♥ ♡ ❥  My Yogastory  ♥ ♡  ❥

 

21 years ago I thought about practicing yoga for the first time. From this moment on it took me seven more years till I mat myself on the mat. “Meeting myself” was exactly what I did in the first classes, with a deep sense of that there was much more to experience about yoga while running a busy live in Berlin of the nineteenth.

After the birth of my first son I was ready to rebirth myself, quitted my job and signing in for the Integral Yoga Teacher Training in Berlin. This time was an incredible experience in several ways. Practicing Yoga with an Indian Brahman meant to me receiving the knowledge about authentic traditional Yoga. Next to Hatha Yoga, the practice of Asana, I found myself blissed up by the wisdom of traditional Yoga Philosophy transferred into our day’s life as a concept of simply supporting life.

Around in Berlin modern Yoga was growing fast. During this grassroots development I broaden my experience and knowledge about Yoga meeting international teacher representing several lineages of Yoga in Berlin and around in Europe (look up Website about Doris). 7 years behind my first Teacher Training I decided to deepen my knowledge following a second Training, the Anusara Teacher Training with its non-dualistic philosophical background and precise and ingenious alignment principles (Universal Principles of Alignment).

 

Practicing and studying Yoga mirrored me in my life: I’ve been challenged, struggled most of all during my latest Anusara Teacher Training while many changes took place in my life.
I wondered if yoga was actually beneficial and transformational, and I felt embraced and uplifted again exploring that the practice of Yoga still means inner reflection to me; it is through introspection that my practice of yoga is kept sustainable for me in any phase of life, from breath to moment and from moment to breath.

 

I feel blessed to share the gift of yoga, my experience and knowledge with many people around me believing in the transformative quality of this unifying practice of body, mind, spirit and soul, as a concept connecting human/people with their bigger source of life. That´s why I like to thank my students, teachers, colleagues and my family and friends for making Yoga grow.

108

We practiced in the light of Chandra, a moon-practice like Chandra Namaskar, the salutation of the moon. The syllable "tha" of the word Hatha Yoga (more physical oriented Yoga) represents the moon and the femine energy, one of the main energies in our body. d you know that the atomic weight of silver is 108? In astrology, the metal silver is said to represent the moon.Di
Time to shed light on the multi dimesional meaning of the number 108. For example Hindu and Buddhist prayer beads (malas) have 108 beads, or some fraction of that number.

What does 108 represent? Here are 12 answers...

1) SANSKRIT: There are 54 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet. Each has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti. 54 times 2 is 108.

2) 9 TIMES 12: Both of these numbers have been said to have spiritual significance in many traditions. 9 times 12 is 108. Also, 1 plus 8 equals 9. That 9 times 12 equals 108.

3) CHAKRAS: The chakras are the intersections of energy lines, and there are said to be a total of 108 energy lines converging to form the heart chakra. One of them, sushumna leads to the crown chakra, and is said to be the path to Self-realization.

4) TIME: Some say there are 108 feelings, with 36 related to the past, 36 related to the present, and 36 related to the future.

5) SUN and EARTH: The diameter of the sun is 108 times the diameter of the Earth.

6) MOON and EARTH: The average distance of the Moon from the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Moon.

7) GODESS NAMES: There are said to be 108 Indian goddess names.

8) ASTROLOGY: In astrology, there are 12 houses and 9 planets. 12 times 9 equals 108.

9) SOUL: According to Atman, the human soul or center goes through 108 stages on the journey.

10) PYTHAGORAS: In Pythagorean, the nine is the limit of all numbers, all others existing and coming from the same. ie: 0 to 9 is all one needs to make up an infinite amount of numbers.

11) PATHS to GOD: Some suggest that there are 108 paths to God.

12) FIRST MAN in SPACE: The first manned space flight lasted 108 minutes, and was on April 12, 1961 by Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut.

And: There are 108 cards in an UNO deck. I´m sure there are another 12, or 12 times 9, or maybe 2 times 54 answers to contemplate on the meaning of 108. Enjoy by doing so ♥ ♡ ❥!

Inside Yoga Conference 2012. Thank you Inside Yoga, for bringing people together!

Jai Jai Ma, Jai Ma Yoga!

  

Jai Ma Yoga is the name of my yoga, a blend of studies from numerous teachers and lineages adding a personal note. 

The meaning has roots on the Sanskrit language. “Jai” originates from the word “Jaya” which means literal translated “victory”. In modern Indian language one term can have different meanings, depending on the context in which it is used. So as Jai Ma. “Ma” literally means “mother”. In a more spiritual context Jai Ma means “victory to the Divine Mother” or “salutation to the mother”. 

Mount Damavand, Iran, thanks INature for the pic

Jai Ma is interpreted as an act of friendship to mother earth, remembering us on a mind- and joyful intercourse in the circle of life on our planet, with all it´s appearances, also as a connection to be part of something bigger.  

 Palms together, Namaste




On the street, in the office, at University and Supermarkets, Namaste is a common courtesy greeting in India, around in Asia and all over the globe for young and old, friends and strangers, to begin or to end a meeting with.
Also in Hatha Yoga classes we place the folded palms in front of our chest expressing the word Namaste while bowing the head slightly.


Why? And what is actually the meaning of Namaste? 

Namaste is used as a casual or formal greeting, as a cultural convention or an act of worship. And there is more about the kind salutation then meets the eye. It implies the belief that the real meeting between people is the meeting of their minds and spirit. When we greet one another with Namaste, it means, ‘may our minds, may our spirit meet’, symbolized by the folded palms placed before the chest. Next to extending a warm welcome to each other and "the meeting of our minds", Namaste includes the recognition of the divinity within ourselves and the person we meet, acknowledging this oneness with the meeting of the palms. The bowing down of the head is a gracious form of extending friendship in love, respect and humility.

  

Namaste is the gathering of the Sanskrit words namah translated as "to bow" and te translated as  "you". Namaste literally can be render as  “I bow to you” - my greetings, salutations or prostration to you. The word ‘namaha’ can also be literally interpreted as "na ma" translated as "not mine". It has a spiritual significance of negating or reducing one's ego in the presence of another.

  

Because we are one

Namaste can be used as a greeting for all ages, all genders, all races given to friends, family members, and also strangers. We are all one when we live from the heart. Namaste.

Welcome to Doris Lilienweiss Blog: just one white lely in the garden of many tulips.

Here you find notes about Urbanyoga, interesting facts about yoga in general and thoughts about my life as a mother and yogini. Enjoy and have fun!