Being a lover of both dance classes and high heal shoes my body is often thrown out of balance.  I mainly suffer from Piriformis Syndrome which is an ongoing battle for me.  I don’t intend on giving up either high healed shoes or dance so yoga comes to my aid, yet again .  These 3 simple postures will help relieve any pain or pinching you are feeling deep in the buttock and pain that may extend from there down the leg.  It will only take a few minutes to do both sides.  I promise you will feel relief. Regardless of pain this is a great sequence to keep the glutes and i.t ban flexible.

If you have one side tighter than the other, hold that side for twice as many breaths as the more open side, until you feel the body is moving to balance. Then you can hold for even breaths on both side.

Enjoy, relieve your pain, be  happy!

Sinead.

Move info about Piriformis Syndrome:

Piriformis syndrome is a neuromuscular disorder that occurs when the sciatic nerve is compressed or otherwise irritated by the piriformis musclecausing pain, tingling and numbness in the buttocks and along the path of the sciatic nerve descending down the lower thigh and into the leg.

The sciatic nerve may then piercee the piriformis muscle, split the piriformis muscle, or both, predisposing  individuals to piriformis syndrome.

Surya Namasakar is one of the most important sections of the yoga class. The sequence of postures combines breath and movement while alternating between stretching the spine forwards and backwards. It warms up the body and sets the pace for a vinyasa yoga practice.

There are many interpretations of the Sun Salutation. This is a mix of a few I have learned down through the years. For the first round, the body flows continuously from pose to pose. In the following rounds hold Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog) for 5 breaths while drawing the shins and lower arms towards each other (energetically), lengthening from the hips through the spine and limb and focus on deepening uddiyana and mula bandha (core centre muscles & energy locks). I normally do 3 fulls set of Surya Namasakar. The video clip is one complete set.

I also guide a more advanced version of Surya Namasakar, taught in Level 2 classes.

Practicing a few Sun Salutations alone at home, between getting to yoga classes,is enough to keep your body strong, flexible and energised.

Enjoy!

Peace, love, happiness
Sinead.

The playlist includes:
• Apres Un Reve
• Perfume: From the Story Perfume
• Meditation: From Thais
• Lascia Ch’io Pianga
• Claire De Lune
• Casta Diva: Norma Act 1
• Mahler Symphony No. 5
• Vide Cor Meum

Post Yoga Mellow Moments is an operatic and classical music playlist.  One of my favourites on the list is Meditation from the opera Thais.  Not only is it a beautiful piece of music the story is very familiar;  Athanaël, a Cenobite monk, confronts Thaïs, a beautiful and hedonistic courtesan and devotée of Venus and attempts to convince her to leave her life of luxury and pleasure and find salvation through God. It is during a time of reflection following the encounter that the Méditation is played by the orchestra.  Following the Méditation, Thaïs tells Athanaël that she will follow him to the desert.

This playlist is dedicated all Yogi’s out there who are torn between the temporary excitement experienced through worldly pleasures, and the everlasting inner peace, contentment and freedom that is found in the spiritual world.

Enjoy.  Be happy, be peaceful, Be Free.

Sinead.

Hello Yoga Friends,

This is a sequence I love doing to music, especially at this time of year. You can mix up the sequence and add your own music. Play around, have fun with it. Come to class, we’ll be doing more of this in the coming weeks.

You could copy and paste this sequence, then print and lay it beside your yoga mat so you know what’s coming next. Watch it a few times first so you have an idea of the transitions.

1. Ardha Mukha Savasana – Downward Dog
2. Plank Pose
3. Chataranga – Push up pose
4. Bhujangasana – Cobra
5. High Lunge Pose – Right Leg
6. Trikonasana – Triangle Pose
7. Dancing Warrior – A Warrrior ii Variation
8 Ardha Mukha Savasana – Downward Dob.
…..
Repeat Sequence Changing sides. i.e. Step left leg forward for high lunge.
……
Add Vashistasana both sides at the end.

Shanti, Shanti,

Enjoy!

Sinead.

When doing a flowing yoga sequence, called Vinyasa Yoga, it is important to combine breath and movement. The movement always follows the breath. I like to describe breath in a yoga practice as a dancers music. You wait for the very beginning of the breath, your movement happens a mili-second after, barely noticing the space between the initial breath and the following flow of the body.

Practice, enjoy, use it on the yoga mat

Peace,
Sinead.

This weeks video blog focuses on Ujjayi Pranayma (breathing) for beginners.

