GOOD MORNING PRECIOUS ONES
Honouring the Universe – The philosophy of The Australasian Yoga Institute….
Yesterday a dear friend of mine came for her regular massage. In our initial talk, we chatted about the life of a mutual friend who died recently. She said she thought as I had, that this was the end of an era of fun. And so it has been for me. I will never hear his wonderful booming voice again, draw with him, explore verse, or muse over the garden from the vantage point of his wonderful tree house. He is finished. Dead.
In Tibetan, the word for the body is LU, meaning "something you leave behind". Everytime people speak this word, it underlines the impermanence of life, and emphasises the fact that we are just passing through – travellers on a path. Gehlek Rimpoche likens the body to an apartment. We can live in it as long as the basic necessities of heat, water and so on are provided. But when the roof falls in, the pipes burst, the plumbing ceases to function and the walls crumble, we have to move out. No one lives forever in this word and this we can be absolutely sure of.
We worry about getting old, but we can't know that we will even experience it. Death is a part of life. You can deny it, you can avoid it with face lifts, clothes and youthful behaviour, but you can't avoid it. Everywhere we look there is death. Rotting leaves, cemeteries, hospitals, funeral processions.
Every meditator knows that if we become healed towards dying, we will also become healed towards living. This realisation can bring a real awakening and transformation in our approach to life. Meditators don't contemplate death to destroy happiness, but to gain it. In contemplating death we rethink our priorities and experience an opening in our heart to the vulnerability we all share. Transient beauty should not in any way interfere with our joy in it. As Freud said, "…. A flower that blossoms for a single night does not seem to us on that account any less lovely".
INTENTION and the "30-30 CHALLENGE"
Because I too am studying, it is part of the plan to be reading, reading, reading with a pen in hand to keep up with you all. If you are just reading (no notes, not studying), well, you can do that any time. Make this a time to study something in depth. You don't have to wait until I say "let's start a new challenge", you can start one at any time. If you want to know more, please contact me at yogafirst@netcon.net.au
THE "LIVE ON $2 A DAY" CHALLENGE
This was such an education for me. I tend to live frugally because I have a garden, but this was a whole new concept of frugal. I enjoyed it and I hope that you did too. Breakfast was always the same – rice porridge with berries from the garden, yoghurt (I managed to get a big tub at the supermarket for 50cents because it was out of date???), and a cup of herb tea. Lunch – was rice crackers or bread (again a $1 special), with a spread that I made from greens in the garden, a rum ball made from leftovers, and a tea. The evening meal was stew or soup. Some days I ate for less than $2 a day!
I would be interested to know what you found was difficult. By the way, if you missed the 5 days, you can always start your challenge at any time. I will still love to hear about it too.
THE ELECTIVE
To those of you doing the Teacher Training. Here is the low-down on the elective.
1. It cannot be something you have got a certificate for in the past. Some students have tried to squeeze this through – it may work if you haven't written on your initial application that you already have "…….." certificates! Remember The Yamas – be honest.
2. It is not just an essay. There has to be 30 hours of work, and I have to be able to see that this has been carried out honestly.
3. You are training to be a professional and it should show. Your elective should have a goal, progress report, time sheet (how long you have taken, when and where) case histories, and a bibliography.
Keep these points in mind. Work out early on what you want to do, your topic, then start collecting data so that when you are ready to go you already have a head start. It is not easy – it wasn't meant to be.
"Look at these worlds spinning out of nothingness. That is within your power".(Rumi)
THE STICK FIGURES
The video with the stick figures is number 55 Debbie tells me. So, log on, go to no. 55 and try them out. The idea with the stick figures is to be able to draw things QICKLY, like a shorthand. You will probably need a model (even the dog or cat) just so you can draw almost any pose FAST. It is the fast that counts, also the readability when you refer back. Try, try and try again. They are not stick figures if each line is gone over many times…. This will slow you down. Practice every day.
