ASHTANGA YOGA;
PRACTICE & PHILOSOPHY

Nea Ferrier

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The earth is meditating as it were The space is me

The earth is meditating as it were
The space is meditating as it were
The heaven is meditating as it were
Waters are meditating as it were
Mountains are meditating as it were
Gods are meditating as it were
Therefore, those amongst humans
who attain greatness, do so because of meditation

Chandogya Upanishad 7.6.1-2

On the Zambezi River, Zimbabwe - where ever moment is a meditation. Have a great weekend everyone! #meditation #vedanta #upanishads #nature #stillness #awareness #presence #yogalife #yogalove #yogini #yogateacher

When considering the three gunas, each one has the

When considering the three gunas, each one has their role and place.

The mind is the sphere of sattva (luminiousity, clarity). Rajas (dynamism) and Tamas (inertia) found in excess in the mind become factors of imbalance.

A tamasic mind is dull and lethargic, the behaviour becomes lazy and with procrastination. An overly tamasic mind dwells in the past, lacks interest in spiritual growth and motivations become selfish.

However, tamas can also be helpful, if encountered under the guidance of sattva. The inertia quality can provide valuable stability and steadniness. Think of the groundedness needed for a tree to plant it's roots.

Have you observed tamas within your mind? What do you do to move out of tamasic tendancies?

For me, my Ashtanga yoga practice is a key way for minimising tamas, and emphasizing sattva.

An afternoon walk by the sea, particularly when there are waves, is also perfect mind medicine. What works for you?

#gunas #tamas #rajas #sattva #ayurveda #knowyourmind #mindmedicine #yogaphilosophy #yogateacher #ashtangayoga #yogini #tantra #vedanta #threegunas

yo māṁ paśhyati sarvatra sarvaṁ cha mayi paśhyati
tasyāhaṁ na praṇaśhyāmi sa cha me na praṇaśhyati

For those who see me everywhere and see all things in me, I am never lost, nor are they ever lost to me.

Bhagavad Gita 6.30

#bhagavadgita #vedanta #yogini #spiritualjourney #meditation #prayer #inspiration #nonduality #yogateacher #yogaphilosophy #svadyaya #kriyayoga

I thought I would end the week sharing some random

I thought I would end the week sharing some random facts about me, as I like reading these things when other people do it!

My first business was when I was a teenager. I used to organise children’s birthday parties, frequently appearing as the clown.

Before teaching yoga I worked for 10 years in public relations. I specialised in technology PR. There was a time I knew an inordinate amount about switches and routers.

I'm now entering my 18th year of living away from my home place, Sydney. I've lived in Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan. I used to speak a little Chinese, a little Japanese. Now I speak neither.

I'm a certified Indophile. I've travelled to India every year since 2005. Sometimes twice a year and sometimes staying for six months at a time. I can't wait to be able to visit again.

While I like love connecting with people, I consider myself an introvert. After finishing teaching in the morning, I spend most of my day alone and enjoy it.

Have a great weekend and for those who celebrate - Happy Easter! 🌿🌸🌈✨💙

It is through being with our vulnerability that we

It is through being with our vulnerability that we grow. Right in that moment when feel exposed, unsure and doubtful. It can feel mildly uncomfortable to down out nauseating. But staying open to this raw vulnerability is where the good stuff lies. It's how we evolve.

In the context of our yoga practice, and I'm writing here specifically regarding the Ashtanga yoga practice, we regularly bump into our vulnerability. It's the moment you first come into the Mysore room, unsure of what you are doing. That moment on the mat, when you've forgotten what's next, the teacher is no where around. You want to flee. Many people do.

For long term practitioners, it's when were faced with a new perspective, a new methodology that might challenge the comfortable status quo. The teacher suggests a new approach, but we so desparately want to hold onto what is familar. The last thing we want is to feel like a fool all over again.

And then there is teaching the practice. The vulnerability reaches new depths. Hopefully by now we can recognise it for what it is. Like an old friend come to say hello. Yes I know it's scary, I know you are worried to fail, but for this moment, just forget about you, and do what is to be done. #vulnerability #authenticity #yogateacher #spiritualjourney #spiritualgrowth #dharma #ashtangayoga #selfawareness #selfinquiry #mindwork

Happy Holi! Have a beautiful colourful day full of

Happy Holi! Have a beautiful colourful day full of joy for the little things! #fullmoon #happyholi #holifestival #yogaphotography #visvamitrasana #sthirabhaga #ashtangaadvancedseries #desertyoga #yogadubai #ashtangayoga #ashtangayogadubai

In my travels I spent time with a great yogi. Once

In my travels I spent time with a great yogi.
Once he said to me.
"Become so still you hear the blood flowing
through your veins."

