yoga

Yoga Meanderings – RETURN TO PURUSHA

Yoga Meanderings – RETURN TO PURUSHA

Wandering around the watery lilting landscape of Dalyan yesterday after teaching a week’s retreat in a magical part of Turkey, I stopped on my bicycle to greet some adopted stray dogs, one a silver colored shaggy mix of retriever poodle, reminding me of my puppy Willow. Such gentle affection exudes through these beautiful dog spirits, filling me with bliss as I spoke with a girl, also sitting on the grass, who began with a comment

‘ Karl Marx said ‘ Love is a form of extended selfishness’. Wow, I thought, as I felt material for my class offering itself the next day, where I ‘d be teaching in Catford Bridge to Lewisham Foster Carers.

She continued to explain other Sufi mystic poems. she was so generous and delighted to know that I ‘d be using her thoughts in my class the next day:
‘Oh, how I love the bird
But to own the bird I must break its wings
Oh How I love the Bird’

Another quote came, which I shared today with the carers:
If I like the flower I pick it
If I love the flower I water it daily’

All these quotes probed the nature of love – Does the spirit of love die when obligations and expectations are brought to it, with ‘strings attached’ ?

The spirit of the seeker imbued my trip to Turkey, one who gathers inspiration as she travels, not to accumulate and own, but to feed the inner life and share as she goes.

yoga retreat grenadine turkey

Today in Lewisham, a lady arrived wearing the veil and gently asked if any men where coming to class? No men were attending, so she unwrapped her scarf and said ‘ I am free’. During the class, her shoulder aches surfaced and dissolved, her eyes deepened, her face softened and her whole persona changed. I think this was facilitated by the inclusion of ayurvedic massage balms applied to the neck (‘yogassage’), from Kerala (Rumalaya Gel), to facilitate self nourishmnent, releasing oxytocin and endorphins, (well being chemicals).

In the previous class I was touched and honored to welcome Mohammed, dressed in full Shalwar Kamiz, which I had worn during my year spent in a school in the Pakistan Himalayas in 1984, a gap ‘Yah’, my way of avoiding ominous Orwellian echoes of being drawn into a life I would not want to live, of certain boxes to be ticked (university , marriage, kids, mortgage…). I did not want these things, I wanted to be a wandering Troubador.

The previous day, a Turkish politician, opposition party to the current president, walked for 25 days, from Ankara to Istanbul, in a peaceful pilgrimage protest to the way that the government is taking away people’s right to be expressive and creative, a trademark of the mystical legacy of the Mevlevi (Whirling Dervishes) of Turkey and Persia.

Speak my Soul
Express my Song
Dance my Rhythm
God is in my Feet
God is in my Throat
She is in my Heart

I like the spirit of collaboration of ideas, to evolve, with shared values, rather than trying to fly a flag of righteousness on the top of a building. Yoga is a shared evolution, a wonderful mixing pot, a palette of many colours and textures. Let’s experiment with the ‘felt sense’ of proprioceptive awareness, the primal feeling place (hanna somatics) where separateness fall away.

Arriving home to the cottage at 3 a.m this morning, my teachers, Timmy Quizlet (Cat) and Willow (dog) lay on the bed as I ‘bridged the gap’ before teaching the class, inspired by the wings of these quotes.

The final poem of Rumi’s ‘Guesthouse’ resonated with these noble carers, who really do allow the world to sweep through their ‘Guest house’, in their noble Dharma (purposeful path), critical in our over populated, under loved world.

The Meditation training course I am completing this weekend with the wonderful spirit, Alexander Filmer – Lorch, captures this elusive, beautiful approach – ‘No One Way’, to draw upon the richness of any teachings and not to confine oneself to one ‘camp ‘ only. We can find it in a pop song……

xxLiz

Further Yoga Books by Liz Lark

yoga books for kids

Yoga For Beginners:
A concise, safe, accessible way to practice Hatha yoga, with linking poses which form two twenty minute practices. Published by Carroll&Brown, 1998, co-authored with Mark Ansari.

An excellent way to start yoga practice from a book.

Power Yoga For Beginners:
A safe introduction to vinyasa (moving, breath-synchronised) yoga.
Carroll & Brown, 2003. These two books are spiral – bound for easy to follow use!

Astanga Yoga:
Carlton Books 2000, is a manual of Liz’s experience in the primary, grounding series, of this exhilarating method of Hatha Yoga, of weaving 8 limbs in practice.

The book presents a clear map of the posture sequences, with modifications and clear photographs for the practitioner to follow.
‘A beautiful book.’ Ralph Fiennes

Yoga For Life 2001:

Presents  key styles of Hatha Yoga,  which have spread and developed into myriad styles in the West, including:

  • Viniyoga (therapeutic, tailored to individual needs)
  • Iyengar Yoga (precison/.alignment awareness)
  • Sivananda (5 principles: right diet, right thinking, right exercise, right relaxation, right breathing)
  • Astanga Vinyasa (breath/movement meditation, synthesising the 8 limbs of Sage Patanjali)
  • Tantra (‘to expand beyond limitation’, an ancient concept, and the mother of yoga)

Yoga For Kids:
Carlton 2003 offers a fun, vibrant catalogue of postures and exercises for kids, encouraging them to grow in a positive, creative environment where yoga is woven into their lives at an early age, gaining tools to handle stress, develop self awareness and concentration.

The book is recommended on Jo Manuel’s Teaching Training Course for Kids!

HEALING YOGA LIZ LARK AND TIM GOULLET 2005:
Liz’s fourth Publication with Carlton Books : Includes yoga sequences and exercises which specifically nourish and balance the systems of the body, including respiratory, cardiovascular, neuroendocrine, immune and genitor-urinary systems.

Expert Osteopath and Body worker Tim Goullet brings his expertise to yoga, and has devised healing vinyasa sequences for each section.

‘A Beautiful Book; calm, clear and nourishing.’ Alan Rickman

Beautiful photographs by Clare Park heighten the inspiring quality of these books, filmed in natural light: see below:

yoga bow poseliz lark yogaadvanced bow pose yoga