If you are interested in Vanda Scaravelli and her teachings then you might like to read the following couple of articles:
Awakening the Spine by Esther Myers and Kim Echlin This article includes an interview with Vanda. I recommend that you don't take much notice of the piece "Applying Vanda's Ideas in Your Practice" that follows it. The words are not the thing - you interpret them as you are. All you will do is your interpretation of Esther's interpretation of what Vanda was doing and like some sort of Yogic Chinese Whispers it will be a weird distortion.
Lesson in Freedom by Emina Cevro Vukovic translated from the Itallian by Vanda's daughter Paola.
More articles about Vanda Scaravelli and her way of working can be found from the links page on www.yogawithanne.co.uk
Showing posts with label Vanda Scaravelli. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vanda Scaravelli. Show all posts
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
Saturday, 5 September 2009
Yoga without a label
When we visited The Krishnamurti Centre they gave us a copy of the latest issue of The Link. According to its editor, Javier Gomez Rodriguez 'The Link is a literary contribution to the global dialogue around K's teachings and a source of general information on many of the related organisations and their activities. It is an open and international forum for the expression of diverse approaches to the teachings, some more experiential and others more philosophical, including current discussions on consciousness and education. It aims at maintaining a high quality with an eye to the authenticity and insightful nature of the pieces published and always includes excerpts of original K material.' You can read The Link online.
In a letter to The Link Lionel Claris, a former student at Brockwood Park School, differentiates between K's teachings and living the teachings. He argues that while the name of Krishnamurti can be linked with the teachings to link the name with the work of living the teachings is a form of propaganda and could lead to corruption of the teachings.
When I read his letter I thought of Vanda Scaravelli, author of 'Awakening the Spine', and what has come to be known as Scaravelli Yoga. Vanda was a great friend of Krishnamurti for nearly 50 years, from before her marriage until K's death in 1986 and K's teachings are very evident in her work. Diane Long, who has helped me greatly in my practice, studied with Vanda for over 23 years. Diane says that Vanda did not want to create and give her name to a style of yoga and that she was simply interested in the work itself. None of Vanda's students say they do 'Scaravelli Yoga' and neither do any of their students as most are aware that this is not what Vanda would have wanted.
However there is a tendency, and I've done it myself, to use such phrases as 'inspired by Vanda Scaravelli' and 'in the Scaravelli Tradition' to describe the way that we work and teach. What I hadn't understood was that it's not just about Vanda not wanting to create a style of yoga, which would fossilise it and turn it into something habitual and mechanical, but it's also about me. While I may not use the term 'Scaravelli Yoga' if I use her name I am still associating myself with her whatever the words I use. By associating myself with someone bigger, better, more famous etc. I feel more important, comfortable and secure. But it separates me from others who are not in this 'club' and leads to feelings of superiority. By associating myself with Vanda's name not only am I corrupting her teachings but, as yoga is interpreted as union, I am not even doing Yoga.
Lionel says that when he left Brockwood Park his intention was to recreate the quality of being that he had found - without its label. He has managed to practice his understanding of K's teachings without using the name Krishnamurti much.(Read Lionel's full letter on page 14 of issue 28 of The Link ) So the challenge for me and for all of us who study Vanda's teachings is to do the work without name dropping.
In a letter to The Link Lionel Claris, a former student at Brockwood Park School, differentiates between K's teachings and living the teachings. He argues that while the name of Krishnamurti can be linked with the teachings to link the name with the work of living the teachings is a form of propaganda and could lead to corruption of the teachings.
When I read his letter I thought of Vanda Scaravelli, author of 'Awakening the Spine', and what has come to be known as Scaravelli Yoga. Vanda was a great friend of Krishnamurti for nearly 50 years, from before her marriage until K's death in 1986 and K's teachings are very evident in her work. Diane Long, who has helped me greatly in my practice, studied with Vanda for over 23 years. Diane says that Vanda did not want to create and give her name to a style of yoga and that she was simply interested in the work itself. None of Vanda's students say they do 'Scaravelli Yoga' and neither do any of their students as most are aware that this is not what Vanda would have wanted.
"the mind should not be rigid or tied to traditions or patterns, but open and supple, even ready to change directions."
"BE CAREFUL, VERY CAREFUL about organizations. Yoga cannot be organized, must not be organised. Organizations kill work."
Vanda Scaravelli in 'Awakening the Spine'
"When you are seeking status in function, then to you status is far more important than function, and hence in that there is conflict inwardly as well as outwardly." Krishnamurti in 'On Relationship'
Lionel says that when he left Brockwood Park his intention was to recreate the quality of being that he had found - without its label. He has managed to practice his understanding of K's teachings without using the name Krishnamurti much.(Read Lionel's full letter on page 14 of issue 28 of The Link ) So the challenge for me and for all of us who study Vanda's teachings is to do the work without name dropping.
Friday, 21 August 2009
Keep interested, stay young!
I am reading 'On Relationship' by Krishnamurti. It is a collection of extracts from various talks, dialogues, journals and letters of Krishnamurti from 1940 to 1982. The following quote, from 16 June 1940, reminded me of the way I practice yoga.
"Mere control with its peculiar training has its dangers, as it is one-sided, incomplete, and therefore shallow. Interest brings its own natural, spontaneous concentration in which there is the flowering of understanding. This interest is awakened by observing, questioning the actions and reactions of everyday existence."
I do yoga because it interests me. I practice with awareness, attention and curiosity, approaching each posture as if for the first time - well most of the time anyway! We usually start yoga for one or more reasons including relaxation, flexibility, stress relief or mental or physical health. While yoga gives us all these things if we aren't interested in the yoga itself then either we become bored and our practice soon fizzles out or we continue to go to classes or do a few postures now and then through habit or because it's what we do - but we're no longer doing yoga!
