one participant cannot do so for extended periods. People either lean against the wall or sit cross-legged without any other support during stages 1-3 of Kaya Sthairyam followed by chanting of the mantra Om three times and the peace invocation of Om Shanti.

Often, it is a struggle for everyone to be ready on time for an already short class. Some of the students may take several minutes to move into any of the base positions. Because most students cannot stand or are unable to stand without support, asanas are restricted to those starting from sitting, lying on front or back, Vajrasana and on all fours. An easy flow of postures has been created to save time by avoiding unnecessary changes in base positions: this flow moves from sitting asanas to postures on all fours and/or Vajrasana, to postures starting from lying on the front, then rolling onto the back and finally completing the class with Yoga Nidra in Shavasana for the last 15 to 20 minutes. In each session some movements from the Pawanmuktasana (PMA) part 1 are practised while still sitting up, sometimes one of the first three PMA part 3 is added. Favourites from Vajrasana include Shashankasana and Ananda Madirasana. Marjariasana and Vyaghrasana are practised with varying outcomes. On the front, asanas like the flying locust or half locust as well as simple backward bends play an important role in keeping the back flexible and strong. Lying on the back, all asanas that strengthen the abdominal muscles are particularly important and as well as spinal twists. Recently padma pushpam was added with great success.

The class finishes with Yoga Nidra to counteract any fatigue that may accompany the physical exertion of getting to class, onto the floor and then performing asanas. Rotation of consciousness especially supports the growth of new neural pathways, and the breathing will sustain a sense of well-being and connectedness, in particular as usually pranayama - other than Yogic Breathing in Shavasana just before Yoga Nidra - falls prey to the time shortage.

A little while back, we introduced Ashwini Mudra, then Vajroli / Sahajoli Mudra the following week and Moola Bandha a fortnight later. Within a month the feedback from the students was that urinary incontinence had now been mastered without drugs. This possibility had not been known before. Originally the mudras were introduced in preparation for Moola Bandha, which was to be taught for pain control as well as energy preservation.

The willingness of the students to try new asanas keeps astounding me and often the result is much more encouraging than expected - by me. We have done a Vipareet Karani asana variation against the wall, where apart from getting the legs there; the main problem was to keep the legs from slipping back down. We have given Hasta Pada Angushthasana and Meru Akarshanasana a go and performed a TTK variation sitting up against the wall.

The students are a chatty bunch and focus continues to be a challenge for some. The mood is always cheerful before, during and after class. People are determined to see the good in the situation and make the best out of life, as Brendon says: "The word 'giving up' is not part of my vocabulary." The social aspect is important, and the feeling of a support group shows when a cup of tea and biscuits are enjoyed after class.

The students report feeling great and relaxed at the end of the Yoga class and finding the class generally enjoyable and the effects remarkable. Brendon comments: "Yoga and exercise complement each other. Since I started practising both several times a week, I have been able to do things again I couldn't before. It's a pity not more people attend."

Brian explains: "Without Yoga and Gym I wouldn't be able to walk now. The Yoga class challenges me to give movements a go I wouldn't think of trying otherwise."

And Diane observes: "It makes you feel good, the stretching is so good for our bodies, and we don't get it like we do while doing Yoga, also the breathing is really great, especially for an Asthmatic like me, it also has enabled my to be a much better sleeper. I relax more fully and concentrate on the eyebrow centre and can then drift off to sleep which has been a God sent when the pain is really bad. Also I love finishing off with the Yoga Nidra; it is so good."

[i] http://www.medicinenet.com/multiple_sclerosis/article.htm

[ii] http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000737.htm

[iii] http://www.honeybalm.com/diseases/mulitple-schleroris.php

[iv] Randomized controlled trial of yoga and exercise in multiple sclerosis. Neurology. 2004 Jun 8;62(11):2058-64 ,

Oken BS, Kishiyama S, Zajdel D, Bourdette D, Carlsen J, Haas M, Hugos C, Kraemer DF, Lawrence J, Mass M.

[v] MS Waikato Trust Newsletter April 2006 Snippets from Professor Burks' Talks Hamilton: MS Waikato Trust

©Arbana Levande 2007

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Teaching Yoga to the Older Person

By Sn. Samadhimurti, Hamilton, NZ

Recently I started teaching yoga to students 55 years and older at our local Celebrating Age Centre. The class is called cocoon yoga, after the movie "Cocoon" in which elderly people are rejuvenated by swimming in a pool with alien cocoons. I saw it as challenge to the usual beginners and general yoga classes. And that it was - for the first two months anyway.

