YOGA ABOUT THE SHALAYOGA

Our yoga center in Chania is based on the yogic practice.

We maintain a daily schedule of classes within a week.

These classes are focused in yoga asana and pranayama.

We offer retreats and workshops, combined with the

ayurvedic approach that can benefit and advise our yogic practice,

as also sessions with the live sound of Indian classical music

through

the ancient well known instrument of India

the Rudra Veena, as also the Sitar.

To be informed for our various events and activities,

which are happening here,

you can send your email to add it in our list.

An aproach to a lifestyle.

Sciences such as Ayurveda and Yoga practices are highly beneficial for our physical health.

Ayurveda, yoga, jyotish (vedic science of astrology), sangeet (music) are all combined as a holistic approach to a beneficial daily life.

Bearing in mind that physical well-being is a by-product of spiritual well-being,

we can appreciate the importance and benefits of a healthy daily lifestyle.

The importance of physical health should not be underestimated, but neither should it be overrated.

Knowing our bodytype through the five elements (earth, water, fire, air, either) can be highly beneficial for our daily life since we can have the proper nutrition, live in in tune with the four seasons of a year,

use the proper herbs, nutrition, choosing the proper style of exercising our body, etc.

An example that we could mention about the cooperation of Vedic astrology (Jyotish) and Ayurveda

for a yogic practice is the Surya Namaskar.

Surya Namaskar is the sanscrit name of the Sun salutation, a set of postures (asanas) practiced in a

flow that most traditions will use them for starting a practice.

We all have experience the quality of heat of the Sun, and its effect on our body.

Practising the Sun salutation, our body gets warm and develops strength, a beneficial preparation to work the flexibility in our body.

Sun salutation also symbolizes the element of Pitta (fire), in ayurvedic terminology.

Combined with the proper breathing (that is the element of Vata, air & either) the element of Pitta (fire)

can be more effective during the practice of asana, as the wind can increase the fire.

For best benefits it is advised to be practiced at the time of the day that represents Kapha, the element of earth (that is early morning after sunrise and also at the time of sunset).

As the element of earth tents to make our body stiff, practicing the Sun salutation at that phase of the day it is more beneficial.

Another example if that the best time for our heavy meal of the day is the afternoon, since that time

the element of Pitta (fire) is predominant and we can digest it easier compare to a time that the sun is weak such evening, or night.

Many traditions who practice intense periods of meditation prefer to finish the main meal of the day

before afternoon as the digestion is more effective and can keep practising the rest of the time better.

The Sun and Moon are very important planets. Many traditions follow certain routines,

such as fasting or taking a lighter meal in order to focus in a more intense spiritual practice

at the moon days (new moon, full moon and its 50% phase in between).

Moon represents water (also the element of Kapha in ayurveda) and our human body contains a large part of water about 70%, also a reason for many yogic traditions to take a break from the physical practice during the moon days to avoid injuries.

There is a great wisdom to benefit our daily life while being in harmony with the five elements.

Ayurveda combined with the yogic practices, such as cleaning the body through Kriyas and making it more functional through the practice of Asanas is a great way to work on our physical health.

All asanas are beneficial but not all suitable for everyone.

When the asana is combined with the certain bodytype, period of life, age, season of the year, proper intensity, etc, is a very power way to keep a good health.

Mudras & Pranayamas work in the physical health in a more shuttle way than the Asanas,

and when are practised properly can offer a very good physical wealth too.

We can think as a metaphor that the asana is like washing our clothes and when these clothes

are clean, we can think of the mudra and pranayama like iron these clothes and wear them.

A great healer for a human being is the through the sound, music.

Music has been part of our daily life since the ancient period of our history, in various forms and

styles according our phase and style of life at each period.

Great teachings and messages has been expressed through the sound, for example chanting.

In our center we focus on Indian classical music, through the 'Raga', a very special way to work

through the sound, just pure sound expressed live by musical instruments such as the Sitar and

the Rudra Veena.

The use of sound can offer moments of peace for a human being, these moments even

if they few are always special and therapeutical.

Whatever has been mentioned above in this text as a holistic approach is highly beneficial and

can offer beautiful moments to our being as also can be as a great friend to our life that offers a

therapy, advice, help, so we can feel well in difficult periods and phases in our life..

We can not stop a rain and a bad weather, but if we have to leave our house at that period we make sure to equip ourselves with the necessary, for example an umbrella and a waterproof, arm coat, so in a similar approach taking proper care of our physical wealth is the best we can do at any moment and phase of a lifetime.

A complete and essential holistic approach will give us a similar approach, will ‘equip’ us with the necessary and useful.

The diseases that we will experience in the body are a result of situations that exist within us,

either from the recent or distant past, such as unhealthy actions, etc.

A truth in our life is that diseases are part of our nature as human beings and a part of these diseases have their roots in our mental behavior and way of acting and reacting in our daily life.

For someone who is really interest to research the roots of such issues, a spiritual practice is essential.

That is a work for a lifetime in a daily process and needs lots of proper effort and development

of certain qualities.

A spiritual practice is a very important path and each one has to make his/her own research for it.

It is very essential that such a path works on a balanced, scientific and methodical level so each one develops the proper foundations such as good morality, control of the mind,

in order to experience the truth, as it is manifested through the cosmic laws.

As we are practitioners and follow the method of Vipassana meditation in the tradition of

Sayagyi U Ba Khin as taught from S.N. Goenka, we do recommend to give a try to this tradition.

It is taught in a very methodical way through 10 day courses.

Details you can find in the website : www.dhamma.org