Vanda Scaravelli wrote in
Awakening the Spine: The Stress-free New Yoga that Works with the Body to Restore Health, Vitality and Energy
"The old seem to forget, but it is only that they are not interested in what they are doing. They lose contact with the world, with their environment, with themselves. They too easily give up their activities and the things they care for, taking refuge in their own protective shell.
We have to keep on using and entertaining our memory. It is a delicate organ and must be looked after with care."
What ever it is that you do keep interested and stay young!
"Mere control with its peculiar training has its dangers, as it is one-sided, incomplete, and therefore shallow. Interest brings its own natural, spontaneous concentration in which there is the flowering of understanding. This interest is awakened by observing, questioning the actions and reactions of everyday existence."
I do yoga because it interests me. I practice with awareness, attention and curiosity, approaching each posture as if for the first time - well most of the time anyway! We usually start yoga for one or more reasons including relaxation, flexibility, stress relief or mental or physical health. While yoga gives us all these things if we aren't interested in the yoga itself then either we become bored and our practice soon fizzles out or we continue to go to classes or do a few postures now and then through habit or because it's what we do - but we're no longer doing yoga!
Vanda Scaravelli wrote in
Awakening the Spine: The Stress-free New Yoga that Works with the Body to Restore Health, Vitality and Energy
"The old seem to forget, but it is only that they are not interested in what they are doing. They lose contact with the world, with their environment, with themselves. They too easily give up their activities and the things they care for, taking refuge in their own protective shell.
We have to keep on using and entertaining our memory. It is a delicate organ and must be looked after with care."
What ever it is that you do keep interested and stay young!
Saturday, 1 August 2009
How do you choose your teacher?
All too often our choice of teacher is based on our likes and dislikes. We may choose a yoga teacher because we like the person or maybe they play nice music in the class, or burn candles or incense or they conform to how we want our teacher to be. In other words we feel comfortable with them.
But yoga is not about feeling comfortable. Yoga is transformation. Transformation into what? Who can say. If we have an idea of where we're going it's not transformation we're simply heading for an idealised known.
Think of it like a 'Star Trek' adventure - to boldly go where you've not been before. And the role of the teacher is not to take us somewhere she's been and leave us there but to help us on our journey of discovery. To hold our hand or give us a shove when we need it.
A teacher I know who worked with a famous guru at his ashram in India says that he didn't actually like the man but that he stayed for the teaching. Yogananda said of his guru: "Sri Yukteswar's intuition was penetrating; heedless of remarks, he often replied to one's unexpressed thoughts... I daresay he would have been the most sought-after guru in India had his speech not been so candid."
I am reminded of one of Anthony de Mello's stories (in The Prayer of the Frog: v. 1
). A spiritual seeker resisted all the temptations the Devil through at him but failed to recognise God because he didn't like the way he spoke, dressed or behaved. "Such is the fate of those who, in their search for God, are willing to shed everything except their notions of what God really is."
That's not to say of course that you can't like the teacher or that she shouldn't play nice music etc! It's just that such things are irrelevant. Incidentally the fascinating story of how Yogananda met his guru is told in his Autobiography of a Yogi
One day we may find our self alone and then we have to find the guru within to encourage us to new understanding. There are few among us who manage to do this. The late Vanda Scaravelli was one and so is her student Diane Long whom I am fortunate to have as my teacher. We would do well to emulate such teachers. By that I don't mean by hanging on their words or slavishly following their actions but rather in adopting their approach to the work.
But yoga is not about feeling comfortable. Yoga is transformation. Transformation into what? Who can say. If we have an idea of where we're going it's not transformation we're simply heading for an idealised known.
Think of it like a 'Star Trek' adventure - to boldly go where you've not been before. And the role of the teacher is not to take us somewhere she's been and leave us there but to help us on our journey of discovery. To hold our hand or give us a shove when we need it.
A teacher I know who worked with a famous guru at his ashram in India says that he didn't actually like the man but that he stayed for the teaching. Yogananda said of his guru: "Sri Yukteswar's intuition was penetrating; heedless of remarks, he often replied to one's unexpressed thoughts... I daresay he would have been the most sought-after guru in India had his speech not been so candid."
I am reminded of one of Anthony de Mello's stories (in The Prayer of the Frog: v. 1
). A spiritual seeker resisted all the temptations the Devil through at him but failed to recognise God because he didn't like the way he spoke, dressed or behaved. "Such is the fate of those who, in their search for God, are willing to shed everything except their notions of what God really is."That's not to say of course that you can't like the teacher or that she shouldn't play nice music etc! It's just that such things are irrelevant. Incidentally the fascinating story of how Yogananda met his guru is told in his Autobiography of a Yogi
One day we may find our self alone and then we have to find the guru within to encourage us to new understanding. There are few among us who manage to do this. The late Vanda Scaravelli was one and so is her student Diane Long whom I am fortunate to have as my teacher. We would do well to emulate such teachers. By that I don't mean by hanging on their words or slavishly following their actions but rather in adopting their approach to the work.
Thursday, 2 July 2009
Urdhva dhanurasana variation
In May Mark and I travelled to Toffia in Italy to study with our Yoga teacher Diane Long who was a long term student of Vanda Scaravelli. Click here to see a 34 second clip of Diane helping me in an variation of Urdhva Dhanurasana. This is a WMV file so Apple Mac folks will need Flip4Mac WMV which you can download for free.
We have more video and photos which I eventually intend to put on my website but sifting through all the material will be a job for the winter.
We have more video and photos which I eventually intend to put on my website but sifting through all the material will be a job for the winter.
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