Philosophy

The Loving, Compassionate and Non-Critical Learning Environment.

ImageYour teachers know the journey of life is hard. All have personal experience of transformation using yoga. There are no theorists in our midst!!

We do not have a vision of ourselves as perfect. We all work on our own life journey using the wonderful tools of yoga. All of us involved in teaching are active in our own teaching classes; none of has retired , none of has felt that we have learned all there is to learn—for all of us learning is joyful and we bring this to teaching those who attend  the courses.

Respect and Reverence for the Ancient Knowledge

We all live in houses which have TV,s . We all use mobile phones and laptops. Not one of us wears beads and sandals  nor lives in a cave We are all active in the world; active with families to support, children to see to school. None of us has chosen a path of seclusion –we are not ego polishers. We are honestly and joyfully passing on this fantastic body of knowledge called yoga, deeply respecting what has gone before to enable us to know what we know –we revere the ancient knowledge and are deeply grateful for this blessing. But it does not blind us to  what adaptations are possible in those circumstances warranting change. We modify  postures to make them appropriate for each individual where it is valuable to do so. We discourage dogma in any form. We promote flexibility –obviously in the physical sense—but especially mental flexibility because we understand the human tendency for certainty and rigidity. Classes and course teachings are carried out in the same spirit of exploration of life. In one of the Sutras of Patanjali, there is reference to placing well dried cow manure on your yoga room floor--personally we prefer to use a modern tacky mat!!!. We say this in a jocular way to empahise that we are modern people and take much of the best of ancient wisdom but adapt it to suit todays circumstance!    

 HONOUR

  We honour our spirits, rejoice in our good fortune and guide those entering our realm as best we are able without forcing. We avoid PUSHING –but do a little bit of pulling now and then!!. We encourage and sometimes strongly persuade you to have a go when you have said you cannot do something—the joy of seeing someone do something that they declared impossible will never leave us!!  Because we have all used yoga to transform ourselves we know from within what people need.

 You may already have read in the web site , of our involvement with Calvary Zion Childrens Home, started by an amazing and charismatic Kenyan woman and her husband, When we visited in 2005 the children were very poor and the landlord took too much money in rent--things looked dire. We returned to UK and started raising money--now you can read what we and other helpers have done over this period--here is the latest news from another fund raiser who has just returned in June 2010

" Dear All
 
I would just like to give you an update. 
 
The first of the houses at the site of the new home is nearing completion, and this will be a 3 bed room house.  The home has received help from Bamburi Cement, a local company.  The land looks very green now and the crops are growing well so the project is continuing to progress forward thanks also to the ongoing work of Tanja and Reiner in Germany.
 
We now have 13 of the 35 children sponsored.  A Belgium group visited the home back in March and they are currently working hard to get reliable sponsors for the children.  Up until the children are sponsored The Trust is happy to met the costs of education.  Victoria, is the first child in our care to finish school and we have funded a computer course for her at the local college so she can gain skills for the workplace. 
 
We send out funds twice a year and on an ad hoc basis should any crisis arise, and fortunately that has only happened once.  This summer the home will receive £6,000 from us to pay for school fees until the end of the year, the rest of the money is used for daily needs and bill and to help with the building project.
 
We have had a couple of fundraisers here in Scotland  - Sandra one of our Trustees has raised over £1000 thanks to her green fingers and infinite patience.  She and her husband Peter held a very sucessful plant Sale/coffee morning in May.
 
We also had a second hand shop which unfortunately was not as successful as last year, but still raised around £650.
 
Future plans include selling greetings cards made by the children and reproduced here.  There is a volunteer going out in May for 2 weeks who will hopefully be helping with this.
 
I am also asking for any photographs you have of the children which you think would be suitable for a calender which we will make here and sell.  If you have some please send them on to us as we would like to see them.
 
I will keep you posted of progress and thanks again for your interest in our project."
Amazing what the power of positive action can do.!!
 

Witnessing and Teaching.

In our second year we established a witness and teacher programme. The second year group had  a teacher from the previous year who was keen to consider teaching the following year and was acquainting herself with how we do things by just being an observer. As it turned out , just observing  became a very valuable resource for the students who could more easily identify with someone who had just finished the training course!!. This has so far been a most successful idea which we encourage each year. From the witnesses have come the teachers!!.
This system of witnesses has continued in popularity--now we tend to ask the current witnesses to suggest those for whom witnessing in the subsequent year would be appropriate--this still is the sole source of new teachers. In this way there is no prospect of stagnation in the teaching. We believe it also ensures that there is no CLONING.

Equity

 We exercise fairness in all dealings, both within and outside the company. We offer flexibility in method of payment and bend a long way to help those struggling with money and time. What we ask is for a STRONG COMMITMENT—which is no more than we ourselves give to you. We do know that cars break down and sick children take precedence over essays!!—we also understand that to make a success of yoga teaching there has to be dedication. There has to be perseverance but that this should not force the individual to take actions which denigrate or endanger family or livelihood.

Please do consider the dates and the  commitment necessary  before applying and verify that you are able to undertake the course without seeing any major obstacles which could prevent your completion.

Enjoy whichever course you choose. Rejoice in the opportunity to be with others of like mind and to form a true “ family” of concerned souls, joining the group of World Servers.

Andy Thomas is now an Elder in the Independent Yoga Network-- a forum for the exploration of the subject.

 
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