Ujjayi breath is used continuously throughout a flowing yoga practice. This breath enables the practitioner to maintain a steady inhalation and exhalation. Practicing this technique one takes in enough oxygen. The breath also helps to build energy to maintain a strong flowing practice, while clearing toxins out of the bodily system. This breath is especially important during transition into and out of asana (poses) as it helps practitioners to stay present, self-aware and grounded in the practice. This lends itself to a meditative quality.

It would really benefit beginners to practice this breathing technique between classes to get the most out of the asana(posture) practice.

Enjoy!

P.s the sound is a bit off in this video clip. I can’t figure out why. Sorry for inconvenience. It will be back to normal next week

Warming up the body is most important. In this video clip I guide you through one of the warm ups I use. You could do it before starting Sun Salutations or before you go into deeper yoga postures. If you are struggling to start a home yoga practice this warm up could help you along the way. Even repeating this sequence a few times every day for the next week would, on its own, be a great start.

I hope you enjoy it and find the mini video beneficial.

Om Shanti,

Sinead.

This is my weekly video blog. I’ll be back next week with more yoga, meditation and general well-being tips.  I hope you enjoy it.

Peace and love,

Sinead.

My first experience on Vipassana was very insightful. I loved that I was brave enough to sit in silence for 10 days. That alone was a feat in itself along with being awed by the technique and the deep realisation/understanding of True Self over the ego mind which likes to think it’s the true self. One observes mind and matter, the rising and falling of everything in nature and how everything is in a constant flux of change.

I was curious to know what would happen if I sat a second course. I also have to admit my meditation practice had deteriorated and I could see myself slipping back into old habit patterns of the mind including stress, fear and pointless reaction to unwanted experiences. It was time to sit in silence once again, to reset my mind and soul.

My recent experience on Vipassana was completely different. Now I realise the first course had merely blown the dust off the surface of my true being. I could feel a huge difference. The technique penetrated at a deep level leading to profound awareness of how beneficial the practice is. I could now measure against the changes I felt since the first course.

While on Vipassana I experienced moments of pure joy when a smile would spontaneously spread across my face and stay there for hours. I had moments of pure boredom, frustration and desperation to get back to normal life. I spent a couple of days crying. Uncontrollable tears poured down my face. I became fully aware of stored sorrow and pain that was only now coming to the surface and passing away. It was a powerful release. For a few days on the course I felt the most peaceful I’ve ever felt. A wave of calm poured over my body and mind. I was in a state of utmost tranquility. It was a wonderful moment. However the practice of Vipassana teaches that everything is constantly changing. Therefore I knew my inner state of bliss was going to change so I practiced accepting and enjoying it, without holding or attaching on to it. How I felt throughout the course did change again and again and again . Although there was a constant state of inner clam that enveloped every uncomfortable thought, sensation, moment. This is Vipassana.

Vipassana is the practice of keeping the mind balanced or equanimous, (as our teacher Goenka likes to say). Through continued effort one learns to master the mind so it remains equal to sensations in the body or to thoughts whether they are pleasant or unpleasant. One experiences through observation of the physical body that every action, every thought, every feeling rises and passes away.. Every moment rises and passes away. Every person rises and passes away. The universe is rising and will eventually pass away. This is the observation that one immerses into over ten days.

To understand this on a physical and emotional level brings new light to the spiritual practice of non-attachment. Why attach to anything if nothing lasts? That is not to say that we shouldn’t enjoy life, relationships, wealth and abundance of all kinds. It’s the level of un-attachment that is important. (I will get more into this topic in my next blog).

The Dhamma Organisation recommends sitting* for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening. Until now I didn’t understand why it has to be an hour, surely a half hour is enough for a daily practice. With experience I now know it takes an hour to reach the deeper layers of body and mind through this technique. The first twenty minutes is only a warm up comparable to the sun salute on the yoga mat. Since back from Vipassana I have been sitting for an hour in the morning and sometimes a half hour in the evening. It’s enough for me to work with for now, a huge achievement in comparison to the half hour I used to sit a few days a week. To be honest I’ll see how long it lasts. I often start out new practices with great intentions that can often fall away. Although this time I am aware it is different. I notice a shift. The early morning meditation is most precious to me. If I don’t get around to it, which I haven’t once or twice, I miss the calm, peaceful, centred lead into the day. It’s worthwhile getting out of bed an hour earlier even if that means a 6.30 rise.

Its funny how people look at me sideways when I tell them about sitting in silence for 10 days. A look of half admiration, half concern that I have reached a state of madness. I wont pretend it’s easy… It’s not. Every moment is challenging, every moment is rewarding. It is the climbing Mount Everest Version of meditation. Really though, in a lifetime ten days is a very short time. The practice of Vipassana offers invaluable levels of awareness, peace and freedom. This is the art of living taught by the Enlightened One, The Bhuddha. Think about it.

