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Yoga
Our Ongoing Yoga Program:
| YOGA CLASSES |
Daily ( Monday thru Sunday )
(ask about additional classes)
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9:30 am - 10:30 am |
| Private Sessions Are Available.
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- $15.00US per class
- $10.00US per class to Negril Yoga Centre guests.
- Yoga Mats are Provided.
- Our daily classes are tought by Senior Yoga Teacher Fanette Johnson.
Yoga Instructors
Fanette Johnson
HATHA YOGA with Fanette Johnson
Fanette has over 12 years of instruction experience, teaching in Paris, New York, and Negril. She places special focus on body alignment, balance, and breath awareness. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced yogi, this open class encompasses all levels. You work at your own pace, following Fanette's constant guidance. You will correct your body posture, improve circulation, increase general vitality and develop radiant health.
Come join Fanette as she conducts open classes accommodating all levels in Hatha Yoga, Classes have been structured to allow a beginner to benefit safely from basic postures, while challenging the most advanced with greater flexibility and strength.
Workshops and Retreats
Yoga Retreat in Jamaica!
With Angelena Craig
If you are looking for a fun week, an unusual mix of Yoga and workshops, the seven mile white sandy beach found just across the road, and a vibrant night life, this adventure may be just what you are looking for.
February 13-19-2010
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO!
Angelena Craig
Angelena Craig is a certified Yoga instructor and founder of Beacon Light Yoga of
Boston. She has taught Yoga to groups and individuals for over 12 years, specializing
in beginner, intermediate and prenatal yoga. She also teaches chair yoga to elders and
those with limited mobility. Her first teaching job was at the Negril Yoga Center in
1996. Angelena believes Yoga is a primary healing modality that works not only on the
body, to increase flexibility and strength, but also to calm the mind and emotions,
and learn healthful tools for relaxation and conscious breathing.
Angelena's website is located at: www.thenewagingmovement.com.
What is Yoga?
Yoga is an ancient Indian practice, dating back to 2500 BCE, possibly even earlier. It is a scientific system designed to bring the practitioners health, happiness, and a greater sense of Self. In yoga, the body and mind are linked to create a state of internal peacefulness and integration, bringing the individual from a state of separation to a self-unity that is flexible, accepting and whole. At the practical level, and included in the contemporary definitions of yoga, are the actual physiological/mental techniques themselves. These techniques concentrate on posture and alignment, as well as creating a higher consciousness. Yoga utilizes stretching postures, breathing, and meditation techniques to calm the emotional state and the mind, and tone the body.
The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit root yuj meaning "to bind, join, attach and yoke, to direct and concentrate one's attention on, to use and apply." Therefore, yoga, in a sense, is the joining or union of the individual self or soul with the higher Self. Yoga means mystical union, oneness with the universe and the disciplines or practices that lead towards this union.
Yoga is a technique of personal development, which existed long before any system of philosophy. To find out what yoga is ... the best way ... is to practice it. In this way one can recognize the many faces of yoga as they are described in the Bhagavad-Gita, a great work on yoga from the sixth century BC, which are:
Yoga is equilibrium in success and failure. Yoga is skilful living among activities. Yoga is the supreme secret of life. Yoga is the producer of the greatest happiness. Yoga is affected by self-control. Yoga is non-attachment. Yoga is the destroyer of pain. Yoga is serenity.
One of the central ideas of yoga, because it is revealed through practicing yoga, is the interdependence of all things, animate and inanimate, in the entire universe. Nothing can be taken in isolation. In the words of the poet John Donne, "No man is an island". This sense of oneness of all things is often understood to be the "yoking" or "union" implied in the word yoga.
The History of Yoga
The history of yoga is not well charted. In India, where yoga originated, the study of history has never had the importance accorded to it in the West, for Indian thought has traditionally been more concerned with transcending time than recording it. Those historians who have delved into the background of yoga have found it hard if not impossible to establish fact such as the dates and authorship of works on the subject.
The earliest evidence of yoga is archaeological. Excavations begun in the 1920's revealed signs of an ancient civilization which flourished in India as early as 3000 BCE and perhaps even earlier. Among the finds are some stone seals showing godlike figures in yogic postures, on of which has been identified with the Hindu god Shiva, the mythological founder of yoga. Yoga techniques may have existed long before the arrival of the Aryan tribes whose domination shaped the development of Hinduism.
The earliest reference to yoga as a technical term occurs in the literature of the Vedas. This is a collection of hymns and philosophical poetry which was composed over the huge period of 2000 years and was transmitted orally long before it was written. The Vedas reflect the evolution of early Indian religious thought, from a polytheistic nature worship in which ritual sacrifice played a central role, to a religion which recognized one absolute reality which was infinite and all-pervading. The supreme principle became not one all-powerful personal god, but an abstract concept of the Absolute. This is referred to in the earlier Vedas as That One (neuter Tad Ekam) and in the later part of the Vedas called the Upanishads, as Brahman.