One night as I sat in quiet,
I seemed on the verge of entering a world inside so vast
I know it is the source of all of us.

Mirabai

#bhakti #poetry #yogini #mirabai #awareness #spiritualjourney #vedanta #tantra #nonduality #krishnaconsciousness #femalemystic

Understanding the gunas opens a door to self-knowl

Understanding the gunas opens a door to self-knowledge.

As part of our yoga practice we learn to cultivate the witness, and obersve our own mind. The gunas provides an insightful framework for this self inquiry.

In yoga philosophy (specifically samkhya) the body and the mind fall under the category of "prakriti" the manifest world.

The three universal forces that influence this world of the manifest (note that thoughts/mind are included in this catgeory even though they are subtle) are known as the gunas. Guna translates to “quality or attribute.”

The guna of sattva (luminousity), rajas (movement) and tamas (inertia) are continually in flux, interplaying with each other.

Observing the gunas within the body and mind, and learning how we can influence them through our practices, is yoga.

#triguna #sattva #rajas #tamas #samkhya #yoga #ayurveda #tantra #yogaphilosophy #yogapractice #vedanta #selfinquiry #mindwork

Happy Spring Equinox! And in a little bit of cro

Happy Spring Equinox!

And in a little bit of cross promotion - Oni is having a Spring Sale!

25% off all bedding and apparel.

I’m wearing the Sage Green Kaftan here. See the link in the bio. @oniearthkindfabrics

#organiccotton #fairtrade #springsale #dubaishopping #shoponline #supportsmallbusiness #indiantextiles #handblockprinted #kaftan #homeapparel #springfashion

“The purpose of quietening the mind is not just

“The purpose of quietening the mind is not just to have a quiet mind. It's not an end in itself.

This quietude of mind, has to be used to absorb the truth that I am.....

I am the meaning of the word ananda.”

Nilooferji

#ananda #bliss #auspiciousone #vedanta #nonduality #yogaphilosophy #tantra #yogalife #yogalove #yogini #meditation #spiritualjourney

During our yoga asana practice we explore the dual

During our yoga asana practice we explore the duality of where to hold on and where to let go. Where to apply effort and where to drop the effort. We can see this within our physical body. We can see it within the mind. Letting go of any mental tension while in the asana, letting go of any grasping for things to be different to how they are.

Letting go of expectations.

The dances between this dualism, encapsulated by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras as "abhyasa & vairagya" - practice and detachment, follows us off the mat.

We need a certain amount of drive, focus and energy to pursue our goals. But at what point do we let go?

Actually it's not the effort that needs to be renounced, rather the expectations concerning the outcome of that effort.

Letting go of anticipated outcomes creates a spaciousness for unlimited potential. I believe this is Ishwara Pranidam. I believe this is grace. Have you experienced the unexpected joy of letting go?

#yogaphilosophy #patanjali #yogasutras #vairagya #lettinggo #ishwarapranidam #grace #yogateacher #ashtangayoga

I’m a big advocate for lying around. I do a litt

I’m a big advocate for lying around. I do a little bit of this every day. I did a lot of it on holidays in Zimbabwe.

I particularly take time for some lying around (or practices such as Yoga Nidra and restorative yoga) during the time of menstruation.

I’ll be talking about this in more detail
tomorrow at the workshop for Ashtanginis. Details below. Sign up via Nilaya House.

🌙Understanding our Menstrual Cycle; A Workshop for Female Ashtanga Practitioners
Sunday March 14
3:00-5:00pm
AED200

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 oberserve 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 cycle and how to integrate this knowledge with our Ashtanga yoga practice, to enhance our feminity and sexuality as yoginis.

The workshop will include a lecture and a restorative yoga practice.

Wearing Kaftan by @oniearthkindfabrics

#ashtangayoga #restorativeyoga #cycleawareness #menstrualcycleawareness #yogaforwomen #cyclicalwisdom