THE SUTRAS, AND RESEARCH
You are a TRAINEE YOGA TEACHER. Answer every question as if a student has asked you the question. In such a situation you will need to know the complex answer in your head, but you will have to know enough about it so that you can give a simple, but referenced, answer to your student right then and there. "Yes", or "no", or a few words probably won't do for them – AND IT WON'T DO FOR ME! Lets get serious.
I am thinking of having a stamp made "MORE WORDS PLEASE!"
This isn't the sort of course where you just have to look up a page, write it out, and say that you have done the work. If you are having trouble with the sutras, first get a copy of "the essential sutras" it is free at www.holybooks.com and then read, and then interpret. You can do cross referencing. Remember that when Patanjali compiled the sutras yoga was very different to what it is today. Yoga actually meant sitting/meditating, not asana.
PLEASE NOTE: Patanjali (the Leonardo Da Vinci of his time) was not the author of the sutras. They occurred first in the Mahabaharata and the Upanishads. These are both very long texts (The Mahabaharata alone comprises 100,000 verses), and Patanjali, as I understand it from my studies, took the sutras out of these texts, ordered them and put them in a more accessible form. Imagine having to wade through 100,000 verses of Sanskrit to get to the Sutras yourself?
"HELP US AT YARN-BOMBING"
Thank you for those people who turned up at Yarn Bombing on Friday. We had a full house of trainee adult knitters. Thanks you also to those people who continue to donate wool. We ran out of red wool on Friday, and a new donation of red wool turned up on Saturday – we can now march forward. Please do join us if you can. Woodend library, every Friday, 2pm to 4pm. It doesn't matter if you can't knit. You could wind the patches onto bikes, sew patches together, even keep the tea and coffee coming…
VOLUNTEERING
As part of our training program we ask that everyone put in 8 hours of community volunteer work. Because we believe that everyone should experience "giving back" to the community, without thought of return – even if they don't believe in it (and some don't). Over the period of time that we have been training yoga teachers this has amounted to a donation of almost $1,000,000 (yes, $1million) in community hours, donations, scholarships and etc across Australia (and the world). It mounts up.
On Monday our local council held a morning tea to thank the local people for their volunteering efforts. It was an interesting morning and brought home to me the need for more volunteering programs like ours. Please, if you are running any classes or courses, encourage your students to give even a couple of hours a week doing something for no return in your community.
In future, we will be giving a certificate for the Volunteering efforts of all our new graduates.
DONATING: Tithing is a wonderful form of philanthropy – do any of you out there do it? How about you drop me a line and let me know how you tithe and the results.
THE TIBETAN CHILDREN'S VILLAGE & BUILDING SCHOOLS IN NEPAL: As you know we regularly donate to the Tibetan Children's village, and we have recently been inspired by the work of a local lady who has built one school in Nepal, and is looking to extend and equip it, and then build others. With either charity, money is always a problem. We are contributors in a small way, but now I am asking for your help to enlarge our fund giving capacity…..we donate and will be continuing to do so and I would like you to consider starting your own little challenges in your studio to help me to raise about $5,000. You can focus on either or both charities.
As you know, we are able to donate more because of the items we sell in our shop, on etsy and on ebay. Without that little trickle of cash, we would be much less able, so thank you for your support. Yes, we know our DVD's and CD's cost a little more, but it enables us to keep being what we are, and doing what we are doing. Regarding the DVD's and CD's we totally believe the message is important and the fact that we don't hire professionals and go "on location" doesn't change the message, our sincerity to have you understand yoga. Thank you all for your great feedback on this topic.
HOW ABOUT AFFILIATING NOW?
Some of our senior graduates with Yoga Schools of their own are taking the plunge. Why be a yoga teacher, when you can be a teacher of yoga teachers? Those girls in far flung Australian outposts of Yoga First (or even International Outposts), please consider becoming an AFFILIATE. That means you will be me where you are. You can be a teacher training centre, and you could be one by next week if you meet our criteria which is not onerous. If you have done our course, we know you and are happy to have you become a teacher training centre. Think about it. Then Do it.
"People don't grow old. When they stop growing, they become old". (Anon)
YOGA CLASSES
STUDIO WITH JAHNE: Monday, Tuesdays and Friday at 6.30.
