Mindful Yoga with Taravajra
(Yoga and meditation retreat in France
- August 2008: Due to
unforseen difficulties, the venue is no longer available for this retreat.)
Taravajra's
first interest in body/mind disciplines led him to explore tai chi, karate,
massage, Alexander Technique and aikido.
He learned to meditate in 1983 and since 1994 has been teaching others to meditate. He practised yoga (mainly with Buddhist friends who were Iyengar teachers) and when he came to live in Brighton, he studied under Ginny Dean and then Peter Blackaby. Peter originally trained in the Iyengar system, then became an osteopath and revised his approach to asana work to ensure safety and coherence. When Taravajra started going to his yoga classes he was struck by the mindful atmosphere. He was reminded of both meditation and Alexander technique. He was also very drawn to the emphasis on body mechanics - the poses were a means to efficient functioning of the body.
Taravajra then completed a three year British Wheel of Yoga teachers diploma course. This was run by Pete and Ulla Allanson. Pete was strongly influenced by Mary Stewart, a senior Iyengar teacher who later worked with Vanda Scaravelli, though Taravajra does not consider himself a Scaravelli style teacher
Taravajra practises yoga within a Buddhist context of mindfulness, rather than the Hindu texts which he studied on the BWY course. He likes to help people become more 'present' and to calm the nervous system. This means his classes have more in common with meditating than, say, Astanga or Bhikram which are more aerobic. He does, however, see the value of a workout. He practises aikido regularly and this is very active. He teaches meditation and yoga because he sees the value of helping people find a greater degree of calm in a hectic world.
With other colleagues, Taravajra also organises residential breaks for carers in Brighton and Hove and the London Borough of Brent. There is also a fortnightly relaxation drop in class for carers, funded by Brighton and Hove Council. This takes place at the Brighton Buddhist Centre. For more details please visit Carers Breaks.