An unforgettable day for us!

International Free Yoga Day on Saturday, March 14, was an unforgettable day for us. The day was a huge success on the Gold Coast. 2009 is the third year that the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga has participated in Free Yoga Day. It has grown from just our regular classes being offered for free to a full day of free yoga and meditation classes from 7am to 5pm.

We knew that the day was off to a great start when we had over 30 people arrive for our 7am Energy Yoga class. The weather was beautiful and sunny and people kept on rolling up with many new faces trying yoga for the first time and many regulars passionate about exploring their practice further. Highlights on the day include; 110 students participating in a mid morning ‘pick me up’ Energy Yoga class; over 150 yoga enthusiasts partnering up to learn how to give an Indian Head Massage; a tasty and sumptuous lunch and refreshments served throughout the day; inspirational and beautiful yoga chanting meditation that left everyone feeling like that had stepped under a clean mountain waterfall and the amazing teamwork of all the ASMY teachers and volunteers who made such a successful day possible. More than 200 people joined us on Saturday at the Albert Waterways Community Centre to celebrate all things yoga.

Free Yoga Day is an international event aimed at promoting the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of the time tested yoga tradition. Some feedback from students on the day included; “I wish that I could do this everyday”, “I feel great, so relaxed and peaceful”, “I am so glad that I made the time to come” and “There is no better way to spend a day”. If you missed out on Saturday be sure to mark March 14 in your diary for next year. We hope to make next year even bigger and better.

A big thank you to all the people who came, without your support the day wouldn’t have been such fun and a big thank you to all the helpers on the day, without you it would not have been possible! A special mention must be made to the amazing kitchen crew who served out over 180 plates of Indian Dahl, rice, salad and pappadams for lunch and over 400 baked items such as Pina Colada Muffins, Pumpkin Scones and Vanilla Cookies throughout the day.

We hope that you continue to enjoy and pursue your passion for yoga.

Namaste

Amara

National Free Yoga Day March 14 2009

The Australian School of Meditation & Yoga (ASMY) will again be participating in the National Free Yoga Day by having a whole day of free classes and workshops. The day was so successful in March 2008 that in 2009 we are holding the day at Albert Waterways Community Centre, a large community hall behind Pacific Fair. In the spirit of generosity and love, ASMY, along with many other participating yoga schools would like to promote the wonderful gift of yoga.

National Free Yoga Day gives the community an opportunity to enjoy some gentle stretching, breathing and relaxing, whilst accessing the many benefits of Yoga for the mind, body and soul. This is a chance for many in the community to try Yoga for the first time, for others to return to Yoga and for regular practitioners to try a different style of Yoga.

Find out what Australian School of Meditation and Yoga is doing for Free Yoga Day 2009.

We are looking forward to a great day and hope that you can make it!

Namaste,

Amara

Set yourself on the path to health and wellbeing

An increasing number of people want a lifestyle which will help them achieve overall well-being physically, mentally and spiritually. Because this is what yoga offers, people are naturally attracted to it and are interested in its practice and applying its principles and techniques to their lives.
Yoga is for everybody - men and women of all ages and all levels of fitness.
Through the practice of yoga you can become stronger, healthier and more flexible and get into shape in a way that is less stressful on your body. Yoga will give you the tools to improve the quality of your life and you can become physically and spiritually renewed through the time tested practices of the yoga lifestyle. Experience meditation and relaxation so deep, so peaceful, so tranquil.
Around the globe, over thousands of years countless millions of people have experienced the life enhancing benefits of yoga. So can you.

Mermaid Beach – Southport - Burleigh Heads – Nerang

More information www.asm.org.au 5554 5440

Come along to one of our free or low cost Community Classes in conjunction with the Gold Coast City Council Active and Healthy Program.

See you at a class soon,

Amara

Back By Popular Demand

Namaste,

For those living on the Northern end of the Gold Coast you will be pleased to hear the good news. Our Thursday morning free Easy Yoga Stretch and Relax with Meditation class will be resuming this Thursday (Feb 5). Initially this was a 6 week program (Oct 9 to Nov 20) at the Southport Library. Due to popular demand, this class will now continue indefinitely at the same time, at a new venue (Southport Scout Den).

Thursday 9.15am Southport Scout Den (Corner of High and Smith Sts)

In conjunction with the GCCC Active and Healthy Campaign, this class will continue to be offered free of charge. This class features half an hour of gentle stretching and half an hour of relaxation and meditation and makes it very easy to relieve tension in the body and the mind. You will leave feeling alive and with a sense of peace and inner calm. A great class for anyone wanting to try yoga for the first time. We have hired a much larger hall, so why not do your friends and family a favour and invite them along.
Please bring a towel or mat to this session.

