Precise instructions on breathing as a preparation for the practice of Yantra Yoga
Weekend seminar with Oliver Leick
17th-18th April 2010 in Yeselling
Yantra – Coordination of energy
Precise instructions on breathing as a preparation for the practice of Yantra Yoga
Weekend seminar with Oliver Leick
17th-18th April 2010 in Yeselling
12 lucky people took the chance and participated in the first course ever held on Yantra – Coordination of energy.
All participants gained direct experience of the different kinds of inhalation and exhalation and some forms of holding the breath, performed controlled and yet relaxed movements in unification with inhalation and exhalation, and experienced the state of relaxation of their mind.
Based on the teachings of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, this seminar offered the possibility to understand the importance and to gain experience of one’s breathing.
This kind of seminar was a special introduction and preparation for the practice of Yantra Yoga and it was open to everybody interested in Yoga, breathing, health, Tibetan wisdom, and Tibetan culture.
The source of these instructions is the Teachings of Yantra Yoga – the Tibetan Yoga of Movement, written by the Tibetan Dzogchen master Vairochana in the eighth century. In this text it is clearly explained how one can coordinate one’s energy by harmonizing movement with breathing, and how one can gain a well-balanced and relaxed state of mind by performing the movements of Yantra Yoga.
This weekend-seminar was divided in three sessions in which the Base, Path and Fruit of the practice were explained.
The explanations related to the Base included the various aspects and functions of the breathing, a brief description of the five Inner Pranas, and the understanding of our three existences of body, speech and mind. The importance of becoming aware of one’s breathing was strongly emphasized.
In the session related to the Path the students gained a personal experience of the different kinds of the breathings. They experienced the difference between direct and indirect inhalation and exhalation, they applied direct breathing while performing some movements of Yantra Yoga, they gained the direct understanding that different positions of the body influence one’s breathing, and they learned to unite the “outer” movements of the body with the” inner” movements of the breathing.
In the session related to the Fruit the students did not only experience the different kinds of holdings by performing some characteristic movements of Yantra Yoga, but they also understood that breathing can become one of the most valuable means of being awareness in everyday-life. They also learned how to coordinate the movements of the body with one's breathing, and they experienced a relaxed state of mind through practicing with presence and awareness.
Oliver Leick has been a student of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu since 1977. He is an authorized instructor of Yantra Yoga in Austria and has led more than 40 seminars in various countries.More information about Yantra Yoga: www.yantrayoga.org
