Yoga Teacher Training Journeys

Senior Teacher Bettina shares from India

Written by: christine

I am now in Tiruvannamalai  a town in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu famous for its holy mountain Arunachala, a place of pilgrimage, and the Ashram of the great Sage Ramana Maharshi. I’m with Christine (Byron Yoga Centre Retreats manager) and Stephan (Byron Yoga Centre Meditation and Philosophy Teacher). Read the rest of this entry »

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If only there’d been yoga at Copenhagen!

Written by: Pete

We’ve just witnessed the greatest assembly of world leaders gathered in the name of the environment in the one city and at the one time. Some 15,000 delegates and 100 world leaders representing 192 countries attended a two week climate change summit in Denmark. That got me thinking. Is there an opportunity for a yogic response to the way we might respond to arguably the biggest environmental challenge the world has ever seen? Yes there is!
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Celebrating the season with Yoga

Written by: Pete

It’s December and there’s high tension in the air. It’s not just the ever bubbling and changing political landscape which has dominated recent time here in Australia. Rather, it’s that feeling of extra demands on our time and yet not enough time to spend on our own as we otherwise might like to. It’s a time when it becomes a little more challenging to maintain our regular personal practice of yoga, meditation and healthy diet. No wonder we need a holiday to get over the holiday! It’s also timely we review our commitment to our yoga practice with a view to a fresh start to the New Year on retreat. It’s our yoga practice which is increasingly important at this time, helping us cope with the added pressure and expectation the season can bring to bear.

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Continual Learning

Written by: christine

The teaching staff at Byron Yoga regularly attend other courses and workshops to continue their learning and share this new experience with their students.

Gitam Garden, who looks after course enrollments at the Byron Yoga Centre, recently completed the ten day intensive teacher training program and now teaches regular classes. Gitam shares her recent experience with Donna Farhi, a teacher of great renown. Read the rest of this entry »

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Managing crisis through yoga

Written by: Pete

Even the most casual of us who follow the news would know that the South Pacific and Indonesia were recently rocked by major earthquakes and tsunamis. The death toll in American Samoa, Samoa and Tonga-the worst hit regions-was as high as 200. The quake on the Indonesian island of Sumatra was at 7.6 on the Richter scale  even deadlier, with as many as 1100 sadly losing their lives. You may be considering how to reconcile world events with your spiritual practice?

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Honouring Affirmations

Written by: Pete

Barack Obama, America’s first African American president is now a year in office. Such a significant milestone, usually greeted with not only much fanfare both domestically in the US but often by world leaders generally, has been somewhat overshadowed by another achievement of merit, the new president being honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize. Some world figures, including at least one past recipient, had already questioned the nomination coming as it did after just several weeks in office. Imagine their shock when the committee made it’s award! So that got me thinking, is there something yogic in how arguably the world’s most powerful man has taken to his role?

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On Quietness

Written by: christine

The poet Rumi puts into words the things that can’t be thought with the mind; the joy and beauty of an open heart and the experience of  emptiness and quietness that comes from dhyana (when the meditator is not conscious of the act of meditation, but is only aware that s/he exists).

Rumi was a thirteenth century Sufi poet and he writes of love and surrender in a way that touches my heart so deeply. I totally feel him! Sometimes after sitting I read a poem or two – his words have a way of dropping into the stillness and just landing perfectly in my heart. Read the rest of this entry »

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Yoga, Japan and Women’s Health

Written by: christine

It’s  amazing how circular one’s life can be.  I find myself,  after some 14 years have elapsed since I shelved my ‘previous life’ as an academic, specializing in Japanese feminism, inadvertently exploring elements of this same subject area, in my current ‘incarnation’ as a yoga teacher.

On a recent trip to Japan conducting my prenatal and postnatal yoga teacher trainings the realization hit me that the pieces of my life were all coming together to create this moment.  Read the rest of this entry »

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Pre-Natal and Post-Natal Yoga Training

Written by: christine

I am so blessed to have the memory of my work with you during the Bliss Baby Prenatal & Postnatal Training and wanted to give you a bit of an update…I am currently 24 weeks pregnant, and am having a baby girl!! We are both doing very well and healthy, and she is growing more and more every day! I definitely feel the weight of my growing belly now, a lot heavier than a yoga block strapped around your tummy!! Baby and I are keeping up a daily practice of Asana, Pranayama, and Meditation, all of which I am finding to be amazing!! Read the rest of this entry »

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Understanding myself through Yoga and Meditation

Written by: belle

Yoga, to me, means focusing on the self.  Gaining a better understanding of ourselves and our actions through meditation and reflection.  I believe we have lost the ability to look deep within ourselves for answers – in the world we live in it can be very difficult to live your life according to your beliefs.  Yoga is a spiritual journey that is very personal to each and every one of us. Read the rest of this entry »

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