Be Happy, Be Peaceful, Be Free.

Sinead.

* To Sit is the modern term used for a meditation practice.

I first heard about Vipassana 8 years ago when a friend of mine was about to embark on a meditation retreat. After he explained to me that this was a ten day silent meditation retreat my reaction was not a hope would you catch me on that. The thought of sitting with only my thoughts for 10 whole days made me feel anxious to say the least. I was scared of my own mind. However it did plant a seed in my head as I thought someday I would be ready for a Vipassana retreat. Eight years on I was ready for the very Om-bitious challenge.

Days before I was about to embark on the retreat I began to refer to it jokingly as Spiritual Gaol. I met a friend who frequently goes on Vipassana retreats and joked with her about going to gaol for new years and her response was, yes it is kind of like that. Needless to say that was not what I wanted to hear! I was nervous as I knew it was going to be more then challenging if she was still saying that after her 5th ten day Vipassana retreat. However the excitement of what I was going to experience took over from the nerves.

On the retreat the day started at 4.30am and ended at 9.30 p.m with 12 hours of meditation practice a day. Some of these hours were supervised meditation and others you did the meditation practice on your own either in the meditation hall or in your room. I suppose it’s up to you how much you meditate in the unsupervised hours. The first two days I took a sneaky nap or two but after listening to the evening discourse taught by Goenka I decided I might as well practice the technique seriously. After all there was no point in admitting myself to spiritual gaol if I didn’t give it 100%. According to Goenka one needs the 10 days of serious practice for the technique to really begin working.

For the first three days the focus is a meditation technique called Anapana. Anapana is practiced to calm the body and mind in preparation for Vipassana. Without this lead in practice it would be impossible to focus on Vipassana. The Vipassana technique began on the fourth day. I can’t explain to you the exact technique as it needs to be taught to you by a trained Vipassana teacher but I can tell you what it’s all about.

Firstly Vipassana is the meditation technique that Gautama Buddha practiced to reach enlightenment in its most authentic form. Like Christianity Buddhism is not what the Buddha himself practiced but a variation of his teachings. The meaning of Buddha is enlightened one. There were many Buddha’s before Gautama and have been many since. Buddha did not create Buddhism as Jesus didn’t create Christianity. As far as I can tell they both wanted us to be them not to worship them. Vipassana is the road to being Buddha.

While on Vipassana you have to take vows including silence and not to practice any other prayers, mantras, rituals even Reiki is not allowed. The reason for this is they want you to experience Vipasana in its most authentic form without any other outside influence. You are allowed to talk to the teacher if you have a question or difficulty related to the technique and you can talk to management if you have an issue with accommodation, illness, food or general logistics.

As I love to practice mantra I was curious as to why I couldn’t while learning Vipassana so I quizzed the teacher about this one day. I expected to hear that they don’t believe in mantra but it’s quite the opposite. The teacher told me that mantras are very powerful and they put a shield or layer over you. What Vipassana is doing is stripping away all layers to get you to your core. There is no point according to her to do both Vipassana and mantra as they counteract the effects of each other. One is stripping down while the other at the same time would be building another layer.

Vipassana is core meditation. It’s not dressed up in any fancy philosophy or spirituality. You don’t have to be spiritual or believe in anything to experience this practice although it would help to have the spiritual understanding that we are all living in the mode of Samskara (Pali* term for pain and suffering) and stuck on the cycle of birth and rebirth which causes more pain and more suffering.

It’s a wonderful technique for the person with the logical mind or even a suspicious mind as the essence of the technique is simply experiential and makes logical sense. Do it and experience it for yourself. The meditation technique is very physical. It has to do with feeling sensations in your body. As you practice this meditation one becomes aware of “Anicca” (the Pali* term for impermanence). Because of Anicca one has to remain equanimous (evenness of mind) to all that is happening in your body as you meditate. You do not judge what is happening as the law of Anicca is the law of impermanence. As nothing is permanent you begin to understand the fickleness of life and all we attach ourselves to. The practice of Vipassana is the road to nonattachment to all worldly mater even our own body mater.

While the essence of the practice is quite simple one has to be careful that they are getting it right. When practicing Vipassana we experience moments of ease and moments of unease. As the technique is delivering us from cravings and aversions one has to be careful that they are not creating more cravings and aversions while doing the technique. This is where one has to be very careful of the mind and watch the mind. While being aware of what’s going on in the body or mind one has to remain equanimous to this and not judging, not wanting the sensations to last or go away. It doesn’t matter if the mind is off daydreaming about nonsense as long as one is still practicing the technique and not creating cravings and aversions.

