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Meditation

Meditation is an uninterrupted flow of concentration on the infinite, it is often seen as a form of internal worship. The meditation is taught according to the Yogic tradition.

Meditation helps the practitioner bring the senses and mind within, and to stop the mind from wandering. It improves and helps to refine one’s perception and concentration, and to understand how our own mind and senses are the cause of all bondages and attachments.

Meditation helps to control stress and strain, it stops internal conflicts and confusions. Above all, it helps to understand the truth, and takes the practitioner to peace, happiness, and self-knowledge.

Satsanga

1st Sunday of every month starting March

Check upcoming events

10am - 11:30am

Location: Online

Open to public, everyone is welcome. By donation.

You are invited to join us for an hour of satsanga (spiritual talk), followed by half an hour Q&A session.

Satsanga are offered for free, but your donation can make a difference to many who are suffering. Support us now so we can continue to provide accessible teachings for the benefit of all.

Satsangas are spiritual discourses, talks, concerning the nature of the Self or Absolute. They take their inspiration from the Yogic and Vedantic teaching traditions and enable us to hear and ponder upon these truths in a sattvic environment with the opportunity to put questions and get direct personal answers.

Regular attendance at satsangas enables us to deepen our knowledge of our own minds and its responses and to contemplate upon the universal truths contained in the scriptures. The study of these scriptures by reading alone will engender questions, interest and knowledge; but will not necessarily provide direct answers.

Hearing the teaching expounded in satsangas will also provide further insights and knowledge concerning the subject that we may not gain through our own reading and study. Thus, satsangas become a source of encouragement to study the texts and an opportunity to gain more knowledge. This knowledge gained in Satsangas will inspire us to practice Yoga and meditation more regularly; while the practice of Yoga and meditation will encourage us to attend satsangas. Thus, the practice and the study becomes self supporting and encouraging.

Our account for donations: UCYL Trust, Sortcode 40-46-07, Account Number: 8116 5038

Children Hatha Yoga Course

Starting Tuesday, 16 February, 04:30 – 05:00

Location: Online

Suitable for age 8 to 12.

Teenager Hatha Yoga Course

Starting Saturday, 20 February, 10:30 – 11:00

Location: Online

Suitable for age 13 to 15

We are please to offer free Hatha Yoga classes for children and teenagers.

Please read the information below to learn more about yoga and refrain from eating 1 hour before class.

Each session is a follow on and will built on the last, so it would be advisable to join the classes from the beginning and try not to miss any classes.

We are please to offer Hatha Yoga classes for children and teenagers. Household earning more than £35,000 annually are encourage to donate to support free classes for all children and teenagers from less fortunate families to benefit from yoga.

Please read the information below to learn more about yoga and refrain from eating 1 hour before class.

Each session is a follow on and will built on the last, so it would be advisable to join the classes from the beginning and try not to miss any classes.

To be eligible, one of the parent must join our Spiritual Talks; this enables the parents to be aware of our motto and teaching methods, and further affirm what the children learned in the Bala Vihar programme.

The fee is by donation to enable all to join, learn and benefit from Hatha Yoga, meditation and Vedanta teachings which will serve them for their whole lives if practised.

For the continual of this programme, donations are hugely encouraged and appreciated from all.

We are also regularly invited to teach Hatha Yoga, pranayama, meditation, give satsanga and questions and answers sessions in youth camps all over the country.

10 Weeks Hatha Yoga Course (Part 6)

continuing from 7th February 2020

Sunday 08:45-09:45 am

Location: Camlad House, Forden, Powys, SY21 8NZ, Wales, UK

We are please to offer Hatha Yoga Part 6 of the 4 years Hatha Yoga systematic syllabus, This is only for students who has completed part 5 of the course.

Course Fee: £ 80

We look forward to seeing you.

10 Weeks Hatha Yoga Course (Part 7)

Starting 21st March 2020

Sunday 08:45-09:45 am

Location: Camlad House, Forden, Powys, SY21 8NZ, Wales, UK

We are please to offer Hatha Yoga continuation of the 4 years Hatha Yoga systematic syllabus, This is only for students who has completed part 6 of the course.

Course Fee: £ 80

We look forward to seeing you.

Hatha Yoga

Hatha Yoga is the science of controlling the body and purifying its internal systems which keep the body fit and healthy. As everything has its purpose, the body too has a purpose other than eating, drinking, and merrymaking. Hatha Yoga is meant to conquer tamoguna (heaviness/dullness) and rajoguna (extrovertness) of the body, thus giving an opportunity for sattvaguna (equiminity) to act freely. A person becomes quiet, happy, and wise, when sattvaguna becomes predominant. The body is certainly a means to help unfold the truth.

