Christmas / Summer Break

Christmas / Summer Break

premaria

This week are the last yoga classes for 2014:

 

Cameron Park, Scout Hall, Easton Street, Booval

  • Tuesday 16/12/14, 6pm–7:30pm

Raceview Scout Hall, 32 Taylor Street, Eastern Heights

  • Tuesday 16/12/14, 9am – 10:30am *) followed by meditation 10:30am-11am, if you wish to stay.
  • Wednesday 17/12/14, 9am – 10:00am Seniors Yoga class  *) followed by meditation 10am – 10:30am, if you wish to stay.
  • Thursday 18/12/14,  5pm – 6:30pm
  • Thursday 18/12/14,  7pm – 8:30pm

 

Plus the Yoga Class at the PCYC Ipswich Wednesday 17/12/14, 6:30pm – 8pm

 

In the New Year all the classes will resume as above, on Tuesday 13th January 2015.

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.

Christmas Tree in Brisbane 2011
Christmas Tree in Brisbane 2011

© Photography Maria Steiner

Christmas Gift Idea

Christmas Gift Idea

premaria

Need a small Christmas gift or stocking filler?!?!

premaria's avatarHatha Yoga Ipswich

Are you looking for some Christmas gifts or a Christmas stocking filler?
How about a lavender eye-pillow or a Yoga CD !!

eye pillows eye pillows

Eye-pillows filled with lavender and linseed, available in many different colours. I make them. AUD12.00

CD home yoga class with Prema. CD home yoga class with Prema.

CD home yoga class, my voice guiding you through a Sivananda Hatha Yoga Class. AUD15.00

© Photography Maria Steiner

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be the witness

be the witness

premaria

“You will be always peaceful if you are able to calmly witness the mental modifications.”

Swami Sivananda

wild flower pot
wild flower pot

 

 

© Photography Maria Steiner

Satsang Friday 21 November

Satsang Friday 21 November

premaria

Friday 21 September, Satsang and additional Hatha Yoga Class

Frangipiani in my Garden
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.
Prema Maria

 

© Photography Maria Steiner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Five Points of Yoga

The Five Points of Yoga

premaria

Swami Vishnu-Devananda condensed the whole yoga tradition into a very practical system, aptly named ‘The Five Propers or ‘Five Points of Yoga’:

1. Proper Exercise (Asanas)
Our physical body is meant to move and exercise. If our lifestyle does not provide natural motion of muscles and joints, then disease and great discomfort will ensue with time. Proper exercise should be pleasant to the practitioner while beneficial to the body, mind and spiritual life.
2. Proper Breathing (Pranayama)
Yoga teaches us how to use the lungs to their maximum capacity and how to control the breath. Proper breathing should be deep, slow and rhythmical. This increases vitality and mental clarity.
3. Proper Relaxation (Savasana)
Long before the invention of cars, planes, telephones, computers, freeways and other modern triggers of stress, the Rishis (sages or seers) and Yogis of yore devised very powerful techniques of deep relaxation. As a matter of fact, many modern stress-management and relaxation methods borrow heavily from this tradition. By relaxing deeply all the muscles the Yogi can thoroughly rejuvenate his nervous system and attain a deep sense of inner peace.
4. Proper Diet (Vegetarian)
Besides being responsible for building our physical body, the foods we eat profoundly affect our mind. For maximum body-mind efficiency and complete spiritual awareness, Yoga advocates a lacto-vegetarian diet. This is an integral part of the Yogic lifestyle.
5. Meditation (Dhyana) and positive thinking
Here is the most important point of all, we become what we think. Thus we should exert to entertain positive and creative thoughts as these will contribute to vibrant health and a peaceful, joyful mind. A positive outlook on life can be developed by learning and practicing the teachings of the philosophy of Vedanta. The mind will be brought under perfect control by regular practice of meditation.

” Health is wealth, peace of mind is Happiness. Yoga shows the way.”

– Swami Vishnu-Devananda

The Seven Chakras

The Seven Chakras

Homemade Kale Chips

Homemade Kale Chips

premaria
Homemade Kale Chips
Homemade Kale Chips

Ingredients:

  • half or one bunch of fresh organic Kale  (I prefer the non-curly one for these chips)

  • Olive or other vegetable Oil

  • Celtic Sea Salt or pink himalayan salt

(Please do not use ordinary table salt, it contains anti-caking agent).

Method:

Heat the oven to 180C – 200C

Cut kale into 1cm – 2cm wide strips. Wash, rinse and dry well. Toss with some oil and the salt.

Arrange on a baking tray, that is covered with baking paper.

Put in the oven for +/- 20 minutes. At the half way mark, you can turn them on the tray, bring the lower ones to the top.

The Kale chips should be crisp, but not burned.

Enjoy!!!  E Guete 🙂

 

Kale strips, sprinkled with celtic sea salt. Ready to go in the oven.
Kale strips, sprinkled with celtic sea salt. Ready to go in the oven.

 

 

© Photography Maria Steiner

 

use of the mind

use of the mind

premaria

“A tree can be used either for building a house or for making charcoal by means of fire. So also the mind can either be utilized tor spiritual evolution or reduced into ignorance by the fire of five passions.”

 

Sri Swami Sivananda-ji

 

Jacaranda tree in flower
Jacaranda tree in flower

 

 

© Photography Maria Steiner

Success in Yoga

Success in Yoga

premaria
Wise words by Swami Sivananda:

 

Success in Yoga or any other spiritual path requires the annihilation or control of the six enemies, viz., lust, anger, greed, pride, jealousy and hypocrisy.
Sri Swami Sivananda-ji

 

 

Swami Sivananda
Swami Sivananda

 

 

Satsang 26 September

Satsang 26 September

premaria

Friday 26 September, Satsang and additional Hatha Yoga Class

 

Prasad - bliss balls
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.

 

© Photography Maria Steiner

 

Nirguna Meditation

Nirguna Meditation

premaria
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.

SOHAM, I am That I am !!

Concentration and Meditation by Swami Sivananda
Concentration and Meditation by Swami Sivananda