Beyond Bending and Stretching: Why I Study Yoga
June 21-24: Dr. Swami Shankardevananda
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THE YOGA CONNECTION
10 YEARS AND THRIVING :
Atma Center Anniversary this August!
Interview with Atmarupa
Part I: Early Days 1997 - 2002
Yoga Connection: Where were you teaching Yoga before 1997?
Atmarupa: I started teaching in 1995. I moved the furniture and taught in my living room.
YC: Was the new center named after you? What is the meaning of "Atma"?
Atmarupa: The meaning of ‘Atma’ or ‘Atman’ is the soul or true Self - that aspect that is unchanging. I received my name in 1995 but the intention of naming the center was not to name it after me. In fact, I wasn’t really going by my spiritual name at that time. My intention was that the center would be a place where people would come closer to realizing their true Self.
YC: What led up to the life-changing decision to open the Atma Center in August of 1997?
Atmarupa: I had been doing anesthesia for about 25 years. I was having a particularly bad day at work and simply thought, “I can’t do this anymore.” So I asked for a month of leave and by the end of that month had signed the lease on this space.
YC: What was the "state of yoga" in the Cleveland area at that time?
Atmarupa: The American Yoga Association started in Cleveland and it was quite developed in the 70’s. I remember the ‘Light of Yoga’ on Coventry during that time, but when the Atma Center opened there was very little yoga being done.
YC: What did the first Atma Center look like?
Atmarupa: We had a large store, 3 offices that were rented by various health practitioners, and a small studio in the back. After a couple of years we had to make the store half its size to create a second studio space (as shown in photo above).
YC: Who were the first teachers hired? When did you begin training teachers?
Atmarupa: Initially there were a couple of teachers renting space for 1 or 2 classes per week. Since the Satyananda style classes kept growing, I trained a couple of students to help teach the beginning classes. In 2000, we started the first Atma Center Teacher Training that met Yoga Alliance standards.
YC: Were you a Satyananda style teacher when you first opened the studio?
Atmarupa: I was teaching from the Bihar School of Yoga books because that was the only style of yoga I knew. I was first exposed to SATYANANDA YOGA ® in 1984 while visiting my friend Swami Nirmalratna at an ashram in Australia.
YC: Describe some milestones that mark Atma Center's growth in the "first half," 1997 - 2002.
Atmarupa: Well, we went from having 5 classes with just me teaching, to having about 40 classes and graduating 18 teachers in 2001 and 2002. By 2002, we were teaching our first Yogic Studies course and had taken 2 groups to India for the yajna.
Although not in the "first half," a major milestone was renovating the entire space as a dedicated yoga facility at the end of 2004 with our grand reopening in January of 2005.
YC: How will we celebrate the 10th Anniversary?
Atmarupa: We will begin celebrating the week of August 15th with a week of exciting events to commemorate the occasion. Keep checking our website for more information!
Beyond Bending and Stretching: Why I Study Yoga
By Mantram [Mary Baird]
I’ve always been physically active, but not particularly “bendy.” At first, it seemed like yoga was the ideal series of exercises to make my physical body more flexible, stronger, and generally healthier. After twenty-plus years of enjoying my weekly yoga class, my body was indeed healthier. I still wasn't very "bendy," but Yoga really made me feel good and protected me from the stresses of my mentally and physically demanding job as a phone repair technician. Something told me there were perhaps some deeper truths and benefits to explore. I began to ask, what more? What are the “secrets” behind these practices?
Fortunately, I found the Atma Center and SATYANANDA YOGA® at this point in my questioning. Enrolling in the Yogic Studies program in 2002, I found some answers. A 5000 year old science, yoga encompasses an immense body of knowledge and a wide range of practices. I’ve enjoyed studying and reflecting on some of the ancient texts as well as contemporary perspectives on yogic physiology, philosophy, and psychology. I’ve studied and experienced many different approaches to yoga: hatha, bhakti and karma yoga; tantra, mantra and kundalini yoga, to name a few.
As a yoga student over the years, I had picked up bits of information about the physical and mental benefits of various practices, but nothing compared to the amount of useful knowledge gained by an in-depth study and application of the theory. For example, I learned to apply the science of anatomy and physiology to my under-standing of which organs, muscles, bones, or entire systems of the body for that matter, are affected by a given asana or pranayama practice. Becoming a “Level 1” yoga teacher has been a primary motivator for continuing on this path as a student and as an occasional Yogic Studies instructor. I am constantly seeking more ways to extend my own practice and help students experience the therapeutic benefits.
For me, yoga has become a way of navigating my life and coming home to my Self. I can utilize the concepts and tools of yoga to access layers of my thinking and habitual emotional responses, witness my deeply ingrained attitudes in action, and get in touch with unique aspects of my personality. I’ve learned, however, that only practice and persistence will move me forward on the path of incorporating needed changes. Developing awareness on so many different levels has become a very exciting journey which I expect will continue as long as “I” am in my body! All I've learned still feels like the “tip of the iceberg” and propels me on to more reading and questioning, and more conversations with my teacher, my fellow teachers, my students, and my Self. It never ends. Every aspect of a yogic-centered life is a grand adventure in learning!
Yogic Studies in Cleveland draws students from all over the world! So far this year the Atma Center has hosted students from the Netherlands, Spain, California, Nevada, Massachusetts, Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Iowa and more – all because of the reputation of our high-quality Yogic Studies & Teacher Training program!
ATMA CENTER EVENTS
| June 9 - 10 | Spring Cleaning Yoga. Lecture 6/9 2:30-4 pm, practice 6/10 6:30-8 am. Space limited to 8 students -- must register by June 8. |
| June 9 - 20 | TRY YOGA FREE Introductory and Specialty classes |
| June 10 | "Hip Openers" Yoga Therapy 10:30 am - 12:30 pm Space limited. |
| June 20 | 6 week session of yoga classes ends. |
| June 25 - Aug. 5 | NEW 6 week Session of Yoga Classes |
| July 15 | "Strengthen the Low Back" Yoga Therapy 10:30 am - 12:30 pm Space limited. |
June 21-24: Dr. Swami Shankardevananda
Traveling from Australia for an extensive U.S. tour, Swami Shankardev returns to the Atma Center this month with several programs. His topics will include Yoga, Tantra and Western Psychotherapy; The Emotional Component of Yoga Practice; Facing Life with Core Strength and a Calm Mind; and a Sunday evening Satsang (question & answer session). Dr. Swami Shankardev is a medical doctor who has studied psychotherapy extensively, authoring several books on yoga therapy.
NOTE: Deadline June 10 for discounts.
This newsletter is provided to you by the Atma Center, 2319 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights, Ohio. [216-371-9760 www.atmacenter.com] The Atma Center is one of three places authorized worldwide to offer advanced training in SATYANANDA YOGA® through Yogic Studies and Teacher Training courses.