Indira Devi
Studio of Yoga As published
in the 'MOSAIC' - June/07
I am opening the Indira Devi Studio of Yoga on the main street of Hanover. My goal is to create a space where people can come and rest and recharge their spirits. A place where the universe sets aside your yoga class time, for you to go into that safe place inside and allow yourself to be taken care of.
I literally fell into yoga when I was sixteen, by breaking my pelvis and five bones in my back. The prognosis was that I would never walk normally again, be able to sit or stand for long periods of time, etc. My movement was limited and I was in a lot of discomfort doing simple things. I gained weight at a time when this was so not cool for a girl, and became depressed. I took up yoga because I was concerned with my looks and it was one of the few forms of exercise available to me with my physical limitations.
My yoga teacher gave me some information on the Kripalu yoga ashram in the States. I felt like this information was written especially for me. I went there on a "sava" (work) exchange, and I fell in love with the whole lifestyle. I not only regained physical movement, strength and stamina, I became hooked. I took my first teacher's training in 1981. Over the years I have done two trainings in India with Swami Nitya Muktananda of the Sivananda lineage. I've been practicing and teaching yoga (in London, Ontario) now for over 25 years.
Yoga is a science; where everything that yoga says it can do for you can be empirically proven. It has been misrepresented as a religion because of its spiritual connotations. There are cave paintings in the Himalayas depicting persons in yoga postures since before 1300 BC. Yoga was practiced by spiritual aspirants at the time to cleanse and purify the temple (body). The belief was that God would not live in an unclean temple.
I didn't start doing yoga for any spiritual reasons, but I don't think that anyone can practice it for long without it having a positive spiritual affect.
We are very amazing creations; we are actually beings of light energy. There are many documented "roadmaps of the energy pathways (nadis)", circulating through us. Many of us are familiar with the chakras (energy centres) and auras. Yoga exercises (postures) work at levels much deeper than just our physical body; balancing the flow of the energy through the nadis and removing blocks that might be restricting this flow. These energy blocks often correspond to physical limitation as well.
Yoga is non-competitive and can be done with little or much exertion depending on what you want it to do for you. I make it fun and I make it easy.
I visualized this studio a long time ago, to be a place for all who enter to come home to themselves. The studio is huge. When people do yoga in groups, the energy field (aura) is magnified. There is lots of room for aura around you at the end of the class when you are in relaxation or meditation. It's very healing. I'd like to say that it's magical, but it can all be scientifically explained.
Candles and esoteric music will add to the atmosphere to help keep the mind with us. Incense is traditionally burned to purify the air from released toxins.
I am hoping that some kindred spirits will come and join me in working out of this space. My wish list includes a certified pilates instructor, more yoga teachers, a tai chi instructor, a meditation leader and have a room for a massage or similar practitioner.
I started doing yoga for my body, but now I do it for my head. At least that's the motivation factor. My back still "talks" to me, but the more yoga I do, makes me a more comfortable place to live. Yoga makes you feel better and that makes everything better.
Jai Bhagwan (I bow to the Devine within you).
Indira Devi (Ellen Ogg-McLean)