Often people stop exercising as they age and nothing could be worse for their health. Many health issues have been linked to the sedentary lifestyle which is typical not just of older people, but of society as a whole. Extended periods of sitting may lead to muscular shortening, tightening and weakening. Lack of weight-bearing activity contributes to osteoporosis. Lack of movement and stretching leads to joint deterioration and loss of flexibility as well as other concerns, eg arthritis/bursitis, high blood pressure, increased body fat and decreased lean body tissue, osteoporosis, low back pain, breathing difficulties, poor blood circulation, vision problems, chronic pain, stress-related symptoms and the inability to sleep peacefully.

Yoga can be such a gentle form of exercise that people at any age can start the practice under a qualified teacher who can take care of physical conditions in the class environment. The benefits of yoga are well known and documented. Many of these are especially relevant to the older generation, such as mental alertness, improved memory, being in the present and staying focussed on the task at hand. Yoga postures help to restore flexibility in the joints and normalise blood pressure. The flow of blood and lymph are increased which helps to reduce the effects of aging. Improvements in the immune system, autonomic nervous system and overall health, stability and balance, enhanced pain management as well as better physical and fitness levels are some other benefits. The mere act of going to yoga classes and practising the postures can boost the confidence levels. Breathing practices utilise the full lung capacity and help with purification, and together with relaxation/meditation can connect the person with who they really are, with their soul. With the help of yoga, students, especially older people, may be able to come to a place of peace, where they can accept themselves, the aging state of their bodies, and that life will end one day.

In the past I had taught a combined class for the general public and Indian senior citizens who belonged to a local organisation[1]. The agreement had been that the seniors received a free class in return for providing the venue. The task had been to keep the postures safe for the older generation while simultaneously challenging the other participants. The older group of people would not listen to gentle reminders to stay with the simpler version. Nor would they heed instructions to stay with the safer variation if they were beginners. All high blood pressure warnings were consistently ignored. In the end, I resorted to separate instructions for the two groups of participants to keep people safe, and even then the success was limited.

In New Zealand Tai Chi has become quite well known and popular with the older generation as a gentle movement to keep active, help with balance and to minimise falls, which are an ongoing threat to older people. In contrast, yoga is still relatively unknown in this age group and comes with a sense of being physically challenging to impossible body contortions. This new "Cocoon yoga" class had been advertised as a gentle class for the older person 55+ which could be done sitting on a mat or chair or wheelchair. It started off with a free introductory class to which 16 people showed up. In line with the advertising, people kept their shoes on and sat in chairs. They performed gentle joint movements and a squatting practice (stand - sit on chair) as well as a simple balancing pose, followed by abdominal breathing and a short yoga nidra sitting in a chair. The class was 1.25 hours long. I had demonstrated most of the practices, and kept the voice volume high. The consensus was that the session had been an agreeable experience. Almost half the group came up to talk about changing to a different time, and maybe even two classes per week. Others said they didn't like having "a nap" at this time of day as they were looking forward to one after lunch.

Over the next weeks, I attempted to slowly change the style back to a SATYANANDA YOGA^® class. I did not demonstrate all postures any more, but then noticed that people continued to copy me without listening to any instructions: when I stopped they stopped, when I leaned to the right while saying "Lean to the right" they would lean to the left, and so on. Encouragements to take the shoes off while practising toe bending were frowned upon. A couple of people were keen to try the cat (Marjariasana) on the floor, while someone else refused to attempt bending the spine back and forth while sitting in a chair, "I can't do that", she commented while staring at another person on the floor. During this time, numbers went down until we reached the low point of two participants.

For a while I couldn't work out why I wasn't happy with the class, and obviously the students weren't either. Was it that so many shoes stayed on? Some people were now bringing mats, and I wanted to keep the instructions flexible to include people who preferred sitting on chairs. Eventually I realised that my frustration was related to the lack of willingness in several participants to give even simple practices a go.

I also continued to feel uncomfortable about "jumping around" in the front of the room like an aerobics instructor just to fulfil expectation being able to copy every move. At first my intention was to yield to their expectation of a class, in the end I found I was compromising too much. So I introduced "listening to the instructions", while lying on their backs, heads towards the front and doing single leg raises. They could not see me in this position, so I was able to go back to teaching the way a SATYANANDA YOGA^® teacher does, observing the group and speaking to what I could see. For a while, we practised a lot of postures starting from shavasana - lying on the back!

