• ABOUT
  • SCHEDULE
  • RETREATS
  • MENTORSHIP
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT

ASHTANGA YOGA;
PRACTICE & PHILOSOPHY

Nea Ferrier
  • Follow
  • Follow

FOLLOW NEA

ON INSTAGRAM

If you've been following my page or know me person If you've been following my page or know me personally, you will probably know by now that this is a topic I'm really passionate about.  Ashtanga often gets a bad rep for being too "masculine" but I truly believe it doesn't have to be that way.  It's the way we approach the practice that matters. As women, we can practice in a way that honours and supports our bodies, our cycles, and our roles in life.  We can let go of a linear yardstick to measure "progress" and instead open to more feminine approach of recognsing the deepening that comes from accepting the natural ebbs and flows of life.  Indeed I believe exalting feminine principles is a necessary step not just for our yoga practices, but for our future on this planet overall.  To be dominant in one quality  - masculine or feminine is not helpful for men or women. Let’s help readdress the in-balance. Find the feminine principle in our yoga as a starting point. I'm delighted to be part of a online panel of Ashtanga yoga teachers discussing various topics from menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, aging, anatomical differences to patriarchy in yoga hosted @adam_keen_ashtanga & @harmonyslateryoga by on October 12. See the following slides for details.
✨Save the Date✨ 🌙Navratri Sadhana🌙 Thur ✨Save the Date✨ 🌙Navratri Sadhana🌙 Thursday October 8 - Friday October 15 Early Morning Devi Chanting (5:15am Sunday to Thursday 7:45am Saturday & Friday) Followed by Ashtanga Yoga Practice 5:30am onwards Location: Nilaya House or online ✨reinvigorate your practice ✨deepen it with a devotional quality through sanskrit chanting ✨enjoy the magic of rising at brahma-muhurta ✨experience the inner transformation that comes through tapas DM with inquiries @ashtangayogadubai @nilayahouse #navratri #sadhana #tapas #chanting #durga #transformation #devotion #ashtangayoga #devi #tantroktamdevisuktam #tantra #brahmamurta #shakti
1.3. tadā draṣṭuḥ svarūpe'vasthānam Then 1.3. tadā draṣṭuḥ svarūpe'vasthānam Then the seer is established in it's own essential and fundamental nature. The succinct pithy beauty of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. The definition and end goal of yoga is explained in the very first three sutras.  The whole journey encapsulated in less than 12 words.  Yet within these short phrases is lifetime of study and practice.  I remember first reading about the yoga sutras when I started practising Ashtanga Yoga in Hong Kong. I came across a book called the Spiritual Teachings of Yoga and devoured it. I remember thinking, ok now I have found something that will keep me interested! #yogasutras #patanjali #yogaphilosophy #ashtangayoga #ashtangayogadubai #svadyaya #yogateacher #truenature #samkhya #purusha #draṣṭuḥ
While I am very much dedicated to the Ashtanga tra While I am very much dedicated to the Ashtanga tradition I enjoy learning from different styles and methods and contemplating on the rationale for varying approaches. For example, in the Ashtanga tradition, Sri Pattabhi Jois writes very firmly in Yoga Mala, that headstand should be considered a forearm balance, with most of the weight on the arms, and very little on the head. In the Iyengar tradition, the end goal of headstand is to have 50 percent on the head and 50 percent on arms. The legs are strong, but the feet and toes are quite relaxed, mirroring tadasana, whereas in Ashtanga our feet are pointed and heels are together. I like keeping an open mind to different techniques, as it's an important way to not become dogmatic. However it does take a certain maturity to feel comfortable with these nuances, and sometimes practitioners can find themselves feeling confused and overwhelmed at contradicting instructions. It's a perfect example finding the right balance between holding on and letting go. I'm looking forward to exploring Universal Principles & Techniques of Asanas as part of the Ashtanga Sangha starting in October. Early bird pricing til September 15. See the link in the bio for details. @ashtangayogadubai #ashtangayoga #nilayahouse #yogateacher
