The BodhiFlow™

I'm going to quote straight out of our Bodhi Yoga Teacher Certification Manual, because I want to have this definition handy to remind myself often:

"(BodhiFlow™) Honors Sattva with a moving meditation of yoga poses that flow together in a very inspired way. It is different from traditional vinyasas in that it moves slower, with the primary focus being on releasing the core tightness in the body. We do this by focusing on slow, steady movements where the individual postures cease to be separate from one another and the pace supports something called: "Time Under Tension", where the muscles, balance and mind build stronger with less repetitions, than fast paced, traiditonal vinyasas.

...we use the full breath with each movement, rather than shortening our breath to keep up with our repetitions. 

The BodhiFlow™ awakens the Prana or "Life Force" of the body, mind and spirit."

Still working on that downward dog

 In the last 15-20 years I have done many Sun Salutations, many years of traditional vinyasas. Loved some experiences, hated others. The last 6 months I have done BodhiFlow™ regularly, and I love the way it has improved my body/mind fitness level. I am much stronger and more flexible and the improvement has come gently!

Dipping a toe into the vast Ayurveda Ocean

The depth and breath of what we learn through Bodhi Yoga Teacher Training does not cease to amaze me!

Ayurveda is probably the oldest healing system in the world, has been around at least 5000 years, and is still a popular and effective alternative health option.

The elements of Air, Fire and Water/Earth combine to create the three Doshas or constitutions. Vata (air) Pitta (fire) and Kapha (earth/water). Each of us has elements of all three Doshas, but one or two are usually dominant. The aim of Ayurveda is to bring the Doshas into balance. This is done through diet, exercise (yoga), meditation, hygiene, etc.

VATA: (Air, Wind, Space) Dry, cold and light. It means "that which moves things". The air element governs sensory and mental balance.

PITTA: (Fire/Bile) Hot, light and moist. It means "that which digests things". It rules chemical and metabolic processes in the body, also the capacity to comprehend things as they are.

KAPHA: (Water, Earth, Phlegm) Heavy, cold and moist. It means "that which holds things together". It provides substance and support, the bulk of our tissues. Also provides emotional support and stability.

GUNAS

The existense of Gunas is an interesting new concept I am learning at Bodhi Yoga.

Guna is a Sanskrit word, and  Hindu philosophical concept describing the 3 qualities of energy in which all things manifest themselves in the physical plane. These qualities are rajas, tamas and sattva.

Wikepedia describes them as:

• Sattva is the quality of balance, harmony, goodness, purity, universalizing, holistic, constructive, creative, building, positive, peaceful, virtuous.^[22]

• Rajas is the quality of passion, activity, neither good nor bad and sometimes either, self centeredness, egoistic, individualizing, driven, moving, dynamic.^[4][23]

• Tamas is the quality of imbalance, disorder, chaos, anxiety, impure, destructive, delusion, negative, dull or inactive, apathy, inertia or lethargy, violent, vicious, ignorant.^[23][24]

In Indian philosophy, these qualities are not considered as present in either-or fashion. Rather, everyone and everything has all three, only in different proportions and in different contexts.^[3] The living being or substance is viewed as the net result of the joint effect of these three qualities.^[3][4]

The Gunas are relevant in Yoga, as they relate to how we move into a pose and our alignment and energy flow. Also our attitude and approach to different postures and asanas. 

I am beginning to become aware of the manifestation of the gunas all around me and in my yoga practice, but I have much to learn.