I needed to learn a lot about older people and how to best relate to them. The complete lack of flexibility in some upper backs was new to me: could some people really not lie flat on their back? Which postures from the supine position are safe to do with a pillow under the head? Where should arms be positioned in postures that require interlocking the hands under the head when neither head nor arms touch the floor? I now take special care of wrists and ankles, as well as the lower back and chest/shoulder areas. I find myself using the English names for the postures rather than confusing participants with the Sanskrit names. I leave quite long pauses between postures to allow for revitalisation.

The fear and risk of falling is ever present in older people, especially as their bones may break easily. Therefore, balancing postures are always included in this class. Participants stand on one leg beside a sturdy chair with the option of one hand resting on the backrest for safety and confidence. We also practise variations of moving the leg on the other side of the chair out and in with the breath (abduction and adduction), lifting the knee towards the chest or bringing the heel towards the buttocks. We found that at this stage, the standing leg gets tired quite easily and thus we keep this segment relatively short.

In the beginning, a few people were quite suspicious of filling in any form at all, or giving me their name and phone numbers, thinking that I wanted to sign them up for something. So, confidential health forms were only introduced after 3 months. Until then I worked under the safer assumption that everyone in the class suffered from high blood pressure and joint trouble and didn't know how to take in a deep breath!

Ujjayi pranayama was introduced quite early into the term, as the lowering of blood pressure as well as the induced peace and introversion are a good preparation for yoga nidra at the end of the class.

Recently, we developed a chair sequence together to challenge the cardiovascular faculties of the body a little more without going as far as practising Salute to the Sun (Surya Namaskara). This set can be found as an attachment.

I finish with the words of my 86 year old student who commented to her neighbour after class: "That was quite enjoyable, wasn't it?"

Bibliography and Webpages

http://yoga-health-benefits.blogspot.com/2009/08/yoga-for-elderly-fitness-for-elderly.html

http://www.seniorfitness.net/YOGA.htm

Yoga for the 50+, With Sara Kooperman and Lisa Ackerman

http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/yoga-and-health/yoga-for-elderly.asp

Yoga for the Elderly - Seniors' Way to Be Fit

http://yoga-health-benefits.blogspot.com/2009/08/yoga-for-elderly-fitness-for-elderly.html

http://hubpages.com/hub/best-yoga-positions-for-elderly-individuals

[1] Waikato Indian Senior Citizens Association.

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Teaching Yoga To Teenagers

By Sn. Samadhimurti, New Zealand

For several months now our charitable trust, Shraddha - Yogic Lifestyle Education Trust, has been teaching yoga to teenagers at the local high school[1]. This class is offered for free to the teenagers and the teacher volunteers her time.

Why teach yoga to teenagers?

Teenagers are an interesting and fascinating, a different type of human being altogether with their own job description. They are just finding themselves, forming their own opinions, still pliable, curious and direct. Here is a great opportunity and challenge for a competent teacher of yoga to make a lasting mark for the better in individuals and eventually society as a whole. The teacher could well be an important role model with a potentially huge influence on the teenagers' development.

Benefits of Yoga for Teenagers

As is well known, yoga is about balance and harmony, stretching and strengthening, focus and relaxation, happiness and a sense of general well-being. Teenagers go through enormous changes: in their bodies, emotions, hormones and world view. Yoga practices can offer help with a diverse range of arising issues.

In our sedentary culture even children are expected to spend many hours a day sitting at desks or leaning over books and papers, and sitting in front of the computer screen. Their posture is naturally improved through yoga practices as their muscles tone increases. Yoga postures and relaxation further support the body's natural alignment. Issues such as menstrual cramps, headaches, sinus and digestive problems, irritability and pain, etc can be addressed. Fast growth in teenagers' bodies can lead to tight muscles, tendons and ligaments, and yoga can play an important part in alleviating these conditions.

Balancing postures indirectly teach the teenage mind to focus, and create harmony and balance in body and mind. These are invaluable tools for busy teenagers. Learning to centre the mind is a skill needed throughout life.