The first day was by far the most difficult for me. I found the situation quite depressing as it did remind me of a concentration camp or gaol. The women are split from the men for the entire 10 days. There was no heating in the building on the first day and being the coldest winter I couldn’t put enough clothes on me to keep me warm. We queued in silence for food that was served in massive saucepans. The dining room was dim and dull. Every moment of that day I considered leaving but I knew that if I left I might not ever give it another go. I had got myself there and was determined to stay. I kept singing in my mind The Doors “Break on Through to The Other Side” to encourage me and I did break through to the other side. The other side was when I stopped considering leaving and found ease within what I was doing. It was constant hard work and never easy but I did find moments of ease and I felt more uplifted at the fact that I was there doing it.

Sitting in meditation for hours a day was both taxing on the body and on the mind. After years of yoga practice and 9 alone of teaching behind me I thought I had build up some credits and would be able to sit in comfort as I meditated. My upper back ached most of the time and my left leg was in a lot of pain most of the time. I think I was lucky in the sense that the pain I experienced was in the same area. I did experience Anicca (impermanence) with the pain as sometimes is subsided and more so toward the end of the ten days.

As you have nothing to distract you from your thoughts, no books, no t.v., no conversation one becomes really aware of what’s going on in the mind. You realize the thinking mind, which I refer to as the ego mind, is full of nonsense. Not only that but it is constantly jumping around. The monkey mind is one moment thinking about breakfast, the next a conversation that happened a year ago, the next where you are going on holidays. It jumps around thinking about one thing and then another while rarely being in the present moment. Sometimes it attaches itself to something you’re not happy with and goes on and on and on until you are so fed up of listening to it.

I found myself one day being really frustrated with my mind and really wanting it to simply shut up. So off I went to the teacher again. She told me to try to think of the constant thoughts as the rain outside the window but it is not who I am. So I went away thinking about that. Later on that evening when my mind was still going and going I had a moment of realization. This realization alone made the entire ten days worthwhile for me. I was, for the first time, able to detach myself from my thoughts. I had connected to my inner awareness, my true self. While I had known this from reading and studying yoga philosophy I had never experienced the awareness of it to that level. I realized the constant thinking is the mind simply doing what it needs to do so I should therefore just let it at it instead of trying to fight it. I realized and fully experienced the awareness behind thought. I experienced that this awareness behind the thought is actually who I am which ultimately is what spiritual authors and leaders are trying to get us to understand. As Ekhart Tolle explains in his book A New Earth that Decartes famous quote “ I think so therefore I am” no longer has any value. If one is aware of thinking then you are not what you think you are the awareness behind what you think.

I suddenly understood all the different layers to my mind and hence the layers of whom I am. I realized three layers alone of my conscious mind. Firstly The thinking ego mind, secondly the mind that is still able to focus on the meditation technique as the ego mind goes on and on and thirdly the awareness that lies underneath all of that. The ego mind had become much weaker to the awareness mind. It also made me wonder that if I am experiencing three layers of my conscious mind how many layers of my subconscious mind exist and what do I hold in these layers.

Often people think that meditating is about stopping the mind from thinking when in actual fact meditating is about experiencing all that is happening at that time. The thinking mind is always going to be there because that is what is does, it thinks. With the practice of meditation one becomes more aware of what one is thinking and how one is thinking. The part of the ego mind that wants to sabotage your life with drama’s, cravings and aversions becomes quiet but only because you learn not to feed it. The less you feed it the less it has to live on. The rain of thought outside the window moves further away while the subtle awareness becomes your inner sound. You get to know your true self.

Vipassana is probably the hardest thing I have ever done yet very doable. I’ve been referring to it as the climbing Mount Everest version of meditation. While reaching the top of the ten days is incredibly rewarding it’s the lessons on the journey that are the most valuable. It is the best thing that anyone can do for themselves. It’s a lesson on mind, matter and meditation. You do the practice and you experience it on a physical, mental and emotional level. You leave the benefits up to Dhamma. Dhamma is the law of nature that leads us to liberation. We begin to trust in that law of nature and move in flow with life instead of fighting against it. We move out of our pain and suffering caused by cravings and aversion. We become present and find true happiness and knowledge of the Truth.

I highly recommend learning this technique and hope that this article has encouraged a few to embark on the journey. Or maybe it has planted a seed in your mind as it did for me eight years ago. It may not be right for you now but you know some day you’ll be ready for the challenge and ready to get to know your true self.

Bhavatu Saba Mangalam

May all beings be happy, may all beings be peaceful, may all beings be free.

Vipassan Worldwide, visit www.Dhamma.org

Vipassana Ireland e.mail: info@ie.dhamma.org

* Pali is a forgotten language that was spoken by Gautama Buddha. It is similar to Sanskrit in sound and when written.