DR VERONIQUE NICOLAI presents the Yoga programs now offered by internationally certified Heartfulness Yoga teachers. These programs integrate the meditative practices of Heartfulness with traditional Yoga postures, and a deep knowledge of the human system from Yoga, Ayurveda and medical science.
“Can you come every day to do these sessions? It will help us to sit through the day.” This 32-year-old man from Switzerland is part of an Executive MBA program in a five-star hotel in Chennai. Like the rest of this group, he is fit and young, hitting the gym several times a week to stay in the competition that his professional life demands.
Yet he, and the group in our Yoga session that morning, felt the effect of Transmission. He was sharp enough to understand that starting the day in this condition would help him get through the intense corporate training. So at the demand of the group, we came seven days in a row, teaching them all the tools of Heartfulness. It was our first attempt to integrate Heartfulness Meditation and Asanas.
Heartfulness is Raja Yoga for the modern world. The practice starts directly with the seventh step of Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga, Dhyana or meditation. It is a shortcut to human evolution. The possibility of evolution of consciousness is given in this pure and simple approach. There is nothing superfluous; maybe it seems too simple at first glance and therefore it is not attractive. But if you study deeply the philosophy behind Heartfulness, if you experience it genuinely, you will see that the practice encapsulates Ashtanga Yoga, with all the eight limbs concentrated in their purest form.
The fast pace of our daily life is not conducive for all to sit quietly with eyes closed. Asana prepares the person to sit; through body movement the mind is quietened, and Asana allows a deep relaxation. Not many are attracted at first glance by meditation but many are interested in doing something good and holistic like Yoga; and meditation is part of a Yoga class. With the help of Yogic Transmission, there is no need for long hours or years of purification of the body and mind through Asana, Pranayama, and the Shatkarmas, as this is taken care of by the practices of Heartfulness.
Since that first attempt to integrate ‘Yoga + Heartfulness’ in a five-star hotel, Heartfulness has developed many wellness programs. With a group of Yoga professionals and Ayurvedic experts, the Heartfulness Wellness and Yoga team offers preventive health weekends, daily Yoga classes, an introduction to Heartfulness Yoga, and a one-month certification program to become a Yoga teacher with international recognition.
WHAT IS HEARTFULNESS YOGA?
Heartfulness Yoga offers a series of simple Asanas, not only for the sake of exercise, but to improve health and posture. At the same time, these Asanas help us to calm the mental and sit comfortably for meditation. Heartfulness Yoga allows us to experience the fundamental elements of Heartfulness through movement. We discover our subtle structure and the three bodies, we open the heartspace and feel its immensity, introspect and note our inner condition, and witness its transformation through journaling. We start our spiritual journey or Yatra, connect to the Source and stay connected while being in action. We quieten the mind, enjoy meditation, and rejuvenate in order to start a balanced and happy day.
This practice also brings people together: as we refer to the heart throughout the class, and as all the hearts are connected, the group naturally and beautifully moves from ‘me to we’, removing the veils that keep us apart.
For those who want to dive deeper, who are interested in the philosophy of Yoga, and who look for a full immersion, we offer the Heartfulness Yoga Teacher Training Course. This TTC is a transformative one-month program that takes us step-by-step through traditional Yoga, its philosophy, the modern schools of Yoga, all the eight limbs of Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga, and the transformative effect of Transmission in the Heartfulness Way.
Transmission is pure love and works at the deepest level. At the end of the month, a group of certified Yoga teachers graduate with the possibility to teach all over the world and pass on their experience. They also transform into new beings and witness the changes offered by Heartfulness, when it is practiced intensely for a short time.
Heartfulness Yoga programs are open to all: people who already practice Heartfulness, new seekers, Yoga professionals and complete beginners. It is a different way to learn and live Yoga.
https://heartfulness.org/education/yoga-trainers/
in.wellness@heartfulness.org
Article by DR VERONIQUE NICOLAI
VERONIQUE NICOLAI