Coordination and physical awareness are improved, thereby lessening the risk of injury in any physical activity. Through aware and careful exploration of the body, respect and gratitude for the body are encouraged. Teens learn to appreciate how much difference a little effort can make physically as well as mentally and emotionally, thus strengthening motivation to take on changes and challenges in other areas of their lives.

Yoga revitalises and balances energies and emotions, causing the nervous system to be calmed. Breath awareness, full yogic breathing in particular, contributes to the development of a sense of connectedness to their Selves, others and the world. Brahmari pranayama and Nadi Shodhana balance the two hemispheres of the brain. Concentration is improved through the focus learned in class as well as meditation techniques. Yoga Nidra especially teaches the art of physical, mental and emotional relaxation, as the body is systematically put to sleep while the mind stays alert and relaxed as it becomes more focused. A sense of knowing, understanding and acceptance of themselves is developed. Peer pressure is non-existent during this time, stress levels are reduced, and a healthy and profound self-image can develop based on peace and an optimistic attitude.

Set-up and space

When we initially announced an early morning, extracurricular yoga class, we did not know how much interest there would be. We were pleasantly surprised when more than 20 names appeared on the list after only a couple of days. Sixteen students showed up for the first class. They were all girls - which was great as this took one big distraction out of the class environment.

The gymnasium we were originally given was not conducive to yoga practice. Unfortunately, this was the only available room for our purpose as all other rooms were still alarmed and nobody was available that early to open up. With a gym next door and only some bars separating the two spaces, we had to ask repeatedly for the music to be turned off. Sometimes other groups came in to practise sports in the hall, and these activities were only moved into a neighbouring hall after several discussions.

Over winter our main problem was that the temperature in the gymnasium was less than 10 degrees in the mornings. Several times, we had to start the class with laps of jogging around the hall to get the body moving followed by a continuous stream of dynamic, warming postures. Relaxation was out of the question in this cold environment.

Class layout, term 2

We started at 7.15 am before school began for the one hour long class. When the temperature allowed, we sat in a meditative pose in the beginning and at the end for one minute and watched the breath. At first none of the students was able to keep their bodies still or even their eyes closed for more than 5 seconds. After a couple of months approximately a third of the pupils could sit still and attempt to focus - to watch their breath - while others continued to display restlessness and discomfort. Of course latecomers pose a massive distraction to focus and inner stillness! This observation is also true for both the way static postures are held.

The focus of the class for the first 2 months was on learning the sequence of surya namaskara (Salute to the Sun). Then several weeks were spent on refining the practice as well as building up numbers of rounds. Subsequently, chandra namaskara (Salute to the Moon) was introduced. Eventually, the sun- (and moon-) mantras were chanted during the performance of the practice, and the consensus amongst the teens was that they quite enjoyed hearing them. A week later the chanting of the mantra OM in the beginning and end of the class was initiated. At first there was little success, in time several of the students joined in.

A short breathing component was placed before each final 1 minute of "sitting quietly". Yoga nidra or even short relaxation times between postures were impossible because of the cold temperatures.

We were surprised at the relative stiffness of teenagers in forward bends as well as the apparent weakness in the abdominal muscles. Other areas of challenge include balancing postures and holding the inverted pose of vipareet karani asana (half shoulderstand). Therefore, some of these postures were included in each class in addition to surya namaskara as well as various forward and backward bends and spinal twists. Usually the posture section would finish with either a balancing / meditative / pre-pranayama or other static pose.

New class lay-out, term 3

After approximately three months the class indicated in feedback forms that there was too much surya namaskara and that they were interested in learning other, different postures. A couple of students felt that their abdominal muscles were getting stronger. We planned for the next school term to keep the class interesting by lowering the number of rounds of surya namaskara and introducing a greater variety of postures.

The next term began in the middle of winter and the class was now joined by the rowing team. They had been sent because some of the kids were really stiff and needed stretching badly, so for the first time we had several boys in the class. As expected there was more giggling and checking out what the other "side" was doing. Yes, all boys sat on one side and the girls on the other. The class plans were therefore changed to include many practices of the Pawanmuktasana series 1 - 3 while careful explanations were included in each session stating which muscle was being stretched and/or strengthened and which joint was being used/made more flexible, etc to aid the teenagers' motivation. The attitudes of the newcomers ranged from: "I'll demonstrate clearly that I didn't actually want to come and am feeling sooooo bored right now!" to "I'll give it my best shot."