Don't forget that we also hold meditation and yoga classes at the Southport Community Centre on a Monday and Wednesday night and Yoga in the Park Thursday mornings at Labrador. Read more.....

Any questions 5554 5440 or asm@onthenet.com.au

We look forward to seeing you at a class soon.

Amara

Head over heels with Triangle

After practising yoga asanas (exercises) by 8 years I have recently discovered how good a triangle pose can feel. My new love for this pose has urged me to write a post for you guys letting you know why all of a sudden I can’t get enough of Trikonasana, the Triangle Pose.

For years I was doing this pose all wrong and forcing myself too far into this stretch just to look ‘right’ or ‘good’ at it. Now I realise how much of an injustice I was doing myself. The key to a great and comfortable stretch in the Triangle is to emphasise length and space in your body. Keep both sides of your torso long, swing the hips to one side and reach out to the other, keeping the upper rib cage tucked into the spine. When I focus on these things the stretch feels great. I am not worried about reaching right down to my bottom foot and I am definitely not leaning forward. I feel that as soon as I start to lean forward I loose the great stretch that I could be getting.

Triangle Pose not only increases flexibility in the legs, hips and spine but also increases mobility through the lower spine. You can feel an amazing stretch from the hip to the ribcage. It is great to ease backache and keep the spine supple.

Find a step by step guide with pictures on the Australian School of Yoga and Meditation website showing how you too can get into a great Triangle Pose. If you have any questions or queries about the pose ask one of our experienced teachers at your next class or you can email me @ amara@asm.org.au. Don’t forget to read the cautions before you try the pose.

Best of luck,

Amara

Instructor

Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

Our November Mini Yoga Retreat @ Burleigh

Sunday saw the Fradgley Library Hall at Burleigh Heads filled to the rafters with yogi’s and yogini’s for our Mini Yoga Retreat day. The regular 10:30-12:30pm yoga session overfilled with students, so a group of us went down to a shady park and enjoyed the cool ocean breezes and fresh air as we stretched. The outdoor class is so popular with the students that they are asking for it each week. Feedback that I have received is that the difference an outdoor class makes is incredible. Nothing beats the fresh energy that our body absorbs when we are outdoors in nature.

Friends of ours joined us to lead us through some kirtan, beautiful chanting of sacred mantras with musical accompaniment, a very simple and beautiful way to meditate. Kirtan relaxes the body and brings peace of mind and joy to the heart. Mantra can also be chanted on beads and added to the breath. To learn Japa and Mantra Meditation you can visit the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga website.

Margaret spoke briefly about the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of the ancient yoga system and how ultimately yoga is a spiritual quest. She explained various limbs or rungs of the yoga system and how they assist the yoga practitioner on their journey of self discovery or self realisation.

Lunch was very simple but extremely tasty, mung dhal and Turkish bread. Writing it like that just doesn’t do it justice though. Honestly, it was one of the tastiest dhals I have ever tried, and almost everyone there agreed with me. Over lunch a group of us threw around great tried and tested recipes that we have collected over the years and shared healthy cooking tips and information.

Ready for a siesta, we got something better. One of our resident massage therapists guided us through a face and scalp massage. We learnt simple and effective massage techniques that we can use on friends and family to help them de-stress and unwind. We all felt truly relaxed and uplifted afterwards.

For those who didn’t want to leave, the Sunday Spiritual Gathering at 4pm gave them an excuse to stick around a little longer. Intimate and cosy, the beautiful yoga chanting created an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity. Everyone involved had a fantastic day and look forward to the retreats starting up again in January.

Keep an eye on the website for upcoming events in 2009.

Take care,

Amara

Instructor

Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

Back by Popular Demand

Initially the easy yoga and meditation class at the Robina Library was a 12 week program from 2 September to 18 Nov. However due to popular demand, this class will continue indefinitely at the Robina Library every Tuesday at 9:15am for an hour. This class is offered by the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga’s most senior yoga instructor, Margaret, through the Gold Coast City Council’s Active and Healthy Program. It is free and as you can well imagine, very popular. Each week Margaret has been having 30 plus students to her class.
Margaret’s class features half an hour of gentle yoga stretching and half an hour of relaxation and makes it very easy to relieve tension in the body and the mind. You will leave feeling alive and with a sense of peace and inner calm. These classes run also at Southport Library and will start next year at the Nerang and Runaway Bay Libraries.

