Yoga with the Yogis

Yoga with the Yogis meaning: (Yoga) Connecting to (Yogis)Yoga people

I am taking classes at BKS Iyengar Yoga school here in Dallas and they are going quite nicely. I am training to become a teacher. There is a great demand for yoga classes here at the temple. 100% of the yogis at the classes either love Kalachandji's or long very much to visit. Many, after the class, come up to me to request cards for the temple and restaurant. One such a person came up to me today and told me that she was just simply fascinated with Krishna. She told me about how she went to India and learned that Krishna is greater than any of 'them' even 'the three' (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva) and about how she interested in the Bhagavan feature. She also explained that she enjoyed reading the Bhagavad Gita. I responded that I also enjoy reading the Bhagavad Gita and I that I regularly give classes on the Bhagavad Gita. She said, "Oh you should teach classes here." It was nice to hear that from one of the teachers in training. We are actually going to be hosting a Kirtan concert at the studio with Temple Bhajan Band and Amala Kirtan Das. I am always now since the classes, running into on a regular basis, students from my classes. Mostly business people in their 40's and up and knowing them from the classes makes for a nice way to connect with them again at the temple. The following is a shloka that we chant before class followed an excerpt from the explanation given by BKS Iyengar's daughter Geeta S. Iyengar perhaps you will like it:

Yogena cittasya padena vacam

Malam sarirasya ca vaidyakena

Yopakarottam pravaram muninam

Patanjalim pranjalir anato'smi

Abahu purusakaram

sankha cakrasi dharinam

sahasra sirasam svetam

pranamami patanjalim

Hari Om

"Let us bow before the noblest of sages Patanjali, who gave yoga for serenity and sanctity of mind, grammar for clarity and purity of speech and medicine for perfection of health. Let us prostrate before Patanjali, an incarnation of Adisesa, whose upper body has a human form, whose arms hold a conch and a disc, and who is crowned by a thousand-headed cobra."

From the explanation:

"The two slokas (verses) that we chant to invoke Lord Patanjali begin the Bhojavritti, Bhoj’s commentary on the Yoga Sutras. It says, first of all, that Lord Patanjali is considered to be the incarnation of Adhishesha, the cobra, which is the seat for the Lord Vishnu, the very creator of this world. It is said he took birth three different times, giving three different sciences for people to improve themselves. The first is yoga.....

...We chant so that at the very beginning that feeling of sanctification comes from inside, with the feeling of surrendering oneself, because nothing can be learned in this world unless you have the humility to learn. So the moment you think of the Lord at the beginning of doing a practice, you know that you are very small in front of that greatest soul."

Hare Krishna

Your humble servant,

Nityananda Chandra Das

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Comments

Tue, 07/22/2008 - 06:58 — Lilia

Will there be a charge for these

classes?

Hare Krishna.

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Tue, 07/22/2008 - 08:20 — NityānandaChandra

I probably wont be teaching

I probably wont be teaching for about another year are so and yes we will definitely charge for the classes. Ironically in America if you don't charge no one comes.

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Mon, 08/11/2008 - 03:39 — Bhaktine Alex

We need to have you start to

We need to have you start to teach us one night at the temple to practice!!Bhaktin Angela and I were talking about it.. let us know if you are interested in teaching a class once a week and teach us what you have learned that week in your class..

sounds like fun!!

Your humble servant and friend,

Bhaktine Alex

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Sat, 07/19/2008 - 18:54 — abrennan

Oh Man

WOW

I hope you come on tour to Australia

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