It seems that many boys find prarambhik sthiti, the base position of sitting upright with the legs extended to the front, harder to perform and hold than girls. The ability to touch the toes is rarely observed. Churning the mill and rowing the boat are great dynamic forward bends that energise the body and aid flexibility in general. The class plan continued to include postures for strengthening the abdominal muscles as well as balancing postures which help to focus the teenagers for the school day ahead.

How much yoga practice changes the attitude and influences the personality could clearly be seen when this new intake arrived. The "old" students, who had now been coming for 3 months, showed quite a different picture to the new ones. The former had learned to sit still for a little while, managed to keep their backs straight and the eyes closed - even when latecomers arrived or other noises indicated people were walking through the hall.

New settings, term 4

We have been looking forward to the warmer temperatures of spring all winter, wanting to introduce a short Yoga Nidra at the end of each class. Recently, we moved into an afternoon slot and into a warm classroom. Immediately the class structure could be changed from 95 % to 75 % postures. It includes more short rests between postures to facilitate awareness of the effects of postures. Longer breathing practices were now incorporated and we were finally able to introduce yoga nidra. The sessions continued to include the dynamic, strengthening and balancing postures mentioned above. The teacher would also add the occasional "exotic" posture to keep the class interesting.

Student numbers which had been falling during winter were now steadily climbing. This is probably not only related to warmer weather but to the general dislike of teenagers for getting up early.

Insights, learnings and other observations

In the teenagers own words, they come to yoga for a fitter body, more strength and balance, fun, and inner peace. They find the yoga session to be a time for themselves as well as a time for reflection. They discover more awareness of their bodies. The teens say they also come because abdominal breathing is deeper and slower than the normal breath; it oxygenates the muscles, so it must be good for you! They participate to boost energy levels, to block out all negative thoughts, to stretch, relax and become more flexible. They find the atmosphere peaceful and commented that everyone is welcome and included. After class they feel happy, optimistic and calm. Comments were made at how fast time goes and one teenager who has trouble sleeping at night said that she would like to practise Yoga Nidra every night. They acknowledged that the teacher needs to have patience.

Over time we learned that some teenagers are not interested in having a conversation on equal terms with their yoga teacher and avoid giving opinions when asked. Even when questioned as to whether they enjoyed the class, some looked at each other first, before carefully nodding.

A bit of humour, clear boundaries and explicit instructions are essential in a teenage class. Our teacher is naturally bossy and had no problems with keeping the class in order. While setting clear rules and boundaries for the sessions on the one hand, she showed acceptance and understanding on the other, eg of yawning, or of the odd comment to neighbours. Giving direct and clear descriptions and feedback, spiced with a little humour, works well in a teenage class. It is important to empower students and give them a sense of achievement by praising their efforts, capabilities and improvements where apparent. Classes remain interesting and new by creating an achievable flow of postures interlaced with some challenges. Fun and a non-competitive atmosphere are vital for students to feel comfortable and to want to come back to the next class.

Useful Websites

http://www.yogamag.net/archives/2005/isep05/enhance.shtml

http://yogaminded.com/benefits.php

http://www.growingkids.co.uk/YogaTeens.html

http://yogaplay.com.au/teenagers.php

http://www.yogajournal.com/for_teachers/2358

[1] Hillcrest High School, Hamilton, New Zealand

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Yoga and Faith (Shraddha)

During the 20^th century, science has dominated the thinking of humankind. Anything that cannot be proven or isn’t of material nature does not exist in this world view. Anything that is not logical and accurate is mocked. Humankind has lost access to their spirituality. For many people life has no other meaning than material possessions, achievements and comforts. At the same time numerous physical and mental disturbances, instabilities and conflicts have come into existence. Diseases related to stress continue to increase. Stress and unhappiness have become a way of life in many cultures today. Mental peace is widely unknown and what is defined as mental health is at best an absence of greater mental turmoil and does not include peace, harmony and happiness.

This article looks at definitions of faith in the sense of the Sanskrit word shraddha and investigates briefly the difference between belief, blind faith and shraddha. Inspired by the work of Andrew Newberg, and assured through Swami Satyananda’s contributions, it confidently asserts that faith is inherent in humans. It further explores the role of faith on the spiritual path with the help of Patanjali’s yoga sutras and a range of commentaries. This article concludes by stating that faith is an essential ingredient to mental health and happiness; humans need to uncover their faith seedlings in the garden of life, weed out the growths of doubt continuously and water and nurture their faith plants with actions born out of shraddha.