One of my earliest and most enduring memories of s One of my earliest and most enduring memories of starting to practice Ashtanga yoga was the feeling within my body and mind upon finishing of uninhibited expansion and spaciousness. As I continued regular pracice I then began to notice how my mind seemed to be opening up to new perspectives, essentially growing in greater consciousness.  Later I came to understand that this was because the practices had helped purify the nadi system, opening up pathways for the smooth circulation of prana.  Nadis are energetic nodes or receptors and conduits of prana. Yogic texts often state there are 72,000 in the energetic body, with the three main ones being known as ida (left side), pingala (right side) and sushumna (central axis).  Habitual thought patterns and behaviour results in some nadi pathways being over used, and some under used. This is how we can become "set in our ways", our thoughts and actions following the regular familar groove, creating samskaras perpetuating the cycle.  Yoga practices have the potential to clear new pathways in the nadi sytem, remove blockages and create the spaciousness needed for new ways of thinking. Ultimately giving us access to limitless potential in every moment rather than being trapped in conditioned behaviour.   We are continually alternating between ida and pingala nadis. This can be observed in the shift of the breath between left nose and right nose dominance around every 90 minutes. However for a few seconds as the transition is made, we access the centering and balancing sushumna nadi. Its also believed the other time we access the sushumna nadi is during the time of menstruation and ovulation. Uma Dinsmore-Tuli in her book Yoni Shakti writes this is the siddhi inherent in being a woman. I'll be discussing this more in the online workshop today on Menstrual Cycle Awareness. See the link in the bio for details.  #nadi #ida #pingala #sushumna #nadishodana #hathayoga #tantra #balance #swarayoga #pranayama #ashtangayoga #cycleawareness #yogini #ashtangini
Today being new moon seemed a perfect and auspicio Today being new moon seemed a perfect and auspicious day to restart studies with @shantala_sriramaiah after the summer break. This semester we study and chant the samadhi pada, from Patanjali's yoga sutras. In today's lesson Shantala discussed the importance of invocation mantras as a way to become clear for reception, through connecting with both the head (matparah) and heart (maccitah). The heart we connect through love, the head through respect. Where there is joy and respect, focus happens. I love that! It was lovely to see all the fellow students from around the world online today! For those interested Shantala will soon be running her 5-week vedic chanting course (September 14). Detail on her website @veda_studies #sanskrit #mantra #sanskritchanting #vedachanting #patanjali #yogasutras #samkhya #yogaphilosophy #yogateacher #ganapati #ashtangayoga #ashtangayogadubai #saraswathi @melissaghattasyoga @peacefromwellness
Details below of the upcoming workshop on this top Details below of the upcoming workshop on this topic…. Understanding Menstrual Cycles; A Workshop for Female Ashtanga Practitioners Sunday 12th September | 9.00 am EST | 2.00 pm UK 120 mins | 14 day replay Ashtanga yoga is traditionally a daily practice, with the practitioner taking rest one day a week and on moondays. This daily practice provides a wonderful opportunity to observe our changing moods, attitudes and energy levels. While the practice may be the same each day, the way we encounter it will be different. For female practitioners, we can use our practice to connect on a deeper level with our menstrual cycle.  This workshop will explore the four key stages of a women’s menstrual cycle and how to integrate this knowledge with our Ashtanga yoga practice, to enhance our femininity and sexuality as yoginis, and ensure for sustaining our yoga practice over the long term.  The workshop will include a lecture and a restorative yoga practice. No experience needed.  See link in bio for bookings @keen_on_yoga @adam_keen_ashtanga #cycleawareness #menstrualcycle #ashtangini #yogini #tantra #ayurveda #ashtangayoga
That time I took a group to Dharamsala (March, 201 That time I took a group to Dharamsala (March, 2015), and we hiked up the mountain for six hours. Went to bed exhausted, then woke up and practised with this view!  Exercise at elevation can be challenging, but high altitude training methods are a way to "force the body to adapt to exercising with less oxygen and therefore increasing the blood's oxygen carrying capacity" (The Oxygen Advantage, Patrick McKeown).  But did you know that even at low elevation we can do the same thing, through the way we breathe when practising yoga? The same concept applies - training the body to do more with less.  I'm looking forward to exploring this concept further in the upcoming Science of Breath & Bandhas workshop as part of the Ashtanga Sangha starting in October. Over the last decade our understanding of traditional yogic breathing techniques has really deepened through the latest scientific research mapping the links between the breath, nervous system and the mind - exciting stuff! This workshop will explore; - Diaphragmatic breathing - Why nose breathing? - the connection between the breath and the nervous system - The role of the vagus nerve in yoga - What are bandhas and how are they used - Breath, prana and nadis - The five koshas - Pranayama techniques This is one of six three-hour sessions that make up the Ashtanga Sangha programme. Early bird pricing runs til September 15. See link in bio for details. @ashtangayogadubai #ashtangayogadubai #dubaiashtanga #ashtangadubai #dubaiyoga #dubaiashtangis #ashtangasangha
