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Long-standing yoga and movement teacher/mentor and imminent author Leonidas Peppas is the latest new patron of Animalia Asana®:

“Embracing all that has come before us can help us to appreciate who we are as a species, to deal with the human condition and to respect the profound teaching that process has to offer. This can help us to become ecological human beings that are more at one with nature and to find the wisdom this humility provides. Understanding who we are can develop from an awareness not only of what makes us unique, but also of the commonality we share with animals. Much of what we have to learn simply comes from honoring what already is. Appreciating the nature of life can support our creativity and thus our intelligence can shine and differentiate.“ ~ Leo Peppas

Leo has created some stunning imagery around some of the animal yoga postures. He is kindly sharing these with Animalia Asana. We look forward to his forthcoming book, which is keeping us all in suspense and is sure to offer as much inspiration and grounding for our explorations into the animal element within yoga. Leo offers mentoring programmes for other yoga teachers and shares specialist workshops on the asanas and the ir origins (developmental movement patterns). We all have to wait patiently for his visit to our own respective countries or save up to visit another country he is due to share his valuable insights with… exciting! Take a look at some samples of his work. Thanks so much for your support, Leo!

See them all on SoundCloud.

• Shree Pashupatinath – calling on the great protector of animals
• Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu – may all beings be free and happy, and may my thoughts, words and actions contribute in some way to the happiness and freedom for all
• Sarvabhutahita – kindness and dedication to all creatures

If you would like to purchase these files, please get in touch.

 

Animalia Asana® trying to speak up for broadening the circle of compassion from 1:30 in if anyone’s interested! :-p 😉

In the discussion following the Yoga & Science speakers section of the IYN Conference 2018.

Congratulations to Karen as the newest Animalia Asana® teacher seeking to dedicate some of her teaching to raise the profile of animal protection in all corners of society and alleviate the suffering of all animals, humans of course included!  🙂

Karen is based in Suffolk and keen to even introduce the multifaceted animal element of yoga to chair yoga!

Welcome aboard!

 

Animating Samadhi full essay

Abstract
This paper seeks to move us beyond the commonly held images of Hindu (and Jain) traditions
associated with animal protection, namely, the principle of ahiṁsā (non-harming) and the
worship of the “holy cow.” Approaching the theme of animal protection through Yoga theory and
practice, which in turn draws from the ancient Sāṅkhya darshana (philosophical vision), my aim
is to show how important features of Sāṅkhya-Yoga could help to address the urgent crisis of
animal exploitation and environmental degradation.

The central argument of this paper is that Yoga traditions, in their acknowledgement of
consciousness as foundational to existence as a whole, provide processes and methods for
elevating individual human consciousness in ways that have direct bearing on collective animal
and human well-being. These processes and methods are informed by Sāṅkhya’s triadic modal
mapping of consciousness: Of the three modalities of behavior and experience, the luminosity
and balance of sattva-guṇa is favoured over the passion of raja-guṇa and the inebriety of tomaguṇa.
From this perspective, among animal species, cows are considered to be representative
of and characterized in their behavior by sattva-guṇa. Hence their protection by human beings is
understood as integral to both the cultivation of sattvika (illumined) consciousness in human
society and the expansion of what may be called the “circle of protection” that is the basis of
human civilization.

By seeing animals in general as sensate, conscious beings that are progressing on the
path of Yoga, the ultimate aim of classical Yoga practice – the attainment of samādhi (perfect
absorption) — takes on significance for animal-human relationality, extending Yoga’s potential
for environmental healing far beyond the pursuit of individual yogic accomplishment.

Animalia Asana® is excited to be partaking in a unique event unveiling newly discovered historical yoga sequences. The workshop will be facilitated by yoga academics/teachers Jacqueline Hargreaves and Jason Birch. Join us if you can: https://www.yogacampus.com/workshops/hathaabhyaasapaddhati-a-precursor-of-modern-yoga#

“One hundred and twelve āsanas, many of which are based on the movements of animals, are described in an eighteenth-century yoga text called the Haṭhābhyāsapaddhati, ‘a manual on the practice of Haṭhayoga’. The āsanas are divided into six sequences and some of them involve repetitive movement and require extraordinary strength and flexibility, as well as the use of rope. Many of these āsanas remain unknown to modern yoga practitioners.”