A few times per year, about every one or two months I write a newsletter.
It’s title is Prema’s yoga news and its contains info about the current yoga classes and yoga events. A posture or yoga asana of the month, sometimes recipes (it’s been a while), and other things that inspire, motivate me, and I might have shared during the yoga classes.
Please head over to the contact page, if you like to read past issues and would like to subscribe to my newsletter.
This year I’m organising and teaching a weekend retreat again, it has been four years since I offered a yoga retreat last time.
Early morning walk / meditation.
It takes place at the Gunnebah Retreat Centre near Murwillumbah, northern NSW. We have been there before and it’s an ideal location for a yoga weekend, surrounded by most beautiful nature. In the past I used to prepare and cook the meals myself, lot’s of work before and during the retreat for just one weekend. This year the Gunnebah catering team, will provide all our vegetarian meals. So less karma yoga for all of us, no chopping, cooking and doing the dishes. Instead kick back a little. Therefore also the higher cost than in the past.
The Retreat is from Friday 28 – Sunday 30 August 2015. It is open to newcomers, beginners, if you need to give your yoga practice a fresh boost and experienced yoga students.
The hatha yoga class will be mostly two hours, instead of the usual 90 minutes like in the weekly classes. So more time to go deeper into postures, explain details, more variations and holding postures longer. We practice the silent japa meditation, maybe Tratak (gazing at the flame of a candle) and chant Kirtan (mantra singing), as I bring my harmonium along.
During the lectures we might also cover other topics, than the classic yoga philosophy Vedanta. Wisdom, knowledge, practices, a holistic approach to life, etc. that interest me and I like to share more with you. For example: How the moon influences our bodies, the way it guides the ocean tides. (Saturday 29/08 will be a full moon). The facts and importance of the fascia. Tapping Solution for EFT (emotional freedom technique). Such interests and similar.
So it will be a very uplifting, inspiring and empowering weekend. Practicing and learning the vast horizon of Yoga, Meditation, Mantras and more. While we are in the middle of beautiful rain forest nature.
For more information please browse through theRetreat section on this website, phone or email me.
Looking forward to hearing and seeing you soon.
Namaste, Maria Prema
Pranayama practiceOutdoor eating at Gunnebah Retreat.
Friday 21 September, Satsang and additional Hatha Yoga Class
Frangipiani in my Garden
This week is the monthly Friday hatha yoga class and Satsang. Make sure not to miss it, it’s the last one for 2014. Do something good for your soul, even if you feel tired at the end of the week. You will feel a big difference come Saturday morning!
Where: Raceview Scout Hall, 32 Taylor Street, Eastern Heights
What: Hatha Yoga Class (breathing exercises, sun salutation, 12 basic postures, guided final relaxation. When: 5pm – 6:30pm Cost: $14 or regular class pass (no free trial class on this day).
What: Satsang: is a combination of meditation, uplifting Sanskrit chants, yoga lecture. When: 6:45pm – 8:15pm Cost: $7(or free if you attend the earlier class)
In between the two sessions we have a cup of (herbal) tea and something sweet.
You get most benefits if you join for the whole program from 5pm onward. But if this does not suit you, you are most welcome to come only for the yoga class or meditation/Kirtan (Satsang) only.
Looking forward to seeing you soon. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Friday 26 September, Satsang and additional Hatha Yoga Class
Prasad – bliss balls
This week is the monthly Friday hatha yoga class and Satsang. Make sure not to miss it. Do something good for your soul, even if you feel tired at the end of the week. You will feel a big difference come Saturday morning!
Where: Raceview Scout Hall, 32 Taylor Street, Eastern Heights
What: Hatha Yoga Class (breathing exercises, sun salutation, 12 basic postures, guided final relaxation.When: 5pm – 6:30pm Cost: $14 or regular class pass (no free trial class on this day).
What: Satsang: is a combination of meditation, uplifting Sanskrit chants, yoga lecture. When: 6:45pm – 8:15pm Cost: $7(or free if you attend the earlier class)
In between the two sessions we have a cup of (herbal) tea and something sweet.
You get most benefits if you join for the whole program from 5pm onward. But if this does not suit you, you are most welcome to come only for the yoga class or meditation/Kirtan (Satsang) only.
Looking forward to seeing you soon. Please contact me if you have any questions.
