Yoga Kendra Initiation

At Yoga Kendra studio in Malmö, the yoga is part of a tradition. Before coming to class, there is an introductory weekend, compulsory for everyone, beginners and experienced yogis alike.

Very few postures are performed during this weekend, and it is more like a lecture with Daniel, the founder of Yoga Kendra. Anecdotes of his travels in India and his encounters with yoga masters are mixed with bits and pieces of yoga philosophy and details on what you should and should not do when performing asana.
There is no structure to the lecture, it’s almost a stream of consciousness, where Daniel’s speech flows from one aspect to the other, from practical matters to the highest purposes, from hilarious jokes to solemn serenity.

In the traditional way of learning yoga, the masters wanted their students and disciples to show themselves worthy, often by setting their patience to the test, only sharing yogic knowledge after a lengthy period of trivial tasks. This order made sure that the students would persevere also in their studies of yoga. In a similar fashion, Daniel requires an investment of ten hours, which might seem a lot for anyone who would just like to try a class, but not much compared to the weeks, months and years of the traditional trial.

In fact, the arrangement also acts as a clever way of creating a bond between a yogi and his students to be. During ten hours of constant talking, you have time to express a lot of thoughts and opinions. You have enough time to show who you are, to gain credibility. Everyone at Yoga Kendra knows Daniel - they perhaps even know him better after a weekend than they know e.g. the colleagues that they see every day at work! Daniel in his turn makes sure to learn the name of everyone in the room. The connection is created.

The weekend is sealed with an initiation ceremony, which involves meditation, looking into an eye and getting protection for the third eye. Here’s Martine and I after her initiation last weekend (where I followed the initiation for the third time), our third eyes well hidden.

Eye of the Tiger at Wild Rose

Eye of the Tiger sessions started as a way for Anusara Yoga teachers to meet and practice together, to inspire each other and to explore their limits. No one acted as a teacher in the usual sense of the word. Instead, one of the yogis were guiding the others while also participating fully in the practice himself or herself.

Another version of Eye of the Tiger is where the session is actually lead by a teacher. The teacher will participate, but still have focus on the students and give useful comments and directions when needed. There are no lengthy interruptions for demonstrations, so that a flow is kept throughout the practice, and although this means that most postures have to be well known by the majority of the room, an Eye of the Tiger is a great opportunity to go a bit further.

Jonas held a three-hour Eye of the Tiger workshop at Wild Rose studio in Chiang Mai one week after the Immersions had ended. It is a nice and spacious time frame that allows for a full practice and still leaves some room for further exploration. Strong from two weeks of daily practice and relaxed from one week of massages and saunas in Chiang Mai, I felt like I could have continued for three more hours!

Here's Jonas giving Pooh an assist for baddha konasana with a forward bend.