Definitions

One predominant online[1] definition classifies faith as follows:

1. Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.

2. Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence.

3. Loyalty to a person or thing; allegiance: keeping faith with one's supporters.

4. often: Faith Christianity. The theological virtue defined as secure belief in God and a trusting acceptance of God's will.

5. The body of dogma of a religion: the Muslim faith.

6. A set of principles or beliefs.

The difference between 'belief' and 'faith' can be clarified through the following statements. 'Beliefs' reside in the past, they are existing ideas which one subscribes to, while 'faith' looks towards the future. 'Belief' has to do with knowledge and understanding; 'faith' relates more to hope and trust. 'Belief' may or may not imply that the believer is certain, whereas 'faith' implies a level of confidence which approaches certainty.[2]

Swami Satyasangananda[3] writes that most religions only provide blind faith, handed down through the social environment into which one is born while real and living faith has the power to transform the whole personality and enrich the quality of life. Swami Satyananda[4] explains further:

The word shraddha is made of two parts: shrat meaning truth; dha to hold. Thus shraddha means that which holds the truth. The word faith is perhaps not a correct translation of the word shraddha. Faith is usually blind, belief is always firm, but it is not so with shraddha, which comes only after understanding the truth. Shraddha arises from true experience. Belief is always learned from other people. … What most of us generally have is not shraddha, but only faith or belief.

One more source[5] conveys that to adopt beliefs about God from parents, religion and society is a "fruitless exercise" that does not bring mental peace and calmness.

A different educator[6] explains that shraddha is not a blind faith in some organisation, institution, or teacher, rather, it is an inner feeling of certainty that a person is moving in the right direction. And one last online[7] explanation of faith is that it is the natural inclination of man to turn towards his source.

"Why God Won't Go Away"

In their book "Why God Won't Go Away" psychiatrist Eugene d'Aquili and radiologist Andrew Newberg explain that the human brain is "hard-wired" (biologically programmed) to have spiritual experiences and to believe in God. Another way of saying this is that the capacity for mystical experience helps to explain humankind's strong tendency toward faith. Through their neurological evidence using SPECT scans (single photon emission computed tomography) of the brain to display various patterns of brain activity during mystical experiences such as meditation and prayer, the authors show that these inner experiences are creating genuine activity in the brain. Therefore, mystical experience is real in the sense that there is something actually occurring in the brain that is not dismissible as something delusional or hallucinatory. The authors conclude that if humans trust their perceptions of the physical world, along the same lines they have to trust their spiritual experiences.

Swami Satyananda[8] supports the above conclusion by explaining that faith cannot be learned or acquired rather it is inborn and needs to be revealed:

Faith is an inherent quality. You don't have to cultivate it; you have to discover it. Prana or life force is inborn. You don't have to cultivate it; you have to realize it. Man is born with life, with consciousness and with faith. …

Belief can be learned, cultivated, indoctrinated, structured and destroyed, but not faith. In yoga, faith is called shraddha. Shraddha means 'the basis of truth'. There is a basis of truth in everybody which is a part of their being. They are born with it. This shraddha or faith has to be realized.

Patanjali and Shraddha

The goal of yoga has many names; some call "yoga" the goal, Patanjali says "Samadhi", self-realisation and enlightenment are other commonly used terms. In 1984, Swami Satyananda clarified in Rhodos, Greece during a satsang:

Experience is something which is very intimate to your inner Self. … Socrates said "Know thyself", Upanishads said "Atman", Buddha said "Nirvana" and I call it "experience". Everything is synonymous; we do not try to explain the definition or explanation of names. It is a process, it is a process of reducing the gross into subtle.[9]

In the yoga sutras sage Patanjali names shraddha as the first requisite for this self-realisation. The sutras themselves are a map of how to reach enlightenment and each step can be verified by practitioners as they reach these places. Thus direct experience and confirmation explain how shraddha can be said to be based in truth. For example, if one has practised breath awareness and full yogic breathing or Yoga Nidra and experienced that these practices induce a calm and quiet mind, this experience becomes the foundation of the "faith" that continuing these practices will lead to similar occurrence of calm and quiet

In other words:

Faith: Having chosen the Yogic way, one should cast aside all doubts and be firm in his conviction that the path chosen will lead one to spiritual salvation. ... One should have immense faith in the words of the master and the commandments of the scriptures. One should implicitly trust what the teacher says. In the case of Yogic path, several road maps are given and guide posts are described. One's conviction in the Yogic path chosen can only get further strengthened on such verification. [10]

Unshakable faith is the first and foremost thing for the practice of Yoga. Without faith, even practice of Yoga leads to nowhere.[11]

Faith, life and yoga

So far this article has shown that faith is an inherent quality in humankind, and that the human brain is biologically programmed to have spiritual experiences and faith. Faith can be re-discovered and must be realised for mental health. Unshakable faith is grounded in experience.

