OHM sessions update

(thats Jon looking at me and my extreme clumsiness)

I took the 3-day Ashtanga yoga class the which was sponsored by the Rotaract Club of Munting Pag-asa Davao. They have a program called "Rotary Shares Life Program"which assists children with cancer admitted at the Davao Medical Center. En route to Mysore, India, Jon Cagas was in town to share with us his version of the practice. I count myself lucky to have shared the same floor with Jon, albeit very short.

For those who don’t know him yet, he implemented and taught the yoga program at the UP College of Human Kinetics some years ago which he relinquished in 2006 to teach at a private university in the Emirates. Last year, Jon enriched his training with a 200-hour intensive in the Centered Yoga Institute in Thailand under Paul Dallaghan and Neil Barker plus a 100-hour advanced course on hatha yoga and pranayama with Sri O.P. Tiwari. In August, he will begin practice at the pre-eminent Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute (AYRI) which was established by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois who has put Mysore on the world map. Tim Miller, David Swenson and John Scott are some of the high-profile products of AYRI. Before the end of the year Jon, along with Tesa Celdran of Pulse Yoga, will join the ranks of Bela Lipat who have trained directly under Pattabhi and will now most likely also learn from Sharath, grandson of Guruji and heir apparent. In the Mysore tradition he began Day 2 (first day was Sunday, July 14th) with a chant then started counting and calling out the poses in Sanskrit. He emphasized the relevance and relation of proper breathing, root locks and gaze to executing the asanas. We must experience tristana, he says, or the union of ujayi, the bandhas and dristi. He also patiently explained for us Suryas A and B making adjustments in the way we performed every single vinyasa in both Sun Salutations. In the past two days under his guidance, I have already deepened my practice beyond what I thought I could achieve. I fell in love with Ashtanga Yoga when I first tried it in 2004 and my practice is basically a mish-mash of my yoga gurus lessons in the past. Self practice at home is the nature of my asanas so I research and capture a photographic memory of what I learn in class and do them at home. We all received individualised instruction from Jon who gently coaxed us with smooth, swift adjustments eased us into the poses. What seemed daunting before now made perfect sense as he revealed the steps to get there. That, for me, separates a great teacher from a good one. Jon also has much more to impart than many other instructors. Having obtained a Masters degree in sports education from UP, he is well-versed on human anatomy and the key muscles of yoga. He is also a professional trainer certified by the American Council of Exercise (ACE). In short, Jon brings to the table a combination of Eastern philosophies and Western science which basically makes him well-equipped for Mysore. I have yet to experience more of my asanas and I so look forward to more classes with Jon when he gets back.

So for now, I practice with the energetic Fritz Freire at his home in Obrero, Davao City, while I do 2 sessions at home (early morning and early evening) of the Surya Namascar A and B (Jon and Fritz taught us) to strengthen my body. So far so good! I have been gradually losing the flab that has built up around my midsection (too much starchy food :)and am getting stronger in my practice as the days go on. I'm also practicing my breathing while (trying very hard) to meditate and rid my thoughts of the clutter and stress. The "monkey", as what the gurus call it. The masters said that beyond the monkey.. is peace. And in this brief moment of peace.. God whispers.

It's a work in progress but I will get to hear Him whisper. I will.