The oneness of Brahman is the basis of the major school of Hindu philosophy, Vedanta, which is implied in many later works on yoga. It is expressed in the "great sentences" of the Upanishads, of which the best known is: "Tatt vam Asi", which means, "That thou art"; in other words, everything is Brahman. This truth is realized through meditation, study and devotion ... through the discipline of yoga. The Katha Upanishad says: "When the five senses and the mind are still, and reason it rests in silence, and then begins the Path Supreme. This calm steadiness of the senses is called Yoga". Here is yoga described as a technique for achieving a higher state of awareness. In Hindu Veda means wisdom and the Vedas and Upanishads are considered in Hindu philosophy as divine revelations, truths revealed to the Rishis or ancient Seers. They are the roots of the philosophy within whose framework yoga developed, and they give us a glimpse of early yoga technique.
The Bhagavad-Gita
In the sixth century BCE perhaps the greatest and best known work on yoga was written, the Bhagavad-Gita. This is one poem in a lengthy epic called the Mahabharata and it consists of a discourse by the god Krishna to the warrior Arjuna on the philosophy and practice of yoga. The Bhagavad-Gita describes several paths of yoga, the yoga of action, of devotion and of knowledge. It also describes the qualities of the ideal yogi, path he takes. The work is characterized by it emphasis on achieving liberation through active life. It offers spiritual teaching to everyone, not only those who renounce the world for a contemplative life. Though it is set in the Hindu philosophy, the way of life, or yoga, that it advocates could be followed, to their greater happiness, by people of any race, or conviction.
Yoga is not a Religion
The tradition of yoga from very early times has been one of personal instruction from teacher to student. Because yoga is a technique of self-development which demands no dogmatic belief, only a faith in your own potential, it has often been regarded with suspicion by the dogmatists of religion and society.
Yoga in the West
The yoga that is becoming increasingly relevant to our way of life is that of relaxation and meditation. The two can no more be separated than can the body from the mind, and it is the application of yoga as a psychotherapeutic technique which is now helping people to keep sane and healthy in the modern world. The yoga postures not only keep the body supple and healthy but they directly affect the mind and emotions. For it is believed that every part of the body has psychological activity is expressed by the attitudes and moods of the body. For example, a mentally downtrodden attitude may be expressed as a stooping posture with hunched shoulders. Adjusting the posture to an upright, relaxed open one influences the psychological attitude.
Hindu philosophers have never recognized a qualitative difference between mind and body. Both are composed of the same elements of matter or energy, the mind being a more refined form of matter. Western science now acknowledges that there is no clear demarcation between the two. Bodily posture, breathing and sense impressions are controlled by the mind and in turn affect the mind. BKS Iyengar, in his book, Light on Yoga, says: "Hatha and Raja yoga complement each other and form a single approach towards Liberation".
Yoga and Physics
Modern physics is discovering that matter is not as solid and permanent as once assumed. There is proportionately as much space inside the atom as there is in the universe. Moreover, the "particles" in atoms are not themselves solid, but consist of waves of electromagnetic action. Matter is a form of energy, an idea which was commonplace to Indian philosophers more than two thousand years ago.
Fundamental to the Samkhya philosophy is the idea that matter can be neither created nor destroyed. Organic and inorganic forms are produced by constant rearrangement of basic elements. All things on earth are united by their basic similarity in structure and function. Just as there is no clear demarcation between inorganic and organic matter, so it is impossible to distinguish absolutely between body and mind.
The Physiology of Yoga
Medical research has confirmed the beneficial effects of yoga postures on the body. Spine and joints are kept flexible. The whole metabolism is stimulated and the body's healing powers improve. The stretching and compressing which take place in yoga exercises, and the alteration of the body's orientation and center of gravity (for example, shoulder stand) have been shown to generate growth, maintenance and strengthening of connective tissue, helps the passage of nutrients through the cell walls and accelerate healing and the production of white cells and antibodies.
Laboratory tests have demonstrated the ability of yogis to control voluntarily the autonomic or involuntary functions of the body, such as pulse, blood pressure and activity of internal organs and glands.
Yoga and Psychology
Since Jung wrote a psychological commentary on an ancient Chinese text in 1929 there has been increasing interest in the comparison between Western psychotherapy and Eastern philosophy. There are similarities between psychoanalysis and the earlier stages of yoga practice. Both aim to integrate the human being by harmonizing his separate functions and bringing him into harmony with the world around him. The disturbed person often suffers from alienation, a heightened sense of his individual separateness. Yoga emphasizes the relationship between the individual and the rest of society and the universe (hence, his sense of value as an essential part of the scheme). Both yoga and psychoanalysis work on the principle of self-knowledge or an understanding of the way in which the mind works, through experience. Both see compulsive and automatic (or conditioned) behavior as negative and destructive and try to free the self from the tensions which cause it.