Saturday 12.30 - Restorative Yoga - "The Strawberries and Cream" of yoga.
WOODEND COMMUNITY CENTRE: Wed. 12.30 and Saturday at 10. $5 pp per class, bring a mat. Families, babies, toddlers and children welcome at the Wednesday and Saturday class.
INNISFREE: Yoga/Yoga Nidra: Mondays 2.30 to 5.30, Yoga/Philosophy: Wed. 2.30 to 5.30, Yoga: Sat. 2.30 to 4pm Bookings required.
WEEKLY TEACHER TRAINING MORNINGS. EVERY Tuesday AT 9am
YOUR MODULES: Can you please watch the spelling. I have had some corkers this week! The cutest? "grosser" instead of "grocer". I know the Sanskrit is hard, and I am prepared to let that slip a little, but funnily enough, there are not many mistakes with the Sanskrit. IT IS ENGLISH THAT MANY OF YOU HAVE TROUBLE WITH. If you don't know the meaning of a word, look it up in THE DICTIONARY, NOT ON SPELL CHECK. Don't just have a guess. Sometimes it alters the question entirely. Near enough is not always good enough. A word that lots of you trip up on is ALMS. Look it up. It is not a spelling mistake. It is not AIMS!
Please don't guess about the chakras and the YAMAS, or give me a garbled sentence on each, where I can hardly tell the difference between one chakra, or yama from the next. I have written a small booklet on each of these, and they are available from ETSY www.myyogabooks.etsy.com. If you are stumbling about, please, get the little books and immerse yourself. There is no reason for you not to know these subjects enough to write at least 100 ACCURATE words on each yama and chakra.
THE SHOP and ETSY
ETSY – A market place site and we are putting all our little goodies up there. Very exciting. Please have a browse if you never have been before. If you want to buy from us on ETSY, please go to www.myyogabooks.etsy.com You probably have noticed that I am having trouble getting the photos to sit properly on the page. This does not effect the way that you get them – it just happens with the photos.
THE REVELATION TAROT: This is back on our site. As you know I did the drawings, I produce it, and I take the time to do all the packaging. It is totally and "in house – artist project". I love doing it, and when I know you want a pack I have great pride and satisfaction to send you one knowing that we have done it entirely ourselves. I think that this counts don't you?
HOW-TO BOOKLET…..If you are "fence sitting", deciding whether to be a yoga teacher, to move from the "introduction course" to the full professional certification, then you would do well to read " HOW TO BECOME A YOGA TEACHER BY HOME STUDY" $2.99 and it is available by emailing deb or me and we can make sure you get a copy. If you are an Affiliate and have some students you would like to enrol in your teacher training course, then this may be a good investment. This book has just been made Available on iBooks too.
THE CHAKRAS - A COLOURING-IN BOOK and a REFERENCE BOOKLET -
CHAKRA CHARTS: The chakra colouring-in charts are on easy, and ready for you to start on yours today. They are a modern, abstract interpretation – my own – on the Chakras. So if you want something for your wall, you might like to get a set of these, and colour them in. You can go to Etsy or just contact us on our email and we will take it from there. The cost is $43.50 and we will post it anywhere in Australia free postage. Or go to www.myyogabooks.etsy.com and you can paypal it.
CHAKRA BOOKLET: I have just submitted a booklet on the Chakras with small reproductions of the Big Posters to colour in. This booklet will help you understand the CHAKRAS, and to accompany the CHAKRA CHARTS, and will put it on Etsy when I am finished.
"AGELESS BODY – AGELESS MIND" - I was doing a book for childen, but I sat down and a whole other book just flowed out of me. I will be putting it up on Etsy soon $7.99.
I move with the infinite in nature's power. I hold the fire of the soul. I hold the life and healing". (Rig Veda)
REGISTRATION/INSURANCE www.yogabeautiful.com.au
We are giving you total choice now, although it may be a bit more expensive…..
REGISTRATION AND INSURANCE HAVE BEEN UNCOUPLED. YOU CAN BUY THEM SEPARATELY. DEARER, BUT IT SEEMS THAT IS WHAT YOU WANT. WE AIM TO PLEASE.
