Gitananda Yoga with Dr Nalini in Berlin-A report

[Guest guest]

Basking in Berlin’s sun, listening to the birds, chanting and bathing in Yogacharini Vijaya’s garden surrounded by blossoming flowers and fruit trees it is easy to remember the small but great events of the Gitananda Yoga Family in Berlin during the last ten days. Small, because we were small in numbers ( between 6 and 15 according to the different events), great, because we all had a great time together: Listening and learning from each other, enjoying each other, laughing and eating together, just as we do in the Mother Ashram in Pondicherry with very different people coming to share their time and energy in the attempt to understand themselves and others better in Yoga. Some felt challenged in this attempt, while others were exhilarated to delve deeper into already known inner knowledge. Most of the Berlin yoga Family were there some other were sadly missing. Nevertheless there was a great feeling of unity in diversity when coming together again yesterday afternoon in Vijaya’s small city garden to share 5 self-made cakes, coffee, salat and chickpeas, sitting under huge umbrellas, thought to protect us from the sun but mostly protecting us from rainy thunderstorms that could not interrupt the lively impressions and conversations that had been created inspired by the lectures and seminars we were able to enjoy in our mutual conspiracy of being united through Yoga, a true Yoga or Unity as exposed and taught in Ananda Ashram in Pondicherry.

During the first seminar about Yoga Chikitsa we remembered together that there is no healing without relaxation and deep conscious breathing, and that there is no way to calm down the mind without these two prerequisites.

An insight into the Vedic Vision of Man helped to understand why and the repetition of different series of jattis, Asanas, Kriyas and Relaxation techniques during this 8 hour seminar made it clear in a practical manner how to come to the point were body, emotions and mind can heal themselves in a joyful flow of life.

Two days later Vijaya opened her door to all her friends and whoever wanted to join us to know more about Ashram Living in India. We had some unexpected fine and noble guests together with some old Gitananda Sadhaks like Gabriele Heinemann who took this opportunity to reconnect with the Ashram and renew her vision about the life and teachings there. A colorful Power Point Presentation, that we plan to perfect for next year’s events was extremely useful to reflect the beauty of the dynamic and intense Ashram life in India.

Next day there was a special class related to Spinal Health for two hours, that thrilled even “experts†how the most simple movements with deep breathing were very effective in releasing stress and strain in the spine, while strengthening abdominal and spinal muscles to avoid further damage. The greatness of simplicity and effectiveness of simplicity was widely appreciated with some surprise.

Last not least a full week-end seminar on Teaching Methods in Pranayama for a few dedicated students that had attended all of the previous sessions too. After revising the very foundations of Pranayama according to Samiji with Vibhagea Pranayama, Hathenas and Pranava Pranayama we made our way through thorough preparations for demanding classical Pranayamas like the Surya Bhedana Pranayama giving an awe-inspiring attitude to Swamiji’s teaching to those who had learned or had been teaching this Pranyama according to other sources of Yoga Teaching. We concluded with the Mandala Pranayama that inspired several to definitively work with the Samyama Correspondence Course they wanted to undertake months or years ago on one side while giving another fabulous insight into the greatness and simplicity of the Gitananda Tradition on the other side.

There was a great feeling of ease and satisfaction in everybody’s heart to the point that plans have been made for a longer retreat in Ibiza for next year and several of the participants are seriously contemplating studies in the Mother Ashram in the near future.