This is your chance to add yoga to your life. In addition to these library classes, we run many other Deep Peace Meditation Classes, Stretch and Relax Classes and Meditation Courses that are free or by donation. Please bring a towel or mat to all our classes.

See you at a class soon.

Amara

Instructor

Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

National Free Yoga Day MARCH 14, 2009

Yoga Centres Around Australia Throw Open Their Doors

&
Offer Yoga to Everyone Free of Charge

The Australian School of Meditation & Yoga will again be participating in the National Free Yoga Day by having a whole day of free classes and workshops. The day was so successful in March 2008 that in 2009 we will be holding the day at Fradgely Hall, a large community hall in Burleigh Heads. In the spirit of generosity and love, the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga along with many other participating yoga schools will be promoting the wonderful benefits of yoga.

National Free Yoga Day gives the community an opportunity to enjoy some gentle stretching, breathing and relaxing, whilst accessing the many benefits of Yoga for the mind, body and soul. This is a chance for many in the community to try Yoga for the first time, for others to return to Yoga and for regular practitioners to try a different style of Yoga.

To read about the day’s activities visit our website and/or give us a call.

The Fradgley Library Hall is on the corner of Park Avenue and Gold Coast Highway at Burleigh Heads. It is conveniently located for public transport users. Surrounded by palms and cooled by ocean breezes it is the ideal location to spend your day in a spiritually satisfying way.

Come down and join on in the fun,

Amara

Instructor

Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

For the early birds

This week sees our outdoor Energy Yoga classes shift to a bright and early 5:30am start. Previously this class had been running from 6:30 – 7:30am. Now that we are heading into the summer months, you can take advantage of those extra hours of sunlight by adding an Australian School of Meditation and Yoga Energy Yoga class to your weekly list of things to do. We know that it does sound early, but keep in mind that the sun rises at 4:15am in summer. It is so refreshing to exercise when the day is still cool and tranquil. According to the science of yoga, the early morning hours are the most conducive for meditation and yoga because the atmosphere is clear and peaceful. The air is fresh and full of natural energy called prana or chi (in the Chinese tradition) and by rising early, we absorb the full benefits and feel lighter and more energetic than if we had slept in. As the old saying goes, “Early to bed, early rise…”

Some Inspiration From The Ancient Yoga Texts:

“What is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time of awakening for all beings is night for the introspective sage.”
Bhagavad Gita

Hopefully, we don’t loose anyone due to the earlier start and possibly gain many more of you who have to squeeze your workouts in before you rush off to work early.

I’ll see you if you come along to an Energy Yoga class at Labrador or you’ll see another of our yoga teachers, Mrna, if you get along to the class at Miami.

Namaste yogis,

Amara

Instructor

Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

Add Meditation To Your Life

Our November ‘Discover Meditation’ workshops start this week at Nerang and Mermaid Beach. At this two part workshops you can learn practical tools to add meditation to your life. These workshops are perfect if you are a beginner or if you have been meditating for years. If you have been attending other classes at the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga and want to learn more formally about meditation and its benefits, you will find these workshops ideal.

We clearly explain how meditation works and give you the opportunity to experience the benefits yourself. The timeless art of meditation has been practiced by saints and sages since ancient times to bring about the joyful state of self-realisation. In this consciousness a person is free from temporary worries, anxieties and concerns and is immersed in a higher spiritual happiness and inner peacefulness.

Through the practice of meditation a person can experience an actual inner spiritual fulfillment or happiness. The secret to gaining the benefits is to practice it regularly. By starting your day with 15 minutes of meditation, you will find that your whole day flows more smoothly.

To find out more or book, visit our website or call. These workshops run by donation monthly.

Namaste,

Amara

Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

Thank you to all the Yoga Aid Challengers!

(TEAM ASMY @ The Yoga Aid Challenge)

1000 people gathered across Australia to salute for charity

The Gold Coast Yoga Community united on Wednesday 22 October for the 2nd Annual Yoga Aid Challenge. The registration desk opened at 5:30am at Queen Elizabeth Park in Coolangatta for yoga enthusiasts of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life to join together to raise money for charity and promote yoga. We had over 80 people at the Gold Coast event saluting to the sun. Our challenge was to complete 108 salutes in two hours, and I am proud to announce that we did it! With the help of 9 yoga teachers from Gold Coast studios and gyms, participants got a taste of traditional and varied salutes along the way. A big thank you to Mrna, Andrew, Margaret and Candace (all the way from the Brisbane studio), teachers from the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga that volunteered their time, effort and encouragement not only on the day but along the way as well.


