• Table of Contents
  • Homage to the Guru
  • Lecture #4 from 2013 Sangha
  • 2014 Youth and Children’s Retreat
  • Reflections on my Mantra Initiation
  • First Scholarly Article Published
  • Silence Which Speaks Loudly
  • 2013 Spring Workshop in Taiwan
  • The Last Art Class with SRSG Kids
  • Silence Retreat on Lake Balaton, Hungary
  • Bundles of Joy!
  • An Album of a Spiritual Journey
  • Swans
  • 2013 Events and Beyond
  • Full Moon Meditation Dates
  • Location of the SRSG ashram
• AHYMSIN Newsletter Archive

2013 Spring Workshop in Taiwan

by Kai-Fang Cheng

Yoga is life. Yoga is observation, awareness and purification of body, breath and mind in our daily life. This is the essential concept that teachers of AHYMSIN have always reminded us in the yearly retreat, the concept that we all know well but so easy to forget after going back to our routine life.

This spring, AHYMSIN TAIWAN was honored to have Swami Ritavan, Ashutosh Sharma and Shih-Hong to bring us two workshops in the Sports Center of National Taiwan University in Taipei. The first weekend on May 25, 26 was Silence Workshop; the second on June 1, 2 was Integrative Yoga Workshop.

To hold a silence workshop just after Swami Veda has begun his five year silence is truly meaningful. Many new friends in Taiwan did not quite know what silence is about, what the difference between silence and not speaking is, and why Swami Veda has taken the vow to undertake such a long-term silence.

In our limited recognition, physical yoga and silence practice are probably in two different fields. However, teachers in the workshop comprehensively explained the deep meaning of silence, the linkage between self examination and silence, and emotional purification through silence. In addition, for those who can only spare a short period of time for silence in everyday life, Swamiji also provided several methods for managing short practice.

Shih-Hong also shared his special experience of 90 days silence in Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama. Definitely not an easy process, but his resolution, the transformation during the process and the clear and calm result in the story was really touching and encouraging.  

Two days Integrative Yoga depicted a whole clear view of Hatha Yoga. Three logic steps were emphasized. The first is to withdraw the mind back to the center through Makarasana; the second is to relax and free the energy blocks in every point in the body through Joints and Glands, and dynamic sun salutation to warm up and prepare the body for asana. Following the classical asana which starts from head up feet down posture to head down feet up posture. Ashutosh stated so many details to remind us that Hatha Yoga is not merely physical exercise, but the comprehensive training of body, breath and mind. Train the mind through the body, and train the body through a calm, clear mind. Importantly, with the free flowing breath, but not with the forced one. There is one more secret: that when you make the process more conscious, the breath becomes deep automatically.

Two workshops brought all the participants not simply the knowledge, but actually the selfless experience, strength and love from Swamiji, Ashutosh and Shih-Hong. The reunion with teachers and friends in the yearly retreat always gives us the chance to recharge energy and faith once again. Teachers’ calm, still, clear and warm words remind us to keep cultivating inward. Deeply inside us, the pure, wise and joyful Atman stays there, permanently. This is the precious meaning of workshops. Thanks again for all the teachers and organizers for fulfilling 2013 Spring Workshop in Taiwan.

Submitted June 17

Editor’s Note:

A DVD on the Integrative Yoga Workshop is available.  Please see http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/hymt_taiwan/article?mid=761&prev=778&next=727

Taiwan Himalayan Yoga Meditation Association in Taipei is an AHYMSIN Affiliated Center.  We invite you to visit http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/hymt_taiwan

They also have a Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_123732924355599