We've been so fortunate to be able to reopen the s We've been so fortunate to be able to reopen the shala in the Dubai, but it seems like online teaching is here to stay!  It's a great option for students not living near an authorised teacher, and I personally really enjoy it and have seen the great benefits for students over the last year.  Twice a week I teach solely online, so you have my undivided attention. On the other days it's hybrid style with the shala, which is a nice way to stay accountable with your practice and connect to a community.  Beginner students are most welcome, as well as those returning after a long hiatus! DM me for details.  Slide thru for photos of the home shala & online assistant teachers. It’s quite a team! #onlineteaching #onlinemysore #ashtangayoga #ashtangayogadubai #ashtangaksa
I've been reflecting quite a bit on the concept of I've been reflecting quite a bit on the concept of time when it comes to the learning process.  We seem to be living in an age where everything faster is better. We are conditioned to go for the short cut. Search it, hack it, find out the quick tip. And there’s plenty of people offering to sell the short route. But the fact is that while we can consume quickly, how quickly can we digest? Or put another way, can we short cut the period of assimilation and integration? One of my philosophy teachers frequently mentions that while our task is to continually work to acquire "vidya", the process of assimilation of this knowledge takes place over a period of time, that is actually out of our control and is in fact subject to grace.  When it comes to our yoga practice, we can be given all the best technique advice in the world, but we need to couple this with practice time, to allow for true integration. Similarly for new teachers, there is simply no fast track to becoming an experienced teacher, from working hard and allowing the passage of time.  I remember my mentor David Roche coaching me on this posture (pincha mayurasana) over ten years ago. I was struggling with it for more than two years and he was instrumental in helping me. But even for also his excellent advice, I ultimately had to do the work, over time. Still doing the work 😊. #pinchmayurasana #ashtangayoga #ashtangayogadubai #learningprocess #integration #passageoftime #kali #noshortcuts #practicetime #abhyasa #dirghakala
💙 Happy Krishna Janmashthami 💙 yadā yadā 💙 Happy Krishna Janmashthami 💙 yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata abhyutthānam adharmasya tadātmānaṁ sṛijāmyaham Whenever there is a decline in righteousness and an increase in unrighteousness, O Arjun, at that time I manifest myself on earth. Bhagavad Gita 4.7-8 📷 Krishna fluting in the forest, Jaipur, India, c. 1720-40, Harvard University 📷 Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well by A.D Thomas @enroute_indian_history_ #krishna #krishnajanmashtami #krishnajayanthi #krishnaconsciousness #bhakti #vedanta #samkhya #yogaphilosophy #bhagavadgita #sanskrit #indianart
Officially six weeks til we start the Ashtanga San Officially six weeks til we start the Ashtanga Sangha at Nilaya House! I’m excited for this programme! The Ashtanga sangha will meet once a month (Saturday mornings) for a series of theoretical and practical workshops on yoga philosophy and techniques and practices to support and deepen your Ashtanga Yoga practice. A different topic will be explored each month, as well as time in each session for sanskrit chanting, pranayama and meditation. Students of all levels are welcome to join (including beginners). The only requirement is a regular (3 times per week minimum) Ashtanga yoga practice.  Sangha topics from October 2021 to March 2022 will be; -The Science of Breath & Bandhas -Guiding Principles for Safe and Sustainable Asana Practice -Living a Yogic Lifestyle: Introduction to Ayurveda -The Wisdom of Patanjali and how to integrate it in our practice and daily life -Mobility Practices to help with Challenging Asanas -Restorative Yoga and How to Manage Injuries, Illness and Downtimes See the link in the bio for more details. Early bird pricing is available til September 15. #ashtangayogadubai #ashtangayoga #dubaiashtanga #dubaiashtangis #mysoredubai #mysorestyledubai #meditation #pranayama #sanskritchanting #ayurveda #svadyaya
LOAD MORE
  • Follow
  • Follow

©NEA FERRIER, 2019 – 2020
DESIGN BY: JIMMYCROW.COM | HOSTED BY: JIMMYCROWHOSTING.COM