Leading up to the event I was busy encouraging and enthusing others to join the challenge and then days before the event it dawned on me what I had gotten myself into. 108 salutes, I was thinking to myself – that is a lot. Much to my surprise the actual salutes were not that difficult. With a one minute break between each set of ten and a half time break we saw ourselves slide over the 108 line at about 8:30am.

From all the teachers at the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga I would like to say a huge thank you to the fantastic effort from all the team members involved. We had 33 team members saluting on the day and fundraising for the event - the second largest team in Australia! We raised $1500 for Save The Children Australia. They work with children at risk, to help them reach their potential through education, health and child protection programs in Australia and around the world. The total amount raised in Australia so far for charity is $130, 643!

What a great effort everyone! We hope to make the event even bigger and better next year.

Please make a note in your diaries for next years challenge – Wednesday 25 November 2009. It is truly a great opportunity to use your love of yoga to give back to the community.

Thanks again everyone!

Namaste

Amara

Instructor

Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

Christmas Gift Ideas

Share the benefits of the healthy yoga lifestyle this Christmas.

__________________

Vegetarian
Cookbook
$15

_________________

Yoga Pass
5 Class Pass - valid 2 months
$50

__________________

Yoga Pass
10 Class Pass - valid 3 months
$85

___________________

Yoga Pass
1 Month Pass - Unlimited
$80

____________________

Balanced Life Retreat
Gift Certificate $60

____________________

Available for purchase at each class or the Sunday Spiritual Gathering.

Namaste,

Amara

Instructor

Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

Guided Meditation: Free Download

You can learn an uplifting meditation practice using breath and mantra that will energise your body, calm your mind and bring joy to your heart. We are offering a free recording that you can now download to your computer or MP3 player to use and enjoy whenever you like.

The slow deep breathing has the effect of calming the entire nervous system. The mantra is calming, uplifting and cleansing to the heart and mind.

Sit comfortably and lengthen your spine so that you can keep the chest open for nice deep inhalations. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Bring the breath deep down into your relaxed abdomen, and as you exhale draw the abdominal muscles back and up, then release them for the inward breath. Spend time with your breath feeling the relaxing effect of the outward breath, and the energizing effect of the inward breath.

To add mantra to the breathing, take a deep breath in, vibrating the mantra “Gauranga” on the long outward breath. As you say the mantra, simply listen to the sound. When the mind strays, simply refocus on the sound of the mantra. As you say the mantra allow your mind to become fully immersed in the sound, feeling its vibration throughout your whole body. You may like to spend 2 or 3 minutes in meditation at first and gradually increase the time up to 5 or 10 minutes.

For a free download of this meditation, go to www.asm.org.au and download the Guided Meditation from the Videos and Music page http://www.asm.org.au/videos-music . It’s a very nice way to go to sleep at night to ensure you have a sound and tranquil sleep; it’s also a nice way to start the day to ensure your day is peaceful and energized. During the day, whenever you get a chance, it is a wonderful refresher and a great way to de-stress and calm the mind.

Namaste,

Amara

Instructor

Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

Yoga Aid Challenge – Only eight sleeps!

The Australian School of Meditation and Yoga is striving to raise money for children in need. On Wednesday 22 of October, only 8 sleeps away, hundreds will be doing yoga around Australia to raise money for different charity events. The Yoga Aid Challenge was developed so that the yoga community can give something back through their love of yoga. It is a way to facilitate the giving for living concept. An integral aspect of the traditional yoga system is non-greed, non violence and introspection.

I would like to share with you some truths from different cultures and saints around the world:

There is a sufficiency in the world for man’s need but not for man’s greed.

Mahatma Gandhi

You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

Mahatma Gandhi

The petty mind thinks, ‘This is mine. That’s for others.’ Whereas men of noble thought consider the whole world as one family.

Chanakya

He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough.

Lao Tzu

To be without a friend is to be poor indeed.

Swahili

It is no longer good enough to cry peace, we must act peace, live peace and live in peace.

Shenandoah

The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.

Lao Tzu

Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.

Lao Tzu

He who really wants to do something finds a way; he who doesn’t finds an excuse.

Confucius

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Confucius

When we show our respect for other living things, they respond with respect for us.

Arapaho

For information on how you, your friends and family can support the Yoga Aid Challenge click here.

