Yoga & Meditation
Yoga is the cessation of all mental agitation;
the word means Union or Unity - the integration of body, mind, breath and movement.
It includes, necessarily, asanas (postures), meditation and pranayama (respiration).
Yoga strengthens and harmonizes the physical, mental and emotional systems, and allows us to access the deeper and more subtle levels of our body-mind, thus increasing awareness of our multi-dimensionality.
As a spiritual quest, yoga aims for moksha, the ultimate liberation from all illusion and conditioning, which allows for awakening to our true spiritual nature.​
Patanjali Yoga Sutra 1.36 visoka va jyotismati :
Resting in the Inner Light of the sacred heart, the mind remains radiant and serene.
APPROACH:
​Since the initial revelation & awakening through yoga, and over the years, I've integrated various schools of thought, intuitively developing a fluid and sensitive approach, less focused on external posture and muscular effort, and more on deepening & exploring basic postures in connection with the breath, release, and the dynamics of subtle multi-dimensional energy...
yoga as a perpetual movement towards clarity, stillness, presence and serenity.
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Meditation and pranayama are an integral part of the practice as well.
For 19 years, from 2002 to 2020, I offered yoga & meditation classes and workshops, at our chalet, Douce Brise, in Les Avants, in the spirit of Dana (generosity - donation). Sound Voyages were proposed as well.
Now, classes are resuming at La Clairière, a magnificent spot above Chamby-Montreux.
I also offer private sessions in Vevey, as well as retreats/workshops in various places including Les Avants: yoga, meditation, pranayama, along with sound voyages, including yoga nidra ('dreaming awake' yoga).
"It's not how far you move into a pose, but how deeply you feel the pose you are in..."
Anodea Judith, author of Chakra Yoga
My PATH:
Initiation onto the yogic path in 1974 with sound meditation (Nada Yoga), the teachings of Patanjali, and the Hatha Yoga and Pranayama of B.K.S. Iyengar. The Radiance Sutras (or Vijnana Bhairava Tantra) known for its non-dualistic approach, have also played an essential role on my path, as well as Vipassana meditation.
Since then, I have attended workshops and received teachings all over the world. Most formatively, I studied from 1989 to 2001 with Jean Lechim in Lausanne, a dedicated yogi for over 50 years and a direct student of Iyengar in India for decades, and direct student of renowned Roger Clerc 'Yoga de l'Energie' in France. Jean was "born to the sky" in December 2022.
Among many, these workshops & training courses were particularly inspiring:
*Vipassana 10-day silent retreat at Dhamma Sumera, Mont Soleil (impressions here)
*Desirée Rumbaugh,Wisdom Warriors teacher training in Zurich
*Kali Ray, creator of "Triyoga" yogaflow
*Godfri Devereux of Dynamic Yoga-Windfire, in Ibiza/France/Italy/Portugal...
*Dona Holleman in Italy (author of Dancing the Body of Light)
*Angela & Victor Van Kooten, innovative yogis, now in Greece
If you are interested, please contact me.
I'm happy to answer your questions!
Visit EVENTS to see more.
Visit Testimony/Temoignages from students and participants.
PRANA - Pranayama
PRANA
Sanskrit, translated as vital life force:
the energy that flows through all forms of life and performs vital functions,
permeating reality at all levels, including inanimate objects.
Also translated as energy-spirit; breath is considered its most subtle material form.
But prana is not breath, nor oxygen: breath is rather a mirror, a vehicle for prana.
It can also be understood that prana is in constant motion; thus, when we hold our breath, prana continues to flow.
It is the dynamic force that animates all movement, all thought, all emotion.
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Prana is not only a philosophical concept; it is in every sense a physical substance.
Just as radioactive or electromagnetic waves exist even if we don't see them, similarly, in this physical body, there are pranic waves and a pranic field.
The practice of pranayama will stimulate and enhance these pranic areas.
PRANAYAMA
Pranayama - literally the control of prana, but also the liberation of prana.
It is not just a breathing exercise; with pranayama, you touch and influence the
entire energetic constellation of your body-mind.
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Thus, the practice of pranayama = releasing and channeling the body's internal reserves of pranic energy.
Traditionally, it is at the heart of the practice of Hatha yoga (yoga of postures).
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Nadis are the principal energy channels through which prana flows, running from the base of your spine and to the head.
The 3 main nadis are: Ida (left energy channel), Pingala (right energy channel) and the most important, Sushumna (central energy channel).​
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Ultimately, the various practices of yoga aim to purify, balance and channel prana from the Ida and Pingala into the central Sushumna channel, which activates it and facilitates the flow of Prana and the awakening of kundalini energy, leading to enlightenment and liberation.
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Regular and sustained practice of Pranayama:
* richly nourishes our entire body
* enhances mental and psychic clarity & calm
* prepares us for deep meditation.
These are all crucial aspects on the path to awakening, and a healthy and authentic life. ​​ ​​
ex, BHRAMARI, the bee pranayama... here
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Our yoga classes always include a vital component of pranayama.
And pranayama is very often included in our consultations:
whether it's oracular, yogic, or a sound bath –
to awaken, align, and activate breath and intuition.
We can also do a session focused entirely on Prana.
If you are interested, please contact me.
I'm happy to answer your questions!
Visit EVENTS to see more.
Visit Testimony/Temoignages from students and participants.
