Cape Men's Yoga

Mindfulness in meditation While travelling, I have taken time to read through a book Bhikku Analayo, a Buddhist monk, writing on the Satipatthana Sutta, the Buddha's most famous teaching on meditation and mindfulness. Mindfulness has become quite a trendy topic in the Western world. It came directly from exposure to Buddhist meditation practices and the rise of Goenka's Vipassana meditation methodology to enter into Western ideas of stress reduction, health treatment related to stress, and generally improvement of life quality. Mindfulness, or 'sati' in Pali means to pay attention to what is going on: to watch and observe. It is link to sampajana - which means to understand something in context. Through observing carefully what we are doing, to watch our reality in slow-motion, we often find that we have built up stress and anxiety unnecessarily and that by concentrating the mind we can untangle that process. In this morning's meditation I started off ob...

Dear reader, This is to let you know that the Summer Encounters Retreat is FULLY BOOKED ! NOTE : THERE IS NO CAPE MEN'S YOGA CLASS IN CAPE TOWN ON 1 FEBRUARY 2015 Cape Men's Yoga goes on retreat in the Overberg every six months. These are popular events and include a diverse offering of yoga, meditation, self-knowledge work, nature walks, ayurvedic activities, great vegetarian food and the fellowship of our team. A retreat is a time to deepen our practice. Though it is also a time to enjoy the countryside and good company, it is part of a spiritual and mental regime that is meant to help us understand ourselves better, sharpen some of our skills of working with mind and body. It is a learning opportunity. It can be a lot of fun. It can also be a time where hidden pain comes to the surface, unresolved grief, and other emotions that we try to avoid the rest of the time. A retreat creates a safe space for this exploration and awareness. The methodologies help ensure ...

Join us for 2 hours of mindful meditation and yoga. Vinyasa style yoga done as ' Zen flow ' with guided meditation work. Naked with your own truth, working with body and mind for a greater sense of well-being and self-insight. The zen mind is clear, fresh and awake. Flow yoga glides from one series of asana to another with grace and precision. Zen flow - with strength, focus, sequencing and serene effort.... You need a sweat towel and a water bottle, it helps to have your own yoga mat, and best to bring an open mind. Classes are at a venue in Hout Bay. Secure parking. Get there before 9h55. Classes are free, donations are welcome for the venue. Beginners are welcome. Please speak to the teacher before class if you are knew and / or if you have any injuries or physical difficulties. Be you, be welcome Email: capemensyoga AT gmail.com Or bbm: 2a2183bd

Reconciliation Day Yoga  Dear Yoga brothers, So much has happened in the last week. Many of you will have been feeling the national outpouring of grief for uTata Madiba, Nelson Mandela who was laid to rest on 15 December. We have been caught up in tears, in memories, in tributes, in debates and most of all re-inspired by his legacy to remember one of yoga's most profound lessons - our own happiness is born out of our relationship with others and our ability to use self-discipline and empathy to build a truly worthwhile life, one of compassion, one without harm, one that loves peace and reconciliation. Though he chose a path of armed insurrection against the minority government, and paid a heavy price for this, within his 27 years of incarceration, he was able to use this isolation to reflect on what really matters in life. Instead of sinking into madness or anger, he came to learn that anger is the killer, the deceiver, the toxin in the human heart. Instead he found forgiven...

Sukha, sthira - Comfort and alertness “Undisturbed calmness of mind is attained by cultivating friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and indifference toward the wicked.”  ―  Patanjali ,  The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Vinyasa is a form of yoga with movement; it is dynamic, starting with the setting of intentions, warming of the muscles, the sun salutation sequences to pump blood through the body, and then working through a series of standing poses, balance postures, seated postures, twists, inversions and winding down into a deep meditative state. Vinyasa is a recent evolution, built on the ashtanga vinyasa tradition of Mysore, with its roots disappearing back in time in the great body of yogic practice from South Asia. Join us this week for a some 'you' time - finding the investment in yourself and the trust in others to explore your body and mind. Yoga is not something that happens overnight. It may feel great to ...

Hatha yoga class this week Brad will take this week's class. It will be a classic hatha yoga practice followed by guided meditation.  2 hours of nude yoga as a journey into the mind / body / spirit relationship in a supportive all male environment. We have built a community of practice and you are welcome to join, whether a complete beginner or an advanced yogic practitioner.  Class runs from 10am until noon in Hout Bay. Classes  are free; we ask for donations to cover the cost of the venue. Please be in the gate by 9h55 latest. Best to bring your own mat but there are a few extra. You will need a sweat towel and you may want a water bottle. Please advise the teacher if you have any injuries. For more information contact us on capemensyoga AT gmail.com

Join us for 2 hours of naked men's yoga this Sunday, 22 September 2013. After several strong vinyasa classes we are going to switch to a very different form of yoga for this class.  Yin works with little to know muscular effort. It is all about letting go. It is the most introspective of the yoga styles. Technically it relies on gravity and putting slow tension onto ligaments, connective tissue and fascia. This is believed to be an important trigger for relieving stress and stimulating natural immunity.   It is also a time to explore your lesser known spaces, the darkness within, still places between jo ints, memories and galaxies within you. If you are new to yoga or want to explore your practice and understanding from another angle, join us for this two hour class. It can be challenging but it is always extraordinary and transformative. All you need is a mat. No sweating or great exertions.  If you are new to yoga or want to explore your practice and unders...

Meditation Meditation and yoga are closely connected practices. In classic yoga, meditation is one of the eight limbs of the yogic practice. My own experience progressed from formal meditation into yoga asana, only to discover that yoga asana actually helps still the mind and facilitates effective meditation. It would be great to say that meditation is one thing and this is how you do it. The truth is that meditation is many different things, has different options, and we approach it through unique pathways that are relevant to who we are and our earlier life experience. Still, meditation is a practice with many thousands of years of human experience. There is not much which has not been studied, experienced, practised and taught. What is really difficult about meditation? Getting started and trusting ourselves enough to sustain the practice. Any meditation is likely to be useful, but it is through sustained practice on a regular basis and over years, which allows the deep ...