Yoga practitioners use the Sanskrit word ‘namaste’ as a greeting. Namaste is a yoga greeting of respect.

Namaste,

Amara

Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

http://blogactionday.org/js/b7a411cd58490e9b8703910beeb10aeea8ab28f5

September Balanced Life Retreat

“An amazing day! The retreat space is heavenly, the meditations were awesome, fantastic food and a positive environment.”

Diane (Law Student)

On Saturday, 28 Sept. the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga held our famous Balanced Life Retreat in the rolling hills of the Tweed Hinterland. The weather couldn’t have been better, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. The rays of the sun were so inviting that Steve took the Chi Kung class outdoors amid the bamboo and palms of the Nadia Retreat Centre.

Many of our regular retreaters were pleasingly surprised by the changes made to the meditation and relaxation space. After a complete makeover the area gives out refreshing, uplifting and relaxing vibes. If you have been to one of our retreats before, it is well worth another day at Nadia, just to see the magnificent changes, not to mention everything else the day entails.

Lunch proved most popular, with many going back for seconds or even thirds. We enjoyed an alfresco Asian banquet under the mango trees, with an array of tempting dishes. On the menu was Laksa soup with Vietnamese mint, enoki mushrooms and deep fried bean curd, Vietnamese summer rolls and sweet and sour sauce, green Thai curry with tofu and cashews, coconut cream rice with kaffir lime leaves, green mango rice noodle salad and a fresh garden veggie and hokkien noodle stir fry. Later on in the afternoon we had deep fried bananas in a rice flour, sesame and pandan batter served with ice-cream and chai. Exotic!

After lunch, Monika taught us how to make the Vietnamese summer rolls that we had all just tried. Summer rolls are rice paper spring rolls that are perfect finger food for entertaining or around the house snacks. They are filled with flavoured rice noodles and finely sliced salad ingredients and unlike spring rolls, they are not fried, making them light and fresh and perfect for the hottest summer days..

Over all, the day was a smorgasbord of so many things that the yoga lifestyle has to offer. Breathing, massage, delicious healthy food and cooking tips and stretching for physical health, relaxation for peace of mind and meditation; food for the soul. These ideas were the focus of the spiritual discussion in the afternoon, where Ray (a senior teacher at the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga ) shared an analogy of a three legged chair. The only reason a three legged chair is able to stand with a strong foundation is because it is equally balanced on its three legs. If we took one leg away, the chair would no longer be balanced, despite it still having two legs. Physical, mental and spiritual health are our three legs. Just like a chair, when these three are in balance, we have a strong foundation for our life. Meditation and yoga techniques that we learnt today at the retreat and that we teach at other programs and classes run by the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga educate and encourage people to add this balance to their lives.

The perfect finish to the day was an uplifting group meditation accompanied by melodious Kirtan or beautiful chanting of sacred mantras led by Mrna. Oh, and not to mention the deep fried bananas and chai!

We invite you along to our next Balanced Life Retreats on October 25 and Nov 22. But be quick to book, they fill up fast.

Namaste,

Amara

Instructor

Australian School of Meditation and Yoga

Yoga Aid Challenge

Join the Yoga Aid Challenge and raise money for the Save The Children charity. 108 sun salutes in 2 hours.

22 October 2008

Namaste! Join us as the sun rises on the 22nd of October for the 2nd Australian Yoga Aid Challenge. The Australian School of Meditation and Yoga team will join with other yoga schools on the Gold Coast to complete 108 sun salutes in 2 hours to raise money for local charities. You can participate by joining the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga Yoga Aid Challenge team or by contributing financially – even a tiny amount is appreciated, because everything helps. We are raising money for Save the Children Australia who work with children at risk to reach their potential through education, health and child protection programs in Australia and around the world.

To support our challenge by donating to Save the Children Australia:

Log on to: Yoga Aid Challenge Click on: Donate Now and follow the prompts.

To join the Australian School of Meditation and Yoga Yoga Aid Challenge Team:

Click here: Yoga Aid Challenge And then click on: Join this Team and follow the prompts.

And then join us on the big day!

Date: Wednesday 22 October, 2008

Time: be there 5:45 am to start at 6:00 am – concludes 8:15 am

Where: Queen Elizabeth Park, Marine Pde, Coolangatta

Bring: Yoga mat, drinking water, workout clothes, sunscreen, plenty of energy, a joyful heart.

Info: gold-coast@asm.org.au (07) 5554 5440

Amara

Instructor

Australian School of Meditation and Yoga