AMAYE Conference Report
By Mahajyoti Glassman
Shine Brighter with Yoga Practices, an online international conference, was held on October 26th, sponsored by the Neohumanist College of Asheville and AMAYE (Ananda Marga Association of Yoga Educators). We were successful in having over 160 registrants from around the globe.
The program began with Rutger Tamminga from Taipei who spoke on the Biopsychology of Yama and Niyama. The practice and effectiveness of Yama and Niyama directly affects our nervous system. Negative behavior can end up influencing many sectors of our lives, e.g., students with negative attitudes or behaviors (like lying) frequently also experience negative academic achievement. He also correlated each Yama and Niyama with a particular chakra, which could be invaluable in designing a therapeutic improvement plan (including yoga asana) towards a better balance for children. (See article in this newsletter)
Didi Ananda Sainjana of Singapore addressed Yoga’s Effects on our Nerves and Hormones. She spoke of how homeostasis in the body-mind is required for our ability to survive, function normally, and maximize our effectiveness in life. Both Didi and Rutger emphasized the importance of a Yoga Asana practice that combines parasympathetic and sympathetic asanas. Focusing on one type which complements just a certain part of the nervous system without including the other system parts can lead to imbalance. The tools at our disposal through Astaunga Yoga (proper breathing, meditation, yoga asana, etc.) provide a scientific system through Yoga. Didi expounded how proper breathing, pranayama, mudras, and other yoga techniques promote better health for all twelve of the physiological systems of the body. A slow and mindful asana practice with added emphasis on the slow movements is a critical element of this. Yoga Asana integrates all the sectors of the brain and optimizes brain function. She used many wonderful slides and short videos to further illustrate her points.
Saluting the Divine Presence was the opening for Dada Krsnasevananda’s presentation regarding Making the Best Use of Mantra, Chakra, and Visualization in Meditation. Dada resides in Ananda Gaorii in Denmark. He emphasized that Yoga Asana practices influence the mental states that dominate the mind. Dada shared many strategies, including visualization tips for deepening one’s meditation practice. Mantra is a tool that ‘is like an iron’, smoothing out the wrinkles of the cloth of your thoughts and troubles of your heart. He spent considerable time reiterating the ‘why we do this?’ aspect of our Ananda Marga meditation system. His inspiring techniques touched us all.
From the US, Shravan presented on Situating Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar’s Yoga Psychology or Biopsychology. He gave a very detailed history presentation where he specifically showed when certain aspects of biopsychology emerged throughout global histories and what elements are unique to P.R. Sarkar. This was a very intriguing display of historic timelines and the fullness (or lack of fullness) of how biopsychology has emerged. Unfortunately, we do not have this video presentation available for public viewing.
Finally, Acharya Pashupati, world traveler who occasionally pops up at his home in the U.S, presented Prama: Anandamurti’s Balance Asanas. He demonstrated quite a few balance postures, some of which may have not be categorized as balance postures, but he has probably transformed many of our understandings of these asanas, performing some asanas which I have never seen anyone demonstrate. He detailed the therapeutic benefits of each asana. Another lively program.
Almost all presentations will appear on the AMAYE website after November 14th. https://amaye.org/
AMAYE has a quarterly newsletter with information for those who teach Meditation and Yoga Asana to children and adults. We have an Asana Guidebook coming out soon with all asanas of the Ananda Marga Yoga System accompanied by instructions, contraindications, benefits, organs and chakras affected, modifications, and more. This would be a terrific addition to anyone practicing or teaching the Ananda Marga Style Yoga. It will be available as an E-book.