Yoga Pranayama from a constitutional and Medical Approach
Course with John Renshaw Kunselling May 24 -30 2014
The May bank holiday weekend with the torrential rain that invariably accompanies it, brought together an auspicious gathering of yogins to Kunselling The course was so over-subscribed that twice as many people had signed up as could be accommodated.
Yantra yoga is an ancient Tibetan system usually practised by advanced yogins in a lengthy closed retreat. It is a complete path in itself to open the chakras through a combination of movement, breathing and bhandas or locks, so that ultimately the prana enters the central channel. Only then can real meditation progress. Usually these esoteric yogic techniques are kept secret as they are related to the vajrayana path of transformation requiring a basis of practice and initiation, there are also dangers if it is practised without adequate training or supervision. However, in response to the need of lay practitioners, Choegyal Namkhai Norbu opened up the system in the seventies.
As all those attending the retreat had some experience of yantra yoga and John Renshaw is an exceptionally qualified teacher, the group experienced a high level of exhiliration and energy release. Each day there were 6 hours of yoga from different traditions and yantra yoga practise starting with lengthy warm-ups, stretching and twisting followed by the yantras which develop the holds, locks, breathing, and releasing in rhythmic movement, Towards the end of the retreat the emphasis was on longer sessions of pranayama,s and rhythmic breathing. John repeatedly pointed to the Dzogchen view state of Guru yoga, contemplation or non-meditation as the final stage of the practise of yantra. And indeed there were times when the relaxed jaw and posture of the release was so comic we had to laugh spontaneously, and thus released even more.
John’s remarkable knowledge of anatomy and physiology, and oriental medicine was packed into an daily hour session with photo projections of muscles ,nervous system, the brain, and the glands with reference to the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems and prana which govern and respond to both life and practice.
The master chef Darius in the new kitchen extension prepared each meal with care and love, with the help of Mary Finnigan. The 5 children – all girls – staged two never before seen plays and gave away tickets marked £50. On the final evening after the gana puja, they played to a sold out audience at double the price.
The only thing that didn’t change was the weather. Except for one sunny patch, it rained every day, and not even our inner brightness could change it.
By Naomi Levine author of The Miraculous 16th Karmapa
