by Suleiha Suguna
Anyone can attempt to master the art of Yoga but very few have actually mastered it. I have always practiced yoga under the guidance of a Guru. This is because yoga is an art shrouded in secrecy and no book will reveal its secrets. Only the deserving disciple will receive deep knowledge from a Guru. This knowledge is potent when concealed and ineffective when revealed.
I’m devoted to yoga and with an open mind I have explored many different styles and teachings propagated around the globe. I was overwhelmed by the various divisions and schools of thought. Frankly I find that yoga as it is practiced today, has diverted from the original text and has lost its authenticity. This is the result of a perfect art, left to nonchalant interpretation, fighting to compete with modern exercises. Yoga for thousands of years has been a perfect science of the body. How can such perfection be tampered with?
In my course of learning yoga, I have never experienced injuries resulting from its practice. But I have observed, through discussions, some of my new students, and Yoga forums, that many people suffer injuries while practicing yoga. This should not be the case. Modern demands have influenced Yoga’s evolution and it not always for the better. Nearly everyone wants a “full body workout” thinking that this is the best way to exercise and to get in shape. We must sweat profusely, pant and feel strain in the muscles to know that it’s being worked. Enthusiastic fitness buffs practice yoga to the chant of mantras like “if it’s not hurting, it’s not working” or “no pain, no gain”. Sadly, this is not true but we have been coded to feel otherwise. Yoga is gentle, slow and concentrates on deep rhythmic breathing.
Developing programs that consider modern day demands without polluting the important tenets of yoga has been a challenge at Maya Yoga Samudraa. Samudraa Lite , Samudraa Energize , Samudraa Intense & Samudraa Tranquil are programs that have been carefully crafted to this tune. We created 4 programs to correspond to the 4 types of people that want to learn yoga. When we developed these programs, we were not looking at creating a new branch of yoga. Without altering the proper practice of any posture, we simply arranged them in a sequence that would generate the most impact in 4 categories – very easy, easy, difficult and inner well-being.
Samudraa Lite is a very gentle sequence of postures or asana. This program is designed for people who are totally new to the art and have not done much physical activity. A lot of emphasis is given to theory. I feel a yoga practitioner must really understand the ‘’why & how” of every posture. Lite yoga postures concentrate totally on the spine to it supple and pliant. The spine is one of the most important parts of the body. This is the place where all the nerve beginnings begin and all bodily signals are rendered. If the back is stiff you might have blockages that make you less receptive to the bodily signals and this makes your body response slower. You will also experience backaches and feel lethargic. To do anything we need sufficient energy and have full control over the body. This can only be achieved by having a healthy back. The duration of trhe Samudraa Lite program varies from individual to individual. It can take up to two weeks or even more. Normally it takes only two weeks for the body to get in condition.
Samudraa Energize is a program with a moderately fast tempo. This is suitable for beginners or someone totally new to the art but the student must meet certain criteria after an assessment class. The main criterion is to have a supple back! Here is where the journey really begins. In energize we concentrate on building strength, flexibility, agility, endurance & ensuring all bodily glands and organs are functioning properly. Postures are still explained in detail to help the practitioner understand the “why & how”. The only difference between Lite & Energize is that it is taught at a faster pace and the selected postures concentrate on the entire body. Here you will develop a strong body with perfect coordination and control. All organs and glands are stimulated and rejuvenated keeping you healthy throughout your life. In Energize, you will start to experience complete transformation of the body. It becomes relaxed, energized, toned, and beautiful. You will also begin to ‘hear’ your body like never before. The duration of Energize can take up to six months or more depending on the individual’s body.
Samudraa Intense is the next level after energize and it is not meant for beginners. Beginners must complete Energize first. Here when we say intense it does not mean an extreme yoga class pushing all boundaries. Intense is similar to yoga flow or vinyasa but not the same. The flow does not consist of repetitive postures. Counter postures are taken into consideration unlike most vinyasa classes. Here you are taught to move with the energy of your own body creating a fluid sequence from the postures you have learnt in Energize.
You will also be introduced to more advance postures like the scorpion. Extreme is not the idea here. As strange as it may seem, extreme flexibility is not part of yoga! Here we only teach what is useful and can benefit you. Why learn something that takes years but has no use to you. It only serves as a show piece. In fact people who are extremely flexible are more prone to joint problems. Why should that be your goal? Let’s leave that to the contortionist. Intense means that you will have a more challenging class because there will be no pause between postures and you must have perfect breath control. If the breath is not controlled it can lead to exertion of energy and yoga is not about exertion but rather, the conservation of energy. You will enhance your strength, flexibility, agility and endurance without causing strain to or hurting the body. This program can take up to 1 year to master.
Samudraa Tranquil is the final stage in Maya Yoga Samudraa. This is for a person who wants to reach the ultimate aim of yoga. It focuses purely on the mind. It is difficult to tackle the mind if you have not conquered the body therefore you must go through Energize. There may be some exceptions where individuals can move directly into Tranquil. There is no hard and fast rule as to who can directly move into Tranquil. Samudraa Tranquil directly correlates to Raja Yoga. You are taken through high level breathing and meditation techniques to conquer the mind. This can take years to master.