The yogic path is unique in the sense that experiences along the way to self-realisation are described and can be verified. This strengthens faith enormously and a positively reinforcing circle is created that supports further evolution. To maintain and nurture this faith in the spiritual path and the practices described one must align one’s actions with one’s faith; if one’s actions were to be in discord with one’s faith, conflict and discontent would be created in the human mind, and doubt could find an open door.

Swami Satyananda[12] describes the way to unveil one's faith:

This shraddha or faith has to be realized. In order to realize this faith, it is very important to cultivate a greater closeness, a deeper relationship and a better understanding with someone who can help you to realize it. God, guru and your concept of a divine being, are the three things which can help you to rediscover that faith.

Once more the yogic path offers a particular access to faith by making guru - "the dispeller of darkness" - available as an inspiration and object of faith. Often humans find it impossible to have faith in something formless, so they either worship idols or find another way to give form to their object of dedication. In yoga this extraordinary teacher, the guru, is seen as a manifestation of the divine and surrender (of the ego) to the guru (or higher Self) is encouraged. All actions can now be dedicated to this source of faith and object of dedication allowing the practitioner to detach from success and failure. It has been said that faith is the only known antidote for failure[13]. "Thy will be done" and surrender to guru lift the serious practitioner above and away from their emotional turmoil often caused by interaction with other people and "bad things that happen", thereby encouraging mental and emotional health. In this way faith becomes a tool of the conscious mind to quieten the lower emotions.

More than just quietening the lower emotions, in total surrender faith becomes deeper than love:

In the sphere of love, the lover and the beloved are on the same wavelength. On the other hand, in the sphere of faith, the perfect disciple's love is for interior God essence alone. As such, when faith gets developed, it remains forever and becomes everlasting.[14]

This is how the yogic path through its access to faith can bring mental peace, harmony and happiness.

Literature

Newberg, Andrew; D'Aquili, Eugene G. and Rause, Vince: Why God Won't Go Away, Brain Science and the Biology of Belief, Ballantine, 2001

Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Four Chapters on Freedom, Yoga Publications Trust, Munger, Bihar, India, reprinted 2005

Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Teachings of Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Vol V, Bihar School of Yoga, Munger, India

Swami Satyasangananda Saraswati, Karma Sannyasa, Yoga Publications Trust, Munger, India

Web links November 2009:

http://metapsychology.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=book&id=729&cn=394

http://patanjali.in/samadhipada-Need-faith-vitality.html

http://www.answers.com/topic/faith

http://www.bookbrowse.com/reader_reviews/index.cfm/book_number/788/Why-God-Won%27t-Go-Away

http://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/index.cfm/book_number/788/Why-God-Won%27t-Go-Away

http://www.heavenlygardens.org/samadhi/step20.htm

http://www.positiveatheism.org/mail/eml9139.htm

http://www.swamij.com/yoga-sutras-11922.htm

http://www.urday.com/yogdarshan.html

[1] for example: www.answers.com

[2] http://www.spirithome.com/definif.html

[3] Karma Sannyasa, page106

[4] Four Chapters on Freedom, page 76

[5] http://www.heavenlygardens.org/samadhi/step20.htm

[6] http://www.swamij.com/yoga-sutras-11922.htm

[7] http://patanjali.in/samadhipada-Need-faith-vitality.html

[8] Teachings, Vol 5, page 22

[9] eng only 1984-3, PJI, 1.4.1994, Rodos.mp3

[10] http://patanjali.in/samadhipada-Need-faith-vitality.html

[11] http://www.urday.com/yogdarshan.html

[12] Teachings, Vol 5, page 22

[13] http://www.spirithome.com/definif.html

[14] http://www.heavenlygardens.org/samadhi/step20.htm