The benefits of Hatha Yoga are physical health and mental well-being. The whole body becomes stronger, healthier, more beautiful and supple. It also reduces stress and is a means to bring balance, harmony, peace and happiness to mind and body. Best time to practice Hatha Yoga is in the mornings, this will set the day with peace, harmony and energy.

The Meaning of the Word 'Hatha'

In Sanskrit, the word 'hatha' means by force, by compulsion. The body, being predominantly tamoguna, will not be smart to act, and therefore some people are fond of sleep and are quickly influenced by inertia. They cannot be active because the body itself will not get up. Even when the senses (such as the eyes, nose, and ears) are awake and alert - and even when the mind wants the body to get up - the body may not obey. The body needs to be forced to arise and be active. Taking help from the mind and senses, the body must be forced to act. However, forcing the body without any system may have adverse effects. Therefore, a systematic and scientific method has to be adopted to achieve the union of the mind, senses, and body. This system is called Hatha Yoga.

Exercises

There are many exercises which help the body to be active. People in general, either by necessity or by compulsion, do act and do practise exercises. Why then should there be Hatha Yoga?

Exercises develop the muscles, making them strong, and they check the development of intelligence and subtle perceptions. They may prevent certain illnesses, and produce others, but they do not have a system to bring the mind, senses, and body, into union, nor to cleanse the internal and external parts of the body. Walking, sitting, and moving of arms and legs, are also exercises, and are performed by intuition without any systematic learning. But the regulation of thoughts and deeds cannot be accomplished by these exercises.

Asanas

Asanas (postures) are not a discovery of any person, nor an invention, but an unfoldment of the human constitutional mechanism. The constitution of the body, and of all human beings, is the same.

The naming of asanas after trees, fish, animals, and objects, does not mean that they are derived from these creatures or objects, nor that they resemble them, but that the merit derived from the postures can clearly be seen in those creations after which they have been named. By the practice of asanas, one is able to develop human nature while annihilating animal nature from the body, senses, and mind.

Asanas are not exercises. It is wrong to call asanas exercises, even by mistake or unconsciously. Asanas are to be held, whereas exercises are to be practised with constant motion. Where exercises give a strong body and develop the muscles, Hatha Yoga asanas reduce weight, normalize the appetite, remove pain, and bring equanimity to the mind and body, thoughts and actions. By maintaining the equilibrium of the body and mind, thoughts and actions, we can maintain the best of health and peace.

Hatha Yoga Courses

Please wear loose fitting and natural fibre clothing which cover the whole body, such as a simple white t-shirt and loose comfortable trousers to enable maximum movement and coolness. No jeans, tank tops, Lycra, leggings and leotards please.

For the safety of the students, articles such as glasses, watches, jewellery, piercing and belts must be removed before the class.

Also, please prepare a large clean towel to lie on if carpeted, not a foam yoga mat.

Our traditional and systematic Hatha Yoga courses follows a strict and systematic syllabus lasting in total about four years, consisting of asanas, mudras, bandhas and pranayama. This course is suitable for both beginners and those with some experience. Everybody starts at the beginning of the syllabus regardless of previous practice and experience.

The courses are designed to enable you to have the knowledge and confidence to practice at home as well as to join the continuation courses. The Hatha Yoga Teacher will instruct you how to practice and concentrate as well as the names of the postures in Sanskrit. The teachers do not demonstrate in any classes as this will distract from your concentration and prevent corrections being made.

Hatha Yoga Starter courses are open to all individuals above the age of 16 (the exceptions being pregnant women, those who are severely ill). Please notify us of any ailments you suffer from when filling in the form.

Classical Hatha Yoga is practiced in a slow and controlled manner. This will build the strength and flexibility required for all postures and help develop concentration.

We do not teach Hatha Yoga as a therapy or treatment, although we acknowledges its ability not only to prevent but also to cure illness. Students who suffer from any particular illness should not learn Hatha Yoga as a treatment but are advised to approach their doctor.

After completion of the starter course, you have the opportunity to join the subsequent continuation courses as per syllabus.

The subsequent courses are not drop in classes and only open to students who have completed the 10 weeks starter course.

Students who successfully complete the asanas syllabus with at least 2 years of practise time will then have the chance to join the Hatha Yoga Teacher Training course subject to qualification, ability and the cultivation of Seva.

Please pay the cost of the course in full before the start of the first class. If students so paid discontinue their course, refunds are not given. Payment does not guarantee a place as we reserve the right to refuse students who did not complete the starter/previous courses and absenteeism from too many classes.

The Trust trains Yoga Teachers to a very high standard and none of the teachers teaching at our centres receives any of the income from the courses. All proceeds go to the Trust to finance its programmes and activities.

You should always learn Yoga from a suitably qualified teacher.

Email us on yoga@abhedashram.org for any queries.