Yoga Today and it's Benefits
It has been said that yoga makes you a better exponent of whatever lifestyle; for yoga relaxes the hold on conditioned habits and ways of thinking which limit a view of the world and your own potential. Yoga is a practice which develops the potential that is in every human being.
Most people who take up yoga in the West today probably do so not to achieve spiritual enlightenment but to learn to relax. The yoga postures are a marvelous method of physical exercise and relaxation.
The rush hour ... this kind of living can create tension which becomes a permanent habit. Yoga helps to break the habit, and other forms of conditioned reflex.
Yoga is an antidote to the "rat-race", for it is essentially non-competitive. Each person knows their own achievements in relation to their own abilities and need not judge their work by external standards. In yoga there can be no failure as long as there is trying.
There are many concrete physical benefits of yoga that are felt as soon as one begins regular practice. Yoga keeps one healthy, since it helps respiration, digestion, elimination and circulation. It keeps the body supple, stretches the spine and strengthens the muscles. Minor ailments and psychosomatic symptoms often disappear. All this creates a general feeling of well-being, a physical lightness and buoyancy, and a feeling of being at one with everything. You usually become more aware of your surroundings since yoga stimulates the entire organism, making one feel more "alive". Whatever your problem, whether it is over-eating, smoking, or any other form of compulsive behavior, yoga can help by restoring the balance between the natural functions of the body and those of the mind. With regular practice, you become in tune with yourself and may find yourself adjusting habits such as diet, clothing and fixed routine; and cutting down on the props of life, from smoking, drinking, and over-eating etc. Yoga is harmony.
Clothing for Yoga
Clothes should be completely unrestricting. Feet should be bare, so that they have freedom of movement and make firm contact with the yoga mat (which is supplied).
Yoga Postures
The yoga postures or asana differ from other forms of exercise in many ways. They consist in moving into a position and holing it for a short length of time. They are synchronized with the breath and they work every part of your body, from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. Not only do they work the muscles and joints, but also the internal organs, glands, circulation and respiration systems. They are designed to restore the body to its original flexibility, allowing full range of movement. They are suitable for people of any age and almost any state of health. Yu do not have to be able to do perfect postures; each posture is reached in stages, and most people can start at the first stage and gradually work towards their own goals. There is no competition in yoga; you work to extend your own limitations. An elderly or inflexible person may derive greater personal benefit from working in the early stages than a supple person who can sit in a lotus posture effortlessly.
The slow, rhythmical movements in yoga are important. Loosening up is achieved by working to the limit of your movement and holding it there, not by jerking into position. It is at the extremes of movement that the greatest weakness lies, and yoga strengthens the body at these points, contributing to an overall feeling of strength and well-being.
The systematic nature of yoga ensures that all sides (front, back, left, right, top, and bottom) are worked evenly. This leads to symmetrical posture and correct full breathing. Some postures when completed are relaxed positions, suitable for meditation, though it may take a while or more of practice to reach this relaxed stage. Other postures are dynamic, and some are surprisingly strenuous. It is important never to force the body and to be aware of your own limits, which should be extended gradually.
The Spine
Although the postures tone up the entire body, one of their chief features is the way in which they work the spine. The spine supports the body and the weight of the head. It also houses part of the central nervous system. A strong flexible back helps you to stay healthy. In yoga, all parts of the spine are stretched, bent forwards and back and twisted laterally.
Breathing with Yoga - Pranayama
Always breathe through the nose if possible when practicing the postures. Normally, a movement requiring effort is done on an exhalation, with a deep inhalation immediately before it. The most important thing is never to hold the breath. When in doubt about breathing ... breathe normally.
Prana means breath or life force, and Ayama means pause. Pranayama exercises consist of combinations of breathing techniques, including alternate nostril breathing and prolonged breath holding. With my beginners in yoga, they learn to improve their normal breathing before studying Pranayama. Many people do not use their lungs fully, so, their breathing is shallow and rapid. This means that the body tissues are deprived of oxygen, the lungs cannot get rid of all the waste matter produced during respiration, and even the kidneys and bowel work less efficiently, since in deep breathing the movement of the diaphragm stimulates them. The whole system becomes sluggish and the heart is under strain.
A Few Cautions
Unlike many other forms of exercise, you do not have to be very fit, strong, or supple to benefit from yoga, even though, regular practice should make you all of these things in time. Many people start yoga and are not used to physical exercise; so, if you are one of these, take it gently to begin with. As soon as the discomfort of an unaccustomed stretch becomes the pain of strain, STOP. Stop if there is undue strain in the face, ears, eye, or breathing. Anyone suffering from a specific problem such as an adverse heart condition or detached retina should consult their doctor or an experienced yoga teacher first. There are beneficial postures for almost every condition; however, some whish should be avoided.
Type of Yoga at the Negril Yoga Center
The Negril Yoga Center offers several styles of Hatha Yoga appropriate for all levels.
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