From the book Concentration and Meditation by Sri Swami Sivananda:
Sit in Padmasana. Repeat OM mentally. Keep the meaning of OM always in the mind. Feel that you are the All-pervading, Infinite Light. Feel that you are the “Suddha-Sat-Chit-Ananda, Vyapaka, Atman, Nitya Suddha Buddha Mukta, eternally free Brahman.” Feel you are Chaitanya. Feel that you are the “Akhanda Paripurna, Ekarasa, Santa, Infinite, Eternal, Unchanging Existence.” Every atom, every molecule, every nerve, vein, artery, should powerfully vibrate with these ideas. Lip repetition of OM will not produce much benefit. It should be through heart, head and soul. Your whole soul should feel that you are the subtle, all-pervading Intelligence. This feeling should be kept up continuously.
Negate the body-idea when you repeat OM mentally. When you chant OM, feel:
Infinity I am OM OM OM
All Light I am OM OM OM
All Joy I am OM OM OM
All Glory I am OM OM OM
All Power I am OM OM OM
All Knowledge I am OM OM OM
All Ananda I am OM OM OM
Mediitate on the above ideas constantly. Constant effort with zeal and enthusiasm is indispensable. Repeat mentally the above ideas incessantly. You will realise.
The next Satsang and additional Hatha Yoga class is already this Friday 29 August 2014. Relax your body and nourish your soul:
Where: Raceview Scout Hall, Taylor Street, Eastern Heights
What: Hatha Yoga Class (breathing exercises, sun salutation, 12 basic postures)
Time: 5pm – 6:30pm
Cost: $14.00 or regular class pass (no free trial class on this day).
What: Satsang (silent meditation, uplifting Sanskrit chants, an inspiring reading).
Time: 6:45pm – 8:15pm
Cost: $7.00 or FREE if you come to the 5pm class
In between the two sessions we have a cup of (herbal) tea and some raw carrot cake I made earlier.
You are most welcome to join for just one of the classes. If you like an extra exercise session you come to the Hall for 5pm. If you like to learn/practice meditation and get deeper into the yoga philosophy or if you like the Sanskrit Chants (Kirtan) please come to the hall for 6:30pm.
Looking forward to seeing you soon. Please contact me if you have any questions.
By Swami Chidananda as written in his book “BLISS IS WITHIN”:
Bliss is within by Swami Chidananda
Meditation for improving and building up your own health is to be practised at bed time, just before you go to sleep. The preparations for it are all the same, identical. Sit upon your meditation posture. Keep the body erect and straight. Sit steadily without any movment. But always be entirely relaxed. You must feel totally at ease. You must be feeling so restful that you can gradually forget the very presence of the body. The body should not make itself felt by you at all. The posture should be so restful and so relaxed. Then only you will not feel that you are sitting. Thus you can continue for a long time without any discomfort. Now in this state of quiescence and restfulness, take the mind inward and feel strongly the powerful presence in the innermost centre of your being. Feel that it is the Universal Spirit, in its indwelling aspect, making itself felt as Divine Presence. The Universal Spirit is all-perfect. It is a source of all-blessedness. It is all health, strength, vigour and power. Visualise mentally the centre and source of all health and of all healing. Feel your unity with that Divine Centre. And now gently assert to yourself:
The source of all health is within me Om Om Om
God is my healer Om Om Om
I am ever united with that Being Om Om Om
I am a mass of radiant energy Om Om Om
I am disease-free Om Om Om
I am in a state of perfect health Om Om Om
In this way draw up yourself a suitable list of affirmations which are appropriate and suited to your particular state of health requirement, and inwardly feel the required state is now being created within you. Everything that is wrong is being set right in all parts of the body. Restoration, repair and healing is taking place in every specific part and total state of perfect health is being established within. Have clearly before your mental vision the word health in luminous letters. Visualise ‘health’ clearly. Visualise the centre of your being as an inexhaustible source of energy and health. Feel the power of health radiating from that inner centre and spreading in all directions throughout your body and brining about a state of radiant health in every part of the body. Feel your body growing with perfect health from head to toe. Accompany this feeling with quiet affirmation. Keep yourselves in this state for some minutes continuously and conclude with the peace chant: Om Santi, Santi, Santih. This kind of meditation may be done within a period of five or six minutes. If you can prolong it longer, it is well and good. If your concentration is very good, even four minutes will suffice. But if you have got any specific health problem in any particular part of your body, you may particularly direct the healing Prana towards that part and make the meditation a few minutes longer. And always conclude with the Peace Chant and finish by saying “Thank you God”.
“I pray to the Lord that He may bestow upon you inner strength so that you will attain steady success in your daily meditation. Hari Om Tat Sat.” Swami Chidananda.
Hatha Yoga Ipswich 