YOUR TEACHER TRAINING YEAR (or so):
If you are a trainee Yoga Teacher who has been working on the course for more than a year please understand that your course fee only gives you FREE classes with me for your first training year – the first 12 months only.
Imagine if what would happen to our Institute if you took three years to finish your course and you could still come to classes free for the entire course. It wouldn't be fair. We do our fee calculation based on 12 months of free yoga classes. As you know if you are making your living running yoga classes, they are not free to the studio owner. We have to pay all the costs associated with running a class whether you pay a class fee or not. Your training fees cover you for a year, after that we ask you to pay $10 per class. Still way under the usual out there in real life.
"If you were to destroy in mankind the belief in immortality, not only love but every living force maintaining the life of the world would at once be dried up". (Dostoevsky)
VIDEOS: THEY ARE NOT OPTIONAL – THEY ARE NECESSARY! Only $275 per annum.
Please look down the list of the videos before you try to do stick drawings, or organise your journal. I have shown you what I recommend.. All you have to do is download.
If you are a trainee YOU SHOULD HAVE THE VIDEOS, they are really not optional. Apart from the information they contain, every time you log on you get a point that counts towards your CONTACT HOURS. It lessens the classes you actually need to do with a teacher.
If you are a teacher, the videos are a vital addition to your own growth. The cost is small in comparison with the time you would have to take to get these learnings.
If you just like yoga and want to join in: These are in 15 minute grabs, are all indexed, and you can do what you feel like doing right now. Worth the annual fee of $275 (equals just 10 classes at a good studio)
THE RECIPES –
The best recipe for this time of the year is to make the most of your nasturtium leaves and other herbs and greens that are being attacked by the frost. Don't let the frost turn them into MUSH when you could use them. I make a pesto with mine. There is no real recipe, I just wing it.
END OF THE WEEK PESTO: Get as much green stuff as you can. Kale leaves, nettles, dandelion, chicory, parsley, nasturtium, chives, mint whatever you have. Put this chopped roughly into your blender. Whizz it up with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Add fluids slowly because you are not looking to make soup! Then, add garlic either from your garden, or minced out of a jar. By now you should have a sludge. Add whatever nuts and seeds you have together with cheese. This will firm up your sludge and make it into a paste. The cheese can be parmesan or odds and ends of other cheese. You can add chilli to taste. Enjoy on toast, on polenta, rice or pasta, or just off the spoon.
I make this often during the winter, and it satisfies my need for concentrated, great tasting green stuff.
NUT MILK BAGS
We bought double the usual amount of nut milk bags this time, and guess what, we are down to the last box. Fear not. More are on the way. As part of the $2 challenge I am going to make sprouts in the bag. This will give me a very high protein meal, be easy and certainly VERY CHEAPLY.
To buy the bag, log on to the shop at www.yogabeautiful.com.au or for recipes…..www.yoganoozle.blogspot.com
THE GARDEN:
I have been inspired by the garden and I have determined to make a BUDDHA WALK so you can come here, walk, look at the herbs, meditate. However, it is a bit cold to engage in slow walking in the garden at the moment, but as always at this time of the year there are heaps of leaves. If you are starting your garden, and you want leaves, we have heaps, come and get some. When the oaks loose their leaves we will have even more, and oak leaves make the most wonderful mulch, but they are the last to shed….. I will let you know the right time if you let me know you are interested. Bring a big bag and two of those plastic hand held leaf-scraper things – it is too hard to pick up without them.
NATURE CURE:
You will be pleased to learn that the wound is almost entirely healed. There is just the tiniest bit to go now, but I will keep babying it twice a day. In future (and this is a message to you all) I will be much more diligent in my care for any small wounds. They grow.. I just cared for it when I thought about it and that was not good enough. I have learned how to use the chilli, the aloe and the special ointment (and the regime) to beautifully heal tattoos. So any of you who want a tattoo will be able to experience this healing process.
