The River of Yoga: By Nina Murrell-Kisner
With photographs of
Dr. Lakshyan and Marilena Kali Schanzer by Camila Reitz
There is something which courses within, which when accessed, brings life to the body and thus the asana. It is possible to understand this something as a river, and the techniques of asana as boulders along the riverbed, which seem to influence the course of the river.
It may seem that the boulders form the river, but the river has been powerful enough to place those boulders. What we are looking for is to hop in that river, as it courses through the boulders…
To do this, imagination may be enlisted… to not just
‘know’ the form of the asana, but to imaginatively feel the form of the asana as it radiates, pulses, breathes. It is in our feeling, that we come in contact with that river… and it is important that the asana does not become stiff, that it doesn’t think itself to be the boulders… but rather, that the asana courses, eddies as the river eddies, moving beyond the boulders, or perhaps even moving the boulders.
Also, it may be felt that the body is the riverbed through which the river courses and that the body, while it seems set and directive of the river, is actually being eroded and reformed by that river, a constant, ongoing exchange between spirit and form… a divine union.
This union reveals the deepest meanings of yoga, and it is the wonder of this union which inspires my practice, and my sharing of this practice with you.
May our practice be heartfelt and deeply nourishing.
May we all experience the unifying qualities of yoga.
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Nina Murrell-Kisner practices and teaches yoga in Ashville, North Carolina. She also works and teaches in architectural design. Website at http://www.byregion.net/profiles/yogawithnina.html
Lakshyan and Marilena Schanzer…
You can read Lakshyan’s article on Nisargadatta Maharaj
Lakshyan Schanzer can be reached at: http://www.bodymindri.com, or lakshyan@bodymindri.com, or at: BodyMind Therapies and
The Garden City Yoga Studio, 1215 Reservoir Avenue, Garden City, Cranston, RI 02920 (401) 275-2233.
Camila Reitz runs a large yoga school in Brasil.
Her website link is yogashala.com.br/.
Camila’s email is:
Luthar.com 