photo by Peter Mumford

My original teacher training was with Aadil Palkhivala, with whom I apprenticed for two years. My training focused on asana technique, with a special emphasis on therapeutics, for injury and illness. My yoga spirituality follows in the tradition of Sri Aurobindo; whose main premise was to bring the spiritual life down into our experience here and now. Rather than the popular belief of the day which was to seek elightenment solely in the afterlife.

My teaching includes chanting, asana technique, including hatha and vinyasa, and pranayama (breath awareness). The mythology and stories of yoga provide a metaphor to embody the emotional spirit of asana.

Attention to developing symmetry is part of a yoga practice. Symmetry can be cultivated on right to left, front to back, upper and lower, and inner and outer, body axes.

Moving into advanced work, the subtle energetic pathways of the meridians become revealed and their connection the greater universe is experienced.

The Yogas are designed to develop and become an extraordinary being through the practice of all the yogas including:

• Hatha - the asana, postures
  
• Jana - the development of the mind through study of philosophy to create a flexible mind.
  
• Bakti - the development of the emotional content through singing, chanting and mantra, devotion being the highest form of emotional expression.
  
• Karma - taking action in the world to relieve the suffering of others.
  
• Raja - this yoga encompasses the practice of all the other yogas, when one practices all the yogas one becomes like a King or Queen regardless of their financial or social status, regal, kind, wise, and helpful.