Recently on The Health Report (Radio National), it was brought to my attention that we all need to moisturise better. If we do that, particularly to our extremities, our skin keeps its flexibility and we will suffer less with tears and friction wounds as we get older.
THE BLOGS and the bees (and the wasps)!
The bees have slowed down, but they seem to be happy, and the feeding is working. The stores of honey are not diminishing. As long as they are contented and all ready to go in the spring.
If you are interested in old folk lore, like bees or would consider a "quest", then this book is for you. The book "THE SHAMANIC WAY OF THE BEE" has arrived. If you would like to reserve a copy email me yogafirst@netcon.net.au I am not sure of the cost. About $15 I would expect plus postage.
We recently had a wasp infestation. I asked them to go, I did what I could to encourage their departure, but when they started massing in Debbie's room and sneaking into the studio, I thought I needed professional help. We engaged the pest controller to deal with them outside, and we dealt with them inside, and I hope I have them under control.
With the admonishment of "thou shalt not kill" (there is no exception to the rule for wasps), it was a hard decision, but I wasn't able to consider putting up with stings and wasp nests in order to live amicably with them. I am not sure they know how. In the Purushartas we are told to consider our duty, and my duty was to protect Debbie, myself, the dog and the cat from the wasps. I did it in a considered way without anger, or emotion. Like Arjuna on the Battlefield. A choice. I think that is neutral karma.
YIN YOGA/ANATOMY/MEDITATION DVD's – all with Paul Grilley
We now have the ANATOMY DVD If you haven't got yours, do it now. These DVD's are so popular because they are the best and will form the backbone of your yoga references. As I have told you before when I bought mine they cost $100 or so each. I thought that this was a good investment. I think half that is a steal! And that is what we are selling this for. Www.yogabeautiful.com.au
JAHNE'S MENTORING SESSIONS ….
Because Jahne has been teaching yoga teachers for more than 40 years, and running a business the Buddhist way for much longer than that (and successfully) she is often asked for advice. Asking course questions is free. This does not mean IDLE Yoga questions "just because you want to know" – She could spend her whole day answering those and getting no-where, in spite of the fact you may think your life will end if they are not answered.
…….but, if you wish to have Jahne help you with relationships, career, or just getting personally "unstuck" then that is coaching/mentoring and does come with a cost. Her charge per half hour for mentoring is $75 and $65 for student teachers. It is amazing how much you can shift in half an hour when you strip away the unnecessary chatter. It's the Buddhist way.
PLEASE NOTE: If you come to the Studio and you have travelled to "pick her brain" so to speak, please understand that her time is valuable and it is not free. You may be on a holiday, but she is not. Make sure that you have a list of questions you NEED answered, and have booked time. Such "counselling only" chat will cost $65 per half hour as usual. We have not changed the rates in years.
If you want to speed up your course by doing your exam one-to-one at the studio, or catching up on contact hours, Jahne is often asked to do this and is pleased to do it for you. Call Deb on a Tuesday or Wednesday and organise a time spot. Once again - It is not free. If you did 40 contact hours or more in a class it would cost a lot. We can get that much covered in an afternoon, so a $325 (average) cost with Jahne is a great saving of both time and money.nnnIf you want to talk to Jahne about questions you have re. your CURRENT course or your next step. That is part of the student-teacher contract and is free.
Remember the Studio is also her home (not a hotel or BnB). We always respect the mat and the Studio Space wherever we go, doubly so when your teacher lives there.
DONATE YOUR CAR:
That's right. If you have a spare car, donate it to KIDS UNDER COVER and 100% of the proceeds will help prevent youth homelessness. Www.donateyourcar.org.au
REGARDING DEBBIE – If you want to speak to Debbie about any aspect of the courses – she has done them, please remember that she only comes in on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. She is available on Ph: 0354 273 518. I am always here, and available preferably on email or text because I teach. Don't hesitate to email me and I will answer your email or text as soon as I can..
Log on to our Web site www.yogabeautiful.com.au,
and tune in to our videos daily.
ENJOY – Love and Blessings,
Namaste Jahne
This email was sent out by
The Australasian Yoga Institute/Yoga First
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