I have decided to start listening to The Yoga Matrix CDs from Richard Freeman. I thought it would be good, if I also make notes, in the effort to understand better what he is saying. So obviously it will take some time until I'm finished, and in the begining I will just try to extract the main points. Hopefully I will add my own thoughts on the second or third time I listen to the CDs and will edit what I have written here.
01 Introduction
02 Where does yoga begin
Yoga begins with listening, so giving space to what is. Yoga begins in the now - atta (sp?). Yoga is freedom. All reasons we may possible have (to have healthy body, to calm the mind, etc.) are honorable points to begin the studing of yoga. It's very important to start exactly where you are - to see things as they are and to accept them as they are. There are many different styles, methodologies and philosophies of yoga but there is a pattern, that connects all of them together - the Yoga Matrix.
03 The systems of yoga
Hatha Yoga is the most common conception of yoga - we investigate the true core nature of the body (through the practice of asanas) and in doing so investigate the true nature of the mind.
The other type of yoga is Dhyana Yoga - the yoga of wisdom/insight - it concentrates on understanding the mind.
The next is Ashtanga Yoga (eight limbs) - it involves deep meditative awareness, and also uses the practice of yoga asanas, pranayama.
Bhakti Yoga - yoga of love and devotion. Looks deep into the heart, into the emotions.
Tantra Yoga - all practices are concentrated on opening up the central axes of the body, so that we can enter with all of our attention deep into the heart and all along the central axes of the body (the sushumna nadi). According to tantra yoga our everyday life and activities are sacred.
04 Roots of an ancient tradition
The teachings of yoga have been developed over thousands of years and each school has their scriptures, which were written in sanskrit - a sacred language. They were created in such a way, so that they are easy to memorise and memorising and chanting of the sacred texts in itself and of course reflecting on their meaning afterwards, was considered a practice.
In the heart of every school we have to face ourselves, we have to face reality. Yoga is freedom from tradition by fulfilling the very purpose of tradition.
05 Entering the matrix of yoga
06 Intuiting the sacred beneath the surface
07 Chant - Salutatuon to the king of the nagas
08 Awakening the yoga process
09 The body as a medium of our practice
10 Watching the intelligence of the body
Many of the beginning yoga practices reveal the profound process of yoga. When we observe the body or the breath during our practice, what we are really looking at is the process of inteligence. The mind loves to represent things (through symbols, categories) based on past experiences so that they form patterns. This is the process that the Ego loves. Ego is the confusion, which occurs between what is the process of pure consciousness and the contents of consciousness. The Ego likes certainty, it likes to know for sure.
11 The self-reference paradox
Our yoga practice is the microcosm of our whole life. The patterns, which occur in our practice reflect the patterns of avoidance and attachment in our relationships with other people, food, job, money, etc. So this is one of the values of the practice - that we are finding out these core patterns that define our whole existence. Whenever we think about the world, or about other people, we are doing it via the sensations of our own body.
12 Observing the patterns of attachment and repulsion
13 Tapas - the heat of change
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