While on my retreat in Mexico last month I had some free time and was finally able to catch up on a little reading. For years now I've been interested in a book called Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice by Mark Singleton. I thought I knew quite a bit about the history of hatha yoga, but Singleton's knowledge on this topic puts mine to shame. The amount of research he has done is very impressive and even a bit overwhelming. 

While I highly recommend reading it, be prepared to face the fact that none of us practice the way the original yogis did thousands (or even hundreds) of years ago. It makes me question what we consider  authentic yoga. What most people practice could be considered a watered-down version that has been influenced by many different cultures. To say the modern approach to yoga is authentic is equivalent to eating at an Asian fusion restaurant while telling friends we had authentic Japanese cuisine. It's just not true, at least to the yogis of ancient times.

Please understand that I'm not trying to insult anyone's teaching style or practice. After all, sometimes Asian fusion can be mind-blowing and when you get down to it, most of us wouldn't want to practice the way the ancient yogis did anyway. For example, have you ever held your breath (kumbhaka) until you're sweating and shaking? Try that for an hour, then repeat four times a day, and you'll be taking the old-school approach. It was anything but gentle, cautious, or pretty. In fact, two of the translations Singleton gives for hatha are forceful and violent.

These original hatha yogis were actually considered outcasts, immoral, and feared by society. They had some very strange (and what most would consider obscene) practices that focused on awakening the dormant force called kundalini. 

In my own practice, I enjoy using pranayama, kumbhaka, and bandha but with a little more caution. Breath retention and engaging the locks gets me out of my comfort zone and stirs up the subconscious. This may sound strange but from what I've been taught, yoga is very much about making the unconscious conscious and becoming more aware of the content of the mind. The use of pranayama and bandha in a mindful way can help accelerate that process quite a bit. 

Today's practitioners have very few, if any, opportunities to practice pranayama because not many teachers have the training to lead a student in a responsible way. Since we like to keep some of the authenticity of the original hatha yogis at Tejas, James Tennant and I have created a five-day training on this topic for teachers who would like to learn how to add pranayama, bandha, and kriya techniques into their practice and teaching. More details are below.

 

I'm traveling just a bit this summer so I can teach more in Chicago. It's a fantastic city in these warmer months! I hope to see you at one of my workshops listed in the sidebar to the left either on the road or in the Windy City.

 

Tantric Vinyasa Retreat  

February 13-20, 2016 

  

  

Due to popular demand, we will be returning to Prana del Mar in 2016. This beautiful oceanfront yoga retreat and wellness center at the southern tip of Baja, Mexico was everything (and more) we hoped it would be. 

 

Every morning will begin with a vinyasa class focusing on detoxification. The afternoon session will focus on rejuvenation with a gentle asana session and extended pranayama. In between classes you'll have time for excursions such as surfing, whale watching, and horseback riding not to mention three gourmet meals a day.

 

Most major cities have direct flights into San Jose del Cabo International Airport (Los Cabos) at a reasonable cost and the resort is just a short drive from the airport.

 

Many have described Prana del Mar as a luxury retreat center and say it is the best kept secret on the Baja peninsula. Go to the retreat page of my website for all the logistics.

 

If you are interested, email [email protected] to save your spot. The resort only has 16 suites and some previous attendees are already putting deposits down to save their spot. It's sure to fill up!