I first learned about yoga in the aftermath of a primal screaming session in my fathers, Upper West Side apartment in the 1970’s. Ram Das’s Be Here Now was on the packed bookshelves along with other books about eastern thought and yoga, but this was my first experience being guided through asana.
The large pre-war, two bedroom, second floor flat, doubled as an office for his psychotherapy practice and my bedroom shared a wall with a large room where he would hold regular group therapy sessions. I overheard every kind of sound a human voice could make over the years from behind those walls. From the soft muttering of quiet conversations to hysterical crying, there was singing, arguing, and different kinds of led meditations. In later years there was my fathers daily chanting from his Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist practice. One night after a couple of hours of loud group therapy on the other side of the wall, it quieted down and I heard some people leaving. I came out for something from the kitchen and there was a couple leading breathing and moving exercises. I remember he had a beard and she had long hair and they both wore beads and loose cotton clothing. A small group was still there. When they saw me they asked if I wanted to join in. I was about fourteen years old. One thing I remember about that session is that it made my back feel good and I will always remember that the man said something about how deep breathing could help to calm my emotions. That resonated with me and in the coming years I would seek out yoga classes as safe spaces to work with my emotions and work through back issues I'd had all my life. I was in my early twenties when I first saw Peter Brooks, BBC production of the Mahabharata and from there first found the Bhagavad Gita and different teachers and experiences, helped open my life to a more cosmic perspective. “Free yourself from mental slavery” Bob Marley sings, just as Patanjali ( writer of the Yoga Sutras) sings and this light moves through mystical traditions, creative pursuits, spirituality, relationships of any depth and our actions in this life. It's freedom from time that a daily practice gives us if we offer it as Seva ( devotional service). We do our best effort without attachment to results, letting go even as we channel our energy into the work. The regular world of achievement and evaluation will be waiting for us once we are done, but for this precious time we can just focus on our breath. Practice for me it is about refreshing energy, kind of like my dog Lila does when she shakes herself out before moving to the next thing. Poses are there, but as therapeutically as possible, sometimes deep and intense, sometimes gentle depending on what else is happening that day. The daily investment of time allows my mind to get into the sequence and beyond the poses into a zone. If I keep going to the next pose there's no time to worry about the last pose. Ashtanga takes so much concentration that its hard for my mind to wander far without stubbing a toe or missing a pose and the vinyasa's keep moving that energy and harnessing that focus. Its fun, challenging, kind of dramatic at times and often asks you to grow. A good practice for life! Thank you all for reading and hope to see you soon - David
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AuthorDavid Michael Hollander started teaching Mysore Ashtanga in his apartment in NYC in 2005 to share its healing qualities with his friends . The practice has helped him overcome congenital spinal issues and recover from growing up in the 1970's. ArchivesCategories |